Success story - MUN 2016 Assembly UN HQ NYC - MaltaMUN - Luisa Cassar Pullicino

My name is Luisa Cassar Pullicino, and I'm a 22 year old law student. I first became involved in MUN in 2013 when I decided to take part in a crisis simulation open to new students - and I was hooked! I later took part in the Oxford and Cambridge International Model United Nations Conferences. At the UA MUN 2016 Youth Assembly, my delegation represented the Malta Model United Nations Society. I was assigned to Committee F: A Global Vision-MUN Think Tank. We reviewed the differences between MUNs worldwide, redefined success in Model UN, and discussed ways to connect MUN Societies in different parts of the world.

The MUN 2016 Youth Assembly was a fantastic experience, the highlight undoubtedly being the Closing Ceremony in the hall of the UN HQ General Assembly. The topics of the conference stimulated lively debate, and I particularly enjoyed discussing the feasibility (or otherwise) of creating a uniform body of MUN Rules of Procedure.

I was a pre-selected speaker for the Opening Ceremony of the Assembly, and gave a speech on 'How MUN Can Change the World' in the ECOSOC Chamber of the UN HQ! Standing at the podium of such a prestigious venue is an unrivaled experience. At the end of the conference, I was given an Outstanding Ideas Contributor Award; an immensely satisfying achievement after a week of intense debate and resolution-writing.

The Assembly firmly cemented my belief that MUN really can change the world - a notion I argued in favor of in my speech at the Opening Ceremony. Back home, the Malta Model United Nations Society is continuing to work to make Model UN an integral part of every student's calendar, not only to create an MUN culture in Malta, but also to live up to our motto of fostering excellence.