Six SUNY Oneonta students won the highest possible honor at the 2023 National Model United Nations conference in New York City from April 10-14. SUNY Oneonta students represented Cambodia this year, and they were one of just 24 delegations to receive the Outstanding Delegation Award.
The National Model United Nations (NMUN) is a non-governmental organization formally associated with the United Nations. The first simulated conference of the NMUN, known at the time as the Model Assembly of the League of Nations, took place nearly 100 years ago at Syracuse University in 1927.
Since 2005, SUNY Oneonta political science majors have learned about global issues and the United Nations through a Model United Nations course that culminates in a trip to the NMUN Conference in New York City, where students have the opportunity to engage with peers from around the world.
“The conference was an amazing opportunity to collaborate with other college students and aspiring leaders from across the world and negotiate and problem solve with them about complex topics, such as safe nuclear waste management, nuclear facility safeguards and the United Nations sustainable development goals,” said August Heminway, a dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science at SUNY Oneonta.
More than 90 colleges and universities participated in the 2023 NMUN conference, each representing a different country. Each nation’s delegates join one of 13 committees focusing on issues such as environmental impact, atomic energy, human rights and peacebuilding. Before the conference, students prepare for the Model UN by researching and learning about their committee’s topics.
This year, Oneonta students Aliyah Abdelsalam and Daniela Suarez were members of the General Assembly First Committee, and John Furgele and August Heminway were members of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Angela Wayman and Alex Headley served on the United Nations Environmental Assembly committee and won an Outstanding Position Paper Award for their work.
“The Outstanding Position Paper Award is for the two-page papers each committee submitted before the conference started, based on the work we did in class,” said Matt Murphy, associate professor of international relations and comparative politics and the Model UN course instructor. “Angela and Alex’s submission was among the top ten papers of about 90 teams on that committee.”
All six SUNY Oneonta students won the Outstanding Delegation Award based on their performance and preparedness.
“There were a couple of unusual instances at the Model UN where students from other universities became swept up in the bargaining and competitiveness, leading to arguments and highly escalated tempers,” said Murphy. “Our students were consistently pushing for diplomacy and reasonable discussion. I believe that’s one of the reasons we were recognized for Outstanding Delegation.”