Over two days, mid-career and senior diplomats in Commonwealth countries were treated by a master class in diplomatic leadership in the 21st century.
Dr Nabeel Goheer, Chief of Asia, Middle East and Europe at PATH and a former Assistant Secretary-General at the Commonwealth Secretariat, facilitated the workshop for the duration.
The intensive two-day certificate programme on diplomatic leadership in the 21st century was designed for mid-career and senior diplomats. It unpacked the roles of dominant forces shaping our contemporary reality in an immersive, dialectic and engaging way.
Eminent speakers, including political leaders, senior diplomats, seasoned academics and scholars, technology experts, Commonwealth Secretariat leaders, and civil society trailblazers, shared their perspectives.
Attendees learned ways to carve out diplomatic space and advance diplomatic action in complex and evolving situations. For many attendees, it was an opportunity to hone their understanding of contemporary reality and the nature of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic actions. Many of the presentations took a conversational tone, drawing as much from the experience of the diplomats as the presenters.
In her speech welcoming the diplomats, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:
“With goodwill, understanding, respect, and the spirit of service, six Secretaries-General - including myself - have supported Commonwealth leaders through high-level discussions to build consensus on a progressive agenda for our family of nations. This has been – and continues to be - the way of Commonwealth diplomacy.
“That enables the Commonwealth to carry genuine moral authority on the global stage. This is a testament to the determination of our members to use the diplomatic means at their disposal to confront, challenge, influence and act together.”
Later, joined by Dr Goheer and Deborah Jamieson, Chief of Staff and Senior Director in the Secretary-General’s Office, the Secretary-General shared insights and experiences from her current role and beyond. The attendees were so eager to continue learning from her that hands continued to be raised even after her Chief of Staff signalled that the session had come to an end.
The diplomacy shown by Sir Shridath Ramphal, the second Commonwealth Secretary-General who recently passed, and the current Secretary-General were referenced several times by both the participants and presenters. It was posited by Professor Luis Franceschi, the Secretariat’s Assistant Secretary-General, that some of the most significant work is its quiet diplomacy.
He said the Secretariat is known as a ‘bad-weather friend’, referencing the fact that government leaders often turn to the organisation first in times of turmoil. He noted the Commonwealth is no stranger to difficult discussions, giving as one example the Secretariat’s efforts to quell tensions during the Sierra Leone elections in 2023.
He shared a series of quiet and protracted interventions that resulted in both the government and opposition leaders joining hands onstage and signing a peace pledge to signal unity and restore calm to the nation.
One of the diplomats at the training event, held at Marlborough House in London, shared:
"“This is an excellent initiative and course. PATH and the Commonwealth Secretariat should be proud to have started this very important and critical initiative. All speakers contributed wonderfully."
Training opportunities, such as this one, are just one of the ways that the Commonwealth Secretariat provides services to member countries and strengthen the capabilities of its people.
Media contact
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Suné Kitshoff Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
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