Our Committee Mentors
Ms. Arnold
Although this is my third UNISMUN Conference as a Chair, it is my first Conference to be working with committee mentors. Initially before meeting the mentors, I felt extremely excited to meet new teachers all with different backgrounds. Throughout this process, I was accompanied by my Deputy Chair, Tony Lee. Firstly, we met with Ms. Arnold and Mr. Smith together.
Combining her passion in teaching and the social sciences, Ms. Arnold is currently a MYP Individuals and Societies and also a DP Psychology teacher. She has 25 years of experience in the field of teaching, and is new to the UNIS Hanoi Community. One thing she really appreciates about the school is how its education, classroom settings, social events all revolve around the school values. These values often help her to push herself to plan lessons that are not only fun, but also intellectually stimulating for her students.
This is Ms. Arnold’s first time being a part of MUN and she expressed her excitement to be a part of this experience with us. Being involved in MUN, we were curious about what global issues or news Ms. Arnold is interested in. As a psychology teacher, mental health is a topic of interest for her, as she sees the issue manifest in many teenagers nowadays. Additionally, Ms. Arnold feels passionate about political issues, such as the civil rights movements in the U.S., where she started her teaching career.
During the initial meeting, we asked both mentors several questions about their teaching backgrounds, knowledge and/or connection to the theme of the Conference and topics of the committee, and finally, some advice for us to move forward.
After a few conversations, we asked about their initial response to the theme of the Conference: “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?” To this question, Ms. Arnold emphasized the need for an understanding of different values and lenses before any dialogue begins. She believes that “setting the common language” as she puts it, is essential to reach any form of diplomacy. With such a mindset, she believes that all sides will benefit “rather than a win-lose result.”
On the topic of “The issue of the jurisdiction of the UN Peacekeeping Force”, Ms. Arnold is curious about the extent to which the United Nations plays a role in de-escalating violent conflicts without taking away a nation’s sovereignty. This question has led us to think deeper into the mission of the United Nations specifically in countries with violent conflict and what the country would decide to prioritize as a political good. We also asked her opinions regarding “The conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo,” in which she expressed her interest in learning more about the issue, as she was not entirely familiar with it.
To end our conversation, we asked Ms. Arnold for some advice in preparation for the Conference that is approaching very quickly. To this, she said “Continue showing the good work and the high levels of diplomacy and professionalism you guys are showing, and we are confident that you guys will have a successful Conference.” After this initial discussion with Ms. Arnold, both Tony and I felt extremely supported and gave us a sense of our next steps moving forward before the Conference.
Mr. Smith
As aforementioned, our initial discussions involved not only Ms. Arnold, but also Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith is a MSHS Mathematics Teacher as well as a basketball coach. Coincidentally, Mr. Smith also has about 25 years of experience in the field of teaching. What was interesting was that he never intended to be a teacher and originally thought he wanted to be a sports athlete. However, he soon realized that he was missing some form of connection with young students, which he was able to find when he started teaching. When he first got in, he recalls that was not a great teacher. Regardless, Mr. Smith has always loved and enjoyed teaching. To this day, he tries his best to always grow as a teacher and make positive impacts on his students and the society. That is why he says, “My days are never boring as I always learn something new from this job, working closely with students.”
This was not the first time for Mr. Smith to engage in MUN. In fact, he was a committee mentor for the GA3 Committee of UNISMUN 2021 March Conference. For this Conference, Mr. Smith looks forward to figuring out his specific roles and responsibilities as a committee mentor, and supporting us in any way possible.
We started off with a few questions regarding Mr. Smith’s personal interests. He mentions that he is fascinated by the clash between different perspectives and understanding the different sides to an issue. He realizes that oftentimes, people categorize issues as “good or bad”, which is not true at all. This makes him intrigued in the need for a mediator perspective for any global issues.
When presented with the theme of the Conference, Mr. Smith made a connection to the UNIS Values, specifically ‘Communication’ and ‘Open-mindedness’. He acknowledges that these values can apply to the global scale diplomacy and discussions for issues dealt nowadays.
Similar to Ms. Arnold, Mr. Smith was aware of the “The issue of the jurisdiction of the UN Peacekeeping Force,” and stated his excitement to learn more about these issues deeply through this position of a Committee Mentor. In regards to “The conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Mr. Smith states that “As the nation of another African country, delegates should be curious about and understand the situation first before expressing their own national interests.” This was an extremely thought-provoking comment for us, as oftentimes, delegates strongly push for their own national interest and stance, and lack the understanding and empathy that countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo might need. With this idea in mind, we felt confident to guide the delegates in a direction that does not only consider their own delegation stance, but also the other delegations in the committee, as suggested by the Conference theme: “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation”.
All these conversations have helped us think in a more open-minded manner as we approach the end of our preparation for the Conference. We would like to thank both Ms. Arnold and Mr. Smith for their time and interest, and especially for their thoughtful responses to our questions.
Head Chair
Hyunwoo (David) Lee
Most esteemed delegates, fellow chairs, directors, and guests,
My name is David Lee and I will serve as the Head Chair for the Security Council.
I have been a part of UNISMUN since November 2019 as a nervous freshman, and this will be my last high school Conference as a senior.
The theme of this Conference will be “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?” As our world becomes more and more interconnected, multilateral cooperation becomes extremely relevant. In order to ensure sustainability, whether that is environmental, economic sustainability or intergenerational justice, a global approach is crucial.
The Security Council, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, ensures international peace and security. As the only organ that has the power to make obligatory decisions for the member states, the SC can be considered as the most important body of the UN. In UNISMUN, the Security Council has the least number of delegates, but often has the most experienced and passionate delegates who can voice the opinions of their delegation and maintain professionalism. The P5 nations—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States—will also have what is called the ‘veto power’, enabling them to strike a resolution. I am looking forward to seeing the P5 nations use this effectively throughout the Conference.
The three topics discussed in the Security Council are “The conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo”, “The issue of global sanctions on violators of international peace”, and “The issue of the jurisdiction of the UN Peacekeeping Force”. These topics will provide different levels of analysis and exploration of the Conference theme for the delegates, from local / national, international, and even global.
With that being said, I look forward to seeing you all at the Conference and make this another memorable experience for all!
Deputy Chair
Seunghun (Tony) Lee
Honorable directors, distinguished delegates, fellow chairs and most esteemed guests,
My name is Seunghun (Tony) Lee, a sophomore at the United Nations International School of Hanoi, and it is of my utmost pleasure and honor to be the deputy chair for the Security Council for the November 2023 conference. This marks my 3rd conference and first time as a chair, and I am fully committed to molding the committee to an environment where fruitful discussions and debates can blossom.
The theme of this conference, “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?” is a theme that is of utmost relevance in modern society as global issues such as climate change, human rights, and global security are called into question ever increasingly. As the security council holds the duty and responsibility of building peace globally through multilateral cooperation, the security council holds strong importance and connection to the theme.
As one of the principal organs of the United Nations established under the UN charter, the security council holds the heavy responsibility and henceforth authority to maintain international peace and stability. The council has 15 members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent). The P5 nations - China, France, Russia, The United Kingdom, and the USA- have the power to veto a resolution. In the context of MUN, the council is regarded as the most illustrious of councils thanks to its small, but extremely elegant and professional delegates. I look forward to witnessing such an environment.
The three topics of discussion in the Security council are “The conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo”, “The issue of global sanctions on violators of international peace”, and “the issue of the jurisdiction of the UN Peacekeeping Force”. These topics all address the most prominent and sensitive components of the security council.
With all said, I am extremely honored to be the chair of such a prestigious council as well as being excited to witness the finest of delegates engage in debate.
Procedural Chair
Ngoc Minh Anh Pham
My name is Minh Anh, a junior at Lycée Français Alexandre Yersin, and it is my pleasure to be acquainted with you as the Procedural Chair of Security Council for the November 2023’s conference.
The theme of this conference “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?” tackles the question of multilateralism’s effectiveness. In a modern world where diverse political opinions and numerous conflicts of interest rule over, products of multilateralism such as multilateral cooperation are supposed to re-establish a path to rebuilt global trusts and diminish potential or ongoing tensions. The problem hence lies in its complexity: how to ensure that multilateral corporations are fulfilling their peacekeeper role?
As the Security Council is at the helm of the maintenance of global peace and values, the Security Council acts as a major partaker for this theme.
As one of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations, the Security Council is the only council holding the power to impose implementations on member states, and the only council possessing a hierarchical structure with the presence of the P5 nations owning the Veto power. In the context of UNISMUN, our council will have the least number of delegates, but also the most experienced ones.
The three topics of discussion in the Security Council are “The conflict in Democratic Republic of the Congo”, “The issue of global sanctions on violators of international peace”, and “The issue of the jurisdiction of the UN Peacekeeping Force”. These topics will give insights on international sustainability under the work of global laws and peacekeeping parties.
With that being said, I look forward to working with you and seeing you all engage in topics regarding our modern society’s crucial issues, let’s make some great memories!