Wang Haolan

Holly_cn@163.com

Geared up with suits, dress shoes or pumps, laptops and the must-have masks, future diplomats from international schools in Shenzhen had their body temperatures checked and then gather at a Model United Nations (MUN) conference to probe into the search for justice in the pandemic-stricken world at the secondary campus of Shekou International School (SIS) in Nanshan District, held this month from Sunday through Tuesday.

“Even in the midst of a pandemic, we mustn’t diverge our attention away from the injustices still inherent in our world,” Choi Yijoo, secretary-general of SISMUN, explained to Shenzhen Daily on why they used “The Search for Justice in a Distorted World” as the theme of the MUN conference.

“It’s a pity for the SIS students to lose their opportunities to participate in various international conferences and to engage in global issues due to the pandemic; thus I proposed an idea to initiate a local conference in Shenzhen for international students. The leadership team started to prepare for the conference in May. We’ve done extensive research over the six months to actively promote the conference,” said Choi.

Choi stated that SISMUN has enlarged its scale from an in-house training program to a local conference planned, organized and hosted independently by the students. It witnessed the active participation of more than 130 delegates of MUN teams from Shenzhen College of International Education, Korean International School, Shen Wai International School, International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, QSI International School, as well as individual participants.

The conference was operated according to the protocol and rules established by the Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN). The delegates formed groups of less than six to represent a member groups of the United Nations, including the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Environment Commission.

Despite discussing the oft-told justice-related topics such as disease, systemic racism, poverty alleviation, humanitarian crisis, environmental protection, and climate change, the delegates also kept their eyes on how to offset the impact caused by the pandemic on the work and lives of people across the world.

One of the topics for the General Assembly was “Constructing an International Framework on Pandemic Prevention.” Delegates were required to prepare research about outbreaks of pandemics in human history, including Spanish flu, SARS and COVID-19, and the countermeasures taken by countries and regions from the inclusive standpoint of the UN members they were representing. They then put forward motions and advocacies to propel the establishment of an updated anti-pandemic framework, which featured international cooperation and trust between nations notwithstanding bilateral or multilateral political relations.

Delegates of the Human Rights Council addressed during the forums the increase in asylum seekers stranded on closed borders due to the pandemic, while the Economic and Social Council and the Environment Commission focused on the impact of the pandemic on businesses and global markets, and the safe disposal of medical waste and harmful chemicals, respectively.

“The SISMUN grows from student’s voices and demonstrates what can be achieved when students are empowered. Leadership in life comes from having opportunities to practice and apply important skills by being provided platforms for advocacy, real responsibility and service to others, all of which are exemplified by the conference,” said Paula Brunning, director of SISMUN.

The most passionate delegate recognition of the General Assembly at SISMUN went to Annika Liu from the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, who represented as a delegate of France.

The most impressive delegate recognition of the assembly went to Catherine Yang from the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, who represented as a delegate of the United States. The most diplomatic delegate recognition of the assembly went to Tia Ching from Shekou International School, who represented as a delegate of Singapore.