issue summaries

8/3/2019 Issue Summaries

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ISSUE SUMMARIES 2011

GA1

EVALUATION OF MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (PRIMARY)

To overcome the worlds main development challenges, the United Nations had

produced eight goals, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were tobe achieved by 2015. The MDGs are a result of the UN Millennium Summit in

September 2000, and were determined from the actions and targets of the

Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147

heads of state and governments. The goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and

hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and

empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat

HIV/AIDs malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and

lastly develop a global partnership for development. Evaluation of the MDGs is

necessary, as any actions taken by countries towards achieving them are proving

ineffective. Climate change and economic crises have further hampered theprogress of these goals. Many believe they are too idealistic and need to be re-

evaluated to ensure they can be achieved.

LEGAL RIGHTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REFUGEES (SECONDARY)

Environmental Refugee refers to those who have been displaced either for the

short-term or long-term due to an environmental disruption, either occurring

naturally or being triggered by people, that affects their existence or quality of

life. According to the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of

Refugees, the Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their

illegal entry or presence, on refugees who come directly from a territory wheretheir life/freedom was threatened, enter or are present in their state without

authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities

and show good reason for their illegal entry. It is important to consider the rights

of those displaced due to climate change as countries have a moral and a legal

right to help them so as to put an end to the suffering that they face.

GA2

MARITIME PIRACY (PRIMARY)

Maritime Piracy refers to a group of people who are not employed by a

government entity committing a crime on board a ship. These groups of people

are known as pirates. Their actions yield great economic and social impacts, such

as loss of goods and livelihood, which can cause interruption of trade and the

instability of a countrys economic sector. The UN has attempted to combat this

problem but certain areas of authority lack the resources to control territorial

water where most of the piratical acts occur, letting some pirates go free. As

such, member nations are urged to take up a set of measures in order to contend

them.

DETERMINATION OF MARITIME BORDERS (SECONDARY)


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Maritime boundaries are recognized as the boundaries of a maritime nation and

serves to depict international waters. Many controversies have arisen about

territorial waters, leading to tension between countries. Territorial sovereignty

becomes a reason for dispute, as countries want the right to exercise its powers

within the boundaries ofits territory. In addition, depending on the countries

interpretation of the law of the sea, authority and interests in maritime boundaryhave also caused conflict. Not all disputes have been solved through negotiation

and some still remains unresolved today. The potential harm it can create

encourages member nations to develop clearer boundaries to resolve them.

ECOSOC 1

CREATION OF A GLOBAL EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME (PRIMARY)

The carbon emissions trading scheme refers to a market-based approach policy

tool used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving

reductions in the emissions of targeted. The overall goal of an Emissions Trading

Scheme is to reduce emissions. However, it has been argued that the scheme is

ineffective in economically abundant countries, with their financial advantage,

would be able profit from the carbon credits they buy and would thus be able to

buy more credits and continue to pollute the earth. An emissions trading scheme

also encourages major polluters to continue with their businesses as they are

and expensive long-term structural changes will not be made if there is a

cheaper alternative in carbon credits. Therefore, in spite of the innovative idea

and its theoretical gains, it is criticised as a mere distraction from the search for

other solutions.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING (SECONDARY)

Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of

commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, a modern-day form of slavery.

The number of people trafficked each year is estimated by most experts to be in

the millions. Fuelled by its high profitability, low investigation rate and low

prosecution rate, human trafficking is the fastest growing illicit trade in the

world. Trafficking is a component in the broader spectrum of exploitation and

the supply and demand issues that underpin human traffickingincluding failed

states, weak economies, restrictive immigration policies, and global labor

demandsneed to be fully taken into consideration in order to make anti-

trafficking programming and policies effective.

ECOSOC2

FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE EUROZONE (PRIMARY)

Recently, countries in the Eurozone were plagued by a sovereign debt crisis,

which led to the downgrading of the countries bond statuses by credit ratingagencies. This caused investors to lose confidence in the region, especially in

Greece and Iceland, which suffered severe economic collapse. It is imperative tosave the euro as it is the second most traded currency in the world after the US


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dollar. At present, the Eurozone has collaborated with the European Union and

the International Monetary Fund to seek fiscal aid. However, the stability of the

euro is still in question and calls for more steps to be taken to resolve the current

financial problems and prevent future such crises from occurring.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS IN THE THIRD-WORLD (SECONDARY)

Multinational corporations (MNCs) have played an important role in

globalization and have the responsibility of boosting boost economic growth in

third world countries, in terms of extending opportunities for earning higher

incomes as well as enabling the people to be able to consume improved quality

goods and enjoy better services. They can provide collaborative mechanisms for

partnering international development funding agencies to foster grassroots

development efforts in developing countries. However, many existing third

world countries do not see them as allies in their economic development as

many of the firms originate from industrialized countries. Instead, they feel

taken advantage of and see them as instruments for the spread of Western

culture. Hence, a set of guidelines has to be worked out so as to balance the

needs to the third world with the potential financial gain of the MNCs.

SC

CYBERTERRORISM (PRIMARY)

Cyberterrorism exists when computer attacks result in effects that are disruptive

enough to generate fear comparable to a traditional act of terrorism, in order tointimidate or coerce a government or people to further a political objective or

cause severe economic damage. For example, during the South Ossentia war,

when important Estonian websites were hacked, causing major disruptions.

Terrorists have been enhancing their computer skills and even forming alliances

with cybercriminals that possess a high-level of telecommunications expertise.

However, there is much controversy about the border between cyberterrorism

and cybercrime, thus a consensus on the definition of the term would be needed.

In addition, international effort is needed to combat and prevent such acts of

terrorism which pose threat to a nations economies and national security,however, certain nations still refuse to confirm the existence of their own

partaking in state sponsored cyber terrorism.

POST-CONFLICT RESTRUCTURING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

(SECONDARY)

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan both involved heavy third-party

intervention and held crippling repercussions for both countries. Now, the

ongoing withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and the delicate handling of the

fluctuating state of conflict within Afghanistan commands immediate

international attention. With the threat of terrorism and political anarchy

hanging over the two countries, international cooperation is crucial in internalrebuilding and restructuring whilst upholding the sanctity of human rights and


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ensuring social stability. The current military standstill and political deadlock in

both countries should be solved as soon as possible, without upsetting the

delicate balance of stability. In order to best resolve the mounting problems

within the two states whist returning security and stability to the two countries,

an international consensus is essential in attaining proper fulfillment of these

aims.

HR

PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS WHILE COMBATING TERRORISM

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon, and countries have adopted measures for

the deterrence and punishment of terrorism, in order to protect their country.

However, as the UN has no internationally agreed definition of terrorism, many

States have adopted national legislations with vague, unclear or overbroad

definitions of terrorism. These ambiguous definitions have led to inappropriate

restrictions on the legitimate exercise of fundamental liberties, such as

association, expression and peaceful political and social opposition.

Furthermore, some states have included non-violent activities in their national

definitions of terrorism. This has increased the risk and the practice that

individuals are prosecuted for legitimate, non-violent exercise of rights which

are sanctified in international law, or that criminal conduct that does not actually

constitute terrorism may be criminalised as such.

HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN MYANMAR

The human rights issues confronting Myanmar are many and complex. At the

centre of the daunting challenges to the full realisation of human rights in the

country is the pattern of widespread and systematic violations, which have

existed for many years, and still persists even with attempted interventions from

many other countries. Some reasons include the lack of independence of the

judiciary, weak rule of law and the lack of accountability for grave human rights

violations when they occur, resulting in the prevailing culture of exemption from

punishment. Also, the large number of prisoners of conscience and the plight of

ethnic minorities and civilians along the countrys border areas subject to

discrimination and grave human rights abuses are among the many other

violations that demonstrate the countrys continued abrogation of human rights.

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