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Highlights
- Inside documents from Dfat reveal an ‘unprecedented’ loss of overseas diplomats during pandemic.
- Compared to related foreign locations Australia already has a smaller diplomatic community.
- Overseas positions and postings at Australian embassies have declined lately, as per Dfat.
A 51-page incoming operational transient for Dfat’s (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) new secretary, Kathryn Campbell, reveals a fall in the number of positions at Australian embassies and diplomats on overseas postings, during the pandemic.
How has the Australian diplomatic set up changed during pandemic?
An ‘unprecedented’ count of individuals has withdrawn from Australia’s overseas diplomatic positions. The briefing given to the new head of the Dfat, launched under freedom of data legal guidelines stated that Dfat also lowered the number of positions for domestically employed workers at 113 overseas missions from over the same interval.
Furthermore, the documents also highlight the fact that Australia already has a smaller diplomatic community compared to other related international locations. The global network of Australia is smaller and, as per the documented number of posts, it stands second last in the G20 nations.
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According to the document, new posts were opened at the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia and Niue over the last two years, with a focus on the pacific region. The reason was a heightened strategic competition and stress in the Indo-Pacific, demanding a strong diplomatic network for Australia’s national interest.
Australia loses ‘unprecedented’ number of foreign diplomats in pandemic
Bottom line -
The revelations from the Dfat document reflects on how the pandemic has reshaped its’ operations in Australia and overseas. It also highlights the rising concerns of Australia in the Indo-Pacific region during the pandemic.
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