Harvard MUN Online — December 5–6, 2026
Harvard Model United Nations Online takes place December 5–6, 2026, from home on Zoom. Beijing sessions continue into December 7. This page provides the topics, schedule, sign-up instructions, and self-paced preparation resources. Students already trained in Model UN can use this opportunity to practice; additional coaching is optional. Each committee button below opens its reports, images, videos and graphic novels. I am looking forward to working with you. –Coach Bill
Sign up for December 5–6 through HMDC — deadline November 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific; $75 per delegate. Read the sign-up steps below.
Harvard MUN Online — December 5–6, 2026
Choose a committee below and review the topic. Each committee button opens the December research and training for that committee, and the last button holds the sign-up form and the coaching request. Coaching is available if helpful and is not required.
HMDC sign-up deadline: November 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific. Fee: $75 per delegate.
Most preferred committee first (1 = WHO). The topics below are for the December conference.
Quick Facts
December conference
December 5-6, 2026
HMDC deadline: Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Harvard deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026. Coach Bill registers us with Harvard, so we only fill out the HMDC form.
Where
Online (Zoom)
We each need a quiet room, reliable internet, a working camera, and a working microphone for the whole weekend.
Cost
$75 per delegate
Paid from the family deposit when Coach Bill enrolls us. Confirm payment and cancellation terms with Coach Bill before enrolling.
Eligibility
Age 13+; high school students or recent graduates
College students are not eligible. Coach Bill confirms every HMDC entry before enrolling.
Awards
Same awards as in Boston
Every delegate receives a certificate that can be checked online. Coach Bill will confirm the award list.
Harvard's own pages: harvardmun.org/hmun-online (we read them, but we never register there ourselves).
PRIVATE PAGE FOR HMDC FAMILIES
This page is shared only by link, and anyone with the link can open it without signing in. Please do not post the link publicly. It is not listed in search engines. No bots allowed: search crawlers, scrapers, AI training tools and any other automated copying of this page or its files are not permitted, except HMDC’s own tools.
Committees, Training and Sign-up
Each numbered button opens one committee, with its research on the left and its training on the right. Model UN Training holds the procedure that every committee shares, and the last button holds the sign-up and the coaching request. Every student should still read the assigned chair’s official background guide and instructions.
01. WHO
World Health Organization
This committee works on world health. It helps countries fight disease, share medicine, and keep people healthy, because sickness in one country can spread to many others. General Assembly committee (up to 70 delegates).
Topic: Social Effects of Addiction
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
02. UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
This committee supports education, science, and culture. It helps countries build schools, protect important places, and share knowledge, because learning connects people across borders (~70 Delegates).
Topic: COVID-19 Education and Technology Gaps
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
03. UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund
This committee protects children. It works to give every child food, safety, and a chance to go to school, because children cannot speak for themselves in world affairs. General Assembly committee (up to 70 delegates).
Topic: Food Waste, Recovery, and Farmland Restoration
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
04. SOCHUM
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
This committee works on human rights and how people live. It discusses culture, freedom, and fairness, because every country treats its people differently. General Assembly committee (up to 70 delegates).
Topic: Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
05. LEGAL
Legal Committee
This committee works on international law, which is the set of rules that countries agree to follow. It decides how those rules apply to the new problems that technology creates. (~70 delegates).
Topic: Cyberwarfare Case Studies
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
06. DISEC
Disarmament and International Security Committee
This committee works on weapons and safety between countries. It looks for ways to control dangerous weapons, because fewer weapons make the world safer. General Assembly committee (up to 70 delegates).
Topic: Drone Surveillance and Privacy
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
07. SPECIAL SESSION
Special Session on Terrorism
This committee meets for one urgent subject: terrorism. It searches for ways that countries can stop violent groups together, because no country can stop them alone. Specialized committee (20 to 40 delegates).
Topic: State Sovereignty and Intervention
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
08. SPECPOL
Special Political and Decolonization Committee
This committee handles political problems that do not fit anywhere else, such as land, borders, and peacekeeping, because some disputes need a room of their own. General Assembly committee (up to 70 delegates).
Topic: Corporations, Surveillance, Privacy, and Accountability
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
09. FUTURISTIC SC
Futuristic Security Council
This committee imagines the United Nations Security Council in the year 2100. Delegates respond to a future crisis that has not happened yet, which rewards quick thinking more than research. (20 to 40 delegates).
Topic: Security Council of 2100: Use of Space
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
10. MONGOL
Mongol Empire 1225 Committee
This committee travels back to the year 1225, when Genghis Khan ruled the Mongol Empire. Delegates act as his advisors during a crisis that keeps changing, which makes every session different. (20 to 40 delegates).
Topic: Death of Genghis Khan
COMMITTEE EXPLAINED
TOPIC PANEL
Research on the left, training on the right. Full report (PDF)
RESEARCH
The United Nations
International Efforts
TRAINING
How to Do Model United Nations
How to Prepare the Position Paper
How to Perform as a Delegate
Voting and resolutions in depth: see In-Depth Training.
11. MODEL UN TRAINING
Procedure every committee shares
These lessons cover the procedure that every committee uses, from raising a point and making a motion to writing a resolution and following a vote. Because the rules are the same in every General Assembly committee, we study them once and use them all weekend. The specialized committees, the Futuristic Security Council and the Mongol Empire, also use directives and crisis updates, so their samples sit here as well. It helps to watch the video first, then read the guide, and then try the steps aloud with a partner.
POINTS, MOTIONS AND VOTING (HMDC GUIDE)
SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES: DIRECTIVES AND CRISIS UPDATES (HMDC GUIDE)
WRITING A RESOLUTION
UNDERSTANDING VOTING
12. SIGN UP
Harvard Model United Nations Online, December 5–6, 2026
This form signs a student up for Harvard Model United Nations Online on December 5–6, 2026. The HMDC deadline is November 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific, one day before Harvard’s own deadline, so that every delegate can be registered with Harvard in time; families do not register on Harvard’s website. The fee is $75 per delegate, and a parent must approve the sign-up before it can be sent. The parent email or WeChat ID is how your coach reaches the family with the confirmation and the next steps.
The sign-up form is loading…
12. COACHING
One-hour sessions with your coach
Coaching gives a delegate one hour of focused practice with your coach, such as shaping a position paper, rehearsing an opening speech, or practising points, motions and voting. Every HMDC delegate may ask for one session or for a series of sessions. Please choose your time zone first, because every time you enter is read in that zone, and the form shows the matching time in Beijing and New York as you go. Your coach checks the calendar and confirms one time by email.
Student
Time Zone
Please choose the place closest to you. Every time you enter below is read in this time zone.
Number of Sessions
Your Three Choices
Thank you. Your request has been sent.
Your coach will confirm one time by email. Please check your inbox, including the spam folder.
Sign Up for December 5–6
Complete the HMDC sign-up form by November 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific. The fee is $75 per delegate.
Harvard’s own registration deadline is November 6, 2026. We sign up through HMDC one day earlier so that Coach Bill has time to register every delegate with Harvard, and families do not register with Harvard separately.
- Open the sign-up form with the button below. No sign-in is needed.
- Complete the form with a parent, including a parent email or WeChat ID and the parent approval question.
- Submit the form and wait for Coach Bill to confirm your entry and arrange Harvard enrollment and payment from the family deposit. Contact Coach Bill if you do not receive confirmation.
Submitting the HMDC form expresses interest; it does not guarantee a seat. Do not register separately on Harvard’s website. Coach Bill handles Harvard enrollment after confirming each student.
Students already trained in Model UN can prepare independently with self-paced resources. Extra coaching is optional and available as needed.
Our Ten-Step Preparation Process
These are the steps we follow together before and during the conference.
- Decide and Sign Up: We talk with our parents, agree that the dates and the cost work for our family, and then use the sign-up form so the coaching staff knows we plan to attend.
- Learn the Schedule and Review Our Skills: We study the schedule on this page, and we begin reviewing our Model UN skills with the self-paced materials that Coach Bill provides here.
- Build a Country Profile: When our country arrives, we complete a one-page country profile from Coach Bill's template, which shows our government, our alliances, and our partners at a glance. Most of all, we learn our country's position on the topic, because we speak for a government, not for one person.
- Read the Chair's Documents First: When our committee arrives, we read everything that the chair and the Harvard staff have written within 24 hours, especially the topic documents, because everything that follows is built on them.
- Introduce Ourselves to the Chair: Within 24 to 48 hours, we email the chair a short introduction that thanks them for their materials and asks one smart question, which quietly shows that we have already read them. Coach Bill helps us with this letter.
- Study the Training Materials: Coach Bill's videos, infographics, and graphic novels cover the committee, the topic, and the history behind it. Then we find strong facts of our own that go beyond them.
- Gather Five Kinds of Knowledge: We learn the topic, our country, what our country has done about the topic, what the United Nations has done, and the solutions that other organizations have tried, because each kind of knowledge feeds the position paper.
- Write the Position Paper: One page that holds our best facts, figures, and solutions, including what our country has done and what the United Nations has done. The chair announces the due date, so we finish early and study our own paper.
- Write and Practice Speeches: Our speeches come from the position paper and speak in our country's voice: welcoming and ready to work with everyone. We practice delivery, polite rebuttals, and parliamentary procedure, so that we can make motions instead of watching.
- Welcome to the Conference: We identify problems, work with others on solutions, build the working paper, gather signatures, present the draft resolution, and vote. The closing ceremony follows with awards, and afterward we read every piece of feedback to get ready for the next conference.
December Conference Schedule
Harvard runs on Boston time, so our Beijing times fall late at night and early in the morning. We keep the whole weekend free.
| Part of the conference | Boston (Eastern) | Beijing (December) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Ceremonies | Sat 8:00 - 9:00 am | Sat 9:00 - 10:00 pm |
| Committee Session I | Sat 9:30 am - 12:30 pm | Sat 10:30 pm - Sun 1:30 am |
| Committee Session II | Sat 2:00 - 5:00 pm | Sun 3:00 - 6:00 am |
| Committee Session III | Sat 6:30 - 9:00 pm | Sun 7:30 - 10:00 am |
| Committee Session IV | Sun 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Sun 10:00 pm - Mon 1:00 am |
| Committee Session V | Sun 1:30 - 5:00 pm | Mon 2:30 - 6:00 am |
| Closing Ceremonies | Sun 7:00 - 8:00 pm | Mon 8:00 - 9:00 am |
Harvard's page: conference schedule.
Our Preferred Countries and Committees
Harvard lets us rank the countries and the committees we would like. They are assigned to us after we enroll and pay the fee, and the committee sometimes arrives later than the country. HMDC plans to request the following.
Countries: China, United States of America, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Germany, and Switzerland.
Committees (most preferred first): WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, SOCHUM, Legal Committee, DISEC, Special Session on Terrorism, SPECPOL, Futuristic Security Council, and Mongol Empire 1225 Committee. Harvard's list: committee list.