Simulation of arbitral proceedings within the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration by students participating in the MUNLawS conference in Ljubljana

The second student simulation of an arbitral tribunal under the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE took place from 12 to 14 November 2021 in Ljubljana. The event was organized within the framework of the MUNLawS conference held by the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana.

Vasilka Sancin, Head of the Department of International Law at the University of Ljubljana and organizer of MUNLawS conferences and a member of the Bureau of the Court, initiated the first student simulations in 2020, with the aim to build awareness of and prepare young students and future lawyers to the procedures of peaceful settlement of disputes offered by the 1992 Stockholm Convention.

The simulated case this year regarded a dispute between two fictional states and involved space activities, national minorities and environmental damage. Students participating in the simulation had to prepare a written memorial and counter-memorial, followed by an oral presentation of their legal arguments to arbitrators.

At the opening ceremony and panel titled “The Union of Tomorrow” reflections were shared by Marko Rakovec, Director General of the Directorate for International Law and Protection of Interests at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia; Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management; Adrian Pollmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany; Igor Evgen Bergant, journalist and news anchor at Radiotelevision of Slovenia, and Gal Veber, a student Secretary General of the 2021 MUNLawS conference. Emmanuel Decaux, President of the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, delivered a video address to the participants.

The MUNLawS conference gathered participants from 18 European countries and 159 students actively participated in the simulations. 

The Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE, which is based in Geneva, provides a set of mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes between States. The Court was established by the 1992 Stockholm Convention, which entered into force on 5 December 1994. To date, 34 States have ratified the Convention.