DOHA: The seventh annual THIMUN Qatar conference will bring together more than 1,300 Model United Nation (MUN) students this week. Student representatives will be from Qatar, regional and international countries.
The conference aims to encourage young people to discuss, negotiate, debate, and propose solutions to global issues between January 24 and 26 at the Qatar National Convention Center.
“We are now in the seventh year of THIMUN Qatar. Despite the current political crisis in the region, we are continuing to develop as a Model United Nations, attracting thousands of students from around the world,” said Lisa Martin, Head of THIMUN Qatar.
“This conference is a wonderful opportunity for young men and women from different countries and backgrounds to come together to propose action-orientated solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. We at THIMUN Qatar are dedicated to fostering active global citizens and equipping participants with the skills and tools necessary to become the future leaders of tomorrow,” added Martin.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women and Girls’, inspired by the United Nation’s (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.
In line with the theme, the keynote speech will be delivered by Trisha Shetty, Founder and CEO of SheSays India, a youth-led NGO with a focus on youth and civil society engagement to promote gender equality.
Additionally, as part of the opening ceremony, Sandev Ferdinando, Secretary General, THIMUN Qatar, and Bahia Tahzib-Lie, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Qatar, will address the audience.
During the three-day conference, participants will engage in a simulation of the UN, taking on roles as diplomats to discuss and debate international issues in order develop solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing the global community. Students will also be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of committees. Representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will also present during the event, covering topics such as ‘Cyber Crime’, ‘Organized Crime and Gender’, and ‘Human Trafficking’.
A key aspect of this year’s conference is MUN Impact. The program will serve as a hub for sharing stories of impactful MUN activities, best practices, and ways to support, through action, the SDGs.
“MUN Impact grew out of an initiative at our October Leadership Conference. There was interest by students, teachers, and even members of the UN itself, to more deeply engage students in being change-makers and to help address the SDGs. MUN delegates can act as a peaceful army of active global citizens, and we hope MUN Impact will begin a much-needed conversation and movement about ways to infuse action and service into Model United Nations,” said Martin.
THIMUN Qatar’s Regional Office was created as a joint project between Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Qatar Academy schools and the THIMUN Foundation, an affiliation program designed to develop high quality MUN conferences around the world.
