Hero photograph
 
Photo by Sandra Pooch

New Zealand Model United Nations

Sandra Pooch —

E Wen Wong 10WTAW attended this event. This is a report from her of her experience.

Held in Wellington from July 11-14, the 2017 New Zealand Model United Nations was themed UN Politics: Ideals vs Realities and, for me, involved representing the United Kingdom in various committee sessions. Much of the conference was based at Victoria University of Wellington, however day one was certainly an exception. An inspiring and thought-provoking meeting at the British High Commission and an Opening Ceremony held in the halls of Parliament made for a great way to kick off the conference and set the scene for the days to come.


What followed were workshops and committee sessions tackling issues such as state sovereignty and the economic exploitation of the Arctic. The pinnacle of my time at NZMUN was the chance to channel what we had learnt from the workshops into an action-packed Security Council session on the situation in Yemen, with the P5 veto power definitely coming in handy during the negotiation phase! As per the conference theme Ideals vs Realities, my four days in Wellington showed me how both sides of an equation are equally important in deciding how the international community can reach a balance between neoliberal and neorealist views.


NZMUN was also a great opportunity to meet with like minded people who had come together from diverse backgrounds to offer perceptive debate from their country’s stance. When I walked out, not only did I feel that I’d developed new skills and challenged myself with negotiation, I also walked out with new friends and ideas. NZMUN was such an amazing opportunity, one I’d highly recommend anyone to apply for in 2018 and beyond!