Alt Text: Distinguished UB Political Science students residing as board representatives under the UN development program during the GYAMC 2026 . Photo courtesy of Global Youth Ambassadors MUN | Baguio PIO Facebook page
From August 28 to 30, 2026, Political Science students from the University of Baguio attended a seminar and training during the second Global Youth Ambassadors Model Conference (GYAMC), convened at the DBP Training Complex in Baguio City, bringing together young delegates to engage in diplomatic discourse, address pressing global issues, and challenge existing foreign policies.
The conference, themed “Shaping Tomorrow Amidst Turmoil: Rebuilding a Fractured Global Order toward a New Era of Multilateralism,” provided attendees with a forum to foster international harmony and international relations. However, GYAMC was more than just a simulation for a lot of the delegates. It served as a testing ground for the discipline they had selected to pursue.
Political Science in Practice
As students of political science, delegates did not merely role-play as diplomats; they applied the theoretical foundations of governance, international relations, and policy analysis they encounter in their coursework to real, pressing global concerns. Model conferences like GYAMC serve as an extension of the classroom, transforming abstract concepts such as sovereignty, multilateralism, and humanitarian intervention into lived, negotiated experience.
This collaborative exercise resulted in the formation of blocs, debate of agendas, and successful passage of resolutions. Beyond the parliamentary procedure and diplomatic jargon, GYAMC 2026 reminded its political science delegates of something more fundamental: the Sustainable Development Goals are not distant, abstract targets confined to United Nations reports. This solidified the framework on which young scholars can actively engage, question, and contribute, even from a conference hall in Baguio City.
Mr. Yuan Marco Del Valle, representing the Republic of Finland at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), engaged in constructive dialogue with Nordic countries and fellow member states. His committee’s agenda centered on strengthening social protection systems in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings. An advocacy that calls for resilient social protection mechanisms and inclusive, accountable institutions even amid crisis.
Alt Text: Distinguished UB Political Science students residing as board representatives under the UN development program during the GYAMC 2026
Mr. De Valle later assisted fellow delegates in drafting a resolution addressing the digital, physical, and overall social protection of affected communities, reflecting the interdisciplinary lens political science students are trained to apply. One that considers policy not just as text, but as a lived safeguard for vulnerable populations.
Meanwhile, Ms. Linzie Althea Arenos, representing the Commonwealth of Australia at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), tackled the agenda “Constructing Robust Safeguards for Climate and Political Displacement.” Her committee’s work aligned closely with the coalition of partner states to lobby for a standardized financial framework to support host countries as hubs for resettlement. In doing so, Ms. Linzie navigated the same tension that political science students grapple with in seminar discussions and case studies alike: the delicate balance between national sovereignty and humanitarian obligation. That balance underscores the need for global cooperation to achieve shared development targets.
Beyond the Conference Floor
The training highlighted the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where theories and practices collide for aspiring political scientists, diplomats, and policymakers: committee floors serve as testing grounds for the very frameworks they study, and resolutions become concrete outcomes of coalition-building, negotiation, and critical thinking.
- SDG 1: No Poverty – Centering on strengthening social protection systems in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Focus on standardized financial frameworks that support host countries as hubs for resettlement
- SDG 13: Climate Action -Creating strong protections for climate and political displacement
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Discussions that call for resilient social protection mechanisms and inclusive, accountable institutions even amid crisis
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Heightened global cooperation to achieve shared development targets
Leaders debate, negotiate, and seek common ground with unwavering determination. According to Mr. Yuan and Ms. Linzie, they were able to elevate diplomatic values among fellow advocates and aspiring partisans, embodying the spirit of multilateralism that their conference aimed to rebuild.
