MeDMUN IV: Most Successful Conference Yet

General Release

MeDMUN IV Consummate Diplomats

The Metro Detroit Model United Nations Organization held the fourth MeDMUN Conference on January 6th, 2018. Despite some snow and frigid temperatures, around 250 delegates and 15 schools competed at Walled Lake Western High School.

The day started with an opening ceremony where we welcomed Josephine Jabara from World Medical Relief for a keynote address. After being dismissed from the ceremony delegates dove into debate in our 10 different committees.

The General Assembly committees saw fierce debates over cybersecurity and the situation in Myanmar. The Regional Bodies saw delegates take the role of Arctic Council member states working to protect indigenous cultures, Asian nations trying to prevent a future war, and the Arab League working to end the Civil War in Yemen. There was a particular scandal in the Arctic Council as a Russian indigenous group attempted to seize power and end oil drilling throughout the Russian and Scandinavian Arctic by holding oil workers hostage. Only back channel negotiations made it possible to avoid an all-out confrontation and save many of the hostages. Across the Specialized Agencies a similar level of drama played out. Mayors at the American City summit battled the federal government who tried to rescind their federal funding and pollutants being dumped into major waterways. The Security Council helped stabilize the Central African Republic, but not before a hostage crisis threatened to undermine the whole project. Delegates even survived several veto threats to improve legal protections for civilians in war-zones. The Ad-Hoc and UNHCR saw dynamic debate centering on arms control and the situation of refugees. Both were able to establish long-lasting solutions that garnered almost unanimous support.

The day concluded with a closing ceremony where we recognized the Consummate Diplomats and Consummate Staffers. The Consummate Diplomats were recognized by the moderators and legal chairs in their committees. We seek to recognize not those delegates who write the most resolutions, or sponsor the most amendments; but the delegate who contributes to the committee in a substantive manner. They also continue to advocate for the position of their nations while seeking to forge compromise.

MeDMUN IV was a successful conference and we look forward to building on the day’s success for MeDSeC I and MeDMUN V next year. We hope to see all of you again soon.