The event that we had all been waiting for: The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN) 2012. It’s the largest Model UN conference in the world which takes place in the World Forum Center in The Hague. Around 4000 students from all over the world come together to debate current, international issues that are also being discussed in the real United Nations. Every school forms a delegation with several delegates representing a specific nation or NGO in an organ of the UN.
This year’s theme of Thimun was Seas and Oceans. The Maerlant delegation consisted of 12 members representing Ethiopia, which is a completely landlocked country. However, this didn’t make the debates less interesting and I think we have done a great job. We were dealing with issues such as violence against women, degradation of coral reefs, giving access to sea to landlocked countries and many more.
This was my third Thimun conference and I still can’t get enough of it. I was hesitating in the beginning, but I am so happy that I continued. I gained knowledge about international subjects, met friends from all over the world and became a better speaker. I think it’s hard to regret participating in Thimun, because it’s an amazing opportunity. It was really cool to be ambassador of this year’s delegation, and I would like to thank everyone, especially the new delegates, for their enthusiasm!
Madeleine ter Kuile (5V)