On August 8 and 9, Miss Tsuzuki and Miss Nakamichi (Grade 8) represented Linden Hall High School at the 10th National Junior and Senior High School Model United Nations Conference, held at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo. Together with junior high school students from across Japan, they spent two days debating this year’s agenda: Reform of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Model United Nations (MUN) is an academic program in which students serve as ambassadors representing assigned countries. By researching their country’s policies and perspectives, participants discuss global issues, negotiate with delegates from other nations, and work toward building international consensus. This year’s conference brought together more than 800 junior and senior high school students from across the country.

In preparation for the conference, Miss Tsuzuki and Miss Nakamichi researched Canada, the country they were assigned to represent. They studied its social and political context, explored its position on the ICC, and carefully considered how to present and defend Canada’s perspective during negotiations.

Rather than simply advocating their own position, the students were challenged to listen to different viewpoints, identify common ground, and collaborate in developing constructive solutions. This experience provided a valuable learning opportunity that extended beyond the classroom, strengthening their communication, critical thinking, and negotiation skills.

We hope the insights and experiences they gained through Model United Nations will inspire them to continue engaging with global issues and to work collaboratively with others in addressing the challenges facing our world.

A Japanese television news program also featured scenes from the conference, including interviews with our two students. We invite you to watch the coverage below. (Available in Japanese only.)

日テレNEWS