Rome Model United Nations 2013 a Success
The Rome Model United Nations, the largest such event to take place in a European country, was held from Thursday, March 7 until Monday, March 11. It was five days of delegations, negotiations, and resolutions. The participants hailed from over 100 different nations, offering a very wide range of perspectives and attitudes. JCU’s very own professor Federigo Argentieri, Director of the Guarini Institute for Public Affairs, was an honorary guest speaker at the inaugural session , which took place at the FAO Plenary Hall. In his address, he outlined the task facing the MUN generation: democratizing the institution and resolving the contrast between national sovereignty and the relatively new doctrine dubbed “Responsibility to Protect,” which prompts UN members to intervene in major humanitarian crises.
The following days were rife with activity of various United Nation groups such as the Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, and the World Bank just to name a few. JCU student Francisco Infante chaired the General Assembly for the entire duration of the Rome MUN. Another JCU student, Iglika Mancheva, acted as the chair for the Human Rights Council during her time at the MUN.
Guarini Institute student intern Andrew Schaaf participated as a staff member assisting in the organization of the RomeMUN, moderating the WHO, and helping to create resolutions that were ultimately voted upon by the various subgroups. John Cabot Spring ’12 student, now a UCLA graduate, Elisa Choi, joined the United States mission to the UN agencies, where she currently interns: on March 8th, in celebration of International Women’s Day, the USUN delivered an extremely well-received presentation to the Human Rights Council, brokered by the Guarini Institute and centered on women’s access to justice/rights under the law.
Issues such as world hunger, favorable trading policies for less developed countries, and the prevention of HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis were some of the topics that were debated in the various UN sub-organizations. However, there was a primary focus on the Millennium Development Goals, goals focused on the improvement of the most impoverished nations. Additionally, some students acted as journalists and reproduced the effect of media acting as international networks such as CNN, BBC, and RaiNews. The entire MUN was a very effective and accurate representation of the actual UN, and it certainly offers an eye-opening experience into the necessity and relevance of international diplomacy.
