First Armenian-language Model OSCE tackles environmental issues

When the organizers of Armenia's first Model OSCE in the Armenian language arrived in Gyumri for the opening of the conference on the morning of 8 May 2009, the city was still asleep. But the 35 invited youth ambassadors from the country's Shirak region were already wide awake and eager to begin defending "their" countries' interests during the two-day simulation of OSCE Permanent Council negotiations.

The event, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, followed up on the English-language Model OSCE held in Tsaghkadzor, near Yerevan, in November of last year. Attracting a broad audience of young people interested in learning about international diplomacy was a priority in the planning of the conference, so Gyumri, the country's cultural capital and second largest city, was a logical choice.

Discussions in this year's simulation focussed on strained relations between the hypothetical neighbouring countries of Abrala, Balconia and Daka due to water management problems, a territorial dispute and the pollution of the imaginary River Akuz. The mock negotiations gave participants, aged between 16 and 25, the opportunity to find solutions to real security challenges and to expand their knowledge about the OSCE as a comprehensive security actor.

Mock negotiations mirror reality

At the opening of the conference, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, said: "I believe today's discussion will not only expand the participants' knowledge about the OSCE and existing problems in the economic and environmental field, but will also provide the invaluable experience of negotiating, of developing the ability to enter into a dialogue, to make concessions and to reach consensus, which are so important and useful also in daily life."

Hours of heated negotiations saw tempers rise between the opposing representatives of Abrala and Balconia until a common approach seemed beyond reach and talks broke off. But the situation was quickly defused through the superior mediating skills of Anush Poghosyan, playing the American Ambassador, who managed to convince the opponents to return to the negotiation table and search for a lasting solution to their problems. Ideas for the creation of stability in the region included the establishment of a working group to protect the rights of ethnic minorities in the hypothetical countries, support for Balconia in its efforts to clean up the Akuz River with the help of funds from the European Union, and restoration of cross-border economic ties.

In the end, however, not every Ambassador could be convinced of the solutions outlined in the draft decision, and the delegates failed to reach a consensus.

Artur Najaryan, a student playing the role of the Abralan Ambassador, explained: "Although the issues on our agenda today were mainly environmental, it became obvious that regional stability cannot be established without a comprehensive solution which also takes into account the political tensions between countries over territorial questions."

The simulation's outcome closely reflects reality and serves as a reminder that even the best diplomats are at times unable to forge agreement when issues of national importance are at stake.

Workshops prepared students for the conference

Prior to the conference, the participants received practical training in multilateral negotiation and public speaking. In a series of workshops held in co-operation with the Aarhus Centre in Gyumri, they learned about the OSCE and the environmental challenges that would be the subject of their model negotiations. In addition, every delegate received a copy of the Model OSCE Reader, a handbook specially prepared by the OSCE Office in Yerevan containing background information and tips on how to formulate official OSCE positions, statements and decisions.

Commenting on the preparation process, Martin Gevorgyan, the representative of Daka said: "I can't say that I had a deep knowledge of the OSCE previously, but these workshops have given me an understanding of the Organization. I now want to learn more facts about the OSCE, which will be easy thanks to this experience."

Enthusiastic response

The formal part of the conference was concluded with a cultural evening, in which every ambassador was asked to present "his/her" country to the other participants. This included the reciting of proverbs from Kazakhstan, advice on how to prepare Austrian chocolate cake and the performance of a Russian folk dance, just to give a few examples of the efforts by the delegates to make this conference a success.

The overwhelming enthusiasm of the participants in this latest conference has encouraged the organizers to make the Model OSCE a regular activity in Armenia. A follow-up event is already planned and will be held in Vanadzor, the main centre of Armenia's Lori region, in the autumn of this year.

Ani Davtyan, the Ambassador of Balconia, echoed the sentiments of most of the participants when she said: "I am deeply impressed that young people can play the role of ambassador of a different country so seriously. At the end of the negotiations, I forgot that I was Armenian and instead felt that I was Balconian."