United Nations in Uzbekistan

Judging by the decorum, passion and professionality of the student delegates who took part in the Model United Nations conference held at Tashkent’s School №50, it was easy to imagine that the students were actually discussing global issues at the UN. The event, which occurred on the 23rd of November with the support of the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), represented a meeting of the Security Council with the intention of addressing the effects of conflict and warfare on children.

MUN conferences, which are organised in Uzbekistan by UNIC, serve as unique opportunities for the students of secondary schools and universities to step into the shoes of ambassadors and delegates to the United Nations. The conferences are simulations of the actual debates which occur at the UN, where student delegates uphold the stances and positions of their designated nations while discussing matters of international importance. Much like their real counterparts, it is the ultimate goal of every MUN conference to formulate a final resolution which represents a compromise between all participating nations.

By holding a model session of the Security Council, students from grades 8 and 9 of school №50 represented the council’s fifteen members. The council’s five permanent members, including the Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States were all represented, along with the non-permanent members including Bosnia/Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal and South Africa. Each nation was represented by two dedicated students.

The moment that the delegates took their seats, they changed from students to international ambassadors. After brief announcements by UNIC representative Artyom Tchen and the event’s coordinator Elena Vedenskaya, the chairperson and former student Hikmatulla Ubaydullaev assumed control and position papers were read by the delegates. Each paper was well crafted, although Lebanon’s statement was distinguished as the best. Due to time limitations, the conference bypassed the informal caucusing stage and began to debate the matter at hand.

During the structured discussion, it was clear that every delegate understood the matter at hand and were aware of all the factors, elements and terms that were likely to appear in the debate. The delegates also followed the exact procedures laid out by the United Nations, composing themselves with finely-honed politeness, perfect manners and refined language. Considering the debate’s content and the heated exchanges that could have become outright arguments, this impeccable etiquette was very impressive.

A number of particularly memorable exchanges occurred during the debate, showing that the students were fully committee to the event and wanted to make sure that their nation’s perspectives were heard. On nation that underwent substantial questioning was the United States. Firstly, the nation’s delegation was asked why the US had failed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The delegation replied that their nation already enforces legislation which addresses the rights of children and consequently the state has chosen not to ratify the convention. The nation then came under fire from other countries, including India and Gabon, regarding its involvement in conflicts around the globe.

Considering the discussions’ topic, it was not surprising that nations who had witnessed conflict in recent history were questioned about how their children were treated during these times of upheaval. Nigeria was asked about the treatment of children and the involvement of child soldiers during the nation’s civil war. Bosnia and Herzegovina commented that since the region’s conflict in the 90s, significant work has been undertaken in order to repair the nation’s schools and child support services. The protection of children during Libya’s recent internal conflict was also discussed, with China’s delegation showing particularly comprehensive knowledge of the situation, but the debate was cut short because a delegation from Libya was not present at the session.

Another matter that was addressed was this year’s rioting in the UK, a matter that saw particular attention from Lebanon. The UK responded to the directed comments by stating that the riots were an unexpected event, and represented a single unfortunate occurrence as opposed to an indication of on-going tensions and problems. The delegation also stressed that children were protected during the regretful event.

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