Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    24 Jan. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                      (QNA)

The seventh annual THIMUN Qatar conference is set to take place from January 24-26 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. The event, which will bring together more than 1,300 Model United Nation (MUN) students from Qatar, as well as the wider region and beyond, aims to encourage young people to discuss, negotiate, debate, and propose solutions to global issues.

During the three-day conference, participants will engage in a simulation of the UN, taking on roles as diplomats to discuss and debate international issues in order develop solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing the global community. Students will also be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of committees. Representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will also present during the event, covering topics such as 'Cyber Crime', 'Organized Crime and Gender', and 'Human Trafficking'.

The Head of THIMUN Qatar Lisa Martin said that "Despite the current political crisis in the region, we are continuing to develop as a Model United Nations, attracting thousands of students from around the world."

"This conference is a wonderful opportunity for young men and women from different countries and backgrounds to come together to propose action-orientated solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues. We at THIMUN Qatar are dedicated to fostering active global citizens and equipping participants with the skills and tools necessary to become the future leaders of tomorrow," added Martin.

The theme of this year's conference is 'Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women and Girls', inspired by the United Nation's (UN's) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.

In line with the theme, the keynote speech will be delivered by the Founder and CEO of SheSays India,Trisha Shetty, a youth-led NGO with a focus on youth and civil society engagement to promote gender equality.

"MUN Impact grew out of an initiative at our October Leadership Conference. There was interest by students, teachers, and even members of the UN itself, to more deeply engage students in being change-makers and to help address the SDGs. MUN delegates can act as a peaceful army of active global citizens, and we hope MUN Impact will begin a much-needed conversation and movement about ways to infuse action and service into Model United Nations," said Martin.

THIMUN Qatar's Regional Office was created as a joint project between Qatar Foundation's (QF's) Qatar Academy schools and the THIMUN Foundation, an affiliation program designed to develop high quality MUN conferences around the world.