Model United Nations Conferences
German Model UN Conference
On Tuesday, July 18th, two students studying German 3/4 at VSL as well as two students from the Year 10 German class here at Mac.Rob had the opportunity to attend the 2023 German Model UN, taking place at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership.
The 2023 theme was Planet Oceans and the day was filled with engaging discussions and passionate debates about what Member States and Countries of the UN can do to better protect the world’s oceans and its resources. We represented Uganda and it provided an invaluable opportunity to research about Uganda and its fishing industry, as well as the actions that they have taken to play a role in protecting Lake Victoria. We too were able to learn about the other present countries’ stances on the topic, broadening our understanding of the global scale of issues relating to our oceans.
Through these interactions not only were we able to expand our German vocabulary and practise our oral and listening skills, our participation in a simulated assembly of the United Nations allowed us to learn more about diplomacy and public speaking, as well as recognising the very tangible ways in which large global issues can be tackled through communal understanding and collaboration between nations.
It was exciting to have Karin Taeubner, the previous German assistant at Mac.Rob, playing the role of General Secretary again this year, and she did a phenomenal job at ensuring everything ran smoothly on the day, as well as encouraging all countries present to have an opportunity to speak, thus facilitating interesting and multifaceted discussions regarding all aspects of the theme.
We would highly recommend all VCE German students to participate in this rewarding and unique experience!
Alphonsa B, Aaliah N, Tara B and Sarah B
French Model UN Conference
Recently, on July 20th, the Year 11 and 12 French students had the wonderful opportunity to attend the French Model UN conference hosted by the UNAA. It was an action-packed day and was a great chance to engage in debating all in French! In groups of three and representing different countries we negotiated different amendments to a draft resolution on the UN sustainable development goal “climate action”. It was interesting to discuss such a pertinent topic and see all the differing points of view on how we can work together to solve it.
The day was divided into three sections: Position statements, Caucus and Amendments gave us different experiences of both formal and informal French such as learning how to address the “general assembly” or getting to introduce ourselves to fellow French students from Victoria. We were able to hone in on our critical thinking as we had to devise a strategy to persuade as many countries as possible to vote for our amendment. It was particularly memorable to participate in the unmoderated caucus where we spoke to many countries’ delegates freely and formed alliances. In the flurry of action, it was amazing to see the level of French of all students that allowed us all to communicate our thoughts albeit in a second language.
All in all, we are so grateful to have been able to attend this conference and practise our spontaneous French and experience a day as if we were in France, surrounded with the language.
Hannah T, 12H
The French Model UN conference was an enjoyable experience that allowed us to become more proficient in French while also learning about how climate change impacts various nations through the structure of Model UN. During the day, we faced challenging questions about our position on climate change while representing the United States of America at the French Model UN. The entire Model UN was conducted in French, so in addition to carefully considering how to answer strategically, we also had to develop a response in that language. It was intimidating and difficult at first, but with the supportive and encouraging attitudes of everyone involved, it turned into an experience that helped me feel more confident in my French-speaking abilities.
Minali S, 11C