On 22-26 March 2015, the New York National Model United Nations (NMUN-NY) 2015 opened its doors to thousands of young leaders from various parts of the world, including the Russian Far East. For the fifth year, MUNRFE delegates have been demonstrating their remarkable debate and negotiations skills while participating in the largest model UN conference sponsored by the National Collegiate Conference Association and supported by the United Nations. This time, our delegation achieved new notable results and set the higher standards for prospective “NY-teams” of MUNRFE.

The current team was assigned to represent the Republic of South Sudan in five organs of the United Nations. The winners of the Annual MUNRFE Conference 2014 – Ms. Elena Kiseleva and Ms. Victoria Yavorskaya, were successfully participating in the work of GA First Committee and Economic Commission for Africa respectively. The adviser of the delegation, Secretary-General of the mentioned Conference – Ms. Olga V. Katina, debated in the Third Committee of GA, and the Director-General of the Organization – Mr. Vitaliy E. Savenkov, was allotted to the Second Committee. Moreover, MUNRFE had one more member to take part in NMUN NY 2015 but not as a delegate. Ms. Anna Ivanova has been successfully selected and peformed the duties of the Assistant Director of the Economic Commission for Africa, being the first MUNRFE member on staff with NMUN and NCCA.

Only 2 days left to apply for Grant Competition to participate in the Regional Conference 2015, which will be conducted in Blagoveshchensk on May, 2 – 5. Young leaders from Russia and abroad are invited to simulate 2 committees in English language – UN General Assembly and UN Security Council. If you are interested in your accommodation or even transportation costs to Blagoveshchensk to be covered by MUNRFE, you should submit one Policy Paper on one of the agenda items of your committee by April, 10th (Vladivostok time) to secretary-general@munrfe.ru Optionally, you may submit a Letter of Intent (500 words max) in a free-form explaining your reasons to apply for the grant. Please, note that only registered delegates (who have been already assigned a committee and a country) are eligible to apply.

On April 2, 2015, Vladivostok Club implemented a social project named "Care of Pensioners". Several members of the Club successfully visited the Sedankinskiy nursing home near Vladivostok city and conducted various entertainment activities and competitions for pensioners and sang guitar songs. Moreover, all the pensioners got sweet presents from the Club to upraise their mood.

We would like to thank Ms. Anastasia Popova, Ms. Alena Filimonova, Ms. Aleksandra Gritsenko, Ms. Yana Krasnitskaya, Mr. Lavrentiy Pak, Ms. Aleksandra Glushko and the coordinator of the project Ms. Anastasia Ignatieva for implementation of this event. MUNRFE strongly believes such activities to be vitally important in course of the long-standing process of civil society building in local communities and looks forward to continue the trend of social responsibility.

On March 14-15, 2015 the Advanced Leadership School was conducted in Khabarovsk on the premises of Far Eastern Institute of International Relations. The selection process of participants was conducted basing on the applications and essays submitted prior to the ALS-Khv. As a result the best young leaders were granted a great opportunity to participate in the learning project by MUNRFE. During two days of non-stop lectures and seminars on public-speaking, business-English, leadership, negotiations, project-management and Model UN Debates the participants had an opportunity to broaden their knowledge in core MUNRFE values and disciplines. All lectures and trainings were conducted by MUNRFE management, who shared their knowledge and experience with the participants, namely MUNRFE Director-General – Mr. Vitaliy E. Savenkov, MUNRFE Executive Director – Ms. Ksenia O. Shevtsova, and MUNRFE Counselor – Ms. Elena Kiseleva, who performed the duties of the Coordinator of the project.

Overall, the ALS-Khv gathered participants from several universities in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, including Pacific National University, Far Eastern State Transport University, Far Eastern Institute of International Relations, and Far Eastern Federal University. Moreover, MUNRFE would like to express its deep gratitude to the administration of the Far Eastern Institute of International Relations for their cooperation and support.

On March 17, in course of the preparation process of MUNRFE team to National MUN 2015 in New York there has been a meeting with MFA diplomat conducted in Vladivostok Club. Mr. Evgeniy S. Volosastov, Second Secretary of the Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Vladivostok, shared his own experience and vision of all the advantages and disadvantages of a diplomat work and then answered all the questions from the students, who represented several universities, including Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, and even a member of MUNRFE team to NY NMUN 2015 from Khabarovsk. Obviously, such hot topics for all the Russians as situation in the Crimea and relations between Russia and USA were covered in the discussion first of all. More than that, MUNRFE members were happy to ask a lot of questions about current actions undertaken in the Primorskiy region, especially about obtaining the Franco port status by the Vladivostok and developing economic relations with Chinese border territories.

MUNRFE looks forward to continue the productive cooperation with MFA in Vladivostok in future.

About 20 participants had a great chance to develop their skills and deepen knowledge in the spheres of International Security, UN System, World Political System, International Law and International Conflicts while studying in the MUNRFE School of International Relations conducted by Vladivostok Club in Far Eastern Federal University. After listening to a course of lectures delivered by Mr. Andrei I. Kozinets, Assistant Professor of International Relations, and Dr. Ivan N. Zolotykhin, the Head of the FEFU Educational Program on International Relations, Mr. Alexei A. Kulinich, Assistant Professor of International Relations and both Directors of MUNRFE Mr. Vitaliy E. Savenkov and Ms. Ksenia O. Shevtsova, students had an opportunity to apply gained knowledge in debates in frames of United Nations General Assembly simulation chaired by Ms. Olga Katina and Ms. Victoria Yavorskaya.

At the end of debates, two Outstanding Delegates were chosen and awarded with waived participation in the Regional MUNRFE Conference 2015, namely Ms. Ekaterina Tretiakova and Mr. Ivan Kumets.