Mr Ebenezer Frimpong in the hot seat as a moderator during committee sessions.UKZN Student Chaired a Model UN Conference Committee in Switzerland
Mr Ebenezer Frimpong, a PhD Pharmacy student, served as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Committee Chair during the recently held Zurich Model UN (ZUMUN) Conference.
The Conference, held in Zurich from 4-7 May was co-hosted by two of the most prestigious Universities in Europe (University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich). ZUMUN 2017 overarching theme “Brave New World-Socio-Economic and Political Implications of the Digital Revolution” sets the agenda to discuss topics of importance to the future of our society.
ZUMUN had seven committees namely: the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), the Human Rights Council (HRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Telecom Union (ITU), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Joint Cabinet Crisis (JCC).
The Conference was attended by 200 delegates from prestigious universities around the globe. The committee that Frimpong chaired (ITU) debated on the topic “Bridging the digital divide between rich and poorer nations”. Model UN Conference provides a platform for students to exhibit their debating and negotiation skills. He was the only Black African amongst participants during the Conference. To him, students from the African continent should make it a point to attend such conferences which will be of great benefit to them in the near future. Students interested in working for the UN in their lifetime must attend model UN conferences to gain relevant experience and exposure.