The United Nations was established after the conclusion of the 2nd World War in
attempts to uphold international peace and to foster meaningful cooperation with
countries through diplomacy. Sri Lanka itself has been an active member state of the UN for a long period, which in return strengthened international relations and assisted in the development of the island nation.
Established in 2008, the Sri Lanka Model United Nations (SLMUN) is the pioneer of
United Nations simulation in Sri Lanka and is one of the largest student-run United
Nations simulations in Asia. This year marks the 17th annual session of SLMUN, which will be held on the 17th and 18th of August at the BMICH. The conference allows delegates to take part in a wide array of committees, which includes the World Health Organization, United Nations General Assembly 3rd committee, UNESCO and many more. They would be addressing a variety of pressing contemporary issues as per the agenda of the relevant committees.
Taking the message of SLMUN out to all corners of Sri Lanka has been a challenge that
SLMUN has taken upon itself. Ensuring equal opportunities for students across the island to engage in diplomacy is incredibly important. To achieve this goal, the executive committee members have been traveling across all provinces.
In order to introduce MUN procedure and encourage to participation in conferences,
workshops have been conducted as part of the Outreach Program in Puttalam, Jaffna,
Batticaloa, Matale, Kegalle, Galle, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy,
Badulla, Gampaha, Kalutara involving school students and enthusiasts.
SLMUN also conducts regional conferences in addition to the main SLMUN
conferences to maximize participation and provide opportunities for delegates to enrich
themselves in the process. The regional conferences for this year include the Hill Country Model United Nations Conference, Wayamba Model United Nations Conference. SLMUN’s partner conferences include Kelaniya University MUNC, St. Sebastian’s College MUNC, HFCMUNC and RIMUNC.
All these efforts are instrumental in enabling students to delve deep into issues that are
affecting our globe and give them the unique opportunity to introduce revolutionary
solutions to them. MUN also provides a platform to have meaningful debate and dialogue among fellow delegates which would improve public speaking abilities and language skills among students.