Model NATO Youth Summit

ALEKSANDRA SZUMILAS

The first edition of Model NATO Youth Summit (MoNYS 2012) was held two weeks ago in Brussels. It was the largest simulation of NATO’s decison-making process in the world and the only one of this kind in Europe. All participants from both Europe and North America, 220 of them to be exact, were divided into 29 delegations. My delegation, coming from the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, represented the United States of America and I was lucky enough to be its Ambassador. MoNYS 2012 was organized with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other institutions such as Ministère de la Région Bruxelles Capitale, the Atlantic Treaty Association and Université Libre de Bruxelles. In a few words I’d like to present my impressions about the summit and its purpose.

The main goal of the simulation consisted in creating a platform for students who share a common interest for international relations and want to change the world that surrounds them by working on their consensus-reaching skills and the art of negotiation. We were supposed to behave as real representatives of each NATO member state. All delegates were divided in committees just like during a real NATO summit. The following committees were created: the North Atlantic Council (NAC), the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC), the Political Partnership Committee (PPC), the Operation Policy Committee (OPC), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). The main theme of the project was: “Political responsibility through leadership, innovation and strategic thinking in the XXI century.”

As far as sessions in committees are concerned, I found those very informative. Each committee had two specific topics to discuss on which we had to write position papers before the summit. Then every day, during the sessions, we had to present a position of every single country on each topic. The role wasn’t easy. We all had a feeling that it would’ve been easier to represent our own countries and it still would’ve been a simulation. Being the U.S. ambassador, a fake one but still an ambassador, was not a piece of cake. The United States of America are one of the most important countries within NATO or maybe even the most important one. It was extremely challenging but also very motivating that we were expected to express our point of view on every single topic taken into discussion.

Each committee focused on two specific topics such as missile defence, partnerships, smart defence, military interventions, operations and new threats and challenges that NATO and its member states might have to face someday. After rather long sessions during which all of the topics were discussed and debated, each committee had a communiqué to prepare that NAC would have to vote on and approve during the last session. Writing a communiqué was a new experience. For my delegates and me at least. And although it was extremely challenging, it was also fun. Each communiqué will be sent to HE Secretary General so there was some pressure to do the best we could.

One of the highlights of the summit was the visit to the NATO Headquarters. We had a chance to attend a keynote speech by Anders Fogh Rassmussen on NATO, its missions, responsibilities and main tasks. I can confirm what I’ve always heard: he is an amazing speaker. He strongly believes in NATO’s mission and he emphasized numerous times that the days we live in are the longest period of peace in the European history. He appreciated our efforts and encouraged us to future endeavors saying that youth needs to be involved in international security. As a young generation we have so many possibilities compared to the current generation of world leaders who grew up in the shadow of the iron curtain. We have a different and fresher point of view on the concept of international security and world leaders should benefit from it.

The second part of our visit to the NATO HQ consisted in meeting with the ambassadors of the countries we represented. Ivo Daalder has been the U.S. Representative on the Council to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 2009. He is an expert o European Security. Not only was he a member of the United States National Security Council during the administration of President Bill Clinton, but also during President Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008 he was one of his foreign policy advisers. During the meeting Mr Daalder and his team were extremely helpful in answering all of our questions. We had an hour to talk about the issues we wanted to discuss with our committees and it was great to get their opinion on those issues since we were supposed to be them for 5 days.

The second visit planned for MoNYS delegates was to the European Parliament. Five panelists participated in a conference on the aftermath of the Chicago Summit. Among them was a Polish scientist who works at NATO HQ as a Cyber Defence Specialist. The conference wasn’t extraordinary but definitely gave us a chance to meet some interesting people and to get their insight on the work at NATO.

And just to conclude. After coming back to Poland everyone asked if I was satisfied. What would be the answer? One of the most influential international organizations invites young ambitious people from all over the world to try and solve real global problems. Of course I came back satisfied. The summit gave ma a chance to exchange ideas with people who someday, maybe, will become the world leaders. At least, I hope that some of them will.

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Aleksandra Szumilas – Współpracownik CIM – Absolwentka Filologii Włoskiej na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim w Krakowie. Przez 2 lata studiowała w Stanach Zjednoczonych na William Rainey Harper College i University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Stypendystka programu Erasmus na Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore w Mediolanie. Absolwentka programu Akademii Młodych Dyplomatów w Europejskiej Akademii Dyplomacji w Warszawie. Obecnie studentka podyplomowych studiów na kierunku Stosunki Międzynarodowe i Dyplomacja w Collegium Civitas.