Dear delegates, student officers, MUN directors and guests,

My name is Emilie O'Herne and I will have the honor and pleasure of serving as one of your Deputy Secretary Generals at THIMUN 2008.

Though my surname might suggest a different heritage, I am Dutch and have lived in the Netherlands for most of my life. I am 17 years old and am currently in my final year of high school at the Rijnlands Lyceum Wassenaar. Outside of MUN and other related activities I enjoy reading, field hockey, horse riding and spending time with my friends and family.

I once started doing MUN to enhance my public speaking skills and to improve my command of the English language, but over time it has sparked a real passion for global issues in me. Being given the chance to discuss such important issues with people my own age has been and still is a truly enriching experience.

Global warming is one of those important issues. It affects all of us in the end, though young people like ourselves in particular. After all, we will be the ones living on this planet for years to come. If we start discussing the topic now, future steps may yet make a positive change in what is one of the most pressing concerns of our time.

Someone once told me that most decisions within the UN are reached inside the Vienna Café and other such places in and around the UN headquarters. You will find that you will likewise be able to learn a lot about your fellow THIMUN participants and their various backgrounds during the social activities that will no doubt take place after the conference itself. It will allow you to understand different cultures and points of view in ways that you may have never before.

It is these two aspects – the serious debate and the social opportunities – which have kept me coming back to MUN conferences for over the past 3 years. By now I've been to a number of MUNs in a variety of positions and have participated in THIMUN's Youth Assembly four times. I could not think of a better way to end my high school MUN career than to be able to contribute to an amazing conference such as THIMUN.

I am looking forward to working with you and hope the conference will once again be a great experience for all of its participants,

Best wishes,
Emilie O'Herne