Kraków Model United Nations 2007 is the first international Model United Nations in Poland. It is organized by the oldest University in Poland – the Jagiellonian University and TBSP UJ - the oldest Polish law students’ society.

KrakMUN offers an average of 100 students from all over the world an unpararelled opportunity to simulate the workings of the United Nations in its many facets. During the Conference you will defend your delegation’s interests and put theory into practice.

The event will be held from the 22nd till the 27th of November 2007 in Kraków and it has four main goals:

• to enhance the students’ understanding of international affairs through practical application of theoretical knowledge,
• to give voice to students’ views on contemporary issues,
• to allow students to debate in a realistic setting,
• to promote cultural exchange between students from different backgrounds and nationalities.

The Conference is not the only highlight of KrakMUN. We will also teach you the skills and knowledge you will need for the simulation - guest speakers will provide you with useful insights on the issues under discussion, whereas experts in their field will help you to train skills like lobbying and negotiating, writing resolutions or learning the rules of debate. Your acquired knowledge and skills will be put to the test while representing a UN member state or a UN recognized organization, for which you will need to lobby and debate on resolutions in the assigned forum. Throughout the Conference, we will also provide an evening program, in order to enable you to get to know your fellow students as well as nightlife of our city.

Forums and Issues

KrakMUN consists of four forums: the Security Council, the General Assembly, the International Court of Justice and, last but not least, the International Criminal Court. Each forum has a designated theme and deals with specific issues. During the conference you will simulate the role of a delegate of the UN by representing a country and playing a lobbyist in a specific forum, that has a number of issues on its agenda. Understanding the issues related to your forum, as well as the central theme is crucial for a successful attendance to the Conference. In order to inform you about the issues discussed at KrakMUN, we outlined the themes and the committees represented.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly (GA) is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. All Member States are represented in this forum, but for practical reasons, specialized committees prepare resolutions on specific issues. As the only UN organ in which all members are represented, the Assembly serves as a forum for members to discuss issues of international law and to make decisions regarding the functioning of the organization. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the UN, however, the resolutions are not binding to the members.

The Security Council

The Security Council is the United Nations organ responsible for maintaining peace and security among nations. It is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions. It consists of 15 members: 5 permanent members and 10 members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The permanent five are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. During KrakMUN 2007 the Securitz Council will address the following issues:

The International Court Of Justice

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is located at the Peace Palace in Den Haag, the Netherlands. The Court has a dual role: to settle in accordance with international law the legal disputes submitted to it by the States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies. KrakMUN gives students the opportunity to participate and give form to the International Court of Justice simulation through discussions and debates on.

The International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court can only prosecute crimes committed on or after the 1st of July 2002, i.e. the day when its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, entered into force. As for now, 104 states are members of the Court, the rest of the countries have either signed but not ratified the Rome Statute, or – like the United States, China and India, continue to oppose it. The Court is designed to complement existing national judicial systems: it can only exercise its jurisdiction when national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.