From March 24^th to 29^th, the Riverside City College Model United Nations (MUN) team attended the New York Model United Nations conference along with over 5,000 university students from across the globe. There were 23 UN committees were students where students were able to discuss and debate issues of global pertinence. The conference was held to further understanding of the UN and the international community.

The RCC MUN team was part of several committees, including the General Assembly (GA), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA) and represented the Member State of Ukraine within the conference. Not only did the team participate in committees as delegates, but RCC student Jasmine Brown, was selected to chair a committee as well. Some of the topics discussed throughout the conference were the universal right to education, the regulation of peacekeepers, sustainable urban development, cyber warfare, and weapons of mass destruction.

A few members of the RCCMUN team in the General Assembly.

The RCC MUN team was able to visit the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations and had the opportunity to engage in a roundtable conversation about current international policy with an official representative of Ukraine.

Within the individual committees, students were able to give passionate speeches in the perspective of one of the 193 UN Member States they were representing at the time along with discussing with fellow students about practical solutions to global problems relating to the committee they were in. After working together for several days, all committees had several draft resolutions that were voted on to become resolutions through being voted on by the committee.

Several students were able to view the national ‘March for Our Lives’ protest in Manhattan.

Yara Bokorquez lamented that New York was “a once in a lifetime, transformative, and unforgettable experience.”

Along with being able to engage in the committees, the RCC team was also able to visit culture centers and notable points of New York City. These sites include the 9/11 Memorial, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, among others, and were attended in order to have a better understanding of the history and culture of NYC. Having the ability to take time away from the committees and experience the cultures of different areas is also a key aspect of MUN. The purpose of the conference was not not only to attend committee, but also to experience the world around the conference as well to have a better understanding of diverse backgrounds and ways of life.

Just one of the many awards given to RCC’s delegation of Ukraine.

After the closing ceremony, it was announced that the RCC MUN team was given the most prestigious and highest recognition of the conference – Outstanding delegation. This being the second consecutive year that RCC MUN had held this title. Along with winning the highest award, RCC received five awards on behalf of position papers submitted to the committees for the General Assembly First Committee: Rachel Lennox and Luis Macias; the General Assembly Fifth Committee: Amy Maciel and Geby Rawung; UNESCO: Himadri Ratnayake and Yara Bojorquez; OPCW: Gamaliel Perez and Carlos Robledo; and UNEA: Tori Cox. Not only this, but Himadri Ratnayake and Yara Bojorquez also were both voted individual outstanding delegates within their committee.

Picture taken right after RCC was announced outstanding delegation.