On April 5, 2025, the Office of Student Affairs (SAO) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) held the opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the NDU Model United Nations (MUN) Final Conference. The event brought together more than 400 student delegates from over 20 schools across Lebanon, reflecting the University’s enduring commitment to global citizenship, youth leadership, and peacebuilding.
The ceremony welcomed a distinguished audience, including NDU President Fr. Bechara Khoury, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Imran Riza, NDU Administrators, School directors, MUN advisors, and members of the NDU community.
The event began with a stirring performance of the Lebanese National Anthem and the NDU Anthem, delivered by the NDU Choir.
In his welcoming address, Secretary-General Georges Khoury reflected on the journey leading to this final conference. He acknowledged the delegates’ persistence, resilience, and growth over the course of the program, reminding them that “the stress endured will soon turn into memories of healthy competition and achievement.” Urging them to debate with purpose and remain composed under pressure, Khoury concluded by thanking the NDU MUN Executive Team—the Under-Secretary Generals, Heads of Committees, and heads of departments—for their dedication, without whom, he noted, “the 5th NDU MUN experience would have never happened.”
NDU MUN Advisor Dr. Maria Njaim then addressed the audience with a heartfelt speech. She began by expressing her gratitude to the NDU administration and the Office of Student Affairs—particularly Dr. Charbel Zgheib, Dean of Students—for their steadfast support in ensuring the program’s continuity during a period marked by uncertainty and national crisis. She highlighted how, despite a collapsing economy, mounting political instability, and a war in the region, the NDU MUN program not only persisted but expanded as well. “This journey was driven by our collective belief in the transformative power of education,” she said, encouraging students to embrace the final conference as a space of discovery, growth, and collaboration.
NDU President Fr. Bechara Khoury also celebrated the spirit of the MUN initiative and its ability to cultivate future leaders grounded in empathy and dialogue. He praised the delegates’ commitment to diplomacy, active listening, and civil discourse, highlighting how these values are not only central to international relations but essential to any path students may choose in life. Fr. Khoury emphasized that the world today needs thinkers who can also feel, decision-makers who can also listen, and leaders who know how to stand firm without closing the door to others. In a message of hope and responsibility, he called on students to carry forward the values they’ve embraced throughout their MUN experience into their personal and professional lives, regardless of the fields they pursue, and to remain engaged citizens who champion justice, understanding, and peace.
The floor was then given to Mr. Imran Riza, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, whose remarks underscored the relevance of youth-led diplomacy in shaping the future. "The challenges we face today—conflict, climate change, economic and humanitarian crises—are alarming, but solutions can only be found through enhanced cooperation and dialogue,” said Riza. “The United Nations remains a vital platform for diplomacy and peace, but it is your generation, the youth, that holds the key to forging new paths forward. Your ideas matter. Your actions matter. Your commitment matters.”
Following his speech, the NDU Choir returned with a performance that celebrated unity, resilience, and the power of collective voice.
Certificates of participation were then distributed to school representatives, marking a moment of recognition for the students’ hard work and commitment. As the formal ceremony concluded, delegates were guided to their respective committees, where two days of thoughtful debate, negotiation, and diplomacy awaited.