In recent weeks, we have received numerous calls from friends, relatives, and so-called acquaintances living both in Sri Lanka and abroad. They have informed us that the government has decided to recall the ambassadors serving overseas, and as a result, I will be required to return to Sri Lanka. I have noticed that many of these individuals have little understanding of the public administration machinery of Sri Lanka. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to explain the difference between a professional diplomatic officer and a politically appointed diplomatic officer.
The Sri Lanka Foreign Service is a department within the wider civil service, established alongside other island-wide services in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Foreign Service was created in parallel with the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, the Sri Lanka Planning Service, the Sri Lanka Educational Administration Service, the Sri Lanka Scientific Service, the Sri Lanka Agricultural Service, and so on. Unlike officers in the other island-wide services, officers in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service do not serve throughout Sri Lanka, but are assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo or to Sri Lankan embassies around the world.
It is part of the civil service of the Government of Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka Foreign Service was established on 1 October 1949, with the recruitment of a group of six individuals. Since then, 384 individuals have joined the Foreign Service, including the 20 recruits for the Foreign Service in 2024. The Foreign Service Examination, which was originally held solely in English since 1949, has been conducted in Sinhala and Tamil since 1974. The approved staff strength currently stands at 264, although only 180 officers are in service.
The Sri Lanka Foreign Service recruits through an open competitive examination for graduates. The open competitive examination I sat for in 1999 consisted of five papers. Nearly 3,000 graduates appeared for this examination, of whom only 75 with the highest scores were selected for the interview.
This was five times the number of vacancies, which stood at 15. The Sri Lanka Foreign Service Examination, along with the subsequent interview process, is the most competitive and rigorous recruitment procedure in Sri Lanka, as the number of vacancies is extremely limited.
Officers selected for the Foreign Service are initially appointed as Assistant Directors. After passing the first efficiency cut-off and receiving all the prescribed salary increments, they are confirmed in the post after three years. Upon passing the second efficiency cut-off examination, those who joined the service in Sinhala must also pass examinations in Tamil and English. They must also attain proficiency in the foreign language assigned to them. Once all qualifications have been completed, they are appointed as Deputy Directors within six years and as Directors after ten years of service. If they do not reach this stage within ten years, they are promoted to the first class of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service after completing a Master’s Degree, upon reaching 17 years of service. They are then appointed to Director General positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to available vacancies.
After five years, the 15 candidates who score the highest marks in the interview for the special grade of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, based on seniority and merit, are appointed as Additional Secretaries and to equivalent posts, including Secretaries in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to the positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the following posts are available at embassies: Third Secretary is the initial appointment, followed by Second Secretary after four years, First Secretary after six years, Advisor after ten years, Minister Advisor after twelve years, Minister after 15 years, and then Consul General and Ambassador posts, based on vacancies.
I became Consul General after fulfilling all the above qualifications, having completed 19 years of service. I became an Ambassador after 23 years of service in the Foreign Service and 28 years of service in the Public Service. During my career, I have served in all the aforementioned positions within the embassies. I have also served in all posts below the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The situation for politically appointed officers is different. There have been cases where individuals who failed the GCE O-level exams were politically appointed to ambassadorial positions. Many others were defeated politicians, their spouses, children, or other relatives. There were also retired army officers, government officials, and businessmen among them.
This note is intended to clarify the distinction between those who obtain ambassadorial posts through the Sri Lanka Foreign Service and those who secure these positions through political appointments.
This note is taken from the author’s Facebook page
