UOS launches fourth Model United Nations Conference
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sharjah 24
3 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah prepares for Arab Parliament of the Child in July
Sharjah hosts planning meeting with committee members The meeting took place yesterday morning at the Parliament's General Secretariat headquarters in Sharjah and brought together the heads and members of the executive, organisational, media, and logistics committees. Participants reviewed the operational progress and followed up on coordination efforts with supporting partners and collaborating entities within the Government of Sharjah. They also discussed the latest developments related to receiving delegations from Arab countries and parliamentary teams participating in the session, in coordination with the League of Arab States and its accredited permanent missions in Cairo. Sharjah's leadership guides preparations Al-Barout affirmed during the meeting that, under the wise directives of Sharjah's leadership, the Arab Parliament for the Child remains committed to organising the children's parliamentary session to the highest professional and institutional standards. He noted that Sharjah will host young Arab parliamentarians this July, who will gather at the Sharjah Consultative Council to voice their visions, concerns and issues from their communities through a parliamentary approach based on dialogue and conscious expression. Strategic planning to assess readiness Al-Barout pointed out that this meeting is part of a series of periodic encounters aimed at assessing the readiness across all areas and ensuring the integration of organisational efforts, especially as the session date approaches. This exceptional Arab platform contributes to raising awareness, developing leadership skills, and enhancing the presence of children as active representatives in their societies. He noted that the Parliament's General Secretariat continues to engage Arab countries, urging them to confirm the participation of their children's delegations, each composed of four young parliamentarians, in coordination with the relevant authorities in each country through their permanent missions to the League of Arab States. Workshops and cultural visits to enrich the experience The meeting also included discussions on the schedule of the session's programmes, an overview of the training workshops and side activities, as well as detailed planning for the cultural and educational visits to be offered to members of the Arab Parliament for the Child during their stay in Sharjah. These activities aim to reflect the emirate's cultural identity and enrich the participants' experience. Committees begin executing operational plan In conclusion, the Secretary-General confirmed that working teams have already begun implementing the operational plan and that specialised committees have started carrying out their tasks from the moment the children arrive in the UAE. He emphasised that this event reflects Sharjah's vision and cultural mission under the leadership of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah in nurturing and developing children's skills and talents, establishing a leading model in empowering Arab children, particularly in the parliamentary field, under the umbrella of the League of Arab States.
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
Mozambique: Spiralling hunger crisis and violence amid collapsing aid budgets
In a visit to the neglected crisis raging in the north of Mozambique, Egeland described it as at a 'critical tipping point,' sounding the alarm over skyrocketing violence, the devastation from multiple cyclones, and the near collapse of aid lifelines due to global funding cuts. 'In a region suffering from daily atrocities and monthly disasters, I have seen the human toll caused by the global retreat of solidarity and funding. Climate shocks, increasing violence, and spiralling hunger are having a terrible impact on the population. They now stand at the edge of an abyss, with immense suffering ahead unless the world ends its neglect,' said Egeland. Armed attacks in Cabo Delgado surged by 155 per cent in March alone, with 52 atrocities resulting in 153 abductions and 39 killings. The violence has displaced over 1.4 million people to date, while more than 600,000 others who have returned home now face renewed insecurity and little to no assistance. Simultaneously, three consecutive cyclones—Chido, Dikeledi, and Jude—have battered Mozambique in just three months, affecting more than 1.4 million people, and destroying homes, schools, health centres and farmland across several provinces. The compounded crises have pushed nearly five million Mozambicans into critical levels of hunger, with over 900,000 facing emergency conditions—just one step below famine. 'Hunger took hold in Mozambique the moment conflict did,' Egeland said. 'Where bullets fly, crops wither, supply chains collapse, and families are left hungry.' In conflict-hit Cabo Delgado, farming and markets have collapsed; in Nampula and Zambezia, cyclone-damaged crops have left families struggling to survive. Fuel shortages, infrastructure damage, and insecurity are now paralysing aid operations across the country. Humanitarian agencies, including NRC, have been forced to reduce life-saving activities due to lack of funds and growing access challenges, including administrative and bureaucratic restrictions, attacks and ambushes on aid convoys. 'In 2024, we reached over 125,000 people, but the scale of this crisis far outstrips our current capacity,' Egeland said. 'We have been forced to drastically reduce our first line response—such as survival kits and shelters to people left homeless by the latest cyclone—because of the US funding cuts.' The World Food Programme has already halved its assistance, reaching only 520,000 people of the one million targeted in 2024. This year, the number of people receiving food aid is expected to plummet even further to just 250,000, despite the growing number of people in need. 'Mothers I met told me they don't know who they would turn to if we had to stop helping them,' Egeland said. 'They've already had to cut down on their food, and their children are sleeping hungry. I want to be clear that, whatever happens, we are here to stay and deliver, and we must find a way to keep delivering in a world of chaos. 'I call on governments and the private sector to urgently mobilise funding, guarantee safe access for aid workers, and commit to long-term support for the rights and dignity of displaced Mozambicans. Several governments and multinational corporations are in Mozambique for its natural resources, with little returns to the impoverished population.' NRC stresses the need for immediate and sustained international action to avert a full-scale famine, restore food security, and support the country's fragile recovery. This includes urgent investment in agricultural recovery and fisheries support for coastal areas, nutrition for children, and protection for people forced to flee violence. 'Turning our backs now is not an option—for the sake of millions facing starvation, and for our shared humanity,' Egeland said. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Zawya
16 hours ago
- Zawya
Agreement between Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK) fails to guarantee rights of Chagossians say United Nations (UN) experts
The recently signed agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius fails to guarantee and protect the rights of the Chagossian people, including their right to return to Diego Garcia, effective remedy and reparations and their cultural rights, UN experts* said today. On 22 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Mauritius signed a bilateral agreement to return sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius to complete the decolonisation of Mauritius following years of negotiations and international pressure, including from the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly. 'By maintaining a foreign military presence of the United Kingdom and the United States on Diego Garcia and preventing the Chagossian people from returning to Diego Garcia, the agreement appears to be at variance with the Chagossians' right to return, which also hinders their ability to exercise their cultural rights in accessing their ancestral lands from which they were expelled,' the experts said. They raised serious questions about whether the foreseen £40 million Trust Fund, which remains subject to yet-to-be adopted regulations, would comply with the right of the Chagossian people to effective remedy and adequate, effective, and prompt reparation, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition. Most notably, the current agreement contains no provisions providing for the full panoply of the right to adequate and effective reparations as it does not provide restitution, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition, the experts noted. The agreement also lacks provisions to facilitate the Chagossian people's access to cultural sites on Diego Garcia and protect and conserve their unique cultural heritage. 'In light of these significant concerns, we call for the ratification of the agreement to be suspended and for a new agreement to be negotiated that fully guarantees the rights of the Chagossian people to return to all islands of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. This includes their right to adequate and effective remedy and reparations, including restitution, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition, as well as their cultural rights,' the experts said. The experts had previously raised concerns about continuous forced displacement of the Chagossian people and lack of their effective participation in decision-making processes concerning negotiations over the Chagos Archipelago, in letters to the governments of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on 21 February 2023 as well as through a press release on 10 October 2024. 'We are gravely concerned about the lack of meaningful participation of Chagossians in processes that have led to the agreement,' the experts said. They urged the Governments of the United Kingdom and Mauritius to apply a human rights-based approach in addressing historical injustices against the Chagossian people. The experts are in touch with the United Kingdom and Mauritius regarding these issues. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
