This article on “The importance of Model United Nations for Law students: All you need to Know” was written by Vridha Rai, an intern at Legal Upanishad.
Introduction
As a law student, your goal is to get many hands-on legal experiences and opportunities that will help you in building your career as a law professional. A lawyer is expected to have great oratory, writing, and research skills. Model United Nations is a medium that will provide you with self-improvement opportunities and unparalleled global exposure. So, if you are a law student who is into public speaking, looking for exposure, and wish to grow his or her skills, then this article will help you by giving an insight into Model United Nations and its significance for law students.
What is Model United Nations (MUN)?
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations Organization, its working, and its procedure that is designed to help the students better understand diplomacy and international relations. It also helps the students in growing skills such as public speaking, debating, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership.
United Nations is an international organization that was founded on 24th October 1945 to promote peace and cooperation among nations. It was created as a forum to bring nations together for discussions and to find solutions to global issues.
Similarly, in the Model United Nations, the students participate as diplomats representing different countries assigned to them in a simulated session of the conference. These countries pick a pertinent issue to have discussions and debates over the topic to find solutions to tackle the problems from the point of the country they have been assigned. The MUN aims to teach the students about the international issues that currently the nations are dealing with.
How does the Model United Nations Work?
The students act as delegates in the Model United Nations where they are allocated different countries in the different committees, the students are required to research the countries they are representing and respond as the country to deal with the important global issue by debating, discussing, lobbying and reaching on a solution or elucidation of problems or the agendas or to pass a resolution. It is a way to make a way for students to step into the shoes of the UN ambassadors. The agenda of these sessions are a reflection of burning global issues. The procedures held at the Model United Nations are governed by ‘rules of procedure’ truly model the format of the United Nations.
The participants need to make a draft for the discussion and vote by the committee. A MUN Delegate will introduce an idea for the global problem right from his opening speech and will get on the path for draft a resolution efficiently and successfully.
How can you get the information about the Model United Nations?
You can get information about Model United Nations Conferences from the MUN club consisting of students formed at h in high schools and universities. You can about various MUN conferences and events. In case, you don’t have any club in your school or university, you can sign up there independently.
How can you prepare for MUN Conference?
The foremost step is to choose a MUN Conference. Once you can choose the conference. The very next step is to get enrolled or signed up for it. The Conference will allocate you your country, the assignment for your committee, and the topic for discussion
After reaching this point, you have to start researching the topic. You need to make position papers, opening statements, a research binder, and ideas for clauses or resolutions. With all this information you require to research your topic and the country you have been allocated.
In which institutions the Model United Nations Conferences are held in India?
In India, Doon School, Dehradun organizes annual the Doon Model United Nations which is the largest Model United Nations Conference in India that invites over 400 delegates and thirty to forty institutions to participate in the Conference. Several other schools and universities hold model conferences. The institutions that hold Model United Nations Conferences are as follows:
- Delhi International School
- Symbiosis Law School
- IIT
- Dhirubhai Ambani International School
- NMIMS
- Amity International School.
What are the benefits of participating in the model United Nations Conferences?
The world has turned into a global village now. It is really important to know and interact with global issues that the countries are dealing with. The Model United Nations has provided a podium for students to voice their opinions at the international forum. It has a remarkable impact on the student’s career and personality. After the grueling days, you can expect that at the end of the event you have learned something that is highly valued in our society. The benefits of participating in the Model United Nations are as follows:
The awakeness regarding the global issues:
In the era of globalization, countries have closer to interacting with each other. It is really important to know about the world’s knowledge and issues. The MUN provides a medium for you to expose yourself at the global level. It requires you to practically inculcate yourself to solve the global problem by representing the countries and acting as an official of that country. It will enhance your knowledge and awareness interestingly. It will surely help in becoming a proactive individual.
The art of public speaking:
MUN provides a path to face the stage and overcome every fear and anxiety that comes in your way of expressing or voicing your opinions or ideas. Many students experience this hesitation in their life. It is an ideal platform where you can channel your energy, learn and explore the ways of communicating and networking with other students from different schools and universities. It will help you in debating with other individuals.
Becoming friends with diplomacy and international relations:
Through MUN conferences, you will learn and become friends with diplomacy. Diplomacy is an art that will help you in communicating and mending relations through negotiations. The students will get an insight into the international relations among different nations. The students acting as delegates will get the whereabouts of the working of international bodies and how these organizations are maintaining balance among them to promote peace and cooperation.
Cultivate your leadership skills:
MUN conference helps you in building confidence and leadership skills resulting beneficial for the individual’s personality to grow and flourish. The challenges, teamwork, and representation of the countries will help enhance your capability to take decisions as a diplomat and reaching on a conclusion to find ideas for the solution to problems faced by countries.
Develops writing skills:
MUN conferences help students in grooming their writing skills. The conferences provide ample amount of opportunities to develop the art of writing that demands an in-depth understanding of the issue and presentation of resolution or agenda of Model United Nations. You’ll get to know about the format of resolution writing.
Enhances the research skills:
MUN allocates every student to a particular committee, a country, and the agenda to represent. It requires deep research about the country and its stance on the global issue. The students require to study the details of the country to construct a good argument to showcase its stand and justify its point from the lens of that country initiating the process of ameliorating the research skills of a student in the path of his or her career.
Instilling analytic and problem-solving skills:
Law is all about interpretation and analysis of the legislation and problems faced by society. MUN Conferences involve the exercise of deep analysis and applicability of minds on the problem faced by the people internationally. The students are given the responsibility to act as delegates to find creative solutions to issues. New-age problems require updated solutions and novel approaches. It helps to instill problem-solving skills in young minds.
Conclusion
Model United Nations Conferences are a great way of challenging yourself, exploring, questioning, and channelizing energy for finding solutions to problems through discussions and debates. It is like perfect self-improving sessions that everyone should take to enhance their skills that would shape you as a professional in future endeavors and a vigilant citizen to serve society and the nation.
References
- Meaning of Model United Nations: what is Model United Nations? MUN- explained-WiseMee https://www.wisemee.com/what-is-mun/
- https://www.mindler.com/blog/advantages-and-benefits-of-mun/
- Importance of MUN: Model United Nations; importance in Student’s Life- the Column of Curae https://thecolumnofcurae.wordpress.com/2020/05/17/model-united-nations-importance-in-students-life/
- Model United Nations in India: Rohil Deshpande TedxoakridgeInternational ted x talk (VIDEO FILE)