WHAT IS UTMUN?
University of Toronto Model United Nations (UTMUN) is one of North America’s most premier high school debate and MUN experiences.
Model United Nations is a form of stylized debate whereby participants, high school age students from around the world, are assigned a country and a committee. Participants are tasked with debating and defending their assigned nation’s foreign policy and interests against the overarching needs of the committee, and world, at large. As such, participants are immersed in the real world challenges and complications of international diplomacy, trade and peace-keeping.
UTMUN is staffed exclusively by the students of the University of Toronto, Canada’s most prestigious post-secondary institution, located at the heart of Toronto. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be there to ensure a smooth and enjoyable weekend.
Committees can range from traditional UN agencies, such as UN Women, the World Health Organization (WHO), or UNICEF, to more innovative and niche agencies such as regional bodies, fictional UN committees, corporate board rooms, political cabinets, historical crisis committees, and more.
At UTMUN, we have four branches and styles of committees: the General Assemblies (GAs), the Economic and Social Councils (ECOSOCs) and Regional Bodies, the Specialized Agencies (SAs), and the Crisis Committees (CCs).
UTMUN is dedicated to providing an innovative and diverse offering of committees year after year.
General Assemblies encompass traditional United Nations (UN) agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) or United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as well as historical and conceptual committees expanding the scope of diplomatic discussions beyond the pre-existing structures of the UN, offering an imaginative and theoretical forum for diplomacy. These committees address specific global issues that have far reaching implications on the entire world, necessitating intense negotiation, collaboration and a deep understanding of global politics by participants. These committees follow traditional MUN Rules of Procedure and are well suited for beginner and novice delegates entering the world of MUN.
ECOSOCs and Regional Bodies also follow the traditional structure of MUN committees and Rules of Procedure, however, they discuss topics that are centralized to specific areas of the world or target particular demographic groups. These committees explore the complexities of localized issues and develop region-specific solutions. Previous committees include the Arctic Council, the League of Arab States, as well as unique committees such as the historical USSR1991: Collapse of the Soviet Union committee and the International Court of Justice. These committees offer a platform for discussing global cooperation while considering the distinct circumstances of the regions they represent. These committees are best suited to students with interest in regional geopolitics.
Specialized Agencies are designed to explore elements of political discourse that are often overlooked, namely the economic and social implications of both national and international political decisions. Often consisting of our most innovative committees, Specialized Agencies encompasses boardrooms and specialized forums that address the fallout of legislative policy making. Previous committees include GameStop vs. Wallstreet, the Press Corps, Women’s NBA Board of Directors, and sometimes specialized fictional committees such as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Due to their focused nature, these committees are best suited to intermediate and advanced delegates with expertise on the topics at hand.
Crisis Committees are fast-paced committees that dive deep into historical events that have had long-lasting implications on the global order of today. These committees follow Crisis Rules of Procedure, whereby delegates react to updates in real-time and must strategize with their peers on solutions to events of imminent disaster, producing actionable directives. Previous committees include the Merchants of the Swahili Coast, the Warring States Period, and the Alliance of the Itzcoatl. Crisis committees may also be fictional or conceptual and always contain our Ad Hoc committee, the most advanced of MUN committees where participants only learn the details of the committee the days of the conference. These committees are best suited to intermediate and advanced delegates with interest in historical events and politics.
NOTE: Though certain committees are encouraged to delegates of certain experience levels, all committees are open to all delegates irrespective of experience level, background or grade level. You are certainly encouraged to register and indicate interest for committees you have a true passion for!
