Student Media Release

UTMUN has a media team that will be capturing pictures and videos during the conference. By registering and participating in the conference, you consent to being photographed and/or filmed by the media team. You also thereby consent to the use of this media on UTMUN’s social media platforms, website, and other conference related materials.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these policies, please reach out to Tianna Lawton, Under-Secretary General External (external@utmun.org), or Keerat Gill, Chargee d’Affaires (registration@utmun.org).

MODEL UN AT U OF T CODE OF CONDUCT

The document below is to lay out the guidelines and procedures for reporting and handling equity concerns during the University of Toronto Model United Nations Conference. All delegates and faculty advisors involved in the conference are expected to carefully read and then sign this document before attending the conference.

Harassment and Discrimination

  1. All conference participants are expected to be respectful of others. Harassment in any form will not be tolerated, the nature of which includes, but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, age, mental and physical disabilities, socio economic status, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

  2. All conference participants must refrain from harassment and discrimination through any medium. This includes but is not limited to:

    • In-person interactions such as speech, gestures, sounds, touching, etc.,

    • Digital mediums such as social media, text messages, email, phone calls, etc.,

    • Or written mediums used during the conference such as notes, written speeches, directives, Zoom Chat, etc.

  3. UTMUN reserves the right to determine what constitutes bullying and/or inappropriate behaviour toward any individual and/or group.

  4. Attendees must not engage in any behaviour that constitutes physical violence or the threat of violence against any groups and/or individuals, including sexual violence and harassment, such as, but not limited to:

    • Unwelcome suggestive or indecent comments about one’s appearance;

    • Nonconsensual sexual contact and/or behaviour between any individuals and/or groups of individuals;

    • Sexual contact or behaviour between delegates and staff members is strictly forbidden;

  5. Reported incidents of harassment will be thoroughly investigated and the Secretariat reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary.

Abiding to the Laws of the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario and Canada

  1. Delegates, staff and all other conference participants are expected to abide by Ontario and Canadian laws and Toronto by-laws. This includes, but is not limited to, laws regarding possession, trafficking and use of illegal drugs, and laws regarding purchase and possession of alcohol.

  2. The legal drinking age in Ontario is 19 years of age. All participants found engaging in illegal activities may be expelled from the Conference, and may be held criminally liable.

  3. UTMUN has a zero-tolerance policy towards intoxication. Any participant caught under the influence during the conference will be expelled from their committee.

  4. All the conference venues are non-smoking facilities.

Vandalism and Property Destruction

  1. Individuals will be held responsible for vandalism or damage that occurs in any of the conference venues. Neither UTMUN nor its agents will accept any responsibility for damage inflicted by delegates.

  2. Solicitation of any events by individuals other than the Secretariat is prohibited without consent of the UTMUN Secretariat.

Dress Code

  1. The dress code for UTMUN is western business attire. Delegates and staff not maintaining an appropriate standard of dress will be asked to change their clothing. If you need any exceptions to be made or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Chief Equity Officer, Harvi Karatha, at equity@utmun.org.

  2. All cultural appropriation is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to attire, accents, etc. that belong to a certain cultural, religious, or ethnic community.

Illness Policy

  1. To maintain the health and wellbeing of our delegates, staff, and guests, we ask that any delegates displaying symptoms of COVID-19, RSV, the Common Cold, the Flu, or any other infectious illness, and/or who have tested positive for any of the above illnesses, please stay home.

  2. If you have recently (within one week of the conference as defined by Day 1 of the official UTMUN Itinerary) been in close contact with a positive case of COVID-19 and are not displaying symptoms, please test using a rapid test and self-monitor for symptoms in the lead up to/during the conference.

  3. If at any time throughout the conference you begin to experience symptoms or feel unwell, please inform your faculty advisor or a staff member, wear a mask, and use a rapid test at the first possible opportunity.

  4. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or concerned for your wellbeing, please inform a staff member or contact the Chief Equity Officer, Harvi Karatha, at equity@utmun.org or through the Equity Contact Form.

  5. The Secretariat will maintain a small supply of PPE throughout the conference. Do not rely on this supply, as it will be limited and used only in situations of need.

  6. All staff will be following the same procedures. UTMUN will not be requesting proof of vaccination or a negative test, but there will be immunocompromised delegates/staff/guests in attendance. It is therefore of paramount importance that we protect each other, stay safe, and make UTMUN a space for everyone.

  7. Neither UTMUN nor its agents accept responsibility for the effects of any illness contracted while attending the UTMUN annual conference. Despite these measures, your health and wellbeing throughout the duration of the conference is, ultimately, the responsibility of the individual.

LGBTQIA+ Protection Policy

  1. The misgendering, outing, and/or use of homophobic/transphobic slurs at any UTMUN events will not be tolerated. All delegates are expected to use the appropriate pronouns of other delegates to the best of their ability, and treat one another with empathy, kindness, and respect.

WAYS OF REPORTING

If you have a violation of the equity policy to report, here are the following procedures you can follow to get in contact with a committee staff/secretariat member or the UTMUN Equity Team.

  1. Email the Chief Equity Officer for UTMUN, Harvi Karatha, at equity@utmun.org. This email will only be monitored by the Chief Equity Officer. 

  2. Submit a form through the following link: https://forms.gle/Psc5Luxp22T3c9Zz8. This link has the option to be anonymous and will only be monitored by the Chief Equity Officer.

  3. Speak to a staff member for your/your delegate’s committee. They can be contacted through email.

The Secretariat reserves the right to impose restrictions on participation or expel delegates from the Conference for inappropriate behaviour, including, but not limited to, the violation of the equity provisions above. By attending the conference, you agree to abide by the equity provisions documented above.

UTMUN Technology POLICY

UTMUN 2024 will be conducted in an in-person format. As such, delegates will use the traditional paper note-passing system. Personal devices (e.g., laptops, tablets) will only be allowed during unmoderated caucuses and breaks. Students will be not be allowed to use technology during formal debate. Please email academics@utmun.org should you have any questions or concerns.

Awards

UTMUN recognizes exceptional delegates and schools with awards distributed during the closing ceremonies of the conference. Awards are given to delegates who demonstrate strong preparation prior to the conference, excellent public speaking skills and exceptional diplomatic abilities, including, but not limited to encouraging compromise and negotiation in their committees through their interactions with other delegates and their resolutions. Recipients are selected by the Directors of each committee. The number of awards in a committee varies by size, but each committee will award at least one of each of the following awards:

  1. Best Delegate

  2. Outstanding Delegate

  3. Honourable Mention

  4. Best Position Paper

    This year, UTMUN also recognizes the top two performing delegations of each of the small- and large-delegation categories with the following four awards:

  1. Best Large Delegation (16 or more delegates)

  2. Outstanding Large Delegation (16 or more delegates)

  3. Best Small Delegation

  4. Outstanding Small Delegation

These awarded delegations will receive a plaque to commemorate their remarkable achievement.

Media Release

By attending all or part of a UTMUN conference, delegates, faculty advisors, guest speakers, and faculty advisors agree, unless otherwise specified, to permit UTMUN to photograph or video record their person and work produced during the conference. These images or recordings will be produced strictly for promotional purposes to be included on the UTMUN website, closing ceremonies, newsletters, pamphlets, etc. To request individual exemption from this media release, or for further information, please contact the Chargée d'Affaires at registration@utmun.org.