Model United Nations
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Model United Nations or Model UN is a simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In Model UN, students take on roles as foreign diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization (IGO). Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems.
Simulations
During a simulation participants must employ a variety of communication and critical thinking skills in order to represent the policies of their country. These skills include public speaking, small group communications, research, policy analysis, active listening, negotiating, conflict resolution, note taking, and technical writing. However, school delegation formats vary from region to region.
Most Model UN's are simulations of a body in the United Nations system, such as:
- The General Assembly in both plenary form and within its functional committees
- Economic and Social Council and its specialized councils and agencies
- Security Council
- International Court of Justice
Many conferences simulate other IGOs including:
- European Union
- African Union
- Organization of American States
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO
- Arab League
- South Asian Association For Regional Co-Operation
In addition, solely national organizations such as the United States National Security Council are often simulated, with delegates role-playing specific people (e.g. the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense) rather than representing countries. This may be taken one step further, having the delegate represent merely the interests of his/her office, or role-play a specific holder of the office (e.g. Condoleezza Rice).
More unusual committees abound at the collegiate level; for instance, a college conference may simulate the Greco-Persian Wars via a committee of the Greek poleis, or even have a committee simulating President David Palmer's cabinet from the TV show 24, simulated by the University of Pennsylvania Model UN Conference in 2007. [1]
Many conferences also run crisis simulations in which hypothetical real world factors are included in the simulation, including representatives from various groups such as member states that are not members of the simulated committee. These can take the place of rapidly-changing Security Council simulations, historical simulations, hypothetical simulations set in the future, and war games (typically conducted by War Cabinets, either standing alone or with two Cabinets running in parallel). Some conferences substitute research topics for a crisis which can span all the committees of the conference.
Model UNs are often run using basic parliamentary procedure. This allows all delegates to be active participants. Common activities in MUN involve giving speeches to the committee and writing resolutions concerning a given topic. Additionally, at the end of longer conferences, awards are commonly given to either individual delegates, delegations, or both. The judging of this varies. For example, in conferences on the West Coast of the United States (e.g. the UCLA Model United Nations conference), delegates are given points for every action they perform, which are added. At the end of the conference, awards are given to the highest point scorer. On the other hand, on the East Coast of the United States, at conferences such as the Harvard National Model United Nations, delegates are judged in a more holistic manner. Giving awards is less common at smaller conferences. In addition, many larger conferences do not give awards at all, feeling that competition detracts from the simulation experience.
Participants
Model United Nations groups are usually organized as either a club, conference, or class. A class can be a full semester class called "Model United Nations" or just one class period devoted to a short simulation; secondary schools may often incorporate the club of Model United Nations with the class of Advanced Placement Comparative Government. Meanwhile, a conference is a school-wide, local, regional or international gathering of Model United Nations students who come together over a period between one and five days.
In the early days of Model United Nations, participants were mostly students at select colleges in the United States of America. Today, Model United Nations has greatly matured and expanded. It is now practised all over the world in classes, clubs, and conferences on every continent except Antarctica. Model United Nation participants are elementary, secondary, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Recently even university alumni and professionals have taken part. Participants come from public and private schools and universities, and they live in city, suburban and rural areas.
Over 90,000 students take part in Model United Nations Conferences in the USA. [3] The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) publishes the most comprehensive calendar of Model United Nations conferences: the 2003-2004 edition lists 400+ conferences in 48 countries. [4]
Some simulations are small, including only members of a single class. For example, 20 students can do a one-hour simulation of the (15-member) United Nations Security Council in their classroom. Large scale conferences. The majority of conferences are between 70 and 300 students and the students come from one region, although the largest conferences can have thousands of participants. Each simulation and conference varies greatly in number of participants and their involvement.
The concept of Model United Nations has grown substantially all across the world, with various third-world and traditionally non-english speaking nations joining in. One prime example of this is Pakistan where at least two universities (LUMS and the Lahore School of Economics) have a developed platform of Model UN.
Position papers
A position paper is an essay that is written by participants of some models. It describes the detailed position of a certain country on a topic or issue that the writer will debate in his committee. Position papers are not always required, but certain conferences do enforce that each delegate sends his own before the opening.[2]
Format
Conferences have different format and styles for position papers. Nevertheless, UNA-USA established a format that has been adopted widely throughout the Model UN community. It consists on a heading with committee, topic, country and delegate information and body which explains in detail the position of the author's country. The position paper usually includes 4 paragraphs: 1. Background of the Topic [ about the whole world, not just the country you are representing] 2. UN Involvement 3. Your Countries Position [heading should be : _________'s Position] 4. Possible Solutions
Purpose
Position papers should explain an issue from their countries' point of view. It's also good practice that they include statistics about the issue that would support the cause they defend. The paper would also try to convince the other countries of the committee to their view of the issue. It would have ways to solve the situation.[3]
Many conferences require delegates to submit a copy of their position paper, as a means to ensure that the delegates research important topics and construct strong and well-informed positions on those subjects.
History
Model and civic simulation education are older than the United Nations. Records indicate that as early as the 1920s students in the United States of America were participating in collegiate simulations of the League of Nations, the predecessor to the United Nations. The modern day National Model United Nations in New York City and Harvard Model United Nations both began as simulations of the League of Nations in the 1920s. Harvard Model United Nations is the oldest running High School Model UN conference in the US, founded in 1951. As the League of Nations was dismantled and the United Nations was born in 1945, simulations of the League of Nations were transformed into Model United Nations. Some conferences still perform historical simulations, however, including League of Nations crisis situations. These simulations now have grown to over 3000 and 2000 annual participants.
Languages
Simulations are conducted in many languages, including the six official languages of the UN. Because MUN was created in and the majority still take place in the USA, most simulations are in English. Some conferences, however, are conducted in two or three languages. For example, in Mexico and the Southwestern United States, many conferences are run in both Spanish and English. In Canada, both French and English are used. Some conferences, like in the Dominican Republic offer up to three languages. In Brazil, in spite of Portuguese being the country's official language, some of the most important MUN conferences in the country are held in English.
Support
Model UN are supported by many organizations, private groups, non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations and national governments. United Nations Associations around the world and its international organization the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) have supported MUNs for decades. WFUNA organized the first collegiate MUN in China and works with MUNs all over the world. In the USA the main support is given by UNA-USA. They offer conferences, training seminars and publications. UNA-Dominican Republic introduced MUN to the DR and now it is a part of the national education curriculum. In Europe the main support is from THIMUN, which has affiliate conferences through out Europe and around the world. MUN International has just created a new global membership association to help "expand and increase MUN activities" , the MUN International Network and has aided conferences in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the US. Rotary International chapters around the world support many MUNs, e.g. the first international MUN in Hong Kong was organized and funded by three local Rotary Chapters.
Many intergovernmental organizations also support MUN activities. The EU published a policy paper just for MUN participants. The OAS actually oversaw the earliest Model OAS conferences. NATO often provides speakers and experts to Model NATO conferences. The United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) supports Model United Nations in four key ways:
- the Model United Nations Discussion Area on the United Nations Cyber School Bus
- the Public Inquiries Section in New York
- the United Nations Information Centers (UNIC)
- allowing several large Model United Nations conferences to use its rooms for committee space.
The CyberSchoolBus is the on-line education program created by the United Nations. It features a Model United Nations Discussion Area and a list of Model United Nations Experts who answer inquiries as well as excellent research tools for country research.
The Public Inquiries Section at UNHQ assists by helping Model United Nations groups to find speakers and it arranges briefings in its New York offices. UNICs in Argentina, Mexico, Panama, and the UK have been extremely involved in Model United Nations activities helping with research, Model United Nations support, and sometimes with facilities. United Nations offices in The Hague, Netherlands; Nairobi, Kenya; Istanbul, Turkey; Vienna, Austria and Geneva, Switzerland also support Model United Nations and serve as hosts for at least one conference each year.
The Organization of American States has been involved from the very beginning in the creation and growth of the Model OAS in the Americas. It has sponsored annual conferences and helps participants to understand OAS functions, international issues and foreign policy. Other regional organizations have provided information and basic support to international civic simulations. North Atlantic Treaty Organization annually supports the Model NATO conference in Washington, DC with speakers, consultations and advisers. Other IGOs provide research assistance to simulations, conferences and students. Additionally, many UN Missions and Embassies support Model United Nations activities. Many mission and embassy websites have recently added sections created specifically for Model United Nations. Embassies and Consulates will often invite groups to discuss country positions or send a speaker out to speak to Model United Nations clubs, classes, or conferences. The overall support of simulation education activities by the international community is increasing rapidly every year.
Additionally, national governments support or sponsor MUN programs. The US Department of State has been working in Washington, DC public schools for over 15 years as well as providing speakers to MUN conferences around the world. In the Dominican Republic MUN is part of the national education curriculum. Embassies and UN Missions around the world have been providing consultation, speakers, research documents for over 40 years. Many have even reviewed student's MUN resolutions for policy accuracy.