Cairo International Model United Nations

Cairo International Model United Nations (CIMUN) is a collegiate level Model United Nations organisation that is based in Cairo, Egypt.^[1] The CIMUN program is the oldest student activity on the American University in Cairo (AUC) campus and is currently recognised as one of the largest inter-collegiate Model United Nations programs outside of North America.^[2] It is well known for its annual March/April conference.

History

It was founded in 1989 by a group of AUC students under the guidance of the Provost of AUC, Professor Earl Tim Sullivan, during his time as a professor in the department of political science.^[3][4]

A fund was made in 2005 in honour of Nadia Younes, under which a conference and meeting room for the support of the Model United Nations was created.^[5]

Since 2007, several elite highschool students have been chosen by merit to join the conference, a total 15 students over the past 7 years. By this time, CIMUN's simulation of the UN had expanded, since its inception, from modelling one UN council to seven councils:^[6] the Security Council, HRC, ICJ, ECOSOC, IAEA, GA Plenary, and European Union.

During the fall of 2008, CIMUN faced new recruitment difficulties due to AUC's move from downtown Cairo to a new campus in suburban New Cairo.^[7][8]

In 2010, CIMUN won the Outstanding Delegation Award while at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York. While this is the second time the group has won the award, this time is considered more important because the group was representing their own country, Egypt.^[9][10]

Current High Board

Each year a different High Board is chosen to lead the organizations's team. Every High Board consists of three positions: Secretary General, Graduate Advisor and Organizing Committee Head. The following is a list of the High Boards since 2012:

2012-2013: Mokhtar Ibrahim, Shaza El Nakib, Hussien Heiba

2013-2014: Yara Sakr, Munir Beletemal, Ali Hossam

2014- Present: Radwa Hamed, Rana Shafik, Hesham Sadek

March conference

CIMUN holds an annual conference in March.^[11] Its primary goal is to increase student interest in and awareness of the United Nations and international affairs.^[12][13] The conference events are wholly organised by students.^[14] Participants from international universities—including Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Concordia, and Riverside City College—have attended the conference.^[15][16]

Keynote speakers

The following is a list of some notable keynote speakers for past March conferences, along with the year of the speech:

• Boutros Ghali
• Ali El Din Helal
• Ahmed Maher
• Suzanne Mubarak (1998)^[17]
• Kofi Anan (2002)
• Youssef Boutros Ghali, El-Sayed Yassin, and Ibrahim Kamel (2000)^[18]
• Nabil Elaraby (2006)^[19]
• Mohammed El Farnawany (2007)^[6]
• Amr Moussa (2008)^[20]

See also

• American University in Cairo
• United Nations

References

External links

• Official Website
• El Sayed, Nadine (12 March 2006). "CIMUN pushes students to lead" (PDF). Caravan. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
• "Celebrating International Women’s Day in the American University in Cairo" - The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement
• "Cairo Model UN inaugurates its 19th session" - Daily News Egypt