MeriMUN 2024 - Meridian International School Model United Nations

Reforming our world for a righteous future.

This year, with the third annual edition of Meridian International School Model United Nations, we bring together the most committees yet in our conference, with a total of 9 committees of 15 members, each with its own unique topics, which united under the theme of this conference, of reform and individual rights and freedoms across the globe. 

We will be resolving issues and reforming numerous aspects of our international diplomacy, such as the reform of the peacekeeping forces, debated upon by the Security Council, revisiting the tumultuous Hungarian Revolution of 1956 in the Historical Security Council, debating the use of euthanasia worldwide as a freedom in the World Health Organization, or freedom of press in our Legal Committee, and many more thought-provoking topics which will hopefully spark fruitful discussions and even better resolutions. 

Most importantly, we would like to share our very unique, historical committee, the National Convention of the First French Republic. This committee, the parliament of France in the years of the Revolution, whose topic is the leading motif of the theme of our conference, will be taking you back to 1792, where you will take on a role of one of the deputies of the National Convention. We hope that you will find your liking in one of our committees, eager to debate, or perhaps chair, and we will be waiting in anticipation to see you all in Prague in October!

Committees

Security Council (SC)

The Essequibo region of Guyana has a great value to the country. Oil reserves, among other resources help Guyana develop. However, this region, making up two thirds of the country, is also claimed by Venezuela. The country refers to the territorial claims of Gran Colombia, a 19th century revolutionary state to justify its claims. In the recent year, this region has seen great amounts of escalation. The delegates of the Security Council will have to attempt to resolve this fragile situation.

• Topic: Adressing the Guyana-Venezuela crisis

UN Women

Despite universal suffrage and equal rights for women in many countries around the world, there are still many institutions where gender equality is far from great. One prime example can be governmental institutions, all across the world. In almost every country in the world, the politics are led by overwhelming majorities of men. The political world is still predominantly a man’s world. The United Nations Women committee will be attempting to change that during the sessions.

• Topics: Ensuring gender equality in governmental institutions.

World Health Organization

The question of legalizing euthanasia is a controversial one. While in many countries, the law does not allow euthanasia, certain countries believe that euthanasia is a right and a freedom to choose to “die with dignity”. However, many other countries believe that human life should be protected at all costs, no matter what may be happening, therefore banning euthanasia entirely, or to a certain extent. These different perspectives will come to a clash during the sessions of the World Health Organization, which will be challenged with answering this question.

• Topic: The question of legalizing euthanasia worldwide.

Human Rights Council (HRC)

Indigenous people can be described as different cultural populations, with ancestral ties to the land they inhabit. In other words, these are the people native to their land. During the age of exploration and colonization, many colonizing powers, however, have been subjugating, killing, or displacing these communities. Today, many indigenous communities around the world still face those issues, on all continents. The Human Rights Council, aligning with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will be trying to resolve the issue of discrimination of indigenous peoples around the world.

• Topics
• Reviewing the rights of indigenous peoples across the world.

Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)

The Disarmament and Security Committee will be dealing with an issue strongly related to the former of its roles, disarmament. One of the United Nations’ most important resolutions in its early years of existence, were the resolutions which introduced the process of decolonisation. However, even more than 60 years later, many large powers still have military establishments on foreign soil. While some of those establishments are fairly and legally established, there are many cases where such bases are remnants of colonialism. In many of those areas, the local population is strongly opposed to those bases, such as in the case of Cyprus or Djibouti. The Disarmament and Security Committee will be examining those circumstances and hopefully resolve this provoking question.

• Topic: The question of foreign military bases and establishments on sovereign countries' territory.

National Convention of the French Republic (1792)

The National Convention of the First French Republic was a pivotal political assembly that convened from September 1792 to October 1795. It emerged in the aftermath of the French Revolution and played a crucial role in shaping the nation's destiny. The convention abolished the monarchy, declared France a republic, and witnessed the trial and execution of King Louis XVI. During this session, King Louis, already stripped of his titles, will stand before the Convention, as Citizen Louis Auguste. His future will be debated by the different factions represented by a variety of members of the Convention present here.

• Topic: Deciding the fate of the former French royalty members, along with its posessions.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The issue of smuggling and international criminal organizations is a prevalent one, especially in the regions of Latin America, however it is not only limited to the area. International crime and smuggling is present in many areas, especially in less economically developed countries, trafficking goods and contraband into more developed countries. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, composed of countries with large scale issues of crime and trafficking, as well as countries who tend to have significantly decreased crime rates, will be debating this issue, and try to come up with a resolution that solves this issue.

• Topic: Tackling transnational smuggling and international criminal networks.