University of Arizona MUN (AzMUN) 51st Conference Recap: Embracing Cross-Cultural Diplomacy

This recap was provided by Chelsea Sweeney, AzMUN Undersecretary General of Public Information.

For over fifty years, Arizona Model United Nations has hosted an annual high school conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson. This little corner of the American Southwest lies close to the border between the United States and Mexico, which provides the perfect backdrop to discuss and debate issues of international cooperation through Model United Nations. AzMUN embraces this spirit by hosting a bilingual and bi-national high school conference. High school delegates who attend the conference come from both the greater American Southwest and across the border in Mexico. The delegates have the opportunity to choose between English Committees, Spanish Committees, and Bilingual Committees conducted with live translation from AzMUN members.

The 51st AzMUN High School Conference, hosted in Spring 2013, was titled New Voices: Dialogue of Diplomacy (Voces Nuevas: Diálogo de la Diplomacia). The delegates debated and formed solutions in the standard General Assemblies, Historical and Concurrent Security Councils, and a variety of Specialized Committees.  Some of these committees were the Northern Irish Peace Process, the Commission on Population and Development, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The International Court of Justice and the International Press Delegation were also an important aspect of the conference.  Top student delegates acted as judges in the ICJ, deciding on cases about whaling in Japan and the extradition of terrorist suspects.  The IPD provided many services for the delegates to publicize their efforts in world diplomacy.  In addition to releasing a newsletter throughout the duration of the conference, the IPD office offered delegates the opportunity to conduct live press conferences on the debates and accomplishments of their committees.

Below are a few more pictures featuring scenes from AzMUN’s opening ceremony and delegates working hard in committee.

Our upcoming 52nd AzMUN High School Conference in Spring 2014 will feature many new specialized committees, ranging from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Commission on the Status of Women. Delegates interested in a Bilingual Committee can choose between the bilingual International Court or Justice or the bilingual G20 Summit.  If you are interested in registering for our Spring 2014 High School Conference, please follow the link below or contact us via our e-mail address below.

E-Mail Address: publicinformation@arizonamun.org

Website: Arizona Model United Nations