#modelun

2022.03.07

Quick little update since it’s been literally forever since I posted, oops.

Second semester is going pretty well, I’m really enjoying my schedule since most days I’m done with classes by noon. I’ve been getting pretty involved with student organizations like Model UN, and our martial arts club, which I help teach. Spring break is right around the corner, and that means so are midterms! You can catch me studying in our campus’s Einstein Bagels - their vanilla cold brew is the best!

As a teen who once dreamt of working at the UN/World Bank, I was surprised to later discover as an adult that students participate in activities like Model UN where they get build critical thinking skills, practice negotiation and conflict resolution, while developing global, cultural and situational awareness as they represent countries they are assigned to with the purpose of achieving a common goal. It’s meant to mimic the real-life UN Security Council which brings together 15 countries (temporary and permanent members with the purpose of pursuing diplomacy and establishing the world order for a designated period of time and often pertaining to specific issues.

This week’s class was like taking a Model UN session and applying the format to a COP simulation. The Conference of the Parties (COP) facilitates coordination of efforts and unification of perspective for countries in their approach to combatting climate change. These countries come together to discuss and negotiate global actions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in alignment with targets outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.

One of the most interesting things about how COP functions is the way in which representatives from almost every country in the world gather promote the interests of their own countries using a framework for the global community, and for this reason priorities sometimes diverge. World leaders and their delegations discuss everything from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to climate adaptation strategies, to financing for climate solutions which includes financial assistance to developing countries.