The WFUNA International Model United Nations Conference (WIMUN 2018) will be held from February 8-11, 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.
The Secretariat is responsible for organizing all logistical, substantive, and communications aspects of the conference, and its goal is to manage all preparation work to ensure that the participants have the best conference experience possible. The Secretariat will work with and report up to WFUNA and Best Delegate staff in the conference organizing process.
Requirements & Eligibility
- Must be currently enrolled or have recently graduated from university. Current university students are preferred.
- Prior experience with WIMUN is highly preferred. Prior experience with other Model UN conferences or workshops using UN4MUN rules of procedure is also preferred.
- Prior experience organizing Model UN conferences in a leadership role is required.
- Must be committed to producing all pre-conference and on-site deliverables in a timely manner. If selected, WIMUN will become your primary Model UN priority.
- Ideal candidates should display professionalism in their work, be very responsive to email throughout the entire conference preparation process, be open to constructive feedback, and have strong communication skills and problem-solving skills.
- Must be available to arrive in New York City on February 7, 2018 for training and be available during the entire conference from February 8-11, 2018.
- Opportunity to work with WFUNA, Best Delegate, and an international Secretariat on a high-profile event held at the UN General Assembly Hall
- Certificate from the WFUNA Secretary-General
- Five nights of shared accommodations at the Grand Hyatt Hotel from February 7-11, 2018.
- $500 travel stipend awarded after completion of the conference. Senior Secretariat members must be able to get to/from the conference venue at their own expense.
Application
Please apply here by Sunday, May 21, 2017, 23:59 EST. Please review the position descriptions below carefully before applying. Highly qualified candidates will be selected for an interview. Questions about the positions can be directed to Kevin at kfc@bestdelegate.com. Applications for other Secretariat positions will be available in the early summer.
Secretary-General
The Secretary-General has both organizational and substantive roles in WIMUN. Organizationally, the Secretary-General manages the Secretariat to ensure that all project deliverables leading up to the conference and during the event are complete, on-time, and of high quality. Substantively, the Secretary-General will be overseeing the preparation work done by the Directors of the Security Council and speak during the General Assembly Plenary sessions. This position is highly recommended for those with prior experience serving on the WIMUN Secretariat, and those with experience serving as a Secretary-General of another Model UN conference will also be considered. Specific responsibilities include:
- Weekly meetings with WFUNA and Best Delegate to keep Secretariat deliverables on track and identify, discuss, and solve any issues preventing completion of deliverables.
- Coordinating meetings, communication, and resources among the Secretariat to ensure that their deliverables are complete, and assuming or delegating responsibilities when they fall behind or are not accounted for.
- Building a strong and professional Secretariat team culture and resolving interpersonal disputes between Secretariat if they arise.
- Managing the execution of all conference logistics and serving as the face of the conference during the event, including at advisor and head delegate meetings.
- Overseeing the training, reports, and substantive preparation of the Directors of the Security Councils.
- Raising the profile of the conference among the Model UN community.
- Speaking during the General Assembly Opening and Closing Plenary sessions as well as the conference’s Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management
The USG for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management is responsible for all substantive aspects of the conference including the preparation of Secretaries and delegates. Past experience serving as a Secretary or Chair using WIMUN rules of procedure is highly preferred for this position, and experience with writing Secretary-General Reports and delivering training are two additional traits that would make a strong candidate. Specific responsibilities include:
- Training Secretaries on WIMUN rules of procedure, practices, and scripts, and working with the PGA and Secretaries to train the Chairs for each committee.
- Editing and ensuring that Secretary-General Reports (background guides) written by the Secretaries meet substantive and formatting standards for WIMUN, and are completed by the assigned deadlines.
- Preparing all general delegate and staff training materials including pre-conference webinars, the delegate guide, lesson plans, and presentations.
- Communicating with the President of the General Assembly and the WFUNA Model UN Coordinator to ensure that all aspects of the conference are accurate to the latest iteration of WIMUN practices and procedures.
President of the General Assembly
The President of the General Assembly is not part of the UN Secretariat but works closely with it on the substantive aspects of the conference. The PGA is responsible for preparing and supervising the elected General Assembly Officials, particularly the Chairs, to serve in their substantive roles during the conference. Past experience serving as a Secretary or Chair using WIMUN rules of procedure is highly preferred for this position, and prior experience delivering training is also highly preferred. Specific responsibilities include:
- Managing the elections process for General Assembly Officials, including recruitment of candidates, promotion of the election, overseeing the election, and on-boarding selected GA Officials.
- Training the GA Officials on WIMUN rules of procedure, practices, and scripts.
- Leading the General Assembly Opening and Closing Plenary sessions.
- Assisting the USG for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management on substantive deliverables, including editing of Secretary-General Reports and preparation of delegate materials.
- Communicating with the USG for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management and the WFUNA Model UN Coordinator to ensure that all aspects of the conference are accurate to the latest iteration of WIMUN practices and procedures.
Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management
The ASG for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management is responsible for all logistical aspects of the conference including facilities, audio/visual equipment, supplies, logistics plans, and on-site event management. Past experience serving as a conference organizer overseeing logistics or conference services is highly recommended for this position, and being detail-oriented and organized are two additional traits that would make a strong candidate. Specific responsibilities include:
- Creating an extensive and detailed logistics plan for all Secretariat members to ensure that the conference runs smoothly for the participants at the UN General Assembly Hall, Grand Hyatt meeting rooms, and delegate social venues.
- Organizing the hotel rooming requests and assignments for registered groups and individuals, and coordinating these reservations with the Grand Hyatt.
- Organizing special events such as Opening and Closing ceremonies, delegate socials, and other events outside of regular committee sessions.
- Managing the ordering of supplies and A/V equipment, and creating, printing, packing, and transportation of delegate materials such as placards, name tags, and delegate guides.
- Managing a team of Conference Management Officers during the conference for tasks such as conference check-in, typing and printing of draft resolutions, guiding participants to their proper meeting rooms, managing the customer service table, and safety.
- Setting up and troubleshooting any hardware and software issues including laptops, projectors, projector screens, microphones, printers, copiers, templates, and mail merges.
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
The USG for Communications and Public Information is responsible for front-line communications with registered Faculty Advisors, Head Delegates, and individual participants, including registration assistance, customer service issues, and conference communications. This role requires daily checking of emails to respond to participant inquiries. During the conference, the USG will oversee the registration and customer service tables to address needs from Faculty Advisors and Head Delegates. Past experience serving as a conference organizer in a customer service, external relations, public relations, or marketing role is highly recommended for this position, and reliable and clear communication skills would make for a strong candidate. Specific responsibilities include:
- Handling the registration process through the MyMUN software including country assignments, adds/drops, and invoices.
- Serving as the liaison between the conference and the registered participants and replying to participant inquiries on a daily basis.
- Addressing any customer service issues and collecting feedback from participants, particularly from faculty advisors and head delegates.
- Keeping participants informed of all updates and materials needed to prepare for the conference such as webinars, pre-arrival packets, photo release forms, liability waivers, and housing requests through regular conference update emails in the months leading up to the conference.
Assistant-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
The ASG for Communications and Public Information is responsible for the creation of mass media before and during the conference as well as overseeing the simulation of the press team for the Security Council. Past experience serving as a conference organizer in a marketing, social media, or press team role is highly recommended for this position, and multimedia (graphic design, photography and videography) technical skills would make for a strong candidate. Specific responsibilities include:
- Managing updates and uploads to the website and social media platforms, including responding to inquiries on social media platforms.
- Assisting with any WFUNA marketing campaigns to recruit delegations and delegates.
- Managing a team of Public Information Officers to produce photos, a Closing Ceremonies video, and social media during the conference.
- Overseeing the Security Council-related Press simulation needs during the conference.
Apply here today! Applications close May 21!
