The third edition of JunesMUN has taken place in Lausanne, on the 27th and 28th of February 2010, hosted jointly by the MUN team Mosaique from the University of Lausanne and by MUN EPFL. Organized every year by JUNES the umbrella organization for all UN-related youth organisations in Switzerland, JunesMUN offers delegates the unique opportunity to build friendships and connections with team mem bers, while providing students quality preparation in smaller committees for major international MUN conferences coming in March and April. This year, the conference organizers had the pleasure to welcome 130 participants from all over Switzerland, with delegates from all the member teams of JUNES present and voting. No less than 15 participants from ETH MUN traveled to the campus of the University on the sunny borders of the Leman Lake, for a weekend of intense practice simulations.
At the JunesMUN 2010, five committees were introduced to discuss various topics:
– SC: Peacemaking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: The MONUC mandate
– DISEC: Privatization of war: Employing and arming independent militias
– ECOFIN: Financial crises and the role of regulatory regimes for international financial flows
– LEGAL: Reconciliation and justice in societies after extreme human rights violations
– UNHRC: Children in armed conflicts
Successful debates were lead by the entire ETH MUN delegation and members from both MUN teams in Zürich were pleased to receive an outstanding number of Diplomacy Awards rewarding skilled delegates. ETH Model United Nations would namely like to congratulate members Teddy Low (ECOFIN), Georg Polzer (LEGAL), and Eric Schaaning (Security Council) for their impressive performances and Diplomacy Awards at the JunesMUN 2010.
In order to boost the efficiency of speeches during the debates, this year participants have had the opportunity to refresh their diplomatic skills with a short but complete Rules of Procedure preparation before the opening ceremony. The conference programme also offered a presentation of Youth Rep, and of MCM (Making Commitments Matter), a project supported by JUNES. In addition, delegates welcomed a speech by Mrs. Anne-Catherine Lyon, head of the Department for Formation and Youth for Canton Waadt since 2002.
Nonetheless, this first step into international diplomacy would not be complete without an outstanding social event. Indeed the delegates were given the opportunity to relax after intensive negotiations with a committee dinner on Saturday evening, followed by a funky party at the Bleu Lézard, in the center of Lausanne.