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The Core of IMUN: An Interview with Mr. Andrews and Ms. Fidalgo

The Core of IMUN: An Interview with Mr. Andrews and Ms. Fidalgo
Marta A. and Tomas C.

As IMUN celebrates its 30th anniversary in Lisbon, the conference continues to inspire young delegates to solve current global issues. For Mr. Andrews and Ms. Fidalgo (IMUN Director and Deputy Director, respectively)  this milestone is not just a reflection of the past but also a reminder of the ongoing importance of international peace and security.


For Mr. Andrews, the journey with IMUN began long before the first official conference in Lisbon in 1994. His involvement with Model United Nations dates back to the late 1990s when he took students to various MUN conferences, including THIMUN. As the number of international schools in the Lisbon area began to expand, the opportunity to create a conference in Lisbon became clear. Alongside Helen Jenkins, the former librarian, Mr. Andrews launched the first IMUN conference in 1994, which hosted around 80 students. Held at the Luso-American Development Foundation, the event was a success, and since then, IMUN has grown, attracting hundreds of delegates each year from around the world.

Ms. Fidalgo’s journey began much later. During her very first year at CAISL, over a decade ago, Ms. Fidalgo was asked to help chaperone GAIAMUN in Porto with Mr. Andrews. On the bus trip over, Mr. Andrews handed over a student’s resolution for Ms. Fidalgo to read through and she was immediately hooked. However, her IMUN journey only began a few years later in 2016, when she began leading the PRESS team for IMUN, while also helping Mr. Andrews organise the conference.


This year’s IMUN conference is especially significant as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. For Mr. Andrews, it’s a moment to reflect on how far the conference has come and the impact it has had on students over the years. "For me, this is a real milestone because 30 is a big number and it is amazing that we are here so quickly," he reflects. "When we started, it was a small conference, but today we’re welcoming students from all corners of the world." According to Ms. Fidalgo, “IMUN is at its largest this year,” with almost 200 delegates in the General Assembly and 550 students in total.


One of the exciting elements of this year's conference is its timing. The event falls just two days after the 2024 U.S. elections, an event that is likely to shape global politics in the months to come.  Mr. Andrews sees this as an opportunity for students to engage in a relevant discussion about political extremism, one of the key issues being discussed at this year's General Assembly


IMUN has evolved in many ways over the past three decades. Mr. Andrews and Ms. Fidalgo both point to the increasing scale of the event as one of the major changes. “This year we have the Human Rights Commission, ECOSOC, the Historic Security Council, the Security Council, and the General Assembly. There are five different venues. In the early 1990s, we only had one, the General Assembly. That's one of the big areas we have improved” states Mr. Andrews.


Another key area of evolution has been the conference’s growing commitment to environmental sustainability. In the early years, the organisers printed thousands of pages of resolutions from delegates. Today, thanks to new technologies and digital tools, much of the work is done electronically, reducing the environmental footprint of the conference and improving the efficiency of the overall process. "We no longer print out resolutions," Mr. Andrews explains. Ms. Fidalgo adds “I know it doesn't sound that significant when you add it up, but we're saving one to two trees per conference”, this is no small feat considering a tree can produce up to 10,000 sheets of paper.


In terms of goals and aspirations,  Ms. Fidalgo wants to always keep holding the IMUN conference to a very high standard. “I hope that we continue to be student-led. I hope that we continue to keep a very high level, […]  where we hold our offices accountable for that, we hold ourselves to a very high standard,  and we expect a very high standard from our delegates who factor all those things in together. I think… it's about growth, but that growth might not be numerical. It might be just to continue improving standards, continue improving who we are and how we are.” Mr. Andrews agrees with this sentiment and says “The ultimate goal is, we hope, to cultivate and promote the idea that international conflict can be solved with patience, non-violent means, peace, and security. That's the ultimate goal. I hope that IMUN will provide an opportunity for students who want to pursue this area, such as non-governmental organisations, working with the United Nations, or doing diplomatic work. I hope it gives people an opportunity to practice and to give them a fire to do that.”


Overall, IMUN’s 30th anniversary marks a significant milestone in its journey, from a small conference with 80 students to a global event that brings together hundreds of delegates each year. After interviewing Mr. Andrews as well as Ms. Fidalgo it's evident how much effort and work IMUN entails.