Over 400 youth gather at the 13th Session of Ghana International Model UN Conference

“Learning about diplomacy, consensus building, conflict resolution and tolerance are skills that will be useful in your personal and professional lives if you want to excel”, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Charles Abani told young delegates attending the 13th Session of the Ghana United Nations Model UN (GIMUN) 2022 conference.  Addressing the delegates on the theme “Driving Recovery in Uncertain Times”, Mr. Abani highlighted the interconnectedness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as summed up in the 5 Ps (People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity, and Partnership). He challenges the participants, most of whom are students, to apply what they learn from the conference in their academic desires.

The GIMUN conference is an annual event aimed at imbibing in young people a sense of responsibility towards addressing global issues, creating awareness of the works of the United Nations and impacting the skills of public speaking and negotiation.

For the first time since its inception, about 80 per cent of the conference participants were females. Thrilled by this development, the Head Mistress of St. Louis Girls Senior High School, Mrs. Ama Kyerewaa Benefo applauded fellow school heads for their efforts to ensure the registration of more females. She further implored the young delegates to commit to putting into practice the virtues and diplomatic skills acquired during the conference, which ran from January 5 – 7.

In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of GIMUN, Mr. Philip Gyamfi, noted that intensive global efforts are crucial to driving recovery and ensuring global prosperity post-COVID-19 pandemic. Optimistic about the opportunities that the pandemic presents as the world finds new ways of engagement, he called for strengthened collaboration amongst member countries of the United Nations to ensure a safer and healthier planet as the world navigates the uncertainty of this time. Highlighting the inability of many young people in the rural areas and less endowed schools to participate in, and benefit from, the conference, Mr. Gyamfi acknowledged that support the public sector, civil societies organisation, and the general public, is the only way to overcome this challenge and to help achieve inclusivity at all levels.

Admonishing the young delegates, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Claudia Turbay Quintero noted that SDGs and the processes to achieve them worldwide should be the critical points of activities and discussion at the conference, including the peculiar challenges they face at this moment in time. She said the conference offers a unique opportunity for simulating what takes place at the UN amongst global leaders in making decisions towards safeguarding of our planet as a whole.

For his part, the Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Maher Kheir urged the young delegates to intensify advocacy on the SDGs, adding that it is a principal way to translate these important discussions into actual results.

Dr. Maame Adwoa Gyekye-Jandoh, Head of the Political Science Department, University of Ghana, representing the Vice-Chancellor of the University, reiterated the aims of the annual conference as laudable to prepare young people for global competitiveness and leadership, to become worthwhile active and informed global citizens.

The next GIMUN is scheduled to take place in July 2022.