Wednesday, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari launched the ‘Share Pakistan Portal’, a digital repository for enhanced targeted communication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its more than one hundred diplomatic missions abroad.
In his remarks at the launch event held in conjunction with the National Information Technology Board (NITB), the foreign minister stated that the online standardised information system would collect and disseminate the impact of public diplomacy initiatives in support of Pakistan’s foreign policy goals.
Bilawal stated that he had initiated the ‘Foreign Minister’s Change Management Initiative’ as a commitment to enhancing the ministry’s capacity to execute its mandates effectively through management reforms.
In order to make this a reality, he said, a team of experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its overseas missions brainstormed a variety of reforms in diverse areas such as human resources, finance, logistics, communication, counsellor, protocol, and community services in order to digitalize and simplify the rules, policies, and procedures.
He stated that the objective of his ‘Change Management Initiative’ would be to foster a culture of work that places a greater emphasis on results and productivity, values innovation, and brings decision-making closer to the point of delivery.
The foreign minister stated that the comprehensive report on the ‘Change Management Initiative’ would further address and transform the diplomatic service, making it better equipped to respond to the new realities and challenges of the contemporary world.
Bilawal asserted that the ‘Change Management Initiative’ would facilitate communication between the ministry and diplomatic missions abroad.
He added that the portal was intended to facilitate horizontal and vertical information exchange in the public diplomacy domain between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its diplomatic posts abroad.
He stated that the portal would enhance the efficacy and openness of various public diplomacy initiatives.
The foreign minister stated that the paperless digital tool was the first portal to encompass the incorporation of digital technologies in both public diplomacy outreach efforts and institutions.
“It will be used in diplomacy for outreach decision support, drafting strategic communication, translating foreign policy, and analysis of the latest trends,” he explained.
Bilawal expressed confidence that the digital tool would serve as a model for future communication initiatives between the ministry and its missions that are both useful and effective.
He anticipated that the portal would be the initial step towards simplification of communication systems and IT-based solutions in the engagement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with other government departments, thereby facilitating interdepartmental coordination.
He thanked NITB and the Ministry of Information Technology for collaborating with Mofa to develop the portal so that public diplomacy activities are more visible and achieve desired foreign policy objectives.
In addition, he congratulated the spokesperson’s office and the Strategic Commutations team on the portal’s successful launch.
The country’s high commissioners and ambassadors participated in the inauguration via video link.