Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conference

History

Established in 1995 as the Australian Model United Nations Conference, the inaugural AMUNC was hosted by the University of New South Wales and consisted of seven committees. For the next few years, AMUNC was held alternately by universities in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane, and gradually grew in size. The conference eventually left the south-east in 2004 for James Cook University in Townsville in northern Queensland and was hosted outside of Australia for the first time in 2007 by Auckland University in New Zealand.

As AMUNC grew, the increased number of students from outside of Australia and heightened international standing warranted two amendments to its name to reflect the changed nature of the conference. In 1997 the conference became the Australasian Model United Nations Conference, and the conference changed name again in 2003 to its current version. Despite the name changes, AMUNC remained the largest conference in Australia, becoming a fixture of the Australian Model UN circuit.

The twenty-fifth session of AMUNC, to be held at Resorts World Sentosa from 7–13 July 2019 was cancelled.

The conference was held at numerous universities across the Asia-Pacific, the most recent being held by the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Activities

Committee sessions

Delegates at AMUNC were assigned to represent countries, governments, non-governmental organisations, or individuals within the United Nations and other regional or global organisations. Delegates were challenged to combine their personal talents and capacities with their ability to play their assigned role accurately.

Social events

Evening social events were a major component of the AMUNC itinerary, and past conferences have included committee dinners, cocktail events, club nights, and river cruises. AMUNC usually concluded with a gala on the final night of the conference.

Speaker events

Guest speakers have included Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister, Robert French, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Michael Kirby, former Justice of the High Court of Australia, and Sir Geoffrey Palmer, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Professor Gillian Triggs, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Laura John, the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations.

Opening and closing ceremonies

The AMUNC conference was officially opened and closed by the host team, with the week's committee sessions culminating in a General Assembly session showcasing the achievements of the conference proceedings.

Controversy

2017

AMUNC 2017, hosted by the University of Hong Kong, was the subject of severe backlash from Australian and Islamic Model UN communities, as the selected dates clashed with the final semester exams of numerous Australian universities, as well as Eid al-Fitr. In response, the Secretariat cut short the conference to make way for Eid al-Fitr, and promised to prioritize Australian applications.

2019

The 2019 conference was cancelled due to internal factors.

Locations

References

References

1. . (17 July 2018). ["AMUNC"](http://www.amunc.co/). *Asia Pacific MUN Conference*.
2. (4 July 2019). "Hundreds of students left in the dark after conference called off". The New Paper.
3. "Professor the Hon Gareth Evans addressing the AMUNC 2011 Plenary Session". Australian National University.
4. "Closing Address - Asia Pacific Model UN Conference - Final Plenary Session, Canberra, 15 July 2011". High Court of Australia.
5. "Student diplomats engage at Model UN". University of Sydney.
6. (5 July 2013). "Hundreds gather for Asia-Pacific Model United Nations". Yahoo! New Zealand.
7. "Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conference".
8. (5 July 2019). "Singapore student conference cancelled after organiser becomes uncontactable". The New Paper.
9. (5 July 2013). "Hundreds gather in Wellington for Asia-Pacific Model UN". Scoop.