The Georgetown Model United Nations Returns to Doha

The United Nations is coming to Qatar – The Model United Nations, to be precise. Over the course of four days, from February 20th to February 23rd, 2014, over 400 students representing 23 schools in Qatar and over 30 schools worldwide, will converge on the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha to participate in the annual Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) Model United Nations (MUN) conference. At the student-organized forum, participating high school students will debate, deliberate, consult and develop solutions to real world issues, in a recreation of the real workings of the United Nations.

The list of participating schools include the International School of Geneva, United Nations Campus, Switzerland, Jumeirah College, U.A.E., the Western Academy of Beijing, China, the Collegiate School, the United States, and the International Programs Schools, from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This year’s Model U.N. theme, “Shifting Power Dynamics in a Globalized World”, along with the committees and committee topics, are all chosen by the GU-Q MUN Student Board. Some of this year’s topics include Standards for Intervention, Conflict in Northern Mali, State-building in the Arab League States, The Situation of Syrian Refugees, Global Migration and Women in Politics. Mohamad Khalil Harb, the Secretary General of the MUN, and a senior majoring in Culture and Politics, commented on the theme of this year’s conference, saying, “In a host country such as Qatar, this theme is constantly playing increased importance in the global scheme of politics, thus such a theme seemed most fitting.”

Maram Al-Dafa, the Deputy Secretary General of the MUN, and a GU-Q junior majoring in International Politics, said “I’ve been doing MUN since middle school so it’s been about 9 years now. I think it is a beneficial process for students from all over to learn more about current issues. MUN builds confidence, character, and improves public speaking skills. It is also a great way for high school students to learn more about Georgetown and Qatar. As a GU student it has been a pleasure doing MUN as it has helped me build strong connections with peers and has also given me the chance to work with peers and staff on a professional level.”

Over the years, many MUN conferences have been established and practiced worldwide. However, the Georgetown University MUN -held on both the Washington D.C. and Qatar campus – benefits from the expertise and focus that the university’s globally ranked foreign affairs curriculum provides to both student organizers and high school participants. Likewise, university faculty and staff actively participate and provide support throughout the conference. Interested schools applied earlier in the academic year to send a team of 6 student delegates to the conference.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on Thursday February 20th, and will feature distinguished diplomat, His Excellency Bader Omar Al Dafa, who has previously served as ‎Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, Egypt. France, Spain and Russia. He has also served as the non-resident Ambassador to Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Switzerland, and Mexico, and served as Director of the European and American Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was formerly the ‎Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and is currently the Ambassador-at-Large and ‎the Executive Director of the Global Dry Land Alliance.Before the closing ceremonies that mark the end of the four day event, participants will also be treated to a Diplomatic Reception on GU-Q’s Education City campus, where members of Qatar’s diplomatic community interact with their role-playing student counterparts, as well as a Cultural Night, a colorful international bazaar where each school will showcase national dress, food, flags, pictures, songs, and artifacts from their school’s country. The festivities provide engaging social and professional networking opportunities for the students, and present yet another forum in which relationship-building and cooperation are key elements in a continued re-enactment of the global stage.