11th edition of SimONU Prépa, a model United Nations organised by KEDGE

PRESS RELEASE – 23-11-2017

11th edition of SimONU Prépa, a model United Nations organised by KEDGE Business School and its student association SimONU FRIDAY 24 AND SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2017 KEDGE Marseille, Luminy campus

Since 2006, the SimONU association and KEDGE Business School, in partnership with UNRIC (United Nations Regional Information Centre), has been organising model United Nations conferences for Kedge students and “classes préparatoires” pupils hoping to be accepted into prestigious Grandes Ecoles universities. The event lasts for two days and gathers 150 students from across France and from KEDGE Business School. It reproduces the same situation as a real United Nations General Assembly, during which the students discuss and negotiate on a given topic. The topic this year is “How can we reduce the risk of terrorism and prevent attacks on an international scale?”

It entails taking stock of today’s challenges and finding solutions for tomorrow. It’s not just a simple role-playing game. It calls for serious thought to come up with realistic solutions that can be applied over the long-term. At the end of the two days, a draft resolution has to be put forward for the General Assembly to vote on.

The event enables participants to experience the complexity of international relations in conditions similar to those of the United Nations. Students step into the shoes of UN diplomats to deliver speeches to the assembly and negotiate with their counterparts from other delegations (countries). They must respect the position of the country they are representing, and defend its interests while trying to come to a consensus and get other delegations to support their proposal. Once this is achieved, a draft resolution must be drawn up. This then has to gain the approval of the Assembly. All of this has to be done while following UN protocol to the letter.

Participants are scrutinised throughout the event by “observers”, guests invited for the purpose of rewarding the most “UN-like” delegation. These observers may be teachers from KEDGE Business School, former students, or even professionals working in international relations or in a field related to the event’s topic.

Delegations can stand out for their knowledge on the country they represent, the relevance of their proposals, their negotiation and leadership skills, and their public speaking abilities. Each member of the winning delegation receives a return ticket to New York.

About SimONU

The student association SimONU is a partner of UNRIC and has been organising model United Nations conferences on the campus since 2006. Two key events: SimONU Prépa in November and SimONU Égalité Des Chances in March. These model UN events are organised for secondary-school students in Marseilles who are tutored by Phoenix - Égalité des Chances. The association also takes its members to participate in similar international events in New York, Washington, and Prague. Every year, it receives prizes rewarding the participants for their negotiation skills.