SSUNS 2024 Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction to the Conference

**What is SSUNS? **

Secondary Schools’ United Nations Symposium (SSUNS) is Canada’s largest high-school level Model United Nations (MUN) conference, hosting over 1300 students every November in downtown Montreal. For the past 32 years, SSUNS has been organised by hundreds of students from McGill University, and offers a wide variety of committees covering interesting and appealing topics.

What is Model United Nations?

In an effort to simulate the real UN, delegates are invited to partake in four days of thought-provoking and informative discussions regarding real world issues, both present and historical. Model United Nations, or MUN, allows delegates to place themselves in the shoes of world leaders and diplomats. Taking on these positons, delegates debate global issues with others, representing their respective positions during their conference. In this sense, MUN is an extremely valuable educational tool, and is often incorporated into the curriculum/syllabi of schools.
After registration, schools will be assigned a number of characters or countries in a series of committees. In the weeks (or months) leading up to the conference, delegates will learn more about the topic (and about their assigned country’s perspective on the topics) by reading through the conference-provided Background Guide (BG) in addition to their own research. At the conference, delegates will then engage in informed debate and work diplomatically on drafting resolutions and directives towards solving the issues at hand.

What are the different types of committees?

SSUNS, as Canada’s largest high-school level MUN conference, is offering 3 categories of committees- a) General Assemblies and Economic and Social Councils (GAs and ECOSOCs) b) Specialized Committees (SPECs) and c) Crisis committees. GAs and ECOSOCs are our largest committees, while SPECs are medium-sized and expand beyond United Nations committees. Crisis committees are the smallest in size, offering delegates a fast-paced and unique experience.
We are offering many innovative types of committees such as double-delegate committees, meaning two delegates will represent each nation. Our French Bilingual Committee, gives francophone delegates the opportunity to debate and collaborate en français. Finally, on the crisis side, we are running many exciting committees, and, of course, the mysterious Ad Hoc!
For a full list of our committees, vist the committees page of this website.

What is the important information regarding the conference logistics?

The first step is to register at SSUNS.ORG and you will receive an invoice in 3-5 business days. You will also receive link to book hotel rooms and we encourage everyone to stay at the Sheraton in Downtown Montreal.
As always SSUNS will be working with partners including Air Canada and Via Rail to get discounted rates for SSUNS delegates.

How much does SSUNS cost and is there financial assistance available?

The price for all delegates and delegations depends on the registration pricing you are registering under, for example Early Bird and Priority have different prices, please see registration information for more information.
SSUNS recognizes the financial barriers inherent in participating in the conference. In light of this, we will be offering financial aid to both delegations and individual delegates. Please consult the Financial Aid page for more information.

How do I register and pay for SSUNS?

In order to register for SSUNS, please fill out the registration form located here. From there, our Chargée D’Affaires, Frances, will be in contact with further information. Additionally, you will receive an email from our USG Finance, Riccardo, with an invoice and information on how to pay.
In terms of payment methods, SSUNS accepts cheques and online payments through Squarespace.

How do I register as an independent delegate?

Only individual delegates may register as independant delegates. To register as an independent delegate, please fill out the registration form online, listing a supervising teacher or family member as a Faculty Advisor and yourself as the Head Delegate.

I have questions about preparing for my committee, delegate resources, who to contact, and other questions leading up to the conferece

Consult our Delegate Handbook, once it is made available, to see if your question can be answered. If not, send the appropriate Secretariat Member an email, or contact our Secretary-General Lucille Applegate at sg@ssuns.org

I have a question about my country/character or my committee. Who do I contact?

If you wish to clarify something about your characters or committee, please see the email provided in your committee description.

More information regarding Position Papers will be released closer to the conference.

Awards

SSUNS is unique in offering three gavel awards per committee that represent three “pillars” of successful diplomacy as identified by the organizers of the conference. Committees will present one award in each of the three categories to the delegates who best exemplify these essential behaviours. The gavel awards at SSUNS are named in honour of three exceptional Canadian diplomatic personalities who will hopefully provide guidance and inspiration to delegates.
In addition to the three gavels, each committee will also award an Outstanding Delegate award and an Honourable Mention award. Both the Outstanding Delegate and Honourable Mention recipients will receive a certificate for their accomplishments.
All gavel awards to given equal weighting and are not listed in a ranked order. These awards will be considered equally towards the final Delegation Awards**