National Model United Nations

Final Report of the 2015 National Model United Nations Course

at the University of St. Gallen

New  York  –  The  meeting  place  of  the  peoples  Within   the   elective   course   “National   Model   United   Nations”,   a   team   of   18   motivated   and  

inquisitive   St.   Gallen   students   committed   themselves   to   preparing   almost   an   entire   academic  

year   for   their  participation   in   the  2015  National  Model  United  Nations   (NMUN)   conference   in  

New   York.   This   report   will   sift   through   the   most   significant   landmarks   of   the   team’s   seven-­‐

month  journey.  

 

Biweekly  NMUN  Seminars    

Throughout  the  fall  term  of  2014  the  NMUN  team  met  every  second  Monday  for  four  hour  long  

preparatory   seminars   and   mock   debates.   These   seminars   were   chaired   by   the   responsible  

professor  Prof.  Dr.  Thomas  Burri  and  his  teaching  assistant,  Moritz  Meyer.  In  the  course  of  these  

meetings  a  variety  of  topics  surrounding  the  conference  in  New  York  were  discussed,  including  

the  NMUN  rules  of  procedure,  administrative  tasks  and  the  United  Nations  in  general.  Especially  

the  individual  task  of  writing  a  lead  article,  in  the  manner  of  “The  Economist”,  about  a  randomly  

assigned  subject  taught  us  how  to  suavely  present  one’s  own  opinion  within  a  limited  amount  of  

space.  In  these  seminars  the  group  also  decided,  which  country,  they  would  preferably  represent  

in  New  York.    

 

Mock  Debates  &  First  Conferences  

Especially  instructive  and  enlightening  were  the  mock  debates,  which  were  held  multiple  times  

during  the  fall  semester  seminars.  Among  these  mock  debates,  there  was  one  in  mid-­‐November  

that   stood   out   particularly,   as   it   took   up   the   entire   four   hours   of   the   seminar   and   therefore  

allowed   us   to   delve   more   deeply   into   the   mechanisms   of   such   a   debate.   From   November   to  

February,   many   delegates   attended   various   MUN   conferences,   in   order   to   experience   the  

atmosphere   of   an   actual   conference.   Notable   conferences   attended   were:   Stockholm   MUN,  

Manchester   MUN,   Prague   MUN   and   Switzerland’s   very   own   Junes   MUN,   which   was   held   in  

Lausanne.   Junes  MUN  took  on  an  the  role  as  an   important   landmark  on  the  group’s   journey  to  

New   York,   as   it   was   the   first   and   sole   time,  

where  almost  the  entire  NMUN  team  attended  

a   conference   before   they   headed   out   to  New  

York.   The   conference   in   Lausanne   was   a  

success,  as  the  only  two  awards  to  make  their  

way  to  St.  Gallen,  were  both  won  by  delegates  

of  the  NMUN  team.    

     NMUN-­‐delegation  in  Lausanne  

Position  Paper  

In  order  to  adequately  represent  the  positions  of  Peru,  our  assigned  country,  at  NMUN  in  April,  

we  were  given  the  task  of  writing  a  position  paper.  The  team  of  18  had  split  into  nine  groups  of  

wo  delegates,  each  representing  Peru  in  one  specific  UN  committee.  According  to  the  individual  

committee’s   agenda   (made   up   of   three   issues   within   the   realm   of   the   specific   committee’s  

competencies)  each  group  had  to  present  Peru’s  position  on  the  topics.  This  was  a  great  way  of  

learning   how   to   research   in   UN  matters   and   how   to   disclose   one’s   position  within   in   limited  

space  (2  pages).    

 

New  York  

Conference  

After   seven  months  of  hard  work  and  dedication   the  week  we  had  all   been  waiting   for   finally  

arrived  –  the  week  of  the  NMUN  conference  in  New  York.  Together  with  multiple  thousands  of  

students   from   all   over   the   world   we   discussed,   negotiated   and   tried   to   find   consensus.   Our  

groups  of  two  delegates  sat   in  all   the  committees,   in  which  Peru  is  represented.    For  four  days  

we  held  speeches,  wrote  resolutions,  tried  to  compromise  with  opponents  and  win  supporters  of  

our  cause  during  informal  debates.  Our  involvement  and  dedication  was  honored  with  an  award  

at  the  end  of  the  conference.    

 

Visiting  the  Swiss  Mission  to  the  UN    

During  our  stay  in  New  York  we  had  the  privilege  to  visit  the  Mission  of  Switzerland  to  the  UN  in  

midtown  Manhattan,   not   far   from   the   UN   itself.  We  were  warmly  welcomed   by   the  mission’s  

external   relations  manager   and   had   the   possibility   ask   plenty   of   questions   through  which  we  

gained  many  insights  into  the  work  of  the  mission,  the  role  of  Switzerland  within  the  UN  and  the  

world  of  diplomacy  in  general.    

 

Visit  to  the  UN  headquarters    

As   part   of   the   NMUN   closing   ceremony   we   were   able   to   catch   a   first   glimpse   at   the   United  

Nations   Headquarters   on   the   banks   of   East   River.   In   spite   of   the   magnitude   of   NMUN  

participants   visiting   the   headquarters   simultaneously   this   opportunity   provided   us   with  

plentiful   of   moments   to   soak   up   the   unique   atmosphere   surrounding   the   halls   of   the   UN.  

Following  the  closing  ceremony  many  of  the  group  took  the  chance  to  stay  in  New  York  for  a  few  

more  days  and  experience  the  Big  Apple  more  thoroughly.  

 

 

 

NMUN  Class  of  2015  in  front  of  the  UN  headquarters  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgments  

The  NMUN  class  of  2015  would  like  to  express  its  sincerest  gratitude  to  Prof.  Dr.  Thomas  Burri,  

responsible   professor   for   the   2015   NMUN   course   and   his   teaching   assistant   Moritz   Meyer.  

Furthermore  we  would   like   to   thank   our   generous   sponsors:  Meracator   Stiftung,   HSG  Alumni  

and  Lions  Club.