A few weeks ago, the ERMUN team organised the ERMUN 2024 conference, an ambitious project bringing together a large number of students and inspired by the United Nations conferences. In this article, the team explains what the Model United Nations is, and gives us more details about this unique event.

The ERMUN 2024 team. 

 

Model United Nations

What is Model United Nations, and how is it organised at Ermitage?  

MUN, or Model United Nations is a simulation of the actual Organisation of the United Nations, in which each student represents a country, adopting their ideologies and diplomatic relations with other nations, irrespective of their personal beliefs. At Ermitage, students convene every Wednesday to engage in discussions on various political topics, such as ongoing geopolitical conflicts in the world or pressing humanitarian issues requiring a resolution. Students are encouraged to actively participate in debates, in order to expand their personal knowledge, analytical skills and improve their public speaking abilities in a non-judgmental environment. MUN at Ermitage is a safe space, so we warmly invite you to join us ! 

 “MUN is the solution to improve one’s confidence.” – Elise.

 

The chairs play a fundamental role, not only in this conference but also in MUN as a whole. The chairs form a duo that leads and moderates the debate and discussions in each committee. They are responsible for maintaining order, guiding argumentations and ensuring that all delegates have an opportunity to speak and express their opinions on the matter discussed. A great example is our conference, ERMUN, where there are Security Council’s chairs, Gladys and Baptiste. 

Gladys & Baptiste: the Dream Team of UNSC

The UNSC, or the Security Council, represents the most prestigious committee at Model United Nations, holding significant weight due to its real-world relevance and the crucial role the delegates have to fulfil.

The two friends have therefore had the opportunity to hold the role of chairs of the UNSC and share their extensive knowledge about MUN,

What makes the security council different from other committees ?

“Firstly, there's the fact that you can veto...which makes the debate more complex and interesting because every other country has to take into account the fact that a permanent member of the security council can veto a resolution… It's a more advanced level committee, so every delegate wants to engage in the debate and the subject we're discussing… I'd say also there's the fact that you can declare war on another country, so it just makes the whole situation more complex and engaging.” – Gladys.

Who inspired you to give your best at MUN ?

“Gladys did – No, but really Gladys is the one that pushed me to join MUN in 2nd...the older generations also inspired me to get better and participate.” – Baptiste.

How did your first speech go ?

“ Well, my first speech went badly... I think all first speeches go badly… the POI’s* (point of information/questions) I received seemed super difficult… so you leave feeling disappointed because you have prepared it, and you wish you'd do better... but it's good because that pushes you to do even better. ” – Baptiste.

Why is joining MUN an amazing opportunity, and how is it going to help you in the future ?

“ Before, I used to be so scared to speak in public... I had this fear of people's judgment. And after MUN, I found out about my own ability to speak in public and talk about subjects I love: politics, international relations. And I learned that you shouldn't be scared of what people think about you because they will think what they will think... As long as you know what you're worth, just do what you want to do. And MUN helps you do just that. ” - Inika, chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.

ErMUN Conference

“ I would just like to say how proud I am of our ErMUN 2024 conference, our organizers, our students participants. I have rarely seen such motivated kids working for a common project for over 130 participants coming from diverse horizons, and that is why Model UN is so important to me ; where else can one find such motivation and enjoyment for an intellectual and personal growth activity ? It’s a pleasure for the students and a source of great pride and honour for me. Bravo ! ” 

Mr. Hager, MUN director.

 

What makes ERMUN so special, and how is it different from all the other conferences? 

ERMUN is administered by a committed team of motivated students, who are eager to give everything they can, in order to ensure the conference’s success. These students play a central role in the organisation, putting in significant effort and working diligently to present topics that are interesting, challenging and debatable. The secretary generals, May and Oscar, were kind enough to provide us with more insights into the organisation of the conference.

What is the role of a General Secretary in organising a conference?

“ Our role is firstly to create a team, and to coordinate them… make sure that everything that needs to be done is done, and is done on time. ” – Oscar.

How did you organise the ErMUN conference ?

“ We contacted a lot of schools, did paperwork, often slept at 2:00 AM. The most interesting jobs are mostly done by the chairs. ” – May.

Diversity of debates and committees at ERMUN

Other committees were also represented at ERMUN conference. Six committees in total were represented this year in our conference, all led by two chairs. This year, the CSTD (Commission on Science and Technology for Development), conversed about the question of “regulating online platforms in the context of data privacy and national stability” ; the two chairs guiding this council were Octave and Laeticia. 

The second committee, ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) was represented by Clara and Lucie and discussed “How countries are facing new socio-economic challenges and opportunities created by the Arctic environmental crisis.” 

Another engaging committee was CSW (Commission On The Status Of Women) which was presided by Inika and Julie, the subject touched on “How different nations balance the Right to Free Choice in Abortion and Reproductive Autonomy.”

UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) presented a distinctly different subject: “China’s assertion of maritime control in South China Sea”, led by the chairs Thomas and Noemie.

Our final Committee was, of course, the Security Council, in which Gladys and Baptiste were chairing, and they addressed “the Kashmir Conflict: Pathways to Peace and Stability in a Region of Contention.” 

ErMUN was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop public speaking skills and improve our self-esteem. We encourage all students regardless of their age or current level to join MUN, by stepping into the shoes of diplomats, you’ll address global issues, improve your public speaking, and forge lifelong connections. Join us, and be the voice that makes a difference ! 

Text written with the help of Elea and Tess (Ermitage students and members of the MUN club)