Spagiari's Room: Model United Nations (MUN)

For all international relations, law, political sciences, economics, and other social sciences students, Model United Nations is not a strange thing at all, you must have heard about it somewhere somehow, if you have not, are you sure you're studying in that area? and which planet do you live? hehe

Its a cool international conference that will give you an addiction to participate again and again and make more and more amazing friends from different countries who shared similar view of international organizations like the Unite Nations, international political and economic affairs, general population of the global problems, and all that stuffs.

First time I heard about it in Balkan Case Challenge, there is a simulation of European Council, similar to MUN but for European Union. Then I asked my friend Afie about the MUN how to and decided to try it.

What is Model United Nations?

“Model UN“ is a simulation of the work of UN bodies, programme and funds bodies, which has been implemented in more than 70 countries, as a means of learning about world problems and ways to resolve them, within the framework of the UN.

In this educational simulation students take over the roles of diplomats, representing different countries, and discussing specific themes that are mentioned in the agenda. Participants, as delegates, develop strategies, prepare resolutions, negotiate, solve conflicts, lobbying, following the procedures of the UN.

Simulating international organizations began before the establishment of the United Nations, when students held a series of League of Nations (the predecessor of United Nations) Models in the 1920s.

MUN encourages students and young people interests for international relations and related subjects, increases the capacity of students to engage in problem solving, teaches aspects of conflict resolution, research skills, and communication skills, and offers the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

Its not only involves young people in the study and discussion of global issues, but also encourages the development of skills useful throughout their lives, such as research, writing, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution and compromise and cooperation.

There is also a global MUN, the biggest annual MUN, where most countries will be represented and more participant could attends through more strict selection, but I will not talk about it here since I don't have any experience of it and I'm not interested in global MUN.

The people in a MUN:

1. Executive Committees (Organizer)

Could be a bunch of high profiles students or MUN veteran, which mostly done by students members involvements, and could be an association of relevant institutions or even ministries.

2. Committees

This is the committees within the United Nations: General Assembly, Security Council, Human Rights Council, UNESCO, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, and sometime with other combination of additional committees like The Councils of EU, the news paper or media.

3. Chairpersons

The people in charge of the meeting, they moderate and control the meeting to keep it in manner and stop the crazy bastard who speaks too much and out of the topic. Usually with the vice chair, and rapporteur,

4. Delegate(s) (Individual or team)

There are two types of MUN, an individual delegate, where each person represent a country, this way you have to do everything all by your self. And the other type of MUN is a collective delegates, where one country will be represented by 2 or 3 delegates they work as a team that support each others. The delegates have the rights to vote.

5. Observers

They have the rights to attend the meeting but they dont have the rights to vote, usually they are the NGOs, media and journalist, or UN programme and fund observer.

5. Sponsors

Ranging from the airlines companies who will give you discount of price, municipality where the MUN help, to ministries, foreign affairs and tourism. A well organized MUN will get a lot of sponsors that beneficial for both organizers and participants.

The activities:

1. Selection process and criteria

The selection process usually so easy, you just have to apply online and submit your application form together with your CV and motivation letter, you choose the committee, the country you would like take. Anyone can join any MUN if you can pay the fee to the conference not so expensive ranging from 75-150 Euros for 3-5 days conferences, and you are free to choose any country if its not taken yet. The selection process might be hard for applications committee because they are thousands of applicants trying to apply, they will consider your experiences, the country you come from, motivation, and your ability to fulfill all the application requirements. So if you are selected, then you actually can beat hundreds applicants depend on how good and how big the MUN was.

2. Preparation and position paper

Today all the MUN preparation for selected participants will be organize, announcement about the topics of every committees the rules of procedure, the fee, the venue of meeting, etc, corresponded through websites, email, and facebook. Every delegates should prepare the position paper as a proof that you are serious, and have an idea about the topic that will be discuss and debate during MUN. Even if you are a team, each delegate should prepare their own position paper.

3. Opening speeches

After the opening and introduction of the topic by the chair of the committee every country should deliver their opening speech as a position statement of that country on the topic. This is a very brief speech usually only about 2-3 minutes. If you are a team, only a delegate will deliver this speech.

4. Present and voting and Rules of Procedures

When the chair taking attendance of each countries in the committee they should raise the placard and say "Present and voting". If you are a delegate of observer body only say "present". The rules of procedures is the guiding book for procedures of the meeting to run in moderated and civilized manner according to the rules. Mostly similar to every MUNs. This RoP include the motions, if you believe something is not in accordance to RoP, there is something disturb you, or you want to leave the room, want to ask something, you want to end the meeting, or suspend it, or if want to propose a vote, you can introduce the motion.

5. Endless, tiresome, boring, and recursive debates on the topic :D

This is what we hate the most. Everybody wants to talk, everybody wants to show off, everybody lost focus, everybody talks drunks, everybody talking out of the topic, some people late and there is a punishment, some people break the rules of procedures and wrong motions. MUN is a very exhausting conferences from morning until evening for several days, its normal if you do one of these things mentioned above.

6. Writing working papers, draft resolutions, lobbying, writing resolutions, and voting

For new comers it could be a little bit confusing, but for experienced ones, the MUN junkies also its boring, you are gonna let someone to write a working paper first and then anyone will try to ask you to join to make it a draft, after they introduced the drafts

6. Social events (Party and after party)

The most interesting part of MUN is definitely social events, like the fair where you can introduce some countries traditions and cultures, and partying all night long :D

Many participants will coming late the next morning or still have hang over because of the party last night.. terrible idea, why they can't wait until MUN is over :D Lucky for me I don't drink at all :)

7. Making new friends, connections, and relations

You can do this better during the social events, in lunch or dinner, and during the break during the conferences....

8. Sightseeing to the city which host MUN all around the world

If you are traveling from different countries. The bonus for every MUN is when you have free time before or after the MUN, or in between conferences you are so not want to miss the opportunity for sightseeing the wonderful and amazing cities each MUN could offers (not interesting for the locals anymore)

The participants:

1. New comers

in every MUN there will be new comers who join the MUN for the first time, they have no experience in any MUN before so they tend to be fun, messed up and make MUN interesting :D

2. MUN Junkies

MUN junkies are the people you always see their faces whenever you go to MUNs in many countries, especially in mainland Europe where you can travel easily without significant barrier of visas and passport checking.

3. Veteran

These people are the MUN junkies who getting tired of just participating either as delegates or chairs, so they organize the new MUN. Every year some new MUN is open, some have a break because of their failure in the previous one or lack of preparation for this year, some MUN is on and off like a light bulb.

So far I only come to 2 MUNs only and I'm not interested to join more MUN again, unless.....

I think my MUN experience will ends here. Ciao :)

Here is some pictures during my MUN experience:

pictures tell you a million stories ;)

BIMUN (Belgrade International United Nations, Serbia) www.bimun-unaserbia.org