2018 Moscow International Model United Nations

2018 Moscow International Model United Nations

16 April 2018

April 16th, the Churkin Moscow International Model UN started at MGIMO. The event is organized on a yearly basis jointly with the United Nations Association of Russia and is the largest student gathering of this nature in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Around 700 students and pupils, a third of which from abroad, will take part in this year’s Model. At the conference, different sessions will unfold in all the official UN languages.

At the opening ceremony of the Model, the Chairman of the Russian Association of the United Nations, MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov, gave a talk honoring the memory of the remarkable Soviet and Russian diplomat Yuli Vorontsov, who was Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to India, France, Afghanistan and the United States. A short film about the diplomat’s life and career was projected at the start of the Model.

The Rector remarked that Yuli Vorontsov’s description of the role of diplomacy as the «the ability to find a solution in even the most challenging of situations, when the use of force seems more effective» is inspiring and should become the motto of the work of the Model. The event is more than a role-playing game, noted the Rector, it’s the opportunity to learn how to work as diplomats to solve very difficult issues.

The opening ceremony continued with a speech by the Chair of the Executive Committee of the World Federation of United Nations Associations and Head of the UNESCO Chair at the University, Alexei Borisov. The delegates and guests were also addressed by the Secretary General of the Moscow International Model UN who kicked off the 2018 Model and wished everyone good luck.

— See the MGIMO web-site for russian version