"Over the years, many Ambassadors to the United Nations and UN officials have told me that they too took part in Model UNs in their cities and towns. It is our hope that participation in the Global Model UN conference will inspire young people to become Ambassadors, to work for the United Nations or become the experts and leaders that we in the United Nations look to as our partners in the global effort to support peace, development and human rights in countries around the world."
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
Following the inaugural conference in Geneva, Switzerland on 5-7 August 2009, the second annual Global Model United Nations Conference organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 14 - 18 August, 2010. The conference will simulate a General Assembly Summit on intercultural dialogue. The theme of the 2010 conference will be “Towards an Alliance of Civilizations: Bridging Cultures to achieve Peace and Development.”
More than 1,000 university-level students, ages 18 to 24 at the time of the conference, will be invited from Member States where Model United Nations programmes are currently organized. The students will be selected through a fair and competitive selection process.
Youth represent a top priority for the United Nations and a new generation of support. Several hundred Model UN conferences are organized each year at all educational levels from primary school to university in many different configurations. Many of today's leaders in law, government, business and the arts participated in Model UN programmes during their youth.
At the Global Model United Nations Conference, students from every region of the world will role play as foreign diplomats and participate in simulated sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and other multilateral bodies in the UN system. While preparing for Model United Nations conference, students develop leadership skills and research, writing, public speaking and problem solving skills that they will use throughout their lives. In addition, participation also encourages consensus building, conflict resolution and cooperation and the enhancement of leadership skills.
GMUN offers three unique innovations:
- It uses Rules of Procedure that more closely represent how the United Nations functions; and,
- It provides unparalleled access to UN officials and diplomats prior to and during the conference.
- Each delegation representing a Member State is made of students from different countries.