What is MUN?

“Model United Nations (MUN)” is an activity where each participant models as a diplomat of a Member State and discusses international issues that are actually being discussed in United Nations conferences. By modeling a real UN conference, participants will be able to learn and understand about the problems the international community is addressing, and copes to find a solution to these international disputes.

The origin of MUN goes back into the 1920s, when a “Model League of Nations Conference” was held at Harvard University. MUN has now grown to become an activity conducted all over the world. Some universities are even using MUN in its regular curriculums.

MUN was first introduced to Japan by Ms. Sadako Ogata, who at that time has been at a teaching position at Sophia University. The activity that began under the committee she and her students constructed has now spread all over Japan.

After 30 years, the MUN community in Japan has grown to hold more than 5,000 alumni, producing quality graduates into a variety of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), UN organizations, Non-government Organizations, finance, and information technology (IT).

MUN activities are constructed by the following three steps.

Preparation

In order to be able to act as a delegate in a conference, participants must plan a policy and a strategy on how to act and negotiate with the other nations.

The first step on preparing to become a diplomat is to research and analyze the agenda item and information relevant to your country.

Study sessions of the agenda item will be held from time to time. These sessions will provide you with a compass for your policy planning and negotiation strategies.

Conference

MUN conference will be conducted according to the rules and procedures used in actual UN conferences.

Delegates will create a Draft Resolution (DR) to clarify their intentions in the decision-making of the entire conference. To do so, delegates will make speeches, compose documents, make negotiations with other nations, to make the conference flow along their conference strategies.

At the end, the DRs will be put on voting. Delegates will vote to protect their national benefits while trying to achieve a global benefit, and the conference will be adjourned.

Review

After the conference, delegates will make reflections about their policies and actions throughout the conference. By taking a look at the discussions in the actual international conferences, participants will be able to gain a deeper understanding in the agenda item.

Efforts to make the reflections more effective may also be taken place. Participants may also take the time to make discussions stepping away from their viewpoints as delegates, or have a Q&A session among other delegates in the conference about the actions or strategies that other delegates took in the conference.

The experience to reflect your actions and thoughts will make the delegates more stronger.

MUN in Japan

In the 1980s MUN was only known among a small number of students and scholars. Now, in 2017, MUN has spread all over Japan.

Consisting of members from universities such as the University of Tokyo, Waseda University and Keio University, along with Kyoto University, Osaka University, and many other universities, there are a total of seven Branches in western and eastern Japan. Now, with Hokuriku and Kyushu joining the trend, more than 700 students in Japan are taking part in daily MUN activities.

Japan Model United Nations (JMUN) hosts five main conferences per year, and cooperates with other organizations in managing many different projects and conferences.

One conference included in those projects is KMUNC.

KMUNC provides MUN conferences for the students in the highest quality throughout western Japan, and many members in the Branches in eastern Japan also comes to take part in the conferences. This popularity among MUN students all over Japan has made KMUNC a major conference in western Japan hosted by JMUN.

More than 700 students

10 branches nationwide

What you can gain from MUN

MUN helps students who are going to jump into the business society nourish some important skills that will be very useful in their careers. Therefore, it is very important to discuss MUN from a perspective to nourish human resources in the society.

Problem analysis / Logical thinking

Logical thinking is indispensable for MUN.

Logical thinking will be needed for policymaking. In addition, you will be able to train your ability to explain using logic, as nobody would understand or follow your policy when negotiating with you if you cannot explain logically.

You must also be able to seek the core factor of the discussion in the agenda in order to have a fulfilling discussion with the other delegates. By exploring the cause and searching for a solution for the agenda item, you will be able to learn how to tackle problems that seem to have no definite answer.

Multidirectional perspective / Strategic thinking

When making negotiations in MUN, it would not be enough just to have what your own country would say in your head. By understanding different stances that the other countries may have, you will be able to act so that you can achieve your national benefit to the maximum extent. Therefore, it is essential that you can view the agenda item from multiple perspectives.

You will also be able to train you strategic thinking skills in MUN. In MUN, you must plan your actions by considering when to speak, what to speak, and how to build your logic when doing so. Strategic thinking will play a very important role in this process.

Cooperation / Mutual Understanding

Unlike debates, there is no winning or losing in MUN.

Therefore, the key to success in MUN is not to push forward with only your own country’s opinions; having all parties engaged in the conversation and reaching an international consensus is essential.

Being able to understand the differences between other countries, and to respect those differences will lead to mutual understanding, and therefore to the solution of the agenda item.

Public speaking / Language skills

A delegate must make a formal speech in MUN. In such occasion, it is essential to be able to explain your stance to a large number of audience as accurately as possible.

Since you will practically be forced to use English in many occasions, you will be able to improve your English skills in MUN.

No matter what language you use in the conference, it becomes essential that the delegate is able to explain their thoughts to the other delegates. Therefore, MUN activities will help delegates improve their public speaking skills.