Model United Nations Conferences

Withington hosts an annual Model United Nations (MUN) conference for pupils across the country. MUN is a school-based, extra-curricular activity, which emulates the debate of the real United Nations. Schools submit delegations of students, each delegation representing a different country, to enjoy a day of lively debate and learn more about international relations. 

Background

Withington’s former Head of History set up and ran the annual MUN conference from 2008 until the most recent conference in July 2018. 

Resources

The organisation of the conference requires weekly meetings in the months leading up the conference. 

Withington transforms into the United Nations Headquarters for the day, as classrooms are transformed into committee rooms and the Arts Centre becomes the General Assembly hall. 

Impact

WiMUN allows students from across the country to meet and debate with likeminded individuals, improve public-speaking skills and increase understanding of world issues.

Withington takes particular care in encouraging younger delegates to participate, many of whom have never experienced MUN before. It is a chance for them to improve their confidence in debate in a friendly atmosphere.

Pupil Involvement

The conference is largely student-run. A committee of Sixth Form students organises the event, both in the run-up to it and on the day itself. The committee selects the topics of debate, liaises with schools to assign delegations, sets up the committee rooms the day before the conference, and oversees the debates and organisation of infrastructure on the day. 

Year 7 volunteers act as ‘runners’ during the conference, delivering messages between committee rooms. 

Over 350 students from schools from across the country attended WiMUN in 2018, including 17 delegations from maintained schools. 

Frequency

It is an annual, day-long conference. Weekly meetings run throughout the academic year.