As mentioned in an earlier post, the Model United Nations programme is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the UN agenda. The participants role play as diplomats representing a country in a simulated session of an organ or committee of the UN. Participants have to research a country, investigate international issues and then develop solutions to world problems. During the conference, participants must employ a variety of communication and critical thinking skills in order to represent the policies of their country. Just like last year, the EMUN will take place at St. Alban’s College in Lomas de Zamora, on June 24^th and 25^th,  2016. We were assigned three delegations: Belgium, Ecuador and Estonia. This year 15 students will participate: Federico Mysler, Franco Panighini, Macarena Paulos, Pablo Pociecha, Mijal Cannizaro, Pietro Marotta, Camila Kim, Carolina Baglioni Burgos y Nicole Kohan of S4, and Julieta Perelman, Pilar Di Salvo, Daniela Riggio, Camila Quintana, Luz Mautner and  Florencia Azambuja of S5. Two students, Valentina Cappa and Ana Paula Velastegui, volunteered to act as student officers to chair The Special Conference of Global Sharing and the Human Rights Council; and a former student, Alex Mysler, will be the General Assembly’s President. Topics and challenges The topics to be debated  this year are the following: GA1 Disarmament:

• The issue of drug-trafficking cartels in Latin America.
• The media in the context of international security.

GA3 Social, Humanitarian and Cultural:

• The issue of temporary housing for refugees.
• Combating the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self determination.

GA4 Special Political and Decolonization:

• Measures to prevent international recruitment from terrorist organizations.
• Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self Governing Territories.

ECOSOC:

• Improving coordination efforts to combat human trafficking.
• Question of the use of cross-border tax avoidance by multinational corporations.

Environment Commission (EC):

• Monitoring the use of bio-technology.
• The question of international cooperation on water recycling.

Human Rights Council (HRC):

• Promoting international cooperation to protect human rights of street children in major cities.
• Ensuring girls' access to education in less developed countries (LEDCs).

Special Conference on Global Sharing:

• Strengthening efforts to develop a green economy.
• Strengthening efforts to prevent malnutrition.

There is no doubt that our students will profit immensely from this experience and will also have a lot of fun. Model United Nations has become an essential part of BDS and it is exciting for me to see how students are ready to take on the extra work it entails with enthusiasm and responsibility. Mónica Bruck, Head of Humanities Department, Middle & Senior