Keynote Speaker 2024:
Each year, the keynote speaker at JCYMUN conference plays a pivotal role in setting the tone and inspiring delegates for the deliberations ahead. This distinguished individual is typically an expert in international relations, diplomacy, or a related field, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the MUN stage. The keynote speaker's address serves as an enlightening and motivating preamble, offering insights into the global challenges facing the world today. Their words not only provide context for the conference theme but also encourage delegates to think critically, collaborate effectively, and approach the simulation with a deep understanding of real-world diplomatic intricacies. As a beacon of wisdom, the keynote speaker sparks enthusiasm and underscores the importance of diplomacy, fostering an atmosphere of intellectual engagement and constructive dialogue throughout the Model United Nations conference. This year, we are very fortunate to have Neil Hans Buhne as our opening speaker.
About
Neil Hans Buhne
Neil retired two years ago after 37 years serving the United Nations in 9 countries and working in many others. Through these years, Neil focused on helping the United Nations better work together to serve people at the country level, through development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding.
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He is from Windsor Ontario and is a Canadian and Swiss citizen. He graduated with an M.A from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. He lives in a small village in eastern Switzerland with his wife and with visits from his two sons who graduated from McGill respectively five and seven years ago. There, he helps his wife with looking after a 250-year-old house and barn, runs, mountain hikes, learns Swiss German and is beginning to develop goat shepherding skills.
About Neil
Most recently, he was the Regional Director, Asia-Pacific for the United Nations Development Coordination Office based in Bangkok, starting up and leading an office that provided oversight and support to 24 UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in the region; after concluding 4 years in Pakistan as United Nations Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator. He was also UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Sri Lanka from 2007 to 2011 during the last years of the 30-year civil conflict. Before that he was UN RC/UNDP RR in Bulgaria from 2003 to 2007, and UN RC/UNDP RR in Belarus from 1999 to 2003, as well as Acting RC and UNDP RR/Deputy RR in Malaysia from 1995 to 1999.
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He began his UN career with UNDP in Sri Lanka in October 1984, and then in Sudan, Bhutan, and Pakistan. From 2011 to 2015, he led UNDP’s engagement with the humanitarian and peace-building communities and as Director of UNDP’s Geneva office. Though now retired as a full-time international civil servant, he remains engaged with the issues and work of the UN. He is currently a Research Associate with the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) in the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and a Professor of Practice at McGill University in Montreal, and also serves as a consultant to the UN and UN country teams.
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Neil was until the end of 2021, the Regional Director, Asia-Pacific for the United Nations Development Coordination Office based in Bangkok, providing support to 24 UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in the region.
If there is a specific subject you'd like Neil to address in his talk, kindly inform us by reaching out to jcymun@jcymun.org