Model U.N. For Middle And High School Students

Since the mid-1950’s, Model U.N. organizations have developed in schools all over the world, in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. High school and middle school students participate in hundreds of conferences every year, win awards, and earn recommendation letters that are included in college application packets. They also engage with students from all over the world, broadening their circle of acquaintances and friends.
The Structure of a Conference
Conferences are announced through a variety of channels. Internet links with previous conference attendees are a first method of contact. In areas with frequent conferences, such as the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C., schedules are distributed at early conferences. There is also an instructional website and an international schedule sponsored directly by the United Nations.
Moderators are sent Background Guides upon registration. Background Guides contain the subjects offered for debate at the conference. Each issue offered is delineated, the history of the issue is presented, and possible solutions are listed. Each school is designated as a country or countries, and the particular subject area and organ of the United Nations for each part of the conference is selected.
Examples of beginner and intermediate sessions might include DISEC (Disarmament and International Security Committee) or SOCHUM (Social and Humanitarian Committee). These are organs of the General Assembly, committees of nations that develop resolutions concerning specific issues. Resolutions are not binding, but they provide a diplomatic framework that individual nations can use to develop trade and foreign policy. The resolutions can also influence the Security Council.
In these General Assembly Model UN simulations the students are in teams of two from each school. These delegates use the background guides to develop position papers. These position papers should reflect the policy of the country the delegates are representing. For instance, delegates representing Iraq in a DISEC simulation should develop positions and debate according to the policy of Iraq.
The Resolution
The delegates use their position papers to find coalitions through debates and caucuses. From these organizational tools, the delegates write resolutions. The delegations can sponsor or become signatories to the resolution, and leadership is scored by the chair. Awards for each committee are given at the end of the conference, with the best delegation receiving the gavel used by the chair. There are also best of conference awards.
The Model UN program is especially popular in the northern Virginia region, in the suburbs of Washington DC. Maryland schools are developing programs and sending delegates to the Virginia conferences, but the Montgomery and Prince Georges County public schools have been reluctant to participate in the program until recently. The New York/ New England and the original Philadelphia/ Wilmington Del. regions also have extensive programs.
The Model United Nations program is a very effective tool for developing the student’s awareness of the world, in both the political and cultural sense. Furthermore, the student develops a working knowledge of debate, parliamentary procedure, and negotiating skills. Students also have practical experience in the give and take of coalition building. These skills are vital in developing leaders for tomorrow in business, government, and in the non-profit world.

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