Thimun HAGUE 2017

It is not often that one gets a chance to visit one of the largest MUN conferences in the world. However, this year, we were once again very privileged to take part in another edition of The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) in what was certainly a defining and enriching experience for all us. To most people, MUN conferences may simply be about debating, arguing or winning awards, but at THIMUN we were encouraged and directed towards something beyond that, something more significant. We were encouraged to truly look at global issues from a holistic perspective, and were faced with the challenges that diplomacy poses in the ‘real world’ as, over the course of five days, we negotiated and persuaded delegates from Panama to China to agree to our solutions. We all had different expectations of THIMUN before we started our preparation, and we all were filled with different aims that we had for the conference. At the end of the five-day conference however, we could all confidently say, that the conference and the trip in general had more than exceeded our wildest dreams.

In a world that is plagued by nationalistic sentiments, with countries increasingly indulging their own self interest, pursuing foreign policies that are not in line with norms of morality, the theme for THIMUN this year aptly was, “Borders In A Globalized World”. The theme apart from being interesting, affected and was related to each and every country, and possibly affected us as individuals and young adults also. Topics discussed ranged from, the Strengthening of Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean Region, Sovereignty of Antarctica, and the issue of the Israeli West Bank Wall. All of these issues served to reinforce the idea, that due to the interconnectedness of the world today, each action taken by a country has a ripple effect, and can lead to several ramifications around the world. The hostile global environment that is taking shape, is therefore a cause of concern for all countries, and it is this sentiment, and this urgency, that THIMUN wanted us to tackle.

Work for THIMUN started early in the month of December for us, when we began fervently researching on our assigned topics, aiming to come up with creative and innovative solutions that we could present in committee. Once we had our draft resolutions ready, we debated them internally amongst ourselves, in an attempt to make our paperwork of the highest quality that we could possibly reach until we were extremely thorough and ready for the conference as a whole. However nothing could prepare us for the sheer magnitude and importance of THIMUN in shaping our perspectives on diplomacy. We discovered first hand, the challenges faced by diplomats, including communication gaps, and the impossible challenge of making any solution universally acceptable to all delegates. As a consequence, we lost several assumptions about perhaps the somewhat simplistic nature of MUN, and began to view it as a more holistic and realistic simulation of the United Nations.

Apart from THIMUN, we were also privileged to be able to sightsee and explore the Hague itself. One of the most iconic locations that we visited was the Peace Palace, home to reputed institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which have collectively passed several famous judgments over the years that have shaped world affairs. We also visited several famous museums, getting a taste of Dutch culture, and of course, cuisine.

THIMUN for us, seemed to transcend several boundaries, and became one of the best conferences, that collectively, we have ever been to. It inspired us to argue and debate about issues that may not be entirely relevant to us individually, but that we eventually began to grow and care about. It renewed our faith in justice. It renewed our faith in diplomacy. But more importantly, if not most importantly, it renewed our faith in the United Nations, and its ability to maintain peace and security around the world. It is an experience that we truly will cherish, for the rest of our lives.