A Year with the Delegation

Members of the delegation take part in a wide range of programmes, first as delegates to NMUN and then, after returning to Japan, as Administrative Members. Below is an outline of a typical year, from selection as a delegate to handing over the programme to the next generation.

Selection (summer to autumn) → DDP (autumn to spring) → Policy Presentation → US Programme (spring) → Annual Report Meeting (June)

Delegate Development Programme (DDP)

The Delegate Development Programme (DDP) develops the abilities of our delegates in preparation for NMUN. Each November, nine to ten delegates are selected, and over the roughly five months until the conference in March, DDP builds their public speaking, critical thinking and negotiation skills for the conference and for running the programme.

DDP was introduced around the time of the 26th Delegation (sent in 2009), and its content has been refined year after year to offer a higher-quality programme. Today it combines "Overall Delegate Development Programme", where all delegates and Administrative Members gather; "Individual Delegate Development Programme", where each delegate is guided by a dedicated mentor; and "English Delegate Development Programme", held weekly to strengthen the English skills needed at the conference.

The results of DDP are presented each year at our Policy Presentation. The content of the programme varies slightly from year to year.

Policy Presentation

The Policy Presentation is the public showcase of our programme's results, held since the 25th Delegation (sent in 2008).

At the event, each delegate presents, in English, the policy they have developed as the representative of their assigned country on the topics to be discussed at NMUN. Experts in global affairs and diplomacy are invited to comment on the policies and the thinking behind them, and Q&A sessions help delegates refine their work further. In recent years, the event has also included hands-on sessions for participants on issue analysis and policy-making as practised in DDP, as well as conversations with experts and our delegates.

Through these activities, the Policy Presentation contributes to raising public awareness of global issues.

The US Programme

The US Programme consists of three periods: (1) Visiting Partner University, (2) Briefing Sessions, and (3) Conference Period. As the conference dates change every year, the schedule for the partner university exchange and the briefings is set accordingly.

(1) Visiting Partner University
Each year, we form a joint delegation with a university in North America. The aim is not to compensate for language skills, but the cross-cultural exchange that happens through joint preparation and throughout the conference. Delegates visit and stay at the partner university for about a week to coordinate policies and take part in cultural exchange. They often stay with partner students, which gives them the opportunity to exchange views on global issues and politics with students from abroad.

(2) Briefing Sessions
In New York, we visit UN officials and Permanent Missions to the United Nations for briefings. Hearing directly from people working at the forefront of the international community deepens our understanding of global issues, and offers concrete, practical advice to delegates who hope to build careers in international affairs.

(3) Conference Period
At NMUN, one of the largest Model UN conferences in the world with thousands of participants, delegates learn from talented students from around the world how to debate, speak in public and communicate, and experience a microcosm of UN diplomacy. Drawing on the skills built through DDP, they take part in and at times lead the discussions. Building on this experience, our delegates work to further spread and strengthen Model UN activities in Japan.

Annual Report Meeting

We hold our Annual Report Meeting every June.

Held in both the Kanto and Kansai regions, the meeting reports on the year's operating policy and the delegates' experience in New York. It is designed to deepen understanding of our programme among the foundations and supporting organisations that make it possible.

It is also an important opportunity for students to meet the delegation in person, leading into the selection process that opens for applications in August and takes place in September.