Message from the Secretary General 

Esteemed directors, distinguished delegates, and most-welcomed guests,

On behalf of the conference Secretariat, it is our greatest honor to welcome you to the 10th iteration of SMICMUN, hosted at the SMIC Private School Shanghai. As Secretary-Generals, we are proud to see SMICMUN's growth over the years, where it will serve as the first conference in China to offer a merit-based scholarship program to delegates in need. We implore you take advantage of this opportunity and to reflect deeply upon our annual theme, Beyond the Numbers.

A photograph of one suffering child can transform public opinion about an issue. A photo of two suffering children, not so much. As explained by psychologist Paul Slovic, "One life is valuable, but that life loses value, perceptually, if it is part of a larger tragedy." Slovic's argument forms the basis of this year's theme, Beyond the Numbers. Termed "psychic numbing," such an indifference towards overwhelming calamity reduces many human rights issues into distant numbers. Furthered in Distant Suffering, Luc Boltanski reveals that the modern public and policymakers experience suffering from a position of detachment. Political leaders discuss crises through reports and data projections, military operations are reduced to coordinates and targets, and the public consumes suffering through desensitizing numbers. We watch as some leaders and ordinary people alike respond with heedlessness and even cruelty to the calamities of Covid-19, the climate crisis, wars, and other disasters around the globe.

At SMICMUN X, Beyond the Numbers asks delegates to examine global issues without losing sight of the people affected by them. Across every committee, participants will confront challenges defined by massive quantities: displaced populations, economic losses, military expenditures, death tolls, and so forth. Behind every figure lies an individual reality that policy debates often overlook. Whether discussing armed conflict, humanitarian aid, climate migration, healthcare inequities, or emerging technologies, this conference encourages delegates to consider not only how crises are measured, but also how they are experienced. To lead responsibly in the modern world requires the ability to see beyond the numbers.

You are not a statistic. Every individual has a story to tell, and at SMICMUN X, we invite you to expand upon that narrative. Through speeches, debates, and collaboration, we hope SMICMUN can embody the true spirit of Model United Nations. We look forward to seeing everyone in November. 

Warm Regards,

Ethan Zhu, Secretary-General

Olivia Tai, Deputy Secretary-General