October 13-15, 2023

SHAMUN XXIII

Red Pill, Blue Pill: Beyond the Matrix

Honorable Program Directors, Chair Candidates, Delegates, and Esteemed Guests,

It is with great pleasure for us to announce that the twenty-third session of the Shanghai Model United Nations Conference will be held on October 13th to 15th, 2023. Looking back at the past three years, the global pandemic have casted a long-lasting shadow on our communities: The global south strained of their medical resources, families separated due to lockdowns, and threats to economic stability that continues to challenge our resilience.

However, as we step away from this crisis, what comes along the burdens and losses we have to bear are hard-learnt lessons. The end of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern allows us to refocus on the other pressing issues that concern the international community: The widening wealth inequality both among individuals and states, cross-border smuggling of narcotics, and the emerging opportunity and threats proposed by the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence.

This complex geo-political reality our world is in today made the theme of this conference ever more imminent. Derived from the namesake 1999 film, the protagonist Neo was offered the two pills by the rebel leader Morpheus: the red representing the unsettling truths of reality, while the blue pill resembles conformity to the perceived status quo.

Three decade onwards from the fall of the iron curtain, the end of history did not come as promised; what is offered instead, are the same two pills that were previously handed to the world leaders at the Yalta Conference in 1949, the generals at Versailles in 1919; But this time, we’ll be the ones in charge of making the decisions, while the choices we make today will have a long-lasting impact on the future of humanity.

In this iteration of SHAMUN, we also challenged the conventional definition of an MUN conference by introducing a new committee - the International Criminal Court (ICC). Similar to the Crisis Committee, the ICC challenges delegates’ ability to conduct in-depth research and react to spontaneous changes on the scene. By integrating international issues with a mock trial format, we aim to offer a unique platform that shifts the stakeholders from nation-states to individuals, while retaining the essence and integrity of the United Nations.

As committee preparations are already underway, stay tuned for updates from your MUN program officers and our website. Chair reports would be published mid-August, while room allocations and logistical details would be published in close proximity to the conference.

The SHAMUN XXIII Secretariat

How do I navigate this website?

  • Tap on “SHAMUN XXII” in the header menu and click on “SHAMUN XXII Photos”.

  • Tap on Committees in the upper right corner. Select your committee from the dropdown menu. Scroll down to see the committee topics. By clicking on the underlined topics, you will be brought to the chair reports in PDF format.

  • Tap on SHAMUN XXII in the upper right corner. Select Conference Schedule in the dropdown menu. Then, select the relevant schedule for your committee. Please ensure to click on the right schedule for your committee, as the timings differ from schedule to schedule.

  • Tap on SHAMUN XXII in the upper right corner and select Committee Locations in the dropdown menu. There, you will see the committee locations as well as how to get there. (Note that as of now, committee locations have yet to be published).

  • During the SHAMUN conference, please contact the SHAMUN team via established WeChat communication channels. For other inquiries, please head to the About tab in the upper right corner and select Contact. There, you will find our conference email (shamun@saschina.org) and the emails of our directors.

  • The campus map can be found here.

Conference Committees

Security Council

The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or an act of aggression.

Crisis

The Crisis Committee simulates a critical point in history with unpredictable new scenarios being applied constantly within the committee, training MUN delegates to quickly create flexible solutions in dynamic situations.

General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and serves as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN.

Disarmament Commission

The United Nations Disarmament Commission monitors and restricts the use of arms, especially weapons of mass destruction.

Human Rights Council

The United Nations Human Rights Council seeks to promote and protect human rights. Based in Geneva Switzerland, the council addresses and aims to protect universal rights and freedoms around the world.

Economic and Social Council

The United Nations Economic and Social Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and enacts policies regarding international economic and social issues.

Historic Security Council

The Historical Security Council re-enacts historically significant crises and events and encourages MUN delegates to create innovative and reflective solutions in response to past conflicts.

“I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”

— Malala Yousafzai

Participating Schools