Last weekend, 10 of our talented Year 12 pupils headed to Wycombe Abbey's annual Model United Nations (MUN) Conference.
The event buzzed with energy as delegates from 15 schools engaged in fiery debates and captivating discussions, showcasing diplomacy and teamwork at its best.
The conference was an exciting opportunity to engage with global affairs, refine debating skills and experience the world of international diplomacy.
Poppy (Year 12) shares her experience
At the start of Long Quarter (Spring Term), 10 Year 12 pupils attended the Wycombe Abbey Model United Nations conference. This conference brought together pupils from 15 schools across the world for two days of debate, diplomacy and negotiation. Charterhouse pupils represented Thailand, Canada and Denmark across the Security Council, DISEC (Disarmament and International Security Committee), ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and Human Rights committees.
The first day saw engaging discussion on a range of current significant topics. The Security Council tackled the question of sovereignty and territorial disputes in current conflicts, while Human Rights debated reparations for historical and colonial acts. Meanwhile, ECOSOC focused on inclusive and sustainable post-pandemic economic recovery and DISEC debated cybersecurity, privacy and the freedom of information online.
In the evening the black-tie Diplomatic Dinner and Highland Ball provided the pupils with a chance to socialise, with Scottish dancing proving to be a highlight for many.
Day two was full of even more debate, with topics including education and healthcare in conflict zones in ECOSOC, freedom of speech and the Rohingya crisis in Human Rights, combating illegal drug networks in DISEC and North Korea’s nuclear proliferation in the Security Council.
As the conference drew to a close, pupils embraced the lighter side of Model United Nations, drafting joke resolutions and taking part in the punishment of burpees for using personal pronouns. Abstaining from using personal pronouns during debate is a common rule that has to be abided by in Model United Nations, so this gave pupils, that have never attended a conference before, the opportunity to learn how Model United Nations works in a fun and engaging way.