PAMUN/ HMCE
Paris Model United Nations 2005 (PAMUN)
by Marie Roux
Over 3 days (Dec 2-4, 2005), 650 delegates from 50 schools and 15 countries, 25% from French lycées, met at the Palais de l’Unesco to debate and seek solutions to the most challenging issues of our time, from fighting AIDS to the reform of the Security Council. That was the Paris Model United Nations conference and we were part of it.
UNESCO, the intellectual body of the UN, celebrated its 60th birthday last September. Its role in education and the protection of cultural heritage is as essential as ever, as Lady Owen-Jones, Good-Will Ambassador, pointed out in her welcoming speech to the Paris Model United Nations conference. “PAMUN” said Lady Owen-Jones, “is only the prelude of action in tomorrow’s world.”
As an undercover reporter for the SIS bulletin, I managed to smuggle into UNESCO headquarters on Dec 2nd, thanks to the confusion created by long lines, lost folders and badges. For the 2005 session, delegates came from California, Romania, Russia, Greece, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Spain, Italy, etc, many of them on their first trip to Paris. Boys wearing white shirts and ties, girls in skirts and heels, looked very professional and glamorous.
- La délégation SIS devant le palais de l’Unesco
In PAMUN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors of UN member states, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, to debate current issues on the Organization’s agenda. Although it is only a simulation of the UN Assembly and its committees, the extraordinary amount of talent and intelligence devoted to the task is real. Over three days, 650 delegates from 50 schools and 15 countries, 25% from French lycées, debate and seek solutions to the most challenging issues of our time, from fighting AIDS to the reform of the Security Council. The Chairs, Press and Admin staff particularly do a tremendous job, given the work, effort, involvement and dedication necessary to ensure that the conference run smoothly. “ PAMUN is a student-run conference, and as such, it is all about empowerment” ( Director Oriel Reshef).
The conference itself consists of six committees: Political, Disarmament, ECOSC, Human Rights, Environment, and a Special Peace Conference between Israel and Palestine. The reform and strengthening of the UN Security Council itself was to be discussed at the General Assembly. On the committees’ agendas were issues as varied as the situation in Iraq, the risk of nuclear proliferation, the link between external debt crisis and development, or measures to deal with natural disasters.
On Friday, December 2nd at 9 am, the opening ceremony began in the large auditorium with a great performance by the Concert Choir of the American School of Paris. Secretary General Hayeon Lee officially opened the conference and encouraged all delegates to step back from their lives of abundance and security and address the issues of poverty, racism, exploitation, genocide and pandemics that plague the world.
Then, the committees went to work in their separate rooms. They started with caucus time, and proceeded to submit clauses that were hotly discussed.
The Peace Conference suggested free access to the city of Jerusalem by all religions; the Political urged the coalition forces to devise a timetable for the withdrawal of armed forces from Iraq, while ECOSOC tried to find efficient and cheap ways to prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from spreading further in developing countries.
At lunch in the beautiful UNESCO restaurant, indefatigable reporters interviewed delegates from Cancun to discuss the effect of hurricane Wilma, and students from Israel about the reality of daily life in the country, while other delegates just got to know each other and made plans for the buffet dinner at Planet Hollywood.
Even though the night had been short, everyone was at the gate by 8.30 the next morning, creating quite a long line and chaos at the cloakroom. At 9.00am, crisis hit as delegates were presented with challenging scenarios.
ECOSOC and Environment committees merged to plan action against the terrible Bird Flu. The President of Brazil had just announced the first South American death - a teacher - from the influenza strain, that is now spreading through human-to-human contact. Students have been infected, and a group visiting New York had been in close contact with the teacher, after he had shown symptoms.
At the Human Rights committee, evidence of torture in US Al Qaeda prisoners’ camps had been found, while the Special Conference and disarmament committee dealt with an Iranian missile crisis. All day, delegates worked fiercely to discuss the many problems facing the PAMUN world.
On Sunday morning, all 650 delegates gathered in the impressive Salle I for the final debate or General Assembly. On the agenda were the inefficiencies inherent in the structure of the UN itself:“proposals for the reform and strengthening of the UN Security Council.”
This time, delegates had to face, not only their committee, but the whole assembly, and all gave an outstanding performance. No wonder they were the ones to be awarded at the end of the conference. While admin staff started racing up and down the aisles, searching for the final destination of the notes they carried, most of them (but not all, see below) formal requests to support or challenge proposed clauses, a delegate from India spoke on behalf of reform, arguing that the Security Council should allow for a better representation of the countries of the world. This was challenged by Arthur Asseraf, delegate from the USA in the Political Conference, and an SIS student, who claimed that the permanent members have shown the ability to represent all five continents. The delegate from Guinea Bissau approached the podium next, wearing a hat, contrary to etiquette rules. Asked to remove it, he replied gravely that he could not, “for religious beliefs”. “We always wear hats on Sundays,” he added, triggering a ripple of discreet mirth. He spoke in favor of adding members to the Security Council. The debate continued, trying to reconcile two opposite ends: ensuring that the structure of the Security Council be as widely representative as possible, while not slowing down further its decision-making process.
All three delegates cited above were presented with an award for their remarkable contribution throughout the Conference. In each Commission, two delegates only received that distinction. Arthur Asseraf, from Sèvres, was wildly applauded and cheered... while the youngest participant, a delegate from Guatemala, only 11 years old, got special praise for his work.
Over three days, caucuses were debated, amendments proposed, crises were resolved. From the Bird Flu to the Al Qaeda hostage situation to the Israeli-Arab conflict, the delegates worked fiercely to solve the many problems facing PAMUN world.
We can only hope, with PAMUN President Oriel Reshef, that those who were at the Conference will be the leaders of tomorrow, and that “when we hand the world over to them they’ll be able to do better than we managed to do.”
Thanks to all Press Staff and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Newman for the great articles I extensively used and quoted in this report. SIS members of the Press Staff : Chloe Rolland and William Shilton.
Quotes from Pamun Press |
Dernière modification le 13-05-09 par
