Day two of Societies Week saw SOFIA’s very own Model United Nations club duke it out over the North Korean nuclear missile agenda, with various UN member nations fiercely defending the countries’ policies on this matter.
Model United Nations is an extracurricular activity open to both university and secondary school students alike with the aims of acting as a simulation of the real United Nations General Assembly. This provides young people with an insight into the world of diplomacy as they attempt to find solutions to prevalent, real world problems such as global poverty and the current refugee crisis.
The main topic of debate was North Korea and its use of nuclear missiles which, if utilised for the wrong purposes, pose a threat to international security. SOFIA debated this motion following the protocol of the UN Security Council, and through the use of both moderated and non-moderated caucuses.
The primary points of discussion focused on protecting the right of countries to nuclear energy and weaponry and whether or not the imposing of further sanctions on North Korea would be a feasible idea. Powerful points were made by the delegates of India, Iran, DPRK, China and Bangladesh.
After a brief non-moderated caucus whereby delegates were able to converse with one another and form political alliances, two resolutions were proposed and debated, with the resolution presented by the delegates of South Africa and South Korea against the use of nuclear missiles passing by an over-whelming majority.
Should you have any interest in becoming involved with Model United Nations, SOFIA is presently taking sign-ups for conferences in Cork, London and Belgium. For any aspiring diplomats out there such as myself, these are conferences not to be missed!
