AASB MUN 2019

By L. Mizne

This year, I had the opportunity to attend the AASB MUN conference held at Chapel School. It was my first conference and I was very excited to attend it as a Press Corps delegate since I would be able to go around to different committees taking pictures, filming videos and writing articles. Many delegates portrayed their personal experiences as enriching and amazing. 
         Besides watching heated debates from various committees, I was also able to ask intriguing questions to the other delegates and chairs. During the weekend, we took part in two different press conferences, where we could catch delegates off guard and question them on different subjects regarding their committee’s topics. Some of us also had the chance to act and release information in a crisis, which was when unexpected news reached the committee and they had to find a way to adapt to it. By the end of the conference, we filmed, edited and presented a video, which was a collection of all the funniest moments of the weekend. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!
          Being a country’s delegate was also very exciting, as I was able to collaboratively discuss pertinent issues  The topics discussed varied from the current state of healthcare systems worldwide to the rise and legitimacy of radical political parties in Europe. A St.Paul’s delegate, who’s currently in Form 4 and represented the United States in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Council stated that “it was a hard position because the USA has a more anti-immigrant approach”. She then added that as a result, “it was a difficult two days but in the end, it was fun.” Another delegate, also from Form 4, had a completely different position in the conference, as she was representing Syria in the Human Rights council. This meant that she had to fight for Syria’s point of view, even if that perspective was different to her own. In her perspective, the hardest part of AASB MUN was “trying to agree with one specific resolution”, as well as answering points of information “because you never knew what the person was going to ask and you needed to answer on the spot.”
         Overall, the weekend was a success, with various amusing and interacting moments for everyone. Whether you were observing the polemic debates or participating in them, everyone enjoyed the conference. By the end of it, the awards were announced and St Paul’s was very proud to have so many Pauleans receiving them. My experience at this year’s AASB MUN conference was exceptional and I truly hope to be able to continue being a part of this wonderful in the coming years.