IESC to Train the Diplomatic Corps of the World’s Newest Country
The U.S. Department of State selected IESC to implement a two-year South Sudan Diplomatic Training Program and play a critical role in building the capacity of South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and its Embassies around the world.
As a new country, South Sudan faces a daunting array of challenges, including the resolution of remaining post-Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) issues, as well as broader imperatives related to economic and political development and democracy building. To meet these challenges, the Diplomatic Training Program, which started in September 2011, will work with the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) to help build a skilled, professional diplomatic corps. The program will support the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s efforts to manage the complicated and expanding international relationships that come with nationhood, providing South Sudan’s diplomats with the skills and knowledge needed to promote their country’s interests abroad.
IESC President Tom Miller, a former U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Bosnia and Special Cyprus Coordinator, and the program’s Project Director, Jeff Millington, also a former Foreign Service Officer, are leading the development and provision of training in areas including Ambassadorial Preparation, Orientation for New Diplomats, Political and Economic Analysis and Reporting, Commercial Promotion, Public Diplomacy, Embassy Administration, and Consular Affairs and Security. The IESC team, with its partner The Graduate School, will provide a robust curriculum for new and returning South Sudanese diplomats, as well as train-the-trainer sessions to build up the Ministry’s internal training capacity.
