This week, from March 13th to 15th, WAB Model UN (MUN) delegates had a chance to attend the annual BEIMUN conference hosted by the International School of Beijing. With a delegation of 9, the students represented the country of Sudan to great success, with many of our delegates becoming main submitter in their forums. Angela, a Grade 10 student, was also the Assistant Chair of General Assembly 2, a first for WAB students attending BEIMUN.

MUN gives students a chance to debate topics ranging from non-proliferation of nuclear weapons within the Middle East to food and water security in Central Africa. It teaches students the ability to closer examine current events and view a topic through the perspective of multiple nations. Students investigate on the connection and interdependency of countries, both politically and economically. In order to be successful, students do a substantial amount of research to be well prepared for their topics. A fair amount of public speaking, debating and writing is required of delegates, giving them a chance to work on their critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills.

More than 1,000 students from schools all over the world attended BEIMUN this year, representing over 100 organizations and countries. The level of debate is intense, with delegates negotiating and cooperating with each other to create a final resolution to be debated on. Sean, representing Sudan in General Assembly 2, was the main submitter for his resolution on the topic of sustainable economic development in Central Africa. "I enjoy MUN very much, because it's a great way to educate yourself on current issues. Being main submitter means that I have to negotiate and cooperate with other delegates for their support, as well as be prepared to defend and debate on my resolution."

This year Angela was the Assistant Chair in General Assembly 2. She has been participating in MUN since 8th grade, and this was her second time chairing at a conference. "I liked chairing at BEIMUN, because it gives you a sense of authority", she says. "Chairing is especially fun and I enjoyed it very much. It's very different from being a delegate. The position comes with a lot of responsibility and requires you to be very organized. This experience was very interesting and is something I can see myself doing again in the future. "

Along with BEIMUN, MUN delegates from WAB also attend several other prestigious conferences around the globe. Among others, delegates attended THIMUN in Singapore, CISSMUN in Shanghai and Georgetown MUN in Qatar. These conferences vary in debate style, but they all provide a good chance for students to further improve their MUN skills outside of school, as well as meeting people who have similar interests in politics and international relations.