# UNIS-UN Conference

The UNIS-UN Conference is organized and run by high school students from the United Nations International School (UNIS). It aims to foster an environment in which young adults can grow their worldview and expand their horizons, whilst learning about and discussing important, influential issues in our world today. By inviting a variety of different schools from around the world, with different outlooks and cultures, it creates an atmosphere in which students can learn and form opinions in a globalized setting and ultimately become better, well-rounded world citizens. An integral part of the UNIS-UN experience was the hosting of visiting students by UNIS families to help foster friendships and promote cross-cultural exchange.
The conference is held annually in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters. The use of the General Assembly Hall by the UNIS-UN Conference is a strong representation of the tie between the United Nations International School and the United Nations. The conference is targeted towards the international high-school students that make up the majority of its audience. Attending schools must be invited and attendees must be affiliated with a school.
Each year, a new topic of interest and importance is chosen for the conference. The UNIS-UN Conference is designed to provide students with expert knowledge imparted by provocative guest speakers. The conference also endeavors to give visiting students a platform to express their own opinions and views during the debate segment, introduced in 2006. The conference has gained much fame over the years, and is commonly the first thing associated with the United Nations International School. More than seven hundred students hailing from six continents attend the conference. Approximately 400 of the attending students are enrolled at UNIS. An additional 300 - 400 more students are invited from international schools around the world.

## History

UNIS-UN was founded in 1976 by several UNIS students in collaboration with a Tutorial House (UNIS equivalent of high school) humanities teacher. The conference was first held on March 3 and 4, 1977, in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters, and became a tradition every year since then. In 2011, the Cultural Showcase was introduced, featuring international performances at UNIS by visiting schools the day before the conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 conference was cancelled along with the tradition of hosting visiting schools. The organizing committee has grown over the years (to its current number of approximately seventy).

## Organization

The UNIS-UN Organizing Committee is split up into several committees (Visiting Schools, Finance, Tech, Logistics, Editing, and Speakers) to ease the organization process. Visiting Schools is in charge of organizing the students visiting from abroad. Finance manages the budget and buys merchandise for the attendees to purchase. Technology organizes any technological components, like presentations for the speakers and liaising with UN staff. Logistics organizes the Day of Cultural Exchange, which includes workshops, the Cultural Showcase, and a welcome dinner the day before the conference. Editing edits the articles for the Working Paper, and Speakers finds people to speak at the conference and organizes the debates. Each committee is headed by one or two students (usually juniors and seniors). These committee heads make up the UNIS-UN Executive Committee (ExComm); however, there are a select few students who are not the heads of the commissions but are prominent members of the committees.
Preparations for the conference are begun nearly a year in advance and include finding and researching a topic of global relevance, drawing up a list of speakers, inviting several hundred students from schools all over the world, and compiling a Working Paper of articles pertaining to the topic written and edited by members of the UNIS-UN Editing ExComm. The conference is broadcast live on UN Web TV.

## Past conferences

Previous UNIS-UN speakers and panelists include:
* Kofi Annan (Former Secretary-General of the UN)
* Jan Eliasson (Former President of the General Assembly of the UN)
* Danny Glover
* Harry Belafonte
* Vanessa Redgrave
* Morgan Spurlock
* Hillary Clinton (Former First Lady of the United States)
* Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti (Former Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations)
Previous topics include:
Previous UNIS-UN Conferences :
| Year | Conference Topic | ExComm Co-chairs | Speakers and Panelists |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Diene Keita |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Navina Haidar Haykel |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Mariam Vahradyan |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Caryl Stern |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Anna Karin Eneström (Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations) |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Jörundur Valtýsson (Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations) |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Vanessa Frazier (Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations) |
| 2024 | Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality | Justa van Gaal and Aaliya Malholta | Felipe Paullier (Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at the United Nations) |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Christopher de Bono |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Roser Salavert |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Ana Paula Zakarias |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Juan Ramón de la Fuente |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Robert Keith Rae |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Sheikha Alya Ahmed Bin Saif Al-Thani |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Sheikh Manssour Bin Mussallam |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Lauren Rumble |
| 2023 | Turning the Page: A New Chapter in Education | Sophie Chen and Antonio Athias | Soraya Fouladi |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Seth Goldman |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Abby Maxman |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Mary-Ellen McGroarty |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Susan Bratton |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Rebekah Hodge |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Esther Penunia |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Mai Thin Yu Mon |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Oscar Ekponimo |
| 2022 | Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Eli Goldman |
| 2021 | A Global Catastrophe: The Impacts of COVID-19 | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Anthony Fauci |
| 2021 | A Global Catastrophe: The Impacts of COVID-19 | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Michael S. Phillips |
| 2021 | A Global Catastrophe: The Impacts of COVID-19 | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Christiane Amanpour |
| 2021 | A Global Catastrophe: The Impacts of COVID-19 | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Sanjay Gupta |
| 2021 | A Global Catastrophe: The Impacts of COVID-19 | Eva Lifsec and Jack Hochman | Burhan Gafoor |
| 2020 | Megacities: A Sustainable Future | Sophia Duff and Tom Mckillop | |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Galila Gray |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Andrew Hudson |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Seth M. Siegel |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Wolfram Schlenker |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Zaria Forman |
| 2019 | Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis | Noëlla Kalasa and Sophia Duff | Fiona Ward |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Maha Aziz |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Andrew Brust |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Michael Scissons |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Federico Rampini |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Tsvi Gal |
| 2018 | Under CTRL: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Work | Ayesha Wijesekera and Noëlla Kalasa | Clay Shirky |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | William Milberg |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | Angy Rivera |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | Sirin Selcuk |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | Gregory Maniatis |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | Ben Fox Rubin |
| 2017 | Migration: Crossing the Line | Sarah Blau and Sean Waxman-Lenz | Victor Flores |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Suroosh Alvi |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Buzz Bissinger |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Susan Chira |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Casey Neistat |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Paloma Escudero |
| 2016 | Media’s Influence: Opinions, Activism, & Outcomes | | Trevor Johnson |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Amina J. Mohammed |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Estela Vazquez |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Georg Kell |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Hans Rosling |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Jennifer Siebel Newsom |
| 2015 | Sustainability: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit | | Joel K. Bourne |
| 2014 | Globalization: A World of Exchange | | |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Ban Ki-moon |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Corinne Woods |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Sheena Matheiken |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Claudia López |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Brandon Stanton |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Kiran Bir Sethi |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Chris Temple |
| 2013 | Modern Youthquake: A Generation’s Impact | | Zach Ingrasci |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Daniel F. Persico |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Katherine Chon |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Johanna M. Esposito |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Radhika Coomaraswamy |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Asha-Rose Migiro |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Kenneth D. Johnson |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Rachel Lloyd |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Lynn Stratford |
| 2012 | Human Exploitation: Exposing the Unseen | | Helen Benedict |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Nicholas Negroponte |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Kamran Elahian |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Judith Donath |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Burt Herman |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Clay Shirky |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Jon Lawhead |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Marc Rotenberg |
| 2011 | The Web: Wiring our World | | Alexis Ohanian |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | Christine Mitchell |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | Kenneth Prager |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | Ana Lita |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | David Magnus |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | Joseph Fins |
| 2010 | Bioethics: Striking a Balance | | Wesley Smith |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | Ban Ki-moon |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | Daniel Gustafson |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | J.W. Smith |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | Caryl Stern |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | A.G. Kawamura |
| 2009 | The Food Crisis: A Global Challenge | | Henk-Jan Brinkman |
| 2008 | The Pursuit of Energy: A Catalyst To Conflict | | Carlos Alejaldre |
| 2008 | The Pursuit of Energy: A Catalyst To Conflict | | Mark Crandall |
| 2008 | The Pursuit of Energy: A Catalyst To Conflict | | Lucas McConnell |
| 2007 | Global Warming: Confronting the Crisis | | |
| 2006 | 30 Years of UNIS-UN: The Role of the Corporation in Today's World | | |
| 2005 | Global Health: Rights and Responsibilities in the 21st Century | | |
| 2004 | Modern Mass Media: The Influence of Information | | |
| 2003 | Youth at Risk: The Future in Our Hands | | |
| 2002 | Prejudice: How Racism and Bigotry Scar Our World | | |
| 2001 | Twenty-five years of the UNIS-UN: Problems and Progress over the Past Quarter Century | | |
| 2000 | A Changing World: Examining Global Interdependence and Inequalities | | |
| 1999 | Facing the New Millennium: a Search for Global Ethics | | |
| 1998 | Civil Conflicts: Global Consequences and Concerns | | |
| 1997 | Technology and Communications in the 21st Century: the Impact on Society | | |
| 1996 | Children of the World: Struggles of a Generation | | |
| 1995 | Women in Society: a Natural Balance, an Unequal World | | |
| 1994 | International Responsibility: Power and Politics | | |
| 1993 | Ethnic Struggles: Identity and Survival | | |
| 1992 | Environment and Development: a Common Ground | | |
| 1991 | A New World Order: the Opportunity for Change | | |
| 1990 | Education for Survival | | |
| 1989 | Human Rights | | |
| 1988 | The Environment: a Global Crisis - the Need for Change | | |
| 1987 | The Cost of War - The Price of Peace | | |
| 1986 | Men and Women: Tradition and Change | | |
| 1985 | Rights and Responsibilities of Youth | | |
| 1984 | The Communication Revolution: Freedom or Control | | |
| 1983 | Disarmament | | |
| 1982 | Population and Development | | |
| 1981 | Food and Development | | |
| 1980 | Energy, Development and the Environment | | |
| 1979 | Development Strategies and the Needs of Children in Celebration of the International Year of the Child | | |
| 1978 | The Law of the Sea | | |
| 1977 | New International Economic Order | | |