The United Nations General Assembly hall where delegations gather for closing ceremonies on the last day of the conference (Photo courtesy of Arley Titzler)

The Conference

The National High School Model United Nations Conference (NHSMUN) is the largest single location, High School MUN Conference in the world, hosting over 3,800 high school students in New York City. Other than being the first of its size, NHSMUN is also a trailblazer in providing an educational experience that appeals to delegates of all skill levels.  While small crisis committees provide veteran delegates the chance to hone their MUN prowess, students new to MUN can gain exposure to debate in General Assembly committees where all member states of the UN have representation. This year NHSMUN had 31 committees where delegates debated and resolved the world’s most pressing international issues from March 2nd-5th.

The International Model United Nations Association (IMUNA) is the driving force behind this 4-day conference. IMUNA is an educational non-for-profit organization that facilitates Model United Nations around the globe, with many of its Board members being former Secretary-Generals and Director-Generals from past NHSMUNs.  As a former delegate at NHSMUN in 2014, and now serving as a Substantive Assistant Director for NHSMUN 2016, I can attest to the close relationship between NHSMUN staff and the IMUNA board throughout the duration of the conference.  This fosters a positive and cooperative relationship between experienced and new NHSMUN leaders that is one of the crucial elements in establishing NHSMUN as one of the most successful conferences I have ever seen.

The Vision

This year’s NHSMUN was led by Secretary General Costanza Cicero and Director General Shaan Pattni, the two central leadership roles that in addition to coordinating the entire conference, determine both the focus and goals for NHSMUN.  In an interview with Ms. Cicero we discussed the vision she and her senior staff had for NHSMUN 2016.  Her vision this year for NHSMUN was to “clean up the big operations behind NHSMUN” from minor changes like holding “three closing ceremonies in the UN General Assembly Hall” to “creating more institutional memory for future Secretary Generals.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, delivers the keynote speech during opening ceremonies (photo courtesy of Maunica Malladi)

This year’s staff also prioritized creating a more user friendly atmosphere for delegates by upgrading their social media presence through a renovation of the conference website, posting more content on the conference Facebook page, generating more tweets from individual committee twitter accounts, as well as creating a new snapchat geofilter for the conference.  According to one IMUNA board member, these changes, both large and small, collectively created what many long-time faculty advisors and delegates identified as the smoothest and best NHSMUN conference they had seen.  In addition to these goals, NHSMUN also focused on sustainability, collaboration, and reflective growth for delegates.

Sustainability

A central focus of NHSMUN 2016’s topics was using sustainability as an approach to protecting the livelihoods of the planet and its inhabitants, preventing the depletion of valuable resources, and promoting sustainable economic development. From preserving marine biodiversity in UNEP, to reducing the environmental effects of trade liberalization in the WTO, to promoting sustainable urban growth in Africa in UN-HABITAT, NHSMUN showed students that sustainability is a problem-solving approach and not simply a desired solution.

Delegates in ECOFIN utilize the note-passing system to communicate with other nations in the committee.

Collaboration

As war, terrorism, and resource scarcity divide countries and communities, NHSMUN 2016 continued its time-honored mission to emphasize collaboration and compromise on divisive issues. In debating the Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea in the UN Security Council, to preventing the growth of sex trafficking in the CSW, to understanding the effect of cryptocurrencies on criminal activity, students at NHSMUN experienced the challenging task of finding common ground on issues where incentives are not aligned.

Reflective Growth
At NHSMUN 2016, students learned to use the past as a tool to help solve problems in the present and the future. NHSMUN puts a heavy emphasis on research and preparation for both delegates and staff members to develop strong understanding of all issues.  This is incredibly evident in the 10-20 page position papers that are written by delegates, as opposed to the standard one to two page position papers expected by most conferences. Students harnessed this understanding to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya people in ESCAP, manage the Palestinian refugee situation in SPECPOL, and eliminate the digital gender gap in CSW.  With a mutual grasp of an issue’s origin, history, and stakeholders, students and staff members alike were given endless opportunities to collaborate on potential solutions that are sustainable in the long term.

Staff
A special and differentiating factor of NHSMUN is its staff. This year was no different as committee Directors and Assistant Directors delivered in facilitating rich and substantive debate in all of its committees. In order to produce meaningful resolutions in a manner that emphasizes delegate learning, NHSMUN staffers are trained to create a collaborative environment and combine it with organized and rich debate. From the committee Directors and Assistant Directors to the Senior Operational team, the consistency and brilliance of NHSMUN’s staff ensured that NHSMUN 2016 was a huge success.

The full staff of NHSMUN 2016

IMUNA also desired to provide the following press release regarding an exciting announcement for how NHSMUN plans to expand next year:

“IMUNA is very excited to announce that we will hold two (identical) sessions in 2017: one from March 10-13, and the other from March 15-18. Both sessions will be held at the New York Hilton and the United Nations Headquarters and will have the same schedule and activity patterns. To find out more about this, be in the lookout for more info on our website www.nhsmun.org or email sg.nhsmun@nullimuna.org. Registration for NHSMUN 2017 will begin October 1st!”

Next year’s Secretary General and Director General will be Jennifer Padilla and Nika Arzoumanian.

The Awards

(the following information was provided by NHSMUN and can also be found on their website)
It has been the longstanding policy of NHSMUN to de-emphasize awards during the conference, recognizing, in most cases, entire delegations, rather than individuals in a committee. NHSMUN has several types of awards. The first is the Research and Preparation Award, presented for excellence in Position Papers, all of which must have been turned in on time. The second type of award is based on performance during the conference. Taking sizes of delegations into account to ensure fairness, the awards fall under three categories: the Award of Distinction, the Award of Excellence, and the Award of Merit. We will also recognize the achievements of delegations who speak English as a foreign language. In addition to the delegation awards, NHSMUN will also present certain delegates on the Specialized Agencies with performance awards, the categories of which are the Award of Distinction, the Award of Excellence, and the Award of Merit. There will be one recipient of each award per committee. All delegation awards, on the other hand, are presented during Closing Ceremonies at the United Nations Headquarters. The following schools were recognized at NHSMUN 2016:

Team photo of the Delegation from Glenbrook South High School

Award of Distinction: Glenbrook South High School
Award of Distinction: Mira Costa High School
Award of Distinction: Horace Mann School
Award of Distinction: Richland Northeast High School
Award of Distinction: Rochelle Zell Jewish High School (formerly Chicagoland Jewish High School)
Award of Excellence: Cerritos High School
Award of Excellence: Franklin High School
Award of Excellence: Radnor High School
Award of Excellence: American Heritage Plantation
Award of Excellence: Instituto Andes
Award of Merit: East Brunswick High School
Award of Merit: Highland Park High School
Award of Merit: Westminster School
Award of Merit: Centennial High School
Award of Merit: Hillfield Strathallan College
Outstanding Achievement – Foreign Language Delegation: Gimnasio de los Cerros
Outstanding Achievement – Foreign Language Delegation: Colegio Hacienda Los Alcaparros
Outstanding Achievement – Foreign Language Delegation: Colegio Williams
Outstanding Achievement – Foreign Language Delegation: Espoon Yhteislyseon Lukio Upper Secondary School
Service Learning Project: Carlisle HS
Award of Distinction – Research and Preparation: Woodstock Academy
Award of Excellence – Research and Preparation: New West Charter
Award of Merit – Research and Preparation: Cerritos High School

WFUNA International Model United Nations (WIMUN) is the flagship Model UN conference hosted and organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). After a successful first session in Rome and our second session at the United Nations Headquarters, WIMUN will reconvene February 1-4, 2017, at the United Nations Headquarters and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.

WIMUN is now recruiting for Senior Secretariat positions, and Best Delegate is highly encouraging university Model UN participants to apply! We have worked closely with WFUNA in the past and can confidently say that this will be a high profile event as it brings the UN Department of Public Information’s UN4MUN procedure to a new level.

Here are three reasons to apply for the WIMUN Secretariat:

1. Organize the most accurate simulation of the United Nations

WFUNA has been working closely with Bill Yotive (formerly the head of UN4MUN at the UN Department of Public Information) and Best Delegate to introduce a set of Rules of Procedures which best reflect the actual practice of the UN Security Council and General Assembly. These are significantly different from how most Model UN conferences currently operate, and it will be a great learning experience for any serious MUN student who wants to learn how the actual UN operates. You can learn more at the UN4MUN website or our recap of it here. 

2. Work for a conference with sessions in the United Nations Headquarters in New York

WIMUN grants Secretariat members and delegates access to the United Nations General Assembly, as opening and closing plenary and ceremonies will be held in the actual United Nations General Assembly Hall. Last year, all members of the Senior Secretariat were able to deliver speeches from the Rostrum in the General Assembly hall, along with prestigious speakers from the United Nations and other international organizations. 

3. Work with an amazingly diverse team of international Model UN superstars. 

Last year’s WIMUN Secretariat was made up of staff from 15 countries and every continent except for Antarctica, speaking 18 different languages and with a total conference attendance of over 500 different conferences. Plus, last year’s WIMUN attendees came from nearly 40 different countries, making WIMUN one of the most diverse conferences globally. WIMUN Secretariat gets to work with some of the leading Model UNers in the entire world, a privilege that can’t be found almost anywhere else!

Secretariat Positions

WFUNA is excited to announce the call for Senior Secretariat recruitment for WIMUN 2017! They are are looking for a diverse global Secretariat team with international Model UN experience. The positions that are available include:

• Secretary-General (1)
• Under-Secretary-General of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management (2)
• Under-Secretary-General of Communications and Public Information (1)
• Assistant-Secretary-General of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management (1)

Click here to learn more and to apply! Applications are due Sunday, April 10, at 23:59 EST. Applications for other secretariat positions will be released soon. 

Contacts

WIMUN website: http://www.wfuna.org/wimun

WFUNA website: www.wfuna.org

E-mail: wimun@nullwfuna.org

Check out our favorite MUN memes from this past seasons- from voting procedure to bloc merging there’s a meme for every occasion!

1. Because outfit coordination is a major key:

2. But so is good pre-conference research…

3. And its BEYOND annoying when someone else doesn’t do their’s. To the delegate of Ukraine…no, you don’t want Russia as your co-sponsor:

4. MUN can be frustrating, especially when your bloc starts fighting like:

5. But it’s always nice to take a break to eat. NO SPAIN I DON’T WANT TO TALK RESOLUTION FUNDING WITH YOU RIGHT NOW I WANT TO EAT THIS PIZZA:

6. When you’re in a crisis committee but run out of ideas for directives:

7. What working with your MUN nemesis feels like:

.

8. But being in committee is only part of MUN:

9.  For delegates who just want to use a standard voting procedure because you’ve been in the same committee room for four days and are starting to lose your mind:

10. Because research shows that MUN conferences take roughly 8 years off your life.

This is a guest post submitted by Florida International University’s Program Coordinator Ethan Roberts. 

Florida International Model United Nations, or ‘FIMUN’ is officially adjourned! Between Friday March 11th and Sunday March 13th over 390 Middle and High School students from 25 schools competed at the annual conference, hosted by FIU’s fourth ranked Model United Nations Program.

Preparation for the conference began just weeks after last year’s FIMUN concluded. A secretariat was elected and committee topics were debated with the kind of rigor only Model UN delegates can muster. Once committee topics and a date was finalized work began on creating background guides, updating the website and of course reaching out to schools.

The program at FIU prides itself on the variety of committees that its delegates win awards in and the conference reflected that variety. This year FIU’s Model UN students prepared ten committees including larger General Assembly committees and smaller fast-paced crisis committees. ‘GA’ committees included The US Senate, DISEC, WHO and the UNHCR, where rooms debated topics such as civil-liberties, cyber-warfare, global pandemic management and the Syrian refugee crisis respectively. Crisis committees were historical, present-day and futuristic and included New Orleans City Council 2005: Hurricane Katrina, Iran Revolution 1977, Nicolas Maduro’s Cabinet 2016, Hong Kong Autonomy Movement 2016, UN Security Council and NATO 2020, in which delegates assumed the roles of diplomats or government ministers collaborating and competing to solve difficult problems.

FIU’s standing as one of the premiere Model UN Programs in the country, its location in cosmopolitan Miami, as well as an impressive alumni list combine to create a truly special conference each year. This year one of the longest-sitting members of Congress, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen addressed the capacity audience on FIU’s campus during opening ceremonies. The first Hispanic woman elected to Congress, FIU alumnus, chairwoman for the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee for Middle East and North Africa, and former chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee spoke of challenges the UN faces and the need for young enthusiastic leadership in all realms of public service. “We need young people who really care to step up to the plate and make a difference. And right here in this room, I am very sure, is the next generation of those folks” the Congresswoman enthusiastically said to the middle and high school students before first session began on Friday.

Another one of the conference’s successes was raising over $650 for Mis Refugio Casa Hogar, an orphanage in the Peruvian Amazon. Chairs and staff auctioned off various embarrassing acts, such as lip-syncing Beyonce hits, to help raise the money from the more than generous delegates. Michelle Rodriguez, an FIU student and chair of ‘Maduro’s Cabinet’ spent her 2015 summer volunteering at the orphanage said “Words cannot express how much that place means to me. What we send them will go towards installing a water filtration system which will save them a lot of money long-term. It’s going to make a real difference to them”.

This was the largest FIMUN yet in terms of participation and the program at FIU is confident that next year’s will be bigger and better.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated and to delegation award winners!

Best Large Delegation: Belen Jesuit Preparatory Academy Doral
Outstanding Large Delegation: Preparatory Academy
Best Small Delegation: Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior HighJohn A.
Outstanding Small Delegation: Ferguson Senior High

How many middle school students do you know that practice public speaking, learning about current events, or simulating the United Nations? Often times students only begin to gain an interest in these subjects during high school or college. However, there has been an increasing demand for these opportunities for Middle School students in recent years. Model UN conferences are fun and challenging educational activities! This article is going to provide an overview for why middle school students should seek to participate in Model UN.

The Educational Experience

Students in Model UN gain a wide range of skills and information critical to their success in middle school, high school, college, and beyond. Students learn public speaking and how to deliver speeches in front of audiences. They hone their research skills and synthesize information from all over the world. They practice how to write policies, and learn about cultures they never even knew existed.

However just as importantly, students will learn critical social skills that will help them throughout life. Whether it’s learning to discuss complex issues and compromise, or learning how to be a leader for the first time, many students will “find their voice” through Model UN, and realize their leadership potential and social ability. Model UN helps students build the Confidence to succeed.

Access to the UN, NGOs, and incredible keynote speakers

Model UN is an enormous activity with over half a million students participating each year. UN Officials, NGOs, and other business leaders and public figures have taken notice, and actively engage with these students. Officials from the UN Department of Public Information and organizations around the world teach students Model UN and even help MUNers on their path to college, internships, and careers! Often, students get to meet incredible leaders who deliver the Keynote Address at Model UN Conferences- notable keynote speakers to Model UN conferences include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the Director of the FBI, and even Pope Francis! Model UN introduces students to a global Community of leaders.

College and Careers

Model UN helps students on their paths to college and careers- from our MUN programs alone, we’ve had dozens of students go on to Ivy League universities, and MUNers fill youngest generation of employees at the UN, Foreign Services around the world, and a wide range of the most prestigious careers around the world. We’ll talk even more about how Model UN can help students get into college later on! Model UN gives students the ideas and tools they need to make real Change in the world.

Want to learn more tips on how to participate in Model UN? Check out the Model United Nations Institute Diplomat Program– hosted across the United States every summer!

*This guest article was written by the EagleMUNC IV team.

This year, EagleMUNC IV hosted a record 660 delegates from 43 different high schools and MUN clubs from within the US and abroad this past weekend of March 18-20, 2016. We are proud to announce that the conference theme for the fourth installment of EagleMUNC was “Liberty & Security”. Under this motif, EagleMUNC Delegates experienced a wide range of Classic General Assembly-style Committees and integrated crisis committees, including a futuristic espionage clash between the US and China, the Peloponnesian Triple Joint War Committees, and the Disney Board of Directors Committee.

Keeping with our theme of “Liberty & Security,” EagleMUNC IV presented unique simulations in accordance with our mission of educating through experiential learning, forward thought, and innovation. The 2016 Keynote Speaker, Captain William M. Shepherd U.S. Navy (Ret.), was a former Navy Seal and NASA Astronaut who served as Commander of Expedition 1, the first crew on the International Space Station.

Each of our 17 different committees were designed to expose students to the myriad of applications for political debate and negotiation. Each committee was given a budget for materials and props, surprising delegates with a meet-and-greet with Mickey Mouse, notes delivered via drone, and complimentary Coca-Cola.

Ad-Hoc: Mars 2100

This year, we introduced for the first time the Ad-Hoc Committee of the Secretary General and The Press Corps committees. In hopes of fully immersing our delegates in our 40-Hour Simulation, both of those committees included a technology component. In Ad-Hoc: Mars 2100, all communication between delegates and crisis was facilitated through email. Each delegate was provided an EagleMUNC email and used that to send notes to fellow delegates and to the crisis room. The immersive nature of the committee led to the creation of character Twitter accounts and debate on social media. Furthermore, the Ad-Hoc delegates created a national anthem, which is included in the video attached to this email as “EagleMUNC IV Closing Video.” Delegates in the EagleMUNC Press Corps committee divided their time “in the office” and “in the field” – debating and reporting throughout the weekend. Live-tweeting events, these journalists uncovered secrets in our committees, such as the fake delegate (a Boston College student disguised as a delegate) in the House of Un-American Activities. A copy of their publication, Eagle International News, is a testament to their hard work and recounts the diverse array of simulations.

Outside of the committee room, we hosted our popular advisor simulation hosted by Secretary-Generals Emeriti Braeden Lord and Michael Keefe. An EagleMUNC app was released to enhance the advisor and delegate experience at our conference. This resource is free and accessible on the App Store. If interested, visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eaglemunc/id1089794313?mt=8.  In addition, the EagleMUNC Snapchat account recorded all the exciting action throughout the weekend in our story. Delegates and EagleMUNC team members were encouraged to “snap” at the EagleMUNC account and used the two custom EagleMUNC geo filters throughout the weekend.

Best Large Delegation: Bedford High School (NH)

Best Small Delegation: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (FL)

Outstanding Large Delegation: Cape Elizabeth High School (ME)

Outstanding Small Delegation: Lexington High School (MA)

**

Check out EagleMUNC’s closing ceremonies video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXfVmbGsY4tODNablFzc1l4MXc/view

Check out EagleMUNC’s International News here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwXfVmbGsY4tQlV6Znc3c19tZm8/view

The World Economic Forum recently republished an article from Knowledge@Wharton, the business journal of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, about what future work skills employers are looking for. Employers have identified that there is a skills gap, meaning colleges are not teaching the skills that employers actually want. What are some of those future skills? Here is the list from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report.

Looking at the Top 10 Skills in 2020, it is apparent to anyone who does Model United Nations that MUN is actually filling in the skill gap mentioned in the article. In other words, MUN is teaching all the skills needed for the future job market!

Specifically for the Top 10 skills mentioned:

1. Complex problem solving: The main objective of Model UN delegates is to solve global problems, and almost every problem includes a complex set of political, economic, humanitarian, and security issues related to it. If the problems weren’t complex, real-life diplomats would’ve resolved them already!

2. Critical thinking: The research process helps MUN delegates develop critical thinking skills. Delegates learn to conceptualize issues and analyze different facts as well as policies related to the issue. Their critical thinking skills are often challenged in committees as other delegates may question their line of reasoning in their country policies and possible solutions.

3. Creativity: Model UN challenges delegates to be creative with their solutions. Instead of merely copying and repeating existing solutions, delegates are expected to come up with creative solutions to resolve the issue. A lot of creativity also takes place during the conference when delegates can synthesize other delegates’ ideas and come up with collaborative solutions. Creativity is extremely pronounced in crisis committees where many scenarios require creative decision-making.

4. People management: The best delegates in MUN committees are usually people managers; they have to manage the different players in their resolution group. People management skills are also developed when MUN students run their own club and organize their own conference; they are essentially managing others to run their own nonprofit.

5. Coordinating with others: MUN delegates always work in teams in order to write their resolutions and lobby for support. This requires coordinating with others in their team to ensure that the resolutions are well-written, on policy, and incorporate all their allies’ perspectives.

6. Emotional intelligence: Model UN is a “smart sport” — it requires social and emotional intelligence to be able to understand people, to work with people, and to persuade people. This is perhaps the biggest difference between Model UN and any other academic competitions like speech and debate.

7. Judgment and decision-making: Model UN is not scripted and the entire simulation requires delegates to make a lot of decisions about themselves and about others including who to work with and who to vote for. This is further pronounced in crisis committees where delegates have to constantly use their judgment to make decisions based on imperfect information.

8. Service orientation: MUN delegates learn to provide service — meeting others’ needs — because they often have to listen to others’ perspectives and try to resolve their issues. Those who organize MUN conferences also learn to provide customer service to their participants. And MUN as an activity inspires many participates to “change the world” — to serve our world by making it better.

9. Negotiation: The whole point of Model UN is to negotiate solutions to global issues until they could be passed or adopted by the committee. MUN delegates learn to negotiate in small and large groups during unmoderated caucus or lobbying sessions.

10. Cognitive flexibility: MUN delegates develop the mental ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts or think about multiple concepts simultaneously when they are introduced to conflicting country policies on various issues. Better yet, delegates develop this when they are assigned to represent a country that has a totally different viewpoint than the one they live in!

Overall, Model UN does a great job at giving students opportunities to develop and practice the skills that have been identified as desirable for the future workforce.

The Secretariat and staff of VICS XXI

Last weekend, more than two hundred college students gathered on the Grounds of the University of Virginia for the 21st annual Virginia International Crisis Simulation (VICS). VICS XXI combined debate on an assortment of serious and engaging topics and issues with many social events outside of committee aimed at rounding out each delegate’s weekend in Charlottesville. On Thursday and Friday, delegates were graced with the attendance of Charles Blaha, the Director of the Office of Security and Human Rights in the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In his keynote speech, Blaha discussed the issue of migration in the Western Hemisphere and encouraged delegates to adopt a frame of mind that embraced being open to opposing viewpoints. Blaha also hosted a breakfast on Friday morning during which he interacted with delegates and shared his experiences working in the foreign service. With Blaha’s words of advice introducing the conference, VICS XXI commenced and an amazing weekend began!

Charles Blaha, the Director of the Office of Security and Human Rights in the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor giving the Keynote speech at the opening ceremonies for VICS XXI.

This year, VICS XXI offered one of the largest sum of committees it has ever had- nineteen. VICS was committed to expanding the scope of what a crisis committee can do and offered both innovative and interactive committees, historical and contemporary. Among the most popular committees was the Peloponnesian War and the Future of Chinese International Relations, committees that tested a computer program designed by one of our crisis directors and aimed at conducting the entire committee from crisis notes to directives to crisis updates all on the computer. VICS also had two joint-crisis committees- the Space Race and the Spanish Civil War- and two ad hoc committees- the Secretary General’s Good Offices and the Directors General’s Good Offices. Delegates enjoyed the fast-paced nature and arrange of interesting topics of VICS’s crisis committees this year.

Delegates at VICS are known for sending in high volumes of personal and committee notes throughout the weekend as seen by the numerous notes scattered on the floor.

Outside of committee, VICS XXI was proud to deliver amazing social events to couple with the delegates’ in-committee experiences. On Thursday night, VICS hosted a head delegate social at the house of the USG for External Relations, where head delegates had the chance to interact with each other and members of the Secretariat and the International Relations Organization’s Executive Board. On Friday, Bar Night was a huge success at Cafe Caturra, with great drinks, lively music, and a dance floor. VICS’s FratSim changed locations this year back to Phi Sigma Kappa. Delegates joined staff on Saturday night to commemorate a great conference. A live DJ and a packed dance floor made VICS XXI’s FratSim the best yet!

Delegates in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association committee writing directives and participating in a moderated caucus.

On Sunday morning, delegates gathered in Old Cabell Hall for Closing Ceremonies. After speeches about the impact of VICS and the weekend’s charitable contribution to the International Rescue Committee, awards were given out. Before highlighting the delegation awards we would like to recognize some of the unique individuals awards with historical significance to VICS.

Editor’s note: VICS is known for giving ‘Jefferson Cups’ in place of gavels for individuals winning best delegate. This is a picture of Katie Conley’s Best Delegate award. Katie participated as a member of the College of William and Mary’s International Relations Organization. This was Katie’s last competitive conference in her 10 years of participating in Model UN.

“This award has always been important to me not only because of its uniqueness, but because it exemplifies the qualities that I think delegates should strive for. These are values and ideals [that] translate to real life and make us better leaders for the future.” Kyle S. Wolfe received the Spirit of VICS award this year. Photo and quote proivded by Kyle S. Wolfe.

The University of Florida walked away from VICS with more awards than any other school this year. UF received 11 awards out of the 32 delegates the team sent. Picture provided by Jon Munoz. Jon is the President of UF’s Model UN team for the 2016-2017 academic year.

VICS XXI is proud to announce the school awards as follows:

Outstanding Small Delegation: Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt’s Team with the Outstanding Small Delegation award. Picture provided by Will Stewart. Will is Vanderbilt’s Head Delegate.

Best Small Delegation: New York University

Outstanding Large Delegation: Florida State University

FSU’s World Affairs Program with the Outstanding Large Delegation award. Picture provided by Nick Matos. Nick received four Best Delegate awards for the four conferences he attended during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Best Large Delegation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The UNC Chapel Hill Model UN team with the Best Large Delegation award. Picture provided by Will Stelpflug. Will is one of UNC Chapel Hill’s Head Delegates this year.

Congratulations to all and VICS would like to thank everyone for an incredible weekend. The VICS Secretariat looks forward to seeing everyone next year at VICS XXII- the twenty-second session of VICS, which will unquestionably be even better!

How to Research Your Crisis

In MUN crisis committees, there are two different kinds of research you’ll need to do to prepare- research about the “topic” (meaning the committee, crisis, and historical context) and research about the person you’re representing. However, while in traditional MUN committees you may be researching UN topics using UN sources, it gets trickier for crisis topics. Where do you find information about the Biafran Revolution in Nigeria in 1969? Or the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan? While many crisis delegates simply rely on Wikipedia as their crutch for topic research, there are a few other ways to get information you can much better leverage for your committee.  

*Tip- Research for Historical Crises: If you’re in a historical committee, it’s tempting to research everything that happened in the crisis, along with its date and time, so you can walk into committee like Nostradamus. However, once you’ve started committee, the actions of your committee will mean the crisis will diverge from what actually happened historically. While it’s important to study what happened during and after the crisis, these events may not transpire in the alternate course of history your committee is taking. Keep this in mind- the most important research for you to do is the lead up and beginning of the crisis!*

What You Should Be Looking For

Your objectives in researching for a crisis committee are to 1. Understand the topic and intelligently discuss solutions, and 2. To find tools that you can use in committee to help you win the crisis. By tools, we mean information other delegates don’t have. This lets you demonstrate expertise, write better crisis notes and committee directives, or give you and your solutions more power and realism based on what your research has uncovered.

To understand the topic, some major things to look for are:

• General Timelines of the Crisis from Beginning to End (Or Present)
• Overview of the tensions and conflicts that caused the crisis
• The major issues that caused one side to win or lose, what the major subtopics are
• What each side wanted in the conflict, and why
• What other major events were going on at the time, and what foreign powers had interests

To find tools for you to use during the crisis, some major things to look for are:

• Maps from the time of the crisis that show major cities, roads, and military installations
• List of the weapons and equipment used by the involved parties to the conflict
• Economic, Political, Religious, and Social Tensions in the involved countries
• Names of important individuals leading opposition parties and rebel groups
• Economic, Military, and Intelligence (spying) capabilities of the involved parties
• Organization charts of the country or body your country is representing

Wikipedia

We’re not going to bother repeating every teacher you’ve had in explaining why Wikipedia can be a dangerous source to use. However, it is put together in such an easy-to-read fashion, and for modern or historical conflicts it’s easy to see why Wikipedia can help you define the major actors in the conflict, the casualties of each sides of the conflict, and all the major high points. However, the most valuable thing you’ll find on a Wikipedia article about the crisis is at the very end- the sources! Go directly to the sources Wikipedia uses for more credible and more specific information about your crisis.  

Academic Databases- LexisNexis and National Security Archives

Googling can only take you so far- 99% of the content on the internet isn’t indexed by Google, and that especially pertains to huge troves of information such as LexisNexis. Sites like LexisNexis are depositories of all sorts of data for government and academic purposes, and can contain information you’d never find through brute force Googling. Looking for transcripts of phone conversations on a topic from former Secretary of State? Declassified CIA documents about the crisis? Newspaper articles in their original form from the time? LexisNexis can help you out. Sites like LexisNexis, the George Washington University National Security Archives, or the US State Department Office of the Historian are critical resources for historical crises, but are also a great source for modern crises as well (through less government documents will be declassified, of course!)

International Relations Think Tanks

While many think tanks come with their own biases and may be funded by political organizations, they can be great sources for well-researched articles, and often are more readable than other scholarly sources. They’re especially helpful for modern conflicts- the Council on Foreign Relations runs an ongoing “Global Conflict Tracker” following the biggest issues around the world right now, and the International Crisis Group has continual updates on the world’s biggest crises, and even recommends some solutions to these conflicts for policymakers to consider.

Books!

Reading 100 1-page summaries of the crisis isn’t going to help you very much. It’ll be exclusively high-level details, few of which will differ. Reading a book (or even a chapter of a book), however, will let you go deeper into the conflict and find information nobody else in your committee will have found. Your school or local library probably have books about this topic, or you can look through Google Books to see what you can find online!

Want to learn how to lead your committee and have the more creative plans in any crisis? Check out the Model United Nations Institute Crisis Program– hosted across the United States every summer!

The deadline for the Best Delegate T-Shirt contest has been EXTENDED to Monday, April 18! Voting will begin promptly on Tuesday, April 19, so no more extensions will be granted for the opportunity to win Free T-Shirts for your Model UN team, or other free swag from our Best Delegate store. You can read the details of the contest below.

Best Delegate is excited to announce that we will officially be launching our online Model UN Apparel Store! We’ll be launching options for fun Model UN T-Shirts, Hoodies, Phone Covers, and more so you can let your Model UN spirit shine. To celebrate the launch of our store, we are hosting a Model UN T-Shirt contest for all of you creative MUNers out there! Sound like it something up your alley? Check out these awesome prizes for the winners!

First Place will receive 10 Free T-Shirts of their design for their Model UN club, as well as recognition on our website.

Second Place will receive a $50 credit to use in the Model UN Apparel Store, as well as recognition on our website.

Third Place will receive a $25 credit to use in the Model UN Apparel Store, as well as recognition on our website.

Here are the rules:

• The theme of the shirts is Model UN, not Best Delegate. Any Model UN themes, jokes, or cool designs are eligible for participation! Entries must all be appropriate for all ages of students, and all ages of students are eligible to submit designs.
• Designs can be Front or Front and Back of T-Shirts, but should use no more than 2 colors outside of the base color. (For example, a black shirt could use blue and white).
• All submissions should be sent in using the form below and submitted in .eps, .jpg, or .png format (.jpg and .png files must be more than 200 DPI).
• Best Delegate reserves the right to reproduce any designs submitted for us in the Model UN Apparel Store.
• Submissions should be sent in simply as the design, not as the design on a T-Shirt outline.
• The winners will be determined by a vote of Best Delegate readers, and the winning design will be featured as an option in our store online!

The window to submit designs closes on April 18, so get designing! If you have any questions, contact erik@nullbestdelegate.com. Voting will open once the submission window closes April 18!

In just four years, Claremont McKenna College’s McKenna MUN has established a reputation that is worthy of word-of-mouth referrals from high school faculty advisors in Southern California.

A delegate speaks at McKenna MUN

This was my first visit to a conference in my home circuit of Southern California in at least a year and my first visit to McKenna MUN, and it was immediately apparent why faculty advisors have positive feedback about this conference. At least two faculty advisors even pointed this out in comparison with several other newly established university-hosted high school conferences in the region which have struggled to gain a footing or some sort of reputation.

Secretary-General Isabel Wade and USG of Committees Fiona Bare at McKenna MUN

What has made McKenna MUN so successful in just four years? Here are nine reasons I could identify:

1. Start with a good foundation: Secretary-General Isabel Wade spoke about the enthusiasm of the very first Secretariat in laying a good foundation during the first conference, and that has given the conference momentum. Behind the scenes, Best Delegate actually corresponded with the first Secretariat and helped them with selecting the right date for the circuit and provided them with chair training foundations. The latter was pointed out by a McKenna officer when he introduced me at my Advisors Workshop.

2. Staff the conference at a private school ratio: McKenna MUN has grown to 550 delegates, but it utilizes a staff of 90 college volunteers. That’s about the same number of staff that UCLA has at 1,200 delegates and Berkeley has at 1,700 delegates. The private school-like 6:1 delegate-to-staff ratio gives the conference more capacity to run the conference and serve the students. Furthermore, the McKenna MUN Secretariat has made it a point to draw diverse staff that are not necessarily part of the Model UN team but may bring in different conference management skills or specialized substantive knowledge in committee.

3. Invest in the travel team quality: McKenna MUN has made it a key priority to invest in their MUN travel team, which has become one of the best teams in the world (won Best Small Delegation at WorldMUN) and the #1 team on the West Coast in most of the recent years. This fact was even marketed in flyers sent to schools to communicate the quality of their chairs’ experience. In comparison, many chairs at other university-hosted high school conferences nationwide get appointed based on their high school MUN experience but are not necessarily involved with their university’s MUN travel team.

4. Invest in the delegates’ knowledge: McKenna MUN does a great job being an on-campus conference by having professors speak in every committee! This is unheard of — I could not think of a conference in the US that has this. Most conferences held on university campuses do not even invite professors to speak in a single committee! On another note, McKenna MUN publishes a good delegate rules of procedure guide — their crisis rules of procedure section was the most clear I have found from any conference so far.

5. Connect the students with the campus clubs: McKenna MUN tries to coordinate its schedule with I-Fest, short for International Festival. This is a festival that takes place on campus outside of McKenna MUN. But it is a win-win for the students and the festival — the students get to experience different cultures and foods, and the festival gets more participants and gets an authentic way to showcase the Claremont McKenna college experience. I happened to hear about this when the Vice Chair of one of the committees, who is from Sweden, mentioned that she will be participating in I-Fest herself.

6. Invest in the faculty advisors: For the second year in a row, McKenna MUN has invited one of the Best Delegate co-founders to speak. This year, I did an Advisors Workshop, which is a sample from the Advisors Institute. Although I initially thought that I would not get a large audience due to the many experienced MUN faculty advisors in Southern California, I soon realized that almost every faculty advisor attending the workshop were those who run relatively new, small clubs that are often at a huge disadvantage compared to the experienced, large class-based programs. If we look beyond the big name teams, there is definitely a need for professional development among faculty advisors in Southern California.

7. Do active outreach: McKenna MUN is a bit further from the core Orange County and beach city MUN markets of Southern California, so the conference needed to build its own community of local participants. McKenna MUN has been doing that by doing active outreach to schools in their immediate area and in the Inland Empire, where Model UN is underrepresented. Growing the local market is the best way to ensure sustainable delegate attendance in future years.

8. Have beautiful facilities: McKenna MUN is blessed to have great facilities — their classrooms are perhaps some of the nicest among all the university-hosted conferences I have been in the nation. I was told that a new building will get completed soon, which will give them even more space to hold committees in these brand new, state-of-the-art college classrooms. Obviously this may not necessarily be the case at every other campus, but McKenna MUN has made good use of the facilities available to them.

9. Gain university support: The last element that McKenna MUN has done a good job with is gaining support from their university’s administration. Claremont McKenna College has been very understanding that funding the conference and funding the travel team will help increase their brand name locally and globally. The financial and administrative support gives McKenna MUN and the Claremont McKenna Model UN team a lot of potential for growth.

Delegates from two different cabinets negotiate in the JCC as a crisis director listens in

Latvia makes a motion in NATO

McKenna MUN takes place in nice college classrooms

McKenna MUN has laid a strong foundation for itself in the first four years of its existence. As the last remaining students from that first conference — the current seniors in this year’s conference leadership — graduate from college, hopefully the next generation will pick up right where they left off and continue to build this conference in both size and quality.

The following article is a guest post from the University of Chicago’s Model U.N. Team and Chomun XIX’s Secretariats. To contact the authors of this article directly please email: secgen@nullchomun.org 

Model United Nations is undoubtedly a valuable activity. It teaches critical life skills and builds friendships between institutions and individuals. Yet while the Model United Nations circuit affords amazing opportunities, we have come to recognize systemic challenges that we face both as an individual team and as a circuit. This year at Chomun, we are hosting a forum on diversity to begin addressing some of those challenges.

Our conference, ChoMUN, provides an example of particular strengths and weaknesses evident in many of the conferences that we have attended. While there is diversity amongst the periods and topics of our committees, there is arguably not enough diversity amongst delegates and staff to reflect national, and desired, demographic breakdowns.

Model United Nations should be reflective of the inclusivity of the United Nations. In order to embody the goals of the United Nations and the best ideals of our university, we hope to create a conversation about the relative lack of diversity, specifically:

• Gender. While there has been systematic improvement over the last few years, Model U.N. remains an activity that is disproportionately cis-gender male. We have seen this both in our own organization and on the circuit.  Increasing female and gender nonconforming participation will make the circuit stronger.

• Race and Ethnicity. We struggle with being racially nonrepresentative, often having participants primarily from only a few ethnic and racial backgrounds. Though the represented ethnicities differ from school to school, we have found institutional homogeneity to be a circuit norm.

• Socio-Economic Background. There are economic barriers to entry and continuity for competitive Model U.N. This activity is most accessible to wealthier students with the financial means  to travel and compete. Despite the fact that some schools subsidize part or all of the overt fees, hidden costs such as food, clothing, and transportation produce significant impediments to participation.

These issues extend far beyond  Model U.N., and we need to address them where we can. Some actions the UChicago Team has taken over the last year, or have planned for implementation in the 2016-2017 school year, include a Model U.N. Scholarship Fund for low-income students that will cover all conference expenses; a Women in Model U.N. internal working group; an effort to partner with faculty and race and ethnicity-focused student groups to increase campus communication and membership diversity; and a Sexual Assault Policy for ChoMUN and our Team. These actions are in no way exhaustive. There is still a lot to do in order to fully address the problems.  We recognize, however, that if we have taken steps to address these systemic challenges, it is likely that other teams have as well. We have an opportunity to learn from one another.

We invite the circuit to participate in our open forum at ChoMUN on Friday, April 22nd, from 10:30am to 12:00pm, before Friday’s first committee session, to discuss these issues. While we hold no illusions that this singular meeting will solve any entire problem, we  hope that the discussions generated by this forum will  be helpful in addressing these concerns.

Two individuals will be moderating this discussion. Following the discussion, we will distribute minutes to the participants. We do not intend for this discussion to produce any sort of document. However, we believe that the discussion itself will be powerful enough to drive change on the circuit, especially if it is followed up at future conferences.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions about this forum, or to add potential items to the agenda. If you are not attending ChoMUN, we are also happy to devise alternative information sharing means.

News stations around the world are buzzing about “The Election”, but not this one. While everybody is distracted by U.S. Presidential politics and the associated fanfare, there is another important “selection” going on right now. The position of U.N. Secretary-General is up for grabs, and for the first time in history the public will be able to follow the process to elect the world’s Diplomat-in-Chief. The UN is a notoriously bureaucratic organization, and this process has in the past been held almost entirely behind closed doors. While for decades Model UN conferences have held elections for conference Secretary-General, including open speeches and resulting in often female Secretaries-General, in this case the United Nations has lagged far behind Model UN.

This article will be the first in a series about the selection of UNSG, a process that will continue for the next several months. We’re seeking to provide you with a little bit of “insider” information about the process, so you can stay up to date on the selection for one of the most challenging jobs in the world.

The Rules

The next Secretary-General needs to be approved by all of the Permanent 5 Members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) and 2/3 of the United Nations General Assembly. Realistically, this means that the P5 will pick the Secretary-General, as it is incredibly unlikely that they would agree on a candidate that the rest of the organization couldn’t support. Candidates can declare their candidacy at any time until the next SG is chosen, which means that while there are currently 9 candidates, many more could join the fray in the coming months (including possibly Kevin Rudd from Australia, Angela Merkel from Germany, or Michelle Bachelet from Chile).

The Norms

In the past the Secretary-General and other top UN jobs have been chosen on the basis of “Regional Rotation”, so that each region will eventually get a chance to hold each job. In the history of the United Nations every regional group except for the Eastern Europe Group has had at least one Secretary-General, which has led to the high number of candidates and support for an Eastern European Secretary-General this time. However, with a more open process (and the lack of consolidation among Eastern European countries around a single candidate), this norm may be abandoned in favor of public support for candidates, rather than back-room deals to keep groups of Member States happy.

It has also been the norm in the past for the Secretary-General to be approved without a vote, once negotiations have completed. This year, with more public information and public interest in the process, it is much more likely than usual for a vote to be held on the Secretary-General.

The Candidates

We’d like to briefly introduce each of the (current) candidates to you, as well as any interesting information pertaining to their candidacy so far. If you want more information, you can find full bios online, or full statements and videos about each of their candidacies on the UN President of the General Assembly’s website. Candidates are ordered based on when they declared their candidacy.

Dr. Srgjan Kerim

Nationality: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Eastern Europe Group)

Past Jobs: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia (2000-2001), President of the United Nations General Assembly (2007-2008)

Candidacy: Dr. Kerim was the first to announce his candidacy, and is possibly the strongest proponent of the “Regional Rotation” model that the United Nations has followed in the past (which also contributed to his timing as President of the General Assembly). Both of the Eastern European Presidents of the General Assembly (arguably the highest role at the United Nations behind Secretary-General) from the past decade are now candidates for Secretary-General.

Dr. Kerim also has stated that if elected, he would appoint a female Deputy Secretary-General, and has promised to improve the gender equality on UN staff to a 60/40 male to female ratio.

His campaign is funded by the Macedonian government, with a current budget of about 100,000 Euros.

Dr. Vesna Pusić

Nationality: Republic of Croatia (Eastern Europe Group)

Past Jobs: Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia (2011-2016), First Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia (2012-2016)

Candidacy: During her question-and-answer session with Ambassadors and Civil Society members, Dr. Pusić was asked about countries “imposing” their cultures on others through the United Nations. She has been a consistent advocate for women’s rights in all societies globally, and responded to this question that “no culture is set in stone”. She also stated during this session that she supports a merit basis as the main terms for hiring Senior Staff, rather than geographic diversity.

Dr. Pusić is a supporter of reforms to mandate a single term for the Secretary-General, rather than the two consecutive five-year terms allowed.

Dr. Igor Lukšić

Nationality: Montenegro (Eastern Europe Group)

Past Jobs: Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-Present), Prime Minister of Montenegro (2010-2012), Minister of Finance (2004-2010)

Candidacy: Dr. Lukšić is another strong proponent of regional rotation at the United Nations, and has stated that his Deputy would be a female from the Southern Hemisphere. He has agreed to make his campaign budget public in the coming days.

In one of many references to the United States election that has been made during this Secretary-General selection, Dr. Lukšić asked the audience if we need to “Make the U.N. Great Again”?

Dr. Danilo Türk

Nationality: Slovenia (Eastern Europe)

Past Jobs: President of Slovenia (2007-2012), Ambassador to the United Nations (1991-2000)

Candidacy: Though Eastern European, Dr. Türk was the first candidate to come out and say that merit, rather than rotation, should be the primary reason for appointment for senior U.N. Officials, stating that underrepresented small countries should “Come with good candidates”.

His message has focused heavily on communication between the U.N. and the public, criticizing the use of “UN-ese” jargon, calling the meetings “boring”, and calling for better storytelling by the United Nations. Türk also supports U.N. Security Council reform.

Irina Bokova

Nationality: Bulgaria (Eastern Europe)

Past Jobs: Director General of UNESCO (2009-Present), Ambassador to France and Monaco (2005-2009), Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs (1996-1997)

Candidacy: Dr. Bokova has stated publicly that she supports Regional Rotation for senior U.N. positions, and this rotation is what led to her current role at UNESCO. Bokova is the current candidate most supported by Russia, which is crucial both in consolidating the support of Eastern European countries and in obtaining the support of a veto-wielding country.

However, either because of Russia’s support for her candidacy or other reasons unknown, it seems that Bokova has made enemies of the British delegation, which also yields a veto. During a question-and-answer session, the British Ambassador to the United Nations asked Bokova which U.N. Agencies or Programs she would shut down for efficiency; Bokova dodged the question, however any answer would be unpopular among Member States and U.N. officials associated with these programs. The British Ambassador to UNESCO also recently triggered a corruption investigation into her appointment of a supposedly under qualified official at UNESCO, though it is unclear if this will yield any results.

Natalia Gherman

Nationality: Republic of Moldova (Eastern Europe)

Past Jobs: Acting Prime Minister of Moldova (June-July 2015), Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (2013-2016), Deputy Prime Minister (2013-2016)

Candidacy: Gherman has called for greater transparency at the United Nations, and more accountability within different agencies and over the Member States to follow through on their commitments. Gherman has also called for the United Nations to make reforms to act more rapidly in response to crises, and well as to achieve greater gender parity throughout its offices.

António Guterres

Nationality: Portugal (Western Europe and Other)

Past Jobs: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2005-2015), Prime Minister of Portugal (1995-2002), President of the Socialist International (1999-2005)

Candidacy: Guterres was the first candidate not from Eastern Europe to declare candidacy, a controversial move that has reportedly earned some criticism from Eastern European countries and others that support the regional rotation model. Guterres’ candidacy is being funded by the Portuguese government.

Guterres has announced that he would make sure that the United Nations staff has a perfect 50/50 gender balance. Guterres has also claimed that he would also exercise article 99 of the United Nations Charter, which allows the Secretary0-General to bring brings matters of Peace and Security before the Security Council (rather than the Security Council setting this agenda themselves). Current SG Ban has never exercised this right.

Helen Clark

Nationality: New Zealand (Western Europe and Other)

Past Jobs: Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2009-Present), Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008)

Candidacy: Declaring immediately before briefing schedules were announced, Helen Clark is arguably the highest-profile candidate to declare candidacy for Secretary-General, and only the second candidate that isn’t from Eastern Europe. Clark believes that a merit basis, rather than regional rotation should be the basis for appointments of senior U.N. officials. She has also expressed support for expansion of the Security Council.

It appears that Clark has the support of the United Kingdom so far, and possibly France. This led a journalist to ask Clark is she was the “establishment” candidate, in another allusion to the current U.S. election. She of course denied this. However, in a blow to Clark’s candidacy, former Australian Prime Minister (and potential SG candidate) Kevin Rudd has stated that while he respects Clark’s work, he believes the Secretary-General should be selected from Eastern Europe.

Vuk Jeremić

Nationality: Republic of Serbia (Eastern Europe)

Past Jobs: President of the UN General Assembly (2012-2013), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007-2012)

Candidacy: One of the most recent Presidents of the General Assembly and with formidable ties to the various Member State delegations at the United Nations, Jeremić declared his candidacy the day before interviews began for the role. Jeremić stated that he would guarantee perfect gender parity in his Under-Secretaries-General from “day one”, and that he would also appoint a female Deputy. In regards to regional representation, however, Jeremić has stated that merit should be prioritized.

Jeremić has stated that his campaign will be funded through donations and his personal finances rather than from any government. One thing that could stand in the way of his selection, however, is that while he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, he jetted around the globe to lead the charge to oppose international recognition of Kosovo as an independent country, while over 100 Member States today recognize Kosovo. However, it was ultimately his idea to work through the U.N. System by submitting to the International Court of Justice for an advisory statement on the matter, even though that backfired for Serbia. However, this issue didn’t stop him from being elected as President of the General Assembly, so it may not be an issue for Secretary-General either.

Well over one-hundred MUN Institute alumni have been accepted to top schools including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Stanford, Georgetown, and more! The Model United Nations Institute is incredibly proud of all of our alumni that have been accepted to universities all over the world!

We’re excited to announce voting for the Best Delegate T-Shirt Contest! Voting is open until Sunday evening at 11:59pm, and the entries with the most votes will win the prizes of 10 free T-shirts for first place, a $50 credit for our merchandise store for second place, and a $25 credit for third. Votes are only valid if they are from current elementary school, middle school, high school, or university students. The accepted entries are shown in order of their submission. Fill out the form at the bottom of the page to vote!

Entry 1

McKenzie McLoughlin  

Northern Arizona University

Entry 2

Karen Zhu

Guilderland High School

Entry 3

Clara Case

Pontifícia Universidade Católica

Entry 4

Clara Case

Pontifícia Universidade Católica

Entry 5

Spencer Barrer

Royal Oak High School  

Entry 6

Liza Bell

Seton Hall University

Entry 7

Jorge Bucki-Lopez

The Ohio State University

Vote Below!

Why Model United Nations?

The Educational Experience

Students in Model UN gain a wide range of skills and information critical to their success in high school, college, and beyond. Students learn public speaking and deliver their first speech in front of an audience. They hone their research skills and synthesize information from all over the world. They practice how to write policies, and learn about cultures they never even knew existed.

However just as importantly, students will learn critical social skills that will help them throughout life. Whether it’s learning to discuss complex issues and compromise, or learning how to be a leader for the first time, many students will “find their voice” through Model UN, and realize their leadership potential and social ability. Model UN helps students build the Confidence to succeed.

Access to the UN, NGOs, and incredible keynote speakers

Model UN is an enormous activity with over half a million students participating each year. UN Officials, NGOs, and other business leaders and public figures have taken notice, and actively engage with these students. Officials from the UN Department of Public Information and organizations around the world teach students Model UN and even help MUNers on their path to college, internships, and careers! Often, students get to meet incredible leaders who deliver the Keynote Address at Model UN Conferences- notable keynote speakers to Model UN conferences include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the Director of the FBI, and even Pope Francis! Model UN introduces students to a global Community of leaders.

College and Careers

Model UN helps students on their paths to college and careers- from our MUN programs alone, we’ve had dozens of students go on to Ivy League universities, and MUNers fill youngest generation of employees at the UN, Foreign Services around the world, and a wide range of the most prestigious careers around the world. We’ll talk even more about how Model UN can help students get into college later on! Model UN gives students the ideas and tools they need to make real Change in the world.

Want to learn more tips on how to participate in Model UN? Check out the Model United Nations Institute Diplomat Program– hosted across the United States every summer!

*This guest article was written by Renato Peixeiro Filho Pinto,  Secretary-General of FAMUN 2016, Murilo Concon Risso, Academic Secretary of FAMUN 2016 and Maria Rita Martins Favareto, Administrative Secretary of FAMUN 2016.

The UN4MUN experience has come to Brazil!

The UN4MUN approach is getting more known all over the world and this year it has finally come to Brazil. The approach aims at shifting the Model UNs to the real dynamic of the United Nations itself. One example is the focus on reaching consensus on all the decisions made in each committee, since most models do not encourage it as the main objective of discussions. Another important change is the use of official UN documents as research material for delegates, so they can get familiar with the UN language. Besides,

FAMUN 2016 Secretariat. From the left to right: Academic Secretary, Murilo Concon Risso; General Secretary, Renato Peixeiro Filho Pinto; and Administrative Secretary, Maria Rita Martins Favareto.

moderated or unmoderated caucuses do not guide discussions in the UN. The UN4MUN approach introduces the dynamics of formal and informal consultations, in which the leadership and coordination structures better mirrors the dynamic in the UN.

From 6-9 November 2015, the Department of Public Information organized the UN4MUN Workshop in New York. The workshop had a strong presence of Brazilian participants. Among them, the organizers of FACAMP Model United Nations (FAMUN) – one of the most important Brazilian MUNs, organized by FACAMP, a private college from Campinas-SP – were present. The Academic Secretary of FAMUN, Murilo Concon, and the Faculty Advisor from FACAMP, Professor Patrícia Rinaldi, attended the workshop and soon spread all the knowledge they have acquired to FACAMP students. FAMUN organizers have decided that it was about time for Brazilian models to reorganize its procedures to reflect the real negotiations at the UN today.

In this spirit, the Secretariat of FAMUN 2016 organized a workshop called UN4MUN Brazil from 19-20 March 2016, at the campus of FACAMP. The event brought together the organizers of 8 different MUNs from all over the country: AMUN (Brasília-DF), TEMAS (Belo Horizonte-MG), SIRIEN (Rio de Janeiro-RJ), UFUMUN (Uberlândia-MG), SINU (Juiz de Fora-MG), UFRGSMUN (Porto Alegre-RS), SPMUN (São Paulo-SP) and FAMUN (Campinas-SP). During the event, Professors Patrícia Rinaldi and Talita Pinotti, from FACAMP, presented the main characteristics and the rules of procedure of the UN4MUN approach. The workshop also had the distinguished participation of Mr. William Yotive, MUN coordinator of WFUNA. In a video conference, he presented to the participants how the UN4MUN approach captures the real structure and the decision-making process at the UN.

The UN4MUN Brazilian group who participated of the event in FACAMP.

The UN4MUN Brazil workshop not only brought the most prestigious Brazilian MUNs together, but also truly inspired them to see the value in adopting the UN4MUN approach. By the end of the workshop, the participants came up with a joint strategy to fully implement the approach in a 3-year period. In the first cycle, from June 2016-May 2017, the eight Brazilian MUNs will incorporate the structure of formal and informal consultations and focus the discussions on reaching consensus. They also decided on measures to share knowledge and exchange experiences in order to provide to every Brazilian MUN participant the truly Model UN experience.

The Secretariat of FAMUN 2016 is very excited in adopting the UN4MUN approach for the first time. The 4^th edition of the conference will take place at the campus of FACAMP in the early September. We would like to leave here our invitation for everybody who wants to participate of FAMUN 2016. You are more than welcome!

Each year, Best Delegate invites the North American College Model UN community to vote for exemplary university delegates for our annual All-Star Team! These are individuals that positively impacted the community both inside and outside committee on the college circuit. These delegates can be consistent winners on the circuit or delegates that demonstrate to you the qualities you admire in Model UN: diplomacy, cooperation, innovation, leadership, and creativity.

How Can You Vote?

You must be a college student that has participated as a staff member or delegate at a Northern American collegiate conference in the 2015-16 season. You are allowed to nominate up to ten delegates or staffers that you see fit, and each name will be considered one vote. Due to the All-Star Team’s emphasis on community, students may only vote for up to two delegates or staffers from their own school out of the ten total votes and students may not vote for themselves.

Votes will be tallied, and the individuals that received the most votes will be considered North American College All-Star Team honors. While Best Delegate will edit inconsistencies and misspellings to the best of its ability, it will validate submissions under the following Ballot Rules:

Qualifications:

• Candidate must have participated as a delegate or staffer in at least one collegiate Model United Nations conference in North America during the 205-2016 academic year.
• Students must include the name and school of each nominee to verify candidates’ participation at a conference.

Ballot Information:

• Ballots will go live starting April 25, 2016 and nominations will conclude May 2. Ballots submitted afterward will be rendered invalid.
• Each individual may only submit one ballot. Multiple ballots submitted with the same information will be considered invalid.
• Votes must follow the rules indicated on the ballot Ballot.

Click here to submit your ballot!