Engage with International Organizations

Model UN

Model United Nations is an educational program that places students into the shoes of UN Ambassadors and other diplomatic figures. The activity engages them in simulations of the United Nations, debating issues past, present, and future.

For more than a decade, IO has partnered with the United Nations Association of the USA to host the Department’s signature annual Model UN Conference bringing hundreds of youth to the historic Harry S. Truman building for a day of debates and negotiations. The Bureau also engages in Model UN activities across the country by providing expert speakers to participate in conferences, simulations, and training exercises in partnership with academic and other organizations.

Participate with the Model UN App 

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs partnered with the United Nations Association of the USA to create the Model United Nations App. This app helps educators and instructors create their own Model UN exercises for students through lesson plans on topics like climate change, poverty eradication, globalization, and even features a tongue-in-cheek simulation on the Zombie Apocalypse to engage youth in the important work that multilateral organizations do.

The iPhone app is free and available for download at the Apple store for iPhone. The mobile site can be accessed by all other mobile devices.

Other Resources

• United Nations Model UN Headquarters 
• U.S. Youth Observer to the United Nations 
• UN Junior Professional Officer Program 
• Careers at the UN and International Organizations