DOHA: More than 400 students from over 50 schools in Qatar and worldwide are converging at Qatar National Convention Centre for the annual Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) Model United Nations (MUN) which opens today.
At the student-organised forum, high school students will debate, deliberate, consult and develop solutions to real world issues in a re-creation of the real working of the United Nations.
Among the participating schools are International School of Geneva, United Nations Campus, Switzerland, Jumeirah College, the UAE, Western Academy of Beijing, China, Collegiate School, the US, and International Programs Schools, Saudi Arabia.
This year’s Model UN theme, ‘Shifting Power Dynamics in a Globalised World,’ along with the committees and committee topics, are chosen by the GU-Q MUN Student Board.
Topics include Standards for Intervention, Conflict in Northern Mali, State-building in the Arab League States, the Situation of Syrian Refugees, Global Migration and Women in Politics.
About the theme, Mohamad Khalil Harb, Secretary-General of MUN and a senior majoring in culture and politics, said, “In a host country such as Qatar, the theme is constantly playing increased importance in the global scheme of politics, thus such a theme seems most fitting.” The GU-Q MUN, held on the Washington DC and Qatar campuses, benefits from the expertise and focus the university’s globally-ranked foreign affairs curriculum provides for student organisers and high school participants. University faculty and staff participate and provide support throughout the conference. Interested schools applied earlier in the academic year to send a team of six delegates to the conference.
The opening will feature Bader Omar Al Dafa, a former Qatari ambassador to the UN, Egypt, France, Spain and Russia. He is also a former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and is Ambassador-at-Large and Executive Director of Global Dry Land Alliance. During the four-day event, participants will be treated to a Diplomatic Reception on GU-Q’s Education City campus, where members of Qatar’s diplomatic community will interact with them. There will also be a Cultural Night, a colourful international bazaar where each school will showcase national dress, food, flags, pictures, songs and artefacts from their country. The Peninsula
