Hosted in October this year, the annual rendition of CDNIS’ Model United Nations (MUN) conference brought together upwards of two hundred participants in a weekend of fruitful debate.
At the Opening Ceremony, Consul Benoit Girouard — Head of the Economic and Political Section of the Canadian Consulate General in Hong Kong — delivered words of encouragement to the delegates. In his speech, he shared his participation in the National MUN Conference, sparking his passion for international relations and ultimately leading him to pursue a career in diplomacy. CDNIS’ Upper School Principal Dr. Butler also expressed words of insight, stressing the importance of unity and leadership in communities today. Secretary-General of the conference, Grade 12 student Eva Gunning-Garcia, delivered a warm welcome to all participants, before officially inaugurating the conference with a bang of the gavel.
Across the three days of the conference, delegates engaged in riveting discussions in their respective committees. In the Security Council committee, delegates addressed topics such as the self-determination of Kurdistan, showcasing hallmarks of cooperation and diplomacy, and eventually coming to a draft settlement providing comprehensive humanitarian aid and peacekeeping forces to the region. Topics from the abuse of medical patents to e-commerce to the Lebanese liquidity crisis were discussed in the World Health Organisation, Economic and Social Council, and Rapid Response Committee, alongside many others.
The conference concluded with outstanding achievements by CDNIS delegates. Three delegates were recognised for exceptional performance in their committees, namely Hunter Tse in the Economic and Social Council, and Caroline Zhang and Shiv Aswani in the Junior Security Council. 27 other delegates from schools across Hong Kong were also awarded for their impressive performance across the three days.
In the future, our delegates will continue sharpening their MUN skills through weekly club meetings every Wednesday lunch, and further represent CDNIS in both domestic and international conferences.
