Registration Guidelines: NISSMUN 2017

Introduction

NISSMUN Conference as a Model United Nations programme, is an annual academic exercise where students role-play UN delegates — is more than just an after-school activity. It is an op­portunity to change the world. By stepping into the shoes of UN delegates representing their countries’ interests to the global community, Model UN participants build the knowledge, skills and relationships needed to build a better global future.

NISSMUN Conference is a transformative experience that deepens participants’ understanding of the world and their place within it. Delegates emerge from NISSMUN Conference with open minds, fresh ideas and new friends. With the skills they develop in speaking, writing, negotiating and diplomacy, it is no surprise that many go on to become community and world leaders.

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.

NISSMUN 2017 theme is: Preventing Young People from Getting Involved in Cybercrime. The committee sessions will provide the participants with the unique opportunity to gain a further insight into the cybercrime world. It will also help them to understand what the consequences could be and to emphasize better ways for young people to use their skills and interest in technology.

How Does Model United Nations Operate

The basic principles of Model United Nations remain the same; regardless of where the conference is taking place:

1. Participants are assigned a UN Member State. They assume the role of that country’s diplomats at whichever UN body is being enacted. The delegates represent the views of ‘their’ assigned countries, reflecting the countries’ national interests, rather than their own personal opinions on issues.
2. The delegates research their country’s position on selected topics, paying particular attention to their country’s perspective on the topics to be discussed at the Model UN. The topics are issues of global importance.
3. The committee sessions are held in accordance with rules of procedure. The delegates present statements of their countries’ positions and debate and negotiate with the other delegates, both through formal and informal debate.
4. A resolution is written, debated, negotiated and amended, in line with each country’s interests and in response to the debate. Votes are held on the resolution and the amendments. A final resolution is produced, which is acceptable to a majority of delegations and represents the final product of the meeting.

Benefits of Model United Nations to Students

1. Model UN events provide active learning opportunities for delegates, allowing them to explore and analyze a situation affecting unfamiliar people in unfamiliar settings. They negotiate and reach consensus on the best action for all, working individually and as part of a group. Delegates develop their communication skills and build their self-confidence.
2. Helps the students appreciate the relevance of academic study to real world problems and utilize the skills learned through their school’s course curriculum or degrees.
3. Provides a multicultural learning experience, as it gives students the opportunity to meet others from diverse backgrounds and nationalities and helps them break out from their own prejudices and preconceptions about world affairs.
4. Instills responsibility and discipline as the students assume the role of ambassadors and speak out on behalf of nations in a bid to resolving issues.
5. The UN can be a difficult organization to grasp – it is not a world government, but a system of many organizations which together affect our lives in many ways. In order to influence the way in which the UN works, we must understand the UN – one way of doing this is by taking part in a Model UN event.
6. Model UN work not only educates participants about the problems the world is facing, but also suggests the means by which progress can be made and problems resolved, peacefully and justly.

Students’ Eligibility Requirements

• Senior Secondary Students – SS1, SS2 or SS3
• Proven ability to compile extensive research on chosen topics with a clear understanding of country’s position
• Ability to communicate clearly and express thoughts and ideas in a coherent manner
• knowledge of the United Nations
• Demonstrated leadership skills

How to Complete the Registration Form

1. Select any 3 countries of your choice from the country/committee matrix attached that you can represent (1 out of the 3 could be allocated to you depending on availability)
2. Select any 3 committees of your choice from the country/committee matrix attached that you wish to simulate (1 out of the 3 could be allocated to you also depending on availability)
3. Ensure that the country chosen is a member of the committee selected as appropriately indicated in the matrix dodge

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:

• Most countries are allocated on first-come, first-served basis. Delegates are thereby encouraged to send in their application forms early.
• Essays are rated according to performance. The best essays will receive awards.

***     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.

Registration Deadline

Every delegates 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 Preventing Young People From Getting Involved In Cyber Crime must be received on or before the deadline of April 3, 2017. Students are encouraged to start preparation and research as soon as they receive registration confirmation and countries/committees allocated to them.

BASIC CONFERENCE INFORMATIONS

Requirement for Participation

Application for participation is only open to Senior Secondary School Students. The maximum number of students per school is 30 students (Please note that this is just the maximum, any number of applications less than 30 is acceptable). Schools that wish to send more than 30 students should notify the NigMUNS Office.

Registration:

• Registration is from November 30, 2016 till April 3, 2017. Delegates who register after this date will be subjected to a 10% surcharge.

• NigMUNS will not make any refund of payment from two months before the conference.

• Any swapping or changing of delegate after registration will attract an administrative fee of N 3,000.

• Arrival / Departure:

Arrival is from 2:00pm on the 21^st October 2017 and departure is on or before 12noon on 26^thOctober 2017. Please note the arrival time.

SPECIAL EVENTS

12^th Anniversary Gala/Awards Night

It’s hard to imagine that 2017 marks the twelfth anniversary of the NISSMUN Conference.

Over the past 12 years, NISSMUN has become the must attend event for secondary schools in the country. Your presence and support has spurred our organic growth, and we would like to celebrate our shared achievements with you.

NISSMUN 12^th anniversary celebrations will reach their climax with a Gala/Awards night on Wednesday, 25 October, 2017 to recognize outstanding students and schools, role models and organizations who have played an integral part in our organization and show our thanks to staff advisers and institutions who have been a part of NISSMUN for 12 years.

The anniversary’s signature Gala includes a 3-course buffet, a raffle draw with the grand prize of TOYOTA HIACE BUS and many surprises lined up for this special occasion. The event will be hosted at the NISSMUN 12^TH ANNIVERSARY ARENA.

We hope you will enjoy the activities lined up, and look forward to your participation in our programmes as we continue to help you stay ahead of the curve by being your Model United Nations voice in Nigeria, and creating value for you. Together we can promote the United Nations and together we can build responsible global citizenship among Nigerian youth.

Your students would not want to miss this very special anniversary event!

 Special Intergenerational Dialogue on Youth and Cybercrime

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.

 Guest Speakers

NISSMUN 2017 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

The NISSMUN 2017 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 classroom, 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.

World Food Arena

Food is a feature of just about every culture. It is an important part of any celebration in any nations of the world, regardless of culture or religion. It can unite and strengthen community bonds. Therefore celebrating world food arena will help to maintain a common identity among different cultures and people.

The NISSMUN World Food Arena offers the diplomatic missions in Nigeria, a unique opportunity to showcase their cultural identity through food. The students will have a handful of opportunities to taste the various food delicacies provided by the Embassies/High Commissions.

Advertisement in the 12^th Anniversary of NISSMUN Conference Brochure

Participating schools are expected to take advantage of the unique nature of the NISSMUN conference and advertise their schools and facilities in the 12^th anniversary edition of NISSMUN conference brochure. The conference brochure would be sent to other Model United Nations clubs around the world, Embassies, government agencies in Nigeria, stakeholders and the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

NISSMUN 2017 Brochure Advert rates are:

Full Page:                     N130, 000.00

Inner Front Cover:         N170, 000.00

Inner Back Cover:         N200, 000.00

Advertisers should please send their artwork (coloured) in a Flash Disk or CD Rom with photocopy of payment teller to the NigMUNS office on or before July 3, 2017.

Awards

 Participation in NISSMUN 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 NISSMUN 2017. Thirty (30) Awards will be presented at the Gala and Awards Night to student delegates, school delegations and accompanying staff who distinguish themselves during the conference.

          The Awards are:

1. Best Female Delegate
2. Second Best Female Delegate
3. Third Best Female Delegate
4. Best Male Delegate
5. Second Best Male Delegate
6. Third Best Male Delegate
7. Best School Delegation
8. Second Best School Delegation
9. Third Best School Delegation
10. Best Male Accompanying Teacher
11. Best Female Accompanying Teacher
12. Best Cultural Performance
13. Second Best Cultural Performance
14. Third Best Cultural Performance
15. Best Drama Presentation
16. Second Best Drama Presentation
17. Best Cultural Costume
18. Second Best Cultural Costume
19. Third Best Cultural Costume
20. Best Conference Committee
21. Best Conference Director
22. Second Best Conference Director
23. Best Committee Chairperson
24. Second Best Committee Chairperson
25. Best Committee Rapporteur
26. Second Best Committee Rapporteur
27. Outstanding Delegates in each Committee
28. Best Theme Essay
29. Second Best Theme Essay
30. Third Best Theme Essay

Conference Theme

Preventing Young People from Getting Involved in Cybercrime

In contemporary times, it is safe to say we can hardly conduct certain activities without the help of the internet. This large network is a global system of interconnected computer networks that connect billions of devices worldwide. The internet eases communication as one can contact people in far parts of the world without having to be there. It also makes it easier for individuals to conduct business as well as keep in touch with loved ones. This innovation has also produced far-reaching implications for international relations and politics as it provides faster means of communication as opposed to the old days. Though this modern technology has contributed positive values to the world, its users become exposed to cybercrime as criminals have now migrated from the streets to this virtual platform.

Cybercrime simply means any criminal act dealing with computers and networks. The computer may be used as a tool in committing the crime, or it may be the target. Cybercrime takes various forms like Phishing, identity theft, malware attack, cyberbullying, credit card fraud, hacking and spamming. This menace is not just isolated to a particular part of the world but has become a rising global phenomenon. Cybercriminals employ more sophisticated means in conducting these crimes while evading the authorities. These cybercrimes are not only being committed against individuals and companies but also against law enforcement and government agencies as well. It has been observed that a very high percentage of youths are involved in cybercrime, and this is on the rise.

The alarming rate of youth involvement in cybercrime raises great concern. The reason most individuals engage in cybercrime varies, and are also dependent on a number of different factors such as financial gain, peer pressure, fame and revenge. A lot of these young ones do it for fun and are ignorant of the implications of their actions. It has also been argued that most of these youth do not have the opportunity to learn what the law prohibits them from doing. It should be noted that even though a high percentage of youth are engage in cybercrime, a certain number of them are victims.

NISSMUN 2017 theme: preventing young people from getting involved in cybercrime, provides the youth insight on the effects and dangers of cybercrime, and also educate them on measures to take to avoid becoming victims of these crimes. There is great need for carrying out awareness campaigns on emerging cyber threats and building their capacity to respond to these attacks in case they occur. Effective prevention is the only solution to minimize cybercrime which continues to grow in size and intensity. Parents, teachers, adults and care givers should work to teach our youth internet safety and also closely monitor their activities online, which have become part of their daily engagements. If we reduce the effects of cybercrime in our societies this will be a great achievement for us, and this will not just be a success for the peoples but for the world at large.

Objectives of NISSMUN 2017 Conference

The learning objectives of NISSMUN 2017 Conference are to:

• To encourage the students to share ideas on cyberspace issues
• To raise awareness and enhance the students’ ability to cope with a variety of cyber threats
• Educate the students about safe and ethical use of digital technologies
• Explore emerging technologies and their role in the classroom
• Create a climate for motivating young people to act as agents of diversity.
• Enable young people to plan and gain greater control over their future.
• Promote a global outlook, tolerance and respect for diversity and difference of opinion.
• Develop and experience important social skills such as teamwork and group cooperation, conflict resolution, debating, negotiation, consensus-building, critical thinking, public speaking and listening.
• Gain insight into the workings of the United Nations and the dynamics of international relations by providing opportunities to assume the roles of UN representatives

Through the conference, students will

• Participate as active and involved citizens in building a healthy cyberspace.

• Gain an understanding of what cybercrime means.
• Discuss various scenarios and appropriate ways to respond to global issues
• Foster a greater interest in international affairs.
• Learn to appreciate difference in opinion.
• Develop genuine trust to relate with people they consider different from them.

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Acceptance of Application

Students who have been accepted to participate at NISSMUN 2017 will be notified on or before April 27, 2017.

Position Papers

 All accepted delegates are expected to individually submit their countries’ position papers on or before June 30, 2017. Note: that the position paper is different from the mandatory essay.

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 15, 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

National Office:

Nigeria Model United Nations Society

14, Dep Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja

1. O. Box 7311 Wuse, Abuja

Tel: +234 – (0)9 – 2903635

Hotlines: +234(0) 8022412464, 08068896000

E-mail: info@nigmuns.org, nigmuns@yahoo.com                             

Website: www.nigmuns.org