Speaking at a training workshop on “Conference Diplomacy” today, UNESCWA Executive Secretary Mervat Tallawy said that civil society organizations and the media are a basic factor impacting multilateral negotiations and the diplomacy of international and regional conferences. She said some countries are weakened by the fact that information is kept from civil society organizations and media at a time when these institutions can play an effective role in stating the position of nations on major issues that have a direct impact on the livelihood of peoples.

Organized by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in cooperation with UNESCWA from 21 to 23 June at the UN House, Beirut, the aim of the workshop is to familiarize participants with the underlying concepts and notions of Conference Diplomacy and Multilateral Negotiation. The opening of the workshop included speeches by Tallawy, Mr. Marcel A. Boisard, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, and Austrian Ambassador to Lebanon Georg Mautner Markhof.

In his speech, Boisard narrated the evolution of multilateral diplomacy and the founding of the League of Nations followed by the United Nations. He elaborated on the functions of the UN, noting that it was preceded by other international organizations such as the International Postal Union. He stressed the importance of multilateral diplomacy, given the thousands of conferences organized inside and outside the UN. Boisard said the UN General Assembly asked UNITAR to organize workshops such as this one in cooperation with the regional commissions, UNESCWA among them. He noted that 13,000 trainees have made use of these workshops to date.

Markhof said young diplomats working at UN headquarters have an opportunity to learn about cultural diversity and civilizations that will help them have a more comprehensive perspective. He said diplomats working in international organizations have space to maneuver, thus looking out for the interests of their country while at the same time understanding the interests of other parties. Markhof said that, in addition to governments and permanent missions to the UN, there is an influence practiced by those who are observers of the diplomacy of conferences and multilateral negotiations, adding that civil society institutions and the media have a major influence as well.

Participants in the workshop include diplomats from the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassies of Bahrain, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine (in Jordan), Romania, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, as well as Fujairah Free Zone Authority in the United Arab Emirates.

The workshop will cover topics such as conflict and co-operation in international diplomacy, technical and practical foundations of multilateral conferences and negotiations, and rules of procedure. Other themes include cross-cultural communication, group decision-making, and the roles and functions of secretariats and chairmen.