Model UN Work

Model UN Work

Opening Statement:
[I’m still refining this. Being funny takes effort, you know? Enjoy the rest instead.]

A [Relatively] Short History of the UN

One would be hard-pressed to find an organization on Earth as significant as the United Nations. Encompassing one-hundred and ninety-two countries, the UN is the world’s largest assembly of sovereign states, and exists to facilitate “cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the potential achieving of world peace.”

In the wake of the First World War, a number of countries signed a peace treaty called the Treaty of Versailles, and founded an organization known as the League of Nations. While the League had noble intentions—namely, the upholding of human rights and the prevention of another world war—it had several major challenges. Memberships were often disputed, with many of its member states withdrawing from the organization due to disagreements with policies or other countries. Notably, the United States never joined the League, citing an opposition to the economic ramifications that “protecting the security of the collective” would have had on their country.

Germany, under Hitler, left the League in 1933, following a heated debate about the rights of Jews under the Treaty of Versailles. In 1935, Mussolini was accused of inhumane treatment when his armies fired rockets into medical tents in Ethiopia. Both men responded that they could not be in the wrong, as the people they attacked were “not fully human.” Treaty or no treaty, the League was effectively powerless against individual leaders.

In many aspects, that was the beginning of the end for the League, as the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) formed soon after that, resulting in the Second World War. The League was adjourned through the war, excepting one occasion in 1943, when the Allied Powers met to discuss the formation of a new organization. On June 26, 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed, and the foundation was set for the UN that we know today.

The UN headquarters are located in Manhattan, New York City, although the ground the building sits on is technically “international territory.” The UN has six official languages: English, French, Spanish, Chinese (all types), Russian and Arabic; official discourse in the UN is permitted to occur under any of these six languages.

United Nations Charter

Arguably the most significant document of the modern era, the United Nations Charter outlines the obligations by which all member states are bound. It begins with a preamble*, and continues into the aims, obligations, responsibilities and regulations of the UN.
*see vocabulary list

The most significant statements made in the Charter are found in Chapter 1, Article 1, which is as follows:
1. To maintain international peace and security, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
4. To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

The Charter encompasses twenty-nine chapters, which are available for viewing in the public domain, and can be found easily online. The Guinness Book of World Records claims that it is the “Most Translated Document in the World,” so if English is not your native tongue, you are more than welcome to peruse the Charter in your first language.

Model UN Philosophy

The best way to learn is by doing—an effective piece of advice, and the de facto motto of the Model United Nations. While you’re all aware of international events, as taught in the classroom, many people find it difficult to be interested in something they feel “no connection” to. One of the goals of MUN is to make you connect with another country, another viewpoint: to understand what makes another country tick.

In addition to the experience of seeing the world through a rather different set of eyes, you’ll also learn about the ins and outs of international diplomacy and UN discourse. There are a lot of rules—you’ll probably be a little shocked at first—but as you experience MUN, you’ll learn about the workings of international diplomacy. This will likely render you more interested in current events on the global stage, or at least give you the opportunity to feel more knowledgeable about the world’s most pressing issues.

Our MUN here at Shawnigan will be a simulation of the Copenhagen Climate Change conference, which will be occurring (for real) this December. Our hope is that you’ll leave the committee rooms as passionate, well-educated and concerned individuals, who are able to make an impact. Trite though it may sound—you are the future. It’s time you got involved.

Vocabulary List

MUN Terms
• Delegate: A participant in a Model UN event. A delegate typically represents a country, although in certain specialized committees, they represent historic individuals or non-government organizations. At SLSMUN, all delegates will represent countries.
• Working Paper: An idea proposed, written out, and presented to the rest of the committee. As the debate progresses, working papers can become draft resolutions, which are then voted on by the collective. Working papers are a very important part of the MUN (and the UN) process.
• Preamble: A preamble precedes the meat-and-potatoes of the working paper, stating your understanding of the way things are, and the things you are trying to change. Stylistically, preambles are nice to have, but you shouldn’t worry too much about them.
• Permanent Five: The five most powerful countries on the Security Council. They are: France, the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, and the People’s Republic of China. These five countries are notable for having...
• Veto Power: Latin for “I forbid,” and in a nutshell, the ability to say “no” to any proposed resolution. Only the Permanent Five may veto resolutions; everyone else may simply vote against them.
• Placard: An elongated piece of cardboard with your country’s name written on it, and the single most important item at a Model UN. In order to vote, motion, speak, or any other action, you will be required to raise your placard. Keep it with you at all times while your committee is in session.
• Committee Director(s): The person (or people) at the front of the committee room, who preside over the debate. A committee director may guide the debate in one direction or another, and can determine if a motion is in order or not, but cannot provide their own opinions. They do not represent any country or group; they should be fair and non-discriminatory.
• Dilatory: A word used by the committee director to describe something that is not in order, as in, “that motion is dilatory at this time.” The use of this word does not mean that the suggestion presented is wrong; merely that it is not, at present, the appropriate course of action.
• “Decorum!” An exclamation that your committee director will likely use with joyous abandon, “decorum” is a fancy way of saying “behave yourselves.” Typically it is used when noise exceeds comfortable/legal levels, or when debate goes off-topic or becomes insulting. When used, take note, and listen. The committee chair should not have to say this more than once.
• Speaker’s List: A list of people who want to speak on the topic at hand, basically. At the start of the debate, all countries should ask to be added to the speaker’s list at least once, in order to state their viewpoint, so that they can determine with whom they share similar interests. The speaker’s list is an opportunity to display your country’s view.
• Moderated Caucus: After countries have had the chance to present their opinions and concerns, the debate usually moves into a Moderated Caucus. Unlike the speaker’s list, where you have to wait, in a moderated caucus, you need only hold up your placard and wait to be called on. Discussion is the main point of a moderated caucus—to make clear your agreements and disagreements.
• Unmoderated Caucus: Following a moderated caucus, delegates may call for an unmoderated caucus, which gives you the chance to get up out of your seat, stretch, walk around a bit... And do some of the most important work of the conference. Unmoderated caucuses are not structured like the rest of the debate, so you can go directly up to the relevant people and ask them questions, work with them, and ultimately convince them to sign on to your working papers (hopefully). There are some less-than-successful types who take an unmoderated caucus as a moment to waste time and goof around with their friends. As your Secretary General, I implore you—do not be one of those people. Seriously.
• Global North and Global South: Once upon a time, it was acceptable to describe countries as either “first-world” or “third-world.” This fell out of practice in favour of more politically-correct terms, namely, the Global North and the Global South. The North encompasses the wealthy countries, mostly located in the Northern Hemisphere; the South is composed of developing nations, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. (A map, with Global North and Global South clearly marked, can be found in the back of the package.)
• NGO: Non-government organization. NGOs exist generally for the betterment of something, be it human rights, health, environmental protection, and so on. Trusts, charities and not-just-for-profit corporations are all deemed NGOs by international law.

Climate Change Terms

• Emissions: The production of harmful substances (nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, soot, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxides) following the burning of fossil fuels; often called “greenhouse gases.” Emissions are the crux of our debate, especially how they will be managed by the nations of the world.
• Alternative Energy: Energy that does not come from fossil fuels, but from other sources, such as solar power, tidal force, wind, or water.
• Carbon Credits: Equal to one tonne of carbon; designed by governments to encourage business to grow in a low-emissions direction, rather than a high one. There are two types—carbon offset credits (COCs) and carbon reduction credits (CRCs). COCs encompass clean energy production, and therefore the production of less carbon, while CRCs are the processes which remove existing carbon from the atmosphere.
• Carbon Sinks: A is a natural or manmade reservoir that, over the course of its usage, accumulates and stores an amount of carbon-containing chemical compound. Natural sinks include the oceans, which absorb the carbon, and plant-life, which processes it through photosynthesis. Man-made carbon sinks are landfills, mainly, although capture and storage proposals have been made.
• Mitigation: The process of taking measures to reduce the production of greenhouse gases, thus slowing and, hopefully, reducing global warming. Carbon sinks, carbon credits, alternative energy sources, and a number of other solutions are all of significant importance in the mitigation of global warming.
A [Relatively] Short History of Climate Change and the United Nations

Given that our birthdates fall in the early-to-mid 90s, it’s hard to imagine a world where global warming wasn’t an issue, but as far as global crises go, climate change is still a newcomer to the circuit. The first ever climate change conference—the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or the “Earth Summit,” for short—was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June of 1992. Just over one hundred countries sent a member of their government, accompanied by thousands of NGO representatives and members of the general public.

The discussion was on a variety of matters, but mostly discussed a lack of clean, available drinking water worldwide; potential sources of energy other than fossil fuels; public transportation as an alternative to the passenger car which had rendered cities smoggy and congested; and production of toxic goods, and how they could be more safely managed.

Two important agreements were made during the Earth Summit: an international commitment to the “stabilization of greenhouse gas production,” and “not carry out any activities on the lands of indigenous peoples that would cause environmental degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate." As a follow-up to Earth Summit, the Commission for Sustainable Development was formed, and still meets yearly.

Fast forward to several years, to when the United Nations met again, this time in Kyoto, Japan, and set a protocol on climate change. In 2005, the protocol came into full force, legally binding its “annex I” (Global North, industrialized) countries to a reduction of the four greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulphur hexafluoride—requesting more general things of its industrializing nations. The countries agreed to reduce their collective emissions by 5.2% (from 1992 levels.)

Other agreements concerned “common but differentiated responsibilities,” which gave some leeway to developing nations where emissions standards were concerned, and emissions trading in carbon credits. The signatories promised a certain financial commitment to the Kyoto accord. It was, for the most part, a success, with 183 nations signing on to the protocol... But there was a problem.

The United States refused to ratify the treaty—they signed it as a symbolic gesture, but never took the next step (ratifying) which would render the country legally bound by the protocol. In 2005, at the time the protocol came into effect, the USA was the largest per capita emitter of any country, and yet they still refused to ratify. The reason? According to President Bush, the allowances being made for China:

“This is a challenge that requires a 100% effort; ours, and the rest of the world's. The world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases is the People's Republic of China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. India and Germany are among the top emitters. Yet, India was also exempt from Kyoto ... America's unwillingness to embrace a flawed treaty should not be read by our friends and allies as any abdication of responsibility. To the contrary, my administration is committed to a leadership role on the issue of climate change ... Our approach must be consistent with the long-term goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere."

(It should be noted that, while China stands as the world’s second largest emitter by volume, they have a relatively low volume of emissions per capita.)

So, with an emissions protocol effectively ignored by one of the world’s largest emitters, the Kyoto Protocol could not succeed as it was originally hoped. Given that it could not make the impact anticipated and required, it was back to the drawing board for the United Nations. Four years later, we come to another conference... The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 5th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

For the sake of briefness, it has been nicknamed COP15. This conference, which will occur from December 7th to December 18th, 2009, in Copenhagen, will be the subject of our simulation for the SLSMUN.

Framing the Debate
So, having read all this, one might beg the question—what is the argument, here? Surely we’re all opposed to global warming? Well, yes and no.

As you may have guessed, there has been strong opposition to climate change protocols by some countries. Global North countries can perceive proposed greenhouse gas reductions as a threat to their economy, or even their way of life; Global South countries may find themselves bemoaning the cost of alternative energies or new infrastructures, which they may not have the funds to pay for.

Look at your country’s emissions, and what they’ve done about them so far. Look at their economy, their natural resources, their debts, their other issues—maybe there are issues that the country deems more important than global warming; things more “deserving” of their attention and resources. Maybe they’ll stand to lose money from these accords. Maybe they’ll be blamed for a lot of international damage.

Alternately, look at the reasons a country might support climate change accord—try to think of reasons other than “the environment.” Has this country suddenly been stricken with drought, or an increase in hurricanes? Are their citizens starving due to crop failure? Does their government have foresight, and a commitment to the future? All of these can be reasons to support the mitigation of global warming.

And don’t forget—you’ll have to be writing that protocol yourselves.