Alexander Zank, an 18-year-old Computer Science student at ETH Zürich, represented the delegation of Denmark in this years ZuMUN with great ambition. Die Weltwoche had the pleasure to ask the delegate some more personal questions in the following interview.
Alexander, why did you decide to participate in the Zurich model United Nations and why did you choose the Security Council?
It’s my first time participating in any MUN conference and I have always been very interested in politics. Not so much in international politics, but in politics, yes. Ans seeing how things like climate change are global issues, the importance of international policy-making rises year after year. When I saw that a MUN preparation course was offered at my university, I had the urge to take it.
It’s interesting to see how progress is hindered or boosted by some member countries, especially those with veto power. This shocked me. For example, on the topic of the demilitarization of the arctic, we had a consensus among all states present, only Russia was blocking the first draft. To me, this shows that maybe international politics aren’t really fair or in line with the UN’s goals. It was a very interesting experience.
What has this conference taught you?
International problems are hard. People and countries have different viewpoints and you have to enter the conversation with an open mind. What I have proposed in my position paper is no longer valid at all, because we had so much work done, that it changed completely. To see that people from all over the world work together to tackle current problems is inspiring.
How was the cooperation between the countries? Was everyone willing to make compromises?
We were incredibly pleased to see that Russia was willing to cooperate in the Arctic deal, even though they have the military high ground there. And also, we are pleasantly tickled by the US, which has shown a lot of peace-making competences. Our chairs also are wonderful.
What do think about the online format of this MUN?
Surprisingly it works quite well, especially in the drafting process, the fact that we can use online platforms to collaborate in real-time makes it a lot easier in unmoderated caucuses. The MUN command software we use is also a nice addition. I’m pleasantly surprised with how well it works. But honestly, I would prefer an in-person conference.
Do you think you will participate in the next ZuMUN and would you pick the UNSC again?
Yes definitely. The UNSC was a ton of fun. Those are real global topics, they are important and they touch the lives of so many people. It’s nice to work on them and it’s just a lot of fun to debate and to try to put yourself into the shoes of said country.
Thank you to Alexander Zank for giving us at Weltwoche an insight into your weekend at ZUMUN.
Picture: Sora Shimazaki, Pexels
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