Welcome to ILMUNC: the 30th session

What is ILMUNC?

Hosted by the International Affairs Association at the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) is the premier Model United Nations conference for high school students. Each January, we gather students from around the world to participate in a weekend of stimulating debate, hands-on learning, and enjoyable activities in Philadelphia and on Penn’s scenic campus. Please click on the links above to learn more about the conference.

ILMUNC 30 will be held from Thursday, January 30 to Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel, in the heart of the city of Brotherly Love.


Invitation from the Secretary-General

Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors,

I am honored and humbled to invite you to the thirtieth session of the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference for another year of stimulating debate, spirited negotiations, and the chance to see many of the world’s most pressing issues solved. ILMUNC maintains its impressive reputation by continuing to offer the most competitive, fun committees while also providing a schedule of events, both academic and recreational, to further improve the delegate experience. Our Summer Opportunities Fair offers delegates the incredible chances to travel and work during their time off in the summer, and our lauded delegate dance is consistently one of our most anticipated events.

ILMUNC will take place from January 30th to February 2nd, 2014 at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel in the heart of Philadelphia. The hotel is a short trip from many of the city’s cultural icons like the Liberty Bell, Rittenhouse Square, and the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art. The conference is also a quick cab ride from the University of Pennsylvania campus, where delegates are free to explore and learn about the University.

The secretariat is hard at work preparing for next year and taking the necessary steps to ensure the quality of the conference and the committees. Part of what makes ILMUNC so incredible is the dedication of the secretariat and staff and the immense amount of preparation that goes into the conference. Our USGs, our operations team, and our committed upper secretariat are prepared to devote the next year of their lives to make this ILMUNC exceed your most fantastic expectations.

ILMUNC has been acclaimed as one of the best conferences on the circuit, with some calling it a championship conference.  I can say with confidence that this can be attributed to our incredible staff of over 300 top student leaders from all corners of the University of Pennsylvania. The staff ranges across all classes, majors, schools, and interests, and has been rigorously prepared to serve their positions with professionalism and ease. Internal programs train our staff in the logistics of running a conference as large as ILMUNC, and many of our staff members also represent the University of Pennsylvania as one of the top teams on the collegiate Model UN circuit, both nationally and worldwide. This allows them to see conference from the delegate’s perspective, providing a balance unparalleled at any other conference. Our focus on staff quality ensures challenging debate topics and thought provoking crises. While maintaining a high level of quality on the substantive side of conference, we also focus on allowing even less experienced delegates to thrive outside of a Model UN capacity. This year, we are proud to provide a novice General Assembly committee, a press corps committee that will produce a printed newspaper every day, pre-conference workshops to train delegates to excel, and the previously mentioned Summer Opportunites Fair.

The entire secretariat is excited to present 24 committees at ILMUNC this year. Our staple General Assemblies will, of course, be returning this year to push delegates to cooperate to solve the world’s issues. The crisis committees cover a diverse collection of topics and range from historical committees to futuristic committees, all of which will test delegates’ abilities to effectively react to crises. In all cases, delegates will need to expand their world view and consider multiple opinions in order to be successful. Committees are the foundation of ILMUNC and, beyond all of the events and opportunities, they allow ILMUNC to maintain its balance of competition and fun.

Finally, the secretariat wants to see ILMUNC continue to grow and we’re excited to continue to implement new and exciting things at ILMUNC this year. We’re introducing a press corps committee that will allow delegates to report on the actions of other committees and have their writing published to the rest of conference. We’re going to refocus on the paperless committee as well, and expand to minimize paper use across the board. These are just two of the innovations that will allow ILMUNC 30 be even greater than any passed ILMUNC. Additionally, the entire secretariat wants to ensure satisfaction, to address any concerns and hear any comments at any point before or during conference. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me at sec-gen@ilmunc.com or call me at (973) 714-4081. The entire secretariat and I cannot wait to welcome you to what I’m sure will be the best ILMUNC yet next January.

Best regards,

Devin DiSabatino

Secretary-General
The 30th Ivy League Model United Nations Conference
sec-gen@ilmunc.com