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In the holidays I was lucky enough to travel down to Wellington and participate in 4 days full of political and strategic discussions about the world’s most pressing issues. As part of UN Youth I was a part of the 2018 Model United Nations.  I represented Germany and received the Germany embassy scholarship. One of the privileges with this award was receiving my scholarship in the Beehive presented by Andrew Little and the German Ambassador as well as visiting the German Embassy. To visit the German Embassy was not only one of the highlights of the conference but of my year. To have the honour to talk with the honourable ambassador of Germany and other counterparts employed at the embassy was an eye-opening experience and advantaged my position in the New Zealand Model United Nations.

In the Model United Nations I was in 3 committees and a plenary. In these committees I debated issues such as climate change, free arms flow and immigration. I have attended previous UN Youth events but this one stood out from the others. Being an active part of discussion an understanding the world’s most dire issues was something that widened my thinking.

One of my most cherished and enjoyable parts of the conference was my participation in the committee of UNEP2, in which we discussed the global emergence of the Climate Change issue. Germany is a real change-maker within this field and is a country that is taking responsibility and action towards preventing irreversible damage. It was a true honour to be representing a country that was an active part in preventing this, as someone heading into a generation that doesn’t know the extent of the damage and has to live with the consequences that comes with it.

An amendment that I passed through as a representative of Germany was ‘We acknowledge the emergence of climate change refugee’s and the need for resources and a place of refuge in the coming years’ across the Pacific we are already seeing smaller islands victim to rising sea levels and the loss of their home. Currently one of the biggest countries under threat is the Solomon Islands and if change isn’t implemented now they may be under water by 2040. This is why I believed it was important to add this clause in. This made sure that Germany would be known as an ally for those suffering this type of fate. Within the model UN some of the smaller islands and countries were very appreciative of this measure.

After New Zealand Model United Nations my interest into the diplomatic side of international relations has grown. I have taken away many skills from this event and have tried to interpret the art of diplomacy, which can be used in all aspects of life. It always pays to be a diplomatic person whether it is international communications or interactions within the household.

By: Charlotte Mitchell