THIMUN

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THIMUN logo

The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) is an annual Model United Nations conference. It has a long history and is the oldest and largest United Nations simulation for high school students in the world. It is usually held at the World Forum Convention Centre in The Hague (formerly the "Nederlands Congres Centrum"), from Sunday to Friday in the last full week of January.

1 The concept of THIMUN
2 The structure of THIMUN
3 Affiliated conferences
4 Annual themes
5 External links

[edit] The concept of THIMUN

At THIMUN high schools form a UN-delegation, representing a country or non-member delegation (e.g., NGOs, IGOs) in various commissions. The conference itself is managed by a student-formed 'Secretariat' of over 100 members, including Secretaries-General, Chairs, press staff and administrative staff. All in all, each year sees around 3800 youths from more than 200 schools consisting of over 100 different nationalities going to The Hague and taking part in THIMUN.

All the major bodies of the of the United Nations are represented at THIMUN: the General Assembly, consisting of six specialised committees; the Security Council; the Special Conference (which discusses a different issue-area each year); the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); the Environmental, Disarmament and Human Rights Committees (each with two sub-committees); and the International Court of Justice. In 2006, there was also an Advisory Panel on the Question of Sudan (APQS) and in 2007, there was an Advisory Panel on the Question of Kosovo (APQK). THIMUN also has its own Press Team and its own newspaper called "MUNITY".

THIMUN was developed for the purpose of the following;

"1. To advance the interests of international education across national boundaries through the promotion of interaction and dialogue between young people from a variety of countries and school systems. 2. To install a global perception in young people through the educational aims of Model United Nations, focusing on the formulation of peaceful resolutions to world problems. 3. To develop in students communication skills which will help to foster international education and global perception mentioned above. 4. To promote interest and support for the work of the United Nations and to increase public awareness of issues of international concern."

Taken directly from the THIMUN Instructional Guide.

Each and every THIMUN that has already and will take place will contain the element of debate. Essentially, this is all THIMUN is about. During these debates, delegates are meant to present the ideas and the policies of their countries and to behave as if they were the country itself. In the past, and definitely in the future, weaker delegates have been harassed, torn apart, abused by stronger delegates. This is a unique feature of all MUN's which is inevitable. In many schools, THIMUN is adapted as a cirriculum subject, however in many more, it is seen as an after school activity. This produces a large mix of very strong, and very weak delegates. It is because of this one core reason, that there are not in fact more students partaking in MUN.

[edit] The structure of THIMUN

Each student-delegate is expected to bring a draft resolution to the conference and prepare him/herself for the topics on the agenda (which are decided on by THIMUN staff and students each year). The delegates then lobby and discuss their draft resolutions in their respective commissions / committees in order to come to a "resolution" (a written solution to a problem). During the discussions formal procedures are employed, which are as close to the procedures of the real UN as possible. As this is a high school event, however, there is intermittently time for light-heartedness.

Resolutions that are passed during the week are bundled together in a booklet and sent to the UN in New York, the idea being that they offer new insight and ideas to the members and councils of the United Nations.

The programme of events at the conference breaks down into opening speeches and informal lobbying on Monday and Tuesday, committee debates on Wednesday and Thursday and plenary sessions and the closing ceremonies (along with the dance) on Friday.

[edit] Affiliated conferences

THIMUN has several affiliated conferences, many of which are held in different countries around the world, including SAMUN in Caracas, Venezuela, DSAMUN in Greece at the German School of Athens, TIMUN in Turkey, BERMUN in Germany, PAMUN in Paris, France, IMUNG in Ivanovo, Russia, [1], JOMUN in Johannesburg, South Africa, MUNOS in Seoul, Republic of Korea, AISMUN in Cairo, Egypt, MUNOM in Munich, Germany, BEIMUN in Beijing, China, MINIMUN, which is also hosted in The Hague, and IMUN in Lisbon, Portugal, LEMUN in Leiden and HMUN in Haarlem. THIMUN has also developed the THIMUN-Singapore conference which began in 2005 and takes place annually in Singapore.