What is Model United Nations?

Model UN is an educational forum for students to act as delegates in the United Nations, learn and debate international issues, and enhance their public speaking and diplomacy skills. Committees in Model UN are classified in three categories:

1. In General Assemblies (GAs), delegates will participate in a simulated United Nations committee, such as the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC). GA committees are generally large—they can include over 200 delegates—and each delegate will represent a specific country in the United Nations. Commonly, each country will be represented by a pair of students from the same school, collectively referred to as a “delegation.” In a GA committee, delegations work together to create multi-dimensional solutions to international problems by incorporating multiple countries’ perspectives and creating consensus.

2. Specialized committees are similar to GAs in format, but they tend to be smaller: delegations in specialized committees can include either one or two delegates. Additionally, specialized committees do not necessarily mirror United Nations bodies; some examples include the Oscar Board of Directors or FIFA.

3. Crisis committees are more action-oriented than GAs or specialized committees. Instead of representing a country, delegates in crisis committees typically take on a new persona related to the topic of their committee, such as historical figures in Tudor England or fictional characters from Jurassic Park. Individual delegates will work to advance their own personal motive—referred to as a “crisis arc”—while also working with the rest of the committee to quickly solve a pressing issue. Crisis committees are designed for experienced Model UN delegates who can think on their feet.