ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 11 October 2023, participants of the UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy from the Central Asian states and Afghanistan participated in an online seminar on leadership skills.

The seminar aimed to enhance the leadership skills of UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy students in resolving conflicts, promoting peace and cooperation, and effectively protecting their interests and values. The event was designed and guided by the United Nations Security Council resolutions 2250, 2419, and 2535 and the United Nations Youth 2030 Strategy, which recognize the critical role of youth in maintaining peace and security.

At the beginning of the seminar, participants were introduced to the linkage between preventive diplomacy and leadership skills towards effective implementation of conflict prevention efforts.

Furthermore, they were informed that by promoting a culture of peace, they set a positive example to foster diplomacy, dialogue and non-violence by consolidating it in an effective strategy, communication and action at national and international levels.

Participants additionally enhanced their skills in areas such as leadership, quality indicators and skills necessary for a leader, features and areas of knowledge in leadership development, gaining confidence and determination in their actions and setting goals.

Seminar participants familiarized themselves with an effective technique called SMART aimed at setting and formulating goals (Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Relevant - Time-bounded ) as well as effective ways of its application for elaborating goals and objectives.

The knowledge and expertise gained through a series of leadership training helped the young people fully develop their skills in raising awareness of conflicts and their causes, critical thinking and analysis, improving communication and collaboration skills, and enhancing self-presentation and influence abilities.

All the information obtained during the online seminar helped the participants better understand the context in which conflicts occur and identify factors that may contribute to their occurrence, work effectively with others to solve everyday problems and certainly allow them to promote their ideas and win over others effectively.

Though the seminar was at an initial stage concerning leadership skills development, overall, it became an important instrument focused on developing leadership skills among the youth of Central Asia and Afghanistan.