Eritrea 2019/20

With the increasing popularity of movements towards nationalism and populism and the increased risk for war and economic crises, we all need a shimmer of hope sometimes. This is exactly what the UN represents for me. The hope for change, a chance to better the living conditions around the world – a chance created with the ideas and the consensus of so many different voices. Despite all its difficulties the UN is still the best opportunity we have to solve today’s and future problems.

When I first learned about FAUMUN, the idea of experiencing the role of a UN-diplomat and getting an insight into their work seemed very attractive to me. Now, after attending several courses about international relations and human rights and especially after the experiences I made studying one semester abroad in Lebanon, this wish has even increased. What I expect of FAUMUN besides the insight into diplomatic work and processes – or rather accompanying these processes – is to gain and improve skills in reasoning, debating and rhetorics. I am looking forward to engage in the preparation and elaboration of positions in the interest of my “own” country and to defend these by arguing, joining coalitions and negotiating.

The United Nations Organization is an international organ that provides peace, harmony, security and sustainable development in the world. Since almost every country is part of the UN, it symbolizes the will to work together and solve conflicts peacefully. UN goals such as the reduction of poverty and hunger, gender equality, better health care, clean water, economic growth and protection of the environment, etc. that have already been partially achieved in many countries have improved the living standards of the people. Still, there is a lot more to be done to realize these aims and the United Nations Organization is constantly facing new challenges. For me, the UN is the right place to address and work on these problems, because often they cannot be solved by single countries, especially when they do not even have the resources to provide for their people or when they might not have a collegial interest in certain conflicts.

When I was growing up, to me, the United Nations Organization was just this ominous entity that would silently hover over everyday politics – serious-looking ladies and gentlemen meeting regularly in order to maintain peace. Although not wrong, it was only through my own research that I learned that it is much more complex, influential and ambitious than that. Besides international security, the UNO has made great efforts to speed up the process of decolonization, or tackled global health issues – resulting in the eradication of smallpox in 1980, for example. Furthermore, the current 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include the reduction of inequality, are something I can identify myself with on a personal level. The UNO is therefore not an abstract and distant entity, but continues to exert a positive influence, aiming to affect every one of us for the better.

Working internationally with other universities and highly regarded international organizations gives the students the possibility to get involved and learn about the challenges of leadership and international politics. Interdisciplinary projects like FAUMUN bring students of all faculties together and give them the opportunity to share their knowledge and to form collaborations more easily. Furthermore, students learn to think outside the box and apply their knowledge in different contexts additionally to learning from other students. This increases the students’ confidence to deal with unexpected situations which can help their career after graduation and in their personal development.

The UN is an essential global actor to maintain peace and security worldwide and to stand up for numerous values. As a result of those values, the UN provides a framework of international goals, e.g. the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNSDGs are the latest goals adopted by the UN and include key objectives like “clean water and sanitation” or “gender-equality” for a peaceful and improved coexistence of the international community. These goals are in my opinion crucial for the 21^st century.

The United Nations is an organization founded after World War II with the aim of preventing further world wars and maintaining peace. It is the largest global institution, thus providing a platform for small and big countries to solve intergovernmental conflicts in a peaceful way, to find solutions for poverty around the globe and to ensure global health with international partners. The UN currently has 193 member states, who work together in the General Assembly and in specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization, UNESCO and UNICEF. Their goal is to face today´s numerous challenges, for example climate change and its consequences for individuals as well as countries, sexual exploitation and abuse and the protection of all human rights.

For me, the United Nations are the core organization to maintain world peace. Nearly all countries of the world sit down in one room in order to solve existential global problems. That is unique in human history! In a modern world driven by globalization, such multinational institutions become more and more important. With its various organizations, the United Nations are able to make an impact on every human being in this world. Only as a global, united community of nations, problems such as famine, poverty, international conflicts or health issues can be solved. Therefore, the importance of the United Nations in today’s society is ever increasing.

In our globalized and fast-paced world, there is a great number of manifold needs and interests represented by all the countries all over the world. I admire the United Nations for their role as an intergovernmental mediator balancing those needs, always maintaining the safeguarding of peace and the protection of human rights as their primary goal. Moreover, there are challenges the world community can only solve together, challenges that transcend national boundaries. In time of global policies with a trend to isolation, nuclear armament and the neglecting of science, the United Nations Organizations is essential to steer the world in the right direction. For me the United Nations Organization means stability and collaboration in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.

With FAUMUN, I hope to learn more about the United Nations Organization itself and the process of finding solutions for people all around the world. I hope to learn more about debating and negotiating in an intercultural atmosphere and to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. Thereby, I expect to extend my abilities to behave correctly in diplomatic, multicultural situations. Furthermore, I expect to get in touch with students from different faculties, to gain insight into opinions from various backgrounds and to give input from my point of view to other participants. Consequently, I hope to broaden my horizon, to be able to look at global challenges from different point of views and to think outside the box when it comes to solving these challenges.

I believe the UN is a key governing body to solve current and future problems. These problems (e.g. climate change) are of a massive scale and therefore require an international cooperation and effort. In my opinion, the importance of the UN is going to increase in coming years due to the nature of our problems. Understanding how the UN functions, and how countries find a common ground in the face of a crisis has utmost importance, because we are going to have to create international cooperation in order to solve our problems.

The United Nations Organization might be the biggest and most ambitious institution there is. Having a forum for all nations on this planet to come together, trying to advance peacekeeping and international relations is a historic milestone of societal progress. The possibility to work hand in hand in order to achieve well-being for all nations and with that, for all people, is what makes the United Nations stand out to me. The ability to talk in order to resolve conflict and differences is the highest value we have. Only by discussing ideas can we correct the course we take as a society. After the devastating 20th century and an uncertain future in front of us, I believe the United Nations can be vital to learn from the mistakes that have been made and to further improve the world we live in.

Personally, I see the United Nations as one of the greatest achievements and lessons learned from World War 2. Counting more than 190 nations, member states gather to discuss topics that concern every human being on this world. The organization works to help countries reduce hunger, disease, and illiteracy. It promotes sustainable development and the environment, protects refugees, provides disaster relief, and furthers economic development.

In my opinion, multilateralism and international forums for negotiations are fundamental to maintain peace, secure wealth and ensure economic growth. Since the United Nations Organization is the world’s biggest international institution with 193 member states and therefore the most important international forum for multilateralism, it is one of the key elements to prevent war and to further international collaboration. At the moment the world is facing global and regional problems that require solutions based on multilateral negotiations. A few to mention are climate change and civil wars in Syria or Yemen. In order to find solutions for these issues, it is necessary for the affected parties to gather and find suitable and effective solutions. For this, the UN is the perfect platform and institution.

Since its beginning, the UN has always been a place for peace and cooperation. In the face of conflict and danger it has proven several times to be an important organization for the countries of our world. But during the last 74 years it has also faced criticism: Often not following through with resolutions or doing too little even in situations on the brink of war.
And while some of these arguments are not far-fetched and there is certainly room for improvement and reform, the United Nations remain our most important form of cohesion today. Being the biggest platform for diplomatic exchange, the UN should always remain a part of the modern world and has its entitlement as an alliance we cannot do without.

The United Nation Organization is the largest union of countries and nations in the world and provides the countries with the opportunity to have a forum where they can represent themselves and work together. The goals of the UN to maintain and spread freedom in the world, to protect human rights and international law, to guarantee humanitarian aid and to promote sustainable development are the highest aims in the world and a contribution to future generations.