MUNSC Salient 2023

SALIENT 2023 | June 29 - July 2, 2023 | Ljubljana, Slovenia

Visit our FacebookVisit our InstagramVisit our Twitter
Apply now
Apply now

NEW
GENERATIONS
ASCENDING:

Between youth and politics

Salient 2023 | June 29 - July 2, 2023 | Ljubljana, Slovenia

Apply now
Delegate and media team applications are open until April 27.
Salient 2023

This year Salient is focusing on new generations, their values, motivation, and principles.

Policy and law have usually been established in order to catch up to the facts rather than work preemptively. But the world has changed, and the events, crises and new ideologies today are breeding grounds for issues in the future that traditional diplomatic approaches might not be able to fix. MUN offers a unique opportunity to let young people propose new ideas, introduce their own perspectives and familiarize themselves with policy-making.

New generations are therefore not only responsible for tackling the issues of the past but are also the ones making decisions that will directly affect our future. It is of utmost importance to look at current issues and challenges that might lead to potential conflicts so we can prevent them and make sure that the new generations have the best starting point possible. For this reason, it is crucial to empower them, to give them a voice and a chance to improve our complicated world.

Apply now

Salient 2023 is bringing small changes to the concept of the conference.

Open themes and topics

Firstly, till now we always introduced topics before opening applications for chairs. This year we will introduce only open themes, inside which later on chairs will be able to decide upon the exact topic in consultation with the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General. This also means that chairs will be asked to write study guides on their own, with help of the organizing team.

The exact topics will be released before the first wave of delegate applications.

Panels and lectures

The conference is very well-known for the panels that take place on the first day of the conference. In Salient 2023 we will have one keynote speaker with a focused topic and one interactive panel discussion.

Additional positions

For Salient 2023, we will also open applications for Editor-in-Chief and Crisis Director.

All other information will be updated soon.

Apply now

Committees

Unesco logo

UNESCO

Role of national identity and belonging

Commitee difficulty:

UNOCT logo

UNOCT

Masculinities and Terrorism

Commitee difficulty:

UNSC logo

UNSC

Peace and security facing limitations and dangers of new technology OR
Security of children in conflict situations

Commitee difficulty:

Apply now

UNESCO:

Role of national identity and belonging

UNESCO is a United Nations Organization that deals with matters of Education, Science, and Culture. Alongside other things, UNESCO also discusses and protects national identity and cultural heritage. In 2001 the organization adopted the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Therefore, it is a proper committee that can address issues related to national identity and belonging. Among others, these themes have been raised in connection with rightful ownership, migration crises and general political tensions. At this point, many national and international conflicts inspired by these identity claims can be observed, for example in Albania, India, and Catalonia. Regardless of the geographical location, the problem is very complex and has lasted through many generations.

How are new generations influenced and shaped by the issue of national identity and belonging, and how does this problem affect them and future development? Can cooperation with new generations generate new solutions and new approaches for addressing the issue?

Exact topic:

Protecting Indigenous Peoples' Heritage and Culture

Indigenous peoples’ heritage is extraordinarily valuable, and they have become the caretakers of this valuable heritage, whose transmission and upkeep is necessary for maintaining the national identity of indigenous communities. In the UNESCO committee, delegates will be able to address the challenges indigenous’ heritage is currently facing and discuss possible solutions to safeguard such an important, and sometimes forgotten, part of human civilisation.

Commitee difficulty:

Apply now
UNESCO - Council photo for Salient 2023
UNOCT - Council photo for Salient 2023

UNOCT:

Masculinities and Terrorism

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism is a relatively new office that was established in 2017, as part of the United Nations Security Council. At Salient 2023, UNOCT will be simulated as an independent committee. One of the topics that UNOCT has already put on the agenda is Masculinities and Terrorism.

It is a relatively new point of awareness with occurrences in many countries all around the world. For many extremist groups, concepts of Masculinities are exploited and framed against a perceived feminization (weakening) of cultures and identities, for example through multiculturalism or changing gender perceptions. Extremist groups also use so-called 'traditional male values' that are supposedly an integral part of our society to legitimize violence and dominance. This is a complex phenomenon, drawing on themes such as cultural values, development, and social structures.

Therefore, we are asking how the youth understands this topic, and how the concept of masculinities affects the upbringing of new generations and their perception of threats, such as but not limited to terrorism. Moreover, can new generations provide new solutions that can stop the appearance from spreading?

Exact topic:

Women and Terrorism: Understanding the Motives and Means of Female Participation in Terrorism

Up until now, counter-terrorist policies and research seem to have overlooked the role of women in terrorism. Women may take different roles in extremist acts – they can be sympathisers, active participants, enablers or preventers, and recent data suggest an upward growth in this participation. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the motives for these phenomena in order to develop effective policies for the prevention of terrorist movements on a global scale.

Commitee difficulty:

Apply now

UNSC:

Peace and security facing limitations and dangers of new technology OR Security of children in conflict situations

For this year’s UNSC we propose two broad themes. Chairs will be able to choose one of them and position the topic appropriately to the chosen theme.

The first topic directly relates to the phenomenon that is characteristic of new generations. Technology started to rule not only the lives of individuals but also the way relationships form in society, as well as how policies are made. Technology and information systems have allowed new national and international experiments and operations that have also created new international conflicts. Artificial intelligence can therefore be understood as a viable strategy in conflict, but is also not problem free, raising new questions such as ones about accountability.
The Security Council has already discussed the pros and cons of new digital technologies. Our question is how new generations understand the whole phenomenon. If they have accepted technology as their way of life, will they understand its risks and challenges? How will they address it?

The second topic addresses the problematic of children in conflict situations. The problem is not new, as in 1996, the council created a mandate of Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. But even today conflicts remain and still leave many vulnerable children behind. It is estimated today that 1 in 6 children, 426 million, live in conflict zones around the world. Children are the new generation, the focal point of the SALIENT 2023 conference. Therefore, we ask how much diplomacy and politics (can) affect the position of children in conflict zones. How can their position be secured more?

Exact topic:

The Crisis in Afghanistan: Protecting the Future of Younger Generations

With more than a dozen armed conflicts, only in the 20th century, the nation of Afghanistan has been accustomed to the consequences of war. The destabilizing and destructionist nature of the matter has made younger generations prone to feeling distraught and isolated from the rest of the world. Stemming from the brinks of war, one of the main purposes of the United Nations, as stated in its preamble, is "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war (...)" and "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights (...)". Ergo, making it the essential task of the United Nations to gurantee and maintain peace inside the International community. More recent developments, such as the extension of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), until 17 March 2024, emphasize the need of special attention and careful planning of new security policies in the area. It is time to highlight further the importance of the younger generations and their security by helping those to return to a more stable civilian life.

Commitee difficulty:

Apply now
UNSC - Council photo for Salient 2023

Don't miss out.

Apply now

Questions?
Contact us

Do you have any questions about Salient 2023? We would be happy to answer all of them. Get in touch via email or social media.

Send email
Copyright © 2023. MUNSC Salient. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy
envelope-ostarstar-opaperclipusersmicwarning linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram