Professor Ben Tonra:

No disrespect to the Secretary General, but if one approaches an issue by first identifying the problems with it, one is starting off on the wrong foot. One must approach issues from the other direction and ask what is possible, likely or doable. One must be more imaginative. In terms of the use of the embassies, we could have two or three person embassies with one or two other members of staff who are not full-time diplomats but are on secondment for two years from think-tanks, the IFA, Government Departments or other organisations. We could have the leadership of the formal diplomatic service with other people there to engage, do work and make a contribution to the mission without incurring the long-run costs of pensions, career development and so forth. A mission of two or three could easily become a mission of five or six.