// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Harvard World Model UN goers bring ladders? They wanted to take negotiations to a higher model.
 | |
| Abbreviation | WorldMUN |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1953 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | Education, Diplomacy |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
| Location |
|
Official language | English/rarely regional |
Secretary General | Vinny Li |
Main organ | Secretariat |
| Website | www.worldmun.org |
 | This article needs more citations. (February 2026) |
The Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) is an annual traveling model United Nations conference that is run by the Harvard International Relations Council. The conference was first held in 1992.[1] The conference aims to foster cultural connectivity and allow university students aged 18–25 to gain experience in diplomacy and debate.[2]
WorldMUN uses the American style of model United Nations. Delegates are generally paired with another delegate from their delegation in dual delegations, with discussions occurring both inside and outside the rooms simultaneously.
History
[edit]WorldMUN uses a bidding process to select locations for each conference.[3] The conference is generally held in March.
Similar to other conferences, there are also workshops, social events showcasing local culture, and a global village where participant teams can share delicacies and traditions from their home countries. WorldMUN has had many guest speakers over the years, notably Pope Francis in Rome and King Felipe VI in Madrid.
From 2016 onwards, the conference began giving out WorldMUN spirit awards to teams for showing exceptional adherence to the spirit of WorldMUN and the United Nations. The team from Andrés Bello Catholic University (Venezuela) were the first recipients of this award.
The 29th edition of the conference was scheduled for Tokyo in March 2020, but was cancelled and rescheduled to 2021. However, with the continued health safety concerns and the pandemic's prevailing impact on global travel, the Tokyo conference was rescheduled again to 2022. The 2021 conference happened virtually over Zoom.
The organization works closely with a social impact-oriented group, the Resolution Project, aimed at fostering global youth leadership. The Resolution Project was founded by WorldMUN Secretariat alumni.
Committees
[edit]Committees in the past have included committees of the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council, the subcommittees of ECOSOC, regional bodies (such as the African Union or European Union), specialized agencies of the United Nations, crisis simulation committees and, uniquely, simulations of the entire general assembly.
In crisis committees—distinct from General Assembly committees, regional bodies, and specialized agencies—the specific topic, context, and conditions of debate are typically disclosed only after the session has begun. Delegates rarely represent states; rather, they assume the roles of governments, prominent individuals, or key figures directly implicated in the crisis. At WorldMUN, these committees operate with a markedly formal, parliamentary structure, following a disciplined and largely unvarying procedural sequence.
Specialized Agencies
[edit]Source:[4]
In MUNs, and more specifically at HMUN, specialized bodies and agencies are much smaller and fast-paced committees that a designed for delegates seeking committees with narrower mandates and faster-paced decision-making and nimble decreision-making skills in specialized and skill-warranting areas. These committees simulate formal debate in the Model United Nations manner, but within a very narrow and demanding mandate. They require delegates who are able to think in a critical manner and who are able to solve issues with the help of other delegates that may be extremely difficult to resolve, usually containing many interconnected factors.[4]
Rather than being committees of general debate, specialized bodies are those that have very specific and particular needs or demands that must be resolved. Debate within specialized agencies is policy-heavy and evidence-based, with a clear path toward what is encouraged to be accomplished through the resolution. Here, resolutions are detailed operational plans and not just broad ideas meant to solve an issue. This means that they contain everything from who acts, how programs are funded, where they are implemented, how they are implemented, and how success is monitored, among other details.[4]
Overall, specialized agencies warrant a higher level of research, precision, and diplomacy in order to resolve real-world problems in the most appropriate and efficient manner possible. This includes aligning national policy with the agency's mandate, building expert-driven blocs, and proposing solutions that could realistically be adopted and implemented in the real world.[4]
Some committees that would be considered specialized agencies include:[4]
- UNICEF, children's rights, health, education, and protection
- World Health Organization (WHO), global health and disease control
- UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), human rights protection and violations
- UN Women, gender equality and women's empowerment
- UNESCO, education, culture, and heritage
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nuclear safety and non-proliferation
Crisis Committees
[edit]Source:[4]
Crisis committees are committees often regarded as more demanding than traditional General Assembly formats in MUNs. They simulate highly volatile and fragile situations, or more specifically, a crisis that is seen to rapidly change in factors and circumstances. Here, delegates must respond to unfolding events as they are presented to the committee after the commencement of formal debate, rather than follow a fixed agenda. The body operates in a state of constant uncertainty driven by frequent crisis updates released at consecutive intervals that escalate and alter the situation. The committee has a tendency to be extremely unhinged and unpredictable, which makes it difficult to adapt to. A major factor contributing to this is that, unlike General Assembly committees, regional bodies, and specialized agencies, the actual topic, basis, and circumstances of the formal debate are only fully disclosed after the committee session begins. This implies that a delegate can never be fully prepared for what is thrown his or her way, just as would be the case in a real-world developing crisis.[4]
Delegates selected for crisis committees must, by necessity, be individuals of 'exceptional caliber'. They are expected to demonstrate intellectual judgment, problem-solving skills, and an open mindset. The ability to apply critical analysis from multiple perspectives is essential, particularly when responding to rapidly evolving crises. Without such capability, situations may escalate quickly, becoming increasingly complex and difficult to manage.
Participants must be adept at identifying the underlying causes of issues and formulating coherent, non-contradictory solutions within tight time constraints. Consequently, crisis committees are widely regarded as some of the most demanding and intellectually rigorous environments in Model United Nations, especially for those with limited prior exposure or subject knowledge.
Unlike traditional committees, delegates in crisis settings do not typically represent countries. Instead, they assume the roles of governments, key individuals, or influential figures directly connected to the crisis in question. At HMUN, these committees operate under clearly defined parliamentary procedures, as detailed in official delegate preparation materials. Proceedings follow a structured and consistent sequence, closely emulating the function of real-world decision-making bodies responding to active and unfolding crises..[4][5]
Debate in crisis committees is very formal and highly action-oriented, as delegates are technically responding to a developing crisis where all actions must be taken with urgency and precision to resolve the situation. Instead of long speeches and resolutions, crisis committees mitigate crises through directives and crisis notes. Success depends on speed, persuasion, and strategic thinking rather than procedural mastery, as crisis committees are highly unpredictable and do not follow a standard procedural foundation in the same manner as other committees.[4]
It is highly unlikely that a crisis committee would operate with double delegations, as most procedures are heavily individual-oriented and benefit singular decision-makers. Managing two delegates sharing one role would be extremely difficult. As a result, double delegations in crisis committees are considered a rarity due to the committee's complexity and demanding nature.[4]
Overall, crisis committees require delegates to react with extreme speed and agility to constantly changing situations and crisis updates. They are generally not suited to all ranges of delegates. It takes a combination of talent, critical thinking, hard work, preparation, research, and dedication. While increased experience in MUNs or formal debate may make it slightly easier to adapt to crisis bodies, they are often described as among the more demanding committee formats within Model United Nations conferences, not only in MUNs but also when compared conceptually to real-world decision-making bodies.[4]
Crisis committees in MUNs are usually historical or based on events and crises that have already occurred, such as World War I, World War II, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Imperial Japanese Cabinet, and the French Revolution.[4]
Some crisis committees focus on future-based scenarios, including AI governance crises, space warfare or space security councils, climate collapse crises, and cyberwarfare crises.[4]
Others are fictional or ad-hoc in nature and often relate to national or global security, such as zombie apocalypses, dystopian world governments, corporate boardroom crises, or fictional UN emergency councils.[4]
However, in the non-fictional United Nations, crisis cabinets always operate in the present tense and deal with real-world situations. These cabinets are supposedly composed of individuals with logical and decision-making abilities that operate well under high pressure situations. This makes crisis committees, both in simulation and in reality, of a constantly changing nature.[4]
WorldMUN Conferences
[edit]| Session | Year | Location | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Country | Secretary-General | Host Team President | Director-General | Local Host Team | Conference Venue | Delegation Awards | Ref. | ||
| 1 | 1992 | Miedzyzdroje |  Poland |
Geraldine Acuña | N/A | N/A | Vienna House Amber Baltic Miedzyzdroje | [6] | ||
| 2 | 1993 | Prague |  Czech Republic |
Joshua A. Saloman | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 3 | 1994 | Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
Ankur U. Saraiya | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 4 | 1995 | Geneva |  Switzerland |
Emmeline Li | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 5 | 1996 | Amsterdam |  Netherlands |
Aram A. Schvey | N/A | N/A | ||||
| 6 | 1997 | Budapest |  Hungary |
Andras Forgacs | Illes Dudas | Budapest University of Economic Sciences | ||||
| 7 | 1998 | Brussels |  Belgium |
Johs Pierce | Vrije Universiteit Brussel | Best Delegation: Universidade de Brasilia |
||||
| 8 | 1999 | Cambridge |  United Kingdom |
Winnie Li | Julian Huppert | University of Cambridge | ||||
| 9 | 2000 | Athens |  Greece |
James Mwangi | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | Best Large Delegation: The College of William & Mary |
||||
| 10 | 2001 | Istanbul |  Turkey |
Rohan Gulrajani | ||||||
| 11 | 2002 | Belo Horizonte |  Brazil |
Aspasia Karalis | Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais | Ouro Minas Palace Hotel | Best Large Delegation: Yale University Best Small Delegation: |
|||
| 12 | 2003 | Heidelberg |  Germany |
George Tsiatis | University of Heidelberg | University of Heidelberg - Old Town Campus | Best Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy |
|||
| 13 | 2004 | Sharm El-Sheikh |  Egypt |
George Tsiatis | Modern Sciences and Arts University | Maritim Jolie Ville Mövenpick Golf, Resort & Conference Center | Best Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy |
|||
| 14 | 2005 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
Alex Captain | University of Edinburgh | University of Edinburgh | Best Large Delegation: The College of William & Mary Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy |
|||
| 15 | 2006 | Beijing |  |
Victor Bicalho | Peking University | Peking University | Best Large Delegation: The College of William & Mary Best Small Delegation: West Point Military Academy |
|||
| 16 | 2007 | Geneva | Switzerland |
Khalid Yasin | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Centre International de Conférences Genève | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences |
|||
| 17 | 2008 | Puebla |  Mexico |
Joseph Kerns | Manuel Rosas Vázquez | Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla | Puebla Convention Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences Outstanding Large Delegation: Universidad Central de Venezuela |
||
| 18 | 2009 | The Hague | Netherlands |
Timur Kalimov | José Dominguez Alvarez | United Netherlands | World Forum Convention Center and the International Criminal Court | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences |
||
| 19 | 2010 | Taipei |  Taiwan |
Ami Nash | Jason Tsung-Cheng Hou | National Taiwan University | Taipei International Convention Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Lahore University of Management Sciences |
||
| 20 | 2011 | Singapore |  Singapore |
Reihan Nadarajah | Jing Zhi & Sharmeen Alam | National University of Singapore | Suntec Singapore International Convention Centre | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: |
[7] | |
| 21 | 2012 | Vancouver |  Canada |
Kat Tang | Kenneth Chan | University of British Columbia | Vancouver Convention Centre | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Catolica Andres Bello Best Small Delegation: Claremont McKenna College |
[8] | |
| 22 | 2013 | Melbourne |  Australia |
Charlene Wong | Siamak Loni | Monash University & RMIT University | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: The College of William & Mary Outstanding Large Delegation: Universidad Central de Venezuela |
[9] | |
| 23 | 2014 | Brussels | Belgium |
Grace Y. Qi | Jens Wauters | Lisa Wang | KULMUN & MUN Society Belgium | Egmont Palace, European Council and The Hotel Brussels | Best Large Delegation: Peruvian Universities[10] Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: |
[13] |
| 24 | 2015 | Seoul |  Republic of Korea |
Brian K. Mwarania | Hyun-Joo Lee | Hankuk University of Foreign Studies | Korea International Exhibition Center | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Simón Bolívar Outstanding Large Delegation: Claremont McKenna College |
[14] | |
| 25 | 2016 | Rome |  Italy |
Joseph P. Hall | Riccardo Messina | Daniel Dong | United Network Association | Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello |
[15][16][17] |
| 26 | 2017 | Montreal | Canada |
Parijat Lal | Jonathan Sasson | Nabig Chaudhary | Dawson College | Palais des congrès de Montréal | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana |
[18] |
| 27 | 2018 | Panama City |  Panama |
Nicholas Abbott | Alan Smith | Catherine Brennan | Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua | Atlapa Convention Centre |
Best Large Delegation: Peruvian Debate Society[19] Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana |
[20][21][22] |
| 28 | 2019 | Madrid |  Spain |
Spencer Ma | Alba Gavaliugov Mendez | Manav Khandelwal | Spanish Alliance of Model United Nations | Palacio Municipal de Congresos | Best Large Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Simón Bolívar |
[23][24] |
| 29 | 2021 | Tokyo |  Japan |
Anirudh Suresh | Jiaqi Liu | Esteban Flores | Sophia University | Online | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: WorldMUN Spirit Award: Institutos Educacionales Asociados |
[a] |
| 30 | 2022 | Tokyo | Japan |
Hope Kudo | Kanon Yamagishi | Javin Pombra | Sophia University | Online | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Best Small Delegation: Peruvian Debate Society Peruvian Universities |
|
| 31 | 2023 | Paris |  France |
Olivia Fu | Eric Guiochon & Mathieu Bailly | Katherine Zhu | Comité Interuniversitaire des Nations Unies de Paris (CINUP) | Trocadéro Business Centre Sorbonne University |
Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Metropolitana |
[26] |
| 32 | 2024 | Taipei | Taiwan |
Davin Shi | Erica Peng & Rubin Ku | Michael Baxter | MUN Society Taiwan | Best Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello |
[27] | |
| 33 | 2025 | Manila |  Philippines |
Kevin Lin | Tyler Javier & Phoebe Silang | Ashley Romo | WorldMUN Philippines | Best Large Delegation: MUN Society Belgium Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: be.boosted |
[28] | |
| 34 | 2026 | Lima |  Peru |
Vinny Li | Diego Cubillas | Jessica Zhuo | Peruvian Universities | Best Large Delegation: HultMUN Society Outstanding Large Delegation: Best Small Delegation: Outstanding Small Delegation: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello |
||
See also
[edit]- Model United Nations
- List of model United Nations conferences – a list of notable MUN conferences
- Harvard International Relations Council
References
[edit]- ↑ Originally set for March 2020. Postponed due to the COVID-19 Outbreak[25]
- ↑ Garcia, Javier V. (6 April 1992). "Poland Hosts Harvard World Model U.N. in 1992". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ↑ "Welcome to WorldMUN". Harvard WorldMUN. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "Bidding Information". Harvard WorldMUN. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 The descriptions of specialized agencies and crisis committees are based on publicly available Model United Nations training materials and conference documentation. Sources include official Harvard Model United Nations delegate handbooks and background guides, committee preparation guides published by recognized Model United Nations organizations, and educational resources on Model United Nations formats and procedures. These materials describe commonly used committee structures, procedural characteristics, and delegate expectations across conferences, though specific implementations may vary by event.
- ↑ Sohn, Louis B.; Feller, A. H. (May 1953). "United Nations and World Community". Harvard Law Review. 66 (7): 1336. doi:10.2307/1336957. ISSN 0017-811X. JSTOR 1336957.
- ↑ Garcia, Javier V. (6 April 1992). "Poland Hosts Harvard World Model U.N." The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ↑ "George Yeo to WorldMUN: believe in the UN" (PDF). The New Paper. 15 March 2011. p. 12. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ↑ "thebahamasweekly.com - World Model UN Conference gets underway in Vancouver, Canada". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ↑ "Melbourne wins the rights to host Harvard World Model United Nations Conference in 2013". Australasian Special Events. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Best Large Delegation - Peruvian Universities" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Outstanding Large Delegation - Universidad Simon Bolivar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Harvard WorldMUN [@WorldModelUN] (21 March 2014). "Best Small Delegation - Georgetown University" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Didier Reynders organises conference on Belgium and the UN". Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2019-06-03.
- ↑ "Students gather for model UN". Korea JoongAng Daily. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ Xiao, Derek G. (23 March 2016). "Pope Speaks at Harvard WorldMUN in Rome". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ↑ "Il Risiko alla rovescia dei ragazzi diplomatici". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 15 March 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ "Francis to Model UN participants: Listen to refugees". LaStampa.it (in Italian). 17 March 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ "Le WorldMUN à Montréal en 2017 - Le gouvernement du Québec soutient le prestigieux Harvard World Model United Nations 2017 - Portail Québec". www.fil-information.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 2019-05-13.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Peruvian Debate Society: campeones del mundo". 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ↑ "Panamá será sede en 2018 de evento Harvard WorldMUN". Telemetro (in Spanish). 30 May 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ "Varela abre sesiones del Harvard World Model en Panamá". TVN (in European Spanish). 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ "" J'ai participé à une simulation de l'ONU, avec 2 500 étudiants du monde entier "" (in French). 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ Portillo, Javier (2019-03-18). "La ONU de los estudiantes se reúne en Madrid". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ↑ Silió, Elisa (2019-03-22). "España aprende a hablar en público". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
- ↑ "Harvard World Model United Nations". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
- ↑ "Meet the Team". Harvard World Model United Nations. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ↑ Lai, Chen-Yen (2024-02-02). "2024 Harvard WorldMUN takes center stage in March! NYCU collaborates with Taipei City Government to co-organize, facilitating global student-international international exchange". National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ↑ "Introduction to Manila". World Model United Nations. Retrieved 2024-06-24.