Drama, Drafts and “MoMo”: Inside the Wild Final Hours of SOCHUM
The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) went down in LTMUN history with a rollercoaster of a finale.
Just when everything seemed set, the delegate of Egypt accidentally deleted the committee’s working resolution, forcing exhausted delegates into a late-night effort to redraft the document from scratch.
The “Love Chocolate” Interruption
The tension briefly melted away during a surprise visit for the “Love Chocolate” period, when an IPC delegate from Skyline News received a chocolate accompanied by a cash transfer via Mobile Money.
The accompanying note read:
“Check your momo balance after you receive this chocolate.”
True to form, it became another memorable “Mr. Talk and Do” moment amid an already eventful final session.
Despite the chaos, delegates eventually completed a resolution focused on the return and restitution of cultural property. Their discussions addressed challenges including the non-retroactive application of the 1970 UNESCO Convention, transparent provenance standards and the creation of multilateral support mechanisms.
The emotional finale ended with delegates passing their placards around to collect signatures and farewell messages, turning the final hours of SOCHUM into a mixture of last-minute drafting, unexpected surprises and memories to take home.
Rhodaline Naa Jormor Addy
Reutterra | International Press Corps