The Art of Negotiation (Brussels European Forum)

I joined the 11the Brusells European Forum couple weeks ago. It was an event where any European students are able to bring their desire of politic into reality. Since I am not into politic, I had never thought about joining in any political simulation or even discussion.  I was registered by my university as part of my module. So I ended up struggling to understand  lots of new thing; climate change international issue, negotiation strategy, South Korea policy, and also speech. Fortunately, I was not alone because the rest of my classmates did not have any idea about it. So we shared our nightmare together. But my perception towards this thing was completely changed. I found myself very grateful to be registered as one of the G20 delegation in 11th Brussels European Forum. We had a chance to experience how to act as country leaders or nation’s decision makers in International forum such as G20, Council of the European Union, and North Atlantic Council (NATO). The event was carried out for 7 days in Leuven, Belgium. Each of the committee has different but related agenda to be discussed. This year’s theme was navigating troubled water. It means how these forums come up with a set of new policy approaches in a worldwide time of transition. Therefore participants represented and fight for their countries’s interest and at one time come up with international deal for better world. For instance, G20 had three agendas to be discussed in a week; tackling climate change, framework for the international system, and rebuilding the global economy. The G20 committee had the dual role of ensuring that the vulnerable global economy continues along the path of recovery from the Financial Crisis, as well as addressing the wider responsibilities of the twenty richest states. I was representing President Lee Myung-Bak from South Korea in G20 committee. South Korea was becoming one of the presidents in G20 forum in 2010. South Korea was the first non G8 countries that were allowed to chair this major economy countries forum. It was perceived as one of the achievement for South Korea and other emerging nations in Asia. Therefore, I was preparing myself to keep this nation’s pride and find any possible way to achieve nation’s objective. Besides that, we were asked to behave as the role that we took during the event. So I used every second to build coalition and do informal lobbying. In order to come up with a good deal, I had to get through a very tough negotiation both in formal and informal meeting. In formal meeting I got a chance to give my general statement and my position toward those issues. Most of delegations were trying to move to informal meeting as much as they can because it was the place to undergo real negotiation amongst the delegations. From what have done in informal meeting, I learned to understand others interest even it was very contrast with my objective. It needs to be done because we would never reach a consensus if there was one delegation stand against the proposal in the table. By knowing others interest, we could do any way to approach them in order to persuade them to favour the given proposal.  After all, I enjoyed the 7 days of doing international negotiation especially when we were discussing about tackling climate change days.  But in the future I will not sit on the chair as a negotiator if I have to make a deal about global financial and IMF.  For me, National's financial and economy are already too complicated =)  So I come up with my theory that the key success of reaching a deal is not only about the knowledge or expertise. It also needs an appropriate manner in approaching the allies and persuading the opponents. Like communication, it will always be about compromising our interest and their interest to achieve one balance outcome which is super difficult. G20  Committee the 11th Brussels European Forum