WHAT IS A MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ?

A Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation of different UN organs for high school or university students. In it, students assume the role of representatives of different countries. The aim of MUN differs from conference to conference, but generally it is to educate participants about the workings of an international organization such as the UN, to enhance a participants negotiating and oratory skills and to broaden the participants view and knowledge of the world. The structure of the conferences can differ in structure or programme. The sizes and the amount of participant depends on the conference. Some conferences only simulate a few councils, others simulate many. Some MUNs even work with council sub structures such as the different advisory committees related to the UN General Assembly for example. Some MUNs simulate councils from different international organizations such as NATO, ASEAN or the European Union. However all MUNs share the same goal: to accurately portray the workings of the simulated councils. MUNs can vary in level from very simple MUNs for beginners, up to very high level MUNs for the veterans of the MUN world, where extra qualifications are asked. MUN participants commonly agree that there is a certain atmosphere which can be defined as the MUN-feeling. There are many MUN enthusiasts who travel the globe in search of exciting and challenging MUNs to participate in. The MUN phenomenon started in the United States where simulations were being held even before the birth of the United Nations. Records indicate that as early as the 1920s simulations of the League of Nations, the predecessor to the United Nations, were taking place. The oldest modern simulation (of the UN) is the Harvard Model United Nations, which was established in 1951. Its hard to say what the oldest MUN in Europe is, but it is safe to say that The Hague International Model United Nations is one of the oldest. This high school level MUN was established in 1968 and now hosts a conference for almost 4000 students and teachers from all over the world. The oldest university MUN in Europe is TEIMUN. TEIMUN was established by American exchange students in 1987 in The Hague. The participants role-play as diplomats representing a nation or NGO in a simulated session of an organ (committee) of the United Nations, such as the Security Council or the General Assembly. Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems. More recently, simulation of other deliberative bodies, such as the United States National Security Council, has been included in Model United Nations, even if they are completely unrelated to the UN or international affairs as a whole.