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Sharpening Skills in International Diplomacy and Development

29 June 2006

Exposure to international diplomacy and development, and the issues involved in providing technical assistance to Commonwealth countries, have enhanced the understanding and outlook of Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Winston Cox.

He told this to the Commonwealth News in an interview during his final week in office at the end of June 2006 after serving six years at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

"It's an excellent place if you wish to launch a long-term career as an international civil servant. The Secretariat does give you enough international context and outreach that would help you in your career development. It also exposes you to a cross-cultural heterogeneity and ethnic diversity -- exposure in the multiple aspects of diversity which you are less likely to get working in your country," said Mr Cox.

He summed up his two consecutive three-year stints as Deputy Secretary-General as rewarding.

"It stretched and challenged me in some areas, and in others, I was able to draw and build on the experience which I had from previous employment. I found it very interesting being engaged in the debate on international trade and on aid architecture, for example. I was quite fascinated by the whole engagement and the bustle to development -- on the financial side and of course, the debt relief."

The Commonwealth has played a leading role in advocating debt relief for low income countries, since the Lever Report in 1984. During Mr Cox's time,  the Commonwealth Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Ministerial Forum served to advance efforts to broaden and deepen debt relief under the HIPC Initiative that was launched by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund while Mr Cox was serving as an Alternate Executive Director at the Bank. As Deputy Secretary-General he personally played an important role in guiding the deliberations of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers.

"To see debt relief come into a point of fruition and being accepted as the international orthodoxy is reason for great satisfaction because at the time it was proposed it was anathema to the international community. It was in many ways most satisfying to come here and be engaged in taking it forward."

The launch of the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015, the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol and the Commonwealth Protocol on the Recruitment of Health Professionals during Mr Cox's term in office were milestones achieved by the Commonwealth. His major achievement, he said, was assisting the Secretary-General with ideas and plans for the reorganisation of the Secretariat by merging divisions, consolidating staff strength and streamlining processes for the implementation of Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation projects, which provides technical assistance to member countries.

Mr Cox, who leaves office on 30 June, will join the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as the Alternate Executive Director representing The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. After two years, he will take on the post of Executive Director on the board that represents this group.

"The challenge there will be to ensure that the policies of the bank and the interest of the Caribbean countries converge so that the countries derive maximum benefit from their membership of an institution that is an important source of finance for their development," he stated.

At the IDB, Mr Cox said he can also serve as a bridge between the bank and the Secretariat to develop partnerships that will assist countries which are members of both institutions. They include The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UK.

He commended the Secretariat for its development efforts and urged staff to continue striving for excellence.

"You always want to do better and better, like the motto of the Olympics -- swifter, higher, faster!"

Mr Ransford Smith, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the Office of the United Nations and its specialised agencies in Geneva, Rome and Vienna, will succeed Mr Cox. Mr Smith, who is also the Ambassador of Jamaica to the World Trade Organisation, is expected to join the Secretariat in July.