The Paris International Model United Nations (PIMUN) is an annual model United Nations (MUN) conference taking place in Paris, France. It is run by the students of 18 Parisian universities belonging to the Paris Intercollegiate United Nations Committee (CINUP) represented by a Presidency of CINUP and a Secretary of PIMUN. While PIMUN organizers indicate that it was formed in 2011, some evidence links its foundation to 2008, making it the oldest MUN conference in France. The participants of the conference are university students looking to debate and negotiate about international affairs and diplomacy.
History The origins of PIMUN can be traced back to Sciences Po MUN 2007, the first documented instance of a Model United Nations conference in France. Held at Sciences Po in Paris in February 2007, the first conference simulated four committees. After the 2007 conference, in an interview given to the student newspaper of the university, the Secretary General of the conference first referred to the upcoming 2008 edition as the Paris International Model United Nations. The conference was held under the name of PIMUN at Sciences Po in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Officially, the conference claims to have existed since 2011.
In 2012, the organizing team was enlarged to students from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University, and the Panthéon-Assas University, and the conference was hosted at the UNESCO headquarters. In 2013, students from HEC Paris, the Ecole polytechnique, the ENS, INALCO, ESCP Europe and ESSEC Business School joined the organizing team. Students from Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris Dauphine University, the Catholic University of Paris, HEIP, ILERI and Sorbonne Nouvelle University were amongst the organizing team for the 2025 edition.
For its 2024 edition, the conference was under the High Patronage of Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, under the patronage of the French United Nations Association, and under the Patronage of the French Commission for the UNESCO.
Structure and conference PIMUN primarily simulates committees of the United Nations. Similar to other conferences in Europe and in the world, it features the subcommittees of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, ECOSOC committees and other agencies or institutions belonging to the United Nations family. PIMUN has in the past also simulated intergovernmental organizations and other regional bodies, such as the African Union, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the Organization of American States. In these bodies, participants represent the diplomats of a member state.
PIMUN currently uses the Interconnectivity system for some of its committees. Interconnectivity enables committees and delegates to interact with each other during the simulation, thus creating a more dynamic environment than standard committees, which generally operate autonomously and independently from each other. While participants to interconnectivity committees still simulate being diplomats, others may also embody journalists.
The conference also features crisis committees, which are a more dynamic part of model United Nations. Instead of embodying diplomats and writing resolutions like in classic MUN committees, crisis delegates embody fictional or nonfictional characters and enjoy special portfolio powers, which they can use as they wish throughout the evolving crisis. The conference has featured joint crisis committees, where several committees are in conflict with each other, since at least 2017.
The conference generally lasts three to four days, and has been held once a year since 2011.
CINUP - PIMUN conferences Session Year Dates LocationPresidency CINUP Secretary general PIMUNNameUniversity Name University Guest speakers1 2008February 27–29Sciences PoTarik Peudon-BellalouSciences Po2 2009February 16–18Sciences PoRaphaël Chauvelot-RattierSciences Po3 2010April 27–30Sciences PoSimon PallhuberSciences PoRichard Descoings4 2011May 30 – June 1Sciences PoSciences Po5 2012May 18–20Sciences Po (opening) UNESCORémi RivoalSciences PoGérard Araud6 2013May 31 – June 2Sciences Po UNESCO (closing)Romane ViennetSciences PoBertrand Badie Rachad Ahmed Saleh Farah7 2014May 22–25University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne UNESCO (closing)Gaële BacquéSciences PoJean-Marc Bonnisseau Bernard Miyet
Philippe Cantraine8 2015May 28–31University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne
UNESCO (closing)Hana HudakUniversity of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle9 2016May 24–28OECD (opening) University of Paris 1 Pantheon-SorbonneWilliam ThayUniversity of Paris 1 Pantheon-SorbonneGabriela Ramos Gilles Boeuf
Denis Mercier10 2017May 31 - June 5Sciences Po Palais des Congrès (closing)Farshid FaroukSciences PoMiguel Ángel Moratinos11 2018May 24–27Sciences Po
Institut Catholique de Paris
American Graduate School in ParisJustine JADOTUniversité Paris NanterreMarguerite LassalleInstitut Catholique de ParisBernard Miyet12 2019May 30 - June 2Paris Dauphine University (opening)
University of Paris 1 Pantheon-SorbonneFlorian DARRASScience PoVictor GaonachIRIS Sup'Jean-Marc de La Sablière132021June 1 – 4Paris Dauphine University Éric GuiochonInstitut libre des relations internationales et des sciences politiquesGeorgina LukovicInstitut Catholique de Paris142023May 31 – June 3Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3Éric GuiochonInstitut libre des relations internationales et des sciences politiquesHugo BernySorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3Anne-Claire Legendre152024May 31 – June 4Paris-Panthéon-Assas University
Cité internationale universitaire de ParisCharles JeanneInstitut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco)Vincent RastetterUniversity of Paris 1 Pantheon-SorbonneJean-Maurice Ripert162025June 2 – June 5Paris-Panthéon-Assas UniversityVincent RastetterUniversity of Paris 1 Pantheon- Sorbonne Pablo BertolettiParis-Panthéon-Assas UniversityXing Qu172026May 27 – May 30Institut Catholique de ParisÉric ArnaudUniversité Paris NanterreMorgane WakimParis 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne UniversityÉléonore Caroit Michèle Ramis
Alexandre S. Navarro182027May 26 – May 29Jad HabibParis-Panthéon-Assas UniversityServan GilParis 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
See also
List of model United Nations conferences Model United Nations
References