Nearly 600 delegates attend HMUN09

The 14th Haileybury Model United Nations (HMUN) Conference took place on a beautifully sunny weekend of Friday, 20 to Sunday, 22 March 2009. Over 575 visiting delegates attended from 39 schools in nine different countries across two continents. Visitors came from New Delhi (India), Dharan (Saudi Arabia), Marmara & Tarsus (Turkey), Amman (Jordan), Karlstad (Sweden), Oslo (Norway), Amsterdam, Leiden & Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Lisbon (Portugal). UK schools came from all over the country.

In addition, over 200 Haileyburians took part.

MUN is an attempt to replicate the real United Nations. Delegates are assigned to a country and a committee, and are required to play the roles of diplomats. They first have to research the issues (detailed on the Agenda) from the perspective of both the UN and the country they represent, and then have to prepare a stance on these issues which accurately and realistically reflects their country’s views.

At the HMUN09 Conference itself, they have to lobby for support with the delegates of other countries and then debate the issues according to their country’s standpoint. Debates are conducted according to rules of parliamentary procedure, and are controlled by pupil officers. Delegates have to operate on a range of levels. They have to research, they have to develop the social skills of the effective lobbyist, and they have to present their ideas in a demanding debating forum.

“The MUN programme gives pupil delegates confidence and develops abilities which they had never dreamt they possessed. They also enjoy the opportunity to meet with other young people from across the globe,” explains Michael Perrins, Head of Politics and organiser of the conference.

“The event was marked by outstanding chairing by the team of pupil Chairs and excellent organisation and support. It was most gratifying to see such a good standard of debate and the smooth operating of the conference as a whole.”

Many thanks are due to the Joint Secretaries-General, Amy Gandon (H) and Ollie Winters (L), and their Deputy SSG, Henry Englander (E), plus the staff team of Michael Perrins (Director), assisted by Richard Hunter and Jessica Kaye (Deputy-Directors). Two OHs, Ben Rowe and Pete Gillespie (both B 04), gave valuable service as Roving Rapporteurs.

The new “dream team” of pupil leadership for 2009-2010 is:

• Joint Secretaries-General: Craig Hawes (E) and Alistair Hamilton (Th)
• Joint Deputy Secretaries-General: Harry Sheehan (B), Rhiannon Ludlow (H) and Edward Karsten (Tr)