May 2015


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Labour – the Diplomatic Academy’s latest frontier

It’s a bit unusual for an educator in international relations to be giving a presentation at a major labour conference. But that is precisely what Professor Andy Knight, Director of The UWI’s Institute of International Relations (IIR) and the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean did at the recent 9th International Labour Organisation (ILO) Meeting of the Caribbean Ministers of Labour.

He was there of course to discuss diplomacy, specifically labour diplomacy and how it could benefit the region. Most importantly, he was there to promote the Diplomatic Academy’s new Labour Diplomacy model.

“The head of the ILO office in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Giovanni di Cola, and I have had discussions for the last five months now about the possibility of doing a module at the Diplomatic Academy,” explains Professor Knight.

Speaking at the meeting titled Decent Work for Sustainable Development and held on March 3 and 4 in Nassau, the IIR and Diplomatic Academy Director told an audience made up primarily of Labour Ministers (and their support staff) from throughout the region of the value of labour diplomacy, particularly in the current economic environment.

“The ILO sees this as very important not just for the Caribbean but for the globe to have a Caribbean Diplomatic Academy that will reach out on global issues like labour,” he says. “A grounding in diplomacy can help in areas like maintaining labour peace in declining economies, layoffs from the government sector and less profits in the private sector.”

Describing interest in the module and the Diplomatic Academy itself as “absolutely amazing”, Professor Knight says the five-day programme begins in May. Training will be provided by one of the ILO’s top officers as well Sir LeRoy Trotman, one of the region’s most internationally renowned labour leaders. The ILO is also proposing to support the module by providing scholarships for a limited number of participants. The Diplomatic Academy is preparing for 40 to 50 participants.

Labour diplomacy is the latest in several training modules offered at the Diplomatic Academy that provide instruction in fields outside of traditional diplomacy. This is part of the academy’s mandate to create a new paradigm of open diplomacy.

“Diplomacy is no longer reserved for foreign affairs,” says Professor Knight. “It is now used across ministries and in civil society as well.”

Since its launch in May 2014, the Diplomatic Academy has offered modules on climate change, digital diplomacy, sports diplomacy and even celebrity diplomacy.