Nabeera Rahman :
The 60th session of the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) 2014 was held from Thursday, 13 February to Sunday, 16 February 2014, at the historic Boston Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It was an honour and pleasure for our delegation to be selected to attend the largest, oldest and most prestigious simulation of the United Nations – HNMUN 2014. The UNYSAB delegation bestowed upon me the title of Head Delegate and it was truly an honour to be in charge of our wonderfully talented team. It was truly a unique opportunity for us to interact with over 3,000 fellow students from 73 different countries.
Most of our delegates from our delegation arrived at the magnificent conference venue Boston Park Plaza on Thursday morning. It was buzzing with energy and enthusiasm from delegates from all around the world, all dressed in their best Western attires and eagerly exchanging introductions.
Soon after registration, there were a couple of sessions being held for the new Munners. Then the 60th session of HNMUN 2014 was inaugurated officially with the Opening Ceremonies. It was a festive atmosphere with international delegations singing their national songs and anthems. Then comes the real contest of the committee sessions. From their outsmarting approaches it was evident that the delegates have been researching and caucusing weeks before the conference even started. In total there were 24 different committees in the entire conference, involving a rich mix of innovative ideas, stimulating discussions, thoughtful debate, and international camaraderie that effectively addressed a myriad of relevant global issues.
Most of the General Assembly committees were huge with approximately 300 delegates and it was difficult to get noticed by the dais in order to get the floor for speaking.
When the session officially ended at 10 pm, we were getting ready to return to our hotel. Just then we realized that blocs were beginning to form and they were just sitting down to begin writing the Working Papers! Just another reminder that it was “the” Harvard National MUN and hard work is one of the main prerequisites.
As we came across the Valentine’s Day during the conference, HNMUN 2014 arranged rose delivery services. So delegates could pre-order roses from the goodies booth and have it delivered to the committee sessions along with a message that was read out by the dais. Most of the messages, especially the anonymous ones were greatly entertaining and worked as great stress reliefs.
At the end of committee sessions on Friday, delegates prepared for the Cocktail Event and the International Bazaar at which many international delegates showcased traditional items, national cuisines and culture from their home countries. Tours around the Harvard was one of the highlights for many of us as we were eagerly and excitedly looked forward to exploring one of the best universities of the world, what a privilege indeed!
On Sunday morning, it was finally the last session. Delegates looked exhausted from the past four days of continuous work and play, but the happiness was evident as well once the final resolution from each committee was passed, followed by loud rounds of applause echoing on different floors.
With Model UNs becoming increasingly popular in Bangladesh, the sixtieth session of HNMUN has been a uniquely valuable educational experience.
It was the perfect learning opportunity that combined high-level competition, diplomacy, and the unification of numerous Model UN communities. The conference, entirely staffed by Harvard University students, presented the great opportunity to experience the firsthand challenges of international negotiation and actively debate international problems with students from around the world.
