Development & Technology: UNISMUN XI

On February 27, 2019, 17 AISG students and two MUN advisors woke up in the early morning to depart for Hanoi, Vietnam. Their journey lasted for five days, from February 27th to March 3rd, in which they participated in the 11th annual UNISMUN conference, hosted by United Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS).

Due to the long Chinese New Year break, our UNISMUN delegates did not have enough preparation time compared to those who attended SEOMUN or CISSMUN. This meant that the officers needed to cram in all of the content to teach in a shorter period of time. As one of the three MUN student officers, my fellow officers and I had to create an agenda that could fit in all of the content that students needed to learn before the conference, such as the resolution drafting process and MUN debate procedures. Despite this time constraint, our delegates were able to complete their draft resolutions in time, and attend the conference. Sabrina C, one of the delegates who attended both SEOMUN and UNISMUN, said, “The officers and the new delegates worked efficiently, despite the fact that we didn’t have much time and the delegates were mostly freshmen.”

Once we arrived at Hanoi, we went immediately to our hotel. Compared to last year, we had the benefits of enjoying a much better hotel–Sheraton–which had a swimming pool, gym, and delicious breakfasts. Every night, we were able to go outside and eat at local Vietnamese or Western restaurants. Also, during the first two days of our journey, the U.S. president Donald Trump and North Korean chairman Kim Jong-un had their second summit. Due to this historic meeting, security was heightened and barricades were set on roads. We had to endure elongated waiting time when trying to go back to hotel.

Over the course of three days, we actively participated in our own respective committees, getting to know new people from other schools across the world. It was certainly a valuable experience as we were able to make new friends and learn about global issues simultaneously. Shirley W describes her first MUN experience, saying “The debates were extremely interesting. It was intriguing to hear about each country’s stance and see fellow delegates integrate details of the summit and represent their own countries while debating. It was my first time attending MUN and next time I go to a MUN conference, I’m determined to give more speeches.”

UNISMUN is one of the four Model United Nations conferences which AISG participates in. MUN is a student-organized activity that allows students to become the delegate of a nation and engage in debates about worldly issues, ranging from healthcare to nuclear disarmament. The AISG MUN program strongly encourages any student who is interested in international relations, global politics, and public speaking to join MUN and have a valuable opportunity to represent AISG and engage in debates.