Protocols

This morning I attended a ceremony for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi for the transboundary cooperation of water resources in the Ruvuma River Basin, which the three countries share. This is of interest for the landscape I am involved in, so it was valuable to track the main messages and level of commitment on display for putting the MoU into action.

After various speeches, there was a flurry of activity around the signing itself. The Ministers of Water Resources from each country were present at the main table. At such events, protocols always have to be observed at all costs, which puts pressure on the various helpers and members of the entourage responsible for handing out stationery and removing water bottles from ruining a good shot. I could see some staff being ordered around and I hope they didn’t commit a sin as unforgivable as not picking up a handbag on time, or failing to proffer a pen with the lid not removed.