On July 8th to 14th, the first ever model NATO simulation took place in Brussels, at the Free University of Brussels. The so called model NATO Youth Summit (MoNYS), attracted 250 students from 37 countries representing 70 Universities in 5 continents. ATA was a golden partner to the event.

MoNYS central theme "Political responsibility through leadership, innovation and strategic thinking in the XXI century" inspired the works of the participants who find themselves in the shoes of the representatives from all the NATO’ member states, enthusiastically working towards achieving peace and stability in the world. Within its working sessions and briefings, MoNYS involved high-level officials and renowned academics, in order to make the simulation more accurate and resembling to the reality. The added value to the project comes not only from the experts’ participation, but from the students themselves. During this six-day event, students have had the chance to broaden their views on different political approaches, while getting to know each other’s cultures better.

Participants simulated 6 NATO bodies (the North Atlantic Council, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Operation Policy Committee, the Defense Policy and Planning Committee, the Political Partnership Committee, and  the NATO-Russia Council) which were addressing the topics of smart defense, military capabilities, emerging security, fight against cyber-attacks, missile defense shield and partnership action plan with the Caucasus countries. The ultimate goal was to deepen NATO’s decision-making process, while creating a platform for students to enhance their consensus-reaching skills, alongside mastering the art of negotiation. A Panel discussion on NATO-EU relations was hosted at the European Parliament under the chairmanship of ATA Secretary General, Mr. Troels Frøling.

The ATA supported the organization of the NATO Model Youth Summit since the beginning. The original idea stemmed from an intuition by a group of students at the Free University of Brussels. The ATA hosted some of the panels and meetings, including the closing Gala Dinner, and collaborated with organizers on the whole implementation of the project. MoNYS aims at becoming an yearly event that attracts students and young practitioners to Brussels, thus representing an important pivot for ATA yearly activities.  MoNYS is also present on Facebook and Twitter.

MoNYS was an excellent opportunity for YATA to reach out to new and motivated potential members. Thanks to the speech that YATA President, Ms. Kristin Durant, delivered during the closing Ceremony, participants were able to gain valuable insights on YATA activism for greater transatlantic security.

A video showing 60 years of NATO history was projected during the Ceremony and was applauded as an important visual contribution to better understand NATO.