SOFIMUN 2010 Secretariat

NEW! - Movies of the secretariat!

Here you can read a few lines about the SOFIMUN 2009 Secretariat - the Secretary General and the Chair Board.

Mr. Hans Lenders (Secretariat)

Secretary General

Hans lived in the Netherlands for most of his life and holds an MSc. degree in Environmental Policy from Wageningen University. Since September 2009 he has a challenging two year appointment as policy officer with the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. Until September he will be working in the Maritime Affairs department after which he will most likely switch to Brussels.

Hans is passionate about MUN´s as a way to meet interesting new people, discuss international politics, take a different perspective and above all, have a genuine good time together. He has been a delegate and chairperson at MUN´s throughout Europe, including the two previous editions of SOFIMUN. In January 2010 he held the position of Secretary-General at the United Nations International Student Conference of Amsterdam (UNISCA).

Living by the phrase ´C´est la lvie´ he is often perceived as a rather serious person with a good sense of humour. Hans enjoys a good conversation as well as a proper party. He has passion for travelling and enjoys the good things in life to the fullest. Having the privilege to be the Secretary-General of SOFIMUN he is committed to make this an excellent conference and have an unforgettable time together!

´Fortune favours the brave´

Org & Ex Coms

The organizational and executive committees of Sofia International Model United Nations. You can find more about the people who are organizing the conference. Most of them are experienced MUN addicts that are now helping other MUN events around the globe to be prepared and initiated.

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Organizations

Here you can find information about the main organizations that are contributing Sofia International Model United Nations event happen. The organizations mentioned are the main supporters of the Sofia International Model United Nations idea in Bulgaria. They have been supporting it for a long time.

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Ms. Georgiana Ungureanu (Secretariat)

President of the European Union

Born and raised in Romania, Georgiana is currently living in the Netherlands where she is enrolled in a master programme in European Union law at the University of Amsterdam. Her background includes a degree in International Relations and European studies, a degree in Community law, a life-altering Erasmus experience and a myriad of Model United Nations conference that she frantically attended, both as a chair and as a delegate.

The MUN world opened up to her in 2007, with a high-profile World Model United Nations and moved on to conferences around Europe, including SOFIMUN 2009. Being given the honour to be the President of the European Union for the 3rd edition of SOFIMUN, Georgiana is determined to contribute to a better understanding of the EU decision-making, while spending quality time with old and new friends.

Strongly believing that every master was an amateur first, Georgiana is a perfectionist, likes things to be done properly, loves chocolate and is always up for fun.

Mr. Plinio Limata (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Security Council

Plinio: “What about me? There’s nothing you can’t discover during that wonderful experience that is the third Edition of SOFIMUN will be! Ok ok…just few information… I’m 25, living in Rome, graduated in Politics of International Relations, MUN addicted, party animal and a bit crazy sometimes…Oh, I forgot...I started my MUN experience in Sofia last year and since then I’ve been going around. As I did, you’ll love it. Trust me, trust your Chair!”

Actually, it is not only that Plinio starts his career as MUNer in Sofia in 2009 – from this very first Model UN for him, he began an extremely successful travel in the devastating world of young diplomacy. There are not so many people whose first MUN ends with a best delegate award but Plinio is one of them- the best delegate award at SOFIMUN’s DISEC, on top of it representing Syria. Quickly after realizing how talented he is in negotiating and saving or destroying the world, Plinio started to switch between MUNs, committees and positions. Right after SOFIMUN 2009 he met the challenge to express himself in the HRC, the CEU, the GA, the AU at NAPOMUN, ZAGIMUN, BIMUN, MUNUSAL, obtaining more and more best delegate or honorary mention awards. Clearly led by his favorite quote, Plinio conquers the MUN world with a great success and at SOFIMUN 2010 will be seen as one strict and serious but passionate chair of the Security Council.

“The World is yours” (Scarface)

Ms. Yanislava Karusheva (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Security Council

Born and raised in Sofia, Yanislava Karusheva is now studying Medicine at the University of Medicine in Berlin - Charité. After completing the basics in Law at the Humboldt University, she decided to fulfill her lifetime dream to become a doctor and boldly devoted to medicine. As a passionate and inspired MUNer, she believes in the UN ideas and thrilled by the gained experience at several GIMUNs, she feels she can significantly contribute to the good work and bright spirit of the SC at SOFIMUN '10.

She hardly ever quits. And if there is a chance for something to be reached, she gives it all. She admires people who do whatever they do with putting their heart in it. She is interested in traveling, cultures, politics and people-in how they look both on the in- and outside.

She believes we should not accept the world as it is, but remake it as it should be. And she feels ready to play her part. It will be honor and privilege for her to be chairing the at the 3rd edition of SOFIMUN.

Let's be realistic. Let's try the impossible. (Che Guevara)

Mr. Mihnea Stoica (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Human Rights Council

Mihnea was born in Romania’s beautiful city of Cluj-Napoca 21 years ago. This summer he will graduate Political Sciences and will end his third year as a Law student, studies which he believes are an important step for his future career.

Besides publishing articles on various issues in different local and foreign newspapers, Mihnea is also very interested in everything happening on political, cultural and social levels regardless where such events take place. This is one of the reasons last year he took the decision of creating ANIMA POLIS Association, an NGO that soon developed as a meeting point for all young people seeking to create a friendly framework for intercultural dialogue.

He got addicted to MUNs in 2008, when he contacted the “Model United Nations virus” at SiMUN (Ljubljana, Slovenia). Shortly after, this new hobby took him to SOFIMUN 2008 and 2009 (Sofia, Bulgaria), ZAGIMUN 2008 (Zagreb, Croatia), BISMUN 2010 (Bucharest, Romania), MOSTIMUN 2010 (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and he is the proud organizer of NAPOMUN 2009 (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). Being in Sofia as the Human Rights Council’s Chair for the third edition of SOFIMUN is an old dream becoming reality, as he is more than happy to be part of a great team that will surely make this edition of the MUN an unforgettable event.

Mihnea loves swimming, skiing, painting, reading and writing and enjoys collecting old books.

“A politician is a person who can make waves and then make you think he’s the only one who can save the ship”, Ivern Ball

Ms. Martina Boyuklieva (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Human Rights Council

Martina is born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1990. She is a graduate of the American College of Sofia. Currently, she is living and studying at University College Utrecht, the Netherlands, where she is doing her bachelor degree in Social Sciences (Law and Politics).

She began her MUN experience in 11th grade, being part of MUN club in her school. The next experience she had was during SOFIMUN 2008 as a part of the Security Council. After it, she attended one MUN on a national level in Bulgaria and MOSTIMUN 2008 as part of the Human Rights Council. This year she had the privilege to be the Secretary in the organizational team of SOFIMUN 2009, and this was definitely the most exhausting, but the most amazing MUN she ever had! Right now Martina is part of the organizational team of UNISUN 2010, which will be take place at Utrecht, the Netherlands. Then, she will be chairing the HRC committee at MOSTIMUN (Bosnia and Herzegovina), which will be her first experience as a chair. At SOFIMUN 2010, Martina will be honored to chair the distinguish council of Human Rights, and she is really looking forward coming back to Bulgaria and experiencing the SOFIMUN spirit once again!

"Things aren't always going to be fair in the real world. That's just the way it is. But for the most part, you get what you give. The rest of your life is being shaped right now. With the dreams you chase. The choices you make. And the person you decide to be."

Ms. Lena Borth (Secretariat)

Chairperson of International Court of Justice

Although of German origin, Lena was born and raised in a beautiful but neutral country, primarily known for its banks, chocolate, cheese and clocks.

Hearing early “The Call of the Wild”, she left home when she was sixteen and went to explore the grand United Kingdom for a year.

After coming back she was then dragged to her first Model UN which she didn’t particularly like. However, the second MUN opened her eyes and she was soon planning to organise such a MUN herself, together with a good friend of hers.

After finishing school, a 5-months stay in Russia followed. Due to her burning desire to become a jurist and because of the international atmosphere, Lena moved to small town called Frankfurt Oder in the Federal Republic of Germany to study law at the European University of Viadrina.

During an Erasmus exchange in Ghent (Belgium) she was able to pursue her interests, namely studying European and Public International Law. In her subsequent exchange semester in Almaty, she shifted her focus towards Kazakh environmental law and international affairs.

Although having resolved to renounce MUNs henceforth, being Chair of the HRC at SOFIMUN 2009 forced Lena to admit to herself that maybe this should not yet be her last MUN.

Becoming a fan of the International Court of Justice at a subsequent MUN, Lena is now thrilled to combine two passions of hers: SOFIMUN and the ICJ. Therefore, while concentrating on her law studies back in Frankfurt Oder, Lena is preparing and very much looking forward to being head judge of the International Court of Justice simulated at SOFIMUN 2010.

Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said. (Mark Twain)

Ms. Iva Bjelinksi (Secretariat)

Chairperson of International Court of Justice

Iva was born in 1987 in Šibenik, a picturesque city on the Croatian coast. However, she has spent the most of her life in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, where she is currently the 4th year law student. Her interest for international relations and international law led her to the very successful participation in the regional moot court competition in Montenegro in 2009, where the process before the European Court of Human Rights was simulated.

In the summer 2008 the first edition of SOFIMUN was her first MUN experience, and that was the summer when the whole new world opened to her. Since then participated as a delegate on a several conferences: ZAGIMUN, BIMUN, SOFIMUN – what enabled her to enrich her life with many unforgettable experiences and lots of precious friendships. She was also a chair of the UN Environment Programme on BIMUN 2009.

This year she is coming back to the charming city of Sofia, to attend the SOFIMUN conference for the 3rd time – this time with the great honor of chairing the International Court of Justice with her lovely co–chair and a good friend Lena Borth. Seeing MUN as an unique occasion for celebrating diversity and dialogue, she is getting more and more excited about meeting you all in Sofia this summer…

Ms. Sally Meouche (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Commission on Sustainable Development

Sally Meouche will be co-chairing along with Boyan the Commission on Sustainable Development in this year’s SOFIMUN edition. Born on November 10th, 1987 in Sofia Bulgaria Sally spent the first half of her life in Sofia and the second in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East, where she graduated with a Bachelors in Economics and Political Sciences from the American University of Beirut. Currently Sally is residing in Maastricht, the Netherlands where is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy degree specializing in Sustainable Development at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance.

MUN has been a staple of hers, going back to high school days. In fact in 2008, Sally attended the first edition of SOFIMUN as a delegate of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). She sees that as a rewarding experience and hopes it will be a great one for her delegates this year as well. Sally participated in more than 10 regional and international MUN conferences, and this will be her second chairing experience.

On a less "MUNnerd" note, Sally loves traveling and since she has been exposed to quite a few different cultures from an early age, she has always been fascinated by the diversities which nations posses, and therefore will try to make the best out of each foreign experience that she encounter. Nature exploration and hiking are another passion of Sally, more of a so-called ‘tree hugger’ and the delegates will definitely come to notice that in the committee sessions. Sally also enjoys good music in the company of good friends.

Can’t wait to meet you all in July!

"The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.", Hubert Humphrey.

Mr. Boyan Stanoev (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Commission on Sustainable Development

Born and raised in the city which Emperor Constantine the Great called "his Rome," Boyan moved to the US in 2002. In Washington, DC, he’s working on his Master's in International Relations. Boyan is concentrating in International Law and Economics at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. He is an Assistant to the US Member of the Human Rights Committee of the UN and Researcher in the Center for Transatlantic Relations of SAIS.

Boyan was infected with the MUN virus in his undergraduate years and the passion for youth conferences has been growing ever since. The prospects of discussing politics and meeting interesting people combined with the Euro-nostalgia caused numerous crossing of the Atlantic. Boyan complimented his academic excellence with MUN and NATO conferences in Norfolk, New York, Washington, London, The Hague, Moscow, Ottawa, Bucharest, Berlin, and Istanbul. SOFIMUN is the perfect new challenge for Boyan because it will bring him back to his beloved home city.

Ms. Maria Haferkorn (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Council of Ministers of the EU

Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1986, it took Maria quite a while to find her way to the world of Model UNs. Having spent her teenage years abroad, namely in Bulgaria and India, it wasn’t until she started to study law at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and met Lena Borth who convinced her to apply for GIMUN 2007, that she decided to take one step further on her way to pursuing her dream: becoming an ambassador.

Currently, after having returned from her studies abroad in Bulgaria and South Africa, she is specializing in International and European Law, whilst trying to find a cure for the so-called MUN virus – a virus which she caught at the first edition of SOFIMUN and which hasn’t let go of her since then. After participating as a delegate in numerous MUNs, including SOFIMUN, ZagIMUN, BIMUN and GIMUN, she decided that it was time to take a look at it from the other side of the Dais. Since then she has chaired the Security Council at a mini-MUN in South Africa and at NAPOMUN 2009, as well as the Council of the European Union at BIMUN 2009 and will be chairing the General Assembly at MostiMUN 2010.

Maria is absolutely thrilled to return to SOFIMUN as Chair of the Council of the EU and to have an amazing time again at the conference where she fell in love with the MUN World.

“Fear, Aggression, Anger – the path to the dark side of the Force it is.”

Ms. Desislava Kraleva (Secretariat)

Chairperson of Council of Ministers of the EU

Born in June 1985, Desislava has had a focus on international issues from early on in her life. Having participated in an English speaking competition and a few essay writing competitions, she decided to develop her interest in international affairs with a course in International relations in the oldest university in Bulgaria, the Sofia university “St. Kliment Ohridski”. However, the MUN virus infected her after her actual graduation but proved powerful enough to provoke her to accept the challenge of chairing. The different perspective on issues, the opportunity to discuss international matters with people from various cultural and educational backgrounds as well as the unique opportunity to meet exciting new people is why she wants to stay infected by the virus.

Her interests are quite various and include international and national politics, exploring different cultures, travelling – a lot and everywhere, mountaineering, adventurous and extreme sports - from time to time, reading, theatre… One of her recent interests is International project management, to which she devotes a considerable part of her time.

Run faster, walk further, jump higher

Mr. Dino Bukovski (Secretariat)

Chairperson of European Parliament

Born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1986 a few weeks before the Chernobyl disaster; in the year when the Single European Act was signed, when Desmond Tutu became the first black Anglican bishop and when the Space Station Mir was launched. It is possible to trace Dino's origins all over Eastern Europe, from the far North to the far South of it. After finishing his secondary education at the prestigeous First Grammar School in Zagreb (Gymnasium Primum), something went very wrong and Dino enrolled into the University of Zagreb Law Faculty and is now finishing his Master of Law degree. He spent one semester specializing in the field of European Law at Ghent University, Belgum.

Since 2008, when he participated at SIMUN 2008, Dino has been suffering from a severe virus disease called chronic MUN virosis. He took part there as a delegate of the Czech Republic in the General Assembly. He also participated at SOFIMUN 2008 and 2009 in the Human Rights Council, which he considers to be his natural habitat, as a delegate of Amnesty International and Senegal. Neither last, nor least, he was a delegate of Denmark in Council of the EU at BIMUN 2008. One year later he had a brilliant first time chairing experience with his friend Maria in the Council of the European Union. He is also chairing the Council of the EU at BISMUN 2010 and MILMUN 2010.

During his education he participated in a European Youth Parliament session, won a Special Rector's Award for winning a regional moot court competition and participated in several expertise seminars in the field of European Law and Human Rights and published a paper on the conflict of legal orders. He is also a former vice-president and present member of the Supervisory Board of Pravnik (Jurist), the most active student association at the University of Zagreb Law Faculty, and a member of the Editorial Board of the law journal Pravnik. As a founding member of Rotaract Zagreb Centar, he is also involved in charity work.

In his virtually non-existant free time, Dino is a bohemian, traveller and a passionate coffee drinker. If there is such a thing as a sin, that is not to start a day with a cup of coffee. He has a large variety of intrests starting with music and he used to enjoy playing ice hockey for the national youth team very much. Apart from that, Dino is very much looking forward to seeing his friends again in Sofia and coming back home to SOFIMUN. In addition to that, he can not wait to meet you all there and have a great conference to spread the MUN spirit. Blagodarya!

You can’t handle the truth. Jack Nicholson

Mr. Andrey Stoychev (Secretariat)

Chairperson of European Parliament

Andrey Stoychev is born on 15th of June 1982 in Sofia. He considers himself to be quite the curios person so his interests range from anything from astronomy through law and philosophy to music and arts. This is pretty much reflected in his biography; form 1997 to 1998 he studied law in 151th secondary school, in 1999 he got transferred in 23rd secondary school which he graduated from in 2000 with specialization on “Literature, history and philosophy”. In 2000 after acing the entry exam he got admitted in the Sofia Tech University where after three years he discovered that Math isn’t exactly his forte so in 2003 he prepared again to applying for a university and he got accepted in New Bulgarian University where he graduated as a bachelor on “Political sciences” and currently is studding for his masters degree on “European governance” with specialization in economic integration and if all goes according to plan by July this year he would have defended his MA thesis entitled “Crosscutting policies in the EU”.

The period after 2003 he considers being very fruitful for him, he discovered his true calling which is well not just one, but they can be summarized as fallows; politics both on academical and practical level, the EU, business and a multitude of social commitments and last but not least the MUN bug. Since 2005 he is an election campaign manager for one of the major political parties in Bulgaria. In 2006 with a bunch of friends he started an NGO called national union "Treasure the Bulgarian Heritage" of which he is a vise – president. In 2007 he founded his company called ABC.D Consult Ltd. specialized in the services sector. In 2008 he caught the so called MUN bug and ever since he is either participating in one or part of the Org com of one, he thinks that his personal highlights of 2008 were being part of the SOFIMUN 2008 Ex com and being the chair of the European parliament at MEU Konstanz 2008. The highlight of 2009 for now is managing to pull off the SOFIMUN 2009 conference and doing his bid in turning it into such a smashing success.

As far as the 2010 is concerned the one thing that is definitely making in to the “TOP 3” is the opportunity to chair the European Parliament’s committee on Economic and Monetary affairs at SOFIMUN 2010 together with his friend Dino Bukovski. He can promise to all of the delegates in his committee that the EP-ECON will be the best and the coolest one, but in order for that to come true he has a word of advice for them: “First, slaking is so much out of order, second, having loads of fun is so much in order and third it’s a PARTY!!!”

Mr. Marin Aeschbach (Secretariat)

Editor in Chief of SNN

Born and raised in and around Basel in quiet Switzerland, Marin passed exactly 21 years of his life without any MUN at all. Ever since that faithful week at SOFIMUN 2009, he keeps asking himself how he could ever live without them and attended BIMUN 2009 in Bonn. He also might be seen around at BISMUN 2010 in Bucharest and MOSTIMUN 2010 in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He graduated his high school summer 2007 in Basel top of his year and directly went on to waste his talents by studying Philosophy, German Literature and Film Sciences at the University of Zürich, Switzerland. There, he is also part of the philosophy students’ representative body. At the moment he keeps his fingers crossed for admission to an Erasmus exchange semester at the Alexander von Humboldt University in Berlin, which is planned to take place after SOFIMUN 2010.

Being a man of principle, he can only be bribed with a nice bottle of Gin (and complementary Tonic) or Whiskey. As a passionate football player, ex-stage actor, film enthusiast, writer, music collector and terrible but enthusiastic photographer, he considers himself Jack of all trades but master of none and therefore has no idea where the future will take him. Journalism though seems to be one of the more realistic pathways in sight.

Therefore and because SOFIMUN is and always will be his first MUN, he is especially thrilled to be editor in chief of the second edition of SNN, devoting all his energy to making it even better than last year.

"The future is – as the space of our possibilities – the space of our freedom.", Karl Jaspers

Ms. Neda Eneva (Secretariat)

Vice-Editor in Chief of SNN

Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, Neda has always dreamt of traveling, adventures and opportunities to share her imagination with the world. In 2007, after graduating from high school, she moved to the Netherlands with a big mission in hand - to test her dreams. The challenge was successful as the world away from home proved to surpass even her wildest fantasies. The journey has begun…

Today, Neda is 21 years old, finishing her Bachelor’s degree from University College Utrecht with a major in International Relations and Law, and a minor in Journalism. Having friends from across the seven seas and beyond, she has turned into a citizen of the world.

But as they say, you can’t go anywhere if you don’t know where you are coming from. Looking back, Neda remembers with a smile her 10 years of theatre school and never forgets that as the Bard of Avon has said the world is one big stage. The daughter of an artist and a photographer, she has developed a sharp eye for details and eagerness for the secret beauty of everything around. Above all, Neda possesses an immense passion to create. Being a chair of a Film and Visual Arts Committee, she has been exploring the world of film and multimedia since her first year of college. By creating documentaries, taking journalism classes and being published in college magazines, Neda has turned her enthusiasm for writing into a strong interest in journalism.

During an amazing two month internship at the Friedrich Ebert foundation in 2009, Neda became acquainted with the world of SOFIMUN. It turned out to be a life changing experience. By being part of the SNN team, Neda personally experienced the strength and importance of the journalist’s pen in the creation of the link between politics and the people.

And so, step by step, passionately welcoming every minute of the road ahead, Neda is looking forward to her journey leading her to SOFIMUN 2010, this time as Vice-Editor-In-Chief. Excited about working with the new SNN team, she has no doubts of conquering new horizons and having a wonderful time.

We don't have to save the world. The world is big enough to look after itself. What we have to be concerned about is whether or not the world we live in will be capable of sustaining us in it., (Douglas Adams)