If Mr A J Nicholson fails...

Sunday, January 15, 2012

A foreign policy is a vital tool for development in small states like Jamaica. Unfortunately, we have not had the kind of coherent, proactive foreign policy that we deserve as a nation.

Our foreign policy, with little tweaking here or there under Dr Kenneth Baugh, has largely been running on the momentum of the stewardship of the erudite Prime Minister P J Patterson and the articulate Mr K D Knight as minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade.

But the page-and-a-half in the People's National Party manifesto for the December 29, 2011 election is a clear indication that no serious thought has gone into this vital subject, and the vague pronouncement that the priority of the new administration will be rebuilding Jamaica's international image does not suggest that there is going to be cerebral activity.

The direction for foreign policy should come from the political directorate, especially when the top leadership in the ministry is at its lowest ebb since Independence. This is where the challenge will come for Mr A J Nicholson and his junior minister, neither of whom have any experience in international affairs.

Under Sir Alexander Bustamante in the throes of the Cold War, the foreign policy was simply: "We are with the West."

Mr Michael Manley brought vision and sophistication to a policy of non-alignment, learning the painful lesson that the US position was: "If you are not with us, you are against us."

Mr Edward Seaga simplified the foreign policy to: "We are with the US."

Mr Manley, and later Mr Patterson, pursued non-alignment with peaceful coexistence with the US. The Golding foreign policy was a quest for development assistance, largely ignoring the all-important relationship with the US.

Jamaica needs a foreign policy which must consist of goals, diplomatic modalities and a deployment of resources in service to the goals. At this time the priority for foreign policy must be to assist in the economic recovery of the country in the midst of a deepening global financial crisis. An illustration of foreign policy in service to the economy is the number of development loans from China as the result of Jamaica's adherence to the "one China policy" when others were flirting with Taiwan.

The modality of foreign policy must recognise that the foreign ministry and its coterie of diplomats are only the core of the delivery of foreign policy in tandem with the prime minister, but which is also given expression by all Government representatives when overseas. An illustration is mobilising US support in the IMF by lobbying the US Treasury and State departments.

The deployment of missions and personnel has no rationale and does not adequately reflect the reality of the 21st century. The ministry's operations are arcane and inefficient, devoid of modern management systems and promotion is based on seniority, not merit. Some vital ambassadorial posts are filled by unqualified political appointees. The civil servants in this ministry have successfully resisted attempts to reorganise its deployment and operations, for example, through the Orane Report and the report on A Foreign Policy for the 21st Century produced under Dr Paul Robertson in the late 1990s.

Jamaica urgently needs a coherent foreign policy, suitable human resources and a deployment which can effectively execute the mission.

Mr Nicholson will have to call on his vast experience as a politician and Cabinet minister to make it worthwhile having a foreign ministry. He cannot, and must not fail.

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COMMENTS (5)

John Smith
1/15/2012

The headline is not encouraging but good words and good luck to Jamaica.

wanda woeman
1/15/2012

@ghost rider I can't agree with you. I think the JLP should stand by ready to once again assume power since the PNP seems hell-bent on following in their footsteps. Why must the Gleaner tell us this morning about a contract awarded to a govt physicist to treat patients at his private practice? Why weren't we hearing about this before? Why are we hearing about it after the fact?
And why are they awarding contracts when the Parliament has not even been sworn in?
Can’t we get away from govt. awarding contracts? I have a feeling that I will soon be eating humble pie. The 50-odd% who stayed away from the polls seems to know something we do not.

Paul Gentles
1/15/2012

This position should be closely aligned with trade. It's all about "what do you bring to the table?"
We are all inter-dependent - arrogance or ignorance has no part to play in this vital position.
It's about the country's business and interests, not personal agendas. I think AJ is wise enough to respect his role...If he is wise (savvy) enough on how to make the best of his role thats a completely different question.

ghost rider
1/15/2012

The positive "He cannot and must not fail, would have been a much better caption to this editorial instead of the negative, "What if Mr. A.J. Nicholson fails?"
It is as if we are seeing the glass as half empty, instead of being half full.
I think if the JLP behaves as a responsible Opposition and there is no sabotage, this country along with the efforts of the people will succeed.

Noel Richards
1/15/2012

Hugo Chavez is going to hurt JA. The US relationship with JA is based solely on keeping JA from becoming a full fledged narco state. Venezuelan banks had to borrow from the US Federal Reserve during the financial crisis, I have the Fed list. There is a hell of a lot more going on than meets the eye. Had Manley understood how the system actually works, he wouldn't have tried to deal with it by aligning JA with nonaligned nations, a contradiction in terms. J'cans are clueless, AJ will fail.

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If Mr A J Nicholson fails...