University of Sheffield Model United Nations Society

Hi everyone, we're really proud to announce our Model United Nations Taster Session, co-hosted with Leeds Model United Nations Society!

Our taster session is open to absolutely everyone, whether you're an experienced delegate, or a complete beginner, and will offer you the opportunity to debate real international issues in a friendly environment, and learn more about Model United Nations.

In addition, following the event, you will get an opportunity to meet new people from both Leeds Model United Nations Society, and the University of Sheffield Model United Nations Society, at our online social. More details about this social will be made available closer to the date on both on the event page and our Facebook groups:

Sheffield: https://www.facebook.com/groups/690882385115327
Leeds: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedsmun

Interested? Then register your interest and nation preference at the link below!

https://forms.gle/RDU31PG5bpQ76JiV8

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/770173577112812?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22edit_dialog%22%7D]%7D

THIS WEDNESDAY!

University of Sheffield Model United Nations Society is pleased to be co-hosting this event with United Nations Association Youth Platform, the upcoming event is an online panel discussing the challenges and future of multilateral aid and development finance with three distinguished speakers.

Lord Mark Malloch-Brown served as UN Deputy Secretary‐General and Chief of Staff under Kofi Annan. Before this, he was administrator of the UNDP, where he led global development efforts. He covered Africa and Asia as Minister of State in the Foreign Office, and was a member of Gordon Brown's cabinet.

Professor James Putzel is Professor of Development Studies at the London School of Economics where he also served as the Director of the Crisis States Research Centre.

Dr. Annalisa Prizzon is a Senior Research Fellow at the Development and Public Finance programme at the Overseas Development Institute. She leads the research portfolio on international public finance, whose objective is to maximise its effectiveness and shape its global and country-level architecture.

Sign up with the link here: https://bit.ly/AidUNAYP

Details regarding this event can be found on the event page: https://facebook.com/events/s/the-future-of-multilateral-aid/2754397974817755/?ti=icl

75 years ago, today, the United Nations Charter was signed, bringing into fruition the United Nations as we know it today.

On this day, we reflect upon the UN's past, and look to its future. If you wish to be a part of this process, check out https://un75.online and take their free survey, to help shape the post COVID-19 agenda of the United Nations.

"With firm faith in our hearts, to sustain us along the hard road to victory, we will find our way to a secure peace, for the ultimate benefit of all humanity. We must build a new world--a far better world--one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected."
- President Harry S. Truman, to the United Nations Conference on International Organisation, April 25. 1945.

There are at least 25.9 million refugees in the world today, with over half of that number being people under the age of eighteen. The UN seeks to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and receive safe refugee within another country if possible. Their commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of refugees across the globe is a mission that the UNA-YP fully supports and our organisation hopes that an awareness about the plight of refugees can be expanded amongst the general public. On World Refugee Day it is important to consider what steps must still be taken to ensure the safety of those who are displaced or fleeing their homes. However, it is important to also consider the great work that many organisations and nations have committed over the past few years to help those in need, such as refugees fleeing Syria.

In 2019, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi stated that he pledged to support refugees in their efforts, ‘not just to get by, but also to thrive.’ This commitment to equality of opportunity and an encouragement of ambition for refugees is admirable. We are currently living in unprecedented times. Many refugees and trafficking victims have no access to humanitarian aid, food or medical attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social isolation brought about by the crisis has exacerbated feelings of helplessness or incidents of abuse. On World Refugee Day 2020, we should consider how the challenges brought about by COVID-19 have impacted upon the most vulnerable amongst us, including refugees and victims of trafficking.

Congratulations to the UNA-YP for reaching this milestone! We wish you all the best for the future 🇺🇳

The UNA-YP was formally recognised by UNA-UK's Board of Trustees yesterday on June 17th. This marks a tremendous milestone and achievement for the new UK Youth Platform, which has grown with increasing vigour and swiftness to gain the support of over 30 local youth UNAs and MUN societies across the country.

Plans were originally devised to found the Youth Platform in November 2019 at UNA-UK's Together First Summit, by Youth Representatives from UNA Canterbury, Cambridge University UNA, East Anglia University UNA, Oxford Brookes UNA and Sheffield UNA. 7 months on, the UNA-YP now boasts a roster of 30+ member organisations:

Cambridge University United Nations Association (CUUNA)
Cardiff University MUN Society (CardiffMUN)
Coventry University MUN Society (CovMUN)
Keele University MUN Society (KMUN)
Kent Model United Nations Society (KentMUN)
King’s College London United Nations Association (KCLUNA)
Leeds Model United Nations (LeedsMUN)
Liverpool Model United Nations (LivMUN)
London Metropolitan University MUN Society (LMMUN)
London School of Economics United Nations Society (LSESU UNSoc)
Oxford Brookes MUN (BrookesMUN)
Oxford University United Nations Association (OUUNA)
SOAS United Nations Society (SOAS UNSoc)
UNA Canterbury
UNA University of Aberdeen
University College London United Nations Association (UCLUNA)
University of Bath Model United Nations (BUMUN)
University of Birmingham United Nations Society (Birmingham UNSoc)
University of Bristol Model United Nations Society (BrisMUN)
University of East Anglia Model United Nations (UEAMUN)
University of Edinburgh MUN Society (EdMUN)
University of Leicester MUN Society (LeicMUN)
University of Loughborough MUN Society
University of Manchester Model United Nations Society (ManMUN)
University of Plymouth Model United Nations Society (PlymMUN)
University of Sheffield Model United Nations Society (SheffMUN)
University of Sheffield United Nations Association (SheffUNA)
University of St Andrews Model United Nations (SaintMUN)
University of Sussex Model United Nations Society (SussexMUN)
Warwick United Nations Society (Warwick UNSoc)
York United Nations Association (York UNA)

Many more are in the process of formally taking up their seats as representatives on the Youth Platform's General Committee, and the number of volunteers working as part of the UNA-YP's internal departments of Campaigns, Finance, Logistics, Marketing, Model UN and Outreach continues to grow in number and enthusiasm.

The Youth Platform's Board of Directors would like to formally extend gratitude to UNA-UK for their consideration, approval and continued support that the Youth Platform has received from staff members and elected trustees, undoubtedly helping to guide the UNA-YP through its first months, despite the limitations imposed by the global pandemic.

The Board of Directors would, therefore, like to renew the Youth Platform's pledge to support the United Nations Association UK (UNA-UK) by partaking in the Association's national campaigns and mandates; educating and promoting a greater understanding of the role, functions and potential of the United Nations, its agencies and its Charter, with special attention to the Sustainable Development Goals; furthering the ideals, principles and objectives of the United Nations and empowering youth to become involved in its realisation, reform and development.

The Youth Platform's General Committee and Board of Directors will now begin the drafting of the official constitution of the UNA-YP, with a formal constitutional convention to be held at a later date this year, where member UNAs and MUN societies will amend and ratify the document. Plans remain for an official Foundation Conference to be held in either late October or November, pending COVID-19-related rulings, as well as for the Youth Platform's campaigns for the Youth Delegate Programme, the UN75 and SDGs to continue.

For more information about the UNA-YP, its campaigns, aspirations and achievements, follow our social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn or go to our website, WWW.UNAYP.UK

If you have any questions or want to join the UNA-YP you can message to the page and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

In honour of World Oceans Day 2020, the UN has planned a variety of virtual activities and events to celebrate our combined efforts to keep our planet and our oceans healthy and safe. To find out more, and join in on their events, please check the schedule here: https://unworldoceansday.org/2020

As part of the UNA Youth Platform, we would like to take this opportunity, on World Oceans day, to celebrate the efforts of scientists, conservationists, governments, and the general public, to preserve our earth. Every person can make a difference by reducing their carbon footprint and avoiding the use of disposable plastics.

There is still more work to be done. For example, reducing the use of fossil fuels, which saturate the ocean with carbon dioxide – making them more acidic. However, June 8th is a day to celebrate the accomplishments that have happened over the past year to protect our earth and oceans. In 2019, sixty-five countries pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and 70 countries promised to boost their national action plan by 2020. Greece promised to close its coal power plants by 2028 and the European Union promised to allocate at least 25% of its next budget to climate related action. While many of these actions will be implemented in the near future, it is important to recognise that the world is waking up to the seriousness of climate change and the need for immediate action.

We are currently living through very difficult and unusual times. At times like these, it can be important to keep these small victories in mind and hope for the progress that has and will soon be made. The global acknowledgement of the threat of climate change, the steps that have been made to lessen our damage to the planet and the beauty of our oceans is what we will be celebrating this World Oceans Day 2020.