The GNLU Model United Nations Society was founded in March 2015 with an aim to promote and foster a MUN culture, which would facilitate debate and deliberation over key international law and political issues. This is facilitated through intra MUNs held every semester, and to further this aim, the society is working to host a national level inter-college and school level MUN which would draw experienced delegates and MUN enthusiasts from across the country to actively debate on pertinent issues, learn the nuances of diplomacy and establish MUNs as an important tool for awareness and conflict resolution. Though in a small way, we aim to fulfil the goals set out by the founders of the United Nations in the Preamble of the Charter: “to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours,” and to further this aim, the Society has hosted two editions of a national-level MUN, GNLUMUN, in 2016 and 2017.
The MUNSoc functions as a committee that is reconstituted every winter semester and is convened by the Student Secretary General of the MUNSoc. Membership to the MUNSoc is based on stringent entry requirements which include an objective test, a position paper and a personal interview. Each candidate’s previous experience is taken into consideration before being given a position in the MUNSoc. However, first year students (LLB and LLM) shall be registered as trainees for one semester and their membership will be confirmed based on their performance. The MUNSoc hopes to have representation from each of the batches of the LLB and LLM programmes.
With its core values of Efficiency, Integrity, Teamwork, and Care for Social Responsibility, the GNLU is a venture of the Gujarat state government to create a centre for quality legal education and training for the aspiring lawyers of the state and the country. It is a statutory University created in the year 2003 by the Gujarat National Law University Act, 2003 and is recognized by the Bar Council of India. The Act aims at the establishment of an institution to advance and disseminate the knowledge of law and its role in national progress on the grand avenues of legal development, by polishing the skills of advocacy, legal service, and legislation possessed by the future bearers of its legal firmament. It has the honour of being a member of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). With the mission of imparting legal knowledge through a learner-centric model based on pedagogical study, and to undertake research in order to assist institutions of governance, judiciary, economy and civil society with valuable and mutually beneficial services.
Its diversified organs are dedicated to pursuing the furtherance of knowledge and development in various spheres of law and its inter-disciplinary sciences. Its Centre for Foreign Policy and Security aims at the critical analysis of Foreign Policy and Security Issues in a rapidly evolving international environment. Being situated in one of the most commercially developed states of India which has a high percentage of overseas transactions, the Centre for Private International Law of GNLU is devoted to creating public awareness regarding Private International Law and deliberating on ways to resolve conflict of laws of various legal systems and the questions and hurdles presented before the modern-day thinkers and policy-makers in the wake of globalization. It has specialized centres for law and society, law and economics, law and business policy, environment and sustainable development, and public policy.
The University endeavours to update itself by anticipating, deliberating and projecting future requirements and interests of its stakeholders. It is persevering towards the fast realizing dream of being rated among the top fifty institutions of law in the world by the year 2020, while achieving and sustaining the zenith of the legal realm in India.
MUNs have always played a pivotal role in ensuring effective debate and deliberation. The MUN Society of GNLU, created under the aegis of its Centre for Public International Law in 2015, has helped in ensuring that students are acquainted with the art of MUNing and are able to realistically experience the proceedings of the UN by putting themselves in the shoes of diplomats. It is a student run body aimed at instilling a comprehensive mindset in its members as well as developing abilities like speaking, debating and negotiating by participating in Model United Nations (MUN) conferences. To ensure that the students enhance their skills of diplomacy, regular MUNs are conducted within the college to practice quality debate and fruitful negotiations. The MUNSoc strives to nurture its members as future negotiators on global platforms.
The GNLU Model United Nations Society hosted the 1st Edition of the GNLU SAARC Stakeholder Summit on 23rd September, 2017. This was a one day event conducted with the objective to highlight the importance of SAARC in maintaining regional stability. The agenda for discussion was"Reviewing the SAARC Anti- Terrorist Mechanism".The SAARC Stakeholder Summit at GNLU consisted of Permanent SAARC members and observer nations.It was divided into four sessions and each session had some pre-decided questions or subtopics, thus taking off from the general MUN procedure to stimulate a committee. This summit was research-oriented and the research done by the delegates was a major criterion in the evaluation of their performance. Another major attraction was the cash prizes that were offered. Delegates got an opportunity to win cash prizes up to Rs. 10,000.The event saw participation from many universities and colleges across the state.
The delegates put forward a remarkable debate. It began with reiterating the fact that SAARC has failed and there is a need for SAARC 2.0. A number of questions were raised in this Summit and the delegates deliberated to come to a conclusion. "Has SAARC failed India, or has India failed SAARC?" was an interesting question raised. The idea of a common SAARC court was discussed and many delegates raised their concerns about the jurisdiction of such a court. Many alternatives for this common court were also proposed by the delegates. The delegates also discussed the human rights of terrorists and whether terrorists should be provided the same rights as under trial prisoners. In the end of the debate, a working paper was put forward by the delegates. Overall, the delegates put up a great performance and the event turned out to be a huge success. The GNLU Model United Nations Society will continue to host such events which offer a chance for a fruitful discussion in the future.
The GNLU MUN Society conducted an inter-college quiz on "Principles of International Law and International Relations" on the 24th of September, 2016. With appealing prizes of Rs. 6000 to be won, the quiz attracted various participants from all across the State. The interesting correlation between the International Law and International Relations was one of the most remarkable features of the GNLU MUN 2016 which is quite infrequent in the traditional MUN conferences.
The object so rendered was to help participants explore the International Relations in a more informative and factual way. This quiz went beyond the traditional structured of an MUN conference and encouraged an interactive quiz about the history of International Relations and the International Laws that affect it.
The two-hour long event took place in the college and attracted about 25 participating team from all across the State. This one of a kind, interactive quiz posed questions ranging from International Litigations, International Organisations, Famous Jurists, Principles of International Law, Current Happenings in International Politics and Foreign Policy.
At the end of the day, the purpose of the Quiz, as viewed by the participants was not merely to win the alluring prizes, but to gather more knowledge about their area of interest, that being the International Relations.
This event signifies GNLU MUN's diverse approach at promulgating knowledge not just through MUN conferences but through Quiz, Summits and Panel Discussions.
Times are changing, the West no longer wields absolute power, diplomacy and dialogue are at their peak. It is at such a revolutionary time that we invite you to GNLUMUN’18. Committees in GNLUMUN will witness interesting departure from usual rules of procedure to do away with the frustrations of formalism. Our hand-picked Executive Board will focus on designing the committee and its Rules of Procedure to allow debate with discipline.
GNLUMUN will witness monumental changes in participants roles in three ways, each affecting debate as well as prizes: a shift in role of delegates from accountability to state interest to accountability towards the international community; a shift in the role of Press from simply writing humorous articles to being an active stakeholder with influence; a shift in the role of the Executive Board from just being a facilitator to being an active moderator of debate. These are all part of a drive to redefine what MUNning is and to make it as grounded in reality as possible.
Last year, our conference was centred on the theme “Breaking Barriers to Gender Equality” under which we raised the question of how international action can contribute towards achieving gender equality in our debates. This time around, GNLUMUN will be centred on refugees – an issue with no easy solution – whose number increases by the day. The exponential increase in the number of displaced people in the international community raises questions about the sovereign state system itself. GNLUMUN seeks to be a platform for the creative thinking as well as the openness to debate quintessential to tackling this multi-dimensional problem. This shall be carried out in four committees:
Countries like France and Germany have often used the concern of national security to close doors on persecuted citizenry from other States. Further, continued war is a factor rendering persons homeless each day. The UNSC, entrusted with maintenance of international peace and security must engage in fruitful dialogue, to create a long-term solution for refugees.
The human rights of the stateless remain undefined and their sub-human degrading treatment must be highlighted in this specialized body of the UN, seeking to preserve the sacrosanct concept of basic human rights for all.
The SPECPOL serves as an effective forum for discussion for recently decolonized states and for capacity building and norm creation in weaker countries in world politics. Since these are also countries acutely grappling with refugee creating crises, ending the crises might be the first step to helping the stateless.
Commanding control over the greatest number of population, trade and GDP, greater power also comes with great responsibility for these states. The presence of financial means with this group could help in creating an action plan which is practicable and protects displaced persons.
Gujarat National Law University
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Email: gnlumun@gnlu.ac.in
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