‘Immense pride,’ coach says as young Pakistani debaters win global UN titles

ISLAMABAD: Lead Debate Coach Dr Shahan Khan said he was filled with “immense pride” after students from Westminster School Islamabad won the World Champions and Best Delegation titles at the Global Model United Nations conference in Singapore earlier this month.

Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Khan said the achievement reflected not only the students’ performance but also the wider potential of young Pakistanis.

“It is a sense of immense pride to see such an exceptional accomplishment of these young minds from Pakistan,” Khan said. “On top of the brilliance of students, it also reflects strongly upon the talent our country carries.”

The school’s 10-member delegation won eight Best Diplomacy Awards, with an unusually young cohort taking the top prize at one of the world’s competitive youth diplomacy forums.

The annual conference, organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), brought together around 700 students from more than 50 countries.

The event simulated UN committees and bodies, with student delegates representing assigned countries. Participants negotiated responses to global challenges, ranging from geopolitical tensions to public health emergencies, before working toward written resolutions.

For Khan, one of the most inspiring aspects of the achievement was the age of the students and their ability to engage with complex international issues.

The students debated issues including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the prevention of the reemergence of chemical weapons, while also developing proposed responses and resolutions on the topics.

“Four of the students are just 12 years old,” Khan said, adding that “as educators and mentors, we share a collective responsibility to ensure this talent reaches its optimal potential.”

The 10-member Westminster delegation comprised students mostly aged 12 to 14 and collected eight Best Diplomacy Awards, equivalent to first-place or gold-medal finishes in their respective committees.

Pakistan TV Digital spoke to members of the winning team about their experience at the conference.

“We got the opportunity to meet delegates from diverse backgrounds, and exchanging ideas made this experience even more valuable,” said Muhammad Rayyan Shah, one of the award winners. “Winning the Best Diplomacy Award made this experience even better.”

“I feel lucky to be going to a school that provided this platform,” said Abdullah Omar Mufti, another award winner. “The training we received, and the hard work we put in, had no match. We really were the most well-prepared team.”

The result marked a significant improvement from Westminster’s debut appearance at the forum in 2025, when three of its students won Best Diplomacy Awards. The school’s latest delegation was also among the youngest national teams competing at the conference.

Nushwa Fatima and Saifullah Omar Mufti were shortlisted to deliver the plenary speech at the opening ceremony, addressing the full 700-member assembly on sustainable global growth and the case for more equitable UN reform.

“The preparation included more than two months of extensive in-person and online training by our coach in areas such as research, diplomacy, and speaking skills, along with online webinars conducted by experts from WFUNA,” Saifullah said.

The Best Diplomacy Award winners represented four committees: Asna Ahmed and Muhammad Rayyan Shah in UNGA ECOFIN; Noor Ul Ain Shah and Muhammad Zuraz Inaam in UNGA SPECPOL; Anousheh Asif and Saifullah Omar Mufti in the World Health Assembly; and Abdullah Omar Mufti and Aish Nauman in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The committees addressed the Sendai Framework, mine action, vaccine hesitancy and preventing the reemergence of chemical weapons, respectively.

For Nushwa Fatima, the experience went beyond the committee room.

“These competitions require weeks of research, preparation and constant guidance from our coaches, followed by the ability to think and respond under pressure,” she said.

“Experiences like this have strengthened my ambition to keep representing Pakistan internationally and to use the skills I gained towards becoming a future lawyer,” Nushwa added.

The delegation was trained for months by Westminster’s debating coach panel, led by Khan.

Beyond the debate floor, the students also represented Pakistan’s culture at the conference’s Global Cultural Night, held during the event.