Two Jamaicans will participate in the upcoming fifth Annual World Protocol Matters Conference 2026, to be held later this month in Budapest, Hungary.

The conference is a global forum designed to foster international cooperation and standardise professional etiquette and diplomatic practices.

“While it often operates in the background, protocol underpins all diplomatic relations and, executed correctly, can positively influence the outcomes of relations between countries,” Diplomatic Advisor Kimberley Morgan told Observer Online ahead of the conference.

Morgan, one of two Jamaicans set to participate in the conference, underscored the importance of protocol to diplomatic relations, noting that it often sets the critical stage for high-level negotiations that can lead to favourable outcomes such as the signing of bilateral agreements and treaties.

“What people see are the end results, news clips of two world leaders shaking hands. However, every detail prior to that point, from the most minuscule of details — from who walked into the room first to the placement of the flags — that is all a piece of protocol, it’s all calculated,” said Morgan.

“Small nation states have a vested interest in getting protocol right, as it can be a huge deal maker or breaker. Protocol can be used to improve relationships and the outcomes of negotiations. For example, sending a low-ranking official to meet a high-ranking visitor at the airport can be viewed as a subtle snub and is a silent way of showing disinterest or disapproval,” added Morgan.

Though Morgan will present at the conference on the topic of “Soft Power: Is this the New Super Power?”, she is most eager to learn from other professionals who will be in attendance.

“I am excited that another [Jamaican] will also be presenting and excited to listen and learn from his presentation. He is a fabulous speaker. There will be other world-renowned people on the stage, so I am looking forward to what they have to say and how I can use the information gleaned to help bolster my work in Jamaica,” Morgan said.

The other Jamaican attending, Robert Scott, chief operating officer of Lifespan Co, who also serves as honorary consul general of the Republic of Latvia, will deliver a presentation at the event on “The New Gravitas: Executive Presence as a Strategic Protocol Tool for 21st-Century Diplomacy”.

The fifth Annual World Protocol Matters Conference 2026 is scheduled for May 11–13.