UC Irvine Model United Nations

UC Irvine
Model United Nations
XVI Annual Session
May 17th-28th, 2008

Secretary General's Welcome

Dear Faculty Advisors and Delegates:

It is our privilege to genially welcome you to the Sixteenth Annual Session of the University of California-Irvine Model United Nations High School Conference. This year’s conference will be held on May 17-18, 2008 on our glorious campus with a wide range of committees to generate the interest of the delegates including General Assembly committees, Economic and Social Council committees, the Security Council and specialized committees, which will follow and model the spirit of the United Nations and its Charter. Last year, thirty-three schools from around the nation came participate in our conference, and it was well-received by those that attended the conference. Additionally, a number of delegates also participated in our Saturday night social event at Disney’s California Adventure Park, where the entrance fee was discounted and was geared towards students who want to experience a taste of Southern California.

Our mission is to host a conference of the highest caliber and to meet all the requirements and desires of our participants and their advisors. We believe that this is only possible through having highly skilled delegates that will stimulate debate. We understand and emphasize that our conference’s success depends on the cooperation of the schools attending our conference. Thus, we encourage communication between our conference and your programs in order to assist each other and reduce confusion in anyway we can. In addition to a research page tailored to help Model United Nations students with country and topic research, there will also be an online service available to your delegates if they need help researching or advice about the conference, they may email the service for assistance at UCIMUN.External.Relations@gmail.com.

We believe that our objective is to have every delegate leave our conference having ascertained additional understanding about the world around them and more importantly learning skills that will last them a lifetime regardless of the competitive element involved in participating in Model United Nations conferences. Therefore, our conference will put an emphasis on three key elements of a Model United Nations conference:

Research and Preparation: We want our delegates to understand each topic fully from the perspective of their assigned country and to apply their knowledge to writing their position paper and resolution, to giving speeches and comments, and to their caucusing. The delegates are encouraged to produce original solutions based on the delegates’ conceptual understanding of the problem and its cause. We believe that through the application of their knowledge of the items on the agenda, the delegates will have a more simulating debate and a better understanding of international issues.
Speeches and Comments: Our chairmen will be expecting not only superior presentation of information, but also great quality and content in what the delegates are saying. This part of committee is imperative for the chairmen to evaluate the delegates’ knowledge on the topics at hand. We believe that it is a medium for the delegates to address the entire committee and to stimulate debate on certain issues in an open and safe forum for discussion.
Diplomacy in Caucusing: The conference is emphasizing diplomacy in our delegates, and therefore, we will be encouraging delegates to artfully compromise on certain issues while still accurately portraying their country’s policy and position. The strongest delegate is not necessarily the one that is dominating committee by forcefully pushing their position through, but rather the one that is able to gain support for their proposal by listening to other delegates and incorporating what others are recommending into their resolution. The more diplomatic delegates will be able to apply the skills of negotiation that they learn into their daily lives, and will be more equipped and comfortable in all areas of communication.

The University of California-Irvine Model United Nations Conference does recognize those that excel in these areas as a delegate, and therefore, we award three levels of awards commendation, outstanding, and gavel. The chairmen are not limited in the number of awards that they can give to the delegates so that they can award everyone that they feel is deserving of one. The gavel is awarded to the best delegate in a committee who represented their country competently and admirably in all areas of emphasis to symbolize their diligence, diplomacy, and hard work. This year's gavel prize is generously provided by the Kenyan UN office and consists of an award of $250. The committee also elects an individual to be a Rapporteur that they feel represents them the best. Lastly, our conference presents delegation awards to recognize schools with overall strong performances.

Enclosed in this mailing are the Registration Form and Conference Information Handout along with several useful materials that provide more insight into our spring conference. Please reply as soon as possible to obtain further information and to help speed up the process. This year, we have an excited and hard-working Secretariat ready to assist your school in resolving any problems that may arise and attempt to meet your every need. Our job is to make attending our conference an enjoyable experience, thus, we are open to all requests and will do everything within our power ensure your satisfaction. If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time. On behalf of our Secretariat, we look forward to working with and getting to know you this upcoming year.

Sincerely,

Phuong Luong
Secretary-General of the Sixteenth Annual Session of the
University of California-Irvine Model United Nations Conference

2007 Secretariat

Secretary General
Phuong Luong

Director-General
Christina Tajalli

USG of External Relations
Lindsay Meares

Deputy USG of External Relations
Palek Patel

USG of Military Loans
Lynly Marie Lumibao

USG of Conference Services
Morgan Hampton

Director of the Office of Public Information
Scott Strayer

Director of Crisis
David Li