By Rebecca J. Flavin, senior lecturer in political science and Model UN advisor

For the first time in team history, Baylor Model United Nations teamed up with another program, Japan Model United Nations, to participate as a joint delegation at the National Model United Nations New York Conference 2024, held March 23-29. The joint Baylor and Japan MUN team was named an Outstanding Delegation, the highest team award given at Model UN conferences.

Fifteen members of Baylor’s Model United Nations Team traveled to New York for the conference, joining 10 members of the Japan Model United Nations team. The teams jointly represented France in 12 committees that simulated the work of the contemporary United Nations. Approximately 2,700 university students from nearly 50 countries participated in this week of the conference, researching and negotiating global issues related to peace, security, environmental sustainability, and human rights. In the 12 committees in which the joint Baylor and Japan MUN team participated, delegates applied their research completed in advance of the conference to negotiate and draft resolutions on the following topics:

• Measures to protect children and young people from drug abuse (CND),
• Combating food insecurity and the risk of famine (ECOSOC),
• Relationship between disarmament and development (GA 1),
• Eradicating rural poverty to implement the 20230 Agenda for Sustainable Development (GA 2),
• Promotion and protection of the rights of children in conflict (GA 3),
• Human rights of indigenous peoples (HRC),
• Maintaining and strengthening emergency preparedness and response (IAEA),
• United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (PBC),
• The situation in Sudan and South Sudan (SC),
• Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (UNEA),
• Promoting restitution or the return of cultural property to the country of origin (UNESCO), and
• Protecting displaced and refugee children (UNHCR).

The joint Baylor and Japan MUN team had initiated preparations for the conference in summer 2023 and commenced research late in the fall 2023 semester, meeting by Zoom during the fall 2023 and early spring 2024 semesters to collaborate on position papers, which were due to the conference in early March 2024. The result of this diligent work over multiple months was the joint Baylor and Japan MUN team received Outstanding Position Paper Awards in six of the nine committees in which the team partnered. The Baylor team received additional paper awards in two of the three committees the team participated in on its own, for a total of eight Outstanding Position Paper Awards – a Baylor team record. The complete list of position paper award authors is provided below.

Research preparation is only one piece of team training. Model United Nations teams must also be knowledgeable about parliamentary procedure rules, resolution structure, and effective teamwork strategy in order to succeed at conference. To assist with preparation, members of the Japan MUN team traveled to Waco, Texas, to meet with the Baylor team in mid-March in advance of both teams’ travel to New York for the conference. For more information about how the Baylor and Japan Model UN teams prepared for their collaboration, check out the College of Arts & Sciences “Cart Chronicles” episode that features footage of the joint training simulations, as well as interviews with the head delegates of both the Baylor and Japan MUN teams.

Another result of the months of hard work the Baylor and Japan MUN teams devoted to preparing for the conference was being named an overall Outstanding Delegation by conference staff, which is the highest team award bestowed by the conference. In addition, three joint Baylor and Japan MUN partners were named Outstanding Delegations in Committee and an additional Baylor MUN partner pair was named Outstanding Delegation in Committee, for a total of four Outstanding Delegations in Committee, an individual, peer-nominated award. (With four Outstanding Delegation in Committee awards, the team fell just short of tying its record for the overall individual Outstanding Delegation in Committee Awards, which is five awards; the team received this number of awards twice — in both 2019 and 2023.)

While the Baylor University team has received the Outstanding Delegation team award for six consecutive NMUN-NY conferences, never before has the team partnered with another team. Partnering with another school, and specifically a school from another country made preparation both more challenging and more rewarding for both teams. As Baylor’s Model UN head delegate, Krish Kothari (senior, political science) shares:

Although this was my last conference, this was my favorite and most enriching NMUN New York yet. Representing France, a Permanent Five Member of the Security Council, allowed me to experience firsthand the intense negotiations that occur before any document gets released by the body and how the United Nations deals with crisis situations. Additionally,  working with our partners from Japan was a formative experience that I will treasure forever. Having to reconcile different culturally specific preparation styles with our own was challenging but also incredibly rewarding.

Krish and his partner Kaiei Maesaka (Sophia University) received both Outstanding Position Paper and Outstanding Delegation in Committee Awards for their work at conference.

Two additional Baylor and Japan MUN partner pairs received both the Outstanding Paper and Delegation Award — Tori Jones (junior, international studies) and Ichiko Ono (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies) for their work in UNHCR and Bri Uptain (sophomore, physics) and Juri Okuma (International Christian University) for their work in General Assembly First Committee.

Ichiko Ono writes:

At the UNHCR committee, I learned what ‘inclusivity’ is. With the motto of not leaving anyone behind, France welcomed all delegates to the discussion and respected the topic not prioritized, which could make the debate more cooperative and productive! I really enjoyed our conference.

Bri Uptain similarly echoes Ichiko’s positive experience with the debates at conference:

The conference gave me exposure to high-quality conversations undertaken by changemakers in our world today. Additionally, to see so many young people in the same place bringing their stories, their skills, and their innovations was really inspiring.

Two of Baylor’s new team members and Outstanding Delegates in General Assembly Third Committee, Michael Chung (freshman, political science) and Tanvi Sud (freshman, neuroscience) added notes of encouragement especially meant for students who may be thinking about joining Model UN but who are either worried about public speaking or who may think that the program is only for political science or international studies majors (it isn’t!).

Michael Chung shares:

On the first day of the conference, I cannot lie that I was intimidated, being on a committee with 160 Member States. However, despite my anxieties, I quickly picked up valuable networking skills and got to meet some amazing people from all around the world! I cannot stress how amazing an experience my first NMUN conference was this year!

Tanvi Sud emphasizes that Model United Nations is for everyone, writing:

As a STEM student interested in international security, I am constantly introduced to new perspectives and interesting opportunities. I can say for certain that my time at NMUN-NY tops them all. During the conference, I learned how to be engaged in diplomatic negotiations, diffuse heated dialogue, and enter meaningful conversations with cultures far different from my own. Throughout my time in New York, I made lifelong friends from all over the globe and gained invaluable knowledge about the world of international relations and diplomacy.

What these students’ testimonies underscore is that the educational benefits of these conferences is far more valuable than the awards received, although the team is elated that its work was recognized by conference staff and peers in committee alike.

Baylor’s Model United Nations team is grateful to the Department of Political Science and College of Arts & Sciences for their financial support that made participation in and travel to this conference as well as the Japan Model United Nations partnership possible. While NMUN-NY is the team’s final conference of the 2023-2024 academic year, the team will begin preparations for NMUN-DC 2024 and NMUN-Galapagos 2024 later this month.

Position Paper Award Winners

Below is a list of all the class and club members who contributed to research, writing, and editing for the award-winning position papers. This award is given by conference staff.

Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)  (written by Baylor students): JT Greco (senior, political science), Nathan Lee (junior, political science), Katherine Squires (senior, professional writing and rhetoric) and Noah Valsecchi (sophomore, political science)

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (written by Baylor students): Manha Asrar (freshman, international studies), Gianna Bolla (freshman, political science), Mesha Mittanasala (freshman, University Scholar), Grayson Noles (professional writing and rhetoric), Victoria Ogundipe (freshman, international studies) and Maddie Owens (sophomore, political science)

GA 1: Bri Uptain (Baylor junior, physics) and Juri Okuma (International Christian University)

GA 2: Darcey Warne (Baylor junior, University Scholar) and Mizuki Hirabayashi (Waseda University)

Security Council: Krish Kothari (Baylor senior, political science; head delegate) and Kaiei Maesaka (Sophia University)

UNEA: Katie Turner (Baylor freshman, international studies) and Yuzuka Tamaoka (Tokyo University)

UNESCO: Lilia Kasten (sophomore, Baylor Business Fellows) and Hina Hayashi (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

UNHCR: Tori Jones (Baylor junior, international studies; assistant head delegate) and Ichiko Ono (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

Outstanding Delegations in Committee

This is an individual award given by peers in committee at conference.

GA 1: Bri Uptain (Baylor junior, physics) and Juri Okuma (International Christian University)

GA 3: Michael Chung (Baylor freshman, political science) and Tanvi Sud (Baylor freshman, neuroscience)

Security Council: Krish Kothari (Baylor senior, political science; head delegate) and Kaiei Maesaka (Sophia University)

UNHCR: Tori Jones (Baylor junior, international studies; assistant head delegate) and Ichiko Ono (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

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Top Photo Identification:

Front row, Left to Right:

Reina Otaka (Japan MUN head delegate, Keio University), Yuzuka Tamaoka (Tokyo University), Juri Okuma (International Christian University), Tanvi Sud (Baylor freshman, neuroscience), Katie Turner (Baylor freshman, international studies), Gianna Bolla (Baylor freshman, political science), Tori Jones (Baylor assistant head delegate, junior, international studies), Mesha Mittanasala (Baylor freshman, University Scholar) and Michael Chung (Baylor freshman, political science)

Center row, Left to Right:

Ichiko Ono (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), Hina Hayashi (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies), Bri Uptain (Baylor junior, physics), Lilia Kasten (Baylor sophomore, Baylor Business Fellows), Yuki Yamane (Osaka University), Kaiei Maesaka (Sophia University), Krish Kothari (Baylor head delegate; senior, political science), Mizuki Hirabayashi (Waseda University), Darcey Warne (Baylor junior, University Scholar), Alani Burke (Baylor senior, international studies) and Krishna Nair (Baylor senior, political science)

Back row, Left to Right:

Aomi Fujihara (Waseda University), Hance Winingham (Baylor graduate assistant), Nathan Lee (Baylor junior, political science), Sodai Nao (Waseda University), Noah Valsecchi (Baylor sophomore, political science), and Devon Bolton (Baylor junior, international studies)