Newsletter March 2024
Distinguished Delegates,
We hope you are enjoying the first warm days of spring and looking forward to Easter break!
Enjoy our March newsletter on a variety of topics!
EPFL MUN 2024 Recap
From the 8th to the 10th of March we had the pleasure to attend EPFL’s 3rd annual conference in Lausanne. The main theme of the conference was: Navigating the New Battlefield: Modern Warfare’s Impact on Global Diplomacy. Our delegation of 7 arrived on Friday in Lausanne excited and prepared for an engaging two days of debate! The opening ceremony was concise and informative, including a guest speaker providing us with insight on the various methods of negotiation. Within the conference itself there was the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the University Crisis Committee, which our delegation participated in. Crisis being an in depth simulation of historical events, allowed us all to get very creative when navigating the diplomatic and military aspects of the time. The topic itself was the “Fall of Novgorod” set in the 15th and 16th century.
Overall the conference was a great success, with two of our delegates even receiving awards! Congratulations to Kai Schärer for winning best delegate and Luis Schaller for receiving an honourable mention! It is always a pleasure to support our Swiss colleagues and look forward to seeing the lovely people from Lausanne in Zürich for ZuMUN!
We would like to thank our sponsors SwissRe and VSUZH for enabling us to attend this conference!
- Melkon Yengibaryan, President
First Weekly Session
The days grow longer, spring approaches, and MUN Season is already in full swing! This semester, our first topic of focus is improving Women’s Access to Healthcare. And with such a nuanced topic, debate is sure to be interesting. With its setting in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, our members have already been hard at work in groups in order to figure out the smallest details in approaches in order to ensure a better future for everyone. Working papers have been coming along very quickly, which has led to some very in-depth ideas already taking root.
Eli Kupiec - Head of Operations
Irchelbar Recap
On the 7th of March we were able to host the Irchelbar with the Informatics Club of UZH (ICU).
The event kicked off with an energetic atmosphere as students from both clubs mingled, exchanging ideas about international relations one moment and discussing the latest advancements in technology the next. It was a unique blend of intellectual discourse and light hearted fun.
As the night progressed, the karaoke stage became the focal point of the event, with students from all backgrounds taking turns belting out their favourite tunes. From classic rock anthems to current pop hits, there was something for everyone, showcasing the diverse talents within the clubs.
Throughout the evening, friendships were forged and boundaries were blurred as students from different clubs came together to celebrate their shared interests and passions. It was a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of building a strong sense of community within the university.
As the night drew to a close, there was a sense of camaraderie and fulfillment in the air. The Model UN and ICU members had successfully combined their talents to create an unforgettable experience that will be remembered for years to come. It was a night of laughter, music, and friendship, and a reminder that sometimes the best solutions are found when we work together towards a common goal.
Thank you to Andrea, Ansu, Chiara, Eli, Melkon, Noele, Phil and Tara for bartending and thank you to the ICU Events Team for making this collaboration possible!
- Francesca Pacey, Head of Events
First Topic Block Recap
This first topic block of 2024 has officially come to an end! With an in depth topic such as “Improving women’s access to healthcare”, our delegates stepped up and put to question a lot of the groundwork of our medical system. Seeing as this discussion took place in the Commission on the Status of Women, the overwhelming consensus in the topic meant that delegates needed to pay particular attention during the unmoderated caucuses in order to come up with unique, yet effective solutions to seemingly impossible challenges like overcoming stigma and improving healthcare infrastructure. Having passed two separate Draft Resolutions, all our delegates put in a tremendous amount of effort. However we’d like to especially congratulate Letizia on receiving delegate of the topic block representing Switzerland!
- Eli Kupiec, Head of Operations
UNYA GA Recap
On the 3rd of March the UNYA General Assembly was hosted in Lausanne, on the EPFL campus. These General Assemblies are always a lovely opportunity for Swiss MUN associations to come together and discuss issues or plan for future collaborations. This General Assembly proved to be especially fruitful as we discussed potential funding plans and collaborative efforts to streamline our own sessions such as compiling all of our materials for each other to use. I believe that it is very important that we as Swiss MUN associations support one another, as MUN in itself is a social and collaborative process. We would like to thank UNYA for providing such an important platform for enabling an open dialogue for our associations!
- Melkon Yengibaryan, President
We wish you a good spring break and are looking forward to welcoming you back to our sessions in April!
See you soon,
Your Board
Melkon, Tara, Mila, Eli, Kai, Francesca and Anna
Copyright © *2023* *MUN Team UZH*, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
info@mun-uzh.org
We would like to thank Swiss Re, VSUZH and UZH Alumni
for being our main sponsors this year!
