THE United Nations could certainly learn from young delegates who debated the issues facing the world today.

Bolton School boys' division took part in the annual Model UN at Manchester High School for Girls.

For the first time the school represented three countries — Chad, Qatar and Venezuela.

And one of the school's more experienced Mode UN participants, sixth-former Rohit Bagewadi, acted as guest chairman on the Economic and Social Committee.

It was the first time a Bolton School pupil has taken such a role.

The topics discussed at the conference were based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and touched on a wide range of issues, including reduction of poverty, gender equality, the rights of terrorists and terror suspects, environmental consequences of war, combatting diseases relating to drug abuse, children in armed conflict, and freedom of expression on social media.

Overall, the Chad delegation were Highly Commended, the equivalent to winning second place, and the Qatar delegation were Commended, the equivalent to third place.

Ten Bolton School delegates were also individual winners within their committees. Andrew Lee and Sal Albahgdady won Best Young Delegate awards, and Bilal Asghar and Alex Matthews were named as outstanding. A further six delegates were Highly Commended or Commended.

Individual awards were given by the committee chairman based on delegates’ contribution to the debate, knowledge of the topics and accurate portrayal of their country’s views, submission of amendments and resolutions, ability and enthusiasm to reach a compromise and work cooperatively to come to a solution.

A spokesman from Bolton School said: "It was an excellent achievement for so many Bolton School pupils to receive awards at the Model UN event, and fantastic to see not one but two delegations receive group awards as well."