The twelfth annual Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition conference was full of high-energy crisis committees as well as a couple of hybrid committees that moved between general assembly and crisis format throughout the conference weekend. The conference hosted a record number of delegates and hosted over one thousand delegates, school advisors, and staff in both Columbia University’s campus as well as in a downtown hotel and conference venue where midnight crises were held. Midnight crises proved to be intense yet enjoyable, with extreme situations such as a rebellion in Taiwan, which occurred in the Chinese Politburo committee.
The Organization of American States
Committees spanned from the Russian Security Council to the Paris Peace Conference to Occupy Wall Street, with a wide range of intense crises and a couple of larger General Assemblies, such as the Organization of American States. An overwhelmingly popular crisis committee was Cosa Nostra: The Five Families of the New York Mafia, which called together delegates representing major players from each of New York’s most prominent crime families to work together to discover who was behind the recent assassinations of two godfathers. Over the course of the weekend, this initial crisis was compounded by multiple new assassination attempts, infiltration by the FBI, frightening ultimatums made by a vigilante terrorist group and a whole lot of secrecy, betrayal, and backstabbing.
Delegates Posing in Committee at CMUNCE XII
Like last year, CMUNCE proved itself more than ahead of the times with advanced technology use, which allowed each committee to host a twitter feed that provided important updates and insights for committees. In the Organization of American States, delegates were alerted to the bomb plot planned by Costa Rica by means of an intercepted note that was photographed and subsequently released via the committee twitter.
CMUNCE continued its longstanding tradition of implementing unusual crises that throw delegates into unplanned situations, forcing them to think on their feet and really utilize their crisis skills as well as their ability to create directives, communiques, and press releases. In the Chinese Politburo committee, the decision was made to censor “any news agency which provokes ideas”. Subsequently, elections in Taiwan were rigged and the president was kidnapped, however, after his escape the committee placed the three kidnappers on trial and concluded with a decision to ultimately bomb Japan. In the Operacion Zamora committee, a leftist coup followed by a conservative coup led to the splitting of the committee into a Joint Crisis Committee.
All in all, the conference was a success, with unique crises and intense committees which placed delegates in unplanned situations, forcing them to think on their feet and to perform to the best of their abilities in the face of various crises.
Opening Ceremonies at CMUNCE XII
Delegates in Committee
Delegates in Committee at CMUNCE XII
Delegates Presenting a Directive in the Organization of American States
Operacion Zamora 1992 Conference
Delegation Awards
Best Large Delegation: Upper Canada College
Outstanding Large Delegation: Horace Mann School
Best Small Delegation: Princeton High School
Outstanding Small Delegation: Hunter College High School
