‘Changing the World One Speech at a Time’ with Sri Lanka Model United Nations

Delegates engaged in committee debate

By Nimaya Nanayakkara

Being the largest Model United Nations conference in Sri Lanka, we are back and ready for our 16th year in action. This year we hope to emulate our theme of ‘Changing the World, One Speech at a Time’ by providing the youth of Sri Lanka with a platform for their voices to be heard and allow them to develop their sense of diplomacy and negotiating skills.

We believe that the youth of this generation have what it takes to come up with feasible solutions to issues that are being debated around the world, by allowing them to debate on a vast array of pressing topics and finally draw solutions to issues that plague our world, all while following the strict procedure and structure of the United Nations. We know that the skills developed at SLMUN will be carried on into the real world, thereby quite literally changing the world one speech at a time.

This year we have a range of different UN as well as non-UN committees that cater to the interests of both novice and experienced delegates.

The 16th session of SLMUN will see special organisations such as the War Cabinet (WC) and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in order to broaden the spectrum of the model UN. Additionally, for all football enthusiasts we have The Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA) at the conference this year.

Apart from these committees we also have The World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the African Union (AU).

Amidst the delegates representing different nations, SLMUN also provides budding journalists an opportunity to enhance their writing skills by allowing them to assume the roles of correspondents for a variety of international news agencies including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN), Al Jazeera, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Russia Today (RT) and China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Sri Lanka Model United Nations extends beyond just a conference; we have created a community of like-minded individuals with the common goal of encouraging youth activism and diplomacy. Apart from the two-day conference we also carry out activities such as regional workshops in different areas of the country including Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Batticaloa and this year we intend on widening our reach even further.

Our newly introduced campaign ‘Beyond SLMUN’ focuses on extending our impact on society beyond committee sessions. Several community service projects will be completed through this campaign that was previously limited to social media amidst the pandemic and other crises.

The 16th session of SLMUN will be held on 26 and 27 August, at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. Registrations are already underway, with Priority Registrations closing on 17 June. Late Registrations will extend till 31 July.

At SLMUN we pride ourselves on providing fair and equal opportunity for all delegates. We await your participation at this year’s conference to help us Change the World, One Speech at a Time.