Aquí esta la información esencial para que trabajen en los Background papers de su comité.
Chequen en que comité son moderadores o directores y cuales son sus temas, si los desconocen pregunten al subsecretario de su unidad, a la maestra colaboradora o pregunten por mail y les consigo la información necesaria.
Si no pueden leer la información, manden un mail y se los mando en formato PDF.
Si tienen alguna duda no olviden contactarme a: eleanateran@gmail.com
Saludos,
Eleana Terán
Secretaria General
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Example BP Human Rights
Human Rights
Topic A: Illegal Human Trafficking
By Mariana Navarro Olivas
Human trafficking is the trade of moving or migration with people. People are purchased for
slavery, prostitution, forced labor or servitude.
The United Nations office on drugs and crime define human trafficking as “recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force
or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the
consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation."
The latest US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2004 estimates that between
600 000 and 800 000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders each
year.
The majority of the world’s trafficking victims are usually children or women from Asia, Africa
and some other parts from the Eastern Europe, and estimations say that an 80 percent of the
trafficked people is used for sexual exploitation and de other 20 percent for forced labor or
slavery.
Many of the times trafficking is also associated with some other crimes such murder, rape,
torture, debt bondage or slavery. International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently
estimated the worldwide proceeds of people trafficking to be US$10 billion a year.
The Unites Kingdom is the major destination for trafficked women. Police believe that about
4,000 have been brought in to the country and forced to work as prostitutes. The trafficking
routes can change quickly, so police can not find them. Police says that the victims can be found
every where in UK and not just in the metropolitan area.
There’s people that pays around £2,000 and £8,000 for a person and most of the time they force
them to work 16 hours and have sex with 30 men a day.
A lot of the trafficking victims in UK are from Eastern European, Far East, South America and
Africa.
Many victims are "from poor backgrounds with little or no education", the UK Human Trafficking
Centre reports.
References:
• Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services, People trafficking:
Australia’s response. 16 November 2004,
http://www.antislavery.org.au/slavery/pdf/Australia_response_to_trafficking.pd f
• Quick guide: UK Human Trafficking, Monday, 2 October 2006 10:33 UK,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5343036.stm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Rights
Topic B: Human ethics versus scientific
advances in favor of human cloning.
by Rebeca Hernández,
Thompson, L. and Rodríguez, A.
Human cloning, raised when Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute created the celebrated
sheep "Dolly" in 1997, aroused worldwide interest and concern because of its scientific and
ethical implications. The feat, cited by Science magazine as the breakthrough of 1997, also
generated uncertainty over the meaning of "cloning" –a scientific term used to describe
different processes for duplicating biological material.
Currently, adult mammals´s cloning is possible because it´s in science reach.
However, the above process is often misunderstood due to insufficient scientific
information. Experts on the subject find cloning as an important opportunity to prevent and
cure diseases. Better yet to create immortality. So far they have pushed for their science
discovery to keep looking for the nearest future with better quality of life, to the point of
extending it.
A fact is that cloning is dangerous and that several lives have been lost during this
process. But also, if such progress is achieved, many lives will be extended.
Therefore, despite humans are being direct beneficiaries and a priority for scientists, part of
our society believes this resource is ethically unacceptable.
Many people believe that science tries to play God´s role because they don´t respect
life and the time that we´re meant to live. On one side, religion suggests that such
experiments are repulsive and so they refuse to accept these technological advances. And
secondly, there is a version that holds that humans are co‐creators with God, is perhaps
more accurate to say that humans are moving increasingly to a position of making babies
instead of having them.
An important declaration was adopted by the General Assembly of the United
Nations who called on nations to enact legislation to `'prohibit all forms of human cloning."
By a vote of 84 to 34, the Declaration received more support in the General Assembly than
when it passed in the 6th Committee few weeks ago. The measure sets an international
standard that humans should not be created through cloning for any purpose, placing
human life as a priority over scientific experimentation. The decision ends over three years
of deadlock caused by countries seeking approval for cloning research. Belgium, the United
Kingdom, Singapore and other countries that hope to profit from cloning humans opposed a
total ban, and declared they would defy the international moral agreement.
Cloning offers a remarkable insight into the power of creation that humanity has
taken into its fold. It represents a remarkable test of human restraint, wisdom and
institutional development, one that will in many ways identify the moral features of 21st
century biotechnology. We must admit that cloning offers advantages such as: the ability to
produce organs to save human beings, as well as the reproduction of endangered species
and the maintainance of the ecological balance in the planet, also there´s the possibility of
giving a barren woman a child of her own by using any of the cells inside her body. But also,
we must not forget in ethics and moral that cloning involves social discrimination, is
perfecting human beings genetics, is giving advantages of superiority before birth. A major
problem is man´s dignity; cloned people are copies of another person. So the opportunity to
develop as an individual is denied for them, they´ll forget their rights and violate its
integrity. At the end, cloned individuals will be people with their own mind and soul.
Therefore, if we see human cloning as a technique to save men we would be accepting
killing as a mean of giving life, which is unacceptable.
References:
• Anonymous (2009) What is Cloning?. Learn.Genetics. Genetic Science Learning
Center (Retrieved on August´11´2009) From:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/whatiscloning/
• McGee, Glenn (2001). Primer on ethics and human technology. (Retrieved on
August´17´2009) From:
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html#articlereferences
• Anonymous. Three cloning methods. Stanford University’s Human Cloning.
(Retrieved on August´17´2009) From:
http://www.stanford.edu/~eclipse9/sts129/cloning/methods.html
• Sims Bainbridge, W. Religious opposition to cloning. Evolution and Technology´s
journal ‐ Vol. 13 – (Retrieved on August´17´2009) From:
http://jetpress.org/volume13/bainbridge.html
Topic A: Illegal Human Trafficking
By Mariana Navarro Olivas
Human trafficking is the trade of moving or migration with people. People are purchased for
slavery, prostitution, forced labor or servitude.
The United Nations office on drugs and crime define human trafficking as “recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force
or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the
consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation."
The latest US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2004 estimates that between
600 000 and 800 000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders each
year.
The majority of the world’s trafficking victims are usually children or women from Asia, Africa
and some other parts from the Eastern Europe, and estimations say that an 80 percent of the
trafficked people is used for sexual exploitation and de other 20 percent for forced labor or
slavery.
Many of the times trafficking is also associated with some other crimes such murder, rape,
torture, debt bondage or slavery. International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently
estimated the worldwide proceeds of people trafficking to be US$10 billion a year.
The Unites Kingdom is the major destination for trafficked women. Police believe that about
4,000 have been brought in to the country and forced to work as prostitutes. The trafficking
routes can change quickly, so police can not find them. Police says that the victims can be found
every where in UK and not just in the metropolitan area.
There’s people that pays around £2,000 and £8,000 for a person and most of the time they force
them to work 16 hours and have sex with 30 men a day.
A lot of the trafficking victims in UK are from Eastern European, Far East, South America and
Africa.
Many victims are "from poor backgrounds with little or no education", the UK Human Trafficking
Centre reports.
References:
• Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services, People trafficking:
Australia’s response. 16 November 2004,
http://www.antislavery.org.au/slavery/pdf/Australia_response_to_trafficking.pd f
• Quick guide: UK Human Trafficking, Monday, 2 October 2006 10:33 UK,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5343036.stm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Human Rights
Topic B: Human ethics versus scientific
advances in favor of human cloning.
by Rebeca Hernández,
Thompson, L. and Rodríguez, A.
Human cloning, raised when Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute created the celebrated
sheep "Dolly" in 1997, aroused worldwide interest and concern because of its scientific and
ethical implications. The feat, cited by Science magazine as the breakthrough of 1997, also
generated uncertainty over the meaning of "cloning" –a scientific term used to describe
different processes for duplicating biological material.
Currently, adult mammals´s cloning is possible because it´s in science reach.
However, the above process is often misunderstood due to insufficient scientific
information. Experts on the subject find cloning as an important opportunity to prevent and
cure diseases. Better yet to create immortality. So far they have pushed for their science
discovery to keep looking for the nearest future with better quality of life, to the point of
extending it.
A fact is that cloning is dangerous and that several lives have been lost during this
process. But also, if such progress is achieved, many lives will be extended.
Therefore, despite humans are being direct beneficiaries and a priority for scientists, part of
our society believes this resource is ethically unacceptable.
Many people believe that science tries to play God´s role because they don´t respect
life and the time that we´re meant to live. On one side, religion suggests that such
experiments are repulsive and so they refuse to accept these technological advances. And
secondly, there is a version that holds that humans are co‐creators with God, is perhaps
more accurate to say that humans are moving increasingly to a position of making babies
instead of having them.
An important declaration was adopted by the General Assembly of the United
Nations who called on nations to enact legislation to `'prohibit all forms of human cloning."
By a vote of 84 to 34, the Declaration received more support in the General Assembly than
when it passed in the 6th Committee few weeks ago. The measure sets an international
standard that humans should not be created through cloning for any purpose, placing
human life as a priority over scientific experimentation. The decision ends over three years
of deadlock caused by countries seeking approval for cloning research. Belgium, the United
Kingdom, Singapore and other countries that hope to profit from cloning humans opposed a
total ban, and declared they would defy the international moral agreement.
Cloning offers a remarkable insight into the power of creation that humanity has
taken into its fold. It represents a remarkable test of human restraint, wisdom and
institutional development, one that will in many ways identify the moral features of 21st
century biotechnology. We must admit that cloning offers advantages such as: the ability to
produce organs to save human beings, as well as the reproduction of endangered species
and the maintainance of the ecological balance in the planet, also there´s the possibility of
giving a barren woman a child of her own by using any of the cells inside her body. But also,
we must not forget in ethics and moral that cloning involves social discrimination, is
perfecting human beings genetics, is giving advantages of superiority before birth. A major
problem is man´s dignity; cloned people are copies of another person. So the opportunity to
develop as an individual is denied for them, they´ll forget their rights and violate its
integrity. At the end, cloned individuals will be people with their own mind and soul.
Therefore, if we see human cloning as a technique to save men we would be accepting
killing as a mean of giving life, which is unacceptable.
References:
• Anonymous (2009) What is Cloning?. Learn.Genetics. Genetic Science Learning
Center (Retrieved on August´11´2009) From:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/whatiscloning/
• McGee, Glenn (2001). Primer on ethics and human technology. (Retrieved on
August´17´2009) From:
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html#articlereferences
• Anonymous. Three cloning methods. Stanford University’s Human Cloning.
(Retrieved on August´17´2009) From:
http://www.stanford.edu/~eclipse9/sts129/cloning/methods.html
• Sims Bainbridge, W. Religious opposition to cloning. Evolution and Technology´s
journal ‐ Vol. 13 – (Retrieved on August´17´2009) From:
http://jetpress.org/volume13/bainbridge.html
Example BP UNEP
UNEP
Topic B: Preserving the environment
with economic growth
By: Arturo Hermosillo del Bosque
“Economic growth is the increase of activity in an economy. It is often
measured as the rate of change of gross domestic product (GDP)” (Neva R.
GOODWIN) Economic growth refers to the quantity of goods and services
produced; it does not involve the way in which the goods are produced.
Economic development, on the other hand, refers to change in the way goods
and services are produced; positive economic development involves the
introduction of more efficient or "productive" technologies or forms of social
organization.
“Ecology is the scientific study of the way that living organisms interact
with their environment. (The New York Public Library Science Desk) Anything
that goes from a natural disorder to a man made disorder can affect ecology.
Today we are facing a very big problem around the entire world which is the
economic crisis but as well a drastic change on the ecology around the world.
Economic growth can either be positive or negative. Negative growth can also be
referred to by saying that the economy is shrinking. Negative growth is
associated with economic recession and economic depression.
Economic work is achieved by the production and selling of goods to consumers.
World Ecology is suffering, and these producers either don’t care or seem not to
notice. Why? The answer is money. In this fast-paced world, it all comes down to
money. But, what about our home? Around the world companies produce their
own products. We’re not talking about small productions, we’re talking big. These
are companies who will affect the world of our children. Ecology is suffering, and
we’re doing nothing to stop it.
Factories pollute our air, destroy our ozone cap, contaminate oceans and rivers,
and banish our forests. They get rid of their garbage by throwing it to –and
polluting- air (incineration), land (holes in the ground) and water (oceans, lakes
and rivers.
There are alternate ways for achieving an important reduction in pollution. It
involves processing used materials into new products to: prevent waste of
potentially useful materials, reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce
energy usage, reduce air and water pollution and lower greenhouse gases.
This process is called Recycling. With recycling we can achieve an increment in
economy and at the same time a decrease in the pollution around the world.
Goodwin, J. A., Harris, N. & Harris, J. The encyclopedia of Earth ( 2008)
Environmental Economics (Retrieved September 24 2009)
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Economic_growth
Barnes-Svarney, P. (1998). The Environment - What Is Ecology?. Science Fact
Finder. Retreived September 24th 2009 from http://www.enotes.com/science-factfinder/
environment/what-ecology
Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United
Nations, New York, 1997. (2005) “Environmental statistics”
Retrieved on September 25, 2009 from
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=2260
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNEP
Topic: Water shortage
By: Lucia Valenzuela
Planet Earth is known as the “Blue Planet” for it is covered with water on the 71% of its surface. This basic element for surviving also composes 75% of the human body. But what people often forget is that although there seems to be too much, it is a finite source and only 0.3 % is usable by humans.
Nowadays, while some people are taking showers or having a swim, in some other parts of the world there are people dying of thirst; it’s a matter of life or death. One of three people around the world struggles to get water for their daily needs. The reason may be a lack of infrastructure or non adequate distribution which may force people to drink or bathe in unsafe water sources causing diseases and infections.
Some of the causes of water scarcity include population growth. As the number of people on earth grows, the need of water for agriculture, urbanization, household and industry also grows.
But our owncustoms on how to take good care of it, save it and conserve it have also contributed to wasting water and using more than we really need to.
Although there hasn’t been a clear arrangement, some countries have made water sharing agreements,
such as Egypt and Ethiopia. Others, like U.S.A. and Namibia have decreased their water consumption
considerably in the past years. How do they make this? Recycling programs have been a good solution
for some countries. In some other places, rivers have been restored with water that even though it
cannot be drank, it is clean enough for life to reappear.
Experts have observed that technology has also helped reduce the amount of water used where there is
being used not properly. Water reducing toilets, wastewater recycling, water desalinization are some
ways that can reduce up to a 70% of daily water usage.
The UN has created a program called Water for Life 2005‐2015 which has the goal to reduce the number
of people without access to safe drinking water. But in order to achieve the goal there is much work to
do.
It is time for the world to work together in this issue that will soon be affecting all of us, or it is already.
Reference:
Mark de Villers. (2001). Water Woes recuperado el 19 de abril de 2009 de
http://whyfiles.org/131fresh_water/3.html
World Health Organization (2009) The International Decade for Action: Water for Life 2005‐2015
recuperado el 19 de abril de 2009 de
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/decade2005_2015/en/index.html
Topic B: Preserving the environment
with economic growth
By: Arturo Hermosillo del Bosque
“Economic growth is the increase of activity in an economy. It is often
measured as the rate of change of gross domestic product (GDP)” (Neva R.
GOODWIN) Economic growth refers to the quantity of goods and services
produced; it does not involve the way in which the goods are produced.
Economic development, on the other hand, refers to change in the way goods
and services are produced; positive economic development involves the
introduction of more efficient or "productive" technologies or forms of social
organization.
“Ecology is the scientific study of the way that living organisms interact
with their environment. (The New York Public Library Science Desk) Anything
that goes from a natural disorder to a man made disorder can affect ecology.
Today we are facing a very big problem around the entire world which is the
economic crisis but as well a drastic change on the ecology around the world.
Economic growth can either be positive or negative. Negative growth can also be
referred to by saying that the economy is shrinking. Negative growth is
associated with economic recession and economic depression.
Economic work is achieved by the production and selling of goods to consumers.
World Ecology is suffering, and these producers either don’t care or seem not to
notice. Why? The answer is money. In this fast-paced world, it all comes down to
money. But, what about our home? Around the world companies produce their
own products. We’re not talking about small productions, we’re talking big. These
are companies who will affect the world of our children. Ecology is suffering, and
we’re doing nothing to stop it.
Factories pollute our air, destroy our ozone cap, contaminate oceans and rivers,
and banish our forests. They get rid of their garbage by throwing it to –and
polluting- air (incineration), land (holes in the ground) and water (oceans, lakes
and rivers.
There are alternate ways for achieving an important reduction in pollution. It
involves processing used materials into new products to: prevent waste of
potentially useful materials, reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce
energy usage, reduce air and water pollution and lower greenhouse gases.
This process is called Recycling. With recycling we can achieve an increment in
economy and at the same time a decrease in the pollution around the world.
Goodwin, J. A., Harris, N. & Harris, J. The encyclopedia of Earth ( 2008)
Environmental Economics (Retrieved September 24 2009)
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Economic_growth
Barnes-Svarney, P. (1998). The Environment - What Is Ecology?. Science Fact
Finder. Retreived September 24th 2009 from http://www.enotes.com/science-factfinder/
environment/what-ecology
Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United
Nations, New York, 1997. (2005) “Environmental statistics”
Retrieved on September 25, 2009 from
http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=2260
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNEP
Topic: Water shortage
By: Lucia Valenzuela
Planet Earth is known as the “Blue Planet” for it is covered with water on the 71% of its surface. This basic element for surviving also composes 75% of the human body. But what people often forget is that although there seems to be too much, it is a finite source and only 0.3 % is usable by humans.
Nowadays, while some people are taking showers or having a swim, in some other parts of the world there are people dying of thirst; it’s a matter of life or death. One of three people around the world struggles to get water for their daily needs. The reason may be a lack of infrastructure or non adequate distribution which may force people to drink or bathe in unsafe water sources causing diseases and infections.
Some of the causes of water scarcity include population growth. As the number of people on earth grows, the need of water for agriculture, urbanization, household and industry also grows.
But our owncustoms on how to take good care of it, save it and conserve it have also contributed to wasting water and using more than we really need to.
Although there hasn’t been a clear arrangement, some countries have made water sharing agreements,
such as Egypt and Ethiopia. Others, like U.S.A. and Namibia have decreased their water consumption
considerably in the past years. How do they make this? Recycling programs have been a good solution
for some countries. In some other places, rivers have been restored with water that even though it
cannot be drank, it is clean enough for life to reappear.
Experts have observed that technology has also helped reduce the amount of water used where there is
being used not properly. Water reducing toilets, wastewater recycling, water desalinization are some
ways that can reduce up to a 70% of daily water usage.
The UN has created a program called Water for Life 2005‐2015 which has the goal to reduce the number
of people without access to safe drinking water. But in order to achieve the goal there is much work to
do.
It is time for the world to work together in this issue that will soon be affecting all of us, or it is already.
Reference:
Mark de Villers. (2001). Water Woes recuperado el 19 de abril de 2009 de
http://whyfiles.org/131fresh_water/3.html
World Health Organization (2009) The International Decade for Action: Water for Life 2005‐2015
recuperado el 19 de abril de 2009 de
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/decade2005_2015/en/index.html
Example BP ECOSOC
ECOSCOC
Topic A: Economic crisis among developed countries
by Marcela Macías
The world economy is caught up in the most severe economic and financial crisis since the Great
Depression, which threatens the ability of countries to confront issues such as poverty, hunger and
disease. As the crisis deepens, the impact on developing countries is rapidly worsening,
particularly in terms of rising unemployment and a widening external financing gap. A sharp
decline in international trade flows, a collapse in commodity prices, a drop in international
tourism, and a moderation in remittances have contributed to a significant deterioration in the
current account balances of many developing countries. Prospects for an early recovery have
faded, forcing nations to prepare for a prolonged downturn in trade, investment and employment.
A financial crisis like the one we are facing right now is the result of a disorderly contraction in
money supply and wealth in an economy. It is also known as a credit crunch. It happens when
participants in an economy lose confidence in having loans repaid by debtors. This causes lenders
to limit further loans as well as recall existing loans. The financial/banking system relies on credit
creation as a result of debtors spending the money which in turn is 'banked' and loaned to other
debtors. As a result a relative small contraction in lending can lead to a dramatic contraction in
money supply.
The global financial crisis is already causing a considerable slowdown in most developed countries.
Major declines in GDP at annual rates for the first quarter of 2009 were evident for Germany,
Japan, UK, Mexico, and US. Stock markets are down more than 40% from their recent highs.
Investment banks have collapsed, rescue packages are drawn up involving more than a trillion US
dollars, and interest rates have been cut around the world in what looks like a coordinated
response. Leading indicators of global economic activity, such as shipping rates, are declining at
alarming rates, affecting both developed and developing countries.
The financial crisis that has spread around the world through two main mechanisms:
First, foreign financial institutions bought a lot of the mortgage‐backed securities issued in the US
and have experienced losses just like the Wall Street firms.
Second, there has been a huge drop in world trade. But the fall in trade has not just been because
of the collapse of US consumer spending. Once the a downturn started, the overinvestment in
Eastern Europe, the Mid East and parts of Asia was shortened, bringing on very sharp drop in
capital goods purchases worldwide. The large capital goods producing countries such as Germany,
Japan and the United States have all been affected.
Since this crisis began there was widespread concern as of today Member States have mobilized
resources on a massive scale, including $18 trillion (almost 30 per cent of world gross product) to
recapitalize banks, nationalize financial institutions and provide guarantees on bank deposits and
other financial assets; and fiscal stimulus plans that by April 2009 amounted to $2.7 trillion, to be
spent over 2009–2011. They have also acknowledged that the financial crisis reflects inadequacies
of current financial architecture, and that there’s a need for deep structural reforms to better
reflect the new conditions and challenges of the 21st century.
In a globalized economy, interventions in financial markets call for cooperation and coordination
of national institutions, and for specialized institutions with a multilateral mandate to oversee
national action. The crisis has made it all too clear that globalization of trade and finance advises
for global cooperation and global regulation. It is indispensable to stabilize exchange rates by
direct and coordinated government intervention, supported by multilateral oversight, instead of
letting the market find the bottom line. But resolving this crisis and avoiding its recurrence has
implications beyond the realm of banking and financial regulation, going to the heart of the
question of how to revive and extend multilateralism in a globalizing world.
References:
Pastorel, Macoveiciuc PhD. (2009). Credit Crunch. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.asecib.ase.ro/simpozion/2009/full_papers/pdf/33_Macoveiciuc_Credit%20Crunch_ro
.pdf
Dunaway, Steven (2009). Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis. Retrieved August 10, 2009
from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Global_Imbalances_CSR44.pdf
te Velde, Dirk Willem (2009). The global financial crisis and developing countries. Retrieved August
10, 2009 from http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/2462.pdf
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2009). Financial and economic crisis.
Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.un.org/esa/desa/financialcrisis/
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (2009). The Global Economic
Crisis: Systemic Failures and Multilateral Remedies. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gds20091_en.pdf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECOSCOC
Topic A: Economic crisis among developed countries
by Marcela Macías
The world economy is caught up in the most severe economic and financial crisis since the Great
Depression, which threatens the ability of countries to confront issues such as poverty, hunger and
disease. As the crisis deepens, the impact on developing countries is rapidly worsening,
particularly in terms of rising unemployment and a widening external financing gap. A sharp
decline in international trade flows, a collapse in commodity prices, a drop in international
tourism, and a moderation in remittances have contributed to a significant deterioration in the
current account balances of many developing countries. Prospects for an early recovery have
faded, forcing nations to prepare for a prolonged downturn in trade, investment and employment.
A financial crisis like the one we are facing right now is the result of a disorderly contraction in
money supply and wealth in an economy. It is also known as a credit crunch. It happens when
participants in an economy lose confidence in having loans repaid by debtors. This causes lenders
to limit further loans as well as recall existing loans. The financial/banking system relies on credit
creation as a result of debtors spending the money which in turn is 'banked' and loaned to other
debtors. As a result a relative small contraction in lending can lead to a dramatic contraction in
money supply.
The global financial crisis is already causing a considerable slowdown in most developed countries.
Major declines in GDP at annual rates for the first quarter of 2009 were evident for Germany,
Japan, UK, Mexico, and US. Stock markets are down more than 40% from their recent highs.
Investment banks have collapsed, rescue packages are drawn up involving more than a trillion US
dollars, and interest rates have been cut around the world in what looks like a coordinated
response. Leading indicators of global economic activity, such as shipping rates, are declining at
alarming rates, affecting both developed and developing countries.
The financial crisis that has spread around the world through two main mechanisms:
First, foreign financial institutions bought a lot of the mortgage‐backed securities issued in the US
and have experienced losses just like the Wall Street firms.
Second, there has been a huge drop in world trade. But the fall in trade has not just been because
of the collapse of US consumer spending. Once the a downturn started, the overinvestment in
Eastern Europe, the Mid East and parts of Asia was shortened, bringing on very sharp drop in
capital goods purchases worldwide. The large capital goods producing countries such as Germany,
Japan and the United States have all been affected.
Since this crisis began there was widespread concern as of today Member States have mobilized
resources on a massive scale, including $18 trillion (almost 30 per cent of world gross product) to
recapitalize banks, nationalize financial institutions and provide guarantees on bank deposits and
other financial assets; and fiscal stimulus plans that by April 2009 amounted to $2.7 trillion, to be
spent over 2009–2011. They have also acknowledged that the financial crisis reflects inadequacies
of current financial architecture, and that there’s a need for deep structural reforms to better
reflect the new conditions and challenges of the 21st century.
In a globalized economy, interventions in financial markets call for cooperation and coordination
of national institutions, and for specialized institutions with a multilateral mandate to oversee
national action. The crisis has made it all too clear that globalization of trade and finance advises
for global cooperation and global regulation. It is indispensable to stabilize exchange rates by
direct and coordinated government intervention, supported by multilateral oversight, instead of
letting the market find the bottom line. But resolving this crisis and avoiding its recurrence has
implications beyond the realm of banking and financial regulation, going to the heart of the
question of how to revive and extend multilateralism in a globalizing world.
References:
Pastorel, Macoveiciuc PhD. (2009). Credit Crunch. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.asecib.ase.ro/simpozion/2009/full_papers/pdf/33_Macoveiciuc_Credit%20Crunch_ro
.pdf
Dunaway, Steven (2009). Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis. Retrieved August 10, 2009
from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Global_Imbalances_CSR44.pdf
te Velde, Dirk Willem (2009). The global financial crisis and developing countries. Retrieved August
10, 2009 from http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/2462.pdf
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2009). Financial and economic crisis.
Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.un.org/esa/desa/financialcrisis/
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (2009). The Global Economic
Crisis: Systemic Failures and Multilateral Remedies. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gds20091_en.pdf
Topic A: Economic crisis among developed countries
by Marcela Macías
The world economy is caught up in the most severe economic and financial crisis since the Great
Depression, which threatens the ability of countries to confront issues such as poverty, hunger and
disease. As the crisis deepens, the impact on developing countries is rapidly worsening,
particularly in terms of rising unemployment and a widening external financing gap. A sharp
decline in international trade flows, a collapse in commodity prices, a drop in international
tourism, and a moderation in remittances have contributed to a significant deterioration in the
current account balances of many developing countries. Prospects for an early recovery have
faded, forcing nations to prepare for a prolonged downturn in trade, investment and employment.
A financial crisis like the one we are facing right now is the result of a disorderly contraction in
money supply and wealth in an economy. It is also known as a credit crunch. It happens when
participants in an economy lose confidence in having loans repaid by debtors. This causes lenders
to limit further loans as well as recall existing loans. The financial/banking system relies on credit
creation as a result of debtors spending the money which in turn is 'banked' and loaned to other
debtors. As a result a relative small contraction in lending can lead to a dramatic contraction in
money supply.
The global financial crisis is already causing a considerable slowdown in most developed countries.
Major declines in GDP at annual rates for the first quarter of 2009 were evident for Germany,
Japan, UK, Mexico, and US. Stock markets are down more than 40% from their recent highs.
Investment banks have collapsed, rescue packages are drawn up involving more than a trillion US
dollars, and interest rates have been cut around the world in what looks like a coordinated
response. Leading indicators of global economic activity, such as shipping rates, are declining at
alarming rates, affecting both developed and developing countries.
The financial crisis that has spread around the world through two main mechanisms:
First, foreign financial institutions bought a lot of the mortgage‐backed securities issued in the US
and have experienced losses just like the Wall Street firms.
Second, there has been a huge drop in world trade. But the fall in trade has not just been because
of the collapse of US consumer spending. Once the a downturn started, the overinvestment in
Eastern Europe, the Mid East and parts of Asia was shortened, bringing on very sharp drop in
capital goods purchases worldwide. The large capital goods producing countries such as Germany,
Japan and the United States have all been affected.
Since this crisis began there was widespread concern as of today Member States have mobilized
resources on a massive scale, including $18 trillion (almost 30 per cent of world gross product) to
recapitalize banks, nationalize financial institutions and provide guarantees on bank deposits and
other financial assets; and fiscal stimulus plans that by April 2009 amounted to $2.7 trillion, to be
spent over 2009–2011. They have also acknowledged that the financial crisis reflects inadequacies
of current financial architecture, and that there’s a need for deep structural reforms to better
reflect the new conditions and challenges of the 21st century.
In a globalized economy, interventions in financial markets call for cooperation and coordination
of national institutions, and for specialized institutions with a multilateral mandate to oversee
national action. The crisis has made it all too clear that globalization of trade and finance advises
for global cooperation and global regulation. It is indispensable to stabilize exchange rates by
direct and coordinated government intervention, supported by multilateral oversight, instead of
letting the market find the bottom line. But resolving this crisis and avoiding its recurrence has
implications beyond the realm of banking and financial regulation, going to the heart of the
question of how to revive and extend multilateralism in a globalizing world.
References:
Pastorel, Macoveiciuc PhD. (2009). Credit Crunch. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.asecib.ase.ro/simpozion/2009/full_papers/pdf/33_Macoveiciuc_Credit%20Crunch_ro
Dunaway, Steven (2009). Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis. Retrieved August 10, 2009
from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Global_Imbalances_CSR44.pdf
te Velde, Dirk Willem (2009). The global financial crisis and developing countries. Retrieved August
10, 2009 from http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/2462.pdf
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2009). Financial and economic crisis.
Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.un.org/esa/desa/financialcrisis/
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (2009). The Global Economic
Crisis: Systemic Failures and Multilateral Remedies. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gds20091_en.pdf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECOSCOC
Topic A: Economic crisis among developed countries
by Marcela Macías
The world economy is caught up in the most severe economic and financial crisis since the Great
Depression, which threatens the ability of countries to confront issues such as poverty, hunger and
disease. As the crisis deepens, the impact on developing countries is rapidly worsening,
particularly in terms of rising unemployment and a widening external financing gap. A sharp
decline in international trade flows, a collapse in commodity prices, a drop in international
tourism, and a moderation in remittances have contributed to a significant deterioration in the
current account balances of many developing countries. Prospects for an early recovery have
faded, forcing nations to prepare for a prolonged downturn in trade, investment and employment.
A financial crisis like the one we are facing right now is the result of a disorderly contraction in
money supply and wealth in an economy. It is also known as a credit crunch. It happens when
participants in an economy lose confidence in having loans repaid by debtors. This causes lenders
to limit further loans as well as recall existing loans. The financial/banking system relies on credit
creation as a result of debtors spending the money which in turn is 'banked' and loaned to other
debtors. As a result a relative small contraction in lending can lead to a dramatic contraction in
money supply.
The global financial crisis is already causing a considerable slowdown in most developed countries.
Major declines in GDP at annual rates for the first quarter of 2009 were evident for Germany,
Japan, UK, Mexico, and US. Stock markets are down more than 40% from their recent highs.
Investment banks have collapsed, rescue packages are drawn up involving more than a trillion US
dollars, and interest rates have been cut around the world in what looks like a coordinated
response. Leading indicators of global economic activity, such as shipping rates, are declining at
alarming rates, affecting both developed and developing countries.
The financial crisis that has spread around the world through two main mechanisms:
First, foreign financial institutions bought a lot of the mortgage‐backed securities issued in the US
and have experienced losses just like the Wall Street firms.
Second, there has been a huge drop in world trade. But the fall in trade has not just been because
of the collapse of US consumer spending. Once the a downturn started, the overinvestment in
Eastern Europe, the Mid East and parts of Asia was shortened, bringing on very sharp drop in
capital goods purchases worldwide. The large capital goods producing countries such as Germany,
Japan and the United States have all been affected.
Since this crisis began there was widespread concern as of today Member States have mobilized
resources on a massive scale, including $18 trillion (almost 30 per cent of world gross product) to
recapitalize banks, nationalize financial institutions and provide guarantees on bank deposits and
other financial assets; and fiscal stimulus plans that by April 2009 amounted to $2.7 trillion, to be
spent over 2009–2011. They have also acknowledged that the financial crisis reflects inadequacies
of current financial architecture, and that there’s a need for deep structural reforms to better
reflect the new conditions and challenges of the 21st century.
In a globalized economy, interventions in financial markets call for cooperation and coordination
of national institutions, and for specialized institutions with a multilateral mandate to oversee
national action. The crisis has made it all too clear that globalization of trade and finance advises
for global cooperation and global regulation. It is indispensable to stabilize exchange rates by
direct and coordinated government intervention, supported by multilateral oversight, instead of
letting the market find the bottom line. But resolving this crisis and avoiding its recurrence has
implications beyond the realm of banking and financial regulation, going to the heart of the
question of how to revive and extend multilateralism in a globalizing world.
References:
Pastorel, Macoveiciuc PhD. (2009). Credit Crunch. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.asecib.ase.ro/simpozion/2009/full_papers/pdf/33_Macoveiciuc_Credit%20Crunch_ro
Dunaway, Steven (2009). Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis. Retrieved August 10, 2009
from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Global_Imbalances_CSR44.pdf
te Velde, Dirk Willem (2009). The global financial crisis and developing countries. Retrieved August
10, 2009 from http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/2462.pdf
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2009). Financial and economic crisis.
Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.un.org/esa/desa/financialcrisis/
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (2009). The Global Economic
Crisis: Systemic Failures and Multilateral Remedies. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gds20091_en.pdf
Example BP Security Council
Security Council
Topic B: llilcit arm trafficking
By: Miriana Garza González
The world we know is under threat from a new kind of international crime: illicit trade. While
smuggling is nothing new, globalization has made it larger and far more ominous. (PBS)
Illicit trafficking in small arms and sensitive technologies has acquired new dimensions and
urgency with the end of the Cold War. Small arms are today the weapons of choice for all warring
parties around the globe – whether they are government armies, rebel forces, or terrorists –
because they are cheap, widely available, extremely lethal, easy to use, durable, portable and
concealable. (Stohl, 2004)
Illicit arms trafficking fuels civil wars, contributes to sky‐rocketing crime rates and feeds the
arsenals of the world's worst terrorists. Dr. Moisés Naím, acclaimed editor of Foreign Policy
magazine, believes illicit trade could be as great—or even greater—a threat to our way of life as
terrorism.
Particularly troubling is the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons account for an estimated
60‐90% of the 100,000 conflict deaths each year and tens of thousands of additional deaths
outside of war zones (Small Arms Survey, 2005).
Arms smuggling makes the black market a $1 billion‐a‐year global business. But the financial profit
comes at a tremendous cost to the world's security. Some 500,000 people are killed each year by
the 639 million small arms in circulation, and in some conflicts up to 80 percent of casualties are
caused by these weapons. (Stohl, 2004)
According to National Geographic (2009), illicit trade has increasingly dangerous political
consequences: money laundering, massive corruption and the subversion of entire governments.
It is changing how we live in ways unrealized, and governments around the world seem powerless
to stop it. Illicit trade is redefining economic relationships, borders and the role of workers,
managers, armies and governments.
Global trade in small arms and light weapons continues to rise globally. According to 2009 Small
arms Survey, trade in handguns has outpaced all other small arms and light weapons. Patrick
Maigua from UN states on the report that the value of global trade in small arms is estimated to
have risen by 28 per cent between the year 2000 and 2006 to reach 2.9 billion dollars. The United
States leads the world in small arms exports, with more than $640 million worth of pistols, rifles,
sporting guns and other such weapons shipped in 2006. Italy, Germany, Brazil, Austria and
Belgium, are also leading exporters. The United States also leads the pack of importers followed by
Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Germany. (Small Arms Survey, 2009)
Further References:
Maigua, P. (2009, July 09) Small Arms Survey. UN Radio. Geneva: Geneva Graduate Institute of
International and Development studies. Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Penn, D. (2009) Small Arms Survey. UN multimedia.
Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Schroeder, M. (2006) The Illicit Arms Trade.
Retrieved on August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/IssueBrief3ArmsTrafficking.html
Naim, M.(2005) Illicit: How smugglers and traffickers and copycats are hijacking global
economy. USA: Reed Business Information.
Stohl, R. (2004 October 4) The Tangled Web of Illicit Arms Trafficking. Retrieved August 30th 2009
from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/10/b217737.html
National Geographic.(2009) Illicit: The Dark Trade. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/illicit/
Topic B: llilcit arm trafficking
By: Miriana Garza González
The world we know is under threat from a new kind of international crime: illicit trade. While
smuggling is nothing new, globalization has made it larger and far more ominous. (PBS)
Illicit trafficking in small arms and sensitive technologies has acquired new dimensions and
urgency with the end of the Cold War. Small arms are today the weapons of choice for all warring
parties around the globe – whether they are government armies, rebel forces, or terrorists –
because they are cheap, widely available, extremely lethal, easy to use, durable, portable and
concealable. (Stohl, 2004)
Illicit arms trafficking fuels civil wars, contributes to sky‐rocketing crime rates and feeds the
arsenals of the world's worst terrorists. Dr. Moisés Naím, acclaimed editor of Foreign Policy
magazine, believes illicit trade could be as great—or even greater—a threat to our way of life as
terrorism.
Particularly troubling is the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons account for an estimated
60‐90% of the 100,000 conflict deaths each year and tens of thousands of additional deaths
outside of war zones (Small Arms Survey, 2005).
Arms smuggling makes the black market a $1 billion‐a‐year global business. But the financial profit
comes at a tremendous cost to the world's security. Some 500,000 people are killed each year by
the 639 million small arms in circulation, and in some conflicts up to 80 percent of casualties are
caused by these weapons. (Stohl, 2004)
According to National Geographic (2009), illicit trade has increasingly dangerous political
consequences: money laundering, massive corruption and the subversion of entire governments.
It is changing how we live in ways unrealized, and governments around the world seem powerless
to stop it. Illicit trade is redefining economic relationships, borders and the role of workers,
managers, armies and governments.
Global trade in small arms and light weapons continues to rise globally. According to 2009 Small
arms Survey, trade in handguns has outpaced all other small arms and light weapons. Patrick
Maigua from UN states on the report that the value of global trade in small arms is estimated to
have risen by 28 per cent between the year 2000 and 2006 to reach 2.9 billion dollars. The United
States leads the world in small arms exports, with more than $640 million worth of pistols, rifles,
sporting guns and other such weapons shipped in 2006. Italy, Germany, Brazil, Austria and
Belgium, are also leading exporters. The United States also leads the pack of importers followed by
Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Germany. (Small Arms Survey, 2009)
Further References:
Maigua, P. (2009, July 09) Small Arms Survey. UN Radio. Geneva: Geneva Graduate Institute of
International and Development studies. Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Penn, D. (2009) Small Arms Survey. UN multimedia.
Retrieved August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.unmultimedia.org/search/radio/?query=arm+trafficking&lang=en&app=2&snowballL
ang=English&startat=30
Schroeder, M. (2006) The Illicit Arms Trade.
Retrieved on August 30th 2009 from:
http://www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/IssueBrief3ArmsTrafficking.html
Naim, M.(2005) Illicit: How smugglers and traffickers and copycats are hijacking global
economy. USA: Reed Business Information.
Stohl, R. (2004 October 4) The Tangled Web of Illicit Arms Trafficking. Retrieved August 30th 2009
from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2004/10/b217737.html
National Geographic.(2009) Illicit: The Dark Trade. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/illicit/
Examples BP General Assembly
General Assembly
Topic A: The Function of Nuclear Technology in a peaceful
World
Author: Kattya Miroslava Graza Thomae
German‐American physicist Albert Einstein once said: “The discovery of nuclear reactions
need not bring about the destruction of mankind any more than the discovery of matches”.
Nuclear physic is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atom
nuclei. Nuclear technology includes a large variety of fields such as medicine, agriculture and
archeology, but still the two most known and practiced applications for this technology are, and
have always been, weaponry and power.
In modern day affairs, the adjective nuclear has always been related to “danger” and
“war”, but this need not to prevail in the future. Nuclear technology research is a rich field which
may, in the nearby future, fix many of the world’s most latent problems. As an example, it is a fact
that energy is an important issue today.
Coal and oil are two of the most popular forms of creating energy known today, but this
two form part of a series of non‐renewable resources, which means that they may at any time
deplete. Another problem caused by this type of power systems, is that they emanate different
types of gases, as CO2, which are deteriorating the ozone layer and increasing Earth’s temperature
because of the well‐known Greenhouse effect. How can this be prevented? Nuclear energy can be
the solution. Nuclear energy is proved to be a low‐carbon emission source which contributes
numbers close to 0 to the Greenhouse effect.
In fields such as medicine, nuclear technology research is proven useful as a diagnostic
tool; in agriculture, nuclear isotopes are used as pesticides and bactericides; in archeology, this
technology can help identify the longevity of certain objects.
Nuclear technology hasn’t been thoroughly researched, since there is a fear of the
weapons that can be developed through nuclear energy. In the future, peace and tranquility may
be found by humanity, and this technology could be properly developed, but meanwhile, it could
be too dangerous to make a proper investigation on this subject.
References
Harris, K. (1995) Einstein Quotes. Retrieved on August 11, 2009 from http://
rescomp.stanford.edu/‐cheshire/EinsteinQuotes.html
Nuclear. (2009) In Merriam‐Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved on August 11, 2009 from
http://merriam‐webster.com/dictionary/nuclear
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Assembly
Topic B: Democracy inside the United Nations
by Oliver Manuel Peña
At the end of the II World War, the establishment of the United Nations represented an enormous
success that would encourage the human being’s welfare worldwide. With the UN at the
management of international affairs, the world community was expecting for the development of
respect for human rights, the state’s sovereignty, global good governance, stability and the
quench of war as an instrument of conflict resolution.
The end of the Cold War was saluted as a start of a new order, based on peace,
disarmament and stability. The reality has been very different, with a spread of wars, genocides
and violence, all over the nineties. The I Gulf War, the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, the
genocide in Ruanda, and the Kosovo war were all paving the way to the preventive war against
Iraq made by George Bush and some European allies, which hindered the multilateral system
based on the UN.
These catastrophic events have created widespread criticism against the UN. The argument given
is that world’s most powerful NGO “should face a reality where many of its Members States
systematically violate the rules and laws they have agreed to respect” (Morgantini, 2009). It is true
that the permanent members of the UN (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom
and the United States) and other nations have transgressed several times the principles that were
once unbreakable agreements for the UN’s member countries. This is a flagrant proof of lack of
democracy in the UN’s internal politics.
There are different postures made by international personages suggesting a Reform of the
United Nations, which would imply looking forward to the establishment of new democratic
trends in the UN’s philosophy. “There is a need of a new participatory democracy inside the UN
[…]. The oligopolistic management of the world security can been avoided through the
reaffirmation of the inner ratio of the Charter, expressed in Article 2, which refuses the use of
force to solve the international conflicts” (Morgantini, 2009). By this last quote, we can notice that
there are articles in the UN’s code that should be modified for the new reform of democracy.
US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kim Holmes said, "Fear of
reform, not its prospect, which holds the greater risk for the United Nations" (Waston, 2009). But
fear must be overcome for the realization of benefic causes. The world is worried about this
concern; there has been an inquiry around different places that shows people’s opinion: “A BBC
World Service poll of 23500 people in 23 countries ‐ the largest yet carried out ‐ has revealed
strong popular support for both democratisation of the UN system and a more powerful mandate
for the organization” (Waston, 2009).
On the other hand, Leinen explains that “The UN needs reform. On that almost everyone agrees.
But there is sharp disagreement on what kind of reform is needed and for what purpose” (2009).
Therefore, different postures should be compared; experts in international affairs and NGO’s
should meet in symposiums and conferences for solving the UN’s today democratic issues.
Bibliography
Leinen, J. (2009). The Reform of the United Nations: a view from the European Parliament.
Retrieved August 19, 2009 from http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐9.asp
Mecacci, M. (2004). Third Conference of the World Movement for Democracy. Retrieved August 19,
2009 from http://servizi.radicalparty.org/documents/index.php?func=detail&par=3212
Morgantini, L. (2009). No Veto for UN Reform and Democracy. Retrieved August 19, 2009 from
http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐10.asp
Onyszkiewicz, J. (2009). Reforming the United Nations: a long way ahead. Retrieved August 19,
2009 from http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐1.asp
Watson, G. (2009). UN Reforms. Retrieved August 19, 2009 from
http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐3.asp
Topic A: The Function of Nuclear Technology in a peaceful
World
Author: Kattya Miroslava Graza Thomae
German‐American physicist Albert Einstein once said: “The discovery of nuclear reactions
need not bring about the destruction of mankind any more than the discovery of matches”.
Nuclear physic is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atom
nuclei. Nuclear technology includes a large variety of fields such as medicine, agriculture and
archeology, but still the two most known and practiced applications for this technology are, and
have always been, weaponry and power.
In modern day affairs, the adjective nuclear has always been related to “danger” and
“war”, but this need not to prevail in the future. Nuclear technology research is a rich field which
may, in the nearby future, fix many of the world’s most latent problems. As an example, it is a fact
that energy is an important issue today.
Coal and oil are two of the most popular forms of creating energy known today, but this
two form part of a series of non‐renewable resources, which means that they may at any time
deplete. Another problem caused by this type of power systems, is that they emanate different
types of gases, as CO2, which are deteriorating the ozone layer and increasing Earth’s temperature
because of the well‐known Greenhouse effect. How can this be prevented? Nuclear energy can be
the solution. Nuclear energy is proved to be a low‐carbon emission source which contributes
numbers close to 0 to the Greenhouse effect.
In fields such as medicine, nuclear technology research is proven useful as a diagnostic
tool; in agriculture, nuclear isotopes are used as pesticides and bactericides; in archeology, this
technology can help identify the longevity of certain objects.
Nuclear technology hasn’t been thoroughly researched, since there is a fear of the
weapons that can be developed through nuclear energy. In the future, peace and tranquility may
be found by humanity, and this technology could be properly developed, but meanwhile, it could
be too dangerous to make a proper investigation on this subject.
References
Harris, K. (1995) Einstein Quotes. Retrieved on August 11, 2009 from http://
rescomp.stanford.edu/‐cheshire/EinsteinQuotes.html
Nuclear. (2009) In Merriam‐Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved on August 11, 2009 from
http://merriam‐webster.com/dictionary/nuclear
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Assembly
Topic B: Democracy inside the United Nations
by Oliver Manuel Peña
At the end of the II World War, the establishment of the United Nations represented an enormous
success that would encourage the human being’s welfare worldwide. With the UN at the
management of international affairs, the world community was expecting for the development of
respect for human rights, the state’s sovereignty, global good governance, stability and the
quench of war as an instrument of conflict resolution.
The end of the Cold War was saluted as a start of a new order, based on peace,
disarmament and stability. The reality has been very different, with a spread of wars, genocides
and violence, all over the nineties. The I Gulf War, the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, the
genocide in Ruanda, and the Kosovo war were all paving the way to the preventive war against
Iraq made by George Bush and some European allies, which hindered the multilateral system
based on the UN.
These catastrophic events have created widespread criticism against the UN. The argument given
is that world’s most powerful NGO “should face a reality where many of its Members States
systematically violate the rules and laws they have agreed to respect” (Morgantini, 2009). It is true
that the permanent members of the UN (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom
and the United States) and other nations have transgressed several times the principles that were
once unbreakable agreements for the UN’s member countries. This is a flagrant proof of lack of
democracy in the UN’s internal politics.
There are different postures made by international personages suggesting a Reform of the
United Nations, which would imply looking forward to the establishment of new democratic
trends in the UN’s philosophy. “There is a need of a new participatory democracy inside the UN
[…]. The oligopolistic management of the world security can been avoided through the
reaffirmation of the inner ratio of the Charter, expressed in Article 2, which refuses the use of
force to solve the international conflicts” (Morgantini, 2009). By this last quote, we can notice that
there are articles in the UN’s code that should be modified for the new reform of democracy.
US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kim Holmes said, "Fear of
reform, not its prospect, which holds the greater risk for the United Nations" (Waston, 2009). But
fear must be overcome for the realization of benefic causes. The world is worried about this
concern; there has been an inquiry around different places that shows people’s opinion: “A BBC
World Service poll of 23500 people in 23 countries ‐ the largest yet carried out ‐ has revealed
strong popular support for both democratisation of the UN system and a more powerful mandate
for the organization” (Waston, 2009).
On the other hand, Leinen explains that “The UN needs reform. On that almost everyone agrees.
But there is sharp disagreement on what kind of reform is needed and for what purpose” (2009).
Therefore, different postures should be compared; experts in international affairs and NGO’s
should meet in symposiums and conferences for solving the UN’s today democratic issues.
Bibliography
Leinen, J. (2009). The Reform of the United Nations: a view from the European Parliament.
Retrieved August 19, 2009 from http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐9.asp
Mecacci, M. (2004). Third Conference of the World Movement for Democracy. Retrieved August 19,
2009 from http://servizi.radicalparty.org/documents/index.php?func=detail&par=3212
Morgantini, L. (2009). No Veto for UN Reform and Democracy. Retrieved August 19, 2009 from
http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐10.asp
Onyszkiewicz, J. (2009). Reforming the United Nations: a long way ahead. Retrieved August 19,
2009 from http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐1.asp
Watson, G. (2009). UN Reforms. Retrieved August 19, 2009 from
http://www.eptoday.com/April_24/article‐3.asp
Criterios de Premiación
En el UDEMUN nos es de suma importancia reconocer a los delegados que se destacaron y dejaron huella dentro del simulacro.
Existen dos premios:
- Mejor Delegado: delegado(a) más destacado
- Mención Honorífica: segundo delegado(a) más destacado
Estos reconocimientos se dan por comité y para que el delegado se haga acreedor de esta presea, deberá cumplir con lo siguiente:
- Tener amplio y claro conocimiento de su país y de los demás países involucrados
- Tomar la verdadera postura que su país representa
- Tener dominio del tema discutido
- Probar que su posición es firme y va de acuerdo a las creencias y situación de su país, además de demostrar sus habilidades como orador y persuasor
- Aportar ideas positivas
- Hablar con diplomacia, sin atacar a los demás delegados
- Promover un ambiente de armonía y fluidez
- Ser líder y llevar a los demás delegados a solucionar el problema
- Respetar a todos los participantes del UDEMUN
- Formar parte de la creación de al menos una de las resoluciones
Éstos son algunos puntos que te harán llegar muy lejos y esperamos que los lleves a la práctica. Recuerda, el mejor delegado no es aquél que prueba saber mucho al dejar a otros en ridículo o al discutir con todos los delegados, sino el que realmente busca solucionar el problema y hace del comité un ambiente de verdadero trabajo.
¡Delegado, éxito!
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