Distinguished Delegates,

A warm welcome to the new semester! We hope you have had a good first week back on campus.

Enjoy our February Newsletter!

A welcome back from our President

It is a pleasure to welcome everyone to this new semester! After a lovely and much needed semester break, our wonderful board members and myself are ready to deliver a splendid semester of exciting debate and fun events. Our Head of Operations, Eli Kupiec, has started this semester off with a complicated yet very important topic: Promoting Gender Equality in Access to Healthcare. I look forward to fruitful debates in the next few weeks and strong collaborative efforts from all of our members involved. Our Head of Events, Francesca Peacey, has already lined up many exciting events for this semester, starting off with Karaoke at the El Toro bar! And of course our lovely Chief Head Delegate, Mila Grönros, has organised and arranged two amazing conferences, JCUMUN Rome and one that I am especially looking forward to, EPFLMUN24. Of course not forgetting our crucial head of Finance, Kai Schärer, Head of Communications, Anna Iten, and Vice President, Tara Berchtold, who have all been doing important work behind the scenes! I have a feeling that this upcoming semester will be a great one, and look forward to sharing great experiences with all of our members!

Melkon Yengibaryan - President

First Weekly Session

The days grow longer, spring approaches, and MUN Season is already in full swing! This semester, our first topic of focus is improving Women’s Access to Healthcare. And with such a nuanced topic, debate is sure to be interesting. With its setting in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, our members have already been hard at work in groups in order to figure out the smallest details in approaches in order to ensure a better future for everyone. Working papers have been coming along very quickly, which has led to some very in-depth ideas already taking root.

Eli Kupiec - Head of Operations

Geneva Trip 2024 Recap

During the semester break a few of our members had the lovely opportunity to visit Geneva, an international hub for diplomacy and impactful decision making. Having arrived early on the 8th of February, we started our trip off with a visit to the Swiss Mission. Having been greeted by the head of Media and Public Relations, Paola Ceresetti, we were able to gain a lot of insight on the role of the Swiss Mission within Geneva, along with the crucial role that Geneva plays in the international field. As an unexpected surprise we had the honour and pleasure of having a chat with the permanent representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, Jürg Lauber. He provided us with a fascinating view into what it means to be a diplomat and offered us a unique perspective on the ever-changing global dynamic of international relations. Fun fact: He is also a graduate from the University of Zürich!

Our next destination in the afternoon was a visit to the World Trade Organization, where we had a very insightful meeting. Our guide explained to us the origins of the organization and the historic building, the current aims of the WTO and some controversial topics being long discussed within the organization. The WTO itself resides within a building with a deep history, having been originally created for the ILO, however as time passed the building became too small for the growing organisation, being passed onto the WTO. The WTO itself facilitates internationally sanctioned economic trade rules and regulations, requiring the agreement of every party present.

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On the second day we had the opportunity to visit the Palais des Nations. Rather than having a simple tour of the building we had the opportunity to listen to a diplomat working within the Disarmament Committee of the UN, providing useful insights on what may happen in the future and potentially inspiring some of our members with aims of becoming diplomats themselves. Along with this meeting we had ample time to explore the Palais des Nations, visiting the cafeteria where many diplomats meet and discuss plans over lunch. In addition to that we had the chance to see a few of the many unique and wonderful committee rooms.

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To finish off our trip, we visited the Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross. It served as poignant reminder of the issues that many face all around the world, yet gave us a sense of optimism that change for the better is always possible, as long as the world is able to collaborate.

We would like to express our gratitude to our sponsors VSUZH and Swiss Re for supporting us and making these trips possible!

- Melkon Yengibaryan, President

A big thank you also goes to our Head of Events, Francesca Peacey, for organizing such a lovely and insightful trip and to our President, Melkon Yengibaryan, for leading the group!

JCUMUN 2024 Recap

From February 22nd to 25th, the MUN Team UZH had the privilege of participating in the John Cabot University Model United Nations conference held in Rome!

During the Opening Ceremony, we were honoured to listen to a speech from Franco Pavocello, the President of John Cabot University. His insights set a thoughtful tone for the conference ahead. Our delegation, composed of six dedicated members, engaged in sessions across diverse committees, including UNESCO, DISEC, a Historical Crisis, and the UNHRC. Representing various nations, including India, Switzerland, Chile, Russia, and more, our delegates delved into pressing global issues. The discussions were vibrant and enriching, covering topics such as the Preservation of Cultural and Scientific Items and Nuclear Disarmament. These conversations sparked innovative ideas and fostered a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding these issues.

We extend our gratitude to our main sponsor, Swiss Re, whose support made our participation possible. Additionally, we thank our supporters VSUZH and the University of Zürich for their continued encouragement and backing in our endeavours to engage in international dialogue and diplomacy!

- Noele Giacomini, Head Delegate

We would furthermore like to acknowledge the contributions of our Head Delegate, Noele Giacomini, for his leadership during the conference, and of our Chief Head Delegate, Mila Grönros, for organizing the trip!