Concord’s first Model United Nations open to other schools

Published by Concord College on Tuesday 30th of April 2024

Concord College invited students from other schools onto campus this month to take part in a Model United Nations (MUN) conference. Five schools took part, making up 12 delegations who came from Shropshire, Cheshire and even as far away as Oxford to discuss and debate motions.

Concord has held successful conferences as internal events for several years now. Students have also greatly enjoyed sending delegations to other schools to participate in their MUN events, so hosting an external conference was the next step for the College’s MUN society.

On the day, students debated a range of different issues. These ranged from the hotly-contested nuances of regulating artificial intelligence to the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the Historical Security Council, delegates even took a look at the French Revolution.

Concordians come from all around the world to study here in Shropshire. It is therefore no surprise that there is a long history of interest in international relations and world affairs.

A highlight of the conference was a special message from one Concord alumnus who has gone on to make his mark in real world diplomacy.

Dr Marty Natalegawa was Indonesia’s Foreign Minister from 2009-2014 and was a diplomat and ambassador. He has been a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Advisory Board on Mediation and has represented Indonesia in many roles at the UN, including as President of the Security Council and Chair of the Security Council Sanctions Committees on the DRC and Rwanda. He has also been a member of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and was instrumental in securing Indonesia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 2012.