BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The country’s diplomats may need additional requirements under the Pubic Service code of conduct for employees, for they carry heavier burden than public officers working locally.
Leader of Opposition and member of the Bills and Legislative Committee (BLC), Matthew Wale raised the matter for consideration under the Public Service Bill 2025, which is under consultation.
He said the foreign service should have additional conducts under the Public Service code of conduct for employees because they represent the country and government and their behaviour and conducts become very important, both during and after working hours.
Wale also asked a team from the Ministry of Public Service during the hearing, if the Ministry and other relevant government institutions like IPAM provide training on diplomacy and etiquette for the country’s foreign service officers.
The team responded that at the moment both foreign service officers and public service officers are guided by the same code of conduct.
They said there is no special or additional conducts for foreign service officers or diplomats yet, but the ministry acknowledges the concern and will see if they can work on it when they review the current code of conduct.
On the same note, the team said the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade also offers training on diplomacy for foreign service officers, but it is very basic training.
They added that most of them only took courses at IPAM, which is generally on ethics for public service, but it has helped them make their way up the ladder. Most senior officers, who were sent out are with level 12 and 13, and should be well-versed with the public service code of conducts.
The team furthered that the code of conduct should influence the behaviour or performance of the person. For instance, when a diplomat goes to a country, this is the ethics he or she must abide by.
They also said the code of ethics should be part of a person’s daily living.
The team from the Public Service said this is what they try to preach at IPAM, but assured that they will take onboard the concerns raised to strengthen the public service code of ethics for all public officers.
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