From 12 to 14 January, I took part in IMUN (Italian Model United Nations), an educational simulation in which students act as delegates representing a country within a United Nations body. I represented Tajikistan in the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing on the issue of youth mental health in relation to social media.
On the first day, delegates introduced their countries’ positions through the Speakers’ List, where each participant had between one and two minutes to speak. At first, I was hesitant to intervene, especially with more than 120 students attending. However, I found the courage to raise my placard and sign up. My speech went well, giving me a strong confidence boost for the rest of the conference.
Later, we moved on to moderated caucuses, which allowed delegates to debate specific subtopics more freely. After nearly nine hours of discussion, the first day came to an end—the most demanding of the conference.
The second day began with further moderated caucuses, with debates becoming increasingly detailed and focused. This led to the unmoderated caucuses, during which delegates formed working groups to draft the Resolution Paper, the final and most important outcome of the conference. Different groups developed distinct ideas and proposals. Despite the intense work, the resolution was still incomplete, and the second day concluded.
The third and final day was the most crucial. Delegates worked intensively to finalise the Resolution Paper, which was then presented and put to a vote. While usually two resolutions are voted on, in our case a single Resolution Paper was approved unanimously.
In conclusion, IMUN was an experience I will not easily forget. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and I was honoured to receive an Honorable Mention Award, given to the best delegates of the session.