Model United Nations (MUN) is a simulation in which middle school, high school, or university students represent members of the UN in various councils or committees as delegates or ambassadors. It offers students the opportunity to become involved in solving global problems themselves by drafting plausible resolutions, engaging in diplomatic debates, negotiating, and gaining skills to understand international disputes or issues.

The main objective of these conferences or simulations is to propose and debate resolutions on global issues with a collaborative approach to reach consensus through voting.

The rules of procedure (RoP) are modeled on UN processes. During this formal debate, delegates can submit motions to contribute to the solutions.

Delegates must act as active members of the UN by researching the assigned countries’ policies, historical background, and current disputes to be effective during the debate process.

Students gain skills they may not acquire in their formal education, such as public speaking, negotiation, diplomacy, dialogue, and teamwork.

MUN conferences also allow delegates to work with peers from different cultural, social, and financial backgrounds from home and abroad. Other skills students can acquire include critical thinking, problem-solving, and understanding global issues.

MUN conference committees are organized at different levels of difficulty depending on the student’s previous experience and are held at local, national, or international levels. They are considered one of the most complex and valuable platforms for exploring international affairs, diplomacy, and responsibility.

The Yeni Yol Schools Model United Nations (Yeniyol MUN) Club is celebrating its five-year journey of diplomacy and global citizenship. I am the MUN coordinator. In addition to participating in prestigious conferences such as Harvard and Yale, Haarlem, Antwerp, SAIMUN, and Robert University MUN conducted where our students have demonstrated diplomatic skills in debates of all levels of difficulty, I would like to express my pleasure that we hosted an international simulation of the Model International Criminal Court (MICC). We are also excited about new plans and goals for the future.

I have been the coordinator of the MUN Club for more than a decade. It has always been my pleasure to see our students engage in diplomatic negotiations in an international setting, building networks and collaborations with students from all parts of the country and worldwide to achieve our goal of becoming a world school.

Local excellence on a global scale: Yeniyol MUN is also proud to transform a well-known national-level conference every year in the last week of May. YYMUN, which started with six committees a few years ago, has grown into a huge event with great diversity, involving more than 350 delegates from different cities and schools committed to promoting global awareness both in the school community and at the national level.

Dreams are the key to improvement, so the YYMUN Club strives for a future filled with more impactful endeavors. Our plans include collaborating with other international clubs worldwide, building new partnerships in addition to our current partners worldwide, participating in recent and recognized international conferences, and expanding our conference event to cover a broader range of global challenges. We aim to continue to provide students with the opportunity to develop critical skills in diplomacy, leadership, and a deep understanding of global affairs. We would also like to expand our event to the international level.

‘Debate diplomatically, negotiate reasonably, speak confidently, and treat differences respectfully.’

Written by Berkant KAYISDIKICI, MUN Coordinator of Yeni Yol Schools