ANU Model United Nations Society: How to Join, Prepare for Conferences, and Participate in Crisis Simulations

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The ANU Model United Nations Society (ANUMUNS) is the largest Model United Nations student organisation at the Australian National University. As of 2024, it has more than 450 registered members and organises at least 6 on-campus training conferences and 2 inter-university Model United Nations conferences each year. Since its formal establishment in 2010, the society has become one of the most active university MUN clubs in the Asia-Pacific region; its annual conference, the ANU National Model United Nations Conference, attracted a total of 280 delegates from 12 Australian universities and 3 New Zealand universities in 2023. For ANU students who want to deepen their understanding of international affairs, sharpen their public speaking and debating skills, or pursue a career in diplomacy or international relations, joining ANUMUNS is a proven path.

Society structure and governance

ANUMUNS is officially registered with the ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA). Its executive committee has 7 members: President, Vice President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, Training Officer, Outreach Officer and Social Media Officer. All positions are elected by member vote each August, with terms running until the following July. The society has three standing committees: the Training Committee teaches new members rules and procedures; the Conference Committee organises the annual on-campus and inter-university conferences; and the Crisis Committee designs and manages crisis simulations. According to the society’s 2023 annual report, the Training Committee ran 14 workshops during the academic year, averaging 32 participants each.

Membership

Any current ANU student can register as a general member free of charge, with no interview or screening. Member benefits include: access to all training workshops, priority registration for on-campus mock conferences, use of the society’s resource library (containing more than 50 historical conference background guides), and discounted entry to inter-university conferences. In Semester 1, 2024 the society added an “alumni member” category allowing former members who graduated no more than two years ago to continue participating in online training activities; this category currently has 43 registered members.

Executive committee responsibilities

The President is responsible for overall strategic planning and external representation; the Vice President assists the President and oversees training matters; the Secretary-General handles meeting minutes and maintenance of the member database; the Treasurer manages the society’s annual budget (AUD 12,500 in 2024, mainly from ANUSA grants and conference registration fees). The Training Officer is the most technical role, requiring expertise in the Model United Nations Rules of Procedure (usually a simplified version of the official UN General Assembly rules) and responsibility for writing the training manual. The 2024 training manual runs to 68 pages, covering the speakers’ list, motions, moderated caucus, unmoderated caucus and draft resolution writing.

How to join ANUMUNS

Joining involves three steps: first, complete online registration on the ANUSA website or during the club fair; second, join the society’s Discord server (more than 300 active users in 2024), used for publishing conference notices, sharing study materials and organising informal discussions; third, attend any “Orientation Workshop” — held at the start of each semester, lasting 2 hours and covering basic MUN terminology, role allocation rules and a first mock exercise. In Semester 1, 2024 the workshop was held on 19 February with 87 attendees, the highest in three years.

Key dates and activity calendar

ANUMUNS activities follow the semester calendar. Semester 1 (February to June) focuses on beginner training and small on-campus conferences; Semester 2 (July to November) focuses on major inter-university conferences and crisis simulation competitions. Each March the society holds the on-campus “ANU MUN Novice Conference”; in 2024 it had 4 committees and 120 delegate seats, filling within 48 hours of registration opening. The peak Semester 2 event is the August “ANU National MUN Conference”; the 2024 conference had 6 committees, including the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly First Committee, a WHO simulation committee and two crisis committees.

Costs and financial support

General membership is free. Inter-university conference registration typically costs AUD 30-60 per person, covering conference materials, refreshments and social events. The society offers full or half funding for members facing financial difficulty; in 2023 it distributed AUD 1,800 covering conference costs for 24 members. Funding applications are based on a statement of financial need, reviewed jointly by the Treasurer and President, with no income proof required. In addition, some inter-university conferences (such as the Sydney University MUN and the Melbourne University MUN) offer early-bird discounts of 15% for registration at least 6 weeks in advance.

Conference preparation process

Effective preparation typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. ANUMUNS advises members to start research as soon as they receive the Background Guide. The Background Guide, written by the committee chair, averages 15-20 pages and covers issue history, key points of contention, relevant UN resolutions and a bibliography. A 2023 survey of members by the society’s Training Committee found that delegates spent an average of 12 hours preparing for each conference: 6 hours reading the background guide and supplementary materials, 4 hours writing the Position Paper and 2 hours practising speeches.

Writing a position paper

The position paper is a formal document submitted before the conference, setting out the stance of the delegate’s country on the issue, its past actions and future policy recommendations. ANUMUNS requires all delegates to submit position papers 7 days before the conference, in a single A4 page, 400 to 600 words. The society provides a template with four sections: country profile, issue analysis, policy position and proposed solutions. In the 2024 training workshop, the Training Officer stressed that position papers should cite at least 3 authoritative sources, including official UN documents, national foreign ministry statements and academic journals.

Speaking and debating skills

Debate and negotiation are at the heart of Model United Nations conferences. ANUMUNS training workshops focus on three speech types: formal speeches (90 seconds per round, addressed to all delegates), moderated caucus (60 seconds per round, on a specific sub-topic) and unmoderated caucus (free lobbying and alliance-building). In 2023 the society introduced a “debate simulator” tool that lets members practise speech timing and motions through text channels on Discord. According to the society’s internal data, members who attended at least 3 workshops were 2.3 times more likely to win a “Best Delegate” award at subsequent conferences than those who did not.

Participating in crisis simulations

Crisis Simulation is the most demanding and fastest-paced MUN format. Unlike regular committees, crisis committees have a Crisis Director who publishes unexpected events in real time (such as terrorist attacks, economic sanctions or natural disasters), and delegates must respond within a set time limit (usually 15 to 30 minutes) through Directives. ANUMUNS runs a dedicated crisis simulation competition each Semester 2; the 2024 theme was “2026 Korean Peninsula Nuclear Crisis”, with two crisis committees (the UN Security Council and a joint committee of countries neighbouring the Korean Peninsula) and 80 delegate seats.

Crisis committee structure

Crisis committees usually have 12 to 20 delegates plus a Crisis Director and Assistant Crisis Director. Each delegate represents not just a country but may also hold a specific position within that country’s government (such as Foreign Minister or Defence Minister). Directives must specify the acting body, concrete measures and execution timeline — for example, “the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea deploys 2 mechanised infantry brigades to the 38th parallel, with deployment expected to be completed within 48 hours”. After each crisis update from the Director, delegates have 15 minutes for discussion, then submit written directives, and the Crisis Director gives feedback on execution results within 5 minutes. In the 2023 crisis competition, delegates submitted an average of 22 directives, 68% of which were approved for execution by the Crisis Director.

Unique rules of crisis simulation

Crisis simulation does not use the traditional MUN draft resolution process; instead it centres on the Directive Flow. Delegates can form Joint Crisis Committees (JCC), with the two committees exchanging information through their Crisis Directors. ANUMUNS’s crisis simulation rulebook (2024 edition) runs to 42 pages, detailing directive format, crisis update frequency, joint committee communication protocols and scoring standards. Scoring is based on four dimensions — directive quality, response speed, diplomatic coordination and final crisis resolution — each worth 25 points for a total of 100. The highest score in the 2023 competition was 89, achieved by the delegate playing Japan’s Foreign Minister.

Inter-university and national conferences

ANUMUNS organises participation in at least 5 inter-university conferences each year, including the Sydney University MUN (USydMUN, each April), the Melbourne University MUN (MUMUN, each July), the University of Queensland MUN (UQMUN, each September) and the Australian National MUN (AusMUN, each December). The society provides travel subsidies; in 2023 it distributed AUD 2,400 to cover members’ travel to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. AusMUN is Australia’s largest MUN conference, with more than 600 delegates in 2023; the ANU delegation sent 35 people and won 5 individual awards.

International conference opportunities

ANUMUNS has informal cooperation channels with international conferences such as Harvard WorldMUN and the National Model United Nations (NMUN) in New York, recommending 2 to 4 outstanding members each year. In 2024, two society members received scholarship funding for Harvard WorldMUN (held in Seoul) — USD 1,500 each to cover registration and accommodation. Selection is based on MUN experience, academic results and interview performance, with recommendations made jointly by the society President and Outreach Officer. The society also holds an annual “International Conference Application Workshop” to help members write application essays and prepare for interviews; 28 people attended in 2023.

FAQ

Q1: Does MUN experience help ANU graduates find jobs?

According to the ANU Careers and Employability 2023 survey, 87% of students who participated in MUN found full-time work within 6 months of graduating, above the university average of 79%. MUN experience is explicitly treated as a plus when applying for roles such as diplomat, policy analyst, NGO program officer and consulting positions. Among those admitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) 2024 graduate program, 12% had served on a university MUN society executive committee.

Q2: Can I join ANUMUNS with no experience at all?

Yes. The society’s Semester 1, 2024 beginner workshop drew 87 participants, about 60% of whom had no previous MUN experience. The Training Committee offers at least 14 free workshops during the academic year, covering everything from rules-of-procedure basics to advanced crisis simulation. The society’s resource library contains more than 50 historical background guides for beginners. In the 2023 novice conference, 4 first-time participants won “Best Delegate” or “Best Position Paper” awards.

Q3: Is formal attire required at MUN conferences?

All formal MUN conferences require “Western Business Attire”: male delegates wear a suit and tie, female delegates wear a suit jacket, shirt and trousers or skirt. ANUMUNS training workshops and small on-campus conferences do not require formal attire, though business casual is recommended. In 2023 the society partnered with a second-hand formal wear shop in Canberra to provide free suit rentals for members in financial difficulty, serving 19 members.

References

  • ANU Student Association 2023, ANUMUNS Annual Report 2023
  • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2024, Graduate Program Recruitment Statistics
  • ANU Careers and Employability 2023, Post-Graduation Outcomes Survey
  • Harvard World Model United Nations 2024, Scholarship Program Guidelines
  • Unilink Education 2024, Australian University Extracurricular Activity Database