UNON hosts the 17th annual session of the Middle School Model UN - 21 January 2011

The Middle School Model United Nations (MSMUN) held its 17th annual session between the 19th and the 21st of January 2011 at the UN Complex in Nairobi. The conference brought together over 800 delegates from 34 schools from Kenya and different countries in Africa.

The conference was officially opened by His Excellency Ambassador George Kayonga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to UNEP and UN-HABITAT, who spoke to the delegates about his life and his rise from being a refugee in Uganda to becoming the Ambassador for Rwanda. Ambassador Kayonga spoke of the great emphasis the United Nations is putting on youth development and how Model United Nations provides a “critical connect” between the UN and youth.

During the three days, delegates lobbied and debated resolutions in four committees, namely: Human Rights, Ecology and Environment, Health and Technology and the Security Council. Also throughout the conference, the press corps, made up entirely of students, covered the days’ events and reported them in the “Daily Informer” the MUN’s news publication.  

At the closing ceremony the students watched a video of a young girl, Severen Suzuki, giving her speech at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (Earth Summit 1992). In the video, Severen spoke of the great challenges facing the world and what little was being done to change this. She encouraged youth to be active in highlighting these problems and being a part of the solution. Her speech stirred the world in 1992 and it inspired the delegates during this conference.

Shiro Wachira, a 15 year old Executive Committee member gave the closing address to the delegates. In her message she noted that idealism was the hallmark of youth and that it was not foolish, rather everyone should hold on to it and use it to make a difference in the world.She spoke of what, aside from everything else, she would wish for on her birthday. She would wish that everyone had food and a place to live. She said she now realised that her birthday wish probably would not change the world; but believed that if one helped even a single person, by giving food or clothing; this will have changed that person’s life. This would contribute to a better world for all.

The Middle School Model United Nations came to a close on a high note with the press corps screening a retrospective video of delegates caught in action through the course of the week. Later that evening, delegates attended a closing dance. Among all the Model UNs held in Kenya, the MSMUN is represented by the youngest delegates, aged between 11 and 14 years

For more information contact Ms Eshila Maravanyika, email: Eshila.maravanyika@unon.org