During the last month, nineteen junior diplomats from the broader MENA region participated in a diplomatic training programme at the Clingendael Academy.  The participants came from ten different countries in the Middle East and North Africa region and two regional organizations, namely the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Gulf Cooperation Council joined the diplomatic training programme for the first time during this edition.

The aim of the programme was to further develop and enhance the participants knowledge regarding current political challenges and diplomatic skills to better represent one’s country and region. During the four intensive weeks, the participants worked hard on their diplomatic skills, practiced different forms of effective communication and put their negotiation skills to the test through  challenging fictional cases and simulations.  Contributing to the content related and skills training sessions, the diplomats not only enhanced their further understanding of the working of the European institutions through the working visit to Brussels, they also travelled to the Port of Rotterdam to learn about effective harbour management.

Throughout the training programme, the diplomats’ constructive and open attitude, allowed for them to grow as a group, both in terms of skills and knowledge, as well as in terms of building strong relationships among each other.