Tuesday the 4th of December 2007 26 students from Västerås Fria upper secondary school´s aid programme took place at the local government council in Västerås´ City hall. It was about a UN role play. Västerås Fria Gymnasium is a certified UN-school since autumn 2007. Even though it was the first time that a UN role play was arranged at the school it wasn’t the first time a UN role play was organized. UN role plays have been going on for over 50 years all over the world as well in upper secondary schools as in Universities.
 

UN role plays give the students a reality close way of working that gives them the possibility to understand how the UN is working. The students represent different nations debating from a nation’s standpoint within a current question.  Here in Västerås the students simulated the UN General Assembly and represented following countries: Ghana, Russia, Belo Russia, the USA, Mexico, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, India, Argentina, Bolivia and finally Jamaica. As a way of living the part as delegates from these nations the students were dressed in national costumes or were formally dressed in suits or dresses.
 

Child labour along with trafficking were the two subjects of the year that the students had chosen to debate. Their final aim was to formulate a resolution which would be a recommendation for the world.
The delegates opened the UN role play by expressing their point of views concerning the most recent questions in a formal opening speech. This was followed by hot negotiations where the students came up with a resolution acceptable for all parts. The delegates ended the day with a majority vote on the final resolution. The students left this day with a wider insight on how the UN General Assembly actually works and how they work to find general solutions on global issues.

The UN General Assembly decision was to appoint:

• Mexico’s (Marie Fridolfsson and Linnéa Zettergren) resolution proposition concerning trafficing 
• Ghana´s (Joel Strokirk) resolution proposition concerning child labour Award for the most reliable overall impression went to India (Jennifer Eriksson, Sara Gustavsson and Therese Prans-Mayer)
  

 Everybody is on the spot – soon it is time to begin!

The Secretary-general opens the UN-role play  
 

The delegates from India express their point of view concerning child labour and trafficing
 

Mexican delegates express their point of view concerning child labour and trafficking
 

 
Eager negotiations take place in the presence of the presentation by the different countries´ resolution proposition 
 

 
After the negotiations and presentations there is a voting
 

 
The entire happy group after an incredibly well performed UN-role play