Model United Nations was founded as an educational organisation based on a simulation of the United Nations international system. It has been in existence as long as the UN itself, and in its former incarnation was known as the Model League of Nations. It involves universities and high schools from all over the world and motivates students to become involved in recent international issues and get familiar with the structure of the United Nations.
Students from high schools all over the world come together at Model United Nations Conferences to find out about the mechanisms, opportunities and limitations of such an organisation. Delegations from different high schools represent one country each. No delegation shall represent its own country, but rather adopt a different country's views and beliefs for a couple of days. That also means that from time to time one has to represent beliefs that are not one's own, examine their background, reasons and get familiar with them.
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Each delegate sits in a committee that also exists in the real United Nations; topics under debate are chosen to reflect the current discussions in that committee. The whole working process of the committee is simulated including the setting of the agenda, the informal debate, the formal debate in session, the drafting of resolutions and the passing of resolutions in a voting procedure. During the formal debate the positions of each state will be laid out, whereas in the informal debates the heavy negotiations between delegates concerning details take place. The ultimate goal of a Model United Nations is to write a resolution that is accepted by the committee (by simple majority in most cases, but by special rules in the Security Council) and tackles the problems presented to the committee.
Participants of MUN Conferences can:
More general/personal benefits for them is that they can:
KarMUN is a Model United Nations conference that is hosted by the Karinthy Frigyes Bilingual Secondary School (Gimnázium) Budapest each year, started in 2005. The school has offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme since 1992, so a major international event is not alien to them at all. Key topics of the conferences have been e.g.: ”Children”, ”Tolerance”, ”Education” and ”World Economic Crisis”.
KarMUN 2011..
10-12th March
Opening ceremony of the KarMUN 2011 Conference in the Assembly Hall of the House of Lords of the Parliament Building
(from left) Dr. Karátson, Dávid keynote speaker, Mr.
Hutai, László Head Teacher, Mr. Kucsák,
László Member of Parliament, Deputy Mayor of the XVIII.
district of Budapest; and Dr. Bognár, Anikó Deputy Head
Teacher
Mr. Kucsák, László Member of Parliament, Deputy
Mayor of the XVIII. district of Budapest is welcoming the participants
with Ms. Missori, Norina acting as interpreter.
Mr. Mark Canning Head of Department of the Embassy of the USA is delivering his key-note speech.
Dr. Karátson, Dávid, Head of Department of the
Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest is delivering his
key-note speech.
r. Széles, Tamás - President of the General Assembly; Ms.
Jelencsik, Kitty - Secretary General of KarMUN and Ms. Tóth,
Alíz - Vice Secretary General of KarMUN on the pulpit
Worinkg hard up to the last minute
Plenary of the closing assembly
KarMUN 2010..
12-14th March
participants:
students:
407
(17
only hosts)
from Karinthy:
197
from abroad:
148 (43 from international schools)
from
other Hungarian schools: 62
Teachers:
43
from
Karinthy
13
from schools in
from international schools:
7
from schools outside
schools:
19
Hungarian:
6
international:
5
outside
Foreign PARTICIPANTS: from 9 countries:
SPEAKERS:
WELCOME
SPEECHES IN THE OPENING CEREMONY IN
THE UPPER HOUSE OF THE
· Dr.
Mester,
László – Member of
Parliament for the district of the Gimnázium
and Mayor of the
· Mr.
Hutai, László – Principal of Karinthy Frigyes
Gimnázium
Key-note speakers:
· professor
Medgyes,
Péter, ex-ambassador: “Public speaking, education and a
non-member state” with Q&A session
· Mr. Weston, Steven, head of the
Economic Section at the
· Ms.
Demeter,
Adrienn, Secretary
General of Kar-M.U.N. and MS.
Jelencsik,
Kitti, Deputy
Secretary General of
Kar-M.U.N.
Crisis Committee:
Mr. Poór, István,
teacher at KFG
Disarmament
Committee:
Mr. Erdős,
André, ex-ambassador to the UN
Economical and Social
Council:
Ms. Szobolits, Andrea, representing the High
Commissioner of the United Nations,
Environmental Committee:
Mr. Haruhiko Tanaka, professor
emeritus of the University of Hirosima
Human Rights Council:
Mr. Taylor, Jon, teacher at the
Social,
Humanitarian and Cultural Committee:
Dr. Uwe Pohl , Head
of the English Language Pedagogy
Department at the ELTE
Special Conference:
Mr. Marton, Péter, teacher at the Corvinus University of Budapest
KarMUN 2009
The opening ceremony in the Upper House Hall of the Building of the
Parliament
5th of March
Mr. Mandur, László Deputy Speaker of the National
Assembly with Liptai, Dorottya student of KFG as interpreter
Participants of the General Assembly of KarMUN in the Upper House Hall
of the Parliament Building.
(from left) The Vice Secretary General of KarMUN - Kósa,
Krisztina; the President of the General Assembly - Bezeczky,
Balázs and Secretary General of KarMUN - Demeter, Adrienn on the
pulpit
Mr. Hutai, László, Head teacher of KFG is delivering his
speech
The Vice Secretary General of KarMUN - Kósa, Krisztina and
Secretary General of KarMUN - Demeter, Adrienn prepared and presented a
speech together
Ms. Martin, Bettina delivering her keynote speech
Plenary session in the assembly hall of the Karinthy Frigyes
Gimnázium
Participants in the General Assembly at KFG
Working hard in the committees
KarMUN 2008
The Opening Ceremony and Session of the 2008. conference took place in the Upper House Hall of the Hungarian Parliament and was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and the Member of Parliament for the district of the Gimnázium (just like in 2007).
Mr. Mandur, László Deputy Speaker of the National
Assembly with Schwégel, Zsófia student of KFG as
interpreter
The Secretary General of KarMUN, Boros, Eszter and Vice Secretary,
Demeter, Adrienn on the pulpit and the President of the General
Assembly, Páll, Orsolya in the chair of the Speaker of the
Hungarian Parliament
Dr. Mester, László Member of Parliament for the district
of the Gimnázium and Mayor of the Budapest XVIIIth District
Municipality is greeting the participants
As a special treat, at the end of his speech Dr. Mester asked all the male participants to help him hand over a marzipan rose to every woman there - as it all happened on the 100th anniversary of the international women's day.
The big bustle is not a plot in the Parliament but giving flowers to
women - thanks to the kindness of Dr. Mester.
About the participants (cca.):
190 delegates
chairs of committees - 12
teachers - 19
organizers - 20
administrative staff - 50
hosts of foreign students/teachers
More than 190 students from Karinthy participate one way or another.
Guests/participants from the following countries:
Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Hungary,
India, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, the Netherlands, the
UK, Vietnam.
Several foreign students participate from abroad like the neighbouring Serbia to the United States or from Estonia to Lebanon, and several students come from the best Hungarian secondary schools, too - altogether some 200 participants. The Opening Session of the 2007. conference took place in the Upper House Hall of the Hungarian Parliament and was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and the Member of Paliament for the district of the Gimnázium.
From left: Hajdúné Giron, Éva (Director of the Education and Sport Office of the Budapest XVIIIth District Municipality),
Dr. Mester, László (Mayor of the Budapest XVIIIth District Municipality and Member of Parliament for the district of the Gimnázium.),
Mandur László (Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly),
Hutai, László (Head of the Karinthy Frigyes Gimnázium),
Dr. Bognár, Anikó (Deputy Head of the Karinthy Frigyes Gimnázium),
Dr. Náthon, István (ex-ambassador of Hungary to the UN)
At the Opening Ceremony:
Welcome speech:
- Mr. Sándor Szaniszló - Deputy Mayor of
Budapest XVIIIth District, the hosting
municipality of Budapest,
Key-note speeches:
- Ambassador Klára Breuer from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
- Ms. Andrea Szobolits representing the High Commissioner
of the United Nations,
Speakers in committees:
- Mr. Márk Fodor - Director of Amnesty
International
- Mr. István Lakos - from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Lieutenant Colonel Miklós Szabó - Head of Department of
the Ministry of Interior
- Counsellor Dóra Kulauzov - Ministry of Environment and Water
- Mr. Ádám Mészáros - Associate Professor
of Szolnok College
Participating students:
- from abroad: 88 students, e.g.: the Czeck
Republic, Germany, Poland, the UK, Spain, Serbia-Montenegro
GREETING LETTER TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF
THE KAR-M.U.N.
FROM
MR. MOLNÁR,
LÁSZLÓ
AMBASSADOR OF HUNGARY TO THE UN
2005.
"IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME ALL THE
PARTICIPANTS OF THE FIRST MODEL UN PROGRAM EVER ORGANIZED IN HUNGARY.
AS THE FORMER AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MY COUNTRY TO
THE UN IN NEW YORK, WHERE I COULD HAVE HAD THE HONOR TO SERVE AND
REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF MY COUNTRY TILL THIS SPRING, IT IS
ESPECIALLY GRATIFYING FOR ME TO SEE THAT SO MANY YOUNG REPRESENTATIVES
FROM 4 COUNTRIES GATHER IN BUDAPEST, AT THE KARINTHY GIMNAZIUM / HIGH
SCHOOL, IN ORDER TO PROMOTE THE IDEALS OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
I AM FULLY CONVINCED THAT THE NEED FOR STRENGTHENING THE PUBLIC SUPPORT
FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT BODY OF MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY, I.E. THE UNITED
NATIONS, IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TODAY. THE UN IS FACING AN
ENORMOUS CHALLENGE THESE DAYS. THIS IS THE YEAR WHEN ALL MEMBER STATES
HOPE AND BELIEVE THAT A REAL BREAKTHROUGH COULD AND SHOULD BE ACHIEVED
FOR A GENUINE REFORM OF THIS INDISPENSABLE ORGANISATION AND IT IS OF
PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE THAT THE FUTURE GENERATION OF THE NEW
POLITICIANS, DIPLOMATS SHALL JOIN IN AND EXPRESS THEIR DEDICATION TO
THIS NOBLE GOAL. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE MODEL UN PROGRAM TODAY IS A
CLEAR AND RESOUNDING EXAMPLE OF YOUR READINESS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART
AND WORK IN THIS DIRECTION IN THE FUTURE AS WELL, IN ORDER TO ENABLE
THE UN TO SERVE THE UNIVERSAL GOALS AND INTERESTS OF ALL THE PEOPLES OF
OUR WORLD IN A MORE EFFECTIVE MANNER AND WITH A RENEWED CONFIDENCE."
MOLNAR LASZLO
AMBASSADOR TO THE UN