The seventeenth session of the Sri Lanka Model United Nations (SLMUN) Conference took place at the BMICH in Colombo on the 17th and 18th of August 2024. SLMUN is the largest Model United Nations conference in Sri Lanka, attracting over a thousand young delegates from across the country.
The conference featured several committees, with the World Health Assembly (WHA) and General Assembly 3 (GA3) committees simulated as double delegations, each hosting up to 300 participants. The WHA addressed the pressing issue of antimicrobial resistance due to antibiotic misuse, where Gateway College students excelled.
Azhar Hafeel and Dulain Wanigasekara and Ridvik Manimaran and Navakarthikeyan Satgunaraja received Honorary Mentions, while Bihan Amarathunge and Ramal Liyanawaduge earned the Higher Commendation Award. The coveted Best Delegation award in this committee was clinched by Yusuf Qadir and Saif Imran.
In the GA3, which deliberated on child exploitation in the digital age, Gateway College continued its streak of success. Manhal Mauroof and Tharidi Nanayakkara were honoured with an Honorary Mention, and the teams of Nishthula Subasinghe and Gishanka Perera and Dylan Pangoda and Aaqib Fauzul Ameer secured Higher Commendation awards.
Gateway College also dominated in other committees. In the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which debated the repatriation and designation of cultural property, Jehan Gunarathne won the Best Working Paper Award and a Higher Commendation. Mohammed Luqmaan and Rumika Perera received Honorary Mentions, while A.P. Ranithu Rishon took home the prestigious Best Delegate award.
In the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Aiden Thomas achieved an Honorary Mention for his contributions to discussions on the effects of carbonization on the global economy and supply chain, while Joshua Almeida was awarded Best Delegate.
The Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), which focused on the refugee influx within the Euro-Mediterranean region, saw Sineth Jayasundera earn a Higher Commendation, and Sajjad Reyaz secure the Best Delegate award.
In the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), debating the issue of Women in Poverty, Hamza Fassy received an Honorary Mention. Meanwhile, in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) committee, which discussed replacing National Anti-Doping Organizations with national branches of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Naadhir Kamal earned the distinguished Best Delegate award.
In the Futuristic Arctic Council (FAC), Yasir Nasran was recognized with the Best Working Paper award for his innovative approach to conflict resolution in the Arctic, while Dhanuka Wijegunaratne received the Best Delegate award for his well-crafted solutions.
The International Press Corps (IPC) also saw Gateway College’s presence, with Shannel Pinidiya achieving a Higher Commendation and Aneeqa Ikram being awarded the esteemed Best Agency award.
The remarkable achievements of Gateway College at SLMUN 2024 are a testament to the dedication and guidance provided by the school’s leadership team, including Deputy Principals Mr. Anthony Chelliah of Gateway College Dehiwala and Mrs. Nishotha Anuraj of Gateway College Colombo, along with the teacher in charge, Mr. Vinura Abeysekara. Their unwavering support continues to drive Gateway’s MUNers to maintain their exemplary standards and dominate in the arena of Model United Nations.
