GLIMUN XL 2013 Recap

This recap is provided by Nick Stratton, the Secretary General of the 40th Session of the Great Lakes International Model United Nations Conference. 

The Great Lakes Invitational Conference Association held the 40th annual Great Lakes Invitational Model United Nations (GLIMUN) in Kalamazoo, Michigan on December 4-7, 2013.  The conference’s opening session featured David Anderson, the Deputy Mayor of Kalamazoo, Michigan as he welcomed us back to his city, where GLIMUN has been held for the last six years.  Mr. Anderson shared a personal connection with the United Nations—his daughter works with the World Health Organization.  Four nations gave rousing opening speeches to the crowd of nearly 300 delegates, which set a high standard for the four days of debate that followed.

Students spent Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon working in six committees (three each from the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council).  This year’s committees were Disarmament and International Security, Special Political, Social Cultural and Humanitarian, Human Rights, Development, and Environment.  Unlike most Model UN conferences, delegates’ work did not end with the passage of resolutions in committee.  From Friday afternoon through Saturday, delegates convened in plenary sessions to again debate and amend the resolutions that had passed in committee.  In addition, GLIMUN 2013 featured an active Security Council that included a midnight call to reconvene in order to respond to a crisis.

While delegates remained focused on the topics at hand for most of the conference (which ranged from Preservation of Endangered Languages to Militarization of the Internet), GLIMUN included chances to kick back and have fun as well.  Students enjoyed evening activities that included a game night and the always-popular delegate dance.

This year’s conference included thirteen schools from Michigan, Indiana, and even Mexico City. As GLIMUN 2013 came to a close, the Secretary-General’s speech called participants to keep looking toward the future with a spirit of unity, dedication, and commitment. GLIMUN’s 40th anniversary was a huge success and we look forward to the next 40 years.

The Great Lakes Invitational Conference Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to peace through understanding.  Its all-volunteer staff includes many people who have more than ten years of experience running Model UN conferences, which is key to guaranteeing a consistently high quality experience for delegates and advisors.  For more information, visit www.glica.org.