Letter From The Secretary-General
Revered prospective participants,
I would like to begin my words by inviting you to the Sixth Edition of the Istanbul University Model United Nations, or as it will echo countless times for years to come: IUMUNX. It is both a great pleasure and a responsibility to announce that IUMUNX will be held at the enchanting Beyazıt campus of Istanbul University from July 8th to 11th, 2024. As a man who has witnessed the commencement and adjournment of all previous conferences hosted by our club, I can assure you that our resolve has never been stronger to provide participants with a conference that is fulfilling in every aspect.
As humanity has entered 21st century, unprecedented dangers, opportunities, changes, and challenges have begun to unfold. On one hand, technological developments such as artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics do threaten daily functioning of societies as well as shifting economic and political paradigms in a pathway that can either cause a devastating collapse or usher an era of prosperity unseen for humanity. On the other hand,
the political landscape that was relatively peaceful since 1945 under favour of the balance of power, the existence of weapons of mass destruction, and inter-dependency due to the globalisation, is being disturbed by the unpeaceful rise of the People’s Republic of China which challenges the hegemonic status of the United States of America. On a further level, the climate change poses an existential threat not only in the long run, but also in our lifespan as it has already begun to affect nations through climate-induced migration, food shortages, extreme weather events, among other challenges. Therefore, it can be said that humanity stands at a crossroads, where decisions that shall be made today are deeply intertwined with the immediate future. This situation encapsulates the central theme of IUMUNX: 'Decision-Making in Times of Crisis’.
In this context, IUMUNX will simulate the following committees to address the theme: the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Labour Organization, the International Maritime Organization, Perpetual Peace: Road to the Congress of Vienna (1791-1815), the Congress of the United States of America, the Climate Summit of Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, the Catalan Assembly of 2017, the Senate of the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War, and the 'World at War' scenario for the Scramble for Antarctic.
For humanity to succeed in the future, whether by eliminating hunger, ending discrimination, preventing harm to the environment, or addressing any other challenges hindering our progress, it is crucial that future generations of decision-makers, along with executives, possess composure in times of crisis, prioritize the needs of society, and navigate the uncharted territories of the future. This can only be achieved when the youth become more actively and elaborately involved in these matters. For this reason, the committees of IUMUNX, with their multifaceted agenda items, aim to create a conference environment where delegates must collaborate, compete, conciliate, or compromise to make decisions that ensure a better future for their respective communities.
I would like to close my remarks by expressing and sharing the enthusiasm and dedication of my team and echoing my invitation to join us at IUMUNX. We eagerly await your arrival this July!