Preparatory Session on Model UN Conference

To hold a successful Model UN Conference, Security Council simulation on Yemen, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Tehran, in cooperation with the International Studies Journal (ISJ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Iran organized a training session on Model UN Conference, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The session was a full day programme which was held at the UN Office in Iran on 30 July 2015 with the participation of more than 50 university professors and graduate students, participants of the Model UN Conference. Some MFA experts also attended to share their experiences with the audience.

The programme started with the opening statement of the UNIC Public Information Officer, Ms. Maria Dotsenko, who emphasized the importance and usefulness of the opportunities provided by the MUN, where participants can practice their communications, negotiations and consensus-building skills and learn more about UN values. UNIC National Information Officer Mr. Mohammad Moghadam also welcomed the audience.

Dr. Mehdi Zakerian, University Professor and the editor-in-chief of the ISJ spoke about the new educational methods in law and international relations focusing on the Security Council simulation. Then the participants were briefed on their roles as the representatives of the 15 member states of the Security Council.

Ambassador Bagher Asadi (Ret.), a former career Iranian diplomat and also a member of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s “Panel of Eminent Persons on Civil Society and UN Relationships,” who is going to serve as the President of the Security Council Simulation during the month of August (Nigeria) spoke about art of diplomatic negotiations. He also briefed the participants about the work of the Security Council and how to hold a successful simulation exercise. He encouraged the group to hold the actual exercise in English.

Mr. Baniasadzadeh, an expert on Yemen from the Foreign Ministry, gave a background briefing on Yemen and the crisis in that country. Ms. Ronak Amirsardari, a student of the United World College of the Adriatic in Italy, shared her own experiences of participating in some MUNs in Italy. Mr. Ali Zeidi, a graduate student of the University of Turin, and currently an intern at UNIC, explained some points about participation in MUNs with a focus on the rules of procedure.

Ms. Nazanin Ghaemmaghami, UNIC Reference Assistant, briefed the group on some links to the Persian and English copies of the UN Charter, Basic Facts about the UN and UN at a Glance. Navigation through the Security Council website was made with an emphasis on its provisional rules of procedure, working methods handbook and different SC documents.

The structure of a resolution – the latest resolution on Yemen S/RES/2216 (2015) – was also discussed at the session. The UN News Centre webpage on Yemen with related UN Secretary-General speeches, SC resolutions, presidential statements, and information about meetings,  as well as the press releases and the webcast of the latest SC meeting on Yemen on 28 July 2015, were also introduced to the participants.

During this one-day session the members of the 15 teams/delegations had the opportunity to exchange views with each other and with the UNIC staff towards preparing for the “Security Council simulation on Yemen” which will be held on 27 August 2015 at the Tehran Peace Museum.

This year MUN will be dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. Iran was one of the respective founding Member States of the United Nations. Iran was also among the first countries, which invited the UN Department of Public Information to open a UN Information Center office in Tehran in 1948.