NEWS: A model conference

MONT' Kiara International School recently hosted the fifth annual Malaysian Model United Nations (MYMUN) conference.

Themed “UN Millennium Development Goals”, the three-day conference brought students from different countries together to promote global citizenship and leadership.

Through sharing opinions, the participants arrived at a better understanding of different perspectives on global issues. They also explored ways to work together on possible solutions.

Mont' Kiara International School students preparing their presentations for the UN conference.

The guest speaker at the conference was Henrik Nordentoft from the United Nations (UN) High Commission for Refugees.

Mont’ Kiara middle school students entertained the 250 delegates – including students from China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand – with the sights and sounds of Malaysia through dance and drums, as the participants lobbied, debated and voted.

The delegates were also each assigned a UN country and asked to research its perspectives on aspects such as the environment, disarmament, human rights, and the general assembly.

Issues discussed included measures to halt and reverse the decline of the health of the world’s coral reefs, the situation of refugees in the Darfur (Sudan) area, implications of climate change for agricultural sustainability in developing and developed countries, a review of the Kyoto Protocol goals in light of recent official reports, and ways to combat the illegal arms trade in South Asia.

Organised by Mont’ Kiara International School students, the conference saw the participants taking on roles as the UN secretary general, deputy generals, chairs of committees, and administrative staff.

There was even a team producing a daily newspaper that reported on the on-going events at the conference.