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 to be 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 the progress of these goals. Many believe they are too idealistic and need to be reevaluated 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 where their 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)

ISSUE SUMMARIES 2011 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 of its territory. In addition, depending on the countries interpretation of the law of the sea, authority and interests in maritime boundary have 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 antitrafficking 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 rating agencies. This caused investors to lose confidence in the region, especially in Greece and Iceland, which suffered severe economic collapse. It is imperative to save the euro as it is the second most traded currency in the world after the US

ISSUE SUMMARIES 2011 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 THIRDWORLD (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 to intimidate 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 internal rebuilding and restructuring whilst upholding the sanctity of human rights and

ISSUE SUMMARIES 2011 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.