Some 250 students from 29 member states gathered in Strasbourg from 26 to 28 August 2024 for the 2nd edition of the Council of Europe Model of Negotiation (CoEMoN) organised by the Federation for Diplomacy and the United Nations (FDNU) with the support of the Permanent Representation of France.
The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the Council of Europe and discuss its role, added value and ways of working to protect and promotes human rights, democracy and the rule of law
“I enjoyed it because I felt like I had the power to do something and advocate for something I believe in. For example, I think today it is important that we change stuff around internet and social media because we are surrounded by it in our everyday lives”, said Sara Kakhi, taking part in the simulation from the University of Strasbourg.
The three-day event included simulations of the two statutory bodies of the Council of Europe: the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers through six committees, working in French and English, which allowed students to immerse themselves in the heart of European diplomacy. One of the topics discussed was the backsliding of democracy in Europe and how to address it.
“I think the best solution is not to forget that democracy is something that we need to defend every day. In every fight, everywhere where we have to defend democracy. Because in a blink, you can lose it”, Sara Kakhi said.
Julien Georgin, from Jean Moulin University 3 in Lyon also referred to the dangers for democracy in his debate contributions: “That was the subject of our theme today, which was foreign interference - a danger to democracy. There is a step backwards. There are democracies that deny certain rights. Human rights are really at the heart of the Council of Europe, so discussing this, changing opinions by putting forward the position of a country can change things in another country. But when confronted with different cultures, different ways of thinking, we can't be giving lessons. We have to listen and explain our point of view. Without saying this is the best point of view. Negotiating is really the best way of doing it. Afterwards, we can change opinions, and we can reach an agreement and have new conventions, for example on artificial intelligence”, he said.
Regarding the question of the added value of the Council of Europe and what she had learned during the Model of Negotiations, Sara Kakhi concluded:
“Being a representative of a country, I was feeling I can do something, even if it was not for real, but I had the impression that we can change things. It is very important. It gives us hope, especially nowadays when we have young people losing hope in politics and in international organisations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe or the European Parliament. To take part in these events, can help us to have hope and continue to defend our opinions”.
