OPOMUN 2025 has begun!
Madalena Reis, OPOMUN Media Team
OPOMUN is a Model United Nations conference where delegates from all around the world come together to debate worldwide crucial conflicts. Delegates are assigned to specific committees where they debate and defend their country’s position. Not only do delegates get a chance to represent a country, but they also find opportunities to make new connections and build friendships that will last for many years. CLIP students have been organising OPOMUN for eighteen years, and today was the beginning of the 18th edition—OPOMUN 2025! This marks the start of another year filled with debates, opportunities, and, most importantly, enriching experiences that motivate our delegates to dare to make a difference.
We started off Day 1 with the opening ceremony. The ceremony began with Afonso Gali, who has been a delegate for many years and is now Deputy Secretary-General. He shared his touching personal journey through OPOMUN and MUNs in general, reflecting on how the experience had benefited him in more ways than one. Gali spoke about the special moments that had stayed with him, encouraging delegates to embrace these challenges as opportunities for personal growth. The ceremony was followed by the OPOMUN Director, Mr Pateira. He took the floor, emphasising the importance of the next few days. “We’ll be discussing solutions, experiencing both success and failure,” he said. He then introduced the Executive Team, whose leadership would guide the delegates throughout the next few days of the conference.
One of the main highlights of the opening ceremony was the speech by guest speaker Ambassador António Cruz, a diplomat with decades of experience.
He spoke to delegates about the significance of their roles and shared stories from his diplomatic career, offering valuable advice on how to effectively defend a country’s priorities. His speech also touched on the current state of global conflicts, stressing the importance of the United Nations in resolving international disputes.
Apart from Ambassador António Cruz, the ceremony also featured a special guest from “Study in Porto,” Luís Braga, who introduced Porto to all attending delegates, making external participants and chaperones feel more welcome.
Secretary-General Marta Costa then took the stage, delivering a powerful speech on the history and significance of OPOMUN. Marta discussed the conference’s role in shaping the future of diplomacy, linking past global events with the discussions that will take place in the coming days. Finally, the Head of Logistics, Catarina Domingues, brought the ceremony to a practical close, guiding delegates through the schedule and explaining the structure of the upcoming days. With everything set in motion, OPOMUN 2025 was officially ready to commence.
The debate sessions began in the early afternoon, with delegates eager to dive into their causes—whether tackling human rights, economic and social issues, health, drugs and crime, disarmament and security, or even war, whether in the past or present. Delegates wasted no time in defending their country’s positions and debating possible solutions. Both sessions ran very smoothly and were followed by a short coffee break, giving delegates a chance to relax before getting back to work. Finishing the day, the delegates attended the cultural evening, gaining an insight into Portuguese culture.
