Appel de candidatures: simulation de négociations commerciales Canada/Union européenne

Simulation of the Negotiation of a Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement

The Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) will be hosting a trade simulation based on the current Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

The trade simulation will take place June 7th to June 11th where graduate students and young professionals will engage in an interactive forum that simulates the current state of the CETA negotiations. Through careful preparation and mentoring by some of Canada’s most prominent trade practitioners, participants will be challenged to generate new ideas and formulate realistic scenarios as outcomes to the current negotiation process. The text created at the end of the five day simulation will be prepared and shared with both the Canadian and European Chief negotiators.

This year’s focus is on engaging young professionals and graduate students in informed discussions about EU-Canada relations, with a specific focus on bilateral trade through the use of a trade simulation. During the simulation, participants exercise a variety of communication and critical thinking skills in order to effectively represent the position of their assigned country. Each year students learn the importance of active listening, conflict resolution, and technical writing. Participants are organized into delegations in order to represent the needs of a particular country. Individuals take on the role of a diplomat and research their country’s position on a negotiating topic (Government Procurement, Trade in Services and Investment, Trade in Goods, TRIPS, etc.). Each delegation is paired with a coach to help guide them through the process and answer any technical questions.

The assembly will be chaired by a prominent Canadian member of the international trade community, and each team’s performance will be assessed by a team of former trade negotiators. A prize will be awarded to the best team on the basis of their representation of their respective country/coalition and the overall contribution they make to the event.

Event Details

This simulation is based on the current agenda for Canada and EU negotiations. For the purposes of the simulation, participants will be divided between two teams, one representing Canada and the other the European Union. Each team will consist of four groups of two-to-three students with a total of eight-to-twelve members on each team. Each group will be responsible for one of the identified priority issues. The simulation will take place over a five-day period. Teams of students will act as delegates from either Canada or the European Union. Participants will be required to thoroughly research the position of the country. All preparations, position papers and news releases, and other pertinent information about the simulation will be posted on ww.ctpl.ca

Participants will draft and agree on a negotiating text of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement setting out approaches to the principle issues in the negotiations (Trade in Goods, including Agriculture; Services and Investment; Government Procurement; and intellectual property rights). In addition, the chief negotiators will be asked to formulate approaches to the two issues, of Trade & Environment and Trade & Labour. The agreed text of the simulation, will be shared and disseminated among both the Canadian and EU governments and be posted on CTPL’s website. The goal of this simulation is to educate and inform the public of pertinent Canada-EU trade issues.

Who Can Apply?

? The simulation is open to both young professionals and graduate students.

Eligibility

– Young professionals either working in or aspiring to work in the field of international affairs; specifically trade, conflict resolution, political science.

– Currently enrolled in Canadian graduate program studying in the area of: social science, international trade, economics, international affairs, international law.

– Students in their final year of an undergraduate degree at a Canadian institute with extensive course work in the area of: international trade, international economics, international affairs.

How to apply

Interested students please send the following information in your application:

– Your name, school, and program of study.

– Other members of your team, if applicable.

– In 250 words or less explain how you have gained an understanding of international trade and the WTO (courses taken, work experience, etc).

– In 250 words or less describe how this experience will fit into your studies and career objectives.

Graduate Students: CTPL’s partnership with the European Commission has made it possible to cover the cost of tuition, transportation and accommodation for accepted graduate students.

Application Deadline: April 29, 2010

Contact Information

Please send your application and/or questions to:

Kausar Ashraf

Email: Kausar_Ashraf@carleton.ca