Model United Nations Conference Simulates International Renewal in Göttingen

Göttingen. Simulating a United Nations assembly – that’s currently what students from all over the world can do at the Model United Nations Conference in Göttingen, which opened on Thursday afternoon in the auditorium on Wilhelmsplatz. The opening lectures were given by Professor Andreas Busch, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Stefan Kroll from the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research in Frankfurt. The motto of this year’s conference is “Build Back Better – International Renewal in Face of Crisis”.

In addition to students from Göttingen, delegations from Heidelberg and Munich, as well as from Slovenia and Israel, are taking part this year, as well as participants from France, Sweden and the USA, among others. Different courses of study are also represented at the conference – from law and political science to philosophy, psychology and world literature.

Students recreate the UN Assembly

Together they not only simulate a UN General Assembly, but also a Security Council consultation on the situation in Syria and meetings of various committees on topics such as nuclear disarmament. At the end of the conference, a UN resolution will be passed, so the students try out the processes of international negotiations and decisions in the simulation.

In addition, the annual conference is also an opportunity to broaden your own horizons and make new friends, says Michael Schütte, medical student and President of the Model United Nations Society Göttingen (MUNSG). Hannah Brüx from the organization team of the conference thinks: Working together, debating together and getting to know other cultures are what make the Model United Nations what it is.

In his opening speech, Jakob Barkalaia, Vice President of MUNSG, emphasized the ambiguity of the current world situation between serious problems and inspiring opportunities. The Model United Nations conference could show that international compromises and positive change are possible.

Opening speeches on Brexit and dealing with crises

In his subsequent speech, Andreas Busch looked at Brexit in order to refute a common theory in the field of international relations, which states that states act in the interests of their national interests in international interactions. Busch argued that Brexit had shown that internal party interests and concerns about re-election played an important role in international decisions. Because Brexit is by no means in the interest of the country, but in that of the Conservative Party. Its mainly negative consequences showed that pursuing narrow political gains could have far-reaching disadvantages. The political scientist concluded that the participants in the simulated negotiations at the conference should bear this in mind.

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Stefan Kroll, alumnus of the University of Göttingen, spoke about the interconnected, parallel crises of the present. In contrast to catastrophes, crises are moments in which political changes are possible through good decisions. One of the biggest challenges is prioritizing problems. Crises would not only cross geographical borders, but also affect different sectors of society and therefore require interdisciplinary and international cooperation.

The Model United Nations conference runs until Sunday afternoon.

GT/ET