Service, not just prestige, sought from diplomats
Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Imagine a traveler's worst nightmare: Being robbed of money, passport and tickets. Faced with such a predicament, most Indonesians traveling abroad only have one recourse -- to seek assistance from the nearest Indonesian embassy.
As the Foreign Ministry marked its 60th anniversary last week, think tanks, professionals and connoisseurs of diplomacy eagerly debated the future direction of Indonesian foreign policy.
Curiously though, few spoke of the Foreign Ministry's task which has an equal, if not higher, importance than heady international diplomacy: That of protecting the safety and interests of Indonesian citizens abroad.
Consular affairs is a thankless and unending task. Successes are rarely acknowledged, and attention only comes when something goes wrong.
Nevertheless, with over two million Indonesians overseas, the government must ensure the welfare of Indonesians living abroad and must not undervalue its responsibility towards them, in particular the foreign ministry. The number of Indonesians living, traveling and working abroad -- already bigger than the population of several provinces -- will only increase due to higher mobility and the ever-increasing numbers of those seeking employment overseas, legally and otherwise.
Consular work completely lacks glamor when compared to chairing a UN committee or hosting an international conference, but for the average Indonesian in trouble -- the tourist who loses a passport, or the ignorant maid who is being exploited by a foreign system -- the prompt and friendly assistance of consular officers is a godsend.
There continues to be complaints about the frosty attitudes of our Indonesian diplomats who are too bound by red tape or too strict in observing office hours rather than helping a countryman in need. To be fair, under the guidance of Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, there has been a detectable change in attitudes by Indonesian diplomats concerning this issue. But there is no harm in reminding our embassy staff that they are civil servants before they are diplomats.
A thorough change in the mind-sets of the ministry's staff and the construction of a responsive, modern consular service should remain a priority.
There is a need for more sensitivity in providing easier public access for Indonesians abroad, and in the application of user-oriented approaches to consular services both at the consular section window and after office hours.
There are many examples that could be emulated, many of which are easily adaptable to our circumstances as long as there is a strong commitment to allocate resources.
One such initiative is a 24-hour consular hotline. Australia is one country that initiated such a center to allow its citizens in need to call Canberra from overseas to report their problems.
Canada is another country that has a specific Consular Affairs Bureau that helps travelers with anything from medical assistance, lost documents, misplaced passports and missing persons. The Bureau has also invested heavily in information technology to allow its officers to access a central database from anywhere in the world in order to provide speedy service.
One can only imagine the poor quality of service provided with consular offices that persist in using only manual systems. Such 'simple' initiatives have freed the limited manpower of consular sections in their respective embassies to focus on more complex cases.
There are of course limits to the capacity to assist in differing foreign jurisdictions. However, a commitment to reform -- systemic and attitudinal -- in consular services is reassuring and shows Indonesians that their government cares about them, irrespective of whether they are on sovereign soil.
It is a commitment well worth investing in since it reflects the government's emphasis on public service. Furthermore it would cost but a fraction of yet another international summit!