Senior secondary school students take part in Model United Nations General Assembly in Whanganui

Whanganui High School students Ben Power, Nanea Schurhammer and Ali Gammeter make India's case at the Model UN General Assembly.

Global warming, nuclear disarmament and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar were the focus for students attending the Model United Nations General Assembly in Whanganui.

Twenty-eight senior students from Whanganui Girls' College, Whanganui High School, Wanganui Collegiate and Nga Tawa took part in the debate about world issues on Friday at Whanganui Girls' College.

The event was organised by the Wanganui branch of the United Nations Association of New Zealand. President Kate Smith said the senior group was much smaller this year because many students who participated in previous years had now left secondary school and interested junior students had not yet moved up to the senior classes.

Representing Greece are (from left) Leila Collinson, Rhea Colaabavala and Josie Verhaaren.

The students, in teams of two or three, represented UN members Germany, Vietnam, Greece, Thailand, Haiti, Seychelles, India, Norway, Japan and Malaysia. They had researched the country they represented and its position on the issues and dressed in costumes reflecting that country's culture.

The Model UN sessions reflect the formality of a real UN conference, with delegates required to address others with respect at all times and having the opportunity to lobby other nations to support their position on an issue.