Protocol Workshops have begun for staff of the Waigani Courthouse who have been selected by the local organizing committee to participate at the 10th Asia-Pacific Mediation Forum Conference.

The objective of the workshop is to provide efficient, customer-friendly, and competent professionals engaged to work at the international conference.

The staff were divided into three groups and participated in a two-days protocol workshop at their scheduled dates this month in two different venues.

These workshops were conducted collaboratively by members of the local APMF organizing committee including Justice John Carey, Ms Debbie Laudiwana, Mr Brian Oreke and Mr Joshua Konga, the Manager for Protocol Unit.

As facilitators, they designed the workshop to sharpen the skills of participants to prepare them as attaches for the upcoming event this year.

During the training, participants were introduced to the concepts of protocol, etiquette, diplomacy, role of attaché’, ways of approaching foreign delegates and ways of approaching people with different cultural backgrounds or ethnicity.

There were discussions on these topics and a lot of role plays done by participants to demonstrate their understanding of what is expected of them in the workshop and at the actual conference come August.

The expected outcome of the protocol workshop is for staff to be able to explain the concepts and be equipped with the necessary skills needed to competently engage with foreign diplomats during the conference.

Refresher trainings will follow in May to polish up their skills.

Over a hundred staff will be participating at the international conference in August 2024 to provide logistical, media, protocol, information technology, and security support to delegates who will be attending the 10th Asia-Pacific Mediation Forum Conference.

Papua New Guinea Judiciary will play host for the first time to this significant event and the local APMF organizing committee is already preparing for this.

Speaking at the recent workshop, Justice Carey challenged the participants to understand the objective and complete all the sessions.

He said, “The key words that are there are professional, friendly, and competent. We are inviting a lot of participants from around the world to this conference. It means that professional standard has to be at the highest level.”

“The Judiciary has made a commitment to the conference, and we need our best and the brightest in terms of professionalism and so it is important. What is the point of being able to work when you cannot perform?”

“As we only have three months left, we now have to step our game up. We are dealing with international. It means that same standard you have in China, America, England, Australia, you get here. When we are at the APEC Haus and around these people, we have international standards. When they leave, they will say, ‘My goodness, that is the best conference I ever attended. ‘Those people are professionals.’ ‘They are friendly.’ ‘They are nice.’ That is what we want and that is what you will deliver. You have the capacity to deliver.”

“Our Deputy Chief Justice who is the Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum is the Director of Programs. Our Chief Justice Sir Gibuma Gibbs Salika fully endorses this international conference and has provided us with the support to ensure that all who are working at the conference are fully trained in all aspects of protocol.”

There will be judges, magistrates, mediators, senior court officials, lawyers, academics, students, and other professionals from around the Asia-Pacific region participating in the conference on 19 – 21 August this year at the APEC Haus.

By Niakupen Pondros