UC3MUN 2016

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has hosted for the sixth consecutive year the UC3MUN, which has become the largest United Nations event held among Spanish universities. This international gathering is a simulation of the principal organs of the United Nations in which, by means of a variety of debate and negotiation techniques, participants may represent the official positions of all 193 member countries of the United Nations Organization (UN).

This event was held on the Getafe campus from March 1st – 4th and was organized by UC3M’s branch of the Association for the United Nations and International Law (ANUDI), with the support of the University’s Vice Chancellor for International Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration with Marca España and the multinational Unilever.

According to ANUDI, 550 students participated in this year’s sessions. These students came from twenty five different countries and more than forty Spanish and international universities, among them La Université Paris-Sorbonne (France), The University of Queensland (Australia) and The Hague University (The Netherlands). "Once again, these data reinforce UC3MUN as the United Nations’ largest and most international event in Spain,” the organization asserted.

"This is a unique occasion that any university student should experience at least once. Not only in order to promote the values and objectives of the United Nations, but also for its usefulness with regard to the development of skills such as public speaking, negotiating and team work,” states the President of ANUDI, Pablo Tejerizo Solanilla. This year we have also celebrated the presence of Spain on the Security Council, with Javier García de Viedma, the Deputy Director General of United Nations and Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We have increased this year the number of committees to eight, of which half were carried out entirely in English," explains the Vice-President of ANUDI, Carlos Altamirano Gómez. One participant who has, for the first time, experienced taking on the role of a diplomat for a few days is Maria Munoz Alarcon, an International Relations undergraduate. "The foundation work, the interaction with colleagues and the opportunity to listen to professionals and specialists are just a few of the things the UC3MUN offers. It also allows you to meet students from different degree programs and universities and of course, students of other nationalities, both within and outside of working hours. It’s a very enriching experience and that’s why I’d like to encourage all those students who have the opportunity to participate to do so", she explained.

Someone who has already participated in the UC3MUN - this is actually his third consecutive year - is Fernando Esteban Sánchez, a student in the Law and Political Sciences double degree program. Fernando has noted that "at the academic level, it’s really surprising how much it’s possible to learn year in and year out about the functioning of the United Nations regarding international relations, and the diplomatic world in general. At the same time, it offers an excellent opportunity to test and improve one’s ability to speak in public, which is so necessary in this context".

For further information: uc3mun.anudi.org