Bridgewater-Raritan Model United Nations was the host to the first new member mock conference on November 29 and December 1.

With the agenda of “Protecting Reproductive Rights And Mitigating The Consequences Of Unsafe Sex,” the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) proceeded with three separate rooms running the same topic with the same countries. The final goal was to reach a common consensus on the need for global cooperation and the protection of women’s rights. 

Over two days, the new delegates worked on writing resolution papers to resolve the issue, partnered up in blocs to increase global collaboration and debated policies of great concern to their respective nations.

Discussions on the legality of abortions, the necessity of sex education and the requirement to provide accessible medical care dominated the rooms as the delegates brainstormed feasible global solutions to finance the building of clinics, the widespread sale and promotion of birth control and the creation of organizations dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of abortions. 

Room two’s delegate of Austria, Marko Gvozdenovic, weighed in the importance of this mock conference.

“The new member mock was insightful and fun. It gave me and many other new members a clear idea of what a Model UN conference is like,” Gvozdenovic said.

In the background, returning members worked on grading position papers, mentoring new delegates who needed feedback and assigning awards to delegates who showed exemplary performance. Their efforts were necessary to facilitate the conference.

At the end of the conference, these awards were handed out to the new members. 

The club’s president, Alyssa Xu, shared how the mock turned out.

“Our recent new member mock conference went incredibly well. I am proud of the enthusiasm and effort that all new members put into debating and forming solutions for international reproductive rights issues. They exhibited great public speaking, collaboration, and research. Over the next few weeks, we will be fine-tuning their skills. I am confident that they will be excellent delegates at their conferences over the next few months,” Xu said.

The new member mock was an opportunity for new delegates to practice their skills which they learned for over a month during BRMUN’s semiweekly meetings. As conferences like Yale MUN 2024 and NHSMUN 2024 approach, the conference will help new members refine their skills using feedback from their committees and utilize their experience in other conferences.