Model United Nations (MUN) conferences provide the perfect platform for enthusiastic individuals to engage in meaningful discussions and come up with solutions to the issues the world faces. Recently, Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa, or Rotaract Mora unveiled the third edition of its MUN conference, Sri Lanka Rotaract Model United Nations (SLRMUN 23). It was held grandly and there were lots of positives.
SLRMUN 23 was a physical one-day event held on February 18, 2023, at University of Moratuwa. Over 150 delegates from various schools and universities participated in the conference. The delegates had registered themselves beforehand and had attended workshops and training sessions organized by Rotaract Mora to prepare themselves for the event. The delegates remained fully engaged throughout the day with debates and discussions. The conference also culminated with an award ceremony to honor the winners towards the end of the day.
Why is SLRMUN so special to Rotaract Mora?
SLRMUN is a sub-project of the main project ‘Rotaract Mora Model United Nations’ also referred to as ‘RMMUN’. It is a signature project of the club’s International Service Avenue. UN Days, Congrego, and Cognizant are the other sub-projects of RMMUN. The reason why RMMUN is this remarkable is it was the first-ever Model UN initiative introduced by a Rotaract Club of a Sri Lankan university. The first SLRMUN event took place in 2021 and was a major achievement for the International Service Avenue of the club, as well as a significant milestone in terms of the global reputation of Rotaract Mora. SLRMUN has been flourishing throughout its journey, and this year’s SLRMUN is its highest point yet.
The Participation at its Highest
Following the success of SLRMUN’s initial edition, it attracted many more delegates for its second edition and then more than 150 delegates in its 3rd edition. The day’s proceedings ran smoothly no matter how high the headcount was. Many delegates were so enthusiastic to participate in the conference as it was held on the premises of University of Moratuwa as a completely physical conference.
The 6 Councils of the Conference
There were six different councils for the delegates and journalists of SLRMUN 23. They included General Assembly 4 (GA 4), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Arab League, United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and International Press Corps (IPC).
General Assembly 4 had their discussions on the topic “Assessing the threat to global security with special emphasis on the Russian invasion of Ukraine”. Jeewantha Induruwa and Pranesh Fernando served as the co-presidents while Kent Singhage served as the vice-president of the council. For World Health Organization, the topic was “Assessing health threats and the need to create responses that could minimize the effects of possible future pandemic outbreaks such as the monkey-pox virus”. Akhlaq Gazzali and Rivindu Samadhith Perera served as its co-presidents. Further, “Discussing the threat to fundamental rights including the freedom of expression with special regards to the political and economic crisis of Sri Lanka” was the topic of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Dojitha Atapattu and Naveera Abhayawickrama were the co-presidents of the United Nations Human Rights Council. For Arab League, the topic was “Addressing the catastrophic aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and how it will re-shape the wider political spheres of the region”. Savith Rajakaruna and Sasindu Induwara were co-presidents of Arab League. United Nations Security Council had their discussions under the topic “Addressing the strategic control of hypersonic weapons on a multilateral scale in consideration of possible implications for international peace and security and future of non-proliferation.” Its co-presidents were Amani Nilar and Nohim Abeynayake. For the journalists of International Press Corps, the topic was “Experience journalism by exploring the threats to freedom of press and media and safety of journalists in Al Jazeera, New York Times, BBC, and News First.” The co-heads of International Press Corps were Ahamadh Booso and Sara Shibly.
The significance of SLRMUN
Out of the MUN conferences held worldwide, very few conferences really implement the ideas in the resolutions. In this regard, SLRMUN stands out from almost all other MUN conferences held in Sri Lanka. The same was done even last year. The resolutions of SLRMUN are handed over to CSR projects of Rotaract Mora. The resolutions that are actually feasible to be carried out by Rotaract Mora are then implemented accordingly.
The Secretariat and the Officials of Rotaract Mora
It is owing to the factor that the secretariat and the officials of Rotaract Mora put a tremendous effort into organizing this conference, it was held on a grand scale. Rtr. Shehan Paul served as the SLRMUN 23’s Secretary-General Emeritus, while Rtr. Pesala Welangalle served as the Chargé d’affaires. The SLRMUN 23 secretariat was directed by Rtr. Kavin Siriwardana, who served as the Secretary-General of the conference in making the event a huge success.
Rtr. Amasha Weerasinghe was the Under-Secretary-General for Conference Protocol and Training. She made sure that each participant was ready for the conference. As the Under-Secretary-General of Administrations, Rtr. Chathura Abeygunawardhana ensured that all administrative work was accomplished as required. Rtr. Danidu Dabare, who served as the conference’s Under-Secretary-General of Finance, was in charge of overseeing the event’s financial operations. The event’s public image and communication were coordinated by Rtr. Tharindu Perera as the Under-Secretary-General of Public Relations. The Under-Secretary-General of Registrations, Rtr. Charith Belpage was in charge of the delegate registrations. Rtr. Udesh Dangalla served as the Under-Secretary-General of Partnerships and worked with partner organizations. The event’s successful technical operation was the responsibility of Rtr. Manusha Fernando, the Under-Secretary-General of IT. As the Under Secretary General for Logistics, Rtr. Shenal Fernando was in charge of organizing the event’s logistics. Further, Rtr. Chamikara Siriwardane oversaw SLRMUN 23’s operations as the Under-Secretary-General of Operations.
The event was organized with a great deal of guidance from Rtr. Charithma Hettiarachchi, President of Rotaract Mora, and Rtr. Bimsara Somarathna, Immediate Past President of Rotaract Mora. They attended the event and inspired the attendees with their thoughts. The organizing committee was led by Rtr. Sandali Manimendra, vice president of International Service Avenue, Rtr. Bojitha Liyanage, and Rtr. Risini Methmini, co-directors of International Service Avenue of Rotaract Mora. Together with the other members of the organizing committee, Rtr. Kavin Siriwardana and Rtr. Chathura Abeygunawardhana did a fantastic job planning the event as the co-chairpersons of the organizing committee. All in all, the secretariat and organizing committee collaborated together to make sure the event was a success.
The Winners
Rithik Nalinda Peduruarachchi, the delegate of Ukraine, received the Best Delegate award of GA 4. Muneera Rumzy, the delegate of Bangladesh, was awarded WHO’s Best Delegate award. Ravindu Wijesinghe, the delegate of Sri Lanka, won the award for Best Delegate of UNHRC, while Navitha Paranavithana, the delegate of Russia, won the award for Best Delegate of Arab League. Kavith Gunawardana, the delegate of Canada, won the Best Delegate award of UNSC. Dulandi Gunasekara became the Best Journalist of IPC.
The Future of SLRMUN
SLRMUN will keep on flourishing. Its future conferences will be even more eventful. That is what Rotaract Mora aims to achieve. The greatest is thus still to come. You can follow Rotaract Mora Model United Nations on social media if you are interested in joining SLRMUN next year. When registrations are open, fliers will be shared. Through their official website, registrations can be made.
Leave a Reply