Model United Nations 2024

“Promoting peace, progress, and prosperity in a polarized world.” In light of this motto, two students and
I traveled alongside Ms. Malou Den Dekker to the sixteenth annual Baltic Model United Nations (BALMUN) conference. We spent three days in Rostock at the Innerstädtisches Gymnasium and engaged in a variety of interesting debates, spirited discussions and, in my opinion, fun activities.


The organization Model United Nations (MUN) has received official recognition and endorsement by the
United Nations in their resolution on “Strengthening of the United Nations System” in August 2023. It
has been offered at LIS for two years, and, though small, the club has great potential. It meets regularly on
Mondays and is largely student-led in cooperation with Ms. Den Dekker.


The exhausting journey on Thursday evening, with a delay of several hours, was quickly forgotten when
we started the program on Friday morning. We had some very captivating guest speakers, including a UN
official, the mayor of Rostock, the head of ISG and a youth engagement officer of the German military.
All speakers offered insightful and highly relevant speeches, which, in my eyes, greatly added to the
general feeling of the event.


Before traveling, LIS was assigned the representation of Australia in different committees. As a delegate
of Australia, it was my role to stand up for my country’s interests, enforce their policy and stand ground
against ideas that oppose them. In my assembly, I presented two resolutions on the topics of “Preventing
the abuse of collected data as a weapon” and “Realizing the potential threat of ABC weapons.” The
resolutions were discussed in the General Assembly 1 (GA1). After a consensus was reached and
numerous delegates from other countries had signed or co-submitted the resolutions, we began debating
them, with me as the main submitter. From this position, delegates of allied countries and I managed to
successfully defend the resolution for over four hours before the final voting procedure managed to pass
them. In doing so, we have managed to pass two resolutions that have either been co-submitted or
submitted by LIS making this year one of the most successful ones to date.


A highlight of the event was the time I got to spend with other students from LIS as well as from other
schools. At events like the BALMUN Dance, I got the chance to speak to students from multiple other
backgrounds and countries; a, in my opinion, very unique opportunity. I can only agree with the website
of the BALMUN organization is saying “The dance is an amazing chance to get to know students from all
around the world and make new friends, sometimes even for a lifetime!”


Throughout the trip and during preparation, the support of Ms. Den Dekker, was greatly appreciated by all students traveling and really helped make this opportunity possible. Apart from the unforgettable experience, the skills acquired and developed at such conferences are unique and grow young minds across the world and foster awareness for geopolitical topics. Furthermore, skills that are applicable in all areas of life, like debating and public speaking, are encouraged and required at such events, enabling participants to grow into the role of a real diplomat. Overall, I am very thankful for the time I got to spend at BALMUN and for LIS for enabling me to take part in it. I definitely recommend the MUN club for all students interested in debating, politics, or public speaking, as it is a great opportunity to learn, grow and go on trips like the BALMUN conference.

Felix S.

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