by Mathew Rex
First: I like Dutch Waffles. A lot.
Second: THIMUN is here. For many of us, the last level, the final boss.
We arrived into Amsterdam on Sunday, from Basel, with much of the day remaining. This would be the day we would finally split as a group, into our pairs, with whom we would spend the week in The Hague.
Our host families were more than happy to see us, and we were welcomed with open arms into nice homes. I guess with all the travelling we’ve been doing, it’s easy to lose the feel of a real home, but our families have reminded us of that.
Monday bought an entire day of lobbying, and for most, trying to meet new people. And by new people, I mean people who had social skills greater than the walls. It was good though, talking to people from all over the world, and finding out what the “I” in “THIMUN” stands for (“International”. Really international – people from everywhere!).
Just a general life tip though: Don’t ever listen to strange Dutch boys who tell you to follow them. Even if they are in your delegation. Four lost delegates can support that notion. Nothing too serious though, and nothing that our directors (thanks Kat, Helen, and David!) couldn’t fix by calling us a cab.
Tuesday was a bit more intense, though only slightly. Many of us delivered our opening speeches, which on the whole were pretty good. More lobbying followed, and many of us made friends with the German delegation representing New Zealand. They were actually pretty relaxed, which was cool. We joked that they were authentically Kiwi – all relaxed and ready for a trip to the beach. Germans are all good.
Wednesday brought the real heavy stuff though: debate started. A general feeling of relief came over most of us come lunchtime though, with feelings of both exhaustion and accomplishment, as our first two resolutions were debated, and for some of us, passed.
It was Wednesday afternoon that we were waiting for though, with the trip to both the NZ embassy and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The reception at the NZ embassy for The Netherlands was good. We were able to have a very relaxed, open, and informal discussion with the First Secretary, Bronwyn Shanks, about the nature of the relationship between NZ and The Netherlands. We learned much, such as the importance of Te Reo Maori in international political affairs.
The ICJ was something else entirely. We had the honour of being greeted by New Zealand’s first (and only) judge in the ICJ, Sir Kenneth Keith. Sir Ken himself is a grandmaster of law, and a former Judge of the New Zealand Court of Appeal, amongst other tribunals – including in my homeland, Niue. His knowledge of international law was something that really struck us, as did his wisdom. His experience and intellectual sharpness was something that was not lost, after all the years in his profession. Anecdotes of influential cases, mixed with stories of interesting people kept us very entertained, and wide awake.
On a personal note, Sir Kenneth recognised my name, Rex, and was able to talk to me about my family history. That was something that I took great pride in. Turns out the world’s not so big after all.
Dinner with the delegation at a Thai restaurant was great, and a toast shared between some of the boys topped off an awesome night.
With more to come from The Hague, it’s hard to tell how the week will end, but if it’s anything like the week so far, then it will be awesome. That’s enough from me though, and from The Netherlands, I say tot ziens (Laters, in Dutch).
