EDHEC hosts the 10th Model United Nations debating event for senior high-school pupils

Over the two days, more than 670 senior high-school pupils took on the role of diplomats. Organised into pairs, they defended the interests of the country assigned to them in one of 10 themed committees inspired by UN bodies and specialist agencies such as UNESCO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) or the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). The discussions took place in English and covered the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), including biodiversity, energy, water, poverty and gender equality. This interactive format enabled the participants to discover geopolitics and international relations in an active way, while also developing their ability to speak in front of an audience, work in a team and argue their case.

The proceedings were also marked by the presence of Philippe Étienne, former diplomat and French ambassador to the United States, now President of the public interest group for the commemoration of 1944 and the victory of 1945. Over an hour and a half, he led a conference on the role of diplomacy in international relations and on the duty to remember. 

Raising awareness of diplomacy 

For four months prior to the event, the members of the EDHEC Nations Unies association gave training in diplomatic rules to the 13 partner high schools in the region. Thanks to this gradual immersion, participants were equipped to tackle this international negotiation exercise with confidence. And in an innovation to mark the 10 years of the event, they also took part in a geopolitical quiz at the end of the negotiations.

During the MUN, each delegation built alliances and prepared resolutions tailored to the problems proposed for debate by the association. Following the discussions, the pupils wrote up the resolutions and submitted them to the vote by each committee. Several distinctions were then awarded during the closing ceremony: the most convincing delegation was the one that stood out during the debates.

Mobilisation of the EDHEC Nations Unies association 

This 10th edition of the MUN was orchestrated by the 30 members of the EDHEC Nations Unies association, as explained by association President Agathe Pardessus: “We worked on coordinating the project for many months. The biggest challenge was to find an ambassador and prepare the conference with him, particularly by defining the angle and focus of discussion. The logistics also involved a lot of preparation. Training the committee presidents, putting together the programme and thinking how to best welcome and host the 670 high-school pupils were all essential parts of ensuring the event went smoothly. Apart from these organisational aspects, MUNs have an educational dimension. The pupils rarely have the opportunity to express themselves in front of an assembly. MUNs give them a chance to speak in public and assert their ideas convincingly, while also seeking compromise, as do the 193 member states of the UN General Assembly. The event therefore provided the occasion to raise their awareness of contemporary societal changes and to emphasise the values of peace.”