Harvard World Model United Nations
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) is an annual traveling model United Nations conference that is run by Harvard University and a local university team from a host city. WorldMUN moves to a new city each year and is regarded as one of the most prestigious international MUN conferences today.[citation needed] The Conference was first held in 1992.[1] The Conference targets college students from all over the world who have a passion and interest to become a diplomat in the future.[citation needed]
General information and history
WorldMUN uses a competitive bidding process to select locations for each conference, with prospective host teams, usually consisting of the MUN societies of large universities, applying.
The conference is generally held in March.
WorldMUN uses the American style of model United Nations, with almost all delegates paired with another from their delegation (in dual delegations), with discussions occurring both inside and outside the rooms simultaneously.
Committees have in the past included committees of the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council, the subcommittees of ECOSOC, regional bodies (such as the African Union or European Union), specialized agencies of the United Nations, crisis simulation committees and uniquely, simulations of the entire general assembly.
As most other conferences, there are also workshops, social events showcasing local culture and a global village, where participant teams can share delicacies and traditions from their home countries. In addition, WorldMUN has had many distinguished guest speakers over the years, notably Pope Francis in Rome and King Felipe VI in Madrid.
From 2016 onwards, the conference began giving out WorldMUN spirit awards to teams, for showing exceptional adherence to the spirit of WorldMUN and the United Nations. The team from Andrés Bello Catholic University (Venezuela) were the first recipients of this award.
The organization works closely with a social impact-oriented group, the Resolution Project, aimed at fostering global youth leadership. The Resolution Project was founded by WorldMUN Secretariat alumni.
The 29th edition of the conference was scheduled for Tokyo in March 2020, but it was cancelled and initially rescheduled to 2021. However, with the continued health safety concerns and the pandemic's prevailing impact on global travel, the Tokyo 2021 conference was rescheduled again to 2022. The 2021 conference happened virtually over Zoom.
Conference activities
Committee sessions
Participants are assigned to represent countries, organizations, or leaders in order to debate pressing international issues in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization (IGO). WorldMUN divides all its committees into three organs:
General Assembly
ECOSOC and Regional Bodies
Specialized Agencies
Social Venture challenge
The social venture challenge allows interested participants to compete for grants to implement their creative solutions for healthcare, education, human rights, technology, water, and other areas. This is through WorldMUN's partnership with the Resolution Project, a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2007 by WorldMUN alumni, dedicated to empowering young leaders around the world through collaborative social entrepreneurship.
In-conference activities
These include in-conference trips and workshops. The trips give conference participants a change to explore the host city and its culture whereas the workshops allow participants to interact with diplomats, politicians and academics to discuss a variety of .
Social events
WorldMUN also organizes social events, most of which look like the following:
- Night Zero: Before the conference kicks off, delegates and staff gather for a night out to inaugurate the conference.
- Global Village: Every year, WorldMUN starts off its social agenda with Global Village. This is the first opportunity for delegates to meet each other in a social setting. Delegations host a booth where they share traditions, delicacies, and more from their home countries.
- Featured night 1: An event for participants to experience the host city's local culture.
- Cabaret: Delegates showcase their talents on stage in the Cabaret on the third night.
- Featured night 2: Another event for participants to experience the host city's local culture.
- Farewell Party: Traditionally, WorldMUN closes with this final social event.
WorldMUN Conferences
Session | Year | Location | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City | Country | Secretary-General | Host Team President | Director-General | Local Host Team | Conference Venue | Delegation Awards | Ref. | |||
1 | 1992 | Miedzyzdroje | ![]() Poland | Geraldine Acuña | N/A | N/A | Vienna House Amber Baltic Miedzyzdroje | [2] | |||
2 | 1993 | Prague | ![]() Czech Republic | Joshua A. Saloman | N/A | N/A | |||||
3 | 1994 | Luxembourg | ![]() Luxembourg | Ankur U. Saraiya | N/A | N/A | |||||
4 | 1995 | Geneva | ![]() Switzerland | Emmeline Li | N/A | N/A | |||||
5 | 1996 | Amsterdam | ![]() Netherlands | Aram A. Schvey | N/A | N/A | |||||
6 | 1997 | Budapest | ![]() Hungary | Andras Forgacs | Illes Dudas | Budapest University of Economic Sciences | |||||
7 | 1998 | Brussels | ![]() Belgium | Johs Pierce | Vrije Universiteit Brussel | Best Delegation: Universidade de Brasilia | |||||
8 | 1999 | Cambridge | ![]() United Kingdom | Winnie Li | Julian Huppert | University of Cambridge | |||||
9 | 2000 | Athens | ![]() Greece | James Mwangi | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | ||||||
10 | 2001 | Istanbul | ![]() Turkey | Rohan Gulrajani | |||||||
11 | 2002 | Belo Horizonte | ![]() Brazil | Aspasia Karalis | Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais | Ouro Minas Palace Hotel | Best Large Delegation: Yale University Best Small Delegation: | ||||
12 | 2003 | Heidelberg | ![]() Germany | George Tsiatis | University of Heidelberg | University of Heidelberg - Old Town Campus | Best Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy | ||||
13 | 2004 | Sharm El-Sheikh | ![]() Egypt | George Tsiatis | Modern Sciences and Arts University | Maritim Jolie Ville Mövenpick Golf, Resort & Conference Center | Best Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy | ||||
14 | 2005 | Edinburgh | ![]() United Kingdom | Alex Captain | University of Edinburgh | University of Edinburgh | Best Large Delegation: The College of William & Mary Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy | ||||
15 | 2006 | Beijing | ![]() | Victor Bicalho | Peking University | Peking University | Best Large Delegation: The College of William & Mary Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy | ||||
16 | 2007 | Geneva | ![]() Switzerland | Khalid Yasin | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Centre International de Conférences Genève | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences | ||||
17 | 2008 | Puebla | ![]() Mexico | Joseph Kerns | Manuel Rosas Vázquez | Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla | Puebla Convention Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences Outstanding Large Delegation: Universidad Central de Venezuela | |||
18 | 2009 | The Hague | ![]() Netherlands | Timur Kalimov | José Dominguez Alvarez | United Netherlands | World Forum Convention Center and the International Criminal Court | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences | |||
19 | 2010 | Taipei | ![]() Taiwan | Ami Nash | Jason Tsung-Cheng Hou | National Taiwan University | Taipei International Convention Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences | |||
20 | 2011 | Singapore | ![]() Singapore | Reihan Nadarajah | Jing Zhi & Sharmeen Alam | National University of Singapore | Suntec Singapore International Convention Centre | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: | [3] | ||
21 | 2012 | Vancouver | ![]() Canada | Kat Tang | Kenneth Chan | University of British Columbia | Vancouver Convention Centre | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Catolica Andres Bello Best Small Delegation: Claremont McKenna College | [4] | ||
22 | 2013 | Melbourne | ![]() Australia | Charlene Wong | Siamak Loni | Monash University & RMIT University | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: The College of William & Mary Outstanding Large Delegation: Universidad Central de Venezuela | [5] | ||
23 | 2014 | Brussels | ![]() Belgium | Grace Y. Qi | Jens Wauters | Lisa Wang | MUN Society Belgium | Egmont Palace, European Council and The Hotel Brussels | Best Large Delegation: Peruvian Universities[6] Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: | [9] | |
24 | 2015 | Seoul | ![]() Republic of Korea | Brian K. Mwarania | Hyun-Joo Lee | Hankuk University of Foreign Studies | Korea International Exhibition Center | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Simón Bolívar Outstanding Large Delegation: Claremont McKenna College | [10] | ||
25 | 2016 | Rome | ![]() | Joseph P. Hall | Riccardo Messina | Daniel Dong | United Network Association | Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello | [11][12][13] | |
26 | 2017 | Montreal | ![]() Canada | Parijat Lal | Jonathan Sasson | Nabig Chaudhary | Dawson College | Palais des congrès de Montréal | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana | [14] | |
27 | 2018 | Panama City | ![]() Panama | Nicholas Abbott | Alan Smith | Catherine Brennan | Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua | Atlapa Convention Centre | Best Large Delegation: Peruvian Debate Society[15] Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana | [16][17][18] | |
28 | 2019 | Madrid | ![]() Spain | Spencer Ma | Alba Gavaliugov Mendez | Manav Khandelwal | Spanish Alliance of Model United Nations | Palacio Municipal de Congresos | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Simón Bolívar | [19][20] | |
29 | 2021 | Tokyo | ![]() Japan | Anirudh Suresh | Jiaqi Liu | Esteban Flores | Sophia University | Online | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: WorldMUN Spirit Award Institutos Educacionales Asociados | [a] | |
30 | 2022 | Tokyo | ![]() Japan | Hope Kudo | Kanon Yamagishi | Javin Pombra | Sophia University | Online | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Peruvian Universities & Peruvian Debate Society | ||
31 | 2023 | Paris | ![]() France | Olivia Fu | Eric Guiochon & Mathieu Bailly | Katherine Zhu | Comité Interuniversitaire des Nations Unies de Paris (CINUP) | Trocadéro Business Centre Sorbonne University | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences Outstanding Small Delegation: WorldMUN Spirit Award Universidad Metropolitana [22] | ||
32 | 2024 | Taipei | ![]() Taiwan | Davin Shi | Erica Peng & Rubin Ku | Michael Baxter | MUN Society Taiwan | Best Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello | [23] | ||
33 | 2025 | Manila | ![]() Philippines | Kevin Lin | Tyler Javier & Vitto Neri | Ashley Romo | WorldMUN Philippines | [24] |
See also
- Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conference – another MUN travelling conference
- Harvard International Relations Council
- List of model United Nations conferences – a list of notable MUN conferences
- Model United Nations
References
- ^ Originally set for March 2020. Postponed due to the COVID-19 Outbreak[21]
- ^ Garcia, Javier V. (6 April 1992). "Poland Hosts Harvard World Model U.N. in 1992". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ^ Garcia, Javier V. (6 April 1992). "Poland Hosts Harvard World Model U.N." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ^ "George Yeo to WorldMUN: believe in the UN" (PDF). The New Paper. 15 March 2011. p. 12. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "thebahamasweekly.com - World Model UN Conference gets underway in Vancouver, Canada". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Melbourne wins the rights to host Harvard World Model United Nations Conference in 2013". Australasian Special Events. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Best Large Delegation - Peruvian Universities" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Outstanding Large Delegation - Universidad Simon Bolivar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Best Small Delegation - Georgetown University" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Didier Reynders organises conference on Belgium and the UN". Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
- ^ "Students gather for model UN". Korea JoongAng Daily. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Xiao, Derek G. (23 March 2016). "Pope Speaks at Harvard WorldMUN in Rome". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ^ "Il Risiko alla rovescia dei ragazzi diplomatici". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 15 March 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "Francis to Model UN participants: Listen to refugees". LaStampa.it (in Italian). 17 March 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "Le WorldMUN à Montréal en 2017 - Le gouvernement du Québec soutient le prestigieux Harvard World Model United Nations 2017 - Portail Québec". www.fil-information.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 2019-05-13.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Peruvian Debate Society: campeones del mundo". 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Panamá será sede en 2018 de evento Harvard WorldMUN". Telemetro (in Spanish). 30 May 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "Varela abre sesiones del Harvard World Model en Panamá". TVN (in European Spanish). 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "" J'ai participé à une simulation de l'ONU, avec 2 500 étudiants du monde entier "" (in French). 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ Portillo, Javier (2019-03-18). "La ONU de los estudiantes se reúne en Madrid". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ^ Silió, Elisa (2019-03-22). "España aprende a hablar en público". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ^ "Harvard World Model United Nations". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- ^ "Meet the Team". Harvard World Model United Nations. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ Lai, Chen-Yen (2024-02-02). "2024 Harvard WorldMUN takes center stage in March! NYCU collaborates with Taipei City Government to co-organize, facilitating global student-international international exchange". National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Introduction to Manila". World Model United Nations. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
External links
- Official WorldMUN website