This year I’ve been attending the MUN association of my university. But what’s MUN? For those who aren’t familiar with it, MUN means “Model United Nations”. Basically, it is an association where students train themselves to become diplomats by making simulations of UN sessions. People participating in it like to call themselves “muners”. So as I was saying, this year, I had the privilege to be part of this “muner” community.
- What does MUN consist in?
The principle is easy: each student represents
a country, and has to defend the stance of this country on a specific topic. It
can be a subject that has already been discussed in the UN, or an urging issue
(the refugee crisis management, climate change…) or even an historical event
that is being reproduced. Students are given a choice between various
committees of the UN, depending on the area they prefer to work on: UNICEF, UN
Women, IAEA, The Security Council, The General Assembly and so on… Most of
these committees are in English, but you can sometimes have some in Spanish or
French. Such conferences are organized worldwide and usually gather people from
diverse ethnic/cultural backgrounds.
To be recognized, we’re given a badge and
placard with the name of our country, which we have to raise every time we want
to speak in the committee. What’s really funny (but also a little weird when
you’re not used to it) is that during MUNs people don’t call each other by
their names. They use the names of the country you represent instead. This
results in quite surprising situations. Like:
- “Hey Austria, how are you doing today? Wanna
take a coffee and discuss the draft resolution?
- Oh hello Oman! I’m just gonna talk to New Zealand
first.
And
something very important: you will always find muners who can’t stop talking
about business. Always. At the lunchbreak or in the night club. They can even
send you an email - at a time when you’re supposed to get some rest after a
hard day - to explain you the advantages you’ll get by supporting their project
and by sponsoring their resolution.
- How does it look like?
The committee session is divided into several
parts:
- the speaker’s list: every delegate makes a
speech that only lasts 90 seconds and should be as striking as possible to be
noticed by others
- moderated caucuses: one delegate suggests a
precise motion relevant to the topic. For example how can we link our topic to
sustainable development? How is the new programme going to be funded? In what
ways wan we ensure compliance to the resolution. If the motion is validated by
other delegates (through a vote) and by the chairs, delegates can give a short
statement of their country on this issue.
- unmoderated caucus: it’s very noisy. Everyone
stands up and goes flirting finding allies to negotiate with. This is usually
the moment when the word “resolution” starts to be used. Unmoderated
caucuses are also very exciting because it is the moment when you truly
discover who is going to take the lead, who will come up with original ideas
and make the debate go forward. And since students don’t get to choose their
country, it can be sometimes surprising to see that a not very significant
State becomes a major actor in the negotiations.
When you’re in a large committee, people tend
to form alliances depending on their common interests. But often these
alliances don’t correspond to the reality. I remember that in The Economic and
Social Council, we were discussing conflicts on water, and I got along with the
delegate from India (being Pakistan).
- But MUN is also about technical rules...
First of all, you also have to write a
so-called “position paper”. That is probably what takes the most of the time
for preparation. It’s a kind of essay where you detail the stakes of the
subject you’ll be working on, and where you introduce your country’s
expectations and views on it. It can be inspired by real ambassador’s
statements, you can mention real UN resolutions, but what is valued is the
ideas you bring from yourself. All these position papers are read by the
chairs, and the best ones receive an award. In my next post, I’m going to show
you an example of a position paper I wrote for the International Atomic Energy
Agency at the New York MUN. I was Brazil and got the award of
“outstanding position paper”.
There also are some strict rules to be
respected: a formal dress-code, very detailed rules of procedure… But there are
also some funny moments that make the conference more friendly and enjoyable. For
instance, when I went to the MUN in Cambridge,
delegates could buy a rose and send it to another delegate with a note inside. Or,
when someone is late on the session, the chairs can decide to “punish him” by
making him dance, or sing a karaoke in front of the whole assembly. And
finally, there is the unavoidable and expected “Delegate Dance”: it’s the most
important social event, usually taking place in a night club and where
delegates can release all the pressure.
You also have the possibility to send notes to
other delegates during the formal session. However, these notes must be
strictly professional. I’ve heard a story of a guy accused of sexual harassment
only because he sent a “not appropriate” note to a girl in a committee.
- Why you should definitely give it a try
To conclude, I’d say that MUN is an incredible
experience, especially if you are willing to discover the thrilling world of
diplomacy. Not only does it allow you to develop some essential skills, such as
public speaking, the art of negotiations, and project management, but it also
gives you the opportunity to create a network. Indeed, all the students
attending these conferences are the future of the world of diplomacy. Workshops
and lectures are often organized in the framework of these events. Well known
guests speakers (often ambassadors, ministers…) deliver inspiring speeches at
the opening/closing ceremony.
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