Garantir o acesso aos cuidados de saúde
em zonas de conflito

Given the unfamiliarity of the environment, those challenges were plentiful, and I found them to be presented in a manner that afforded us enough difficulty to adapt to and learn from those challenges independently, but was also defined by a degree of guidance and facilitation that left no delegate lost or confused. For me, I found the main challenge posed to be that of the structure of the conference; I had never before that point encountered the Vienna formula, and found the task of acclimatising to this new method of diplomatic interaction to represent a radical adaption from the systems employed by MUN conferences I had experienced. I feel that my diplomatic perspective has been widened and benefited by my newfound understanding of the Vienna formula, and of the emphasis it places on a collaboratively produced, consensus-driven resolution; I owe this to the organisers and chairs of the conference because of the measures they implemented to make adapting to the formula an accessible, digestible, and enjoyable experience. It also allowed me to develop skills that typical MUN conferences, with their more competitive angle on resolution-writing, might not accommodate, such as region-specific dialogue, close collaboration with states whose values directly oppose one’s own, increased negotiation, commitment to numerical and spatial restrictions in the drafting processes, and more.

Compared to some of the other delegates present at the conference, I did not enter the conference with a lot of MUN experience; I had attended just one MUN previously, largely on account of the lack of MUN opportunities in my country. However, driven by that lack of facilitation, I have organised an MUN in my country designed for secondary school children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience MUN. I am firm in my conviction that MUN is massively important for young people; our international intergovernmental institutions influence life for everyone around the world, and it is essential for young people to understand how they work and to have the opportunity to experience a simulated institution for themselves should they find themselves interested. Seeing the support given to the CMS Model WHO conference in 2025 by Portugal’s UNA has left me wishing for a UNA in my own country to help us with our lack of opportunities. In the meantime, conferences like the CMS conference are the best opportunity for organisers like myself to experience these simulations in order to be better informed when organising our own back home.

My advice for future participants is not to be intimidated by the formal and structured nature of these events; if you are interested, the best thing to do is to throw yourself into the world of MUN and learn from experience- when organisers like the team behind CMS Model WHO are involved, they will commit to making sure that you get everything out of your experience, no matter how new you are!