Imagine that you represent one of the 15 countries at the UN Security Council, and you are faced with the Rohingya crisis. What is your country’s assessment of the situation? Are we on a verge of a genocide? Is it a case when R2P should be invoked? What should your country do? Push for a condemnation? Economic sanctions? Military intervention? How are you going to make your views prevail? Which other country should you approach? How are you going to convince the big five in the Council? Are you ready to take the challenge? Are you ready for the Model UN?

20 first and second years of the IR and Politics degree did take the challenge and gave us a day full of twists and turns. Under the skilful stewardship of Dr Kirsten Haack as chair, they learned all about the art of diplomacy, from the opening gambit to forging alliances in informal caucuses, from working lunches to isolating reluctant countries, from sticking to your ground down to putting forward resolutions in the most timely fashion. The debates were robust, the speeches passionate, the rifts clear and no resolution could be agreed on, as so often in the real UN. But fear not, the Model UN society our lovely students have set up will take the issue up again!

Thank you everyone for participating in this lively event and here are some pictures to mark the day!