“Oui, oui, baguette” are the first things we hear when thinking about France. But instead, with our new French committee at THIMUN 2026, we are going to be hearing much more of “Merci Madame la Présidente” during the conferences. This is the first time THIMUN is holding a committee that won’t be speaking English. This is because the United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. THIMUN is working more and more towards a realistic approach to the United Nations.
French MUNs aren’t new to The Hague. Before the pandemic, the French School of The Hague hosted the MFNU (Modèle Francophone des Nations Unies), a Model United Nations entirely in French. This event gave French students from all around the world the opportunity to communicate and debate geopolitics in total confidence. However, with the pandemic, the MFNU couldn’t be organized anymore, and for five years the board of directors has been working towards a way to integrate a francophone committee into THIMUN.
The French Committee will be held like a standard THIMUN conference, except in another language. It will focus on subjects such as Iran’s nuclear program, the impact of protectionist policies on international trade, and the issue of returning works of art to their countries of origin.
Being a part of this committee will be a challenge for both old and new arrivals. Delegates will have to learn new ways of speaking in a UN conference in French. The resolutions and dialogue between delegates will follow the same structure, but longer and more complex than its English equivalent.
The UN having a wide range of languages in its holster is a valuable aspect that should not be dismissed while organizing THIMUN. Creating new spaces for a variety of languages opens the door to a more inclusive environment. It supports this year’s theme of Culture & Heritage. The French committee does not let language barriers hinder students who aren’t comfortable with English, or on the contrary, allows others to challenge themselves. Participating in this committee can help test language skills and learn new ones.
Let’s hope for the best for this new committee. And who knows? If the French committee gets a permanent place in THIMUN, maybe will THIMUN be able to open up committees in different languages such as Arabic or Spanish?
