Six Party Talks Simulation

Chuo Summer Program 2007

American University, School of International Service

Professor Peter Howard

 

 

This simulation of the Six Party Talks is designed to give you an introduction to the real-world security issues facing Northeast Asia and give you an opportunity to work with a team to negotiate a solution to a complex problem.  The official language of the simulation is English.  All formal presentations, agreements, and proposals must be in English.  You will be assigned to a country group for the simulation.  Your goal is to advance your country’s position in the simulated rounds of talks.

 

The country groups are:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea), Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea), United States of America (USA), People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russian Federation (Russia), Japan

 

Preparation:

On Friday, July 27, you will be given a briefing that introduces the simulation and provides an overview of the current situation with North Korea.

 

On Monday, July 30, we will assign you to your country group.  Your team will have two class sessions (Monday July 30 and Friday August 3) to prepare a brief PowerPoint presentation on your country.  The instructors will provide a basic template for the presentation as well as a list of web resources to help you.  In preparation for the simulation, you must work with your group to develop a 5-7 minute PowerPoint presentation that you will give to the group on Monday August, 6.  Your presentation is a collaborative effort—the entire group should contribute.  The presentation should include the following sections:

 

Slide 1:  Title Slide

Slide 2:  Country Background Information

-basic facts about your country, its history, its leaders, maps, current political issues

Slide 3:  National Interests

-what your country needs.  Your interests should reflect some sort of prioritization

Slide 4:  Power and Influence

-the tools available to your country to deploy in the simulation.  Address the various aspects of national power, including diplomatic, intelligence, military, and economic

Slide 5:  Goals 

-what your country group seeks to achieve from the negotiations in the simulation

 

We will take some time to introduce you to internet resources and PowerPoint and give you some time to work together on the presentation.

 

The simulation will begin on Monday, August 6 with Country Group presentations.  After the presentations, Country Groups will be allowed to meet and plan for the negotiating session.

On Friday August 10, class will begin with a “formal” negotiating session.  The “formal” session will have all 6 groups seated in a large circle.  “Formal” Sessions will require the participation of all countries.  The Instructor will lead the session, calling on each country to speak in turn.  In this session, your country states its opening position and goals.  All countries will be given the opportunity to speak.  After all countries have had one turn, groups may ask to be recognized to speak.  Participants may call for a brief break of a formal session to consult among themselves or with other country groups if needed.

 

After this “formal” session, there will be time for “informal” meetings and discussions among country groups.  Your objective in both the formal and informal session is to advance your country’s goals and to try to reach a resolution to the crisis.  Any agreements you make should be written texts.  The simulation will conclude with a Closing Session, at which time final closing statements will be delivered by each country and any texts will be accepted for discussion.  The simulation will end at 4:20pm.  All negotiations must be completed by this time.

 

Meeting time can be used in any way the participants see fit to work on issues.  Countries can request meetings of any size with any combination of participants.  Countries will be given a location in the room, and one member of the team must stay at this location to receive visitors and notes.  The remaining team members are free to visit with other Country Teams.  This is when details and issues can be resolved in drafting texts.  Countries may reach any kinds of agreements among themselves in the “informal” meeting time.  This time is best used to negotiate with allies as well as adversaries to work through issues, advance your goals, and try to reach a resolution to the situation.  The Instructor must be copied on all agreements and understandings reached among participants.  Countries may pass notes to other countries through the Instructor.

 

Each country will receive a written memo containing confidential instructions at the outset of the simulation.  You may choose to reveal this information publicly if you want, or you may keep it secret.  You can also negotiate an agreement with other countries to have them reveal information to you in exchange for something in return.

 

Throughout the simulation, each country team may receive instructions from their capital.  The Instructor will act as the home government for each country.  At various times, instructions may come from the capitals, directing country teams to take certain actions.  At other times, countries might be required to have an agreement approved before signing it.  Country teams may seek guidance or intelligence from the home government by submitting a request to the Instructor.

 

Any final agreement must take the form of a written text to be ratified at the final session.

 

Countries may take any actions in the simulation that they want, such as ordering the use of economic, diplomatic, military, or intelligence assets so long as a) have a plausible real-world capability to do so; b) inform the Instructor.  This action can be secret or overt.

 

The simulation web site is:  http://nw08.american.edu/~phoward/sixpartytalks.htm

Visit it for background pages and links.