CCNY Wins Outstanding Delegation at National Model UN

The City College of New York’s (CCNY) Model United Nations team won Outstanding Delegation in the 2010 National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference at the United Nations and the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan, held March 28 through April 3.  CCNY was one of 17 institutions to receive an “Outstanding Delegation” award in the 2010 competition, which attracted over 300 colleges and universities from five continents.

The CCNY team was its own mini United Nations.  The 13 members of the delegation hailed from 13 different countries of origin.

The conference replicates four of the main committees of the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.  Delegates discuss and build upon resolutions that they research and write before the conference.  Topics include current events and long-standing international disputes that fall under U.N. jurisdiction.

CCNY student delegates selected the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor), located in Southeast Asia, as the country to represent.  They addressed issues related to privatization, financial crisis, the environment and millennium development goals.  Sophomore Humaira Hansrod and senior Elida Jbeili, served as Head Delegates for the 11-member CCNY contingent. “Our strong commitment and dedication led us to success,” said Ms. Hansrod.

“It truly was a well deserved win!” said Oghogho Edomwonyi, the team’s faculty advisor. “As an alumna, I am particularly pleased to know that we, past and present delegates, together working tirelessly as a team, contributed to the distinguished reputation and legacy of CCNY.  As an instructor, I am most proud of the tremendous growth I witnessed in my students over the course of the semester and at this year’s conference.”

NMUN, which is organized by the National Collegiate Conference Association, a non-governmental organization of the United Nations, is the world’s largest university-level U.N. simulation.  Every year, the conference educates more than 4,000 students – half from the outside the United States – about the United Nations and contemporary international issues.

A list of team members, academic major and country of birth follows:

Humaira Hansrod, Economics, Mauritius.

Elida Jbeili, Senior, International Studies, Lebanon.

Mikhael Simmonds, International Studies, Trinidad and Tobago.

Luibov Shamshina, International Studies, Russia.

Shalini Kishan, International Studies, India.

Ingrid Muro, International Studies, Mexico.

Alina Maharjan, International Studies, Nepal.

Mariama Ba, International Studies, Guinea.

Natalya Saavedra, International Studies, Colombia.

Qendresa Kajatazaj, International Studies, Albania.

Wisblande Thermidor, International Studies, Haiti.

Melinda Kovacs, International Studies, Hungary.

Lisa Liu, Economics, China.