This recap was provided by Greg Young, the Secretary-General of CIMUN.
Staff members in the Soviet cabinet
Last week, over 1,000 high school students took part in the eighth annual Chicago International Model United Nations (CIMUN) conference held at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Chicago. CIMUN is a program of the Model United Nations Development Organization (MUNDO), and is staffed by students, post-graduates, and professionals from over 50 different colleges and universities from across the country.
Students enjoy the opening night banquet at CIMUN
This year, CIMUN featured 19 committees split between the present day and a historical simulation set in October of 1989. In order to portray the challenges of real-life diplomacy, all committees at CIMUN are fully integrated, giving students the chance to work between multiple bodies to coordinate policy, broker deals, and promote their national interests. This unique simulation-driven model gives delegates across the conference the chance to make world-shaping decisions in real time, and requires them to think critically beyond the bounds of any one topic to best represent their national interests.
In the historical committees, delegates were faced with an East German crackdown at the Berlin Wall following a successful hard-line coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. The four historical cabinets, representing the United States, Soviet Union, East Germany, and West Germany, faced off as the situation became increasingly dire, culminating with a Soviet occupation of West Berlin. In the present day simulation, the international community was forced to react to destabilization within Pakistan, with the Indian and Chinese cabinets narrowly avoiding leading their countries into an armed clash. Other highlights of the conference include MERCOSUR, CIMUN’s first-ever Spanish speaking committee, another successful year for the CIMUN News Network, CIMUN’s in-house broadcast news outlet, and a compelling keynote address by retired Admiral and former US Congressman Joe Sestak at the Thursday night opening banquet. You can view videos from the conference on our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/cimunlive.
At the end of the conference, overall delegation awards were won by Venezuela, Germany, and Spain. Unlike many other conferences, CIMUN presents overall awards by country instead of by school. This is meant to encourage delegates to caucus and work together based on their country’s positions, not their school affiliation.
With the wrap up of this year’s conference, the staff is already eagerly awaiting CIMUN IX next December. To learn more about the conference, please visit www.cimun.org.
