ASEFPDT9 – Virtual Workshop on Climate Change & Public Diplomacy

9^th ASEF Public Diplomacy Training (ASEFPDT9)

Virtual Workshop on Climate Change & Public Diplomacy

One of the most heavily debated topics in recent history is climate change treaties emanating from protracted international negotiations at the UN level. Since the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, practicing climate diplomacy and engaging in climate negotiations have increasingly become integral components of foreign ministries’ work. The Paris Agreement ratified in 2015 can be seen as the culmination of a long series of climate negotiations from the past decades.

Establishing strategic partnerships with the business community and the civil society is critical to achieving the goals of the Paris Accord. Public diplomacy can advance the international climate goals by raising public awareness and shaping public opinion at local, national, and international levels.

What is this virtual workshop about?

This training integrates theory, exercises, and interactive learning on public diplomacy within the framework of two highly topical themes: trade and climate negotiations and the nexus between them. It combines practitioners with decades of high-level “at-the-table” experience (visiting speakers) with some of the most seasoned negotiation trainers who hold at-the-table experience as well.

What are the objectives?

Following the training, ASEF participants:

• are familiar on the specific challenges and opportunities that the nexus of climate and trade diplomacy poses to ASEM diplomats; this concerns both the public diplomacy aspects (parliaments, civil society, trade and industry organisations, media corporations and alike) and the bilateral and multilateral negotiation arenas (COP, UNFCCC and bilateral fora on climate, as well as WTO, bilateral and bi-regional trade, economic and cooperation fora such as ASEM);
• are familiar with tools to systematically and thoroughly prepare for diplomatic negotiations;
• know in what fundamental ways public diplomacy efforts and diplomatic trade and climate negotiations interact with one another;
• have gained new skills to steer a negotiation process;
• can structure different negotiation phases and distinguish between integrative and distributive aspects of diplomacy;
• know how to analyze the role of power (leverage) and alternatives; and
• have gained a valuable negotiation experience through a 4-5 hour climate negotiation simulation exercise with their colleagues.

What is the framework and methodology?

The online training consists of 6 live sessions (and 6 modules in the LMS):

1. Basic Principles of Diplomatic Negotiation
2. Preparation and Sequencing
3. Power and alternatives
4. Public Diplomacy and the Two-Level Game
5. Multilateral Negotiations
6. Climate Negotiation Simulation

In sync with the training format, virtual channels in negotiation (videoconferencing, phone, email and direct messaging) are a theme weaved through all modules. Before live sessions, participants will engage online with brief summaries on theory (through video and written content) and in discussions with one another in the NPS learning management system (LMS).

What are the training dates?

• Sessions 1 & 2: Monday, 15 November and Thursday, 18 November 2021
• Session 3: Monday, 22 November 2021
• Sessions 4, 5 & 6: Monday, 29 November, Wednesday 1 December and Thursday, 2 December 2021

Who is our ideal participant?

• Early-/mid-career diplomat in a department dealing with Asia, Europe, or ASEM in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs or equivalent of the ASEM Partners, ideally with a professional background in public communications, climate change, and/or sustainability
• Early-/mid-career ASEM civil servant working in a sustainability, resource management, or a related field with strong interest in international affairs
• Early-/mid-career professional representing an ASEM international organisation with good knowledge of global governance, climate politics, diplomacy and/or sustainability

A background in international negotiations is not required.

This workshop will be delivered with Negotiation and Public Service based in The Netherlands.

This project is fully-funded. No training fee applies.