Youth from both banks develop negotiation skills at 8th edition of Model OSCE for Youth event

Twenty young women and men from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River developed negotiation skills and participated in a conflict resolution simulation exercise as part of the 8th edition of the Model OSCE for Youth event organized online by the OSCE Mission to Moldova from 21 to 24 September 2021.

The simulation exercise allowed participants to become diplomats for one day by taking part in a mock session of the OSCE Permanent Council during a crisis situation. They played the roles of different OSCE participating States, institutions and other relevant actors and worked together to solve a hypothetical crisis in the OSCE area.

“The work of a diplomat is intense, dynamic, and highly responsible but also very rewarding. If you choose this path, you will most likely never regret it,” said Claus Neukirch, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, during his opening address. “The Model OSCE for Youth can be a launching pad that helps you climb the diplomatic career ladder to the top ranks, including in the OSCE.”

During the four-day event, participants were trained on negotiation techniques and learned about the history and work of the OSCE, its structures and consensus-based decision-making process. Participants also had the opportunity to meet OSCE diplomats and officials working in the Republic of Moldova, Austria, and Kazakhstan, who had addressed them during the event.

"The Model OSCE teaches our participants how to be effective negotiators, but it also offers a broader worldview as it shows them that young people can make a change on the global stage. It equips them with a skillset needed to navigate in a complex world,” said Ida Manton, an expert in international negotiations who led training exercises during the event. “While learning about the OSCE through simulations and presentations, they explore how to solve problems through constructive dialogue. Every year, since 2013, I am impressed by the eagerness of these young people to learn more about conflict resolution.”

The aim of the Model OSCE is to build confidence and strengthen dialogue between young women and men from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. It was first organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in 2013 and has been held annually since then, except in 2018.