JCG’s 2025 Model United Nations began with students from JCG, VCJ, De La Salle and Hautlieu gathering in the hall to hear an opening speech from the Minister of International Development, Deputy Carolyn Labey.
Deputy Labey’s insights into Jersey’s international relations and diplomacy were fascinating and it was an honour to have her speak at the conference.
Afterwards, the students split into their 6 committees to debate issues ranging from the protection of free speech vs the protection of individual integrity to child substance abuse. They debated their prepared resolutions to form meticulous solutions, allowing delegates to build their public speaking and negotiating skills. During this time, delegates passed notes between committees to form alliances, whilst other delegates were evicted from their committees for disrupting diplomatic negotiations, adding excitement and drama to the day.
Later in the event, a crisis was introduced. The Water Wars of 2025 was a result of water scarcity and the concern of water access for landlocked countries, creating conflict among the committees. Students had to draft resolutions and debate them on the spot, challenging their problem solving skills.
A key aspect of MUN is the focus on diplomacy and representing a country’s perspective, not your own. Therefore, any undiplomatic delegates or those who had used personal pronouns were punished with karaoke in front of their committee, which somehow transpired into Just Dance in front of everyone in the hall. Delegates were also rewarded for their negotiating and diplomatic abilities.
MUN is a student led event and this cohort of delegates and committee chairs made it such a fun and lively day. Moreover, their discussions contributed positively to the debate of relevant and controversial topics of our day whilst developing their own communication and confidence. It was an honour to help organise this event and I encourage any students interested in politics, negotiation and public speaking to get involved!
This article appeared in the 2025-2026 issue of JCG Life. To read the digital version of the magazine, click here.