First-ever Model UN conference launched in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday said he would hand over the country’s affairs to the youth before retiring as president.

The president was speaking at a function marking the first-ever Model United Nations or MUN conference arranged by the youth in Kabul.

The president reiterated his government’s resolve to involve the youth in government. 

The conference “Pamir International Model United Nations” was arranged by the Youth Thinkers Society Afghanistan at the Presidential Palace Hall, where President Ghani, deputy CEO, first lady, some other government officials and several ambassadors were present.     

Ghani said he was optimistic about the country’s future: “Hope, intentions, solidarity, empathy and belief in equality of women and men can be seen in each and every one’s face here,” the president told the event participants.

“You are a generation that will connect Afghanistan to the other world, and I know you are able to represent you country very well.”   

He hailed the event and its organizers and the teamwork, saying no programme could succeed without teamwork.  

“You are not a generation to divide but to unite. Each one’s blood has dignity, honor … you are the generation which wouldn’t let anyone disunite people and you will not only achieve unity but equality as well.”      

“The future of Afghanistan is secure in your hands. One day I will go but my responsibility is to give Afghanistan into secure hands. With the grace of Allah, Afghanistan’s administration is developing and is on the way to professionalism.”   

He said last week when applications from 38 candidates for provincial agriculture director posts in 34 provinces were assessed, it was founded that 70 percent of them had master’s and PhD degrees.

 “Out of the 20 newly appointed mayors, most of them are of the ages between 28 and 35 years,” the president said.

First Lady Rula Ghani said the innovative conference reflected strong determination of the youth.

She said the youth constituted half of the country’s population and she believed the Afghan youth had the potential to resolve challenges Afghanistan faced.

Mohammad Mohaqiq, the deputy CEO, said today the youth set up and organised the modeling of the UN to familiarize their society with the system available in the organization.

While addressing the youth, he said: “Today the world is globalized, our new generation should ignore and let go the past wars, violence and killings and implement peace and reconciliation in their lives.”  

Farhat, onc of the event organizers, the same design had been implemented in various countries since 1947.

He said they had gained skills from similar conferences in the world and finally performed the programme in Kabul for the first time.    

He said the conference featured 350 students from various universities within Afghanistan and abroad and 35 percent of the students were girls. 

The conference will continue for three days during which the participants will know different progammes implemented by the UN such as, diplomacy, ensuring international relations through talking, forming an investigative team in the fields of politics, economics, culture and social. 

Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation and/or academic competition in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations.

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