From Friday, March 5th, to Monday, March 8th, members of Ward Melville’s Model UN club were selected to participate in the 47th annual National High School Model United Nations Conference (NHSMUN). NHSMUN was held virtually this year due to COVID-19. Although members had to attend the conference from home, the discussions, conducted by student ‘delegates,’ regarding international affairs were still effective.

NHSMUN is the world’s largest Model UN conference and is run by the International Model United Nations Association. Its goal is to encourage debate that offers delegates unparalleled access to the United Nations system. In past years, delegates from around the world gathered at the Midtown Hilton in New York City. From there, they would attend the closing ceremonies in the General Assembly of the UN. But this year, the NHSMUN conference was carried out through Zoom. To attend their respective committee sessions, delegates had to join different breakout rooms.

Representing Iran and Cuba, club members spent hours researching their respective topics. This hard work was displayed throughout three committee sessions, where delegates debated topics ranging from addressing mental health to promoting sustainable foreign investment in formerly colonized states. Delegates in their sessions created detailed resolution papers that could solve such issues.

Out of 200,000 students attending this conference, Ward Melville Model UN won an Award of Excellence to commend their hard work. Members are hoping to attend NHSMUN in person next year.