A total of 23 mostly foreign service officers, drawn from a cross section of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, successfully completed a first-of-its-kind, four-day in-person training module titled ‘Negotiation Skills and Techniques for Foreign Service Officers of Caribbean Community Countries’ on 5 December 2024. The module was hosted by The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Institute of International Relations’ (IIR) Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean (DAOC), which partnered with the Clingendael Academy of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations to design and deliver the training at the St. Augustine campus. The module sought to enhance participants’ skills, knowledge and understanding of international negotiation processes, against a backdrop where growing interdependence has made negotiation an indispensable tool in the international political arena.
“The module has been developed and delivered in response to the recognized need to build negotiation-related capacity within CARICOM member states’ foreign ministries, at a juncture where these small states are seeking to expand the scope of their associated diplomatic capabilities and positioning on the international stage.” This according to The DAOC’s Manager Dr. Nand C. Bardouille, who underscored that “as the match between the United Nations’ (UN) priorities and post-Cold War international realities has grown less favourable to CARICOM member states, these countries have ramped up calls for reform of this preeminent world body. This module lends to this negotiation-related narrative.”
Professor Ron Ton served as trainer of the module, which is informed by an innovative curriculum that harnesses world-class negotiation-related teaching. The training drew on foundational, negotiation-based concepts—leveraging inter alia case study/simulation-driven, peer-to-peer knowledge exchanges. Professor Ton, who is Director of the Clingendael Academy and an expert in negotiation & mediation, indicated “It was an absolute privilege to work with such a distinguished group of diplomats and policy advisors in the Caribbean region. Witnessing the improvement of individual skills and the adoption of fresh insights into negotiation practices was truly inspiring. I am confident that these advancements will strengthen cooperation among CARICOM states.”
At the module’s closing ceremony, Dr. Acolla Lewis-Cameron, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, The UWI St. Augustine Campus remarked: “It is a high honour for us at The UWI to have served as your training provider, along with the Clingendael Academy. We are also honoured that our Call for Nominations regarding this invitation-only training module attracted the numbers that it did. This in no small part has to do with the quality of the training on offer and, tied to this, the module trainer.” Dr. Lewis-Cameron also conveyed appreciation to the Clingendael Academy and particularly to Professor Ton, referencing his deep commitment to this training initiative. She noted: “Professor Ton worked tirelessly with our colleagues at The DAOC to fashion a top-notch curriculum, with a keen eye to Small Island Developing States-related and Caribbean realities in respect of international affairs, foreign policy and diplomacy.”
Acting IIR Director Dr. Annita Montoute pointed to the fact that the challenges faced by the Caribbean region have grown in both complexity and variety, complicating further its capacity to engage effectively in the international sphere and achieve favourable results from external engagements. In taking stock of the timely delivery of the module and its emphasis on pairing cutting-edge topics with the praxis of negotiation, Dr. Montoute emphasized that the training promises to significantly improve the region’s capability to strategically leverage its intellectual resources and normative power to bring about concrete and beneficial development outcomes.
Ms. Lisette Blüm, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands accredited to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, noted in feature remarks she delivered to the module’s opening ceremony: “Successful negotiation hinges on the balance between giving and taking. Negotiators must navigate competing interests carefully, making concessions that benefit both sides while maintaining a sense of dignity for all involved. As tough as it may be, the goal is to create an outcome where everyone feels they have come out ahead—at least in some way.” Ms. Blüm also drew parallels between Dutch diplomatic philosophy as being inextricably linked to multilateralism and the CARICOM bloc’s negotiating stance on international climate-related diplomacy, stating: “The Caribbean countries [have] demonstrated the power of negotiation through solidarity.”
This perspective was reaffirmed by a panel of three experts, two of whom took part in the recently held UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The panellists, tasked with engaging the cohort virtually on December 4th, brought additional perspectives and expert viewpoints on multilateral negotiations to the module. The panellists were as follows:
- Ambassador Carlos Fuller, Permanent Representative of Belize to the UN.
- Ms. Rueanna Haynes, International Climate Law and Governance Specialist.
- Mr. Jivaan Bennett, Tax Attorney (who has a special interest in international tax policymaking, and in this regard UN General Assembly Resolution 78/230 that calls for the promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the UN).
In the feature address delivered at the module’s closing ceremony, His Excellency Dr. Paul Byam, Director of Bilateral Relations, Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago contended, “Negotiating skills are a core, practical component to the exercise of diplomacy. This is especially so for smaller countries such as ours, where our combined voices and persuasive power, in partnership with each other and with like-minded States across the world, such as the Kingdom of the Netherlands, makes us more influential in international fora.”
Ms. Sunita Harrikissoon, Director of the Treaties, International Agreements and Legal Division of the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs—whose charge it was at the module’s closing ceremony to deliver remarks on behalf of module participants—hailed the module as a great success, saying: “The training has been a transformative journey that has not only refined our negotiating abilities but also deepened our understanding of what it means to be an effective representative of both our respective nations and the Caribbean region on the global stage.”
Ms. Harrikissoon also said that as a result of the module and Professor Ton’s teaching, this cohort “not only gained practical skills but also learned how to think analytically and strategically when engaging with international negotiators. The seamless integration of theory into practice has come to life through dynamic role-plays from the interactive debriefs and the bilateral distributive negotiations, to one-on-one exchanges guided by specific mandates.”
The cohort—provided with a full tuition waiver, as a result of this Clingendael Academy / DAOC training partnership—was drawn from: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development of Grenada; Consulate General of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; High Commission for Jamaica to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Consumer Affairs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago; Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries of Trinidad and Tobago; and the Foreign and Community Relations Directorate of the CARICOM Secretariat.
Ms. Harrikissoon observed: “The true measure of this program’s success lies not only in the knowledge we have gained, but in the way we choose to apply it.” She concluded that the design and delivery of this module is a testament to The DAOC’s “vision and dedication to advancing diplomatic excellence in our region [and] to the Diplomatic Academy’s commitment to strengthening the capacities of foreign service officers and fostering regional integration in the field of diplomacy.”
The Diplomatic Academy celebrated the achievement of this cohort in a ceremony featuring the presentation of module graduands, who were all subsequently conferred with Certificates of Training issued jointly by both The DAOC and the Clingendael Academy. During this ceremony, with their certificates in hand, respective graduates were congratulated by: Dr. Lewis-Cameron, Dr. Montoute, Professor Ton and Dr. Bardouille.
