THIMUN 2026 Officially Opens
Co-written by Sarah Latin, Aksel Castel-branco, Mariya Dembytska
Yesterday’s Opening Ceremony officially marked the beginning of the prestigious THIMUN 2026, with multiple high-profile guest speakers bringing their wisdom and expertise to the conference on the topic of Culture and Heritage.
The ceremony kicked off with a very special guest indeed. The 3,000+ delegates, chairpeople, admins and staff attending the ceremony had the chance to hear inspirational words from UN Secretary General António Guterres, who highlighted the importance of international cooperation to maintain peace and solve global issues.
Afterwards came a heartwarming display of international representation: all the flags of the 235 represented delegations were seen flowing down the aisles of the auditorium with the heads of the bearers held high and flags held even higher. They presented for all to see the national importance they carry as a testament to international cooperation and diplomacy.
Subsequently, the first guest speaker was introduced: Dr. Nigel Crawhall, Chief of Section for Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge in the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO. He spoke on the topics of language, diversity and the significance of authenticity, saying that “most of human knowledge is not written down.” Crawhall reinforced how embracing different cultures and heritages is what our world consists of as he shared personal learning experiences with indigenous communities.
Additionally, we were joined by the Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague, Jan van Zanen. He highlighted the importance of communication, understanding and compromise, thanking the delegates for participating in the city of The Hague as their global hub of international cooperation for 58 years. Van Zanen ended with words of encouragement: “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
Director of THIMUN 2026 Alain Meidinger spoke next, reiterating the widespread influence of indigenous communities worldwide. He presented a variety of unique perspectives on culture and heritage, praising photographer Jimmy Nelson’s “Before They Pass Away” for its “precise and visually documented record.” Alain then highlighted that a great majority of these communities have only grown stronger in recent years, reminding us that many indigenous influencers have recently begun to capture the spotlight on social media platforms. Finally, he took a moment to honor the memory of influencers Yaqeen Hammad and Mohammad “Medo” Halimy, both killed in the Gaza War at ages 11 and 19.
Mr. Meidinger was followed by a musical interlude from the choir of the American School of The Hague. Their performance of the song “Speechless” beautifully reinforced the theme of Culture and Heritage through its lyrics. Their voices became symbolic of the plight of communities whose languages and traditions are challenged. The choir transformed the lyrics into something universal and deeply resonant.
The full auditorium gave a warm welcome to this year’s Secretary‑General, Anoushka Tandon, as she took the stage. Anoushka began her speech by asking the audience a question: “Who are we, and why?” She reminded everyone that MUN is a space for cultural exchange and that the objective is not only to be heard but to collaborate. To value the experience and make the most of every moment, she emphasized that we will not remember every individual clause we debated, but everything we felt during this week will stick with us long after THIMUN 2026.
