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Dear Delegates,
I am thrilled to welcome you to this year’s BERMUN Special Conference!
This year’s theme is “Building a Rules-Based Order to Withstand Authoritarianism.” It’s especially crucial right now, with wars, rising global tensions, and growing threats to democracy. And it’s not just about recent policy changes; countries like the U.S. have broken international rules for years through invasions, drone strikes, and ignoring war crimes. Power is shifting: we’re seeing increased tariffs, less support for Ukraine, and growing global imbalance. But that imbalance isn’t new. During the Cold War, most power sat in the hands of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Today, countries like China, India, and Russia are rising and challenging that balance. At the same time, autocracies and democracies alike are interfering in foreign elections through disinformation, voter fraud, and backing authoritarian candidates.
In this year's SpC, we will be discussing the topics of “Fostering Free and Independent Media to Combat Autocracy,” as well as “Ensuring Free and Fair Elections from External Interference.” The process of safeguarding free domestic election processes to withstand external interference is crucial, especially now, as elections around the world are being targeted through hacking, fake news, and foreign influence. Interference in domestic elections has long been a problem. From the election meddling during the Cold War to modern-day interference, elections have been tampered with time and time again by autocratic and democratic nations alike. But what makes it especially important now is how hard it is to stop this interference; it’s done online, it spreads quickly, and even when it’s discovered, there’s often no clear way to respond or prevent damage.
On a more personal note, I am a 15-year-old freshman at the John F. Kennedy School Berlin. In my personal time, I play soccer as a goalkeeper and play the violin and the piano. I speak English, German, and a little bit of Hindi, while I occasionally enjoy watching soccer, Formula 1, and some international cricket. My favorite soccer team is FC Bayern München, and I think Germany will win the World Cup next year! As for Formula 1, my favorite drivers are Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. My favorite subject is Chemistry, because atomic structures are really interesting to me.
This is my third year as part of my school’s MUN program, and my 8th conference! I am looking forward to seeing all of you and having a productive debate!
Jonathan Lugani
