Model United Nations

[ Registering a MUN ] [ Library visits for groups ] [ MUN Resources ] [ Global Model UN ]

“Model UN conferences around the world have played an important role in educating young people about how the UN works and the many social and political issues on the organization's agenda. Forty years ago, my participation in a Model UN conference in Kyoto, Japan, inspired me to work on global affairs and try to make a difference in the world. It is our hope that the Global Model UN conference will build on past accomplishments to increase support of the UN’s efforts to make the world a better place in which to live.” ...Kiyo Akasaka Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information

What is a Model UN?

A Model United Nation (MUN) is a simulation of the sessions of the principal organs of the Organisation in which secondary school and university students assume the role of delegates. By means dialogue and negotiation they try to find solutions to the numerous challenges that the International Community faces.

In this pedagogic activity, schools/institutes are assigned one or several countries of the 192 Member States. In this way, the young people, momentarily relinquish their personal ideas, learn to comprehend, respect and tolerate new and different forms of thinking. In exercising the role of delegate/diplomat, knowledge of international politics and geography, drafting resolutions, negotiation, oratory and protocol skills are acquired

The MUN is an educational programme supported by the UNIC. It is a valuable personal development tool and training for youth in the mechanisms of dialogue and international negotiation and in the political and socioeconomic agenda of the international community and in multilateral fora.

The Support provided by the UNIC

The UNIC collaborates with the organizers of theMUNs by providing ACADEMIC SUPPORT, in the following manner:

• Provides advice in the selection of themes (current on the UN Agenda) to be debated in the MUN;
• Responds by email for orientation and docmenation made by organisers and participants
• Recieve in its library participants who wish to consult UN publications and online materials. Organising authorities are requested advise in advance the themes/ issues selected to allow the Library Assistant to organise the referenced materials in advance. ( go to reference library page)
• When necessary will establish register of institutions that carry out MUNs, for information purposes,posting it on the web the UNIC website.
• Whenever possible and depending of commitments the UNIC Director may attend the opening or closing of those MUNs that have requested so in writing a month in advance.

Registration of Organisers of MUNS

The UNIC is interested in receiving the details of MUNs that are being planned so that it can be added to a calendar for publishing on this site. tthe institutions that organise models are invited to email the following information to unic.portofspain@unic.org: or complete the online registration

• Model UN (MUN) Details
  • The name of the Model UN
  • Venue (planned or confirmed)
  • Date/s that the MUN will be on
  • Name of the organising institution/school/group
  • Contact Information (address, phone, email)
  • Participant Level (secondary school, university, etc.)
  Scope (internal, national, regional)
  
• Focal Point Details:
  • Contact Name
  • Email
  • Telephone number

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Organising group visits to the library

Group visits to the Library are always welcome. A gruop should be no larger than six persons and in the case of secondary school students must include a supervisor - a responisble adult(e.g. teacher, parent) .Students/participants wishing to consult with the Library Asstant (LA) and have access to materials from the UN collection should use the following guidelines:

• Review the visiting hours for the UNIC Library (go to library page)
• Give sufficient notice (at least five working days) to the LA of the planned visit to allow for the prepartion of relevant materials.
• Provide a complete list of names of persons visitng the UNIC and the subject matter to be researched
• Be on time

Attention:
The LA is not obliged to receive any un announced visits to the library nor facilitate groups larger than six person at any one time.

Other Information

• The Use of the United Nations Flag and Emblem

Global Model UN

The United Nations Department of Public Information will organize the first annual Global Model UN conference in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 to 7 August 2009.  The event will target the best university-level students from Model UN programmes currently organized around the world.  The theme for the first conference will be “The Millennium Developments Goals -- Lifting the bottom billion out of poverty”. [read more]

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