Because debating definitions suck....

...we are going to define terms for you!

We don't want the focus of the limited committee time you have to be spent debating terms such as malnutrition and child pornography. This time should be used for debating the topic itself, and not small details such as this.

The following are the definitions we would like you to use:

Malnutrition: Malnutrition is a broad term commonly used as an alternative to undernutrition but technically it also refers to overnutrition. People are malnourished if their diet does not provide adequate calories and protein for growth and maintenance or they are unable to fully utilize the food they eat due to illness (undernutrition). They are also malnourished if they consume too many calories (overnutrition). [Source: Progress for Children - A Report Card on Nutrition, UNICEF, 2006]

Note: In the background paper, we defined malnutrition to only include "undernutrition". However, "overnutrition" should also be included in your definition of malnutrition. Since there are obviously clear differences between these two terms, it is important that you are clear on what kind of "malnutrition" you are speaking of.

Child pornography: Any means of depicting or promoting sexual abuse of a child, including print and/or audio, centered on sex acts or the genital organs of children. (This is the same definition as in the background paper)

Here are some documents that may be useful in your research:

Progress for Children: Achieving the MDGs with Equity

Progress for Children: A Report Card on Maternal Mortality

Progress for Children: A Report Card on Child Protection

The Progress for Children reports are excellent research opportunities for these two topics. We encourage you to read other reports that we did not link you to here, as well as past editions for the reports.

Happy holidays! We look forward to seeing you all in less than 2 months!!

Merry Christmas from Dictators Everywhere!

Hello Security Council delegates:

Hope you find this while you're warm and cozy this Holiday season to remind you of your duties.

First, some articles to check out.

The Silk Road Studies Program published an excellent article for a demonstration of how political pressures can affect the responses to cross-border terrorism. Though dated, it is an excellent example.

Their sister institute the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute also produces a lot of good material on regional issues in this tinderbox area that is rife with cross-border terrorism issues. Including one discussing methods for counter-insurgency operations in Russia's Chechnya and Dagestan regions. To add to Russia's troubles that we can examine, another excellent instance of political play with suspected acts of terrorism recently occured in Georgia, with Georgian police arresting several suspects who in addition to plotting terrorist attacks are also under suspicion of acting with Russian sanction.

Second, because I don't want to do too much work for all of you, I am going to give some hints as to major axis in cross-border terrorism.

First, the entire Middle East, and deep into South-East Asia forms a very long chain of various cross-border terror groups. This is added to by tributaries from the Caucasus region and Central Asia.

The number of terrorist groups that operate across borders in this area is too numerous to list here. Some high profile groups and regions you should be aware of:

• The PKK - A Kurdish nationalist organisation operating out of Northern Iraq, launching attacks into Turkey, Iran, and Syria in a bid to establish a Kurdistani homeland.
• Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shia militias in Iraq - An understanding of the Shia-Sunni split and the geography of these ethnicities will help you understand the Middle East much better. Power players in the Middle East often support terrorist groups to meet their ends.
• Balochistani Militias - Balochistan also suffers from nationalist uprisings, spreading into Iran and Pakistan. The Pakistaki effects can be found at the Pakistan Conflict Monitor's Balochistan chain.
• Pakistan's NWFP - A massive melting pot of insurgency, this is a key area of importance due to its effects on India, Afghanistan, and in Pakistan as well. It's serious business.
• Maoist insurgencies in India, Nepal, and Burma - Thought Communism was dead? Not in the remote jungles of north-eastern India, Nepal, and western Burma.

Another major axis exists as a result of narco-terrorism activities in South America affecting Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, and much of Central America.

• FARC is the primary terrorist group to be aware of here.

Another major axis would likely exist in the Horn of Africa, but this is closer to a full blown revolution than an insurgency or latent terrorism. The scale is much bigger, but can face similar issues of pegging in radical factions in nations with porous borders, weak militaries, and a general lack of law and order.

• Al-Shabab is a primary group to be aware of here.

Third, some homework. The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS IS GEOGRAPHY! These three regions are going to be key to your discussions. Learn a little bit about their geography, ethnography, and vital economic resources. The CIA World Factbook is a great place to start.

Finally, some fun reading to better inform you about terrorism in general. This excellent article from STRATFOR might help you understand the way counter-terrorism works, and the way terrorism works, by examining holes in the planning stages of a terrorist attack.

Cheers,

Robert

Dias

Why read the book when you can watch the movie?

Reading can be tedious and boring (unless of course you're reading Harry Potter), this is why I have for you today some moving, talking, pictures which will tell you everything you could have spent hours reading :) you may thank me as you deem fit (snacks during the conference will be appreciated ;) )

Afghan's opium war, the other war

Fighting Against Narcotics in Iran

Violence and Drug Trafficking in Mexico

"Lets all work together... or not..."

Hello SC people.

Sorry for the delay in the blog. I know you were all anxiously awaiting the next SC post... right? Don't answer that.

If the title wasn't any indication to the topic of this post, here is some clarification. Terrorism is highly complex (as you will see with later blog posts). One question that comes to mind is whether or not this complexity necessitates multilateral action. Generally speaking, the UN calls for multilateral action to resolve global issues. It makes sense. Global issues [such as cross-border terrorism :-O] affect many countries so it is usually commonplace to hear suggestions for multilateral (or in some cases bilateral) action. STOP!

Multilateral: agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries (Oxford dictionary)
Bilateral: involving two parties (Oxford dictionary)
Unilateral: (of an action or decision) performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a situation, without the agreement of another or the others (Oxford dictionary)

Multilateral agreements are more common among nations who are more influenced by the liberal theory in international politics. Collective security and collective action in adressing issues are stressed. The United Nations is founded on liberal IR theory and thus we can see many instances of multilateral arangements. Past multilateral action on terrorism has been taken. You will see one such example in the background papers (WHICH YOU MUST READ OR ELSE DARKNESS WILL FALL UPON MANKIND!!!). The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (or UNODC) has an entire section dedicated to combating terrorism which calls for multilateral action and cooperation.

Not all UN members share this liberal ideology. There are many who are influenced by realist theory (aka the Dark Side) where states act provided it is in their self-interest. These nations generally favour unilateral action as they are free too pursue the course of action that they deem is in their national self-interest. The question is, in which camp does your country fall? Give into your inner nerd and research for clarification.

As always, if you have any specific questions relating to the SC or to HSMUN, feel free to contact us or the HSMUN executive. We may be several strange, old, scary people, but we are nice at heart and here to make this experience as awesome as possible. Next week: WHO KNOWS! Will we return to our discussions on terrorism? Will we discuss more issues surrounding the topic? Will we take a whole new direction? Stay tuned to the blog to find out more!

"Everybody’s worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there’s a really easy way: stop participating in it."
-Noam Chomsky

Greetings ECOFIN Delegates!

Christmas is almost upon us and you guessed right, that means more HSMUN research (disclaimer: please don't ACTUALLY spend your Christmas break doing research). Just another quick heads up on the sustainable technological development topic.

You've all doubtless heard of the array of energy resources out there. Although this is not the only subtopic you must focus on as ECOFIN delegates, it is certainly one of the most important. Energy resources can be of 3 types - non-renewable, renewable, and perpetual. Non-renewables are the ones we all know and love - oil, natural gas, coal. These resources are dirty in the sense that they release significant carbon and other emissions into the atmosphere when they are burned. They are also limited in supply and will eventually be exhausted. Sustainable technological development focusses on moving from rough non-renewable technologies to cleaner non-renewables to renewables to perpetuals.

Renewable resources are resources that are not limited in supply, as they replenish on a visible timescale. The problem with these resources is that humans can have a significant impact; overuse or degradation of these resources comes with the cost of potentially permanent and severe environmental damage. For example, biomass (burning wood and other vegetation) and water are renewable resources. When these resources are used responsibly, such as planting a tree for every tree harvested, or using water without running rivers dry - they have much less negative environmental impacts than non-renewables (yes, carbon dioxide is still released into the atmosphere when you burn trees, but ideally if you plant one tree for every tree you harvest, the impact is cancelled out). Misusing these resources, such as severe deforestation, can have significant impacts such as desertification, loss of wildlife, changes in weather and water patterns, etc.

The best resources out there are perpetuals. These, like wind, tidal energy, and sunlight, are potentially infinite and cannot be directly impacted by humans. As more efficient technologies develop to harvest these sources, it is more likely that these are the sources our world will depend on centuries, and possibly even decades from now. Making the switch, however, is difficult and costly in the short-term, and that is where your mission lies.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

The Children Left Behind

UNICEF recently released a report called "The Children Left Behind". This is the latest report in the Innocenti Research Centre's Report Card series, exploring the depth of inequalities in child well-being in the world's richest countries. It is the first report to ever compare the gap between children at the bottom of their societies and the average child living a "normal' life.

You can read the report here.

The Legal Committee Reports!

Delegates!


You may be wondering just what is going on in the halls of the United Nations these days. If you aren’t, you should be. Luckily for you, your EXTREME ACTION NEWS TEAM is always eager to update you on the relevant (and often not-so-relevant) goings-on at the UN and around the world!

As I reviewed the most recent happenings of the UN, wondering, “Gee, what would the delegates really like to hear about?”, one headline caught my eye. It caught my eye because a) It involved a report of the Sixth Committee (the ÜBER-EXCITING LEGAL COMMITTEE- why do all the best committees die in HSMUN?), and b) it just might relate to one of the topics being debated at HSMUN this year. So, here’s a quick look at some of what’s being talked about at the UN right now:

First, quickly peruse this resolution (you can just start at page 3 and skim until page 6):

http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/547/97/PDF/N1054797.pdf?OpenElement

Now, let me summarize what this resolution is all about (and I may or may not quote from UN news releases). Like all resolutions, it seems, it starts with a bajillion clauses in the preamble, basically all just saying:

• Terrorism is bad. (As your SC dais has already mentioned, the real question is not what terrorism is, or if it is based. The question is what to do about it.)

• Terrorism is really bad.

• We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: BOO TERRORISM!

• States must work together to combat terrorism.

That last point is what’s really the basis for the ‘meat’ of this resolution, if we can ever say that a UN resolution has meat to it. If there is anything to be done about the many heinous manifestations of terrorism, it will be done only if there is cooperation in the international community. What needs to be done? Well, points that are particularly relevant to the SC topic of debate this year include:

• International, regional and subregional organizations, and Nation States, need to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and be party to relevant treaties and protocols combating terrorism.

• States must intensify, where appropriate, the exchange of information on facts related to terrorism in order to avoid the dissemination of inaccurate or unverified information.

• All are called upon to cooperate with and support other States in prosecuting perpetrators of terrorist acts, and are urged to cooperate with the Secretary-General, intergovernmental organizations and one another to ensure that technical and other expert advice be provided to those States requiring and requesting assistance to accomplish the above.

So there it is: the General Assembly’s (or, at least, Legal Committee’s) disposition when it comes to terrorism, and, especially, when it comes to terrorism that crosses borders. Now your work begins: how does your country (yes, this involved foreign policy research) relate to these calls from the GA? What might be sacrificed by cooperating so closely with other governments? What stands to be gained? What can your country feasibly accomplish in the fight against terrorism? What do you lack yet?

So, to work! Research! Write! Have fun! (or we’ll send you back to where you were- unemployed, in Greenland.)

Hey UNICEFers...

Remember how a couple of days ago I told you about the beautiful website that is Twitter?

Guess what just showed up on my homepage!

Two beautiful articles on www.unicef.org, that's what!

Two case studies regarding our malnutrition topic for you to mull over on this chilly December evening: Myanmar and Haiti.

Remember, you can search for stories on the UNICEF website by country. That may be useful when researching your country's policies on the two topics for this year's committee.

Just to start you off ...

So, first off I guess the UNODC website will probably be pretty useful in educating you on some of the major issues concerning our topics (these issues will definitely come up in debate, so it's a good idea to keep yourselves informed and updated - we've got some interesting topics so it shouldn't be too boring!)

One of the current events concerning our topic is definitely going to be the US war on drugs (primarily in South/Latin America). Here are some website links and videos showing some different viewpoints:

Drug War Clock - an interesting website that shows updating statistics

War on Drugs - because we all love wikipedia (just make sure not to cite it anywhere!)

RT video - yeah ... I know haha, but it's an interesting video I swear!!

hope this motivates your research, there'll be more coming each week :)

Cancun Talks Getting Underway

Hi delegates! Hopefully the fact that we are getting closer to the holidays is making up for the busy time of year.

So there has been a new news release by scientists during this initial week of the Cancun talks. Apparantly this year has been the warmest ever recorded worldwide. It will be interesting to see how this factors in to the arguements both for and against emission reductions in the near future. Do you think that this will put a damper on the arguments of any nations still against adopting policies for emission reductions?

As for the Cancun talks themselves, there has been looming expectations of its relative unimportance on the current radars of world governments, especially after the size and media coverage of the previous convention in Copenhagen. This time around, there will be next to no major heads of state representing their countries, and the results of the conference are expected to be lackluster at best, which is especially disconcerting considering the meagre outcomes of the much more prominant Copenhagen session. Moreover, as always the debate over the extent to which developing nations should be forced to regulate emissions is predicted to be a large point of contestion, as such nations argue that it is only fair that they be able to develop the same way that modern industrialized nations have already done in the past. This also raises the question of how developing countries can best try to reach their targets for emission reductions. Would it be more effective for industrialized countries to participate in technology transfer to enable cleaner-developing countries, or is their money and time better spent reducing emissions in the domestic markets of deceloped countries?

Social media can help you research!

*This post may be useful to not only to UNICEF delegates, but delegates from other HSMUN committees as well.

Is anyone on Twitter?

It's a great way to quickly find out what's going on in the world.

Today, @SpeakerPelosi linked me to this article informing me that the House of Representatives in the USA passed a child nutrition bill to promote better eating habits by giving the federal government more authority to decide what is sold at schools across the United States.

For more information on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, here are two articles which provide a little more information on this new bill.

First article, second article.

Here are some other tweets I have found useful in the past few weeks and a brief description of what each is about...

@UNICEF - "Founded in 1946, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized."

@UN - "Official twitter account of United Nations. Get the latest information on the UN."

@Refugees - "The official account of UNHCR. Follow us as we provide vital aid and protection to the forcibly displaced around the world."

@cnnbrk - "CNN.com is among the world's leaders in online news and information delivery."

@ONECampaign - "ONE is a grassroots campaign of 2 million people committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases."

@savethechildren - "Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world."

@hrw - "Human Rights Watch’s goal is to provide the most timely information about human rights crises and developments in some 90 countries around the world."

That's right! Twitter isn't just for following your favorite celebrities and pro athletes. It can be a quick way to jump start your research for HSMUN 2011!

Does Security =/= Sovereignty?

Good day prospective SC delegates.


Each week, our blog will be alternating between terrorism and contentious issues relating to the topic. As we've mentioned, we'd prefer it if we didn't spend half of the time debating "what is terrorism". The blog will cover all of those juicy details.

This week, we deal with one of the more contentious issues surrounding cross-border terrorism: sovereignty!!!

The problem with cross-border terrorism is that it crosses borders, thus involving multiple nations. A country may want to pursue terrorists hiding in other countries but they cannot do this if the host country does not approve. The pursuit of cross-border terrorists can harm innocent people in a region not involved in the conflict and strain relations between states. Take the case of Pakistan, a country used by the Taliban as a base for attacks. US attacks on the Pakistani side of the border have caused a great deal of damage and many have been hurt.

I can easily think of a few nations who would support the reduction of state sovereignty in order to pursue terrorist groups. I can just as easily think of a few who vehemently oppose infringement on state sovereignty. Your task: find out whether or not your country places a higher priority on sovereignty or on the pursuit of terrorists. In committee, you'll have to try and strike a balance between respect for sovereignty and the resolution of the issue.

The idea of sovereignty ties in strongly with another contentious issue, unilateral vs multilateral action. TO be discussed at a later date.

Next week: find out more spectacular specifics on what constitutes terrorism

"Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face."
-Jacques Chirac, speech, Sep. 24, 1986

Child Pornography: Does it Include Computer-Generated Images?

Good morning delegates!

As you may know from the coverage it received in the press, there is a Japanese video game called "RapeLay". The objective of this game is to earn points by assaulting schoolgirl characters and even forcing them to have abortions.

According to Wikipedia... (NB: WE WILL NOT CONDONE RESEARCH FROM WIKIPEDIA IN OUR COMMITTEE. However I'm going to take their word on this JUST THIS ONCE and you will understand after reading the following quote why I do not want to research any more about this video game...):

The player can choose from a variety of sexual positions, and controls the action by making movements with the mouse or by scrolling the mouse wheel. It features a realistic sexual simulator which allows the player to grope and undress the characters on a crowded train....

(The whole quote summarizing this game was not posted due to it's inappropriate nature. Read at your own discretion. HSMUN 2011 and the UNICEF Dais are in no way endorsing this video game.)

Yes, this game actually exists. In fact, it belongs to an entire genre of Japanese media, called "hentai" by the West, that features various sexualities that are generally viewed as perversions, including depictions of child-like figures involved in sex acts.  Also included in this genre, and produced by the same company are other sexually violent video games called "Battle Raper" and "Artificial Girl". According to this article:

A spokesman for the company said: "We believe there is no problem with the software, which has cleared the domestic ratings of an ethics watchdog body."

.....
Ethics watchdog body??

Somehow, this game has slipped through Japanese laws and can be sold in the country. Not surprisingly, it cannot be sold anywhere else in the world. While Japanese law bans the production and sale of sexually expicit images of children under 18, it does not prohibit animated or computer-generated images. Has the rapid industrilization and economic development of countries like Japan allowed children to slip through the cracks?

According to this article from 2008, Japan and Russia were the only G8 countries that do not ban possession of child pornography. In addition, magazines and DVDs featuring small children in bikinis are available for sale. According to human rights activists, pedophiles use these obscene photographs to convince their underage victims that sexual exploitation is normal.


The flip side - How about in a developing country ravaged by natural disasters?
This article briefly outlines the way in which children are exploited during times of vulnerability.
According to this article:

...about 250 million children under age 5 in developing countries do not have a birth certificate and about 150 million in the world are engaged in child labor. Children without birth certificates "risk being trafficked, not getting access to health care, eventually not getting inheritance rights," Bissell said. They face "a massive series of potential protection violations because you don't have identities."

---

The current UN Millennium Development Goals on reducing poverty do not cover violations of children's rights, and no country in the world is immune to issues of child exploitation. Delegates, we hope you can come up with some solutions to these problems.

Security is our First Name

Hello prospective Security Council delegates:

My name is Robert. We have been behind in our blogs. This is sad making.

So to give you guys some more info, the background papers should be going up soon. There are a couple of things I want you to take out of it:

Terrorism is part of the question, not the question. The background paper and later blog posts are going to have extensive explanations of terrorism, because I don't want its definition debated ad nauseum. I am going to be discussing terrorism at length with you so you don't have to.

Cross-border issues are the important aspect of the question. These are what the SC deals with all the time. Its mandate is global peace, and preventing international conflict. Keep that in mind. Also of note: its powers are not ultimate, and must still be tempered by respect for sovereign states.

I am a big fan of a couple things: reading, watching documentaries, and talking to people smarter than me. To that end, I want you all to be better statesmen with this first blog post.

• Machiavelli's The Prince (first chapter)
• STRATFOR is an excellent, impartial (though US focused) group, they have some nifty articles, browse their free material, it will blow your mind. Here's a starter, relevant article on terrorism.
• The Fog of War (find it at your local video store or online)
• Homework: Talk to your social teacher about the Security Council's foundation. Your librarian can also be a great source for a good book.

See you in February!

Robert
Chair

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater!

At this year's conference, delegates will need to be prepared for a vigorous discussion on the question of establishing a framework for cheaters in disarmament agreements.

Here is a little background knowledge on the UN's history with disarmament. It is a rather simple explanation but it is a good foundation to start your research, especially if incomprehension of the definition & history of disarmament is hampering your progress & crampin' your style.

Familiarity with terms such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and the Mine-Ban Convention Chemical Weapons Convention would be helpful; however, your research does not have to be limited to the aforementioned terms.

If you are kickin' it at the library, you could check out Chapter 8 of Elements of A Nuclear Disarmament Treaty. The book has led to the recent development of an online game, so if you would classify yourself as a gamer and not a reader, (and if you've already completed the campaigns on Halo Reach & Black Ops), you could try your hand at Cheater's Risk, a game which seeks to add to the debate about negotiated nuclear disarmament by exploring the dynamics of a world without nuclear weapons. HAWT!

Unfortunately, both the book & the game focus on only one side of the issue, so we encourage you to familiarize yourself with both sides of the issue, with greater emphasis falling on specific examples of your nation states'/ally states' treaties & points of importance that should be included in our discussion on the question of establishing a framework for cheaters in disarmament agreements.

Cheers,
The DISEC team.

Problems with One Laptop Per Child?

Greetings earthlings!

The debate about the globalization of the cultural industry continues as programs such as the One Laptop Per Child thrive to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children. Contenders on one side of this issue will argue that this American-made, non-profit organization has created a valuable open source experiment that has made this educational device an affordable commodity to marginalized children around the world. On the other side of the issue, some may argue that although millions of laptops have been distributed, these devices expose children from various developing countries to Western culture. For example, the laptops are wired to connect its user to the internet sources that don’t necessarily reflect comparable educational systems across the globe, but rather a fairly Western approach to learning.

Each laptop has been speculated to cost around $100 USD. The OLPC has stated that its mandate is to:
- Let the kids keep the laptops
- Focus on early education
- Ensure no one gets left out.
- Connection to the internet.
- Free to grow and adapt.

You can learn more about the OLPC program here:
http://www.laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child

With these facts in mind, which side do you think each delegation would be in favour of? Do you think this program is effective in terms of promoting education? Do you think money would be better invested elsewhere? How are programs like these effecting cultures across the globe?

Extreme Action News Team is a Go!

Greetings mighty denizens of the News Empire! We at the Extreme Action News Team bring you all the stories that are fit to be made up. Look out for us during the conference. We may be lurking in hallways or generally taking things that you say out of context to make them seem more ridiculous. Also please remember that poisoning journalists with radioactive isotopes is wrong (plus I built up an immunity during my time as the Dread Pirate Roberts). Now watch this promotional video I composed using computer animated (and slightly frightening) bears!

Real-World International Security Issues

Hello delegates! Recent weeks have seen some interesting developments with regards to international security. First off, tensions around everyone's favorite DMZ have been taking off recently following border clashes, with North Korea shelling a South Korean island and the South responding in kind. The North is flexing its muscles right now with Kim Jong-Il setting up his son Kim Jong-Un as his successor, so keep an eye on the situation.

We can also take a look at some developments in the post-Soviet world. The frozen conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, frequently the site of border skirmishes, has seen a greater buildup by Azerbaijani forces in recent months. Currently modernizing its military with oil revenue, Baku is more aggressively seeking a resolution to the status of the breakaway province - possibly one that involves retaking it by force.

Lastly, there is the issue of the Islamist insurgency in the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan. The obscure nation, on the northern border of Afghanistan, has seen conflict on an increasing scale this year, with the government providing little to no information about the insurgency aside from body counts. Former Soviet Central Asia has managed to avoid the influence of Islamic extremism to date, but any sort of uprising in the volatile region is never good news.

This is all just food for thought to consider the many different forms international security and disarmament can take. Have fun with your own research on it!

The DISEC team.

ECOFUN

Greetings delegates! For those of you on the ECOFIN committee and those of you who have any interest at all about global environmental or economic issues, this is the place to be.

One of the topics that will be discussed in the ECOFIN committee is the question of sustainable technological development. If you're wondering where to start your research, the International Institute on Sustainable Development is the place to go (www.iisd.org). They've got up-to-date information on most everything involving sustainability worldwide. Do remember, however, that we are discussing technological development, so focus your research there. A good topic to start would be sustainable energy technologies. The Delhi International Conference on Renewable Energy was held in late October (www.iisd.org/ymb/energy/direc2010/) and was the latest in an ongoing series of conferences to address future energy issues. As many of you are aware of, there are countless technological directions within sustainable energy. In general, the struggle at the moment is to convince nations reliant on fossil fuels and non-renewable energy sources that renewables will outweigh short-term economic losses with long-term economic potential. It's not about environment vs economy, rather it's about how we can integrate the two into a satisfying solution.

More to come.

NOTE: As of 9:30 AM on Friday November 19, the ECOFIN committee has brought a new word into the english language. This word *drumroll* is... GLOCAL. Fed up with having to choose between global issues or local ones? Glocal issues integrate all your concerns in one tight, albeit rather heavy, package.

Cheers! Hope you guys are all taking advantage of the snow to go ski/snowboard/sled/snowman-build/snowball fight/skate (might be too early if you don't feel like falling through the ice on that last one)

Some more UNICEF links

Cruising www.un.org for less than 5 minutes resulted in these 3 interesting links:

After the 2008 financial crisis, funding for social programs decreased dramatically as countries tried to save their own economies. In addition, unemployment increased and in poor countries, people's purchasing power deceased. Since those in developing countries were already spending the majority of their income on food, this is an issue. Read more *here*.

The introduction of social programs can play a huge role in preventing and controlling malnutrition. These links highlight two contrasting examples: *this article* features an innovative program that is actively decreasing malnutrition in Iraq. Conversely, *this article* highlights how ignoring current problems regarding hunger will lead to chronic hunger deficits in the future.

Be sure to also check out the United Nations World Food Program website for more information on preventing and controlling malnutrition.

Traditional Medicine in Canada

Hello delegates! As I'm sure you already know, those of you in the WHO will be discussing the issue of traditional medicine. As you research the topic, it's important to keep in mind that since you will be writing resolutions, you must start thinking of what your country would like to include in one.

To help you do this, you might want to check out the National Aboriginal Health Organization's paper on Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Contexts. The relationship of culture to traditional medicine seems particularly relevant. It is long, but looking at the table of contents can help you identify the pertinent parts. Although in the WHO you won't be focusing on Aboriginal traditional medicine in Canada, it might help you learn about the practical issues involved, as well give you ideas for resolutions.

Hunger? Unacceptable!

When we think of poverty and hunger, we often think of drought-stricken African nations or the slums of East Asia.

What most people don't realize is that this issue also exists a little closer to home...

This article shows us that even developed countries have this problem. According to the article, "between 500,000 and 1 million of the people affected in the homes were children."

Remember, hunger exists all over the world.

WHO gives a better insite?

Hello WHO Delegates!!!

So time to do some research!!!!
Make sure to get a grasp on what this organization does and what it is responsible for and narrow it down by seeing where your country fits in the big picture.
This Link will take you to a list of countries...
http://www.who.int/countries/en/

This video is to give a better insite on the role of WHO, and how it responded to the recent pandemic.


This is a pretty cool video of what we are capable of doing when the world comes together.

... WHAT WAS THAT?

While researching the internet and newspapers are an excellent way to keep up to date with current events, there are plenty of other supplementary sources that are sometimes less tedious. For example, the weekly show Saturday Night Live has a 'Weekend Update' segment, which showcases (in a comedic context) a number of important international events that can give you a good starting point to direct additional research. And occasionally, you get gems like this.

Enjoy,

The DISEC team.

Issue 1 of the Daily Delegate!

Daily Delegate Issue 6, Sixth Edition

Suit Up!

Salutations!
Welcome to HSMUN 2011. In the future, please refer to posts that are tagged as DISEC, as they are the most important ones.. Encourage your other HSMUN pals to read our posts, because the issues will also be relevant to them in terms of foreign policy. Throughout the course of the year, we will be providing you a (somewhat) regular overview of important goings-on in the world. Our postings will relate to our two topics of focus:
- The question of militarization of borders
- The question of establishing a framework for cheaters in disarmament agreements
Please refer to the background papers when they are posted for an initial overview.

Committee Heads:
Steven Graham - enjoys long walks on the beach
Rebecca Thomas - enjoys short walks on the beach
Neil Hauer - enjoys passing out on the beach

Welcome to HSMUN 2010!

The Economics and Finance Committee would like to welcome you to the 2010 High School Model United Nations!

My name is Jennifer, and this is my first year being a part of the U of A's annual HSMUN conference. I am a third year science student, and I enjoy hip hop dancing and mexican food.

My name is Alan and this is my fourth year with HSMUN and second as staff. I am a second year Earth Sciences student, and my last near-death experience involved almost falling into a glacier.

Hi, my name is Michael Ceroici, and this is my first year volunteering with HSMUN, and I am the Intervention Attache for the ECOFIN committee. I enjoy traveling and learning new languages.

The Economic and Finance topics for this year's conference will be:
1) The issue of sustainable technological development
2) The issues regarding the globalization of the cultural industry

Saving children is cool... So is UNICEF!!

Hello UNICEF delegates!
Welcome to another year of HSMUN! We hope you find our UNICEF posts both informative and entertaining! Check out the posts tagged UNICEF for posts relating to this committee!

My nAme is Natalie Pon and I am the ChaiR for UNICEF this year. I'm in my second year at the University of Alberta. This is my second delightful year as dais (last year I was Director for WHO), and my third with HSMUN. I enJoy playing Madden, rib-eye steaks, StarbUcks coffee (hiNt hint), the MIami DolphinS, and generAlly just being aWesome. In addition, I am an executivE with CampuS UNICEF at the U of A. I lOve everything about UNICEF, so if you have any questions, I will be More than willing to hElp you out and share my passion for this organization! I also love coffee. Did I mention that? So if you're looking for a way to impress me, there is a Starbucks in Cameron Library. Bernard Callebaut chocolate will do as well (hint hint).

What Up Beautiful Delegates!

My name is Muhammed Patel and I am the Director of UNICEF this year. I am in my second awesome year of Science and my 4th year with HSMUN (3 years as a delegate) and I love it more then i love donairs, and i love donairs more then I love soccer, football, and hockey and best of all UFC. I am in a long term relationship with my XBOX (gamertags?). I am also an executive with Campus UNICEF because Natalie is almost as awesome as she claims (I'm way more awesome). I just started drinking coffee and i don't drink Starbucks because i am cheap, so Tim Hortons always wins (hint hint?). We're going to make this year more awesome than this kid:

My name is Elzbieta Tymon, and I am your Intervention Attache this year. I'm currently in my second year of Business at the University of Alberta, and have been involved with HSMUN for the past 3 years: as a delegate in 2008 and 2009, and as News Staff last year.

The two resolutions in our amazing commitee this year are:

1. The question of coordinating international efforts against child pornography on the internet; and
2. The question of preventing and controlling child malnutrition.

For now, we will leave you with some words of wisdom:

In the words of Randy Moss, "[Delegates], I salute you! I'm out!"

"HIGH SIX!" - Barney Stinson

Welcome to UNODC!

Hey, this is your Dias and Intervention staff for UNODC HSMUN 2011. We're super excited to see all of you in February and we just wanted to introduce ourselves a bit before the conference (we don't' bite).

Dias Staff:
Lauren (Dias Chair) - Hi! I'm a second year Pharmacology student in the Faculty of Science. I had the pleasure of participating in HSMUN as a delegate while I was in high school and I hope to help all of you have as great of an experience as I had!
P.S.- I like long walks on the beach and dancing in the rain.

Zohaib (Dias Director) - My name is Zohaib. I am a second year Neuroscience student and as such, I have no knowledge of anything to do with politics. This is my 4th year of failing at HSMUN, and I enjoy long walks on the beach with my cat Tickles.

Intervention:
Katarina (Intervention Attache) - Hey! I'm in my second year in Political Science and French. I started HSMUN in grade 12 and have been addicted ever since. I will basically be critiquing all of your foreign policies, so don't mess up (I lied about not biting). JUST KIDDING! we're all going to work together to make your time with HSMUN as pleasant as possible.
P.S. - I prefer short strolls on the beach . . .

disclaimer: Zohaib wasn't actually here today so his evil twin is responsible for his introduction :)

Welcome to the World Health Organization

Hello,

My name is Salwa Nsier and I am the dias director for the World Health Organization. I am a first year student currently in the Faculty of Science, and still undecided. I was a delegate during my high school years and had an amazing time. My favourite food is Subway and I spend my free time watching Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl and Hellcats.
Can't wait to meet all of you!!!

Yo!
Your dias chair for this year will be Kristi Meier, me! I am a third year student at the University and am currently studying economics, however I am still undetermined what career I want to pursue. This is my second year volunteering as a staff member for HSMUN and I also participated as a delegate during high school for 2 years. My favorite food is anything spicy, and I spend my free time listening to BBC Radio 1 sets, watching documentary films, and going to wine tastings. Looking forward to this year's HSMUN!

Hi! I'm Elana, your intervention attache. I'm a second year student, studying math and philosophy. I was a delegate for two years and this is my second year volunteering. I am passionate about chocolate, and I spend my free time unicycling and reading books.

Some helpful links are the following:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/
http://www.who.int/en/
http://www.who.int/topics/disasters/en/

Feel secure with Security Council

Hey everyone! My name is Josh and I will be the director for Security Council at HSMUN 2011. I am a second year political science student who, despite my objections, is related to Brian Mulroney... Bad times... Anyways, I know how it feels to be a delegate, having participated in HSMUN 2008 and 2009. Get ready, it will be amazing!

Hey people! My name is Aaron and I will be your Intervention Attache for the conference! Like Josh, I am a second year politcal science major who participated in HSMUN 2009. For the summer, I chose not to travel like most students, I worked for the Canadian embassy on the Death Star. In all seriousness, I am a volunteer for the NDP...not much better. See you guys in February!

Late addition, my name is Robert, I will be your chair for the Security Council! I am a third year Microbiology Honours student. I was a delegate in 2008, and chair at both 2009 and 2010. As such, I'm super excited for the promotion to Security Council, and I'm excited to see you save the world from certain doom and destruction.

Research, research, research!

For all your last minute researching needs: http://www.un.org/en/members/ - It has links to country's permanent missions and info about their roles at the UN, news updates of things they've been involved with, etc. Go! Go!

The UN also has a site that includes how to prepare for MUNs and helpful links to research info!

The United Nations Association of the USA provides helpful advice as well. Try clicking on the country and issues links.

UNEP has updated their crazy foreign policy page so go check that out too.

Did you read the latest UNN edition yet? Find it here!

Iran & Its Nuclear Ambitions

Iran's recent decision to enrich its uranium to 20% has left the international community stunned. The announcement had some definite reprecussions on Iran's already strained relationship with the West, but it also resulted in some very interesting reactions among the Western powers themselves.
Here are some BBC articles which outline the issue and various countries' stance:

• Initial announcement by Iran,
• The West's reactions,
• BBC opinion piece on the issue,
• Most recent developments (from Monday).

This issue constitutes probably one of the most important developments in international news before the conference, and should affect relations between major and minor world powers, especially since a UN Security Council vote on sanctions against Iran is likely to take place soon (in real life).

I urge you all to take notice of what happens with the Iran issue until Thursday afternoon, as Turkey attempts to mediate and Hilary Clinton continues on her tour of the Gulf.

Does Kim Jong Il have feelings?

A few years back some of the political science students in HSMUN thought it would be hilarious if the official quote for the conference was by Machiavelli, a man renowned for his strategic brilliance and political cunningness but also for his belief that the ends justified the means and focus on preserving power for the state, or more accurately, the prince. Their point, I think, was that the UN isn't all warm and fuzzy. Politics is messy and understanding what motivates states' actions can be difficult to understand even after being force fed political theory on the subject because let's face it, leaders are human, and sometimes totally crazy. However, as delegates you are at once a part of the action, and removed enough to examine it rationally. Reading accounts of situations like that in Rwanda, it is easy to see that the UN can easily fall into the role of being an ivory tower, where time is given to actually make rational decisions based on carefully compiled reports, blah blah blah but at other times, there is a very real sense of urgency and action is taken that has real consequences. Those in the Security Council best experience this type of extreme, but really it is experienced by any delegate who feels particularly passionate about certain topics.
I'm not sure where I was going with this other than I was reading an Economist article about Kim Jong Il and they mentioned that some considered him a brilliant Machiavellian but they were shocked to see him actually apologizing to his people and it reminded me that strong emotion is often what gets things done in the UN. Not in the Security Council maybe, but in its agencies and on the ground, it is a series of incredible people who are passionate about their missions that drive agendas forward. As a delegate you should try to find some passion about the topics you are debating and it will make this experience so much more enjoyable. Not too much emotion mind you, but just a little to give you some conviction.

Also, read this thought-provoking and short post on the resurgence of the AIDS epidemic in parts of Africa. The Wall Street Journal piece is interesting as well.

It's coming... Are you ready?

We're in the final stretch!! To help in your preparation for the conference I thought I'd make a list of things to remember:

Things to bring:
- Paper, pens - you'll need something to send notes to other delegates on and to write draft resolutions on
- Research! Statistics, foreign policy notes, position papers, background papers, etc. These are all super helpful to have as reference when you speak in committee. And you will speak in committee.
- The nametag you receive on Thursday night you'll need to wear on Friday and Saturday and bring with you to the banquet if you want to gain entrance.
- Water bottle (hydration is important!)

Things to leave at home:
- Valuables. There is no safe place to lock them up and you won't be able to leave them in committee rooms during lunch. Bring enough money for lunch/snacks on Friday but not much else.
- Laptops. You can't use them in the committee room so there's really not much point in bringing them. You will have access during the day to a computer lab but restricted access to the internet. Do your research at home, ahead of time.

Other Things:
- Dress code is business for the conference and business/formal for the banquet (which is at the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe).
- Do not do all your research on Thursday night. You've known the topics and your delegation assignments for weeks, if not months. No excuses! We're all busy university students and we've been working on them since September!
- Thursday night, registration opens at 6 PM in the ETLC atrium on the second floor and you should be in ETL E1-001 by 6:30 for the start of the opening ceremonies. Thursday evening, committee sessions will wrap up by 9 PM. Then you're back bright and early on Friday at 9 AM. Time is limited so sessions will start promptly. Don't be late.
- Cell phone use is prohibited within committee sessions and delegates caught will be at the mercy of their dais staff.
- If you have questions, ask any of the staff! We'll do our best to help you out.
- If you don't get the rules yet, don't panic! The opening ceremonies includes a mock debate that highlights the important rules and your dais staff will also give you a chance to ask questions in committee.


Hopefully, I covered most of it. Comment if you have any questions or further suggestions.

Finally, check out the latest edition of the newspaper!

International Week 2010!

As some of you may know, from February 1-5 the University of Alberta is hosting International Week 2010. This is a great opportunity to hear speakers and meet activists and experts who are passionately engaged on any number of different fronts. I have listed some lectures below and strongly encourage you to take advantage of any that you can (the majority are free!). When I was in high school I had the opportunity to see Stephen Lewis at I-Week and it was life changing. It's not often we get this many experts in one place in Edmonton so COME OUT!

Monday Feb. 1, 12:00 - 1:30 PM - Myer Horowitz: Donna Brazile speaking on "Civic Engagement, Creating Lasting Change"
This woman is crazy! She's worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, where she served as campaign manager for Al Gore and continues to play an active role in the Democratic National Committee. For political junkies, this lecture is a must!

Monday Feb. 1, 5:00 - 6:30 PM - TELUS Centre 150: Film "Good Morning Kandahar" followed by a discussion with Brigadier-General John Vance and others.

Monday Feb. 1, 7:30-9:00 PM - TELUS Centre 150: Canada's Future Role in the World - a roundtable with people from DFAIT, CIDA, Canada's World and Dr. Tom Keating from the Dept. of Political Science
If you're interested in Canadian diplomacy and development efforts this should be an interesting discussion.

Tuesday Feb. 2, 7:30-9:00 PM - TELUS Centre 150: Towards a Canadian Arctic Strategy
Need I say more Security Council delegates?! GO! GO!


Wednesday Feb. 3, 7:30-9:00 PM - TELUS Centre 150: World Poverty: Explanations, Responsibilities, Reforms
I'm not as confident that this will be a good session but the topic is interesting and I-Week doesn't usually mess around with bringing in less-than-quality keynote presenters. The presenter, Dr. Thomas Pogge, is from Yale University and heads efforts towards creating a new pharmaceutical patent regime that would improve access to medicines for poor people worldwide.

Thursday Feb. 4, 5:00-6:30 PM - TELUS Centre 150: Film "Toxic Trespass"
This film looks at the chemical soup constantly surrounding us and how governments respond to the dire health threats. Could be useful for UNEP delegates!

Thursday Feb. 4, 7:30-9:00 PM - TELUS Centre 150: When Worlds Collide: Ethics and the Global Pandemic Response
HELLO, WORLD HEALTH ORG. DELEGATES, this roundtable will look at the ethics of fighting a global pandemic. Who should get access to medication first? How do we role out immunization campaigns? While there will likely be a heavy focus on Canada, I would still urge anyone who can to go since this panel is directly addressing the ethical issues surrounding access to medication during pandemics!

Alright, so now you have some week night options for next week! You can find a listing of all the events in the I-Week program!

Tensions rising in Venezuela and Asia

As the news cycle continues to be dominated by Haiti, particularly as more accurate death tolls become available and a conference begins tomorrow which aims to lay out a long-term development plan for the country, I thought I would briefly discuss a few other stories happening globally.

First, in anticipation of an election in September, Venezuela's opposition parties are stirring up dissent. There are reports that tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets Saturday to protest the Chavez regime. Mostly, they are unhappy with the rolling blackouts, water rationing and widespread crime. However, later that day, they had new reason to be upset when it was announced that Chavez was taking a tv station that refused to broadcast a presidential address off the air. Earlier last week, he nationalized several stations in order to better control what they broadcast. This is a clear attack on freedom of speech in the country and the international community should be concerned. Just over a week ago, Venezuelans also saw their currency devalued, a move which is regarded with much skepticism by The Economist.

Second, tensions within Asia and between Asian countries and the international community have been ratcheted up lately. There's the US-China diplomatic row over attacks on Google, a crackdown on democracy activists in Vietnam, declarations of pre-emptive strikes between North and South Korea, protests in Hong Kong and the jailing of a HK dissident by China. Responding to these new developments, The Economist has published a number of articles this week regarding Chinese relations with its neighbours and the EU, as well as on their hot economy which has many fearing the development of dangerous bubbles. Delegates are advised to keep their eyes on the region as relations with the Asian giant have come to play a huge roll in the success of UN sessions. Moreover, as China's neighbours become more embroiled in dispute, security becomes a greater concern and as we all know, an insecure or pre-occupied country is one which often makes ill-advised foreign policy decisions.

Third, Afghanistan continues to be a mess. Its elections have now been postponed because of a lack of funding from donor countries who are fed up with the corruption in the state. On a more hopeful note, CBC radio had an interview this morning with Greg Mortenson who has been working to build schools in Afghanistan for years and provided at least a little hope for the recovery of the country.

Fourth, since Christmas, Yemen has been hitting the news more often. Keep an eye on articles detailing the ongoing action against Al-Qaeda, and relations between Yemen and its neighbour, Saudi Arabia.

Finally, I should note that although I chose not to link to articles on Haiti, it will be interesting to watch reports of the conference tomorrow and in the upcoming days. The world has rarely seen the need to engage in humanitarian relief on this scale and without at least cursory demands to respect sovereignty. At this point, it is hard to imagine Haiti will have a functioning state or government capable of direct relief on its own within the next 6 months and how the international community handles this may reflect a changing approach towards humanitarian relief efforts and human security.

Scenes of Devastion in Haiti

This week one story has dominated the news cycle - the horrible devastation of Haiti as the result of an earthquake. Right now, aid workers and citizens are beginning the long road to recovery with the help of international aid and military personnel. However, the plight of Haiti didn't begin here and recovery efforts will be hampered, to an even greater degree than in Indonesia, by the poverty and history of civil conflict that has made the country the poorest in Latin America. The question of how Haiti will move forward from here is a pressing one - the short answer is not without a huge outpouring of foreign assistance that will be maintained for years to come.

Why should the outside world care though? Haiti has had a messy past few decades and the US, UN and neighbouring countries have all intervened in governmental affairs. The latest incident was in 2004 when the US moved to oust the democratically elected dictator Aristide. Since then, the UN and Brazil have set up missions and peacekeeping forces, slowly beginning to stabilize the crushingly poor state. Haiti's poverty stems from several factors including a long history of unstable governance, poor infrastructure, desertification, heavy deforestation (which has meant erosion and flooding), and high levels of corruption.

At this point though, the need to aid millions without homes, proper sanitation or food is dire and the international community is right to act immediately and without reservation. Beyond obliging a sense of common humanity, leaving millions of people in such a state is a massive security risk. We are already seeing reports of violence surrounding aid drops, looting, massive exodus' into neighbouring states, and fears regarding escaped criminals. However, these concerns will soon be compounded if aid resources are not distributed efficiently, shelter is not built quickly and jobs not created. Aid agencies are already working under the assumption they will be completely supporting some Haitians for up to three years but even that's a daunting figure when considering the amount of work that will be needed to stabilize such an impoverished nation. Leaving it alone will lead to a failed state with rampant crime, corruption, poverty and ever growing populations of displace persons and refugees.

Interestingly, Canada is now considering fast-tracking some refugee claims from the country. Haitians already have a huge diaspora with some 100000 estimated to be in Canada, 600000 in the US and 800000 in the Dominican Republic. These numbers are unsurprising given the conditions in the country and the support of this community will be beneficial to a country brought to its knees so soon after achieving just a small measure of progress.

From the point of view of the UN, the Haitian earthquake has been personally devastating. The UN headquarters in Port-Au-Prince have been flattened and there are 46 UN workers dead with over 300 missing. In one good news story yesterday, a Danish UN worker was pulled from the ruined headquarters and is in stable condition. Hundreds of aid workers, including many from Canada, are now unlikely to be found alive. The high death rates of foreign nationals reflect the sheer amount of aid work that was going on before the earthquake and is a terrible reminder for many organizations, families and communities of the risks their members undertake on these missions.

Let us all hope that the current outpouring of support for the country will be enough to put it on the road to recovery and sustain it for the next several years as people rebuild their shattered lives. Let us also hope we will see improved coordination of the massive long term aid effort, even as thousands of troops from Canada, the US, and neighbouring states, land in Haiti. Disaster relief on this scale has rarely been seen.

Articles of interest on Haiti from:
- The Globe and Mail (Pictures, Articles, World Aid)
- The Economist (Why the World Must Respond)
- The Wall Street Journal (More Peacekeepers going to Haiti)

New Delegate Resources Available!

Background papers are up on our website! Go to www.ualberta.ca/~hsmun and then use the left-hand sidebar to navigate to your committee page.

Also, check out the first edition of the UNN newspaper!

Holiday's over...

Happy New Year and welcome back to regularly scheduled blogging by the HSMUN team. We're looking forward to the next month and a half of final preparations for the conference and hope you are too. Over the next few days we will be posting background papers, the first edition of the UNN, and hopefully sending out the first of our delegate emails.

Below are a few articles and events of interest:

• Counting their blessings - The Economist: This article looks at how developing countries weathered the economic crisis

• Yemen has become the latest terrorist-harboring state, with violent consequences. Reports from the NYT, Al Jazeera, and the BBC.

"Hillary Mann-Leverett, a former US diplomat who worked at the national security council, told Al Jazeera that Yemen had long been a troubled state plagued by poverty and violence.

"The most important thing here for geopolitics globally and within the region, is that Yemen has been a fractured, desperately poor and deeply fractitious country that all the countries in the region and the superpowers have used as a battleground," she said." - Al Jazeera

• Latest report from the International Crisis Group: 6 actual or potential conflicts deteriorated, none improved.
• How to write about poor people (Part 1 and part 2) - William Easterly: A humorous blog entry from a foreign aid scholar
  
• All the President's Leaks - FP.com: Why Obama is winning the propaganda war with Iran

Now go out and research my friends! (And check your committee blogs, too)


Cartoon from KAL at The Economist