The Model United Nations (MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy.

In MUN, students take on roles as diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an intergovernmental organization (IGO). Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems.

The school had been attending Model United Nations sessions in The Hague and Cairo for a few years before some dedicated students and staff decided the ABS could host its own MUN conference – hence the Amman MUN (AMMUN) was born. The conference started out very humbly, with two General Assemblies, and almost 150 participants.

The success of ABS’s first AMMUN – the heated debates we conducted, the genuine friendships we formed, and the fleeting moments we spent in the shoes of the world’s decision makers – spelled a promise that we really might manage to affect change, and that this conference, our school’s conference, would go on.

Today, the conference accommodates almost 450 participants, from 30 different countries. Every year, we try to invite people from different regions around the world to have as diverse a group as possible. Every year, we have a wider variety of nationalities ranging from Sudanese, to Indian, to American, to French, to Bahraini, to Chinese. And every year, students of very high caliber grace the conference with their heated debate, heartfelt arguments, and impressive public speaking skills.

The conference holds 8 different forums: Two General Assemblies, the Economics and Social Council, the Advisory Panel, the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, the Human Rights Commission and the Disarmament Commission. Each forum discusses issues of extreme importance and relevance to the delegates’ lives, and we therefore find that most of them debate with enthusiasm and heart, towards a better future that they themselves can look forward to.

The benefits of AMMUN are many. The students who are part of what I call the “academic” side of things learn many skills - among them leadership and negotiating and proficiency in research. They have to choose the best teams and make many decisions which are not normally open to students. But that is not the only side. What I enjoy about AMMUN is that I get to work with the students who are on the organization team. These students may not always be the most academically inclined, but they could probably run rings around the average businessman! Their time management, organization, dedication and commitment never fail to impress me.

MUN is an activity that allows students to grow. Many start in Grade 9 in delegate positions and those who catch the “MUN bug” often end up progressing through Special Committees to being part of the Secretariat.

The try-outs are almost continuously ongoing and students can try-out for positions during their 4 final years of school.

In addition to AMMUN, we also attend the MUN simulation in The Hague – a prestigious conference that hosts some 4,000 students from all over the world. We also have had a long and warm relationship with AIS in Cairo and we normally take large delegations to each other’s conferences and award each other with executive positions where they are warranted.

We look forward to the coming years of successful conferences, and we carry the hope that our students will continue to uphold the MUN name and legacy.