Model United Nations

"Model United Nations" is conferences where the participants simulate held at the United Nations by playing roles of the delegates of each country and discussing the actual subjects, for the purpose of both understanding the difficulties of international problems and finding the solutions to them.

At first, participants choose the countries they are going to represent. After they choose their countries, they start to prepare their policies based on various research on "the subject of the conference" "the results and challenges of United Nation's approach to the subject so far" "the old policies of their countries" etc. And then, at the meetings, they make the original plans for the resolution. Finally, the plans are voted and adopted as the resolution. When adopting these, every delegate pursues their national interests but also works toward achieving useful and effective measures for the international society.

These processes enable members to enhance their knowledge of the subjects and their national policies and realize the dynamics, possibilities and limitations of international politics. They can also understand the mechanism of the complicated present international politics through the simulation of multilateral diplomacy and modern international relations. Through these experiences, they can acquire the ability to find solutions and measures to actual problems. Further more, this leads to encouraging the important talent for the international society hereafter

The Model United Nations in the world

The Model United Nations started as the Model League of Nations at Harvard University in 1923.The present Model United Nations started instead of the Model League of Nations because the United Nations was established　after World War II .The Model United Nations has been developing as a course in international politics and an organization managed by students. More than one million people participated in the Model United Nations for a half-century.

At present, high schools and universities of all over the world are adopting the Model United Nations as a class in order to have students understand the mechanism of international politics and consider solutions or measures for international problem effectively.

In another case, students participate in the Model United Nations in addition to their usual classes.

This may be a form of learning. At the same time, participants acquire diplomacy, the important knowledge of nations, appropriate the multilateral diplomacy and the present international problem, and are able to learn the structure of nations in a broad sense of the word such as the existing conditions and policies of various nations. Therefore, both many governments and the United Nations encourage the Model United Nations.

More than 400 Model United Nations conferences are held in every year in 35 countries and numerous international conventions of the Model United Nations conferences were held among many countries mainly in the United States and Europe. In Asia the international convention was held in Tokyo in 1991 under the auspices of United Nations association of America and the Model United Nations committee, and the second convention was held in Seoul in South Korea in 1991.

Many students who participate in the Model United Nations activities come together in each convention, so students should experience the pleasure of actual international conference at first hand. The Model United Nations gives great opportunity to debate beyond each country’s framework to students who have the same mind.

Model United Nations in Japan

Model United Nations in Japan began when overseas teachers and students returned home and told the activity of Model United Nations to Japan. Then, it spreads gradually and some universities or high schools became to adopt it to their lessons.

Meanwhile, "Model United Nations Executive Committee", which is the predecessor of "Model United Nations commission", was established in the Sophia University in 1983 by Sadako Ogata (the former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) who was Professor of the University at that time as the first well-organized group of Model United Nations.

At the beginning, it focusing on the dispatch of the Japanese delegation to the "National Model United Nations Conference", which was held in New York City,U.S.A every year. However, as "Model United Nations Executive Committee" spread gradually, the activity of Model United Nations started full- dress activity and "Model United Nations Executive Committee" was renamed “Japan Model United Nations Society(JMUNS)”.

Today, there are two groups of Model United Nations in Japan, "Model United Nations commission" and "Kansai Model United Nations(KMUN)" which is the sisters group as JMUNS. Under JMUNS, there are seven branchs, Waseda, Kunitachi, Yotuya and hiyoshi, Kyushu,Tsukuba and Utsunomiya. Under "Kansai Model United Nations", there are three branch, Kyoto, Kobe and Hokuriku. About 400 university students or graduate students participate in the activity of Model United Nations under the both groups.

For people who do not know the Japan Model United Nation Society (JMUNS), there are two means of taking part in the Japan Model United Nation Society (JMUNS). One is through “the All Japan Model United Nations conference (AJMUN)” which takes place from December 26th to December 29th in every year.　And the other is also through “the Kansai Model United Nation Conference (KMUNC)” which takes place at the beginning of every August. Both conventions are held a discussion in earnestly with university students, graduate students, high-school students, exchange students and numbers of society. They come from many parts of Japan.

They hold heated discussions about international problems and cultivating their communities. In addition, for those who want to work in the international organization, the Model United Nation conference also provides the orientation for international organization during the both conventions.

Those who are interested in international problems can acquire the precious experiences if you participate in “the All Japan Model United Nations conference (AJMUN)” or “the Kansai Model United Nation Conference (KMUNC)”.

If you are concerned with AJMUN or KMUNC, please look at the official site of AJMUN and KMUNC.

The official site of AJMUN
http://www.jmun.org/ajmun

The official site of KMUNC
http://www.kansai-mun.org/kmunc07/