Most 17-year-olds could not name the capital of Algeria, but for the students representing the African nation on the Model UN they have spent the last few weeks living and breathing their new country.

"We've had to research it inside out. It's taken a lot of work," said Hannah Field.

She is one of 240 high school students selected from across the country who have descended on the capital to take part in the annual New Zealand Model UN.

Organised by UN Youth New Zealand, the "delegates" spent this morning in "UN training 101" to be able to take part in a full debate and understand the inner workings of the United Nations.

They have been taught how to get their country's issues heard, how to draft a UN resolution as well as the rules and conventions surrounding political debate.

They also spent their first afternoon carrying out voluntary work in the Wellington region so they could then channel their experiences into four days of debate on global and local issues of inequality.

An opening ceremony will be held tonight at the Beehive, before the delegates are then put through their paces in the world of international politics.

It won't be all business, however. In the true manner of a politician, they will also get to attend a number of functions and end the conference with a full banquet ball at the end.

Three students from the New Zealand Model UN will then be selected to represent country at The Hague International Model United Nations, where they will be given a different country to stand for in a full simulation of the United Nations General Assembly.

New Zealand UN Youth coordinator Jerome Cameron said this year's total delegation was the biggest they had had in the 13 years it had been running.

Those selected were picked out of more than 300 high school students who applied.

Just over 20 students had received scholarships to take part but Cameron said all of the delegates were among the best and brightest in their respective schools.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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