By Joe Ray.
From 13th to 19th July 2015, some 200 university students from around the world will gather in The Hague for the annual conference of The European International Model United Nations. Now in its 28th year, TEIMUN is the oldest model United Nations in mainland Europe and serves as an inclusive forum within which the diplomats and leaders of the future can exchange ideas and discuss solutions to pressing global issues.
Student delegates from more than 50 countries will be welcomed to Hotel Bel Air for the opening ceremony. This grand event will feature speeches from Mr. Jozias van Aartesen, Mayor of The Hague; Mr. Herman Schaper, former Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN; Mr. Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at NATO; and Mr. Erik Akerboom, Secretary-General at the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. TEIMUN 2015 will also draw upon the distinguished support of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General; Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation; and Mr. Bert Koenders, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, each of whom will provide their own written preface for the conference programme booklet.
Adding to the diplomatic grandeur of the occasion, a substantial number of ambassadors and diplomats representing many of the embassies stationed in the International City of Peace and Justice will be present at the opening ceremony to answer questions from participants and advise them on the finer aspects of diplomacy.
This comprehensive introduction from some of the leading lights of contemporary international affairs will prepare delegates for a challenging but rewarding week of diplomacy and multilateral negotiations in which each individual will be tasked with representing the position of a country other than his or her own.
Simulations of key international decision-making bodies, including the UN Security Council and NATO’s North Atlantic Council, will provide the framework for the week’s discussions, allowing delegates to become acquainted with the negotiating processes which characterise diplomacy in such organisations.
This year’s council sessions will focus on salient issues within the field of international security, and in particular, the challenges faced by states and decision-makers in responding to shifting global security landscapes. Without significant deviation from their nation’s negotiating brief, delegates must attempt to find common ground by way of argument and compromise in order to propose solutions to the issues put before them by the chairs of each council. These debating points are designed to closely reflect the political and diplomatic hurdles encountered by decision-makers on a daily basis within the realm of international affairs. At the end of the week, participants in each council will endeavour to codify their discussions and ideas into mutually acceptable communiqués.
In addition to the council sessions, visits to a variety of international organisations and institutions will take place throughout the course of the conference. Participants will have an opportunity to visit the International Court of Justice, Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, and Red Cross, amongst others, and will further explore The Hague’s thriving international scene by way of social excursions and a networking event. Activities such as the Global Village – an evening of cultural diplomacy in which delegates can learn more about one another’s religious, social, and cultural backgrounds – are designed to foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas between attendees in order to celebrate and enhance cross-cultural understanding.
On the final day, the conclusions and agreements reached in the various councils will be presented in the closing ceremony, and the outstanding delegate from each council will be honoured with an award.
