Undisputed Naturally Essential Proteins

Hello, lovely UNEP delegates! Less than 5 hours til our opening ceremonies commence... are you excited yet? We sure are! After reading all your position papers, we know that you are all well-prepared, and that we are in for some exciting (and perhaps heated) debate. Don't be shy... we want you to bring your all to the conference. Remember, we are here to solve some very important environmental issues that will shape the future of our fragile planet earth. Use tonight to make your position well-known to the rest of the committee and meet your ally countries. By making an impression tonight, we will be more than ready for a full day of debate tomorrow. And make sure to listen during the opening ceremonies and our very exciting mock debate, as you will gain important information that will be useful for the rest of the conference. And don't forget your business attire! Let's be the best-dressed committee of HSMUN 2012! Lastly, and most importantly, HAVE FUN! We can't wait to meet you all!!

Sincerely,
Your UNEP Dais

Good Morning..

... and what a fine morning it is!

You can smell the excitement and anticipation in the crisp, cold air. Today is the first day of the HSMUN 2012 Conference! We can't wait to see your bright eyed, bushy tailed selves :)

Some last minute thoughts on small arms:

A June 2006 UN conference (to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms sand Light Weapons in All Its Aspects) attempted to curtail the flow of weapons throughout the world - with knowledge that the UN Security Council's Permanent 5 are the most prominent suppliers. An estimated 1000 per day are killed because of this clandestine support of rebel groups. China, for example, is the main supplier of small arms to The Sudan (88%). As of 2006, the number of Sudanese small arms imports from China jumped 137 times from the 2001 level. One might argue that China has thus aided in the genocide that Sudan's government has apparently perpetrated in its Darfur region [indirect/alleged].

The UN's major Security Council members are not the only culprits. In November 2008, Iraqi Kurds acquired three planeloads of small arms and ammunition from Bulgaria. Ty he Kurds seek autonomy from the Iraqi government and independence. Introducing weapon s in to that volatile military theatre is only adds to Iraq's contemporary problem with controlling violence within its borders.

The US expressed what was implicit in the policy objectives of the other four veto blocking States; its Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs reported to the UN General Assembly that the US would object to any steps to establish the international recognition of ammunition or ban governments from giving or selling arms to rebel groups of their choice. In his words: "While we will of course continue to oppose the acquisition of arms by terrorist groups, we recognize the rights of the oppressed to defend themselves against tyrannical and genocidal regimes and oppose a blanket ban on [such recipient] non-state actors."

(Slomanson, Fundamental Perspectives on International Law)

Some last minute items to consider:

- Closed Conference: conference considerations will be purely internal and open to no external events (worldwide events that happen outside of the conference cannot be used during the debates).

- Business wear: get out those black dress socks... The Delegate of the Levis will not be recognized :P

See you all tonight!!

Cheers,

The DISEC Team

UNEP: Using Neurons Enables Progress

Hey there guys and gals,

UNEP checking in. Probably for the last time. But never fear! On Thursday, you will finally get the chance to meet your lovely dais staff and fellow delegates!

Thanks to all of you who sent in position papers, and if you didn't - not a big deal, just make sure you read up on a little background before coming Thursday (at bare minimum, just read the old blog posts tagged UNEP). Here are some last minute tips:

If you've done this before, you know exactly what to expect. We'll be counting on you returning delegates to steer the committee and make sure the conference runs smoothly. Hope you guys are just excited as we are! (Why else would you be back for another year). For those of you who are new to this, not to worry! Thursday is always a relaxed day where we go over all the rules, formalities, and procedure. We like to keep it really informal, so if you feel like you're hopelessly lost with no hope of rescue, keep your ears open and ask questions! That way we can make sure everyone gets the most out of the three days. And trust me, no matter how confused you feel, I promise that by the end of Thursday night, everything will make sense. Now I have been asked by a couple delegates whether they will be forced to talk. For the most part, we'll give everyone their space - we understand if you're nervous and it takes you a while to settle into it. Some people will obviously be better acquainted or have more to say on some issues. That being said, we do want everyone to participate, so we will be trying to get to know you all personally and encourage you to have your say on the topics.

With that, I believe my rant for the day is concluded. Please email us at hsmun.unep@gmail.com if you have any questions between now and the conference. We look forward to seeing you all in your best business attire on Thursday. Cheers!

UNEP Dais

Did I Say Maps?

Hey Historical Delegates:

I've been looking through some maps before the conference, trying to find some gooders. In case you haven't found them, here are some awesome links:

From the Woodhead Commission on Partition:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/WoodheadMapA.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/WoodheadMapB.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/WoodheadMapC.png

A general map:
http://hippasus.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/palestine_map_pre1948.jpg

A coloured map with some annotations on the original Partition:
http://lw.palestineremembered.com/download/PalestineBeforeNakba.jpg

Another view of partition:
http://domino.un.org/maps/m0103_1b.gif

The background papers are looking good, I should be through them all by the end of the day. I look forward to seeing all of you.

Cheers,

Robert Lees-Miller
Historical Committee Chair
HSMUN 2012

SO CLOSE!!!

One week from this day, you shall grace the halls and lecture theatres of the University of Alberta. You have answered the call, the call to represent some awesome countries in an awesome UN simulation! ITS GONNA BE RAD!!!!

HUGE thank you to the delegates that submitted your papers! As a second-year SC dias staff member, I can say with full confidence that this year's SC sent in more papers! Way to go!

Here are some things to bear in mind as you scurry about, madly making the final preparations for the conference. Your country's allies and enemies (very important for voting). Relations with the Middle East and North Africa (kind of necessary). For specific issues relating to developing a peace settlement, you need to take into account arms control, diverse militia groups, human rights, state sovereignty, and the rights of the current governments. Keep it general to keep it real. Another note, the Arab Spring is obviously still happening. Therefore, it is possible that major events occur during the conference. Between now and Thursday next week, follow these events. However, during the conference, for all intents and purposes, the outside world will cease to exist. If, during the conference Syria announces that protests are allowed and Assad will step down, pretend it didn't happen! If, during the conference Yemen announces that the government will reform and base its new constitution off of Yellow Submarine, pretend it didn't happen (although, that would be sweet!!!). Similar conditions apply to your countries. Between now and the conference, consider your countries static. If say, between now and Thursday, the USA decides to reform itself into an anarcho-syndicalist commune, act as if you were still a republic. If Germany reforms into the 4th Reich, pretend that you are still good ol' democratic Germany. Ask us any questions if you have any! Can't wait to meet you!

Security Council Fun Fact: China has used its veto at the SC 6 times, France 18, Britain 32 times, the US 82 times, and Russia/the USSR 123 times with most of those times coming before 1965. After this, the USSR chilled a bit and let things happen. DAS IST DER HAMMER!!!!

Your very cool SC chair,
Josh

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: General Assembly I - DISEC

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: Historical General Assembly

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: UNEP

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: General Assembly III - SOCHUM

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: Security Council

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: General Assembly VI - Legal

Introduction to HSMUN 2012: World Health Organization (WHO)

UNEP: Unicorns Never Eat Pringles

Hello delegates!

Countdown is on! 8 days left before HSMUN! Thanks to all of you who sent in position papers. They're a great way to make sure you know your stuff. We'll be sending out emails in the next couple days to all of you who did send in papers just to confirm that we received them.

A couple quick points I wanted to touch on.

1) Allies - Make sure you know who your allies are! First day of the conference can be a little scary, especially in a big committee like ours. Knowing which countries will be 'on your side' on the issues is a great way to start meeting people and coming up with ideas. Especially if you're not quite sure where you stand on an issue, talking to others can be a great help. Now, how do you figure out who your allies are? For some countries, it will be obvious, for some - not so much. For example, we know that USA, Canada, UK, etc. all generally get along fine. We also know that North Korea doesn't have many allies. If you're somewhere in between, like Belgium, it's safe to figure that you're friendly with most European countries. Just looking around on Google will probably help you out on this one.

2) Perspective - Especially on the resource extraction topics, it might be interesting to think about different perspectives. Take a look at the links below on the Alberta Oil Sands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1mZMOP-wbY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dpOzvmBj8k

Cheers!

UNEP Dais

Arms control

Hey delegates,

On the topic of arms control:

Credits: http://liberalryangosling.tumblr.com/post/16879645111

Also, RIP long gun registry :( Anyways, happy Valentine's Day! We look forward to seeing you guys at the conference, and as always, happy last-minute researching!

We LOVE Position Papers

Hey SOCHUM delegates!

Even though the deadline has passed, we have not received many position papers from all of you. I'd just like to remind all of you that there's an award for Best Position Paper, so it's worth it to just spend some time writing a background paper on your country. We are still accepting position papers at this point, but please send it in as soon as possible, so we can consider all of your papers for the award!

Thanks!

More Papers Please?

Hi!
So because we Security Council peeps are so generous, kind, selfless, modest, [insert awesome adjective], we are doing things a little differently. Your delegate packages say that the papers were due yesterday at midnight. However, FOR THE SECURITY COUNCIL ONLY (unless your specific dias staff has informed you otherwise), the paper deadline is set at Tuesday, February 14th (<3) at midnight. That means you have plenty of time to finish your paper and get a date unless you want your date to be your paper. That being said, we would really like it if you would please send in your papers ASAP to hsmun.sc@gmail.com. To those delegates who have already submitted papers, we thank you, you're awesome, minstrels will write songs about you in years to come. As previously mentioned, your paper needs to be submitted ON TIME in order to be eligible for awards. If your paper is submitted at 3am on the 15th, no biggie. So long as it is reasonable, we'll still accept it.

For something more along the lines of the Arab Spring, here is a nice nice visual timeline of the Arab Spring events that gives you a little gloss over of how widespread it actually is.

Conference is only a few weeks away!!! YAY!!!

Security Council Fun Fact: Taiwan used to have a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Until next time, live long and prosper!

Josh
SC Chair

BUT MY POSITION PAPER IS 19 MINUTES LATE.

After receiving some worried emails about late position papers, the Legal dais staff just wants to say that we will take a look at position papers that come in a bit later so long as they're not unreasonably late - i.e. try to get your paper in by tomorrow if you can. We have all been panicked delegates before, so we know how you all feel right now. If you feel really guilty about your procrastination, we usually respond well to excessive compliments. Good luck, happy last-minute writing, and email us if you have any questions!

Position papers, anyone?

Hey delegates,

So we'd just like to remind you all that we'd like to have all our position papers in by Valentine's Day.

For those of you still stuck on what to write about or who aren't sure what their country's stance is on an issue, maybe think about poking into your country's history, experiences with the UN and international measures in their own country and in the region, looking up voting records in DISEC, etc. And if you're worried about having smaller or more obscure countries, it's really useful to look at who your country's allies are and how THEY feel about an issue. Countries tend to vote in blocks - if your country has strong economic, social or cultural ties with another nation, it's likely that they cooperate on the international stage as well.

Hopefully you guys don't find this process too onerous. Position papers are a really great way to figure out your country's stance on issues before you come into committee sessions, and they're a good way to prep for the actual conference.

As always, happy last-minute-gotta-hand-in-a-position-paper researching!

P.S. In honour of Valentine's Day:

Credits:

http://irryangosling.tumblr.com/

Hello Legal Committee!

Hey delegates! First of all, we're still waiting on position papers. We have received one so far, but we feel confident that there are more of you in the Legal committee because we like to think that there are many real people who read our blog posts. We hope that you are all frantically writing them right now. If you have any questions on guidelines or content, check out this page. Remember that your position papers let us know how well you understand your nation's foreign policy so try to convey your nation's stance on both issues as articulately and correctly as possible. Position papers should be sent to hsmun.legal@gmail.com. Some concerns that delegates sometimes have about foreign policy are:

1. My country's foreign policy is very extreme/difficult to defend - this actually puts you in one of the best positions to start interesting debates in the committee! Your nation's foreign policy might force you to be less cooperative with other delegates, but as your dais staff we can recognize that you're just being consistent with your country's actions and ideology. Usually, the most controversial stances make for the funnest and most engaging committee debates - remember that your goal is to ultimately represent your state's foreign policy.
   
2. My country isn't too involved in this particular issue/my country hasn't defined a clear stance on this particular issue - this is also not necessarily a bad thing. Because your country isn't too invested in  one of the topics we're discussing, you have the most flexibility with creating effective draft resolutions that don't violate your foreign policy. Just make sure that you represent the values that your nation typically stands for - for instance, your country might not have had many encounters with terrorism but you might traditionally place a high value on protecting national sovereignty - in that case, you wouldn't advocate very much for universal jurisdiction in anti-terrorist operations. 

While I have your attention, you should read this article about crimes committed by UN personnel in Congo. As you read the article, you'll notice that there are references to some internal measures taken by the UN to limit the possibility of these crimes occurring, like a strict curfew for personnel while mentioning that Congo doesn't have the authority to prosecute UN personnel. Do you think that the internal measures taken by the UN have been enough to deter crime? If not, is that because the measures aren't stringent enough or is it because we're giving individual nations too little authority in preventing and prosecuting crimes committed by UN personnel? The irony is that the UN personnel were sent to Congo to protect citizens but have, it seems, only created a more dangerous environment, which demonstrates how flawed the UN's current system of diplomatic immunity can be. 

Hopefully that helps, delegates! We are eagerly awaiting your position papers :)  

Unarguably Not Environmentally Pessimist

Hello, my dear UNEP delegates. So, let’s start this blog with a very important issue: we have not received any position papers yet! Not even one! This kind of concerns us, considering they are due tomorrow! So this is just a friendly reminder to please get those in, by Sunday at the absolute latest!

Well, this time in 2 weeks, we will be halfway through the conference. Do you feel prepared? What techniques does your country use for resource extraction? Are they trying to go green, or are they extremely damaging to the environment? Do they care? Do they think that the government or the private sector should be held accountable? If your country is not focusing on the environment, what exactly are they focusing on? What about organic food? Does your country have any standards in place regarding what constitutes “organic”? Do they want standards? Would standardization of the organic food label benefit your country? Regarding organic food or food production in general, what impact does your country have on the environment? Again, do they care? By now, you should not only know the answers to all of these questions, but you should be prepared to defend them should these issues come up in debate. Let’s hope that all you guys are so prepared, you’ll think of even more factors to debate on! We all want an interesting and exciting time, so make sure you know your foreign policy inside and out!

Now, I know we’ve been talking about foreign policy a lot, and how it’s super important, because it is the foundation upon which you will debate. But, if you’re still a little bit unsure, it’s not the end of the world! Don’t hesitate to e-mail us, or post on the blog if you have any questions or concerns. And remember, we have an intervention attaché who is our expert on every country’s foreign policy, and she will be there to guide you throughout the conference.

Again, feel free to comment on the blog! Ask us any questions you may have in the less-than-2 weeks leading up to the conference, or just tell us how you’re feeling! Excited? Pumped? Thrilled? We sure hope you know the answer to that one! :)

Until next time,

UNEP Dais

Those Three Little Words...

Small arms proliferation.. aren't those the three little words that everyone here in DISEC is thinking about this February...

This Valentine's Day, I'm going to give you a little something from the bottom of my heart...

Over the course of the past five months, there have been plenty of materials for you to work with ... starting with the HOME BASE itself .. The United Nations.

Check out....

arms embargo/natural resource trading monitoring

illicit arms flow control

the proposed disarmament agenda for 2012 (I HEART GA I: DISEC).

the 2012 arms trade treaty meeting/previous resolutions (DOHA/WTO)

relation to drug trafficking

Within these articles, there are certain clues as to what your nation's stance, (or the stance of the neighboring states that surround your nation/Allies), is on the topic of arms trade and small arms proliferation.

Lastly, I sincerely wish you well with your position paper drafting! Any submissions (hsmun.disec@gmail.com) after February 14 will not be considered for a DISEC Delegate Position Paper Award. Submissions must be factually correct, in alignment with your nation's foreign policy on both of the topics, insightful, and informative. If you are a clear and succinct writer, this can be covered in roughly one to two pages.

Have a great weekend & a happy Valentine's Day :)

xoxo,

DISEC

Position Papers!

Just a quick reminder that position papers are due this Saturday at midnight. If yours is informative, factually correct, and maybe even entertaining, we will be extremely pleased with you before the conference even starts AND we might give you an award for the best position paper! The papers should be 1-2 pages long and should cover both topics.

You should also take a look at this article discussing how the nature of terrorism (including state-sponsored terrorism) poses difficulties in prosecuting the crime on both a national and international level. The writer brings up the interesting point that the international framework in place to deal with terrorism right now doesn't take into account that, in some cases, the crime was sponsored by the state that has custody of the suspect, using an example from 1988 involving alleged state-sponsored terrorism on Libya's part. If you see this as an issue that could impact your nation, think about the extent to which international bodies should be involved in prosecuting terrorists and the effect this has on the sovereignty of individual states.

That's all for now! Good luck with your papers :)

News Issue 2!

Daily Delegate Issue 2

The Power of Veto

No... not the Big Brother veto. A really interesting development is occurring within Security Council. Russia and China, two countries who have permanent spot on the UNSC have vetoed a resolution that would attempt to end the violence in Syria. This is a great read for before the conference as it shows how unpredictable Security Council can be. If you do not already know, do some research to see if your country has a "veto" power during voting procedures which will greatly affect the interactions with your fellow delegates (in other words, if you have a veto power and you don't use it when you should, the intervention attache will be sending you a "message").

On that super happy note, please remember that your papers are due February 14th at midnight if you wish to be eligible for an award. Even if you do not want an award, it is a good idea to write the paper as it is a great chance to really solidify your knowledge of your country's policy. Also it gives us the chance to help you get on the right track. If you don't show us what you're getting into, we can't help. We are here to help you and we are happy to do so! Please send your papers and any questions you may have to hsmun.sc@gmail.com.

Hope you all enjoyed your exam break and are getting PSYCHED FOR THIS CONFERENCE!

Carpe Diem.

Aaron- Intervention Attache

UNEP - Unknown Nuclear Energy Plans

Hello delegates!

Unfortunately, this blog post isn't about nuclear energy. Actually, to be honest, it's not really about energy at all (although stay tuned for another post on the resource extraction topic next week!) In the last 3-ish weeks leading up to HSMUN it is normal to experience any combination of the following symptoms: panic, fear, apprehension, anxiety, agitation, distress, despair, terror, trepidation, or uneasiness. you may be thinking: "What did I sign up for? February seemed so far away but now it's here!"

Not to worry. The following simple steps will have you well on your way.

Step 1. Start breathing. It always helps, I promise.

Step 2. Scroll through the UNEP blog posts for the last couple of months to familiarize yourself with your topics and committee.

Step 3. Use any combination of Wikipedia/Google/websites/journals/books/libraries/textbooks to research your country and its perspective on the topics. As we've mentioned in earlier blog posts - don't worry if you can't find exactly what your country thinks about an issue. Instead, think about the bigger picture. For example, responsible extraction of resources involves raising standards, passing new legislation, and potentially rehauling damaging practices and industries. This involves a significant financial commitment for long-term benefit. Many governments, among other things, may have problems with the UN telling them how to spend their money. Moral of the story (for you anyway) - try to expand the topics and look at the greater issues such as environmental/social/economic.

Step 4. Once you think you've got it all down, sit down and write your position paper. We're looking for 1-2 pages (total) on how your country feels about each topic. Remember, the papers are due by Feb. 11. See last blog post for more details.

Step 5. Sit back and enjoy the ride. The conference is only 3 weeks away, so once you're all prepped, get ready to bring your A game, and we'll take care of the rest.

During the conference, expect to experience one or more of the following symptoms: delight, excitement, amusement, enjoyment, fun, adventure, and satisfaction.

That's all for now!

UNEP Dais