A TEAM of United Nations peacemakers from Loreto Grammar School were highly commended in the national Model United Nations Schools' Conference.

Qualifying as one of the 17 top schools in the country to take part in the debate on global politics the girls from the Altrincham school were handed what some might call the dubious task of defending Russia's position in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

But the girls began to see the political divide from the other side as they argued Russia's rights to protect what they regard as natural Russian people.

The event is divided into a range of sections with each student debating different issues from economic growth to medical research.