How can the trade and trafficking of illicit arms be stopped? Are there ways to regulate the use of chemical and biological weapons in modern warfare? How about climate-induced migration and social protection programmes in developing regions?

These are just a few topics of discussion that CISSMUN XV: Chorus of Change conference participants had to tackle.

The Concordia International School Shanghai Model United Nations (CISSMUN) event is a part of the Model UN Conferences constellation, and it is affiliated with The Hague International Model United Nations conference (THIMUN).

Participants from countries like the US, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, Japan, Korea, the UAE, Iran, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, and others came together to debate, draft resolutions, and engage in negotiations, much like members of the UN and its various committees have to.

The prestigious three-day model UN conference follows the strict procedures of THIMUN, one of the most formal and structured formats. Delegates and representatives have to craft their opening speeches, participate in intense lobbying, and have their resolutions passed through an approval panel. The format emphasises clause-by-clause amendments and debates that have each resolution scrutinised extensively before it gets voted on.

Apart from having to participate in traditional general assemblies, delegates in CISSMUN also join specialised committees like the International Criminal Court (ICC), International Court of Justice (ICJ), UNICEF, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and various others. Each committee looks at a specific topic. Themes range from climate change to refugee crises across the world and methods to effectively combat cybercrime.

In 2025, CISSMUN brought together over 800 participants from 55 schools. The 2026 edition of the conference was equally impressive and diverse. The latest conference had over 700 attendees from over 60 schools worldwide. The British School of Sofia (BSS) was proudly one of them.

BSS students frequently benefit from such opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Prestigious events like CISSMUN provide chances to test knowledge, connect with peers from different parts of the world, and put learning in a real-world context. We believe that conferences and competitions are culturally, socially, and academically enriching. This is why they’re employed as a tool to broaden horizons and emphasise practical, real-world knowledge acquisition.