Model UN 2025
The annual Model United Nations was held on Friday, 16 May, at the McKinnon Road campus. This year’s theme, “Combating Climate Change: Committing to Global Action”, inspired passionate and thoughtful engagement from participants. A total of 76 students from Years 9 to 12 took part, with particularly strong representation from Year 9, making it a wonderful opportunity for cross-campus connection. We were also delighted to welcome guest students from Wellington, St Leonards, Parkdale, St Bede's, OLSH, Glen Waverley, Oakleigh Grammar, Camberwell Girls, and Glen Eira College. Sincere thanks go to William Lee for his excellent coordination of the event, Lee Laskaridis for his support of the Year 9 teams, Tania Burnell for ensuring all students and guests were well catered for, and to the AV and facilities teams for their invaluable assistance. Events like this play a vital role in enriching our students’ development as global citizens, providing meaningful opportunities to build skills in public speaking, debating, negotiation, and teamwork. Their enthusiasm was outstanding, and we look forward to hosting this event again in 2026. Here’s what some of our students had to say about the day: On Friday the 16th of May a Model UN program was held in the Hall. Throughout the day my team of delegates which were representing Saudi Arabia. We attempted to represent the interests of Saudi Arabia to the best of our abilities through a speech, and through ‘backroom’ negotiations. This forced us to break out of our comfort zones and develop our public speaking skills. But more than that, we had worked as a team for weeks developing strategy and researching about a nation we initially knew very little about. This ultimately made us develop a much deeper understanding on the global reaction to climate change and moreover the inner workings of international diplomacy at the UN.Luka, Year 10 This year's topic for the Model UN was climate change. While the topic was very familiar to the majority of students, many were not aware of how important it was to discuss this problem as a global community and for all countries around the world to contribute to addressing the issue. Through the stages of debating and communicating, students were able to collaborate and support each other in structuring ideas, amendments and opinions on the Draft Resolution. Many nations welcomed differing opinions and changes, and this made the procedure of the event much smoother, unique and fun - especially for someone like me, as this was the first year I had ever attended a Model UN at McKinnon! Fortunately, I also gained many opportunities to make new friendships, talk to a diverse range of people in different year levels, and from different schools. Many of these students taught me fascinating facts and statistics about the world that I was not yet aware of. Additionally, with the help of Mr. Lee and the various comrades we made on the way, the nation I was representing, the Philippines, were guided to a successful outcome for the Draft Resolution. I am pleased to say that this was incredibly memorable for us students, and I would strongly encourage anyone to participate in next year's MUN with me too!Lynn, Year 10 On May 16th, students from ten schools gathered in the gym at the Main Campus in order to perform the Model UN. I was a member of the Mongolian delegation. Our primary objective was to present Mongolia's views on climate change as well as securing the best possible deal for Mongolian citizens through our cooperation with the 31 other countries present. I deeply enjoyed the experience as it helped instill the values of clarity, cooperation and teamwork while giving us a look inside the workings of how nations negotiate on an international stage. I would deeply recommend joining the model UN to all McKinnon students.Patrick, Year 9 On Friday, May 16th, students from our school participated in the annual Model UN alongside other schools. Each participant was assigned a country to represent, focusing on the pressing topic of climate change. As it was my first year, I was excited to work with peers I connected with while honing my public speaking and debate skills. Collaborating with my fellow delegates fostered a strong sense of camaraderie. We engaged in intense discussions about various solutions and strategies that countries could adopt to effectively combat climate change. It was inspiring to witness everyone’s dedication to finding common ground and drafting resolutions that emphasized cooperation and support, especially for developing countries facing environmental challenges. This Model UN experience wasn’t a competition, it was a combined effort to highlight the urgent need for collective action to address climate change, and I am grateful to have participated in that vital conversation.Eseosa, Year 10 This year, I had the amazing opportunity to represent Morocco at the Annual Model UN held at McKinnon Secondary College. The theme was climate change, and students from a range of schools came together to take part in realistic UN style debates and discussions. It was really interesting to learn how different countries respond to global issues, and I enjoyed working with students from different backgrounds to come up with solutions. A major highlight was having an honourable Secretary General from the Model UN community present. Their speech was inspiring and made the event feel even more real and exciting. Another bonus was that we were provided with free morning tea and lunch, which was a great treat and gave us the chance to chat with other students during the breaks. Overall, the day was a great mix of learning, teamwork, and stepping into the shoes of world leaders. I’m really glad I took part and would definitely recommend it to other students.Shreya, Year 10 As delegates, the students took on the role of representative of a country, researching their assigned nation's stance on climate change and presenting position statements that reflected national interests rather than individual views. Their task was to debate, amend, and eventually ratify a UN Resolution dealing with climate change and its global implications. The day began with a sequence of formal sessions, commencing with the reading of position statements. This was followed by moderated and unmoderated caucuses among the delegates, where they negotiated, debated, and suggested amendments to the draft resolution. Every amendment needed to be supported and carefully examined to determine if it was aligned with the policies of the country and the general objective of climate action. The experience provided an engaging insight into the areas of global relations, logical thinking, and negotiation and encouraged interaction between scholars from diverse institutions.Odella, Year 9