George Watson's College

Fees and Dates

I am delighted that you are considering attending our sixth annual Model United Nations Conference, which will be held here at George Watson's College from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 March 2012.

Please refer to the Programme for the exact timings of the Conference.

All delegations are requested to register on Friday 23 March 2012, no earlier than 5pm at George Watson's College Senior School, Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5EG.

I would like to draw your attention to the following points:

Please note the fees and Delegation composition.

You may register as a Half Delegation (6 Delegates and 1 Advisor), or a Full Delegation (12 Delegates and 2 Advisors), or a Security Council Delegation (13 Delegates and 2 Advisors). Schools will be charged the full fee rate (ie £300, £600 or £650) for the Delegation requested no matter how many Delegates it contains. These fees represent no increase over the 2011 rate.

NB: In order to confirm your Delegates' places a Deposit of £50 must be paid for each Delegation after your Delegation country has been allocated. Deposits should be paid by Friday 16 December 2011. The final balance (minus the Deposit) should be paid by Friday 17 February 2012, at the latest.
The fee per Delegation includes all Conference papers and facilities, four meals and Saturday evening's Ceilidh and Disco.
There is no charge for one accompanying Advisor per 6 Delegates and there is no Delegation fee. Additional Advisors are charged at the Delegate rate.

Also by 17 February, each Delegate should submit four Position Papers to his/her Committee Chair, one for each of the Committee's four Topics for Debate. A Position Paper is a brief account (around 50 words will suffice) outlining the Delegate's country's view of each of the topics for debate in Committee. Full details will be found in the Committee's Briefing Papers, once published in the Autumn. All Delegates should then prepare a full Resolution on at least two of the topics, and bring them to the Conference.

We are limiting our Conference to 50 Delegations in order to ensure a good standard of debate and acceptably sized Committees.

As in all MUN Conferences we are unable to accommodate Delegates who are not accompanied by an Advisor. A Delegation or Delegations comprising pupils from more than one school is acceptable, providing there is an accompanying Advisor.

At least one Advisor from each visiting school must remain with their Delegations at all times when their Delegations are on the Campus of George Watson's College.

Please register all Advisors and Delegates with email addresses via our online Registration form and send cheques, payable to George Watson's College, to:

Director,
Model UN Conference,
George Watson's College,
Colinton Road,
Edinburgh EH10 5EG

All deposits of £50 must be paid by Friday 16 December 2011. All final payments should be made in full by 17 February 2012. If you require an invoice, please request one in the available space at the bottom of the Registration Form.

Introducing Model United Nations

Model United Nations provides a unique opportunity for young people to investigate the origin of and background to many of the problems and issues in the world today; and by seeking through discussion, negotiation and debate, solutions to various problems, ranging from human rights, the environment to war and peace, it enables them to develop a far better understanding and appreciation of current global affairs. There could hardly be a more appropriate time for this vital educational experience.

The research and preparation required, the adoption of views and attitudes other than their own, the involvement and interaction with so many other young people, all combine to give the student a deep insight into the world's problems, and also make them aware of the causes of conflict between nations, and lead them to a better understanding of the interests and motivations of others. In an educational era of key skills, it has them all and in a meaningful way.

Individual investigation and decision making, together with discussion and evaluation of a variety of possible solutions will lead to consensus building. The capacity to draw conclusions from research and investigation, to argue a point convincingly and to think critically, are key elements in the MUN learning experience. The education value is clearly immeasurable.

Delegates' Age

Although MUN is usually designed for those aged 16 and over, I would encourage you to invite any of your pupils who you think has the necessary interest and confidence to debate. Since its inception at George Watson's in 2004 as an extra-curricular activity, MUN has been enjoyed and successfully practised by pupils as young as 13. Such experience also provides a training ground for Delegates who wish to attend conferences in the future. There is also a Best Junior Delegate Award, in Committee and GA, for those under 16, and an award for Most Promising Delegation in GA.

Lobbying

Delegations should aim to arrive promptly, but not before 5pm please, in order to register for the Conference and official lobbying will only begin at 6.30pm, after the opening meal. Each Delegate is expected to have at least two Resolutions (six paper copies and one electronic copy - see below).

Delegation Size

A Half Delegation will have 6 Delegates, a full Delegation will have 12 Delegates and a Security Council country will have 13 Delegates. In GA, Delegations will take part in the Emergency Debate which will be revealed on the day, in addition to the topic already given for GA debate.

Computer Facilities Available

Computer facilities will be available to all Delegates during the Conference.

PLEASE NOTE:
George Watson's College has a Mac-based computer system. Please ensure that Delegates' Resolutions, which must be brought on flashdrives as well as on paper (six copies) – and any other materials which they require to access – are saved in plain ASCII text or RTF format. Failure to do so may unfortunately result in Delegates' work remaining inaccessible.

Important Points to Note

Delegates are in the sole care of their Advisor, who must remain in attendance at the Conference at all times. No delegation can be accepted for participation at the Conference without an Advisor.

Advisors are requested to ensure that adequate insurance cover has been arranged for all in their group for the duration of the Conference.

George Watson's College operates a no smoking policy throughout the Campus and buildings. Similarly, no alcohol or illegal substances are permitted on Campus. Infringement of these rules may result in Delegates or entire Delegations being asked to withdraw from the Conference.

Computer facilities will be available to all Delegates during the Conference. Please note that George Watson's has a Mac-based computer system. Please ensure that Delegates' resolutions, which must be brought on flashdrives – and any other materials which they require to access – are saved in plain ASCII text or RTF format. Failure to do so may result in Delegates' work remaining inaccessible.

Delegates should not wear school uniform, but abide by the dress regulations specified.

Advisors are requested to ensure that their Delegates are made fully aware of the above information.