What Does the 2022 Mediterranean MUN Conference Have in Store for Menton?

Believe it or not, it really is that time of year already. The official Mediterranean Model United Nations is just around the corner, beginning on Friday, 1 April. Not only will the conference witness some of our globe’s brightest young minds coming together from all corners of the world, but they will be tackling some of the most intriguing geopolitical crises facing the North African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean regions. As the first in-person MEDMUN conference Menton has seen in two years, the anticipation permeating MEDMUN’s Mentonese branch is palpable. Despite a series of stresses, strains, and a few emotional breakdowns, we’re finally going to see people from all over the world gathered in our very own Menton.

One only needs to exchange a few quick words with MEDMUN’s members to feel the excitement in the air for the event. While there have undoubtedly been ups and downs punctuating the experiences of all members, an overwhelming sense of pride and dedication unites them all. Basile Rochet, the Secretary-General of MEDMUN for 2021-2022, highlighted this sense of complex amour surrounding his role in the organisation. While he described his experience as a member as being “intense,” and considered how throughout the year he has “rarely [had] a week off,” he still concluded that the fruits of his labor are undoubtedly worth the trials and tribulations. Likewise, Deputy Secretary-General Celeste Abourjeili reflected that despite her experiences with MEDMUN “varying greatly over the last two years,” having been peppered with COVID-19 crises, lockdowns, and a multitude of other stresses, “at the same time it’s super exciting to see it all come together for the first time.”

The various members of MEDMUN have been endlessly devoting their energies over the past semester to make this exceptional experience come together, culminating in remarkable results. Every individual has tackled different challenges across their respective areas of responsibility, ranging from Angeliki Vytogianni, the Head of the English Committee, to Giulia Vigoriti the Head of Finance. Seeing all of these hardworking individuals gradually come together, amalgamating their once-discordant ideas and coordinating their actions to create an ever-clearer image of what MEDMUN 2022 is coming to look like can be described as nothing other than elating. “I can’t wait to see the final product after watching our amazing team work all year towards this,” said Abourjeili. “I’ve seen our team put in so much hard work… we’ve put [the event] together from scratch.”

Take the example of Emilio Egger Prieto, the English-Speaking Committee Coordinator, as just one example of the back-breaking lengths MEDMUN’s members have taken to coordinate this conference. “As the MEDMUN conference is coming closer, being part of the MEDMUN board is becoming more and more stressful,” he said. However, Egger Prieto is finally beginning to see the “light at the end of the tunnel” with the conference taking place in only two weeks. “Over the course of the year, I have honestly developed a sense of pride in the amazing work the team has put into our committees… seeing everything come together will just be so satisfying.” Having found over 100 delegates to be involved in these committees, taking charge to assign them to positions based on their interests and skill sets developed from past MUN participation, Egger Prieto is only one of the members who has toiled tirelessly to piece the patchwork of the conference together.

Rochet and Abourjeili have both reflected further upon how grateful they are for the continued work of all members, with Rochet specially recognizing the “sacrifices” individuals have had to make in preparation for the long-anticipated event. “I am proud of my team,” he posited “When I see everyone in the team taking their free time to work for MEDMUN, it’s a great satisfaction.” Sandra El Alam, Chair Coordinator for the French Committees, while acknowledging that various hitches punctuated her recent MEDMUN experiences, stressed that she is “proud of the teamwork” and that it is all worth it for the “thrilling” chance to “meet people from all around the world… all coming for MEDMUN.”

Abourjeili’s words were particularly poignant in her final reflections on MEDMUN’s proudest achievements. “A project of this scale is never an easy feat, and of course problems are inevitable.” Although she, Rochet, and other members admitted to several disagreements between one another, “MEDMUN would be nothing without this collaborative dynamic… every single member of the team serves an integral role in our conference.”

MEDMUN 2022 is,without doubt, shaping up to be one of the most unique experiences in Menton. The vast array of delegates from all over the world unite together in a sleepy-town-turned-global-forum for stimulating debates concerning some of our world’s biggest issues. You can keep up to date on the happenings of the event from April 1 to 3 of April through MEDMUN’s Instagram.