The eighth session of the Ghana International Model United Nations (GIMUN) Conference has been scheduled to take place at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Hosted by GIMUN Team in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre in Accra, the conference would draw participants from the various senior high and tertiary schools in the country.

Themed "Global Goals; Better People," participants would simulate the UN General Assembly as well as its specialized Commissions from January 3 - 7, 2017.

The conference would focus on how the adopted Global Goals encapsulated under the 17 Sustainable Development Goals would help better the lives of people across the world.

GIMUN Team Executive Chairman, Philip Gyamfi, says the programme would be one of the best model UN conferences to be held in Africa.

He said the conference would attract at least 500 "smart young people" from diverse professional backgrounds from different countries including Nigeria, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sudan, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Research fellow at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Dr Cyril N. A. Nyankerh, Assistant Director of Academic at American University of Nigeria, Dr Radda Abdullahi Abubakar, and Portfolio Manager at Royal Africa Holdings, Fadila Ahmad Abdulrazaq are few of the many young people expected to grace the conference.

The annual students’ conference is aimed at preparing young people for global assignments as well as offering them a unique platform to take sides on global issues.

It also creates awareness on the role the UN play in world affairs. The next generation of leaders are taught to continue the strive for a peaceful world.

Discussions for 2017 conference would focus topics such as “Using Creative Arts, Vocational and Technical Skills to Reduce Global Youth Unemployment; Strengthening Partnerships between the United Nations and Relevant Regional Bodies in Peacekeeping Operations; and Role of Multi-stakeholders in Financing Post 2015 Development Agenda."

The others are "Ensuring Food Security in Crisis Situation; and Investing in Girls to End Child Marriage.”

Diplomats who attended the 2016 edition of GIMUN included UN Resident Coordinator, Christine Evans-Klock, Director at UNU-INRA, Dr. Elias Ayuk, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, Danish Ambassador, Tove Degnbol and Deputy Head of Missions of Royal Netherlands Embassy, Caecilia Wijgers.