As we got into the minibus for the first official day of Lady Eleanor Holles’ MUN conference, I must say I was quite curious as to see how a three-day weekend conference would end up playing out. Gordon’s had been allocated the countries of Kazakhstan, Japan and Pakistan, and we had made sure to thoroughly carry out our research beforehand.
All throughout the journey, we were very excited, and certainly well-prepared for what we hoped would be a very fruitful debate. And fruitful it was indeed!
After we arrived and were individually escorted to our various committees; resolutions were quickly signed. Alliances were formed between countries just as fast, and great anticipation for a fantastic conference was evident in the faces of the delegates.
Our focus on the first day was primarily getting to know our fellow committee members; lobbying (exchanging and signing resolutions) as well as even getting to listen to an inspiring talk from guest speaker Veronica Bolton Smith – founder and CEO of the Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG). As night fell and heavy rain battered like hailstones on the overhead assembly windows, LEHMUN XVII was officially opened to thunderous applause!
Waking up bright and early to leave the school around 8:00am, the second day brought us cool weather, a light drizzle and a jam-packed day of debating on behalf of our represented countries. With topics ranging from the question of state-wide propaganda as a driver of division to the use of UN peacekeeping reform in civil war zones; every committee brought something to the table in what was a wonderful day for us all.
We all enjoyed as much fun and laughter as we did careful debating. In the committee I attended – Special Committee – I was able to witness Point of Information questions (POIs) performed to YouTube rap beats; several karaoke forfeits involving California Girls by Katy Perry, and the entire committee unanimously voting to place the Delegate of Japan in ‘a time-out chair’ at the back of the room. And that was simply one of the five sections on offer! Friends were made. Fun was shared. And we all certainly left the conference that day with huge smiles on our faces.
The final day started off with a melodic high; thanks to someone remembering to bring a speaker, the half-hour journey to Lady Eleanor Holles was characterised by a, certainly interesting, music taste of joint suggestions and trending songs blasting through the minibus, much to the delight of (most of) the students present!
The agenda on Sunday primarily focused on General Assembly, where all countries gathered in the main assembly hall to discuss resolutions and amendments (similarly to UN summits). Debating upon two well-written resolutions regarding multilateral support and rebuilding trust with international institutions, all three of our delegations were able to make speeches to the attendees regarding our views on the clauses.
In addition, some rather interesting amendments were also made by the various delegations. For example, China submitting an amendment to disband the UN itself. This almost unanimously passed – until the chairs announced with dismay this couldn’t occur due to strict conference rules.
Finally, the day ended with a crisis (the USA and China dually attacking Greenland and Taiwan). With many countries having to carefully choose sides between being pro or against the attacks. The community worked together to create a heavily amended resolution that, at least somewhat, gave hope to quell further escalations.
Overall, the conference was both a truly fantastic experience and a great opportunity to represent Gordon’s School. For some students, this marked their first MUN conference, whilst for others their sixth! We were all able to practice formal debating and reasoning skills as diplomatically as possible, interact with students from other schools, and most importantly, have great fun while we were at it.
A wonderful weekend conference in which to be a delegate, LEHMUN XVII will certainly be a proud highlight of our continuing MUN journey, with lasting memories and friendships made along the way.
– Daniella