On Saturday, April 28, the Saint Maur High School MUN club held its final event at Aoba Japan International School in Tokyo. This marked the culmination of their participation in five conferences since September. During these conferences, the club engaged in discussions on various global issues, including social and economic growth, human rights, security, conflict, and migration. Ting Wen (Grade 11), who participated in his first conference as a delegate this week, shared his reflections on the experiences he gained.

The AJMUN was my first-ever MUN conference. Representing a country in global discussions was a responsibility I had never undertaken before. Debating with experienced delegates was intimidating and exciting at the same time. However, as the sessions unfolded, I discovered the true essence of diplomacy and the power of well-articulated arguments.

During the research stage, with the information from the briefing paper, I went on researching Denmark’s perspective on the topic. The topic of the day was "Ensuring the Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Deportation and Illegal Immigration and Migration" and the topic I prepared for was "Expansion of Surveillance Technology and the Right to Privacy." This research is very different from other research that I have done before, as it involves politics, uncertainties, and not one single answer like in science. Two sources can have different points of view, and the current administration may not address the topic directly on their website, or the perspective on the topic may have changed over time.

While I felt like I was well-prepared, the conference itself was a whole new experience. Public speaking can be difficult, and this is a different kind of speaking altogether because you are not representing yourself; you are representing your country. However, I tried and was able to jump out of my comfort zone and tried to make some speeches.

As the sessions unfolded, delegates started to give their thoughts on the topic, and some more experienced delegates, with their strong and well-articulated arguments, pulled a large number of other delegates to form an alliance on the topic under debate. Here, I discovered the true essence of diplomacy and the power of well-articulated arguments. A single strong and well-articulated speech brings you so many allies to construct and pass a resolution together. I was able to be more confident towards the end of the event. I discussed with people I’d never met, collaborated with those people, and came up with a resolution that passed in the end.

MUN includes more than those formal debates; there are also events like the crisis room where delegates were presented with a worldwide emergency, and everyone has to come up with solutions on the spot. While the crisis was dealing with a serious issue, delegates still enjoyed the opportunity to work in a less structured, more creative environment.

Overall, it was a fun and meaningful event. I had the opportunity to practice my public speaking, argument articulating, negotiation, and collaboration skills with some creativity at the end. Next time, I will hopefully be able to discuss the topic I am fully prepared for.