Berlin Bound! 2023

With nearly a month to go until Harvard WorldMUN 2023 in Paris, the delegation from Friedrich Schiller University Jena made their way to Berlin to further their preparations for the conference. After a close connection in Erfurt, the group arrived in Berlin just before 10 am on February 16th to begin their day of diplomatic appointments.

The first stop was the Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica since this is the country that FSU will represent at WorldMUN 2023. The delegates were greeted with Costa Rican coffee and met with both the Chargé d'affaires Ms. Eugenia Gutiérrez Ruíz and Consular Minister Ms. Marianela Álvarez Blanco. Ms. Gutiérrez Ruíz and Ms. Álvarez Blanco helped answer questions about Costa Rica's perspective on each of the WorldMUN committee topics. They also introduced the delegates to several aspects of Costa Rica's mindset in international affairs, such as the preeminence of international law in all issues and the importance of human rights-focused policymaking.

Next, the group headed to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with Ms. Michaela Gastiger, a ministry advisor who focuses on Central America. She explained how Germany views Costa Rica as Germany's primary partner in Latin America and talked through several examples of German-Costa Rican cooperation. In particular, she highlighted how Costa Rica is a role model for other countries in the region on issues such as sustainable energy, climate protection, and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

After the Foreign Ministry, the delegation hustled to the final appointment at the French Embassy as France is the official host of this year's WorldMUN. Once there, delegates met with representatives from both the Cultural Bureau as well as the Political Bureau including Mr. Thomas Guilbert (First Consular), Mr. Bernard Ludwig (Attaché for French-German Higher Education Cooperation) and Ms. Joëlle Coureau (Political Officer focusing on Foreign Policy). In addition to being toured through a few corners of the architecturally unique building, the delegates enjoyed an in-depth discussion with the French diplomats on the Franco-German relationship.

Finally, the group made their way back to the Berlin main station and headed home to Jena. It was an eventful day full of informative discussions that helped the WorldMUN delegation get even more excited to represent Costa Rica in Paris!