logo
UOS launches fourth Model United Nations Conference

UOS launches fourth Model United Nations Conference

Sharjah 2409-04-2025

UOSMUN serves as an academic incubator for aspiring leaders, enabling participants to engage in realistic simulations of UN bodies such as the General Assembly, Security Council, International Court of Justice, and World Health Organization. This year's conference introduces an Arab-focused committee addressing contemporary cultural colonialism, alongside committees tackling disarmament, climate change, refugee crises, and medical misinformation. Over 10 committees are entirely student-led, reflecting the program's emphasis on collaborative problem-solving and leadership development.
Prof. Youssef Haik, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Acting Dean of the College of Public Policy, underscored the conference's role in equipping students with practical insights into global governance. 'Initiatives like UOSMUN deepen students' understanding of international relations while sharpening their critical thinking and decision-making skills,' he stated.
Prof. Eid Kannan, Dean of Student Affairs, highlighted the university's commitment to extracurricular activities that foster professional growth: 'By empowering students to articulate solutions to real-world challenges, we cultivate globally conscious leaders capable of driving meaningful change.'
Dr. Shyamal Kataria, Chair of the International Relations Department, emphasized the event's focus on nurturing innovative problem-solvers. 'The diversity of committee topics—from climate resilience to combating disinformation—prepares students to address multifaceted global issues with creativity and rigor,' he noted.
The conference's student-driven structure reinforces skills in public speaking, negotiation, and research, aligning with Sharjah's vision to position itself as a hub for impactful education and research. By simulating high-stakes international dialogues, UOSMUN 4.0 aims to instill a culture of cooperation and forward-thinking leadership among participants.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UN to vote to demand immediate Gaza ceasefire over US, Israel opposition
UN to vote to demand immediate Gaza ceasefire over US, Israel opposition

Dubai Eye

time7 hours ago

  • Dubai Eye

UN to vote to demand immediate Gaza ceasefire over US, Israel opposition

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the US vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week. The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a "politically-motivated, counter-productive charade". General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly. Thursday's vote also comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The US has urged countries not to attend. In a note seen by Reuters, the US warned that "countries that take anti-Israel actions on the heels of the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences". The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. The other 14 countries on the council voted in favour of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month. 'FALSE AND DEFAMATORY' The draft resolution to be voted on by the General Assembly on Thursday demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It demands unhindered aid access and "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access". "This is both false and defamatory," Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon wrote in a letter to UN member states, sent on Tuesday and seen by Reuters. Danon described the General Assembly draft resolution as an "immensely flawed and harmful text," urging countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas. In October 2023 the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favour. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Then in December last year the body demanded - with 158 votes in favour - an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble.

UN nuclear watchdog finds Iran in breach of non-proliferation duties
UN nuclear watchdog finds Iran in breach of non-proliferation duties

The National

time8 hours ago

  • The National

UN nuclear watchdog finds Iran in breach of non-proliferation duties

The UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday formally declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, diplomats at the closed-door meeting told Reuters. "[The board] finds that Iran's many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the agency with full and timely co-operation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran ... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its safeguards agreement with the agency," the International Atomic Energy Agency board resolution states, according to Reuters. The decision is the latest development amid rising tension between the US and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme. It comes after Washington announced it was preparing to evacuate personnel from its embassy in Baghdad and regional bases, and as nuclear talks between the countries appear at an impasse.

Syria orders full body swimwear for women on public beaches
Syria orders full body swimwear for women on public beaches

Gulf Today

time8 hours ago

  • Gulf Today

Syria orders full body swimwear for women on public beaches

Syria's Islamist-led government has decreed that women should wear burkinis or other swimwear that covers the body at public beaches and swimming pools, while permitting Western-style beachwear at private clubs and luxury hotels. The tourism ministry decision issued this week marks the first time the Damascus authorities have issued guidelines related to what women can wear since Bashar Al Assad was toppled in December. During the Assad family's rule of Syria, which was shaped by a secular Arab nationalist ideology, the state imposed no such restrictions, though people often dressed modestly at public beaches, reflecting conservative norms. The new requirements were set out in a wider decree dated June 9 and which included public safety guidelines for beaches and swimming pools ahead of the summer, such as not spending too long in the sun and avoiding jellyfish. It said that beachgoers and visitors to public pools should wear "appropriate swimwear that respects public decency and the feelings of different segments of society," requiring "more modest swimsuits" and specifying "the burkini or swimming clothes that cover the body more." Women should wear a cover or a loose robe over their swimwear when moving between the beach and other areas, it said. Men should wear a shirt when not swimming, and are not allowed to appear bare-chested "in the public areas outside the swimming areas - hotel lobbies or ... restaurants", it said. The decree added that "in public areas outside the beaches and swimming pools", it was preferable to wear loose clothing that covers the shoulders and knees and to avoid transparent or very tight clothing. It offered an exception for hotels classed as four stars or above, and for private beaches, pools and clubs, saying "normal Western swimwear" was generally permitted, "with adherence to public morals and within the limits of public taste." Since Sunni Islamist-led rebels overthrew Assad, fliers have appeared urging women to cover up, but the government has issued no directives ordering them to observe conservative dress codes. A temporary constitution passed earlier this year strengthened the language on the role of sharia (Islamic law) in Syria. Interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa, who led an al Qaeda group before cutting ties with the jihadist network, has sidestepped interviewers' questions on whether he thought Syria should apply sharia, saying this was for experts to decide. Reuters

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store