KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Twenty-five senior executives of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) have benefitted from training in protocol and professional etiquette.

The two-day training course, which culminated on August 22, was aimed at equipping the participants to more effectively lead their teams to manage relations with the public, both at the passport office and at the island’s air and sea ports.

The course covered: Protocol and Diplomacy including the Vienna Convention; Diplomatic Missions; Inviolability; The Table of Precedence; and Modes of Address. It also included matters dealing with the offices of the Governor-General and Prime Minister, boardroom etiquette, social graces, wardrobe management, and voice and speech.

Speaking at the luncheon to culminate the training, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, Consultant to the Governor-General, Ambassador Evadney Coye, said it is important to master the art of protocol and apply it to business as well as everyday life.

Stating that protocol is the universal language of diplomacy, she said that breaches have been known to cause tension and even war between countries.

“In business, such breaches can result in lost clients, accumulated complaints and dwindling revenues. In relationships, frequent discourtesy is perceived as deliberate insult, which could lead to conflict, separation and in the worse case, violence…think about these in the way you treat other people,” she told the participants.

Ambassador Coye also told them to be aware that foreigners may have different habits and customs, even though the International Convention of Protocols ensures that various countries adhere to specific guidelines.

“When you are dealing with foreigners coming into your country expect too that there could be differences in the way they expect to be approached,” she said.