As an organisation with solid, long-standing experience in foreign relations, FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation deploys its expertise and knowledge of the international environment in order to defend Belgian interests abroad, promote the advent of a more stable, fairer and more prosperous world, and combat global poverty. Our FPS feels that providing support and assistance to Belgian nationals abroad is one of its main responsibilities. Working in coordination and consultation with other partners active abroad, our FPS will continually encourage consistency of action by our country abroad.
Our objectives
The objectives of our FPS are: - well-being and prosperity: what we do helps develop well-being and prosperity in Belgium and abroad; providing support for Belgian nationals is one of our priorities; - justice and democracy: we endeavour to energetically propagate and promote abroad the values which we feel are fundamental in our own society, such as human dignity, democracy and respect for human rights; - universal solidarity: our actions contribute to the fight against poverty and inhumane and degrading treatment; they also contribute to sustainable development; - peace and security: through our membership in international organisations and our own diplomatic activities, we aim to safeguard our own security and contribute to peace and stability in the world; - sustainable development and ethical globalisation: our activities will contribute to a better quality of life for current and future generations; - a fair world order based on solidarity: our activities will focus on reinforcing the multilateral system and the international legal order; - a good neighbourhood policy: our action will seek to strengthen the ties with our neighbouring partner countries.
Our basic tasks
Our core task is to devise and implement a consistent foreign policy, both at bilateral level and in international forums, with particular attention devoted to Europe. - encourage the consistency of our action abroad in coordination and consultation with other partners from Belgium who are also active abroad; - negotiation and conclusion of international treaties and agreements; - assistance to our nationals abroad; - services to foreign diplomatic representatives and nationals of other countries (visas); - management of development projects and programmes through various channels; - explaining developments in Belgium and our action abroad; - maintaining dialogue with all those who wish to join in this action; - effective management of a worldwide network of diplomatic and consular missions; - guaranteeing the effectiveness, efficiency, promptness and quality of our activities and services, both in Belgium and abroad; - representation of our country abroad and promotion of its image.
Our policy framework
- government policy as approved by parliament; - our own legislation; - our international commitments; - the directives of FPS policy officials.
Our organisational culture - professionalism and expertise, with a focus on achieving an in-depth understanding of international developments and what they mean to our country; - efficiency, by seeking to achieve maximum results with relatively modest resources; - assistance for the public, by offering our citizens speedy, high-quality services in Belgium and abroad; these services are also offered to a wide range of interest groups and correspondents; - an objective analysis of others¿ positions, and a convincing defence and dissemination of our own positions; - the permanent updating of operating methods, skills and capabilities, taking account of developments at home and abroad; - communication and transparency.
Our values
- honesty and integrity; - competence; - sense of responsibility; - flexibility and creativity; - dedication and willingness to help; - familiarisation with modern means of communication; - willingness to undertake in-service training.
Our stakeholders - the minister responsible for our FPS and his policy officials; - the head of state, the government and parliament; - the citizen; - other federal public services; - the federated entities; - the local and decentralised authorities; - international organisations, especially the European Union; - foreign governments; - partners from the South and poor target groups; - anyone who feels affected by our foreign policy or by our activities abroad: the press, social partners, businesses, academia, research centres, young people, NGOs, etc. Our strategic objectives
Foreword Developing and implementing the strategic objectives requires permanent and transparent cooperation and coordination amongst the directorates-general, support services and other services of our FPS. Here, the Executive Committee will perform a key role as the central authority for cooperation and coordination.
Strategic objective 1: Our FPS is the linchpin in defending our interests within the European Union of 25 or more members.
The European Union's influence on well-being and prosperity in our country is growing by the day. Our FPS has a long and fruitful tradition of preparing, defining, defending and monitoring Belgium's European policy. It is both willing and able to continue assuming this role as the linchpin of the Belgian decision-making process, and to do so in a spirit of openness, consultation and cooperation with all the federated and federal entities. Our FPS will continue working to guide the European Union along the path of federalism. And we will continue to focus on expertise. Our FPS will continue to develop its abilities in order to anticipate future developments in an enlarged Europe. It will also working constantly to help ensure public support for our European policy. Our FPS will continue to take seriously its tasks of coordinating and facilitating the transposition and enforcement of European law.
Strategic objective 2: Our FPS aims to be the linchpin in representing our interests in multilateral forums, within a context of sustainable development and justice for all. It wants to contribute to strengthening the international legal order and security.
Our FPS will continue to offer a permanent structure that enables us, working in consultation with our federal and federated partners, to prepare, define and systematically defend our positions in international forums, specifically the United Nations. Expertise remains the core component here. Our action will focus on sustainable development and justice for all. It will also help strengthen the international legal order and security system. The FPS will develop initiatives in communication and consolidate the discussion forum where these subjects will be discussed. Strategic objective 3: Our FPS aims to significantly bolster the human dimension of foreign policy by properly incorporating development within policy and by implementing high-quality development cooperation.
The development dimension is an essential component of our foreign policy and deserves to be promoted even more. It will be fully integrated into the general policy, thus reflecting the seamless nature of the various dimensions of sustainable development. More specifically, in light of the UN Millennium Goals and the DAC poverty reduction directives, integration will not result in development cooperation taking a back seat or losing its distinctiveness. Consistency will be the central element. The joint management and control services will pay constant attention to the aspects of their duties related to development cooperation missions. The idea of integration implies a radical change of thinking amongst all the FPS officials. The development dimension of the future duties of the External Service's new officers will be deemed essential in their training courses. In resorting to the forum of dialogue, our FPS will address cooperation subjects as a priority.
Strategic objective 4: Our FPS aims to enhance our bilateral relations and make them the lever of economic diplomacy and our multilateral action. It will work to optimise the coordination and planning of our bilateral relations with third countries.
Good bilateral relations form the foundation of meaningful mutual exchanges of our country's citizens, companies and associations with other countries, and contribute obvious added value to our prosperity and our place in the world. Our FPS has the willingness to maintain and develop this foundation and the ability to do so. It will take its coordination mission seriously. Good bilateral relations contribute to all components of our country's influence. Suitably developed bilateral relations are also a lever for our economic diplomacy and the defence of our interests in the European and multilateral forums. Our FPS will develop initiatives to wisely choose strategic partnerships. It will focus on cooperating with all stakeholders in a spirit of trust, in particular with the Regions and Communities. Strategic objective 5: Our FPS will encourage a permanent dialogue with all parties that feel strongly affected by international events. It will enhance its communication policy in respect of its own activities.
Parliament, academia, professional associations, companies and an enthusiastic segment of the public at large all feel increasingly affected by foreign policy. Our FPS will respond to this interest by strengthening its communication about its own activities, ensuring the active dissemination of its policies, and together with all stakeholders directing a permanent structure of dialogue on a broad range of issues. Our FPS feels that such a dialogue enriches its own policy.
Strategic objective 6: Our FPS will pay constant attention to improving the quality of the assistance we provide to the public. Providing consular assistance to Belgians abroad is a priority task of our FPS.
Our FPS wants to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, promptness and quality of our assistance to the public, both in Brussels and in the missions. Our FPS will achieve this goal by conducting a policy focused on training personnel, ensuring better reception, upgrading computer tools, establishing constantly updated databases and ensuring proper archiving. Strengthening ties with Belgians living abroad remains a priority task. Our FPS will take initiatives aimed at improving how we communicate with the public.
Strategic objective 7: Our FPS will pursue a human resources policy that should enable it to achieve its strategic and operational objectives under the best conditions.
Skills enhancement, professional pride and teamwork will be the central goals. Career homogenisation, innovative knowledge management and skills promotion will be the main focal points of a policy that gives priority to the specific nature of the various functions, both in Belgium and abroad. These measures must result in a high degree of personnel satisfaction. Our FPS will adopt measures aimed at reconciling work and family.
Strategic objective 8: Our FPS will continue to develop its management processes and modernise its logistical, financial and ICT activities. The FPS will continue to modernise its financial, logistical and ICT activities, which are vital to performing its basic tasks. To put the changes on the right track, project activities will continue to be encouraged. To modernise its processes, the FPS relies heavily on the support of information and communication technology, the role of which is steadily expanding in our everyday operations. Furthermore, the future will be marked by an increase in the value of knowledge management. The FPS's management processes will be developed by emphasizing the formulation of clear goals, with their follow-up guaranteed by means of scorecards. Special attention will also be paid to the processes of internal control and internal coordination.
