Guest Article by Duncan Justice
Secretary-General Duncan Justice welcomes delegates to the fourth edition of IUMUNC
From February 23 to February 25, almost 400 high school delegates met on the campus of Indiana University-Bloomington for a weekend of debate and compromise. Starting only four years ago with about 70 delegates, this year marked the largest Indiana University Model United Nations Conference held. With 12 committees, we also debuted our first Joint Crisis Committee and our first International Court of Justice committee. Delegates discussed a wide array of issues, from the European Commission’s approach to Brexit, to whether or not the Justices of the Tribunal on the Law of the Seas should rule in favour of the Philippines in their case against China on the South China Sea.
In a crisis committee, delegates mourn the death of Joseph Stalin
Delegates also had the opportunity to interact with representatives from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, School of Global and International Studies, departments from the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as Foreign Language Flagship Programs and the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages.
Keynote speaker Michael McLellan discussing diplomacy and the public sector
Opening Ceremonies were headlined by Michael McClellan, the Diplomat-in-Residence at Western Kentucky University and a retired Foreign Service Officer with placements in North Yemen, Egypt, Iraq and South Sudan. In his opening remarks, he encouraged the high school delegates to consider a career in public interest work, such as work in the diplomatic corps or with non-governmental organizations, and emphasized the importance of solving international issues. He recounted stories from his days as a Foreign Service Officer and he highlighted that, though he might not have changed the world, he changed at least one person’s world and this is goal of diplomacy. Executive Assistant Dean of the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Michael McGuire, also briefly spoke to the delegates about the educational opportunities that they could take advantage of to accomplish the mission that Michael McClellan set out for them.
Members of the EC eagerly waiting to give a speech
Working endlessly since the end of IUMUNC III, the staff and secretariat of IUMUNC IV were thrilled to see the success of the conference. The Secretary General of IndianaMUNC V, Andrew Greco, looks forward to further success next year!
Duncan Justice
Secretary General, IUMUNC IV
