This year, we wanted to begin our Model UN year in review by thanking all of you, the members of the MUN Community. Thank you for your passion and dedication for solving today’s most pressing global issues and bringing out the best in each other over the past year – in what’s been a divisive and uncertain global climate filled with unprecedented challenges, fostering diplomacy and collaboration through MUN has been more important than ever! As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact our day-to-day lives, it’s been incredible to watch the MUN Community adapt and grow, and we’ve also seen some exciting changes to Model UN as an activity!
Throughout the start of 2021, just as global diplomacy shifted to online forums & platforms, Model UN delegates continued to lead & advocate through new online MUN experiences, including virtual conferences, teams, and more. Delegates across the country & globe came together beyond borders to debate contemporary issues from the safety of their own homes, creating opportunities to network & connect with like-minded peers like never before! As we adapted to this new virtual format, we also continued to look forward to the return of hybrid & in-person MUN, and took the time to reflect on the values of Model UN to prepare new & innovative experiences for the re-opening of in-person debate.
This Fall, we know that we were just as excited as many of you to see some of our favorite MUN conferences announce their return to in-person formats! But beyond the return of in-person MUN, we’ve also been inspired by the dedication to continuing to provide engaging & dynamic MUN simulations in hybrid and online formats – it’s easier to access new MUN opportunities than ever before! As we move into 2022, we wanted to take the time to celebrate these exciting changes and the continued positivity that each and every one of you has brought to the MUN Community – we’ve loved watching you challenge, shape, & change the world through MUN. In this photo review, we’ll remember some of the challenges we faced as a community this past year, our resilience in overcoming them, and the positive changes we’ve seen to MUN that we hope will have a lasting impact on the activity. We can’t wait to see you in 2022 and watch you continue to bring out the best in each other!
January – June 2021: Online MUN Continues to Grow & Adapt!
The Spring 2021 MUN Season saw exciting developments and innovations in virtual MUN programming that helped bring the experience of being in the General Assembly to life for students in the comfort of their own homes! With the use of dynamic zoom and technological updates including virtual backgrounds, MUN delegates strove to build their skills as our favorite conferences returned and adapted to bring you new MUN memories.
Best Delegate Virtual MUN Conferences (VMUNCs)
Best Delegate hosted Virtual Model UN Conferences (VMUNCs) throughout Spring 2021, with delegates coming together from across the country & globe to debate top global challenges drawn straight from the news! Over 2,000 students attended virtual Training & Invitational level conferences, and worked together to compromise and come up with sustainable, impactful solutions to the topics at hand.
At our monthly Training Conferences, hundreds of students had the opportunity to try out MUN for the first time and step into the shoes of global leaders to represent new countries & perspectives. Our MUN Mentors loved being able to guide students through the foundational skills of MUN & the basics of parliamentary procedure, all while making connections with like-minded peers and having fun! Some of our favorite Training Conference topics included Nuclear Disarmament, Misinformation & Fake News, and Reducing Pollution of the Oceans!
At Spring Invitational Conferences, including the Southern MUN Invitational (SMUNI), Midwest MUN Invitational (MMUNI), Canadian MUN Invitational (CanMUNI), and USA MUN Invitational (USAMUNI), advanced delegates from across the country competed for awards as they debated high-level topics ranging from Oil Drilling in Protected Lands to Mental Health & Wellbeing to Religious Intolerance. Students who won awards at these conferences qualified to compete at the May Tournament of Champions!
Model UN Teams
In February 2021, Best Delegate announced the launch of after-school Model UN Teams for students in grades 7 – 12! Spring 2021 Teams options included Beginner MUN Teams, Advanced MUN Teams, & a Leadership MUN Team to allow students to continue to engage with MUN if the option was no longer available at their own schools. MUN Teams students made a ton of new friends and unforgettable memories as they shared tips & strategies, played dynamic public speaking games, and got ready to compete at conferences throughout the semester! Many of the delegates from our inaugural MUN Teams have continued with the program alongside their school’s team to get extra practice and make connections with like-minded student leaders from across the country!
10 Years of Best Delegate
In February, Best Delegate also celebrated 10 years of impacting the MUN Community! On our 10-year anniversary, we hosted an Impact Panel to highlight leaders & change-makers who we’ve had the honor of partnering & working with, as well as some of the top MUN experiences we’ve had since the start of Best Delegate! Watch the panel recording here, and to learn more about what we’ve done over the last 10 years check out our NEW impact report!
Tournament of Champions (TOC)
In May, Best Delegate opened debate at our FIRST annual Tournament of Champions (TOC), bringing together top award-winning delegates to test their skills as they competed against the best of the best! TOC took place over the course of two days, and featured dynamic UNSC committees aimed to test students’ skills in both crisis-hybrid and GA styles of debate, with top delegates leveling up their MUN resume by winning a TOC gavel! Check out conference highlights & a list of top award-winning delegates here!
The Return of Top MUN Conferences
The Spring of 2021 also saw the return of some of your favorite MUN Conferences, including NAIMUN, NHSMUN, & BMUN, making their debut on the virtual MUN scene! After a year of constantly evolving & unprecedented global circumstances, it was fantastic to watch the MUN Community’s hard work in adapting and planning come together to create meaningful experiences for every delegate who participated both in the virtual committee room & beyond!
June – August 2021: A Virtual Summer of MUN & FUN!
Panel Event: #StopAsianHate
In June, Best Delegate Co-Founder & CEO Kevin Felix Chan hosted a panel of experts to discuss how we as members of the MUN Community can #StopAsianHate in Model UN & the real world. Panelists included passionate MUN alumni & current student leaders, and we were so inspired with how participants engaged with the conversation and provided positive pathways and solutions for sustainable change both in MUN & beyond! Watch a recording of the panel event here!
Summer Virtual MUN Institute
This summer was filled with MUN & FUN at the Virtual MUN Institute! Every week, students in grades 5 – 12 engaged with the world alongside their fellow delegation members as they mastered new topics, learned top MUN skills, and wrapped up each week with unforgettable MUN simulations. Our MUN Mentors loved working with and getting to know all of our students, and were so excited to be able to return to staff new fall programming options!
September – December 2021: The NEW Hybrid MUN Environment & The Return of In-Person Debate!
Panel Event: What’s Happening with Model United Nations Conferences in 2021?
In September 2021, Best Delegate hosted a panel of MUN Conference Secretaries-General to discuss the most pressing question on the minds of MUN participants everywhere: what would MUN Conferences look like in the Fall of 2021? Panelists included the organizers of SOCOMUN, NHSMUN, NAIMUN, & SSUNS, and as the Fall MUN Season kicked off to open debate, it was awesome to hear their plans for the return of in-person MUN as well as new hybrid conference opportunities! Watch a recording of the panel here to learn more!
Fall MUN Teams
This Fall, Best Delegate announced the return of our engaging after-school online MUN Teams programs, with new & dynamic options for students in grades 5 – 12! Fall MUN Teams included Beginner & Intermediate Teams as well as NEW Crisis & Leadership Teams options! Participating MUN Teams delegates leveled up their skills & strategies alongside like-minded peers as they prepared to compete at two BDMUNCs. We’ve loved watching past participants return to MUN Teams this Fall, as well as welcoming new students to the Teams family! Some of our favorite Fall MUN Team names include the Debate Debaters and the Baguettes!
Best Delegate MUN Conferences (BDMUNCs)
The back-to-school season came with exciting new improvements and innovations to our virtual MUN conference programming – Best Delegate MUN Conferences (BDMUNCs)! Fall BDMUNCs included Training & Invitational Conferences as well as NEW Crisis Conferences for students ready to respond to unexpected & evolving scenarios while attempting world domination! Popular Training & Invitational topics included Cybersecurity and Universal Access to Education, and some of our favorite Crisis topics included the Situation in Venezuela and the Hunger Games!
The Return of In-Person Conferences
Delegates participating @ SOCOMUN in-person! 
Conferences have adapted to bring back in-person experiences! 
Delegates raising their placards @ SSUNS!
One of the most exciting and anticipated MUN developments of 2021 happened this Fall, with the return of in-person MUN Conferences & opportunities! Many seasoned MUN student leaders had been looking forward to this moment for over a year, and couldn’t wait to dust off their WBA and walk into the committee room as diplomats alongside their fellow delegates! For students who began their MUN journey during COVID-19, this was their first time participating in in-person MUN committees, a truly memorable and unforgettable moment in their Model UN experience! Check out the photo highlights to see how conferences adapted to return to in-person this Fall, as well as to imagine what MUN Conferences might continue to look like in 2022.
Looking Ahead to 2022
As 2021 comes to a close, we’re excited to see what 2022 holds for the MUN Community! Check out this list of upcoming MUN opportunities to start to get ahead & plan for MUN next year:
MS Conferences Database! 
HS Conferences Database! 
Spring MUN Teams! 
Training, Invitational, & Crisis BDMUNCs!
Qualifying Delegates Eligible to Compete @ April Tournament of Champions
MUN Conferences Database
Click here to check out the MUN Conferences Databases – you’ll find a list of both in-person & virtual MUN Conferences to attend in 2022!
Spring MUN Teams
Build your MUN skills while making new friends & having fun on an after-school team beginning the week of February 21st! Spring MUN Teams include Beginner, Intermediate, Crisis, & Leadership options and are a great opportunity for students to join a new team or gain extra practice alongside their team at school! Click here to learn more!
BDMUNC Conferences
Registrations are OPEN for Spring Virtual BDMUNCs, including Beginner, Invitational, & Crisis Conference options for students in grades 5 – 12! Award-winning delegates will get the chance to compete @ the Tournament of Champions! Register Now!
We Can’t Wait to Re-Open Debate in 2022!
