“MUN is chaotic enough. Be that point of stability.”

Have you ever attended a chairs’ social? Well, KaMUN 2024 was my second experience, and let’s just say, it was wild. A raclette night mixed with debate-themed games? Absolute paradise for MUN lovers.

One game, in particular, stood out. We had to defend random arguments, and this guy passionately made a case that shoes can be worn without socks. A bold take, sure, but something about his conviction (and the fact that he looked like an actor, though I still can’t place which one) caught my attention. That was my first impression of Pepijn.

Pepijn is 21 years old and a International Studies student at Leiden University in The Hague. He’s got a deep love for MUN and chess, an elite combination, if you ask me. His MUN journey started most unexpectedly: stumbling across a tiny stand for Leiden MUN in the university cafeteria. “I was curious but unsure. What did I even know about diplomacy? I thought I wouldn’t get it.”

Luckily, after some convincing from friends (and Yasemin who had done IEMUN 2022 prep track), he decided to give it a shot and applied for Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) 2023, one of the biggest and most prestigious MUN conferences out there.

To his surprise, he got an interview invitation while chilling at a friend’s place. “He didn’t care, but I was thrilled,” he admits. He had to prepare a speech as Ali Khamenei and defend Iran’s stance on the death of Mahsa Amini. And of course, suit required! 

“The interview room was intimidating. Nicklas and Marieke, two board members at the time, were there, hitting me with tough questions I hadn’t prepared for. Naming Arctic countries? Listing the last five UN Secretary-Generals? My brain just blanked.”

Despite some stumbles, he pushed through, and the next day, he got the call: he made it. “For ten minutes, I just sat there, taking it in. Then, I immediately said yes.” From there, his MUN journey truly took off: weekly skill labs, three-hour mock sessions, and months of preparation. And he loved every second of it.

At HNMUN, he represented Venezuela in the Human Rights Council alongside Eloise. “Our entire delegation had Venezuela across different committees, so we compiled an extensive research drive, over 100 pages of notes.” His top advice for beginners? Fully embrace your country’s role. 

After several conferences, he earned the coveted Best Delegate title, specifically in UNSC. “Drink a lot of coffee,” he jokes. But in reality, he believes the best delegates have the biggest impact in the room. 

After his delegate success, he took on a new challenge: chairing. “When Nazan (one of our MUN stars) asked me to chair KaMUN 2024 with them, I knew it was the perfect way to learn.” With his co-chairs Janika and Nazan, he had a fantastic experience, especially seeing first-time delegates grow throughout the conference. Of course, chairing wasn’t the only thing that made KaMUN special: MUN Command. “It keeps track of motions, organizes debate flow, I’m seriously impressed.”

If that wasn’t enough, Pepijn is now Head of Academics for LeiMUN 2025. His job is overseeing the substantive side of the conference: setting the theme, designing committees, and acting as the bridge between chairs and the event itself. His vision for the upcoming edition is “Something local, something meaningful.” He has already crafted an exciting conference commtitees, incorporating topics that tie into both Leiden and The Hague.

Outside of MUN, Pepijn has another passion, teaching. He travels to high schools across the Netherlands, giving debate workshops. “While it’s not exactly MUN, it shares a lot of similarities.” His biggest challenge is dealing with teenagers. “Keeping their attention is a skill in itself,” he laughs. But his experience as an MUN chair, leading discussions, managing people, and engaging an audience, has been invaluable. He’s also trained new chairs for an upcoming conference (yes, I’m proud of him).

Pepijn has countless funny MUN stories, but this one is a classic: during a Leiden MUN prep session for EuroMUN 2023, the group was running a UNSC mock debate. Near the end, the P5 stepped out for their own private meeting. Meanwhile, the rest of the committee voted to close the debate, shut the door, and passed the resolution without them (interpreting the UN Charter however they saw fit).

MUN has shaped Pepijn in so many ways teaching him professionalism, leadership, responsibility, and diplomacy. “More than anything, it has given me a passion for international relations and deal-making.”

As we wrapped up, I couldn’t help but think: one day, I’d love to share a committee with him. Not as delegates (because, let’s be honest, that would be a diplomatic crisis in the making), but maybe as co-chairs. We’d balance each other out, keep the debates lively, and maybe even create the most unforgettable committee yet. If MUN has taught me anything, it’s that the right relationship can make all the difference, both in diplomacy and beyond.