APU hosts our FIRST ever Model United Nations Conference!

Model United Nations, is an academic simulation of the United Nations where students represent diplomats and ambassadors to the United Nations; discussing a range of current issues. After one year of attending conferences around the Klang Valley, the Model United Nations club of Asia Pacific University brought the experience home to APU over 3 days at our Inaugural MUN conference, which was held from 6 March 2015 (Friday) to 8 March 2015 (Sunday).

While diplomacy, formal debate and formal attire were fundamental to our Model UN conference, the conference represented an opportunity for students as delegates to build upon their public speaking, general knowledge, negotiation and analytical skills. With over 200 delegates registered coming from over 25 institutions, the Inaugural Asia Pacific University Model United Nations Conference saw our international community of students from 100+ countries participate in the same policy-making as the United Nations, but with a little addition. 

The conference opened  with a customary address from the Secretary-General Eshaan Menon, followed by a welcoming speech by Professor Dr. Ron Edwards, Deputy Vice Chancellor of APU, who enlightened the delegates with his insightful speech and his past experiences.

APUMUN was host to two new committees, the Bilingual Malaysian Parliament and the Dynamic Crisis-based Conference of Intelligence Agencies. 

Aside from the new committees, the conference was also host to the traditional committees such as the United Nations Security Council, United Nations Human Rights Council (Adapted from the SOCHUM United Nations General Assembly), United Nations Special Political and Decolonisation Committee and Regional and Financial committees such as the International Monetary Fund and the European Union Delegates had the opportunity to showcase their diplomatic skills and their research skills by debating on set topics and making speeches to move committees in their favour in a bid to win the best delegate award for each committee. 

With some of the most experienced Model United Nations chairs in the country guiding delegates, it was a learning experience even for the newest delegates in the conference. Over the three days, topics ranged from Russian Expansionism in Europe as discussed by The European Union to the Malaysian Airlines Administration Bill by the Malaysian Parliament. The Conference of Intelligence Agencies convened over a major world crisis regarding the shock in world oil prices while the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee contemplated on the question of Non-State Military Actor’s and Private Military Corporations. The Security Council had discussed on Restructuring of the United Nations Security Council and The International Monetary Fund debated on the issue of Loan Repayment Policies during Times of Crisis. The Human Rights Council spoke on how to Prevent the Use of Torture as an Interrogation Method. 

Once the gavel came down during the closing ceremony, the 3 day conference came to an end, but the delegates who attended brought back an experience that could very well change them for years to come along with a small token of appreciation from the organising committee. We were honoured to have Mr. Gurpardeep Singh,  Vice President of Operations, to deliver the closing address and present the best delegate awards.

Delegates bid farewell to each other and promised to meet again next year, at our next conference.