AUKMUN team receives awards at the United Nations in Geneva

Members of the Model United Nations at the American University of Kuwait (AUKMUN) acquired several awards during the United Ambassadors Model United Nations Conference, which was held at the United Nations building in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2017. The theme of the conference was “the road to Sustainable Global Development in light of social, economic and security-related challenges in the modern world.” The AUKMUN delegation consisted of 6 members: Sabah Al-Sabah (President), Ali Al-Qallaf (Vice President), Hunter Headaphol, Anjan Sethi, Moneera Al-Shatti, and Hussain Khashab.

The Conference featured an accurate simulation of the United Nations, which allowed delegates to acquire a practical understanding of how the United Nations operates and learn about its decision-making processes. Throughout its four days, Sabah Al-Sabah was elected as the Vice President of the General Assembly and was in charge of coordinating and supervising the various sessions of the Assembly. Ali AlQallaf and Hunter Headaphol served as members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and represented the Republic of Italy.

Their objective was to write a resolution and provide press and presidential statements that addressed issues on aviation and cyber security amidst escalating terrorist activities. Ali and Hunter created a consensus among all members of the Committee and worked with other members to pass a resolution by unanimous consent, despite the fact that they did not possess UNSC veto privileges. Hunter also participated in a media stakeout, where he was required to respond to questions posed by the press regarding Italy’s involvement in the negotiations. Ali and Hunter were both presented with the Diplomacy Award.

Anjan Sethi represented Japan in a committee called “Empowering of Women,” which focused on ending discrimination and violence against women. The objective of the Committee was to write a resolution with consensus. The task was particularly challenging, as different countries had their own take on topics such as forced prostitution, women’s sexuality and the problem of domestic violence. After two days of intense negotiations among the delegates, a consensus was reached. Anjan firmly believes that the format of the conference made him understand the power of diplomacy.

“I will forever cherish this amazing experience, which not only made me more aware of the United Nations, but provided me with an opportunity to meet an amazing group of people from across the world,” he explained. Moneera Al-Shatti represented Japan as a member of the Economic and Financial Committee. Her main objective was to find solutions for climate change based on the UN sustainable development goals. Japan was known to have achieved the highest level of energy efficiency in the world, so its role in this conference was significant when it came to drafting the final resolution.

Moneera was praised for sharing the information she gathered about the subject prior to the conference with other delegates and for coming up with viable proposals. This allowed the group to arrive at a consensus on preparing the final document. In the process, Moneera was presented with the Best Position Paper Award. Finally, Hussain Khashab served on the Disarmament & International Security Committee (DISEC). He took a bold initiative and decided to form the G77+China political Block. The Block, which consisted of more than eight delegates, unanimously elected him as leader. Hussain’s Committee was unique in that it was the first UA-MUN Committee to break the previous record of inserting operative clauses in a resolution and raising the number from 33 to 42. Hussain also won the Best Position Paper Award.

For their performance at the conference, AUKMUN received the Outstanding Delegation Award, which was accepted by Sabah Al-Sabah on behalf of himself and his delegates. This year, under the leadership of Sabah Al Sabah as President and Ali Al-Qallaf as Vice President, AUKMUN has acquired the highest number of awards as a single delegation. While in Geneva, members of AUKMUN also got the chance to meet with H E Jamal Al-Ghunaim, Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations within the United Nations complex.

AUKMUN serves as one of the active Student Clubs at AUK. Since 2015 its financial and advisory support has been under the direct supervision of the Department of International Relations, which enables AUKMUN to function and plan according to its long term objectives. “The AUKMUN, under the sponsorship and direction of the Department of International Relations has managed to take practical steps to provide the opportunity for all students at AUK to experience the art of diplomacy and negotiation in an increasingly globalized world. The students representing AUK in Geneva were representatives of the College of Business and Economics and the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Dr. Gholam R. Vatandoust AUKMUN Advisor and Professor of Near Eastern Studies and History at AUK.