Pace University students Caitlin Boley ’16 (left) and Joseph Colella ’19 (right), who received an Outstanding Position Paper award for their representation of China in a simulation of the United Nations Security Council at the 2016 National Model UN conference in New York.
I am a Political Science major and Peace and Justice Studies minor and this semester I discovered that Model United Nations addresses the very issues that I aim to engage with in my vocational path. The knowledge I gained about the UN and its structure, as well as the skills in public speaking, collaborative teamwork, negotiation, research as well as policy writing and analysis will be vital for my career.
I believe the Model UN class and 2016 National Model UN conference in New York have helped me further become an informed citizen of the world in which I live in, as well as the issues many nations face. The process of research, analysis and simulation in this class are among some of the best available methods to educate oneself on how the world operates politically. In class, I learned about the structure, powers and responsibilities of the UN and its subsidiary bodies, as well as diplomatic skills. In the conference, I had the opportunity to apply those same skills to simulate working within the limits and with the powers of the UN to create comprehensive resolutions that addressed various issues around the world.
As a representative of the People’s Republic of China in the Security Council, I had certain privileges within the council that not every present member nation had, such as the ability to veto resolutions and statements. The People’s Republic of China was put under a sort of spotlight for many of its opinions and decisions, with many of the ‘smaller’ nations concerns about the significant impact the five Permanent Members of the Security Council can have on the world. The class and the conference helped me understand better the constraints, responsibilities and obstacles that a P5 nation must consider when making decisions on the international level.
– Joseph Colella ‘19