GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
The Annual Conference is the oldest event organised by GIMUN. First held in 1999, it has steadily grown in size and now hosts about 200 delegates from all over the world. During the GIMUN Annual Conference, delegates simulate committees of the UN or of other international organisations.
GIMUN, or the Geneva International Model United Nations, is a five-day conference held every February in Geneva, the international capital of diplomacy and international relations. It brings together ambitious students from all over the world to discover new solutions to conflicting global ideals and national interests.
GIMUN is the oldest university-level MUN conference in Switzerland, with 26 years of experience. GIMUN strikes the perfect balance between a professional atmosphere and social interaction among the delegates. Our councils are interesting and inspiring for beginner and veteran MUNers alike, and our cultural events and guest speakers are just as much part of the conference as the sessions.
DELEGATES
The core of GIMUN are the delegates, participants that represent countries, international organisations or NGO in a particular committee. They are there to defend their countries’ interests, and promote the ideas that would be most beneficial for themselves – all in a spirit of mutual respect and diplomacy. Delegates have the difficult role of juggling between their personal convictions, their home state’s needs and restrictions, and their heavy task of convincing other States of the pertinence of their position.
AMBASSADORS
GIMUN also has the unique position of "ambassador", which designates a person that represents one of the five permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations. Their task is to aid the delegates of their respective country during preparation and during the conference, in order for the delegate to be prepared, to respect their countries positions and to participate in the discussions.
This position is intended for already experienced delegates that would like to hold a more complex position. Being an ambassador allows students to improve their leadership skills and to see the conference in a new light.
JOURNALISTS
To give everyone an insight on the different committees of the conference, as well as to give background information on current events, every GIMUN Annual Conference has a talented team of journalists. During the conference, they bring a new dimension to the debate by putting forth non-diplomatic criticism and their own opinions. The daily newspaper "The GIMUN Chronicles" can make and break resolutions and brings a new dimension to the simulation. This position is intended for all those who are interested in journalism and who would like to voice their opinions in a professional and international environment
CHAIRS
Chairs and Vice-Chairs are the representatives of the Secretariat in each committee. They are already experienced MUNers that moderate the sessions, give out recommendations and advice and have a general supervisory role to help the debate move into the right direction. They also choose the committee topics and prepare all the necessary documents for the debate as well as review the position papers submitted by the delegates.
TRANSLATORS
GIMUN tries to grasp a part of the United Nations multilingualism by having a team of Translators. They translate all official documents written by the delegates. Our translators are normally students pursuing their master’s degree in translation. With GIMUN, they have the unique chance to find professional experience in the field of their future careers. This professionalism transpires in their job performance throughout the conference, giving a unique atmosphere of authenticity to the conference.
