The Diplomat
The ‘Exterior es Diverso’ Platform, which brings together diplomats and other Foreign Service officials from the LGTBI community, defends the inclusion of the principle of “diversity”, along with those of equality, merit, ability and publicity, for entry into the Diplomatic Career.
A spokesperson for the platform told The Diplomat that they advocate this inclusion because they consider that “the Diplomatic Career should reflect the diversity and plurality of Spanish society and, logically, this principle should also be present in the main and most specific legal regulatory instrument, its Regulations”.
‘Exterior es Diverso’ insists that “diversity” should appear both in the preamble and in article 3 on access to the Diplomatic Career, and affirms that “the reality of the diplomatic career in Spain is, at present, that of a largely male corps with a still marked homogeneity that contrasts with the increasing diversity of Spanish society”.
The spokesperson also pointed out that “the principle of diversity has perhaps been interpreted in a restrictive way, related only to the LGBTI community”, and specified that his platform defends that this principle “includes many other elements such as racial diversity, religious plurality or different abilities”. It applies, of course,” he added, “to LGBTI diplomats, who have seen on many occasions how some elements of the regulation of our career are insufficient to deal with the specific challenges and difficulties of the group itself, such as the accreditation abroad of same-sex spouses or children of new family models that differ from the traditional one.
‘Exterior es Diverso’ disagrees with the position of the Board of Directors of the Association of Spanish Diplomats (ADE), which accepts the inclusion of the principle of “diversity” in the preamble of the Regulations of the Diplomatic Career, but is opposed to its inclusion in the article relating to entry into the diplomatic career, as it believes that there may be legal problems, as it conflicts with the principle of equality.
The spokesperson welcomed the fact that the ADE does not question the principle of diversity as a guiding principle of the Regulation, but insisted that ‘Exterior es Diverso’ understands that this principle “is not in contradiction with the principle of equal treatment and opportunities” and considers that “public policies should be able to plan taking into account existing inequalities and trying to overcome them”.
Finally, he stressed that the Foreign Action Strategy 2021-2024 already establishes “the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation to a foreign policy that promotes diversity, equality and non-discrimination”.
