I am a student of the 4th year of study at Sakhalin State University, the division of The Institute of Philology, History and Oriental Studies, and lately I’ve had a chance to represent my alma matter at the International Model UN in the name of V. Churkin, in the Moscow State University Of International Relations.
The Model UN is a big role-playing game, in which the participants from various institutions of Russia (and the world) take part as members of the United Nations. They congregate in commissions, make up coalitions, adopt resolutions and debate matters of the various current agendas. This one is the biggest in Russia, with over 700 in-person members overall.
As for it being the biggest one, naturally, everybody present in the real United Nations is also present on the Model. The biggest one, the General Assembly, was conducted in Russian, although some models were arranged in English, French, Chinese and even Arab languages.
My committee of choice was the Human Rights Council, which was held in English and consisted of about 50 people, close to the actual member count of the real thing. Our agenda – the rights of indigenous peoples in the context of migration.
Beings accepted to the Model, although no easy task, is quite doable and simple. All one had to is to write an essay on the agenda, make it through an online interview and then make a Position Paper, which is a document briefly describing your chosen country’s position on the issue. It shouldn’t be an eminent task, in fact, the organizers will gladly help and give advice through every stage of the process. In my case, I have chosen the country of Ukraine, with an intention to role-play it to full extent, making provocations against Russia, begging for alliances, money and so on. Not going to lie, it was quite fun in the end. I could only imagine what do the real diplomats feel, dealing with such behavior on the daily basis.
The Model itself is held in the various buildings of Moscow State University Of International Relations, and was filled with not only strictly work activities, but also with an entertainment program, so to speak. It included meeting various diplomats of Russia and the EU, as well as, even, a full-scale University Ball Night. The place itself gives an indescribable atmosphere of decades of diplomatic history, and the top-notch level of organizations sealed the picture.
My Council was working to the fullest all the 5 days of it’s existence. Diplomacy was in full fledge, complete with secret correspondence via letters and background coalition forming. The process itself was a fittingly tedious one, as literally every question was put to various stages of debate, every question to the organizers had to go through an official procedure and the process of adopting a resolution was split into different stages, up to accepting amendments to amendments on a resolution. Although, it wasn’t so bad getting used to it thanks to the University staff.
In the end, a closing ceremony was held, the best delegates chosen, and also a nice tradition – writing words of goodwill on the respective country plaques of one another. During the Model, I felt a bit like a diplomat, made various friends and experienced a nice time overall. I encourage everyone to take part in it, or any other one, next year.
Written by Iaroslav Meshcheriakov, special for Sakhalin State University
