Thursday: February 11th
An early China Town bus got us into Boston just in time for the opening ceremony of the 56th session of the Harvard National Model United Nations!
After a quick opening note from the acting Secretary-General and video highlighting the importance of the Millennium Development Goals (HNMUN is supporting the MDG) it was time to take to the floors of the debating halls!
The first session was spent discussing topics and opening remarks were made from a number of countries each showcasing their position on nuclear terrorism, disarmament and all that is included!
Friday, February 12th
A morning tour of the beautiful Harvard Campus and a careers fair was followed by 6 hours of debating! This saw the formation of working papers and strategic alliances, divisions amongst otherwise friendly allies and opponents coming together.
After an intellectually arduous day, all disputes were left in the debating hall as delegates mingled at a social cocktail evening hosted by the Harvard Committee, at which the Harvard Jazz band showcased their talents.
Saturday, 13th February
The discussion opened up again at 9am and continued until 7pm with only one short break! This was the bulk of forming a resolution and everyone worked tirelessly in drafting resolutions, hostile and friendly mergers, lobbying the rest of the GA, making inclusions for developing and developed nations alike!
The end of the day saw three possible resolutions on the table, all debated, examined and bombarded with unfriendly amendments.
Again, to ensure the hostilities of the days debating didn't persevere, a 'delegate dance' was held in the Boston Park Plaza Ballroom so delegates could mix on a social level and learn about their diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Sunday, 14th February
With only two hours to pass a resolution everyone worked quickly and efficiently. The last of the amendments were debated and the GA moved into a voting session. It was close, but by a simple majority the resolution we (portugal) had been working on passed!
The resolution will be made available shortly - I will post the link when this occurs!
The conference was capped off with a closing ceremony and awards presentation: My debating partner and I received an honorable mention within the DISEC committee - having officially taken on the ivy league the conference can be heralded as a success!
Participating at HNMUN was a real learning experience, not just in terms of the content covered but I think all that participated from the Australian delegation learnt a lot more than anticipated; intellectually, personally and professionally.
