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Tribune News Network
Doha
THE seventh annual THIMUN Qatar conference is set to take place at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha from January 24 to 26.
The event, which will bring together more than 1,300 Model United Nations (MUN) students from Qatar, as well as the wider region and beyond, aims to encourage young people to discuss, negotiate, debate and propose solutions to global issues.
"We are now in the seventh year of THIMUN Qatar," said Lisa Martin, head of THIMUN Qatar."Despite the current political crisis in the region, we are continuing to develop as a Model United Nations, attracting thousands of students from around the world. This conference is a wonderful opportunity for young men and women from different countries and backgrounds to come together to propose action-orientated solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues."
The theme of this year's conference is 'Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women and Girls', inspired by the United Nations' (UN's) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. In line with the theme, a keynote speech will be delivered by Trisha Shetty, Founder and CEO of SheSays India, a youth-led NGO with a focus on youth and civil society engagement to promote gender equality. At the opening ceremony, Secretary-General of THIMUN Qatar Sandev Ferdinando and Ambassador of the Netherlands to Qatar HE Bahia Tahzib-Lie will address the audience.
During the three-day conference, participants will engage in a simulation of the UN, taking on roles as diplomats to discuss and debate international issues in order to develop solutions to some of the challenges facing the global community. Students will also be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of committees. Representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will also present during the event, covering topics such as 'Cyber Crime', 'Organised Crime and Gender', and 'Human Trafficking'.
A key aspect of this year's conference is MUN Impact. The programme will serve as a hub for sharing stories of impactful MUN activities, best practices and ways to support, through action, the SDGs.
"The MUN Impact grew out of an initiative at our October Leadership Conference. There was interest from students, teachers and even members of the UN itself, to more deeply engage students in being change-makers and to help address the SDGs. MUN delegates can act as a peaceful army of active global citizens, and we hope MUN Impact will begin a much-needed conversation and movement about ways to infuse action and service into Model United Nations," added Martin.
THIMUN Qatar's Regional Office was created as a joint project between Qatar Foundation's (QF's) Qatar Academy schools and the THIMUN Foundation, an affiliation programme designed to develop high-quality MUN conferences around the world.
