KONY 2012

2012-03-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

Joseph Kony (born in 1961), is an Ugandan guerrilla group leader of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). With the "KONY 2012" movement moving full steam ahead, what will you do? Is it worth the cost to bring him to justice?

2012-03-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Model United Nations Conferences are composed of 3 main skill levels, novice, intermediate, and experienced.

Committee availability is dependent upon the topic chosen. Here is a list of the major committees at most conferences:

Security Council - The UN's most important body - Council composed of 15 nations.

Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are:

to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
to investigate any dispute or situation which mightlead to international friction;
to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;
to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
to take military action against an aggressor;
to recommend the admission of new Members;
to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";
to recommend to the GeneralAssembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.

http://www.un.org/docs/sc/

Economic and Social Council - The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) constitutes one of the six principal organs (one is not active, as of 2011) of the United Nations. It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions. ECOSOC has 54 members; it holds a four-week session each year in July. Since 1998, it has also held a meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_System

Secretariat - The United Nations Secretariat is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the United Nations Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their meetings. It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and other U.N. bodies. The United Nations Charter provides that the staff be chosen by application of the "highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity," with due regard for the importance of recruiting on a wide geographical basis.

The Charter provides that the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any authority other than the UN. Each UN member country is enjoined to respect the international character of the Secretariat and not seek to influence its staff. The Secretary-General alone is responsible for staff selection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_System

International Court of Justice - The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_System

IMF(International Monetary Fund) -The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
http://www.imf.org

WHO (World Health Organization) - The directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
http://www.who.int

Syrian Conflict

2012-03-13T10:49:00.002-07:00

Here's what one of our delegates had to say about the Syrian Situation:

Now, in no way am I defending the violence of the Syrian government. I am just making a point that spending billions of dollars on troops and debates will solve no problems.
The main issue here is that Syrian citizens are being killed – on a baser level, that human lives are being lost. However, if this is the real issue, why doesn’t the United Nations turn to look at North Korea, where over 6 million of its population (at least) are starving to death?
Why doesn’t the United Nations look at Libya, where thousands of people are still dying despite the “liberation” that they had helped out with?

2012-03-13T06:50:00.001-07:00

Why do Model United Nations? Here is the Top 3 Reasons why.

1. It is a fun way to experience the world. Getting globally aware is becoming immensely important in this globalized world. Enjoying what you do will certainly aid you in the process.

2. It develops leadership skills. MUN is stresses research, public speaking, and teamwork. These skills are vital throughout your career, and MUN gives you a chance to get a head start by practicing them as a student.

3. You can use your MUN experience and network to leverage for getting into college/university and find jobs. Admissions officers and job interviewers look for examples of leadership. Having experience as a delegate or conference organizer would certainly be to your benefit. You will also be able to develop a network of alumni from your MUN club and people you meet at conferences.

2012-03-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Model United Nations Blog!