Model ASEM Conference, Le Havre, France 10 - 14 November 2009
Proceedings
Day 1: Tuesday, 10 November 2009
The 2009 Model ASEM conference was opened at the facilities of Sciences Po in Paris. While some students already had the chance to visit the French National Assembly in the morning, the conference launched officially with a welcoming ceremony. Speakers at the ceremony included e.g. Mr. Hervé Cres (Director of Studies at Sciences Po), Mr. Wei Shen (Vice President of ASEFUAN) and Ms. Franziska Zeiner (Head of Organizing Team for the 2009 Model ASEM). The opening ceremony was followed by a city tour of Paris with opportunities to visit the castle of Versailles and the Musée d’Orsay, have a walking tour in Paris and see and climb the Eiffel Tower, among other attractions. The tours finished at the British Council headquarters in Paris where students were greeted and hosted for a dinner reception.
Day 2: Wednesday, 11 November 2009
The next day started with an Opening Ceremony with Mr. Thierry Schwarz (Director of Sciences Po Le Havre) greeting the students by emphasizing the importance of diversity and considering this essential to the debates to come. Mr. Schwartz also stressed the importance of representing a country other than one’s country of origin for understanding the complexities of global issues.
During the first Closed Session participants made their voices heard on their initial position regarding the issue at hand. During these Opening Statements, delegations placed high importance on mutual cooperation and compromise, while highlighting the importance of issues such as territoriality, sustainable growth, financial stability and international aid. Following these statements, the delegations were split into their respective pillars, i.e. political, economic and cultural pillars. After pillar sessions delegations proceeded to lobbying in order to garner the support necessary for their statements to be submitted and accepted.
In the evening participants were treated with crêpes before the Intercultural Evening where participants presented their country of origin–to foster cultural exchange outside of the context of political discussions. The night was filled with videos, songs, traditional dances and virtually everything in between!
Day 3: Thursday, 12 November 2009
The next day started early with two closed pillar sessions for the delegations to talk over the statements made the previous day. During the third pillar session, a speaker intervened within each Pillar to discuss more deeply the issue at hand and give more insight and guidance into the ongoing pillar discussions.
In the afternoon the participants visited the Palais Bénédictine at a nearby town Fécamp. The Palace is rich in history and home to the production facilities of world famous Bénédictine liquor. The tour culminated with a reception in one of the halls of the palace, providing ample opportunity for participants to observe the splendor of the palace.
Day 4: Friday, 13 November 2009
Friday started with two final pillar sessions where each Pillar finalized their declaration to be made in the General Session. The day was closed by a visit to the port in Le Havre, the second largest in France and one of the major regional ports in Europe.
Day 5: Saturday, 14 November 2009
The Closing Session took place in plenum on Saturday, giving the delegations an opportunity to discuss together all issues at hand and topics put forth by different pillars. The South China Sea territorial issue seemed to be especially prevalent and contentious. The Final Chairman’s Statement was finalized during this session and voted on by the delegations. It included remarks and amendments made within the pillar sessions and during the Closing Session. One of the Declaration’s main points is on green technology, calling for both the diversification of energy sources as well as a more collective facilitation of the transmission and sharing of green technologies. Furthermore, the Declaration proposes the creation of a subdivision of ASEF providing in particular a bridge for local, national and international cultural issues.
Certificates of Participation were given to all participants at the Closing Ceremony. Special awards were also handed out to the best delegation and the best speaker in each of the pillars. The award for best delegation was given to the delegation of Czech Republic, consisting of Mr. Sung Shin Kim and Mr. Tae Hoon Kim (both from South Korea). The best speaker award in political pillar was given to Ms. Alina Giesen (from Germany representing the Philippines), in economic pillar to Ms. Natacha Gasc (from France representing India) and in cultural pillar to Ms. Luca Kaller (from Germany representing Indonesia). Later in the afternoon the participants had the opportunity of touring Rouen, one of the most historically significant cities in France. After the tour, a gala dinner was hosted in Rouen, officially signaling the end of the Model ASEM 2009 conference.
The conference was covered by two participant-formed media teams who reported about the discussions and conference activities throughout the whole event (see conference newspapers).
Photos by Timo Uustal.