If you ask a person what is the Model of United Nations, even if they have an idea about the conference and took part in it, you can still get a variety of answers and descriptions. For some, this is an important event that helps them discover their potential to pave their way on the path, which they see themselves taking in the future. For some – a hotspot for active and interested youth, where you can involve yourself with a variety of people and find comrades and like-minded people from various places not only in our country, but also from all around the world. For some it is a regular part of the studying process, along with exams and internships. For me, it became, in a way, a game of the highest tier, a very involved and entertaining process with many nuances, tactics, approaches to the implementation of ideas, with victories and, sometimes, failures, and even with honors (and awards) for those who distinguish themselves. And if such a description sounds like a very strange and modified game of chess, then this is not far from the truth. But let me explain in more detail.
MUNRFE, or the Model United Nations in the Russian Far East, is an annual conference held in the city of Vladivostok, on Russkiy Island, on the grounds of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), the most advanced university in the Russian Far East. Based on the word «model» in the name of the event, one can reasonably guess that the conference is mimicking the process of meetings held by the UN itself. Thus, we get a kind of «role-playing game», in which its participants must assume the role of delegates on behalf of the countries that they have chosen for themselves. The work carried out within MUNRFE is divided into UN committees such as the Security Council (UNSC), the Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the World Bank (UN-WB), and the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). A delegate’s affiliation to one of the committees is determined at the stage of preparation for participation. It is also important to note that the working language of the model is English, and all official communications, from registration to the closing ceremony, are conducted in it.
After choosing the country and committee and confirming it with the organizers of the conference, who are, by the way, students like you and me, the delegate needs to complete several creative tasks in order to prove his ability, competence and seriousness regarding participation in the Model, because this the event is much more than just a student gathering or an extracurricular club. However, these tasks are nothing to tremble in fear before, and with the proper understanding and desire, they will not be difficult. Moreover, the entire preparation process is accompanied by online lectures from the organizers of the Model, and everything starts about a month prior to the conference itself, so the problem with lack of time is unlikely to arise.
And now, the day has come, and it’s time to begin the conference. Delegates from all over the country, and even from abroad, gather in a large conference hall for the opening ceremony, where, according to tradition, they listen to the messages from the organizers of the Model, people representing the UN at various levels, and, most importantly, from the President of the United Nations, who is as of the time of writing this essay, is António Guterres. Then, the participants are distributed to the designated meeting rooms, where they are given personal «plaque cards» with the name, committee and representative country of the delegate, and the «chairperson» of the committee introduces the delegates to the course of work.
Committee meetings take place every day of the conference, during one week, starting and ending at the same time. The main goal and the end result of the Model are the resolutions on each individual agenda item, which your committee is working to resolve. The work itself is carried out according to pre-established agenda items, which are also determined at the stage of registration and preparation for the conference, and which directly correlate with the topics of discussion at the actual UN meetings and sessions. The chairperson of the committee, represented by a student like you and me, moderates the course of the debate, and the delegates create these debates by expressing their opinions, making suggestions, asking questions and challenging decisions.
During the conference, I was a member of the UNESCO committee and acted as a delegate of Niger, a country located in Africa, in the Sahara Desert. And yes, despite the fact that Niger is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, and regularly scores among the worst based on the indicator of human development of the UN itself, Niger is, indeed, a member of the United Nations. However, even despite Niger seemingly bring the country that has nothing to say and offer, no matter what arena of debate it finds itself on, within the framework of the Model, the face of the country is the delegate themselves, which means that the image of the country in the committee, as well as during the Model in general, will depend on you. And I made a lot of efforts to ensure that the opinions and decisions put forward by my “delegation” were heard and, often, even adopted and included in the final draft of the resolution.
Our discussions focused on two main agenda items and an emergency one. As noted earlier, the agendas discussed within the MUN coincide with the agendas that are submitted for discussion at the actual UN meetings. This year, the UNESCO committee turned its attention to the pollution of the oceans, the many sources of these pollutions, and possible long-term solutions to these problems. It is on the basis of these discussions, which are made up of the proposals of all delegates of the entire committee, that a resolution is drawn up, on the specific points of which a vote is then conducted to determine its final content and form.
We also had some arguments and controversies during our discussions. Some of the delegates“ proposals for an emergency agenda on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill (prefabricated by the conference organizers to diversify the debate) struck me as highly absurd and illogical, providing an opportunity for heated, but highly entertaining UN-style debate. From this we can conclude that no one will limit your freedom of speech in the debate. On the contrary, the chairperson encourages discussions and disputes, because they are the main focus of this event. I even want to note that, according to our chairperson, our committee turned out to be the most unpredictable of all where she had ever chaired up to this point.
At the end, on the last day of the conference, when all the issues on the agenda items have been reviewed and discussed, when all the resolutions have been drafted and approved by the committee, it is time for the closing ceremony, at which the committees present the results of the sessions. To do this, within the committees by anonymous two-stage voting among the delegates, a “rapporteur” is selected, who gets the honor to report on the work done by the committee at the round table. And, despite the fact that I participated in the conference for the first time, the role and honor of the speaker from the UNESCO committee, which I was a delegate of, went to me, so you shouldn’t think that in order to distinguish yourself you need a whole lot of experience and training. After the end of the official part of the conference and the presentation of certificates of participation, the participants traditionally take a photo session and exchange messages and wishes on the previously mentioned plaque cards. And for those who desire and have the opportunity, there is even a celebratory banquet with awards for especially distinguished delegates who are given the status of «outstanding», together with the corresponding certificate and, most importantly, the chance to go to the Model of United Nations in New York.
In conclusion, I would like to say why I think that taking part in the conference is worth it, even if it seems that it is not worth it at all, or if someone is not confident in their strengths and capabilities. Despite the seriousness of the event and organization, at its core it is still a game that no one is forbidden to play. On the contrary, the organizers are always happy to help in preparing for participation, to suggest and guide, in some places even to make some concessions so that everyone can participate. It is also worth understanding that even if you do not count on some kind of “honorable distinction” for yourself (although my example shows that anyone has a chance), events of this kind are a very rare chance to test yourself in a role that few people get to play in our world, the opportunity to test your predisposition to this type of activity. However, even if this does not seem like an attractive goal, then, in the end, the conference is a gathering of students just like you, which gives you the chance to make new acquaintances with people all over Russia and beyond.
Dmitriy Balushkin, specially for SSU.
