What is Model UN?
Delegates raise their placards to be called on
So you’ve signed up for the BSS Model UN club. What even is Model UN? MUN is a simulation of debate in the United Nations. Schools are given countries that their students (delegates) will represent in various committees, replicas of those that are at the actual UN. Examples of these are the UN Security Council, World Health Organization, Economic Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, and General Assemblies. Within these committees, pre-determined topics are discussed by delegates from various schools. These topics, like the committees, are replicas of those actually discussed at the United Nations, with everything from the Latin American drug trade to nuclear disarmament. Delegates, following MUN procedure, debate these issues and write resolutions (like bills) and directives in the perspective of the countries they represent. Then comes a vote by delegates on these resolutions. This is just a basic description of MUN, we will give you the full explanation at our meetings.
Which conferences are we going to this year?
Being a competitive activity, arguably the most fun part of MUN is going to conferences! We try to pick conferences that you will enjoy, balancing local, national and international conferences, all with a different skill level. Please see the chart below regarding which conferences we will be attending this year, and make a note of those that are merely proposed, and subject to change. As well, keep in mind that, depending on demand, and based on skill level, not everyone in the club will be able to attend every conference, but we will try to create trips that are balanced, and give everyone a chance to experience MUN in action! Please keep in mind once you sign up for a conference, you are committed and cannot pull out. We will have you sign commitment forms before permission forms if sign up is going to be done earlier than excursion forms are available. It is greatly appreciated that you only sign up for a conference if you can attend.
When are MUN meetings?
A student adresses a committee
Model UN meets at 12:30 on Tuesdays. Please be on time, as we have a lot to cover in a short time. It is mandatory for you to be at these meetings, especially if you are attending an upcoming conference. We will be taking attendance, and unexcused absences could hurt your chances for earning a spot on a delegation for an international conference, or could weaken your ability to choose your country and committee. In these meetings we go over MUN procedure, prepare for conferences, and discuss world issues to give delegates an overall background before entering committee sessions. We will also be having monthly joint meetings with Speakers’ Union in order to work on speaking style and technique, an important part of every argument. After school meetings are usually held before national and international conferences for those attending to prepare, and these will be determined through looking at delegates’ schedules. See you there!