Friday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10, Science Po Lille’s Model United Nations association, MUNWALK, hosted the 5th annual SPLIMUN conference at the grand école, bringing together over 300 participants, known as delegates.
Led by Secretary General Violette Dagorne, Deputy Secretary General Sasha Sánchez and MUNWALK President Rémi Zenaïdi, the 2025 SPLIMUN Secretariat organized more than 14 hours of simulated diplomacy, along with a formal evening gala, a wine tasting event, and a soirée at Le Quartier Libre, making for a well-rounded weekend in Lille.
MUNWALK chose this year’s theme – “Toward right-based international cooperation on migration” – to reflect the current asylum crisis in Northern France and emphasize the need for humane treatment of the crisis through international cooperation. Further, a portion of delegates’ admission fee went towards L’Auberge de Migrants, a Calais-based association that works to provide shelter and resources to migrants.
SPLIMUN additionally partnered with the Association Française pour les Nations Unies (AFNU), Région Hauts-de-France, and the Direction de l’Information Légale et Administrative (DILA) – Vie Publique et La Documentation française. Its partner conferences were the IE Model United Nations (IEUMUN), Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN), London International Model United Nations (LIMUN), Lyon Model United Nations (LyonMUN), Munster University Model United Nations (MUIMUN), and the Paris International Model United Nations (PIMUN).
Delegates began to arrive early Friday afternoon, with many convening in the cafeteria to prepare their opening statements and mingle with other arrivals. Edoardo Barca, a SPLIMUN delegate and fifth-year student at Sciences Po Lille, standing beside a friend, shared his expectations for the weekend.
“It’s both our first university MUN simulation, so I’m expecting a competitive experience, yes, but something that I will remember as also meeting new friends and as a good experience, generally,” Barca said.
MUN simulations, initially Model League of Nations simulations, began as a highschool and collegiate extracurricular in the United States in the 1920s. For the past few decades, MUN has gained popularity in various continents and came to France first in 2012 at Sciences Po Paris.
In its structure, a typical MUN simulation follows closer to Robert’s Rules of Order – a 1876 American parliamentary procedure manual – than the current United Nations procedures, but most MUN committees have real-life counterparts. The 2025 SPLIMUN conference had nine committees, accounting for a range of delegate experience levels: UNESCO, UN Environmental Programme, African Union, Commission on the Status of Women, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, World Trade Committee, Arab Space Cooperation Group, UN Security Council, and the Tricameral Crisis Committee.
All the committees, except for UNESCO, took place at SPLIMUN in English.
SPLIMUN 2025 commenced in Amphitheatre A with an opening ceremony led by Dagorne and Sánchez. The two warmly welcomed the diverse crowd of delegates, who traveled from across Europe to participate in the conference. They then took a moment to introduce the 19 members of the SPLIMUN Secretariat, and acknowledge their months of preparation leading up this moment. President Zenaïdi, also addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of MUN as both an academic exercise and a space for cultural exchange and leadership development.
The opening ceremony featured two distinguished guest speakers: Flore Judet, a coordinator at L’Auberge des Migrants, and Paolo Artini, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative in France. Both Judet and Artini provided their on-the-ground perspective of contemporary issues in refugee aid including the difficulty of providing for a growing influx of asylum-seekers amid shrinking State funding. Despite these challenges, Artini expressed his optimism about the potential for change and the value of organizations like MUN which teach the importance of multilateralism to the next generation.
“I’m particularly happy to see all these countries and simulations that you will do because it’s a very difficult moment generally speaking for multilateralism, for the United Nations, for believing in the values of the charter of the United Nations and of the human rights declaration, including the right to seek asylum which is there,” said Artini.
Immediately after the ceremony, delegates dispersed into their respective committees for the first of eight sessions together. At the first session, delegates introduced their delegation, or assigned nation, to the group then voted as a collective on which of the two previously-provided issues they will work to resolve over the weekend.
Delegates’ main objective is to draft a resolution paper on the chosen humanitarian issue with some or several other delegations. As they move between one of three debate formats – Speakers’ List, Moderated Caucus, or Unmoderated Caucus – over SPLIMUN’s eight sessions, delegates advocate for the needs of their nation while searching for common ground with others.
Early on, during the unmoderated caucus periods, caucus blocks are formed and the resolution drafting process begins. Draft resolutions may be edited or merged up until their presentation to the committee in the final session, when delegates vote whether or not the resolution passes as a viable solution to the issue.
Outside of debate, the conference’s social aspect is often just as relevant as simulated diplomacy in shaping the overall experience. Many delegates come to not only engage in high-level discussions, but also to reconnect with old friends from past MUN conferences. Eva Roulot, the Under Secretary General for Events, underscored the need for a balance between academics and fun at these types of events.
“I really love to see delegates in another context, in another light, because conferences can be really stressful,” said Roulot. “So, I really like organizing moments where they can have some fun.”
The first organized social event – the SPLIMUN 2025 Diplomatic Gala – set the tone for the weekend’s after hours. Held on Friday night at La Canopy in Vieux Lille, the gala was a glamorous affair where delegates embraced the black-tie dress code and thoroughly enjoyed the refined yet lively atmosphere. Many expressed the next morning that the night ended too soon, despite the 9 am start time the next day
As for Saturday’s social agenda, the evening began with a local wine-tasting hour in the cafeteria, offering delegates a moment to unwind after a day of intense negotiations. Later that evening, delegates mingled at Le Quartier Libre, a bar huppé across from the Citadelle, until the early hours of Sunday.
MUN’s unique social culture also extends beyond the scheduled events. Crushes and flirtations are an almost expected part of the experience with numerous opportunities present to confess your admiration for another delegate through the Gossip Box or to send them an anonymous tulip, instead of the usual rose. Between committee sessions, coffee breaks provided another place for delegates to indulge in light-hearted banter or bond over past weekend rendez-vous’.
Alas, SPLIMUN came to an end on Sunday afternoon with the closing ceremony and award distribution. During the ceremony, committee chairs recognized outstanding delegates by presenting awards in categories such as Most Improved Delegate, Most Diplomatic Delegate, and Best Delegate overall. While MUN chairs enforce respect and collaboration among all, the award system adds an extra layer of motivation and encourages delegates to excel.
This year, award winners received a certificate as well as a copy of the June-September 2024 edition of Questions Internationale magazine: La gangstérisation du monde.
Delegates left anticipating their next reunion at LyonMUN (LyonMUN), from May 21-24, followed by MUIMUN, from May 29-June 1, and PIMUN, from June 2-5. Reflecting on the weekend, Angèle Manche, a delegate and student at Sciences Po Lille, shared her final thoughts.
“The conference was very good,” said Manche. “It was supposed to be a beginner conference, but everyone was so great and had a great level, so it was good. It was so fun.”
Clare Gifford