Model United Nations (MUN) awards are generally the reason why experienced delegates participate in conferences again and again. Winning that best delegate gavel and hearing your schoolwin best delegation have always been the cherry on top when attending MUN conferences, but for some, they are the sole reason for participating as a delegate. Too many times, the person who wins best delegate has no genuine interest in the United Nations (UN) but is simply there to win more awards to place on their resume. In most MUN conferences of all levels (middle school, high school, university), there are only three awards available per committee, those being Best Delegate, Outstanding Delegate, and Honourable Mentions, and if you’re lucky, there will be an award for best position paper. However, some conferences have begun to recognize the need to re-align the core values of MUN with those within the UN.
At the end of the day, MUN, according to an article published by the MUN Institute at Best Delegate, should be about “Passion, bringing out the best in each other, being open to feedback, and professionalism.” MUN for ALL is a core concept here at Best Delegate; having such restrictive awards not only hinders the educational purpose of MUN, but has the potential to create an incredibly toxic environment. Delegates are not only prevented from, but encouraged by coaches, to engage in behaviours that reduce the abilities of other delegates to win awards. Our mentors and coaches encourage each of our delegates to be the best version of themselves they can be, and focus on personal growth rather than competition with other delegates. Awards, in whatever form, should be seen as the cherry on top, not the primary purpose of attending a MUN conference. While every conference has the freedom to choose what awards they wish to give, I would strongly encourage further research into the rationale behind giving awards.
Below, I will highlight some novel awards that some MUN conferences are conducting to suggest some alternatives to traditional awards for students who will be organizing conferences. Even if you choose to continue to only award the three traditional awards, I would strongly encourage members of conference secretariats to make it clear to staffers/chairs the criteria for a best delegate, which should go far beyond being a sponsor for a resolution and having the most speaking minutes. A rubric for best delegate can be found under Delegate Resources on our website here at Best Delegate: https://bestdelegate.com/resources/
- Diplomacy Award – WORLDMUN
WorldMUN defines characteristics of Diplomacy as “Kindness and Good Character; Empathy; Collaboration, Togetherness, and Teamwork; Passion and Drive; Charismatic Leadership; Positivity and Engagement with People, Policies, and Issues.”
WORLDMUN is a world-class collegiate conference that does not award best delegates, but rather recognizes delegates who best exemplify the qualities of a diplomat. The field of international relations and global affairs does not require individuals to be the “best” at passing resolutions or pushing their values, but rather, asks for the elegant handling of relationships and partnerships. These delegates should seek to empathize, to understand, and to collaborate with their fellow members to produce the most positive change and advancement they can.
2. Plenary Speakers – NHSMUN
While NHSMUN does award best delegate, outstanding delegate, and honourable mentions, they offer a separate opportunity for delegates who are phenomenal delegates but did not fit the criteria for best delegate according to NHSMUN’s rubric. Each committee has two plenary speakers to discuss what the committee has accomplished throughout the duration of the committee. The privilege of speaking as a plenary speaker is especially important because closing ceremonies for the conference are held at the United Nations headquarters.
This unique opportunity de-emphasizes the award themselves, but rather rewards delegates who are the most well-informed, professional, and working on collaborating with other delegates to all achieve their goals.
3. Outstanding Resolution – Vanderbilt University
Similar to best position paper awards, these awards are given to the sponsors for the best resolution written and passed in MUN conferences. While this is still a very goal-oriented award, atleast it rewards written research, communication, and teamwork within the caucus group.
This list was intended to be a brief list of alternatives that some conferences can consider when deciding on the awards format and what awards are given. If you are a member of the secretariat, please consider including the de-emphasis of awards during conference staff training. Last but not least, remember MUN is FUN! That’s the goal.
