UNPO General Assembly Simulated by Students
An increasing number of students from around Brazil have taken an interest in participating so-called MUN’s – Model United Nations. Recently, however, organizing teams of these MUNs have decided also to simulate the General Assembly of UNPO.
The goal of these simulations is to increase diplomatic and lobbying skills amongst the participants, as well as raising awareness and educating them in issues relating to international politics, international institutions (such as the United Nations) and increasing their knowledge on specific themes, such as the environment and climate change, security, human rights, disarmament and other social and cultural issues.
This year the University of Brasilia, in Brasilia, Brazil will for the first time simulate a UNPO General Assembly in the 7th session of the SiNUS (Simulação das Nações Unidas para Secundaristas) which is held from 30 April till 4 May 2008. This year’s overarching theme of the conference is “Reading the World, Rewriting Life”.
The simulation of the UNPO General Assembly will focus around the theme of Minority’s Labour Rights and the delegate’s guide includes information on forced labour in Burma/Myanmar and intensely focuses on the convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the rights that minorities can draw from it.
If you would like more information on the 2008 SiNUS, please visit their website (in Portuguese) at: http://www.sinus.org.br/.
For the consecutive third year, the University of Sao Paulo will also include a simulation of the UNPO General Assembly in the larger context of the MUN. The 9th session of MONU (Modelo da Organização das Nações Unidas) was held at the University of Sao Paulo from 12 to 16 December 2007.
During the simulation in 2007, the two topics of discussion in the simulated forum were:
- The participation of UNPO Members in international fora like the United Nations, and
- Environmental challenges: the possession of natural resources
In 2006 topics included on the agenda were indigenous peoples and nonviolence, as well as a resolution passed on the topic of forced migration.
It is envisaged that the MONU will take place again in December 2008. Further details will be posted on the website of UNPO when they are made public. If you would like more information on the 2008 MONU, please visit their website (in Portuguese) at: http://www.monu.org.br/.
