Thimun Hague - 2014

THIMUN 2014 was an enriching experience that married hard debate with soft diplomacy. Held in The Hague in The Netherlands, the conference spanned 5 days from 26th January to 31st January. This year, we had two student officers, one member of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), one member of the MUNITY Press team and fourteen delegates representing the country of Nigeria. The theme of the conference this year, ‘Africa’ gave our delegation an international platform to find micro solutions to macro problems that plagued Nigeria and Africa at large. Preparation for the conference began two months in advance. From severe dissection to constructive criticism, we collectively strengthened resolutions so that we were not caught unguarded by other experienced delegations across the globe.

On our very first day, many of our delegates emerged as Main Submitters of their resolutions, which was a testament to their preparedness and perseverance. Meanwhile, the student officers were acquainted not only with procedural rules and regulations, but also given leadership lessons that would hold them in good stead in the future. While our press delegate was chasing deadlines and producing fine content over cups of coffee, our delegate in the NSS was equally engrossed in constructing clauses and amending loopholes. Over the next five days, our delegates evolved from good orators to credible policymakers.

All work and no play would certainly make us dull, even more so with the temperature fluctuating between 2 and 3 degrees centigrade! On our first day, we went to the mesmerizing yet quaint village of Delft outside The Hague. While the shopping-crazy enjoyed retail therapy purchasing gourmet cheese, they were equally in awe of the International Court of Justice, the epitome of judicial integrity in the world. Evenings were spent quipping over local food in roadside cafes that offered some of the finest food we’ve had! To make the most our trip, we even made a visit to the capital city, Amsterdam and spent an evening in its eccentric bylanes. To conclude, the trip was indeed an experience of a lifetime that will serve as a precedent for many challenges life will throw at us.