Introduction:
LARSSMUN Conference is an academic exercise where students assume the role of ambassadors of member countries of the United Nations and extensively deliberate on current global issues. It gives students the opportunity to view and understand issues from different perspectives, get acquainted with and appreciate different people and cultures, learn to proffer credible and acceptable solutions to identified national and global problems.
The conference has been designed as a forum where students work with these pressing international issues from a perspective outside of the classroom. Representing the interest of a foreign country further broadens the knowledge of the students on the difficulties and complexities of international relations. The programme brings the activities of the United Nations closer to the youth who are made to assume leadership roles through the simulation.
Students at the conference learn to face and overcome challenges, to respect the view point of rivals, to separate the person from the problem, to face disappointment with the determination to do better next time and to experience the joy of achievement. At the end of the conference, each student is changed having learnt more about himself, gained confidence from some endeavours and discovered previously unrecognized potential. The benefit to the student, school and society are great.
How Does Model United Nations Operate:
The basic principles of Model United Nations remain the same; regardless of where the conference is taking place;
Benefits of Model United Nations to Students:
Students’ Eligibility Requirements:
How to Complete the Registration Form:
Special information on country/committee selection and assignment:
It is important to note that we cannot guarantee that each student will be assigned the country/committee of his or her choice. Certain criteria may result in a change in delegates’ choice. Some of which are:
**Students who apply to sit on the Security Council should be of academic excellence and possess good public presentation and analytical skills. Accompanying staff should please assist us in this regard.
Submission of Essays and Position Papers –
Every delegate is expected to submit his/her completed registration form with One (1) passport photograph, evidence of payment of conference fee and the mandatory essay on “Engaging Youth in the Fight against Intolerance, Discrimination and Hate Crime” on or before the deadline of May 7, 2018. Students are encouraged to start preparation and research as soon as they receive registration confirmation and countries/committees allocated to them.
All accepted delegates are expected to individually submit their countries’ position papers on or before May 7, 2018.
NOTE: that the position paper is different from the mandatory essay.
Committees and Topics:
1). GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA)
2). SECURITY COUNCIL (SC)
3). ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL (ECOSOC)
4). HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRC)
5). UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
6). COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (CSW)
7). UNITED NATIONS POPULATIONS FUND (UNFPA)
8). UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
9). UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIO (UNESCO)
10). UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN FUND (UNICEF)
11). INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)
12). WORLD BANK GROUP (WBG)
13). AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (AfDB)
14). AFRICAN UNION (AU)
15). EUROPEAN UNION (EU)
16). ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)
18). INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)
19). UNITED NATIONS ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS (UNAOC)
20). ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC)
21). UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME (UNODC)
22). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – The UN Refugee Agency
23). JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
ii). Stigma and discrimination as obstacles to preventing the spread of HIV
24). UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION (UNWTO)
25). INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION (ICAO)
26). SPECIAL COMIITTEE ON YOUTH ACTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION (SCYAAD)
27). INTERNATIONAL PRESS COMMITTEE (IPC)
International Press Committee (IPC):
This simulation was added to LARSSMUN to represent the role of the media in diplomacy and international politics. The program is open to all students who have an interest in international relations, communications, journalism, or similar areas of interest. IPC delegates represent correspondents and news services which are represented in the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA). The IPC publishes a daily newsletter of LARSSMUN 2018 – ‘LARSSMUN BRIDGE’ covering the committee proceedings, world developments, and other related news.
Application criteria for the IPC include:
Requirement for Participation –
Application for participation is open to Senior Secondary School Students and schools can register as much students as possible.
Acceptance of Application –
Students who have been accepted to participate at LARSSMUN 2018 will be notified on or before May 11, 2018.
All applications and payments of conference fee must be received on or before May 7, 2018.
NOTE: Registration forms must be returned with one (1) passport photograph, mandatory essays and evidence of payment of conference fee.
Registration –
this date will be subjected to a 10% surcharge and placed on the waiting list.
Arrival / Departure –
Special Events:
Special Intergenerational Dialogue on Youth and Tolerance:
Promoting inter-generational dialogue can ensure that the values and knowledge of society are passed down from one generation to another effectively. It is also essential to include all generations in community dialogue to make certain that their needs are met and to reduce vulnerabilities. Inter-generational dialogue helps to ensure that the elderly stay connected and is valued by their community. It helps to make sure that youth have guidance and support so that they can be more resilient. It will also allow them move away from their normal life, by exploring new ideas for a progressive society.
The Special Interactive Session affords distinguished personalities from the government and non-government sectors with the opportunity to present their views on the theme of the conference; interact and dialogue with the students and provide answers to their questions and concerns bothering on youth and tolerance.
Guest Speakers –
LARSSMUN 2018 will attract notable and dynamic personalities relevant to government, international relations, and contemporary issues to the conference. In addition, we will introduce in-committee guest speaker programme to ensure that all delegates have the opportunity to hear from real experts on their committee topics.
World Cultural Night –
Every people and every place possess a unique culture. Experiencing different ways of life and discovering new cultural heritage have become leading motivations for people all over the world. This interaction between diverse cultures, can lead to tolerance, respect and mutual understanding among people.
The LARSSMUN 2018 cultural night is to improve students’ relationships and interactions with each other. Our specific goal is to create cultural awareness and better understanding for all participating delegates, this translates to better relationships in the school environment, family and society. We should therefore recognise the role of cultural diversity for the benefit of present and future generations.
Celebrating our Cultural diversity makes life vibrant, richer and more interesting, because it allows us to interact with each other and to better appreciate our own culture. Respect for cultural diversity is the starting point for peaceful and inclusive society. It is an opportunity to unify the future generations and to celebrate all the richness and benefits we get from being such a diverse community.
Schools wishing to perform at the World Cultural Night should notify us on or before the deadline of registration to book for a slot. The duration for each presentation is between 5 to 7 minutes. The mode of dressing for this event is: Cultural or traditional dress of Nigeria or that of the delegate’s adopted country. Improper dressing by any delegate will not be tolerated.
Gala and Awards Night –
The Gala/Awards Night, a very special event that brings the LARSSMUN Conference 2018 celebration to its climax, is where we recognize outstanding students and Institutions, role models whose achievements are a source of pride and inspiration to young people. We also show our thanks to staff advisers and institutions for their continued support.
The event aims to provide delegates the opportunity to interact freely with very important personalities and diplomats in an atmosphere devoid of the usual protocol associated with the offices of these personalities.
Awards:
Participation in LARSSMUN yields tremendous educational and personal rewards. Each delegate should rightly feel great pride in doing the research necessary to participate and in successfully playing the role of his/her country during the conference.
As a means of recognizing outstanding efforts in this area, we are pleased to present several awards with prizes at the conclusion of LARSSMUN 2018. Twenty-Six (26) Awards will be presented at the Official Banquet and Awards Night to student delegates, school delegations and accompanying staff who distinguish themselves during the conference.
The Awards are:
Conference Theme:
Engaging Youth in the Fight against Intolerance, Discrimination and Hate Crime
Every day, thousands of people around the world are becoming victims of hate crimes as a result of violent manifestations of intolerance and discrimination. Individuals and groups are threatened, assaulted and attacked daily because of their perceived affiliation with a group that shares a particular characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion or disability.
Hate crimes are designed to intimidate the victim and members of the victim’s community, leaving them feeling fearful, isolated, vulnerable and unprotected by the law. By making members of minority communities fearful, angry and suspicious of other groups and of the power structure that is supposed to protect them, these incidents can damage the fabric of our society and fragment communities.
The seeds of intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes are usually planted in young people very early in life and nurtured by their experiences and by the attitudes of those around them as they grow older. Unfortunately, these young people later become both the perpetrators and victims of hate motivated crimes in the society.
It is therefore very important that we engage our young people on the lessons of tolerance and the strength in our diversity, and that our diversity is colourful and beautiful. They should also know that despite the differences among people, we all have the moral responsibility towards each other’s well-being and learn to appreciate differences in opinion. With knowledge about tolerance and diversity, and ways to react to incidents of discrimination, they will be able to guide their peers when and if they feel discriminated or have questions regarding discrimination.
When young people have positive interactive experiences as a part of their regular environments and activities, they can develop a healthy appreciation of themselves, as well as of people who are physically and culturally different from them. In this way, the culture of tolerance for all will flourish in our schools, homes and society.
Young people, as the world’s digital natives with a high percentage of the global population, could use technology to make the world better and safer for all. New communication technologies and social media frequently used for hate messages and extremist ideas, can also be used as tools to positively influence and inspire their peers and other members of the society to play active roles in addressing hate speech, hate crimes, discrimination, and other forms of intolerance.
Goals of LARSSMUN 2018:
Through the conference, students will:
Nigeria Model United Nations Society (NigMUNS):
Nigeria Model United Nations Society (NigMUNS) is an international educational and youth development organization established in 2004. It is registered as a non-governmental and non-profit making organisation under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; recognized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has a Special Consultative Status with the
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Our mission is to help young people discover their own voice, to find their own purpose, to make their unique contribution and release their full potential. Since the inception of our annual conference series in 2005, Nigeria Model United Nations Society has helped more than 19, 000 students prepare for the future with leadership and responsible global citizenship.
NigMUNS prides itself as the founder of the Model United Nations culture in Nigeria. Today, the organisation hosts 5 annual conferences for primary school, secondary school and tertiary institution students, namely – Junior Schools International Model United Nations (JUNSIMUN); South East Regional Secondary Schools Model United Nations (SERSSMUN); Lagos Regional Secondary Schools Model United Nations (LARSSMUN); Nigerian International Secondary Schools Model United Nations (NISSMUN); and Nigerian International Tertiary Institutions Model United Nations (NITIMUN).
Our programmes present an invaluable opportunity to curious and intelligent students to explore the world in the context of the United Nations. In doing so, the students learn to face and overcome challenges, to respect the viewpoints of rivals, to separate the person from the problem, to disappoint with the determination to do better next time and to experience the joy and exhilaration of achievement. Each student participant is completely changed, having learned more about himself or herself, gained confidence from some endeavors and discovered previously unrecognized potential.