Trying to be UN delegates

For many years now, I have had the dream of moving and working abroad. My biggest ambition is to join the UN, or otherwise to specialise in the field of international intergovernmental organizations. 

In March 2023 I was lucky enough to take part in the NHSMUN (National High School Model United Nations) project thanks to the WSC Italia agency. The project consists of a simulation designed for anyone who wants to learn more about the work of the United Nations and the diplomatic world. It is a unique experience, and gives the opportunity to discuss with representatives of other countries on current international issues. This opportunity allows partecipants to relate to more than five thousand students from all over the world, and learn to deal with different cultures and discover new points of view. 

The program took place in New York City from March 6th to March 13th, but the project began much earlier. In fact, from December to February, every weekend, we were trained through video lessons by Miss Vidali (Chief delegate for the United States of America and winner of the “Honorable Mention Delegation Award”) and by Professor Sapienza (professor of International Law at the University of Catania), to reach a total of 36 hours of training. 

At that point, after having done the theoretical part, we were asked to prepare in pairs the drafting of a “Position Paper” that is a document with specific characteristics. Within this draft the “Background studies” of the country that we represent must be inserted; in my case Turkmenistan, its history, the attitude in current conflicts, the economic point of view, etc… and the “Background of the commission”, therefore in my case UNICEF, when it was born, how it deals with the issues that have been assigned to us etc…

My Position Paper had to deal with two main themes: “Housing Insecurity for Children” and “Literacy Education for Children”.

When we arrived in New York, we performed the real simulation with students from all over the world; we were divided into rooms, and each room was assigned to a commission. Every day “Speeches” were prepared, and a diplomatic approach to the problems dealt with was attempted by creating alliances in blocks and finally reaching the choice of one out of four or five resolutions. The latter had to be voted on by the states to be approved.

This experience really changed me a lot because for the first time I defeated the barriers of apparent shyness to make my voice heard in a situation that was definitely out of my comfort zone. I understood how suitable I was for this opportunity, and how much I still aspire to a future in diplomacy, precisely because I consider it indispensable. 

Being in contact with people from all over the world has once again given me the opportunity to broaden the horizon of my ideas, sharing my ideas on very important issues with people with completely different cultural backgrounds from mine.

Moreover, I met lots of great people in my Italian agency, with whom I could share my New York experience to the fullest. In addition to the 4 days of commission, we were able to experience the hectic life in the Big Apple, visiting all the most famous places and also receiving the opportunity to discuss inside the General Assembly in the United Nations Secretariat Building. I feel really lucky to have lived such a unique experience.