From corridors to conferences: Scotland’s youth step onto the global stage

United Nations House Scotland (UNHS) is part of the United Nations Association Scotland, a charitable organisation that promotes the UN's goals locally. Located in central Edinburgh and powered entirely by volunteers, the organisation aims to enable Scottish youth voices to be heard from the community level up to international diplomacy. UNHS furthers its mission through 12 youth-led teams focused on issues like human trafficking, disarmament, human rights and climate change. A core programme is Model United Nations, a programme where students roleplay as UN delegates and practise skills like resolution writing, lobbying and voting.

Project
In 2024, UNHS was awarded philanthropic funds to develop a yearlong Model United Nations (MUN) initiative across eight Scottish schools. The project aimed to align with Scotland’s curriculum goals by fostering confident, responsible, and cooperative citizens. Funding was provided to hire a dedicated Project Coordinator who would produce educational materials, link global issues to classroom learning, and support UNHS youth teams.

Impact
Activities kicked off in 2024 when UNHS connected with Liberton High School and its four feeder primaries to launch clubs across age groups. The secondary club ran for 14 weeks with 20 students from S1–S6, while Prestonfield Primary hosted a 5-week club for 15 P7 pupils. UNHS also delivered several conferences, including a one-day event at Liberton High School for 60 S1 students on food security.

Adam, a Liberton High School student, shared: 

“I joined the club because I’d enjoyed debating before. I definitely have a much broader knowledge of world affairs. I am really interested in seeing what different compromises, amendments and clauses people can come up with to find solutions.” 

His confidence grew as he collaborated with peers and negotiated with other country delegates. And it wasn’t just students who benefitted from the programme.

Jehan Al-Azzawi, Global Citizenship teacher at Liberton, praised the initiative: 

“Working with UN House Scotland to set up MUN Clubs has been an invaluable addition to our learning offer… The young people who attend our weekly MUN club thoroughly look forward to these debates and are developing skills such as critical thinking, verbal communication and debating that will no doubt be of value not just to their other curricular learning but life outside the school too.”

Outside of the classroom, UNHS gave the keynote presentation at a large-scale conference which was held at Peebles High School with 120 students from 10 different schools. In February 2025, UNHS also hosted a successful conference at Heriot-Watt University, engaging 60 students from six beginner MUN schools.

This yearlong initiative has laid a strong foundation for embedding Model UN into Scottish education. By combining weekly clubs, impactful conferences, and cross-sector partnerships, UNHS empowered students to engage with global issues while developing vital skills in diplomacy, communication, and critical thinking. 

The project’s reach—from primary classrooms to university campuses—demonstrates its broad appeal and long-term potential. With growing interest from schools across Scotland and strong support from educators, UNHS is well-positioned to expand its MUN programme, ensuring more young people gain the tools and confidence to become active, informed global citizens.