UNA-GP Model UN’s

Welcome to the UNA-GP’s Model UN pages

Read about our distinctive “Alternative” Model UN program, below. To learn more about specific topics we’ve addressed, check out the links in the bulleted list. And if you’d like to help organize a Model UN Conference. talk to us (see last paragraph, below). We’re excited about our Alternative Model UN and we think you will be too!

  • Jerry Shestack Model UN on the Rule of Law (held in 2013 and 2014): click here
  • Model UN on Water Management: click here
  • Model UN on Nuclear Disarmament (under construction)
  • Model UN on Social Media and Global Journalism (under construction)
Our Model UN’s are distinctive in ways that makes them different from the “standard Model UN”. How? Well, in the standard Model UN Programs, high school students role play politicians from different countries. While this is challenging and mind-stretching, none of our students (or very few) will ever be politicians from other countries.  On the other hand, they could certainly be involved in or represent various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate internationally.
We decided that it would help our our students keep things “real” by focusing on organizing small conferences, where students are invited to become prospective members of NGOs that are registered with the United Nations. Our conferences are debates between different NGOs to advance or discuss policy issues, just as these NGOs do in the real world of the UN. It is our intent to make these debates as relevant as possible for real life action; real life action can mean the writing, adoption, and delivery of a resolution; a visit to politicians to present the joint opinions from the conference; fundraising and travel to an NGO related project; and so forth.
Our conferences are organized by teams of undergrad and graduate student volunteers. In the run up to the conference these university students, with the help of professional volunteers, prepare lesson plans, background readings and even engage in teaching in high schools. Our conferences are one day events; the aftermaths of the conferences depend on the decisions of the participants themselves. UNA-GP tries to keep the conference fees at zero for the high school students and seeks sponsorship from relevant foundations for the program.
All MUN conferences of the UNA-GP are collaborative efforts, where others partner with us. For 2013-2014 we have two conferences planned and two are “under construction”, meaning that we have not yet reached the preparation stage to the point where we can go “to market”. Organizations or individuals interested in developing a collaboration with UNA-GP to pursue an Alternative Model United Nations should contact Executive Director Christiaan Morssink for further discussion. morssink@una-gp.org.