ABOUT THE EVENT
Are you interested in diplomacy, debate or foreign affairs? Are you passionate about supporting youth and expanding your leadership skills? Are you fresh out of high school and sad you won’t be a delegate at UN Youth events anymore? Would you like to learn more about the United Nations? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we want you to apply to be a Conference Assistant at Canterbury Model United Nations 2026.
Canterbury Model United Nations 2026 is all about empowering students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the United Nations, as well as build their diplomacy and interpersonal skills. We can’t do any of this without the support from you: our volunteers!
Conference Assistants are integral to the running of the conference. Registrations are open to anyone out of high school who is under 25. Being a Conference Assistant is a great way to meet like-minded people, as well as having a lasting impact on the youth of Christchurch. You don’t need any experience to be a Conference Assistant (though it’s great if you do), because we will be hosting a volunteer training evening on the 27th of March to get everyone ready for the big day!
There are multiple roles Conference Assistants can fill:
Committee Facilitator: As a committee facilitator you will help to run the committees and plenary session. You will work to encourage lively and productive debate through chairing committees, acting as a committee secretary, or note-passing for delegates. There will be multiple committee facilitators in each session, who will be able to cooperate and help each other!
Welfare Officer: As a welfare officer you will hold the essential responsibility of supporting the welfare of both delegates and volunteers at the event. The ability to handle sensitive issues with a caring attitude is essential. Welfare officers will be a friendly face to all, and consistently approachable to all, especially unwell, stressed, or upset participants. A First Aid Certificate is critical for welfare officers.
Logistics Facilitator: As a logistics facilitator you will help the conference run smoothly by setting up catering, directing participants around the venue, and keeping the spaces we use clean. Logistics facilitators should have good time management skills, and be able to work in a team.
Photographer: As a photographer you will perform an essential part of making the event memorable for participants. Photographers visit committee rooms throughout the days taking photographs of the event and participants, which are sent to participants once the event has concluded.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email our regional council at [email protected]. Registrations for conference assistants will close on the 18th of March.
ABOUT UN YOUTH
UN Youth is a non-profit organisation that provides civics education outside the traditional classroom context. Through fun workshops and conferences, we engage youth in the most pressing affairs of their country and the international community. Our goal is to inspire young New Zealanders to be active, global citizens. Global citizenship exists in an incredibly diverse range of forms, and UN Youth provides opportunities for delegates to develop their own form of active citizenship. Throughout Aotearoa, our work equips young people to become informed, engaged, and critical New Zealanders who understand their global context and the connections between the local and the global. Annually, over 3000 young New Zealanders from Northland to Southland attend a UN Youth event, run by a body of over 150 volunteers across the country who dedicate many hours of their time to engaging young people and growing the organisation.