2022-2023
A team of fresh faces in Baylor Model United Nations named Honorable Mention Delegation at the NMUN-DC Conference
On November 3-6, 2022, ten members of Baylor’s Model United Nations team along with one head delegate traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 16th annual NMUN-DC conference, representing Kenya in five committees. This was the first national Model UN conference for nine of the ten team members. The conference attained its pre-pandemic size and diversity of schools participating as more than 1,000 delegations from universities across the United States as well as from Germany, Italy, China, Norway, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, and Japan debated and drafted resolutions on topics including:
- The Relationship Between Disarmament and Development (GA 1);
- Addressing International Migration and Development (GA 2);
- Protecting and Restoring Marine Habitats (UNEA);
- Addressing Global Vaccine Distribution Disparities (WHA); and
- The Situation in Afghanistan (SC).
The ten Members of Baylor’s team represented Kenya in five committees: General Assembly First (GA 1), General Assembly Second (GA 2), United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), World Health Assembly (WHA), and Security Council (SC). The team was named an Honorable Mention Delegation for its work across these five committees. Awards are commendable in any semester but considering only one of the delegates assigned to represent Kenya had attended an in-person collegiate MUN conference before, this accomplishment is all the more noteworthy for this young team. Grayson Shirey (Junior, International Studies) reflected on what it was like to attend conference for the first time, noting:
I went into the conference with a bit of trepidation because it was my first time every doing anything like it. But the incredible cultural diversity, amazing experiences, and varying interests possessed by those in the room made for an inclusive and collaborative environment where I could learn as I went and enjoy every moment. I cannot wait for the next conference!
Fellow teammate and first-time participant Laila Donawa (Junior, International Studies) echoed Grayson’s sentiments, sharing:
For my first Model UN conference I had a wonderful time in discussion with other schools and Member States on the work of UNEA. I will remember this weekend for the added experience in public speaking, group work, and friendships.
In addition to the Honorable Mention award shared by the whole team, our club and class members received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in three of the five committees in which they participated: GA 2, WHA, and Security Council. Position paper awards recognize and reward the delegates’ preparation and research; these papers are submitted weeks in advance of conference to be judged by committee staff. Before students are prepared to write a position paper, though, they must complete extensive research on the policy positions of their assigned Member State, immersing themselves in speeches, press releases, and news articles by the Member State in order to portray their country’s diplomatic stance effectively and accurately. In addition to remaining in character and accurately representing their assigned Member State, delegates must research and propose policy solutions that will garner the consensus of the international community, which is the goal of the in-person conference and the subject of resolutions.
The Model UN team wishes to thank the Department of Political Science and College of Arts & Science for their financial support that made participation in and travel to this conference possible. Team member Tori Jones (Sophomore, International Studies) sums up the benefits of the conference well, remarking:
NMUN-DC was an incredible opportunity to meet people from around the world with similar interests and passions, learn a ton about global affairs, and sharpen my communication skills. I’m so grateful for this opportunity!
Position Paper Award Winners
Below is a list of all the class and club members who contributed to research, writing, and editing for the award-winning position papers.
GA 2: Jesse Drapela (Senior, Political Science), Nathan Fox (Senior, Political Science), Revina Karani (Senior, Psychology and International Studies), Jla Laboy (Senior, Communication – Rhetoric and Public Discourse)
WHA: Xiang “Shaun” Ji (Junior, International Studies), Krish Kothari (Junior, Political Science) and Isabella Vierling (Junior, Political Science)
SC: Laila Donawa (Junior, International Studies), Tori Jones (Sophomore, International Studies), and Danielle Miller (Freshman, Political Science)
Baylor Students Shine at NMUN-Japan
On November 18-28 seven members of Baylor’s Model United Nations Team traveled to Kobe, Japan to participate in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) Japan conference. Baylor’s team represented Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania in four committees that simulated the work of the United Nations General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Security Council, and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Committee. The topics the students researched in advance and discussed at conference included:
- Promoting Mental Health and Improving Access to Care (GA);
- Adapting Energy Systems for Energy Security and Climate Change Mitigation (GA);
- Addressing Food Security in a Globalized World (ECOSOC);
- Promoting Sustainable Economic Participation of Youth (ECOSOC);
- Practical Measures to Implement Article VI (NPT);
- Strengthening Measures for Nuclear Security (NPT);
- The Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SC); and
- Strengthening Women’s Role in Peacebuilding (SC).
At the conclusion of the conference, Baylor’s team was named an overall Outstanding Delegation, the highest team award given at Model UN conferences. In addition, every member of Baylor’s team received individual recognition with some delegates receiving multiple awards. The team received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in three out of the four committees in which it participated, recognizing research completed in advance of conference and received Outstanding Delegation Awards in three out of the four committees in which it participated in recognition of work done in committee at conference. In other words, the team won nearly every award it could possibly win at the conference! The full list of award winners is provided below, but more important than the awards the team brought home to Baylor was the exceptional educational experience afforded by the conference, which was just the second international conference held outside the U.S. Baylor students have attended.
More than 300 students from more than 40 universities from around the world participated in NMUN-Japan 2022, which was co-hosted by the Kobe City University of Foreign Studies (KCUFS). KCUFS students led the conference attendees on cultural visits to Kobe, Hiroshima, and Kyoto before the conference sessions officially began on Wednesday, November 23. The visit to Hiroshima was especially important, given the conference’s focus on topics related to peaceful uses of nuclear energy as well as nuclear disarmament. In Hiroshima, the delegates visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, Children’s Peace Monuments, and the Peace Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to documenting the horrors of nuclear weapons and advocating for nuclear non-proliferation. The cultural experience also included a moving testimony from Ms. Ogura Keiko, a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, who shared her first-hand account of the events of the day and the aftermath. Student guides from KCUFS taught the NMUN delegates how to make origami paper cranes, which are a symbol of peace that has a special meaning for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park where there are displays of thousands of paper cranes made by students from around the world. The nearly 1,000 paper cranes made by Baylor students and others attending the conference will be added to the peace display.
The conference plenary sessions were especially enriching for our students and included a panel discussion on Sustainable Peace moderated by Mr. Tetsuo Kondo, who is the Director of the Representation Office in Tokyo of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and provided perspectives from individuals who work for the UN, NGOs, as well as businesses and others in the private sector. The Opening Ceremony featured welcome remarks delivered remotely by Setsuko Thurlow, the 2017 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Thurlow is a survivor of the August 1945 atomic bomb in Hiroshima, and in her remarks to the NMUN-Japan students she reiterated the heightened importance of nuclear non-proliferation in the context of the current war in Ukraine. The conference’s closing session remarks from Izumi Nakamistu, the UN Under-Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, charged the students to take the lessons they learned at the conference and apply them in their professions as the next generation of leaders working to promote peace and sustainability. Baylor’s team left the conference energized and excited to make their mark on the world around them.
Baylor’s Model UN team would not have had this amazing opportunity without the generous financial support it received from departments across the university. The team is grateful for support received from:
- the Baylor Business Fellows Excellence Fund,
- the Center for Global Engagement,
- the College of Arts and Sciences,
- the department of Economics,
- the Department of Political Science,
- the Hankamer School of Business,
- the McBride Center for International Business, and
- the Program in International Studies.
This conference marks just the mid-point in an exciting year for our team. In February eight students will participate in the Texas Model United Nations Conference (TexMUN) in Austin, Texas, representing the United States, Poland, and Kenya. In April, sixteen students will represent Poland at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York; team auditions for the New York conference will take place in late February.
Outstanding Delegation Team Photos
Cultural Visit to Kiyomizu Temple – Kyoto
Baylor’s Model United Nations Team Shines at Final TexMUN Conference
The ninth and final TexMUN conference was held on February 3-5, 2023 hosted by the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin and facilitated by the Osgood Center for International Studies. Seven members of Baylor’s Model United Nations Team participated in the conference, representing Kenya, Poland, and the United States in simulated sessions of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. In addition, Baylor Model UN Alum Andrew Person (History, 2019) served as chair for the General Assembly.
In advance of the conference the students researched and wrote position papers on:
- The Human Rights Situation in Eastern Europe (GA),
- SDGs and the 2030 Agenda in COVID-19 Recovery (GA),
- The Situation in Somalia (SC), and
- The Impact of Climate-Change Related Disasters on International Peace and Security (SC).
This research was recognized with four Outstanding Position Paper Awards from conference staff. In addition, three of Baylor Delegations Received Outstanding Delegation Awards from conference peers. The full list of award winners and team roster is included below.
Position Paper Award Winners
General Assembly (Kenya) – Joliesa Monk
General Assembly (United States) – Taylor Jones & Luciri Nazario Security Council (Kenya) – Danielle Miller
Security Council (United States) – Eliot Lam
Delegations in Committee Awards
Outstanding Delegation, General Assembly (Poland)- Jazmine Fajardo & Lilia Kasten
Outstanding Delegation, Security Council (Kenya) – Danielle Miller Distinguished Delegation, General Assembly (United States) – Taylor Jones & Luciri Nazario
Baylor’s Model United Nations Team Named Outstanding Delegation at NMUN-NY 2023
On April 1-7, 2023 sixteen Members of Baylor’s Model United Nations Team traveled to New York to represent Poland at the National Model United Nations Conference, which brought together more than 2,000 university students from around the world. Baylor represented Poland in eight simulated committees of the UN, researching topics such as:
- Youth for Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Peace and Addressing the Illicit Trade of Weapons to Non-State Actors (GA 1),
- Rural Economic Development and Minimizing Economic Shock in a Globalized Economy (GA 2),
- Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Sustainable Development and Safeguarding Human Rights of Persons Displaced by Climate Change (GA 3),
- Realizing the Right to Adequate Housing and Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Persons Based on Religion or Belief (HRC),
- Nuclear Waste Management and Strengthening Safeguards for the World’s Nuclear Facilities (IAEA),
- Strengthening Action to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 and Addressing Climate-Fragility Risks (UNEA),
- Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law and Strengthening Partnerships on Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development (UNESCO), and
- Protecting Refugees from Human Trafficking and Preventing the Increase of Internally Displaced Persons (UNHCR).
In addition to the team’s research in advance of the conference, while in New York the team was given a briefing from at Poland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations by Przemysław Balcerzyk, Counsellor and Head of Political Section, which included a question and answer session and a particular focus on a recent resolution that Poland drafted on building global resilience and promoting sustainable development through regional and interregional infrastructure connectivity.
During the conference, Baylor’s team was named an Outstanding Delegation by conference staff, which is the highest team award bestowed by the conference. In addition, in five of the eight committees in which Baylor participated, the partners were named Outstanding Delegations in Committee, an individual, peer-nominated award; this ties the team’s record for individual delegation awards, which was initially set in 2019. In addition the team received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in five of eight committees; like the team awards, these paper awards are nominated by conference staff. The complete list of winners is provided below.
Among the individual award winners are two of Baylor MUN’s graduating senior members, who leave the team after several years of conference participation. Each of these seniors had reflections to share about their NMUN-NY 2023 conference experience:
NMUN was an incredible opportunity to work with people from around the world representing various Member States and beliefs. Conference also gave me a chance to work on many skills such as public speaking, leadership, and critical thinking as we worked to create multifaceted solutions to complex global problems. Model UN is an amazing experience that I will look back on after graduating college and I will no doubt carry on the skills that I learned in my professional career! (Lauren Jarvis, Senior, University Scholars)
NMUN was an incredible opportunity to work with people from around the world representing various Member States and beliefs. Conference also gave me a chance to work on many skills such as public speaking, leadership, and critical thinking as we worked to create multifaceted solutions to complex global problems. Model UN is an amazing experience that I will look back on after graduating college and I will no doubt carry on the skills that I learned in my professional career! (Justin Nguyen, Senior, Biology)
As both of these students communicate so well, it is the educational benefits that are the genuine reward of these conferences.
NMUN-NY concludes Baylor’s academic year for conferences, which included participation in NMUN-DC 2022, NMUN-Japan 2022, TexMUN 2023, and the UNHCR’s Model UN Refugee Challenge. Baylor’s Model United Nations team is grateful to the Department of Political Science and the College of Arts & Science for their financial support that made participation in and travel to these conferences possible.
Position Paper Award Winners
Below is a list of all the class and club members who contributed to research, writing, and editing for the award-winning position papers. This award is given by conference staff.
GA 2- Danish Ahmad, Devon Bolton, Sigrid Hiser, Eliot Lam, Chris Seifert
Human Rights Council – Lilia Katen, Justin Nguyen, and Isabella Vierling
IAEA – Krish Kothari and Drue Powers
UNEA – Izzy De La Hoz Estrada, Ainsley Peterson, Isabella Zarate
UNHCR - Lauren Jarvis and Tori Jones
Outstanding Delegations in Committee
This is an individual award given by peers in committee at conference.
GA 2- Danish Ahmad and Sigrid Hiser
Human Rights Council –Justin Nguyen and Isabella Vierling
IAEA – Krish Kothari and Drue Powers
UNEA – Izzy De La Hoz Estrada and Isabella Zarate
UNHCR - Lauren Jarvis and Tori Jones
Baylor Model UN Outstanding Delegation Representing Poland
