1. BACKGROUND

Successful communication and dialogue always begin with contacts between people who know little or nothing about each other. Deep understanding and cooperation between societies begin with meetings of their leaders and diplomats. Young and not-biased future diplomats may bring in a fresh perspective into multidimensional dialogue between Asia and Europe. Over the past decade, the European Union has been developing rapidly its relations with Asian countries within the framework of ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting). Following recent wave of the EU enlargement and the ASEM V Summit in October 2004 held in Hanoi, new member states of the Union became fully-fledged participants of this platform of dialogue.

Bearing in mind recommendations of ASEM 5, Hanoi, Poland during ASEM FMM in Kyoto (May 2005) proposed to establish the ASEM DIPLOMATIC ACADEMIES NETWORK as a platform of enhancing mutual respect, understanding and equality between Asia and Europe societies.

Establishing within ASEM framework an informal cooperation between Asian and European diplomatic academies will complement existing cooperation levels and fit in ASEM working methodology. Furthermore, annual seminars of diplomatic academies, combined with emphasis on equal partnership, will spin up friendship and true understanding among young people – future diplomats – and will create a new positive energy in Asia-Europe partnership.

2. OBJECTIVES

The ASEM DIPLOMATIC ACADEMIES NETWORK aims at:

- promoting the idea of equal partnership through direct contacts among future professionals of diplomacy;
- enhancing mutual understanding, tolerance and dialogue of people coming from different cultures and civilizations;
- providing an opportunity to discuss topics of inter-regional and global importance, as well as to learn from each other;
- enabling young diplomats to communicate and interact freely in order to let them know each other and break stereotypes;
- creating a firm network of direct sui generis “people-to-people” contacts among future diplomats that will facilitate prospective official relations;

3. FORMAT

The ASEM DIPLOMATIC ACADEMIES NETWORK will be based on annual seminars of ASEM countries’ students of the diplomatic academies and young diplomats. Every seminar will be devoted to a particular theme of mutual interest. Young diplomats will exchange their views and debate current international issues from Asian and European perspectives. They will have an opportunity to present their national foreign policy and explain possible doubts in unofficial atmosphere. A joint conference paper will follow every seminar. It is expected that various initiatives will enrich the cooperation within ASEM DIPLOMATIC ACADEMIES NETWORK in future.

1. VENUE AND DATE

Poland proposes, that seminars will be held alternatively in Europe and Asia. Poland will organize the first seminar at 27-30 September 2006 in Jachranka (picturesquely placed on Zegrzyńskie Lake, about 40 km from Warsaw). The main theme of the seminar will be “Regionalism vs. Universalism in Global Order”.

Agenda (tentative) of the seminar on “Regionalism vs Universalism in Global Order” will contain:

1. Political Aspects

a. Panel discussion “Regionalism: counterweight or a strategy towards globalisation”.
b. Workshops (4 themes – preparing a common text)
i. Regional security organizations in global environment.
ii. Can regional organizations better tackle global problems?
iii. Benefits and dangers of regional cooperation.
iv. Global powers and regional organizations.
Presentation of workshop results / discussion.
c. Lecture “Influence of new EU members on CFSP”.

2. Economic Aspects
a. Panel discussion “Global trade liberalization vs regional free trade agreements”.
b. Simulation – WTO DOHA Ministerial Meeting.
c. Case study – “Criteria for multinational companies’ decisions on localization”.
d. Lecture “EU responses to economic globalization”.

3. Social / Cultural Aspects
a. Debate – Is subregional cooperation weakening national state in International Affairs?
b. Panel discussion “Cultural domination vs cultural cooperation – homogenous global culture and local cultures”.
c. Lecture “Concept of common identity in EU integration”.

5. PARTICIPANTS AND EXPENCES

Each ASEM member state will be entitled to delegate two participants: students of diplomatic academy or young diplomats at the very beginning of their career.

Poland, as the host, will bear the costs of the seminar (conference facilities, stationery, printing of all necessary material etc), catering for the event, accommodation of the participants during the seminar, sightseeing Warsaw and transfer to and from Warsaw airport (please specify dates, times and numbers of flights), while the participants will be responsible for their expenses for travel to and from Warsaw. Participants are requested to send filled out registration form to: Ms. Katarzyna Wilkowiecka: Katarzyna.Wilkowiecka@msz.gov.pl by 5 September 2006. Further detailed information will be send after this date directly to the registered participants.