Author: fvmun

The Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, Jérôme Bonnafont, has been working in diplomacy for over 30 years. Students from the Model United Nations (MUN), who are experiencing diplomacy, had the opportunity to engage with him. Following this exchange, the press team had the honor of being granted an interview.

The students participating in FerMUN (Ferney MUN) took part in a unique workshop organized on May 15, where they had the opportunity to discuss and learn from French diplomat and ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont.

Jérôme Bonnafont’s impressive diplomatic career began in 1986 and has taken him all around the world, from New Delhi to New York. Whether working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, serving as a spokesperson for the Elysée Palace, or as France’s ambassador to different countries, Mr. Bonnafont has demonstrated his monumental level of expertise in diplomacy. On Wednesday, May 15, he shared his wisdom with the MUN club of the Ferney-Voltaire International High School. The students, already passionate about diplomacy and international relations, had the chance to deepen their knowledge of the diplomatic world and its workings through a dialogue with Mr. Bonnafont, guided by Adrienne Husny, our Secretary-General.

From education to security, all aspects of the diplomatic career were addressed. Mr. Bonnafont’s published book, Diplomate pour quoi faire ? (Diplomat, for what purpose?), was read by many students, which gave them the opportunity to ask questions about specific concepts covered in the book. Furthermore, many students had the chance to have their copies signed by Mr. Bonnafont after the dialogue. The press team was then given the opportunity for an in-depth interview with Mr. Bonnafont. Continue reading to dive into the interview!

Do you think clubs and associations like FerMUN are effective in engaging young people in diplomacy?

“Projects like FerMUN introduce young people to the world, allowing them to understand that others think and act differently,” says Mr. Bonnafont. Whether you become a diplomat or not, FerMUN allows you to acquire valuable skills by immersing yourself in the situation that real diplomats face: adaptation. You need to adapt your various skills, including creativity, knowledge, and discipline, to succeed at MUN. Whether in debates, interpretation, or writing an article, you learn to utilize your skills to be as productive, efficient, and effective as possible.

Among all the roles you have held, which one left the biggest impact on you?

“It’s hard to say because a diplomatic career leads you to change your life and responsibilities every three or four years,” says Mr. Bonnafont, who has held dozens of different professional roles as a diplomat. For him, “each role is a new adventure to live […]. Some are easier, of course, others more difficult.” A diplomat faces a colossal challenge: they must adapt to the economic and political circumstances of a country or region, whether it’s a dictatorship or a democracy, economic prosperity or recession. Even though some experiences can be negative and others positive, as long as you maintain curiosity about these events, you’ll realize that these memories – good or bad – are irreplaceable.

Do you believe that, in the current geopolitical situation, the world can survive without diplomacy?

As regrettable as it may seem, war still rages in all parts of the world. Therefore, a diplomat must “try to foresee upcoming conflicts, minimize the negative effects of ongoing conflicts, and plan for reconciliation.” Contrary to what many people think, diplomacy is not just about war; many important issues debated at the international level today concern economic exchanges, climate change, and migration. These discussions require “teamwork between diplomats who know how to maintain international relations and experts specialized in their fields,” emphasizes Mr. Bonnafont.

What advice would you give to a young person who wishes to become a diplomat?

“You need to be driven by curiosity about the world […], having a genuine desire to discover the world,” says Mr. Bonnafont. For the experienced diplomat, “diplomacy is fundamentally the search for how our societies work and how they interact.” This curiosity is essential for understanding the events happening around us and knowing how to act.

(End of the interview)

Needless to say, the workshop allowed MUN students to enrich their diplomatic knowledge, which will be useful for the upcoming Mock MUN conference. The event, scheduled for June 12, will allow participants to explore new roles in the MUN diplomatic world!

Following the success of MockMUN in June, FerMUN was back in action on Wednesday 18 September. This first session brought a breath of fresh air with the arrival of Madame Ruez, the new MUN Director, and discussions on the challenges facing the next conference, to be held from Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 January 2025.

On Wednesday 18 September 2024, FerMUN made its comeback with an eagerly awaited first meeting. After a pre-briefing for board members and presidents, Madame Baudry opened the official meeting by introducing Madame Ruez, the new MUN Director. Ms Ruez is a maths teacher at the Ferney site, but she is no stranger to the MUN world. As a former MUN director, she has already founded a MUN club at the École Française de Dakar in Senegal, and led it to take part in FerMUN.

In an enthusiastic speech, she recalled her passion and commitment for MUN, which was one of her main motivations for returning to teaching at the lycée, before handing the floor over to Adrienne Husny, the Secretary General of FerMUN 2025. The SG outlined the challenges of the forthcoming conference, while detailing the organisation she is coordinating alongside her two deputy general secretaries, Jasmine Benlechhab and Waliya Said Abasse.

The meeting then continued with the presentation of the different roles by the members of the board, each explaining the crucial function of their team in ensuring the smooth running of the conference. The translation team, the interpreting team and the press team, in particular, explained to the new members the tasks and responsibilities they would have at the conference.

Finally, each pair of chairs introduced their respective committees, addressing the official issues that will be debated at FerMUN 2025. These issues, which are available on the official fermun.org website, cover a wide range of subjects which are all equally fascinating to discover.

This first meeting reinforced the students’ motivation to make FerMUN 2025 another success. With new challenges to meet and teams that are more motivated than ever, this autumn is shaping up a promising conference!

August has arrived! As the the buzzing summer comes to an end, the students of FerMUN prepare to dive back into the sea of diplomacy , exchanging their swimming suits for conference suits as they await the return of weekly MUN sessions in September. Apart from the chairs who spent much time researching and preparing for the debates, most students took a short vacation from the diplomatic world. To ease their return and remind everyone about the importance of the UN, we have prepared a collection of  interesting case studies which highlight the importance of global cooperation and compromise in the goal of achieving peace. 

“The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell” . This quote, pronounced by Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, perfectly captures the role of the UN in our contemporary world. It is important to recognize that despite ongoing wars, violence and conflicts, the UN remains an irreplaceable pillar in ensuring security and justice . Without further ado, lets open up our history books and look at how the UN helped the following three nations to establish peace.

Guatemala, 1997

This Central-American republic endured 36 years of brutal civil war fought between left-wing groups, notably the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (UNRG), and the right-wing military dictatorship and later elected government.  Violence reigned during these decades as 200 000 Guatemalan lives were lost and numerous human rights and international laws were violated by both sides. The UN intervened in 1994 to support the several peace accords signed by the UNRG and the government. They deployed human rights monitors, legal experts and police all over the country to de-escalate violence while they assured ethical negotiations between the two groups for more permanent peace agreements over the course of the next three years. This permanent peace was finally achieved in 1997, when the UNRG guerillas demobilised , as demanded by the permanent peace accords signed in 1996 . Thanks to the cooperation promoted by the UN , a permanent ceasefire was signed in Oslo (fourth December 1996) as well as an Agreement on a Firm and Lasting Peace , which was signed in Guatemala city ( twenty-ninth December 1996) . 

Sierra Leone, 2002

Lasting a decade, the civil war in Sierra Leone was a violent and dividing conflict for the people of the west-african nation. The rebel group  Revolutionary United Front (RUF) initiated an armed rebellion against the government in 1991 and tensions rose to an all time high as they captured the capital, Freetown, in 1997. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was deployed instantly to host negotiations , which resulted in the Lomé Peace Accord being signed by the rebel group and the government in Togo in 1999. To guarantee peace as well as the de-armament of combat groups, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was called upon to deploy for a peacekeeping operation. This operation encountered many difficulties, as the RUF continued to resist disarmament and continued the conflict. In 2000, the Security Council declared that the RUF was the cause of the continuing conflict and UNAMSIL declared its support for the Government of Sierra Leone in its campaign against the RUF. A permanent ceasefire was finally signed in November 2000 as the Sierra Leonien army , alongside British and UNMSIL troops, forced the RUF to negotiate. The next year , a large-scale Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration process occurred and the war which took 70 000 lives and mutilated 20 000,  was officially declared over in 2002. 

El Salvador, 1992 

The Salvadoran civil war lasted 12 years as the Salvadoran government fought against the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), a coalition of left-wing rebel groups. After 10 years of brutal civil war which took 75 000 lives, both parties formally requested that the UN help with peace negotiations aimed to end the violent conflict. Within a year, an accord was signed by both groups to ensure respect for human rights and the security council established the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) to see over the correct execution of this agreement. The ONUSAL was also called upon a year later to monitor the implementation of the Peace Agreements of January 1992, which were organised by the Secretary general and put a definitive end to the conflict which spanned more than a decade. 

Hopefully, these case studies have been interesting to read about! 

These examples allow us to learn more about a country’s history of peace and war , and learn more about the UN’s diverse strategies to achieve peace in different parts of the world. 

Marta Prokopchuk

As the curtains draw to a close on the unforgettable FerMUN 2024 conference , the eager MUNers can’t help but to start thinking about FerMUN 2025. As we look back on the passionate debates, inspiring exchanges and triumphant teamwork of FerMUN 2024, we ask ourselves how to make the next conference even better than the last. This great responsibility is taken on by our amazing MUN directors, who are also responsible for selecting students for a special executive team: the board. Let’s unmask this team and their roles in this article!

MUN conferences are, of course, the product of months of hard work and dedication, orchestrated by the students, MUN directors and the Board team. The MUN directors (Mme Baudry, Mr Launay, Mme Zory, Mr Konieczny and Mr Robson) are the engines that keep the FerMUN machine running : they are the organisers, guides and mentors of the young diplomats of FerMUN. They also select the Board, a team of students which implements the organisation and planning set out by the FerMUN Directors. This team is assembled in the spring as the preparation and training for the next FerMUN conference begins.

Without further ado, let’s meet the FerMUN 2024 board!

Secretary General : Adrienne HUSNY

I am German, Austrian and Dutch and have moved to France in 2020 after living next to Munich for 10 years. In my free-time, I love to read, dance and crochet, as well as spending time with my family and friends. As this year’s SG, my goal is to bring people from all over the world together to learn more about their cultures, traditions, countries and history. I want to understand their points of view, find new friends and to get a great experience out of this conference.

Deputy Secretary General in charge of delegates: Waliya SAID ABASSE

Hello, I’m Waliya Said Abasse, a high school student at the Lycée de Ferney-Voltaire in Saint-Genis-Pouilly. I am of Comorian and French nationality. I love reading, discovering new languages and practicing taekwondo. This year, I am Deputy Secretary General for the delegates. My aim is to prepare them as well as possible so that they can make the most of their exceptional ideas!

Deputy Secretary General in charge of chairs: Jasmine BENLECHHAB

I’m French, German and Moroccan, and I’ve always lived in Gex. In my spare time, I do a lot of sport, especially mountain biking and cross-country skiing. For FerMUN 2025, I’m in charge of preparing the committee chairs. My priority is to make sure they feel as comfortable as possible and that everyone spends a great year!

Heads of Admins and Solidarity Funds: Julie CARVAILLO and Noah PENGLOAN

Julie Carvaillo: I am in the British national section of Ferney-Voltaire. I have lived in the Pays de Gex for approximately ten years now. As much as I love MUN, I am also a big movie fan. As head of admins, I am really looking forward to building a great team for the FerMUN 2025 conference, which seems miles away, but will be arriving very fast.

Noah Pengloan: I am French but I speak both English and French. I’ve traveled a lot in French speaking countries during my youth (Belgium, Switzerland and France). Out of school I love reading, playing video games and hurting my fingers while playing guitar. During this year’s seating at the board, my goal is to revalue the admins role and develop the solidarity fund sector to unite our MUN group.

Head of Press: Marta PROKOPCHUK

I’m a proud Canadian and Ukrainian who’s called the Pays de Gex home since I was 11. I love geopolitics, reading good books (preferably something philosophical) , and volleyball. As this year’s Head of press, my mission is to capture every unforgettable moment of the FerMUN 2025 conference, turning them into articles, videos, and photos that will stand the test of time.

Head of Translation: Marcos VALLÈS CORTÉS

My name is Marcos, and as you might have guessed it, I am French and Spanish. I also learned English after listening to a lot lot lot of music (it’s amazing). Since I’ve always loved reading and writing I decided to work on trilingualism. As I use all three languages on a daily basis, I really want to see all of them used for the most noble goal: finding a consensus. This is my main aim for FerMUN 2025.

Head of Interpretation: Giulia DEL MAESTRO

My name is Giulia, I’m originally Italian and I speak three languages (for now). In my free time I write poetry and (unfinished) novels. My goal for FerMUN 2025 is to perfect the training of interpreters, so they too can enjoy the full FerMUN experience, and ensure seamless communication between the three official languages. This opportunity and this freedom is what I strive towards, above all.

Written by Marta Prokopchuk

Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Director of Employment, Labour Markets and Youth at the ILO, spoke in ILO 6 about the solidarity policies to be adopted in order to reduce unemployment. 

In her view, talking about unemployment means talking about job creation. The most important thing is not the quantity of jobs created, but the quality of those jobs. It’s about workers having a decent wage and security, while having a say in the company’s choices.

Ms Schmidt-Klau adds with certainty that poverty reduction depends on the creation of decent jobs, and that this is the only sustainable strategy for escaping from poverty. Indeed, in countries where only some young people receive a high level of education, the lack of jobs creates frustration. This is why investing solely in education and not in the number of jobs is a risk for society. Institutions are therefore needed to match the supply of workers with demand. In Europe, the opposite problem arises. Because of the demographic problem, there are fewer and fewer young people, so supply is less than demand. Political representatives must therefore take reality into account, based on globalisation, climate change and demographic change, in order to create a realistic and favourable framework for each State and citizen.

Is there a risk of workers being replaced by robots in the future?

According to Ms Schmidt-Klau, the decision to replace certain jobs with robots is a political decision, for which the ILO must provide the framework, in order to guarantee ideal working conditions. What’s more, technology creates more jobs than it destroys, and creates jobs with better conditions.

What solutions can be put in place to eradicate forced labour?

First of all, Ms Schmidt-Klau points out that “there is no excuse for forced labour, no justification” and that it runs counter to all the UN’s principles. The possible solution could be to educate children so that they go to school instead of working, rather than banning forced labour. Tripartite solutions, taking into account the opinions of the government, workers and employers, can be envisaged. However, they often lead to inconclusive solutions, as the opinions of the parties are too different. Politicians have a more “realistic” view, aware that radical or idealistic policies are difficult to implement.

How can African countries be made more attractive in terms of employment?

Paradoxically, the brain drain (workers leaving for more developed countries) could be a solution of sorts, enabling the country to shine internationally. We can’t expect African countries to create as many jobs as developed countries.

How can being informed about the state of the labour market help in political decision-making?

This is where ILO employees come in. They go to the countries where the problems are greatest and help to find solutions, even if this can be difficult. This is where technology can help a great deal, by assessing the positive or negative impact of political decisions on the population. ILO employees then negotiate with political leaders, workers and employees, and agree with them on solutions adapted to their country. These solutions are then discussed in the various countries to find the best way of adapting them to the legal framework of each country. 

In the end, Ms Schmidt-Klau’s talk was a very enriching experience for all the students present, enabling them to think more deeply about their problem and to come up with better solutions.

Noa Compte and Loan Nicot

The International Labour Office (ILO) has many experts in the field of employment, including specialist Janine Berg. A senior economist at the ILO, she has been working since 2002 on inclusive labour markets, relations within the world of work and working conditions in different sectors. Having also worked for 3 years in the ILO’s Brazil office as an employment specialist, she is also the author of several books and numerous articles on the labour market. 

Her current area of interest is transformations in the world of work, and more specifically digital work platforms and algorithmic management. As a result, her interests are directly in line with those of the Innovation Committee, with whom she will be discussing the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence for future jobs and for improving working conditions. 

The expert lent herself to the FerMUN experience, and spent an hour reacting to the resolutions envisaged within ILO 4. Ms Berg began her speech by talking about digital transformations in the world of work and the impact of artificial intelligence. New technological advances have always caused apprehension from the outset, so it seems only natural that artificial intelligence should give rise to concern. In her view, one of the greatest dangers facing the public at the moment is misinformation.

She argues that the countries that are least developed in terms of infrastructure and economy should be doing more to make up for their shortcomings rather than trying to join the transition. She mentions a major problem: the place of women in the labour market is likely to be affected by the arrival of new technologies within companies. 

Nevertheless, she adds that the integration of technologies within companies can have major benefits, particularly in terms of the quality of work. It is vitally important that the technological transition is not imposed in such a way as to control employees, but rather that there is an opportunity for feedback from employees to their employer. Artificial intelligences could provide a great deal of assistance to workers, particularly in the field of health. As far as the arts sector is concerned, the specialist believes that it will not be replaced just yet: people still prefer to go to concerts to listen to live music, even though the technologies to replace them already exist.

New types of jobs will also emerge in the near future, and these will help to reduce unemployment in certain countries and thus contribute to people’s well-being.

Tessa Dupenloup

On the second day of the conference, ILO 2 was pleased to welcome expert Martin Oelz. 

This committee focuses on equality and discrimination in the world of work.

Martin Oelz, a human rights lawyer, is a specialist in non-discrimination and equality at the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The expert began by explaining why he is in charge. The world of work suffers from various forms of discrimination based on skin colour, culture, religion, language, age, gender, etc.

 The ILO examines statistics and institutions to determine whether or not they are working. It also selects work programmes on the basis of fundamental rights.

 The ILO’s mission is to achieve objectives such as the recognition of indigenous languages and equal pay for men and women.

According to Martin Oelz, working at the ILO is a privilege. He is constantly learning and has the opportunity to collaborate on projects.

The interested ILO 2 delegates were then able to question Martin Oelz, who responded enthusiastically. One delegate, for example, asked: “Where is the ILO concentrating in particular?  It is in fact in Latin America that the ILO is very present, because of the high demand linked to current inequalities. 

Finally, Martin Oelz reiterated the importance of speaking different languages, although he was aware that this was not lacking at FerMUN. Finally, he made it clear that he would be available to answer any further questions delegates might have during the course of the day. 

Pauline Compte

Jennifer Goodyear is an American expert, and I had the honor of meeting her on the 11th of January  and to accompany her to ILO 1.
The ILO 1 is a committee that  treats the topics of fundamental rights, with 2 issues : “How can measures tackle modern slavery be strengthened ?” and “How can we counter forced child labour ?”.

Jennifer Goodyear is a labor attaché at the United States mission. She works for the U.S Department of Labor, so she is a labor specialist.

She responded to the ILO 1’s resolution for one hour and made many comments and observations, she used her past experience to provide many examples. For Jennifer Goodyear, FERMUN is a very exciting project and she thinks that it is very interesting to host teenagers at the ILO in Geneva as it enables students to discover the many ways that humans work to gain experience of the world of work.

 She recommends that the delegates do their best to not be shy because every idea can be the source of a debate.

If she could give one piece advice for the resolution she would recommend to be bold and go ahead with everyone’s ideas.

Throughout our interaction she mentioned many things and answered our questions. Please find some examples below:

For her, the support for education and the realization of the problem is very important, because when there is forced child labour, the child cannot go to school, learn important aspects of life and their opportunities are limited. Even if the education of workers in development progresses, it is important to pay attention to all perspectives.
The ILO takes care of big and large projects with partners and organizations to apply them quickly. She also said that the ILO has 5 obligations which are freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor, the effective abolition of child labor, the elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation, and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment. She also mentioned that you have to be sure that the person in front of you is a victim of modern slavery and to always be kind and compassionate. However, it is also vitally important to gain their confidence and to ask questions such as “Where is your passport ?”.
For her the most difficult challenge is that often when there is forced child labour it is because the children have to do this to support their family. At times, the parents don’t have enough money or can’t work, so the children want to help. 

It is also important to take care of the economy of the country when you are initiating projects. She said that the American Government tries to fix the problem as much as they can even if the problems aren’t necessarily in the United States of America. 

For her, one of the biggest solutions is to improve the economic situation of families so that children do not have to work. 

However, if a lot of solutions are put forward, the issue can still not be completely resolved.

Thank you to Jennifer Goodyear for answering all of my questions.

Elsa ROSNER

The day of 11 January at ILO 1 was marked by intense and productive debates around the fight against modern slavery. The session, which began at 8.30am, was the start of a day full of discussions and ideas thanks to the intervention of an American expert who shared her experience and enlightened the participants on the issues surrounding forced labour. In particular, she highlighted the complexity of these problems, as well as the possibility of resolving them by taking concrete action on the ground. A question and answer session followed, involving the chair, the expert and the delegates. 

The debate then focused on the first resolution, presented by the Australian employers and the Indian government. This resolution aims to strengthen measures against modern slavery, sexual exploitation and forced labour, with particular emphasis on the situation in Asia and the Pacific. It recognises the importance of the ILO’s efforts and the need for robust legislation to protect victims and punish perpetrators. The resolution proposes a series of measures:

• Education and awareness-raising
• Combating forced marriage
• Creation of hotlines for victims
• Protection of migrant workers
• Strengthening legislation
• Training the authorities
• Creation of specialized departments
• Education campaigns and regulation of the sex industry
• Adaptation to national economic contexts
• Collaboration with NGOs and gradual implementation of laws

The day was also punctuated by amendments proposed by different delegates, each aiming to improve and refine the resolution. These amendments covered a variety of topics, from adding specific clauses to revising wording. The debates were lively, reflecting the diversity of views and priorities of the participants.

After constructive exchanges and adjustments, the first resolution was adopted, marking an important step in the fight against modern slavery.

The afternoon saw the start of discussions on the second resolution, on strengthening legal and moral frameworks to fight modern slavery, presented by German and Australian workers. This resolution proposes innovative measures, such as the creation of the UNLAC (body for strengthening fundamental rights and decent work), economic and judicial sanctions, as well as a comprehensive approach to support victims. The second resolution will be adopted.

This day at ILO 1 saw the determination of participants to find effective solutions against modern slavery. The adoption of the two resolutions demonstrates a collective will to act and make significant changes in this crucial area of human rights.

Ruben Buchot and Timothé Fournier