LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL



As Secretary General, it is my honor and privilege to host &MUN IX, William & Mary’s ninth collegiate-level Model United Nations Conference. &MUN IX aims to bring together bright, innovative, highly-talented individuals from all over the United States to discuss a wide range of salient topics. By fostering debate and diplomacy amongst the delegates while hosting esteemed professionals and academics as guest lecturers, &MUN IX will help educate and inspire the next generation of diplomats, politicians, and academics.

After many years of planning, &MUN’s next installment represents the combined efforts of our devoted secretariat, the International Relations Club at William & Mary, the William & Mary Administration, and the Williamsburg community. This year we are astutely aware that &MUN IX will likely be different from any past or future &MUN due to the COVID-19 situation. We are constantly monitoring the situation around the world and following CDC guidance as we prepare for the conference. It is our hope that we will be able to hold the conference in-person in April but as the situation is ever changing we will adapt and move to partially or entirely virtual if need be. Many other Model UN conferences have been held virtually, including William & Mary conferences and other colleges, and had great success and we believe &MUN will have great success as well if it is virtual. The International Relations Club at William & Mary and &MUN have always been known for innovative and unique ideas when hosting conferences and we have no doubt these solutions will be used to make &MUN successful in these new circumstances.

William and Mary has long had a tradition of excellence and we as a secretariat hope to carry on the tradition by hosting a conference that presents insight into the kind of diplomacy and negotiation that is vital to the field of International Relations. Pushing the bounds of traditional conferences by offering unique and unprecedented committee topics and style, &MUN IX will challenge delegates like never before. This conference will be an experience that teaches delegates valuable lessons, helping them learn the skills required for a fulfilling career in the field of International Relations. Now more than ever, we need bright minds in International Relations and we know that the skills delegates learn and refine at &MUN will help them in future careers and dealing with the unforeseen circumstances such as those we are in now.

&MUN has many incredible plans for this coming iteration and we hope to have you assist in that success! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,

Riley Busbee