Dear Directors, Chairs, Advocates, Judges, Ministers, Delegates, and Guests,

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On behalf of the Secretariat, it is our profound honour to welcome you to MUN@UWCSEA XIV. As we gather in October 2026, we commemorate not only fourteen years of conferences hosted by UWCSEA East, but fourteen years of fostering dialogue on the most pertinent and pressing matters of our lives.

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Today, international relations seems less like a clash of ideas than a slow drain of hope, as more and more people lose faith in the systems that govern, protect and make progress towards our future. Most wouldn’t fault you for this thinking, with nationalism on the rise and self-centric thinking becoming the norm. Our conference theme, Per Aspera Ad Astra, Latin for ‘through hardship to the stars’, captures this reality and our aspiration. It is undeniably challenging to maintain hope during such turbulent times, but hope is not something we wait to be handed; it is something we build, one resolution and one conversation at a time.

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More than just a theme, striving to overcome challenging situations and come out of them with a mutual solution is the very foundation of why Model United Nations is essential. Although we aren’t settling any world issues in the next three days, MUN gives us the toolkit to do just that; listening when it’s difficult, being creative when it’s easier to follow instructions and argue for solutions that help more than just yourself.

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Our theme isn’t just a statement. We encourage you to take action, to collaborate with your peers, to challenge yourself and work beyond your comfort zone. Perhaps most importantly, debate. Finding a solution doesn’t mean taking the most pleasant solution and carrying on; it means finding one that really does something, and sometimes, that means working through disagreement.

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Welcome to MUN@UWCSEA XIV. Hope may be scarce, but Per Aspera Ad Astra reminds us that the stars were never meant to be reached easily.

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In service and solidarity,
The MUN@UWCSEA XIV Secretariat