Model United NationsChange the World

United Nations Washington State Model United Nations

Legati Mundi – Global Ambassadors

What Is the United Nations?

UN established at end of WWII October 24, 1945 to:

Maintain international peace and security

Develop friendly relations among nations

Cooperate in solving international problems

Have a center for harmonizing the action of nations

6 Major ‘Bodies’ of the UN

Security Council – peace & security

General Assembly – parliament of the world – oversees

Secretariat – Secretary-General & staff

ECOSOC- economic, social, humanitarian, cultural

Trusteeship Council – inactive, regions without govs

International Court of Justice –international disputes

What is the Model UN?

• Realistic Simulation• You are a UN Ambassador• Debate Topics in Committee• Cooperate to Pass Resolutions• Public speaking, leadership, world problem solving, cooperation• MUN students become leaders in politics, law, policy and IR, business, and medicine

What’s It Look Like?

Strategy & Diplomacy

Increase Peace and Lessen Human Suffering

What You’ll Do

1. Assigned a Country.2. Choose Committee.3. Read Background booklet.4. Research country (we can help)5. Prepare 2 short (1-2 page ) position paper on your committee topics (we can help)5. At the meeting: find allies, promote resolutions your country would support6. Vote and Solve Global Problems!

WASMUN Committee

DISC, WIPO, SC, EU, OAS

1st- Disarmament Committee – Non-Proliferation treaty and Banning of fissile materials

World Intellectual Property Org – Protection of global intellectual property and Patent protection and HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries

Security Council – Arab Spring and Central Africa

European Union – European Financial Crisis and European Gas and Oil lines

Organization of American States – Rights of Migrant Workers, Sustainable Energy

UN High Commission of Human Rights

Comments on, debates, and proposes resolutions for human rights – can operate in all committees

Current UNHCHR Pillay is from South Africa, judge on the SA High Court, Harvard Law educated –

Priorities – discrimination, rule of law, poverty and famine, migration, armed conflict

Set standards, monitor, implement

Problem Finding

• Your Country’s Priority• Threats to Peace, Economic

Success• Humanitarian Crisis?

What Can the UN Do?

$$: Allocate money, create funds, programs

Unite: Ask for Collective action, Censure / Condemn

Sanctions:

Diplomatic Sanctions – isolate or remove ties

Economic Sanctions – ban trade excepting medicine or food

Military Sanctions - military forces – peacekeepers

Symbolic Sanctions - sports events etc

Unproductive UN Dialogue

‘Dumb Sanctions’

All-or-None Embargoes

US-Cuba trade embargo causes innocent people to suffer – denied food, medicine, visits with family members

North Korean embargo – North Koreans suffer from poverty and hunger

‘Smart’ Sanctions

Out-of-the-box Solutions to World Problems

Regulating the Sources of Misery

Example – regulating diamond trade

that financed guns for African wars

Other examples: arms embargoes,

freeze financial assets, travel bans

Model UN Position Paper

Restate the Committee Problem (e.g. nuclear proliferation)

Your country’s position on the topic

Past UN action on the topic

Proposed ways to solve problem

We can discuss in club and share possible solutions.

What We’ll Do in Our Club

Share research re: facts of our country

Write Position papers for your committee

Practice 2-3 min position speech

Practice impromptu speaking and debate – pros & cons

Brainstorm scenarios involving our country or the world

Practice staying ‘in character’ with the country

Be a Diplomat

• Represent your country, not yourself• Have your country’s best interests at

heart• Know the UN system, Rules &

Procedures & Topics• Act like a diplomat – professional,

willing, a leader, collegial and cooperative in formal and in formal debate

Diplomatic Platypus

Study the World

BBC: www.bbc.co.uk

CIA Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Search for press releases or statement by your government on your committee’s topic