This weekend, the future leaders of the world will, well, act like world leaders.

Students from throughout Westchester will meet at Hastings High School for the 32nd annual Westchester Model United Nations Conference, a program designed to give them an understanding of how the world body debates issues and develops policy. Continue on to read the press release from the Hastings-on-Hudson school district.

On March 14-17, over 150 students from 10 area high schools will gather at Hastings High School to participate in the 32nd annual Westchester Model United Nations Conference.

WestMUNC is a self-sufficient, entirely student-run organization. Its purpose is to afford students an opportunity to experience first-hand how the United Nations operates by providing a forum to debate current international issues and practice conflict resolution. Student delegates are assigned to countries and committees of the United Nations. All delegates have been notified well in advance of their country assignments, committee assignments and the issues they will be discussing at the conference, leaving delegates ample time to research and prepare. Once the delegates arrive at the conference on Friday evening, they are greeted at a short opening ceremony led by Michael Funaro, the Secretary-General of WestMUNC XXXII. Committee sessions immediately follow, and continue all day Saturday and conclude Sunday morning.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Ms. Elise Keppler. Ms. Keppler is senior counsel with the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch, where her work focuses on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. She conducted a three week mission to Uganda in March 2007 to assess the ICC’s field operations in one of its first situations. She also conducted missions to Sierra Leone in 2004 and 2005 to assess the functioning of the Special Court. She has produced two reports on the Special Court that provide analysis and make recommendations to enhance the court’s operations.

Over the past year and a half, Ms. Keppler has been deeply involved in efforts to see an outcome to the conflict in northern Uganda that includes both peace and justice. This has included producing three briefing papers on standards under international law for ensuring justice for serious crimes committed in northern Uganda. She also worked intensively on Human Rights Watch’s campaign to ensure that Liberian president Charles Taylor would face trial for alleged crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s armed conflict.

Ms. Keppler has been with Human Rights Watch since the summer of 2003. Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Elise Keppler worked as a litigation associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.

WestMUNC XXXII Conference Schedule

Friday
4:30pm-5:30pm Registration
5:30pm-6:00pm Opening Ceremonies
6:00pm-7:30pm Committee Sessions
7:30pm-8:30pm Dinner
8:30pm-9:30pm Committee Sessions
9:30pm-10:00pm Staff Meeting
10:15pm-11:30pm WestMUNC Open Mic Night

Saturday
8:30am-9:00am Arrival
9:00am-12:15pm Committee Sessions
12:15pm-1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm-2:15pm Keynote Speaker: Elise Keppler, Human Rights Watch (admission is free and open to the public)
2:15pm-6:00pm Committee Sessions
6:00pm-7:00pm Dinner
7:00pm-7:30pm Staff Meeting

Sunday
9:00am-9:30am Arrival
9:30am-12:45pm Committee Sessions
12:45pm-1:30pm Closing Ceremonies