Negotiating on the International Stage

Successful participation in the National Model United Nations

“The National Model United Nations was certainly an absolute fabulous experience and furthermore the combination with the big apple made it unforgettable!” comments Markus Beck who is an intern at Procter&Gamble’s CBD Devision in Schwalbach, Germany. He was one of the 20 participants representing the Kuwait Delegation in New York and studies currently at the ESB Business School Reutlingen.

The only delegation of a German Business School, which went with a delegation to New York, came back exhaustedly in the middle of April after 15 days of uncountable impressions and amazing experiences from the American metropolis.

Before the NMUN officially started, in which over 4,000 students from approximately 40 countries simulate all of the relevant UN Committees including the General Assembly and Security Council, Markus’ delegation had tight schedule. Firstly, they had a guided tour through the UN on their program. Especially the frequently published committees such as the Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as well as the General Assembly (GA) have a unique and very impressive atmosphere due to the history and architecture of these spiritual locations.

The next morning the Kuwaiti delegation had a tour through the permanent mission of Germany which is based in front of the UN facilities. In the Deutschen Haus is not also the permanent German mission present but also other German institutions such as press agencies and governmental and ambassador organizations. The mission’s official speaker invited us to get deeper insights into the daily work and international diplomacy such as the lobbying campaign regarding the election of a permanent seat within the Security Council, the preparation for and handling with formal UN committees’ sessions as well as about Germany’s interests and point of view which they have to represent. Immediately afterwards the Opening Ceremony of the NMUN New York 2009, as one of the big highlights for all the participating students, began. For that ceremony, the UN closed all the facilities for the public and the over 4,000 politically interested students, sitting in the GA, could listen to emotional speeches and were captured altogether by the UN spirit. The preconditions for an extraordinarily successful NMUN were given.

On Wednesday before the formal sessions commenced, the delegation of the South of Germany could seize the opportunity to visit the Kuwaiti Embassy in New York. This visit was, apart from the official invitation to the Kuwaiti Embassy’s National holiday celebration in Berlin, Germany , definitely another exclusive and magnificent experience. The Ambassador, together with his Ministers conveyed specific and UN relevant information to the young students and shared their experience and anecdotes of their lives dedicated to the international stage of negotiation and diplomacy. Finally, the Embassy visit was well-rounded by a delicious banquet of Kuwaiti gastronomic specialties with a whole Lamb, exotic fruits, dessert cuisine and wonderful desserts providing a complete Arabian experience.

When the formal sessions of the individual committees began, the resulting experiences were very diverse for the group of students as Kuwait was not only present in the big and well-known committees including the GA, World Trade Organization (WTO) and ECOSOC with almost 200 member states and Observing Institutions including international NGOs and IGOs but also in the smaller and regional committee such as the League of Arabic States composed by 25 member states. All countries were mostly present with 2 delegates within each committee; therefore, various committees exceeded the size of 400 people.

Especially the many delegations not being English their first language could impress the majority of native speaking participants thanks to accurate and adequate Rhetoric and Latin-American emotions crushed and melted with old-European wisdom which resulted in an extremely productive mixture.
Four days continuously and without any breaks from 8.30 AM until 10.30 PM speeches were given, informal sessions took place and resolutions were written. In different committees and delegations as well as in country and area specific groups international issues were discussed, compromises were found and diplomats encouraged each other to lobby for their ideas. Some refined on formulations and operative clauses while others came up with inspiring speeches that were welcomed among the assembly. In addition and frequently the students could find themselves exactly in the element to which everybody was looking forward before the simulation: vivid, dynamic and international diplomacy.

The days after the Closing Ceremony which took place once again in the GA, were intensively used to visit the American Metropolis. New York has obviously more to offer than it was feasible to do within such a short time. However, the young delegation seized the opportunity to get an impression of the different facets New York has. From the in North of Manhatten located Harlem Gospel mess on Sunday, the Loft Party in southern Brooklyn, the MoMA and Metropolitan Museum, crossing Time Square, Financial district and Ground Zero until Staten and Ellis Island, not to mention everything, the the ESB delegation evidently discovered a wonderful and multicultural city converting the Study tour into one unforgettable and live changing experience.

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