North American Invitational Model United Nations

The North American Invitational Model United Nations is a Model UN simulations for high school students.
Currently in its 49th year, NAIMUN has established itself as one of the premier conferences on the high-school Model UN circuit, boasting notable speakers such as former CIA lawyers, high-ranking ambassadors, and Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The NAIMUN conference is held at the Hilton Washington, located on 1919 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC, one of the largest conference centers in the city. The forty-ninth session of NAIMUN (NAIMUN XLIX), will be held from February 16, 2012 to February 19, 2012.
Programming and Events
In order to enrich the educational experience, the conference provides delegates with several programming options and events that encourage delegates to apply what they learn in Model UN simulations to the real world.
Conference Preparation
Preparation for NAIMUN is a large endeavor, and can require an almost year-long commitment from its large staff of over 200 dedicated Georgetown students, who are dues-paying members of the Georgetown International Relations Club. These students serve as valuable assets to the conference by writing background guides, chairing committees, performing security walks, and running crisis simulations.
The conference is led by the two conference executives, the Secretary General and the Executive Director. The two executives handle different aspects of the conference, which are mainly divided into substantive work (e.g. topic assignments and committee designs etc.) and executive issues (e.g. conference promotion, informational updates, budget allocation, registration etc.). The conference executives for NAIMUN XLIX (2012) are Taylor Wettach (SFS 2013) and Caitlin Pharo (SFS 2013).
The conference executives are supported by the senior staff of 16 or so members, with half aiding the Secretary-General's work and the other half focusing on helping the Executive Director. On the substantive side, the Under-Secretaries-General will each take charge of one of the five main committee types, which are:
# General Assemblies,
# Economic and Social Councils,
# Regionals,
# Councils, Summits and Courts,
# Cabinets
NAIMUN XLIX (2012) will also feature five committees simulating the U.S. National Security Apparatus response to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
NAIMUN XLVII Highlights
Just days before the start of the conference, the largest snowstorm in Washington D.C.'s history fell across the district. Commonly referred to as the infamous "Snowpocalypse", all contingencies for the conference were implemented. From leading walks of hundreds of staffers across the snow covered roads to pushing car loads of supplies up a snowy hill, NAIMUN was still successful. More than half the delegates were able to make it to the conference. Even with a low number of students, NAIMUN XLVII managed to break the record of raising more money than any previous conference for its annual charity drive. Donations from NAIMUN XLVII went to "Save the Children".
Under the leadership of executives Ena Dekanic (COL 2011) and Mathew Shapiro (SFS 2011), NAIMUN XLVII featured thirty-six innovative committees and simulations for delegates to connect to affairs that shape our world, learning diplomacy in an engaging environment created by its student staff. The conference reflected the varied structure and agenda of the United Nations through its many large and small UN bodies, including the Third Committee: Social and Humanitarian (SOCHUM), a Special Summit on the Seas, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice(CCPCJ), and the United Nations Security Council. NAIMUN also featured regional and international organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Delegates addressed important historical issues in the National Security Council: Iran Contra Affair and the Military Tribunal: Abu Ghraib, 2005 and even tackled future conflicts through a Joint Crisis, 2012: Israel v. Palestinian Authority. Additionally, NAIMUN XLVII offered several pioneering simulations, including the Meeting of the Estates-General, 1789; the Majlis: Iranian Parliament, and the Delian League. NAIMUN also offered two application-only opportunities. In the centrally coordinated Press Corps, students interested in journalism can report on developments among the committees and create a cohesive conference culture by publishing “The NAIMUN Daily.” NAIMUN XLVII also introduced the NGO Forum, where a select group of delegates simulated the critical role of nongovernmental organizations in the international arena.
NAIMUN XLVIII Highlights
New committees featured in NAIMUN's 48th session included a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change simulation and a joint-crisis regional committee on the break up of Pakistan. In addition, the conference raised $25,000 for the non-governmental organization Free the Children.
NAIMUN XLIX
The forty-ninth session of NAIMUN will be held from February 16, 2012 to February 19, 2012.

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