Welcome to our next edition of conference recap articles about Best Delegate’s VMUNC conferences! This past fall, Best Delegate launched the Virtual Model United Nations Conference (VMUNC) initiative. With training conferences and advanced invitationals scheduled for the 2020-2021 academic year, VMUNC is a way for students to continue participating in Model UN conferences virtually during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic that has rendered in-person conferences impossible this year.
On April 18th, Best Delegate hosted over 250 students at USAMUNI, a conference for intermediate to advanced delegates across the United States. The next day, we welcomed another 200 students to participate in the April Training Conference, a conference for beginner and intermediate delegates to learn and discover the basics of Model UN.
The April conferences introduced a variety of brand-new topics for delegates to debate and discuss, allowing returning students to explore different world issues and concepts. Additionally, we invited students from the Student Leadership program to help co-chair committees, gaining hands-on experience on how to run Model UN programs by working alongside our incredible staffers.
Read on to learn more about students’ experiences at these fantastic conferences!
USA Model UN Invitational (USAMUNI)
USAMUNI featured 13 unique committees and students from over 50 schools attended! In this conference, we introduced new committees and new topics, including a Black Lives Matter Movement Crisis Committee that focused on creating a unified movement while tackling issues of race across the United States. USAMUNI highlighted various topics related to humanitarianism and human rights, with committees such as UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) discussing religious intolerance, World Health Organization (WHO) discussing mental health and wellbeing, and DISEC discussing military drones. Students interested in environmental issues tackled oil drilling in protected lands in the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP).
USAMUNI delegates collaborated with other high-level delegates from around the world to refine their public speaking, MUN strategy, and leadership and teamwork skills. USAMUNI staff were so impressed with the advanced level of debate in each of the committees and are thankful for your participation and interest in Model UN!
“I really appreciated how organized the meeting was. It was very clear and everything was done on schedule. The virtual MUN conference meeting was a very fun experience for me. I gained more speaking and debating skills in the event.”
– VMUNC Delegate
“This was my first Model UN conference and so I was a little anxious going in, but it was a great experience! I enjoyed our debates and discussions, and I learned a lot in the process of writing resolutions and collaborating with other delegates. The Chair and delegates were all very friendly, polite, and welcoming, and as the conference went on I grew much more comfortable.”
– VMUNC Delegate
“As an advisor, I really liked USAMUNI. Staff is all very nice. There are a couple of students for whom this will be a highlight of their semester.”
– Advisor
April Training Conference
The April Training Conference was geared towards beginner and intermediate students who are just beginning their MUN journey. Our Chairs had a great time working with new students to teach them MUN through guided simulation. Unique committees included the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the topic of misinformation and fake news, and the UN Development Programme with the topic of clean water and sanitation. Delegates Worked with other students from across the globe to devise strategies and solutions to combat pressing world issues.
Our staff had a wonderful time at the April conferences and we hope to see you again in May for our training conferences and Tournament of Champions!
“My favorite part of the conference were the unmoderated caucuses. The people were really nice and made this an awesome experience. I also liked how nobody talked over each other, but we all listened to each other’s ideas and it was really smooth. Everyone had great ideas! I would like to thank the chair for being an amazing chair. She was really great and made this an even better experience.”
– VMUNC Delegate
“I had a really great experience through today’s conference. The chair was very professional, and everything ran smoothly. The level of debate was also very high, and the conference as a whole was very engaging, so I would definitely recommend Virtual MUN Conferences.”
– VMUNC Delegate
USA Model UN Invitational (USAMUNI) Awards
Crisis
Best Delegate: Alicia Garza
Outstanding Delegate: Nupol Kiazolu
Honorable Mention: Representative from Congressional Black Caucus Karen Bass
DISEC Red
Best Delegate: Vietnam
Outstanding Delegates: Hungary, Somalia, Canada
Honorable Mentions: Ireland, United Kingdom, Jordan, Albania
DISEC Yellow
Best Delegate: Vietnam
Outstanding Delegates: United Kingdom, Norway
Honorable Mentions: Russia, Tunisia, France, Canada
DISEC Silver
Best Delegate: Pakistan
Outstanding Delegates: Brazil, Hungary, Canada
Honorable Mentions: South Korea, Chile, Vietnam, Mexico
UNDP Blue
Best Delegate: Brazil
Outstanding Delegates: Pakistan, Vietnam, Norway
Honorable Mentions: Niger, South Korea, United Kingdom, China
UNDP Green
Best Delegate: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Outstanding Delegates: United Kingdom, Vietnam, Jordan
Honorable Mentions: Somalia, Norway, Pakistan
UNDP Bronze
Best Delegate: United Kingdom
Outstanding Delegates: Hungary, Pakistan, Jordan
Honorable Mentions: China, United States, Brazil, France
UNEP Orange
Best Delegate: Paraguay
Outstanding Delegates: Vietnam, Jordan
Honorable Mentions: Niger, Russia, South Korea
UNEP Purple
Best Delegate: Saudi Arabia
Outstanding Delegates: United States, Tunisia, Ireland
Honorable Mentions: Canada, Peru, United Kingdom, France
WHO Diamond
Best Delegate: Tunisia
Outstanding Delegates: India
Honorable Mentions: France, Vietnam
WHO Gold
Best Delegate: Hungary
Outstanding Delegates: Japan
Honorable Mentions: Ireland, Tunisia, South Korea
UNHRC Amber
Best Delegate: Peru
Outstanding Delegates: India, Chile
Honorable Mentions: Vietnam, United States
UNHRC Platinum
Best Delegate: Japan
Outstanding Delegates: Somalia, China, Peru
Honorable Mentions: Niger, Paraguay, Turkey, Ireland
