Itamaraty will reduce positions abroad to reinforce Brasília

O Itamaraty will change the internal rules for occupying positions abroad to increase the number of employees in Brasília. The change in standards also aims to fill positions that are unoccupied in countries with low Brazilian diplomatic representation, especially in Africa.

An internal communication was sent to employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Wednesday (31 January 2024). According to the Power360 found, 86 vacancies were cut, 46 of them in positions A, 22 in B, 14 in C and 8 in D.

According to the law 11,140 of 2006, which regulates the foreign service, the letters differ the type of country or mission according to representation, specific living conditions at headquarters and the convenience of administration. In other words, the positions considered most relevant are classified as A and the least as D.

For example, the embassies in Washington, in the United States, and in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, are in group A, while the embassy in Beijing, in China, is C. Representations in countries such as Timor-Leste, in Asia, are from category D.

Naturally, A positions end up being the ones most sought after by diplomats. The group, however, will be the hardest hit. The announced cut represents 11.7% of the total 390 vacancies. For Itamaraty, the compression of the category should encourage the search for other positions where there is a greater need for the allocation of professionals.

The new rules will already be applied from the next removal plan, which should be carried out between June and August. Therefore, the diplomats occupying the extinct positions will need to return to Brazil. The internal promotions policy will also reward professionals who are in Brasília and in positions that are currently vacant.

Itamaraty identified a shortage of personnel at its headquarters at a time when the president's government Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) prioritized the international agenda. The assessment is that the MRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) worked at the limit of its capacity in 2023. Now, it wants to rebalance the staff in the capital.

Lula visited 24 countries in his first year of his third term, totaling 62 days outside the country. She also hosted some international events, such as the Mercosul (Southern Common Market) Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, and a meeting with presidents of South American countries.

In 2024, Brazil will host the G20 meeting (group of the 20 largest economies in the world), with constant meetings throughout the year that will culminate in the summit of heads of Government and State in November. In 2025, the country will also organize the BRICS summit (a group initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and COP30, an environmental summit linked to the UN (United Nations).

Currently, Itamaraty has 1,532 employees. In 2005, there were 1,134. At that time, the ministry decided to expand vacancies at the Rio Branco Institute, the MRE school that trains Brazilian diplomats. Of the total, 479 work in Brasília and around 1,000 are abroad. The rest are assigned to other public administration bodies, such as the Presidency of the Republic and ministries. In the last 3 years, 148 more diplomats went abroad than those who returned to Brazil.

In addition to cutting positions abroad, the rules for moving between positions will also become stricter. According to the law, diplomats can pass up to 6 years outside the country, depending on the type of class they fall into. The period may be extended by a maximum of more 4 years if the professional migrates to positions C or D. In total, it is possible to work abroad for up to 10 years in a row. At the end of the period, the professional must return to Brazil.

Currently, diplomats have more freedom to choose the positions where they want to work, according to the availability of vacancies. This type of autonomy ends up emptying embassies and consulates in countries considered less attractive or relevant.

Brazil has 12 embassies with only 1 active diplomat, who can range from an ambassador to just a secretary. Ideally, there should be at least 3 people. Of this number, 9 are in Africa. The continent has 35 embassies, consulates or diplomatic representations with 84 diplomats working and 41 unfilled vacancies.

For comparison purposes, the United States has 15 representations, including multilateral organizations, such as the UN, with 106 Brazilian diplomats. Switzerland has 6 representations with 52 posts and France, 5 representations with 42 posts.

Switzerland and France are home to relevant multilateral organizations, such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and the WTO (World Trade Organization) – which demand the work of Brazilian diplomacy.

However, there is an assessment that the relevance of some of these organizations, such as the WTO, has decreased on the global stage and that, therefore, it would be necessary to relocate professionals.

One of Itamaraty's main focuses will be to take more diplomats to African countries to strengthen the relationship with Brazil. In Lula's first two terms, from 2003 to 2010, Brazil got closer to the continent by establishing economic and commercial partnerships, mainly in the areas of infrastructure, energy and mining.