About 390 Students have been given a rare opportunity to experience leadership in international affairs at the 2001 Australasian Model UN Conference held at UTS this week.

Designed to give practical experience in resolving complex and challenging international issues, the conference has simulated various United Nations committees on which students served as delegates.

Participants have been provided with a country to represent and a committee for which they had to undertake detailed research on relevant issues and socio-cultural forces.

This year's Model Conference attracted the largest attendance in its seven-year history, with more than double the number of delegates from last year.

UTS law student and Conference Secretary General Vasanthi Balachandran said undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities across the Australiasian region and as far away as Nepal had attended the five-day conference.

"It has been a truly global event with participants representing a broad range of academic disciplines, from nursing through to engineering and corporate law," Vasanthi said.

"Committee members were asked to respond to realistic scenarios, designed to have them draw on their problem solving abilities to deliver effective arguments, seek consensus, negotiate, formulate solutions and present these powerfully to the conference General Assembly.

"The scenarios were representative of issues that are addressed by the UN, such as sustainable development, human rights, the environment, global security, health and trade".

Vasanthi said an important purpose of the conference was to raise awareness of the vital work the UN does beyond its peace-keeping role.

"We wanted to generate fresh interest and commitment among young people and the community for the work that is carried out by the UN," she said.

"Another important factor is to promote reform within the UN to ensure that it continues to maintain a central, relevant and powerful place within world affairs."

An impressive line-up of keynote speakers have attended the conference, including former Australian of the Year, Lieutenant-General Peter Cosgrove, Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia and UTS Chancellor Sir Gerard Brennan.

Vasanthi said the keynote speakers played an important role at the conference by sharing real-world experience gained through working with organisations that underpin the UN and carry out its activities.

She said while the conference demanded a high degree of intellectual rigour, this had been balanced with social events where delegates could relax while sharing different interests and views on the future.