#OSCEyouth: Engaging the next generation of young leaders
The rows of chairs designated for guests in Hofburg’s Neuer Saal in Vienna, where the OSCE Permanent Council takes place every week, are rarely empty. While some of the visitors are part of official delegations, the majority of them are youth groups. They get a chance to get a closer look at the OSCE through the popular visiting programme. More than 66 groups have visited the OSCE Secretariat in 2015 so far – most of them being students or young professionals.
“Many young people only have a vague understanding about what the OSCE is, but when the visiting groups leave the premises, they do so with thorough knowledge of the organization and its work,” says Florence Le Clézio, co-ordinator of the visiting programme. She adds that “it’s rewarding to see the interest the participants show after each visit.”
As a part of their visit, participants receive a general overview of the structures and work of the organization. This is followed by more specialized briefings, often related to the participants’ own field of study or expertise. The briefings are held by leading OSCE experts or staff from the field missions. A recent speaker included Paul Picard, the Chief Observer of the OSCE Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk, who briefed a group from Brigham Young University from the United States.
A special highlight for the visiting groups is the opportunity to observe a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council or the Forum for Security Co-operation. There they can see theory being applied in practice and watch the organization’s decision-making process as it happens.
Rebeca Dudley, a student at the Brigham Young University, shared her thoughts on the OSCE’s system with us:"I think that it’s a valuable approach to international politics that helps the parties involved to communicate, find solutions together and then move forward."
Taking part in an executive training organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Marija Markovska pointed out how the visit has helped her to gain a fuller understanding of the OSCE. “Coming from the Western Balkans we are mostly aware of the missions in our own countries. However, we are not very familiar with the meetings that take place at the highest level here in Vienna. It is interesting to see where the decisions are made.”
Nataniel Lelental, who visited the Secretariat with a group from the University of North Carolina, said that as a student of political science “it was a great experience to visit the OSCE and see what I could possibly be doing in the future”. His classmate James Bondurant added that “the exposure of visiting the OSCE offices has made me so much more aware of the world, international politics and inter-state co-operation.”
Visit the OSCE
To find out more about visitng the OSCE secretariat or book a visit for your group, click on the link below.
Information for visiting groups
Outreach, youth participation and OSCE activities
Apart from organizing these youth-oriented visits, the OSCE Chairmanship as well as its institutions and missions all aim to enhance youth participation throughout the OSCE region. In 2014, the Swiss Chairmanship organised the Model OSCE, which provided a space for “young ambassadors” to experience the work of a large international organization and put their negotiation skills to practice.
In 2015 the Serbian Chairmanship appointed Milena Stošić and Anna-Katharina Deininger as Special Representatives on Youth and Security. Being responsible for activities aimed at enhancing youth participation, Milena Stošić stresses the importance of “working with youth for youth, as the best and most beneficial approach in all efforts toward peaceful and developed societies." Germany, which is taking over the OSCE Chairmanship 2016, is planning to continue the work of Switzerland and Serbia and put a special focus on youth, including youth ambassadors.
Apart from the Chairmanship, the OSCE’s institutions and missions also organize various activities to enhance youth participation and give young people a voice. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organizes an annual Youth Forum to promote political participation amongst young leaders in the OSCE region. A regional seminar on youth political participation took place in June 2015 in Belgrade, and was jointly organized by ODIHR, the Chairmanship and the OSCE Mission in Serbia.
In 2014, ODIHR provided a platform to challenge the position of the Roma minorities as one the most disadvantaged and vulnerable minorities in Europe. It brought together 40 youth Roma activists to Belgrade to discuss how to mobilize and empower their communities, and stimulate their participation in politics and decision-making processes.
The visiting programme, together with other youth-related activities, forms a part of the OSCE’s effort to reach out to future leaders. Engaging youth and empowering the next generation of policy makers is crucial for the long term strengthening of democratic societies in the OSCE region.