The sixteenth session of the Sri Lanka Model United Nations (SLMUN) Conference was held at the BMICH Colombo on the 19th and 20th of August 2023. With over 1200 participants, SLMUN 2023 was one of the largest conferences to be ever hosted in Sri Lanka. This year’s World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) committees were simulated as double delegations, hosting up to 300 participants per committee. In the WHO, which discussed communicable disease control during humanitarian emergencies, Siddesh Ramshankar and Ridvik Manimaran secured an Honorary Mention award, while Sharini Nirmalan and Imra Rizvi won the Higher Commendation award.

Seated (L-R) Mrs. Ruwini Perera (Assistant Principal), Mandiv Samaratunga, Vakeesh Shanthiruban, Vyshalini Rajendran, Mr. Anthony Chelliah (Deputy Principal), Imra Rizvi, Dr. Harsha Alles (Chairman), Joel Shankar, Mrs. Nishotha Anuraj (Deputy Principal), Sharini Nirmalan, Abdul Aziz Fauzul Ameer, Yusuf Ali Barrie, Mrs. Ianthi Rajadurai (Assistant Principal) First Row (L-R) Siddesh Ramshankar, Summaiyah Mohamed Ali, Senomee Hettiarachchi, Zaakir Fazlan, Joshua Almeida, A. P. Ranithu Rishon, Dylan C. Pangoda, Sajjad Reyaz, Kathirmalai Tharshmitha , Sineth Jayasundera, Yusuf Qadir, Ridvik Manimaran, Shahzadi Sujahudeen, Shaveen Kanageswaran, Hamza Fassy, Yasir Nasran Second Row (L-R) Nethika Rangajeewa, Anik Lakhany, Tharinya Rangajeewa, B. Matthew Shewon Rodrigo, Akash Govindan, Nethul Vihan Wllarachchi

The highly sought after Best Delegation award went to Senomee Hettiarachchi and Shahzadi Sujahudeen. In UNICEF, which debated the issue of tangible barriers to the education of children in the developing countries, Tharinya Rangajeewa and Nethika Rangajeewa were awarded Honorary Mention awards while Anik Lakhany, Hamza Fassy, Summaiyah Mohamed Ali and Kathirmalai Tharsmitha qualified for Higher Commendation awards. The prestigious Best Delegation Award went to Yusuf Ali Barrie and Abdul Aziz Fauzul Ameer.

In the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which debated the rapid growth of drug usage and substance abuse amongst the youth, Nethul Vihan Willarachchi and Zaakir Fazlan acquired Honorary Mention awards, while Sajjad Reyaz clinched the coveted Best Delegate award. In the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), which investigated climate change adaptation mechanisms with special emphasis on mitigating the wealth gap, Shaveen Kanageswaran won The Best Working Paper, Yusuf Qadir achieved an Honourary Mention award, while Joel Shankar obtained the distinguished Best Delegate award.

In the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which facilitated intense debate on the effectiveness of IAEA safety standards under situations of armed conflict, Joshua Almeida and B. Matthew Shewon Rodrigo achieved Honourary Mention awards, while Mandiv Samaratunga clinched the esteemed Best Delegate award. In the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which debated transparency and accountability measures to combat corruption within developing countries, an Honourary Mention was awarded to Akash Govindan, while Yasir Fazlan won the Higher Commendation award.

The coveted Best Working Paper and Best Delegate awards were claimed by Vyshalini Rajendran for her dominant performance. In the African Union (AU), which debated transparency and accountability measures to combat corruption within developing countries, Dylan C. Pangoda obtained the Higher Commendation award while Sineth Jayasundera was awarded Best Working Paper and Best Delegate awards. The latest committees pioneered by SLMUN focused on chartering new grounds of debate with the formation of the War Cabinet and the simulation of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Council.

In FIFA, which debated transparency and accountability measures to combat corruption within developing countries, Vakeesh Shanthiruban obtained the Higher Commendation award. In the War Cabinet (WC), which featured innovative and retrospective debate in simulating the Imperial War Cabinet of 1917, A P. Ranithu Rishon achieved Best Working Paper, producing well-crafted solutions in a crisis committee never simulated before. The students of Gateway continue to maintain their exemplary standards thanks to the effort and dedication of their Deputy Principals, Mr. Anthony Chelliah of Gateway College Dehiwala and Mrs. Nishotha Anuraj of Gateway College Colombo, as well as Assistant Principals of Gateway Colleges Negombo and Kandy, Mrs. Ruwini Perera. and Mrs Ianthi Rajadurai