The birth of Indian Model United Nations Conference in September 2001 heralded the dawn of a legacy which would be passed on for years to come. Since then, there has been no looking back. It has metamorphosed the way students perceive the world and molded them into global citizens and future leaders. The students from different schools, areas and backgrounds interact with each other diplomatically, work together as a team and negotiate to find solutions to global issues.

On October 6th, 2006, began the 6th Annual Session of the INMUN Conference at Hotel Hill View, Surajkund. The event simulates various organs of the United Nations and incorporates its Rules of Procedure. The Conference functioned with seven organs- The Security Council, ECOSOC, Committee 1 on Disarmament and International Security, Committee 2 on Economic and Financial issues, Committee 3 on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural issues along with the Human Rights Commission and the Environment Commission. The discussions encompassed a wide range of global issues including Human Rights, Environmental issues like dumping of toxic wastes, the situation in the Middle East, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and several others.

The Secretary General, Aritra Roy, the Under-Secretary General, Kavya Garg, the Presidents, Vice Presidents, Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Moderators under the able guidance of our Director Madam, Mrs. Grace Pinto, successfully convened the Committee proceedings. The World Press, like the Executive Board is a student-run body, responsible for publishing a daily newsletter to keep the delegates updated about the latest happenings at the conference. A total number of 110 schools from various parts of India as well as from Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bahrain represented 134 member countries of the UN. The spectacular exhibition of the country profiles was an eye-catcher.

In order to test the delegates’ intellect, presence of mind and general awareness, a fictitious emergency situation was declared and the delegates were required to formulate practical and amicable solutions to eliminate any hostilities, conflict or violence. The crisis was concerned with the invasion of Spratly Islands, an archipelago of about a hundred small islands in the South China Sea by the Peoples’ Republic of China. There were numerous other economic and political concerns leading to conflict among the East Asian, South-East Asian nations and the USA. After serious deliberations and debates in all committees, the Security Council was successful in passing a resolution to evade any possibility of war and hostility in the region, which required the People’s Republic of China to enter into negotiations among other measures.

An addition to the INMUN procedures this year was the discussion on the undisclosed agenda of Security Council Reforms.All Committees unanimously passed resolutions relating to expansion of the Security Council. Suggestions incorporated inclusion of new permanent members with Veto powers, observer nations and more representation to the developing nations.

On the 6th October, two guest speakers were also invited to witness the sessions of the Conference and address two of the committees. Mr. Douglas Johnston, a Junior Officer of the U.S. Foreign Service, Department of State visited Committe1 and spoke to the delegates about peace and conflict issues. Ms. Reva Gupta visited the Human Rights Commission and enlightened the delegates with her words. She is currently a Political Officer in the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, responsible for Internal and Global Issues. She has also been involved with several NGOs advocating immigrant and refugee rights, and dealing with violence against women and children. On the 8th October, Mr. Surender Oberoi, the Communication Officer with the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) based at New Delhi interacted with the delegates.

A grand closing ceremony to mark the culmination of this mega event followed the fruitful discussions at the conference on October 8th. H.E. Mr. Jairam Ronald Gajraj, Ambassador of Guyana, H.E. Mr. LyonpoDago Tshering, the Ambassador of Bhutan and H.E. Mr. Niehe Eric Franciscus Charles, the Ambassador of Netherlands were among the honoured guests of the evening. The highlights of the evening were the Award Ceremony and some beautifully choreographed performances by the students. Awards were given away for Best Country Profiles, Best Delegates from each committee, Best Delegation and for the first time in the history of INMUN, the awards for Best Executive Board Members.

The conference nurtures leadership skills in students and teaches them to work in various situations. Representing different countries, the delegates put aside their viewpoints and gain an understanding that is not only theoretical or factual, but a dynamic, practical experience.