(S).M.U.N 101

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Delegates please note that this blog contains NO information or instructions that will be required for the participants of SMUN 2011. Please visit the new blog in order to gain the appropriate information and resources ; the link to the new blog is given below-
http://sophiamodelunitednations2011.blogspot.com/

Thursday 30 September 2010

SMUN Orientation 2010

SMUN Orientation 2010 will be held on 2 dates, October 4th and October 7th.
The timings on both dates will be 12:30 to 2:30, and venue the Sophia Auditorium.

Sophia delegates, please note that you will be required to attend the Orientation on the 4th. It will be held in the Auditorium at 12:30 sharp and we request that you do not loiter after Lunch Break, but move swiftly to take your seats so we may begin.

Delegates from other schools, may choose one of the Orientations to attend as at has been brought to our notice that some schools have exams on the first date.

All delegations are required to bring in their Delegate Fees in a single envelope with the name of the country to be represented, the names of delegates and and total amount of money enclosed on Oct 4th itself. They must also hand in a sheet of paper confirming the full names of all delegates, their classes, email ids, school if not Sophia High School(and contact information of the Teacher Coordinator) and the committees they intend on attending.
*Contact information for Press members must be provided as well.

Each delegation will be given a Delegate Handbook which will also be posted on this blog and procedure will be explained in detail at the Orientation. We request the attendance of even experienced MUNners as the introduction of external Press members and Shadow delegations have raised a number of queries that can be addressed in person.

Position Papers must be sent in to individual committee email ids ON OR BEFORE October 7th and late entries will be penalised.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

SMUN 2010 Details

September 8, 2010
Calling All MUN-ners!

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
This year on October 24th, 25th and 26th we, The Sophia Model United Nations Organisation Committee invite you to join our small effort to initiate the discovery of World Peace through the academic simulation of The United Nations.

Sophia Model United Nations started by Dipti Ramesh, Aditi Verma and Ajooni S. Chinha with humble beginnings has steadily grown in strength and, this year, encompasses a majority of the problems we face presently on the global front. Ranging from international trafficking to territorial disputes, and from energy harvesting programmes to sovereignty, we hope to bring forward feasible solutions that can be implemented in the real world through education and empowerment. After all, we are the Future Leaders of this World we live in.

We believe that this year, SMUN will be an inspiration and act as a catalyst to bring forth politically correct diplomats into our fast-paced, morally deteriorating world. We urge delegates to integrate themselves with their choice of Countries and Councils and enrich the spirit of the United Nations.
Ban Ki Moon has said, “There is a shared sense of urgency to act now. It is not too late, but we are running out of time.” With this in mind, the SMUN Organisation Committee invites you to yet another mind stimulating adventure that will leave you with galvanized spirits. So MUNners, we wish you the very best, and welcome you to a whirlwind crash-course in diplomacy. Welcome to Sophia Model United Nations, 2010.

Yours Diplomatically,
The SMUN Organisation Committee. =)

Dates :
October 24, 25, 26

Councils :
General Assembly (Plenary)
ECOSOC
IAEA
Security Council

Qualifications :
Sophia Model United Nations is open to all students from Class IX to Class XII. While we have placed a tentative limit of 2 delegations per school, a request to send a larger number can be sent to our email id- sophiasmun@gmail.com.
Every delegation will consist of between 1 and 5 delelgates depending on its membership in the ECOSOC and IAEA and whether or not it is to be accompanied by a member of the World Press. Some delegations will represent, not countries, but agencies such as the:
African Union,
Amnesty International,
European Union,
International Monetary Fund,
Organisation of Petrol Exporting Countries,
World Trade Organisation and
South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation.

Please check the Country Matrix enclosed within your invite while selecting the country/agency to represent.

To register, please send the names of the delegates, their classes and email ids and 3 country preferences along with the contact details of your Teacher Coordinator to Naomi Raphael (for external teams) or to Aishwarya Kirit (for Sophiates).
Any queries can be sent to the email id.

Agendae:
1] GA-
- Resource Sharing in Disputed/Unclaimed Territories.
- Rethinking Kyoto, Montreal and Copenhagen: a Follow up to major environmental treaties.

2] ECOSOC-
- Maintaining economic stability in a globalised world with special reference to the Euro-zone and devaluation of currency in China.
- Measures taken by member nations to crack and combat illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

3]IAEA-
- Elimination of rogue nuclear programmes.
- Future of nuclear technology and missile defense.

4]Security Council-
- The Economic Sources and the Social Consequences of terrorism.
- Economic, Social, Religious and Regional conflicts of affecting the world at large with special reference to Congo, Afghanistan, Iran and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Monday 20 July 2009

The Use of Nuclear Technology in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

The Use of Nuclear Technology in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.I. OVERVIEW

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was founded in 1957 by the United Nations as the “Atoms for Peace” Organization. The Organization was based upon the three pillars of “Security, Safety and Science.”1 The IAEA has since then been active in the promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear technology, and the observation of the non-military application of advances in nuclear science. A science which has been feared and even hated throughout the latter half of the 20th century due to its destructive capabilities. However, the application and development of the science does not need to be exclusive to areas of weaponry and military. In fact the need for the development of this science in order to better equip the world with ways to better solve the vast problems of hunger, energy supply, and sanitation is undeniable. The third article of the statute of the IAEA contains the function which the Agency is authorized to carry out, and the first of which is:
“To encourage and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world; and, if requested to do so, to act as an intermediary for the purposes of securing the performance of services or the supplying of materials, equipment, or facilities by one member of the Agency for another; and to perform any operation or service useful in research on, or development or practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful purposes;” 2
The Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight goals set by the UN and adopted at the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which aim to relieve the suffering and meet the needs of the world's poorest by 2015. The IAEA works with the partners of the UN Millennium Development Goals Campaign such as UNDP or FAO, to contribute to the achievement of the goals.

II. TOPIC BACKGROUND

1. Initiatives by the IAEA.

The IAEA has undertaken a great effort in the application of technology and nuclear science to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Although the IAEA has been an active agency in the general technological development of many nations since its conception, the formal participation of the IAEA in the question of the Millennium Development Goals can be traced back to September 2002, when the IAEA participated in the World Summit for Sustainable Development. The IAEA undertook the initiation of partnership proposals in the issues concerning the environment, freshwater and energy.
The IAEA has been actively pursuing these three areas. With regards to the goal concerning water and sanitation the IAEA and UNESCO have initiated programs in water, and within their partnership drew expertise from the Hydrological profession and Oceanography, the IAEA and UNESCO have been able to better sustain aquatic environments, and use the same water ecosystem for industrial processes. 4
As the sole UN agency which deals with nuclear power, the IAEA can provide its Members with planning models, up to date information regarding energy and the technologies which are related to energy, operations models, training and guidance on issues concerning energy in any part of the energy production process. An example of this is the recent effort analysing energy policies in 12 national and 4 regional projects. Each involved 12-14 states, and the IAEA staff planned and evaluated the energy policies of the states participating. The IAEA clarifies the approach it uses in the planning and execution of the various projects it adopts to Member States. It is recommended that delegates know the process and the approach to which the IAEA has taken to adopting in recent years. The IAEA states that it looks at the energy demand analysis and models a scientific, mathematical and objective-based plan according to the needs of a Member State, and trains locals to give their projects sustainability.

2. Scientific Development and Progress.

The IAEA has been pouring in vast resources and research into areas of science and technology over the past six years in the efforts to reach and assist in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The technology which has been concentrated upon is varied and vast in its application. Some examples of such technology are explored in this position paper, but it must be noted that the technologies and applications the IAEA has researched with regards to the issue at hand should not be restricted to the ones found in this position paper.
1) Isotope Hydrology: a nuclear technique which helps measure the size, origin, flow and age of a particular water source, which in turn allows better planning and use of a water source.
2) Medfly: mass bred fruit flies which are engineered to be sterile, to control the populations of flies which threaten food sources in agricultural areas.

3. Millennium Development Goals and their progress as of 2008.

In the year 2000, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goals as a result of the September Millennium Summit. These goals were aimed at specifically tackle the problems of the world's most impoverished and eradicate the extremes of the world's most pressing issues with a time-limit of fifteen years. These tasks have now become more challenging with the advance of time, as economic, political and social factors have since arisen to add to the complexity of the already immense task of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Nevertheless, the UN and the organizations falling under its umbrella have continued to work towards the achievement of the eight goals. These eight Goals are summarized as follows:

1) The Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger: by halving the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day and who suffer from hunger, providing means of work and income to all groups of people to achieve complete productive employment in all countries.

2) The achievement of Universal Primary Education for children of both genders.

3) The promotion of Gender Equality and the elimination of gender difference in education and enrolment.

4) The reduction of Child Morality by two thirds.

5) The improvement of Maternal Health by reducing the morality ratio by two thirds, and achieve universal access to reproductive health.

6) The combating of HIV/AIDS malaria and other diseases, to have halted and began the reverse of the spread of these diseases, and the achievement of universal access to the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

7) The ensuring of Environmental sustainability, by reducing loss of biodiversity, initiating programs of sustainable development in developing countries, and reaching an improvement in the standard of living of slum dwellers.

8) Developing a global partnership for development.

The 2008 report on the Millennium Development Goals states that the circumstances of recent times, the economic slowdown and the food security crisis, will affect the pace at which the MDGs can be actualized. Threats such as global warming will also have an effect on the campaign. The Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon stresses on the importance of keeping the MDGs a priority on the agenda of the UN and its Member States. It is in this instance that technology can serve a much bigger, much more prominent role, in the face of perennial challenges, and constant obstacles. It is recommended that delegates study the report to be able to understand and be familiar with the report.

The report states that along with the successes of some MDGs greater, more concentrated effort is required in other areas. Of these the IAEA may be able to tackle, among others, the problem of 2.5 billion people without improved sanitation, healthcare, carbon dioxide emission due to energy sectors, and the onslaught of disease. What the MDGs need from the International Atomic Energy Agency is the commitment to the application of technologies to further the achievement of the goals before the 2015 deadline. As a largely scientific and technical agency, the IAEA is one of the best choices for the direct action in developing and implementing the solutions in the scientific and technological areas.

III. MEMBER STATES

Most Member States have adopted and are working towards the Millennium Development Goal. In 2000, building on the Millennium Summit, resolution A/RES/55/2 was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Most Member States of the United Nations want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, yet there are many different considerations for each individual Member State depending on its status (developing or developed), its economic and its political circumstances. When considering the issue of the Millennium Development Goals and the IAEA, each Member State must review its use of technology and its efficiency in the use of technology, and see which IAEA programs are applicable in its territory, in its region and how certain programs are applicable in a practical sense.
Three case studies are given as examples of the efforts of Member States and the IAEA in the realization of the MDGs:
1) Brazil:
In a partnership with the IAEA currently developing indicators for sustainability in energy development to evaluate the practicality and advantage of developing the energy sector of a country. This partnership spans regions and includes Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia and the Slovak Republic. The partnership includes scientific organizations and other UN bodies.

2) Israel-Jordan:
The two states have been fighting against pests such as the Mediterranean fruit fly by using nuclear science and have been achieving success in the sterilization of fruit flies and in controlling their population in the effort of gaining better food security through the use of technology. The targeting of the flies is environmentally friendly and only dwindles, not wipes out, the population in the region.

3) South Africa:
Nuclear science is being used to combat and detect algal blooms in the bays of South Africa. Algal blooms have been causing huge amounts of food poisoning and health risk in South Africa, the IAEA's isotope hydrology process gives the people of South Africa a more efficient and practical way of detecting and preventing problems arising from the algal blooms.

IV. DELEGATE CONSIDERATION

Each delegate must thinks of what his Member State wants of the advance in nuclear power, how involved they are with the IAEA, and to what extent their state will a capacity as a contributor or innovator in this topic. Try to propose solutions for all the relevant Millennium Development Goals. This topic depends largely on creative thinking and the application of new nuclear science and the study of innovations and their applications in a wide-scale world-view. Delegates are encouraged to think globally, and to see where the Millennium Development Goals are failing to be met, and try to use the science which the IAEA can contribute in meeting them.

V. CONCLUSION

Science and technology influences all aspects of the world today. To undertake a task as great as the one the UN has in trying to meet the Millennium Development Goals, they full utility of all tools must be constantly stressed upon. The IAEA has the resources to greatly affect the status of the current achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It is the task of innovators and the scientists of our world to help the political and international bodies achieve a world where everyone can have a high standard of living. It is in this instance that we need the solidarity of science and politics in facing the task ahead.

VI. REFERENCES

1. About the IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/About/index.html
2. Statute of the IAEA.
3. IAEA and the world Summit on Sustainable Development. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/IaeaWssd/index.shtml
4. 'In Zaragoza, its water, water everywhere'. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/zaragoza.html
5. Capacity Building for Sustainable Development. International Atomic Energy Agency Information Series. Division of Public Information. 02-01566 / FS Series 2/01/E
6. The Middle East's Fruitful Valley. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/2007/Medfly/medflymideast.html
7. IAEA and the WSSD http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/IaeaWssd/algal_bloom.shtml
8. United Nations Millennium Development Goals http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml
9. The Millennium Development Goals Report, 2008.
10. The Middle East's Fruitful Valley. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/2007/Medfly/medflymideast.html
11. IAEA and the WSSD http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/IaeaWssd/Energy.shtml
12. IAEA and Harmful Algal Blooms. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Features/AlgalBloom/index.html

The Use of Nuclear Technology in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Situation of democracy and human rights in developing countries with special reference to Latin America

Situation of democracy and human rights in developing countries with special reference to Latin America(The debate will pertain mainly to the current democratic and human rights situation in Haiti)

DEMOCRACY

Democracy is a form of government in which the right to govern is vested in the citizens of a country or a state and exercised through a majority rule.
Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy’, there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes. The first principle is that all citizens, not invested with the power to govern, have equal access to power and the second that all citizens enjoy legitimized freedoms and liberties.
Democracy is indispensable for the protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
The Human Rights situation in Latin America varies considerably country to country. In some, such as Colombia, disappearances, extra-judicial executions and torture have reached epidemic proportions. In others, such as Peru, hundreds of innocent people continue to be in jail, falsely accused of "subversive activities". Yet in others, the main human rights violations concern police brutality, inhuman prison conditions, and violations to economic and cultural rights. If there is one violation that is common to most of the continent, it's impunity, the lack of punishment - and often even of investigation - to those who are responsible for committing the most dire human rights abuses.

Frantically and with great urgency, the Human Rights Foundation in New York drafted a letter beckoning the Inter American Democratic Charter and Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza, with the Organization of American States (OAS), to honor the agreement to protect Latin American citizens from militant extremists. In addition, the organization invited Insulza to join its programme, The Inter-American Democratic Charter, as a way to bring global attention to their efforts in improving human rights in the Americas.
Despite the signing of the Inter-American Democratic Charter nearly seven years ago, Insulza repeatedly failed in his responsibility to activate its democratic clause. As a result, the human rights situation in Latin America has fallen into a perilous state unlike any since military dictatorships ruled the continent in the 1980s.
Since the inception of the OAS, tens of thousands of people have been persecuted, detained, tortured and killed because of their political beliefs in the Americas. Thus, their pain and suffering finally led to the design of a mechanism to both prevent the systematic violation of human rights in the Americas and clearly denounce the violators. However, due to the unwillingness to implement democratic clauses individuals throughout the country are paying the price at the cost of their required human rights.
It took Latin America more than 50 years to adopt democratic customs, during which times innumerable violations of human rights went unpunished.
Currently, the Cuban dictatorship, which is rightfully excluded from OAS participation, is not the only perpetrator of persecution, arbitrary detention, torture and even murder in the Americas; offending countries include those with democratically-elected governments, such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.
The panelists agreed that democratic leaders “govern moderately and responsibly in Brazil, Chile and Peru,” but claimed that “Venezuela’s firebrand, Hugo Chavez and his acolytes in South America continue to tear down democratic institutions to put congresses, courts and the media in the service of their own radical agenda: sowing class warfare, social division and political polarization.”
“In creation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, [the OAS] established the current Inter-American system for the protection of human rights;—even though the commission and the court have conducted very important reports on the status of human rights in member countries, systematic violations of human rights in the continent have continued to occur without an effective effort on behalf of the OAS to stop them,” Halvorssen noted in his letter. “In an attempt to correct this, on Sept. 11, 2001, the OAS approved the Inter-American Democratic Charter as a guide to help formulate rules and principles that would identify and sanction governments that violate human rights.”

• More people live under democratic regimes today than at any other point in history
• At the end of 1998 there were 117 electoral democracies, representing over 61 % of the world's countries and nearly 55 per cent of its population
• In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 90 general elections were held between 1987 and 1997
• Thirty-eight of the 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa held legislative elections between 1990 and 1994
• Political parties in 34 countries have binding quotas for women in governing bodies and in legislative elections
• Thus far, 144 countries have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The Current agenda focuses in great depth on the current situation of Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country.
• Haiti is the third hungriest country in the world after Somalia and Afghanistan
• The richest 1% of the population controls nearly half of all of Haiti’s wealth
• The poorest country in the western hemisphere
• The world’s fourth poorest country in the world
• Ranks 146 out of 173 on the United Nations Human Development Index
• Has a life expectancy of 52 years for women and 48 for men
• Adult literacy is about 50%
• Unemployment is 70%
• 85% of Haitians live on less than $1 U.S. per day.
• Haiti ranks 38 out of 195 for under five mortality rate.
In addition, coverage of issues in Haiti has often been accompanied by amazing media distortion leading to effects such as minimal or no coverage of problems and massive human rights violations during dictatorial regimes, while demonizing the one democratically elected leader. The extremities of the dictatorships had also led to militant groups that were pro-Aristide.
Such groups also committed violent acts especially in response to pressures from rebel and opposition group Human rights group, Amnesty International also notes that some of the rebel leaders have been convicted of gross human rights violations in the past. “Rebel leaders include notorious figures such as Louis Jodel Chamblain and Jean Tatoune, convicted of gross human rights violations committed a decade ago. Their forces are reported to include a number of former soldiers implicated in human rights abuses in the Central Plateau region of Haiti over the last year.”
It seems that the selective nature of human rights reports came from within Haiti as well. As well as the bleak picture Madre has highlighted, it appears that some Haitian human rights groups themselves have had an anti-Aristides agenda.

A BROKEN COUNTRY
Haiti is a country in which nearly everything needs help. The unsettled political situation and sinking economic vitality, exacerbated by the U. S. embargo since autumn 1991, has left Haiti in disarray. In Port-au-Prince and other built-up areas, electricity is produced but 10 hours a day, and water (non-potable) is available about one hour a day. Garbage is collected intermittently, and transportation is difficult.
Public transportation is unreliable, and although seemingly chaotic to people experienced with modern mass-transit, the brightly colored jitneys or tap-taps (buses) work well enough to service Haiti's limited infrastructure. Roads throughout the nation are in disrepair to the extent that vehicles cannot negotiate the potholes without suffering damage to tires and suspension, and the embargo has ensured that repair parts are out of reach. While there are no apparent cases of starvation, there is malnutrition, and deaths among the very young can be traced to sanitation, diet, and a lack of available medical care and pharmaceutical products.

POLITICS AND RELIGION
Elections have not been held routinely, and political parties are not well-organized. The parties provide a focal point for galvanizing support around a charismatic personage. Real power has often centered on the country's leader and a small elite group who have used a system of counterbalances to prevent a coup. A continuing source of political influence in Haiti has been religion. With a long history of dictatorship and poverty, the masses have depended on religion for help. Although approximately 95 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, a vast majority of Haitians also practice Voodoo as an extension of their African heritage and culture. Political leaders have often taken advantage of the Roman Catholic pulpit, or the black magic of voodoo, to help influence the masses.
Religion, with its juxtaposition of traditional Catholicism and voodoo, has played a key role in the maintenance of power in Haiti. The Roman Catholic Church, enjoying a large percentage of popular participation, has often encouraged peace and acceptance. It is argued that the church has supported the elite in some cases, preaching politics from the pulpit.
Through the Duvalier era, the Catholic Church accommodated the dictatorship. After Francois Duvalier attempted to work with the Church, he finally expelled the Jesuit Order and recruited loyal Tonton Makout priests. "The ascendance of makout priests to positions of authority means that injustices were committed against those who were not aligned with Duvalier politically." Leadership posts went to Duvalier supporters. Also within the country, there has been a strong influence of "liberation" theology which has encouraged radical change in the political system of the country.
Today the politicalization of religion in Haiti is best personified in the Reverend Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but there are other examples. After the February 16, 1993, sinking of the ferry boat Neptune, Aristide supporter Bishop Willy Romelus used a funeral Mass for the 600-900 victims of the disaster as a political rally. Romelus presided over 2,500 Haitians chanting, "Aristide or death!" His target was the current military government. He was allegedly attacked by right-wing demonstrators as he left the church services attended by UN and the Organization of American States (OAS) observers. However, some observers suggest that this was staged by Romelus to discredit the military-backed government.
THE HAITIAN ARMED FORCES
The military has traditionally been a critical factor for maintaining power within Haiti. In the recent past, Haitian defense expenditures have risen from $14 million in 1990 to $21 million in 1991, about 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product.
The armed forces and security forces of about 8,100 active duty personnel (900 officers and senior noncommissioned officers, 7,200 enlisted) include some 6,200 in the army, a small navy and air corps of around 300 people each, plus about 1,300 civil police in Port-au-Prince, and a handful of other security specialists related to fire fighting, customs and immigration. Working under the 1987 Constitution, the Minister of National Defense is also the Minister of the Interior. The Commander-in-Chief of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAD'H) is appointed by the President and has operational control over all of these critical public safety and military functions.
The FAD'H is organized into nine military departments and the Metropolitan Region (Port-au- Prince) to reflect the geographic regions of the country. Command of the FAD'H is centralized in the General Staff Headquarters and in the nine department headquarters. Each department is divided into districts which correspond to company areas of responsibility. Because the FAD'H has administered the nation at the departments as well as at the rural communal section levels, the military has traditionally enjoyed great influence over the daily activities of the Haitian people.
The Haitian Army has depended on foreign arms imports. The result is an arsenal of old and ineffective equipment from many countries, such as five V-150 light armored vehicles (most mobile and effective system in the FAD'H), plus assorted small arms and mortars (e.g., two 90-mm guns and three 20-mm machine guns). The air corps has but two dozen varied fixed-wing aircraft and about eight helicopters (usually inoperative) representing no serious threat in the Caribbean. However, these limited systems give the armed forces sufficient clout to maintain internal security, their traditional role.
The balance of power in the Haitian experience has been designed to maintain complete power in a single person, supported by the military. This domination by power not only has required ensuring security within the state (control of the masses), but also maintaining power bases within the establishment infrastructure to make sure that the dictator did not encounter power centers he could not control.

SOLUTIONS FORM THE UNITES NATIONS:
The Security Council welcomes progress in consolidating stability in Haiti, stresses the need for security gains to be accompanied by social, economic development
The Security Council today welcomed the progress towards stabilizing Haiti, but reiterated the need for security to be accompanied by social and economic development as a way for that poor Caribbean nation – imperiled by natural and manmade disasters throughout most of its history -- to achieve lasting stability.
In a statement read out by Council President Claude Heller (Mexico), following a day-long debate on the situation in that country, the Council urged the Haitian institutions to intensify their efforts to meet the population’s basic needs, and to work together to promote dialogue, the rule of law and good governance.
The Council reaffirmed the need for the upcoming elections for the renewal of one third of the Senate to be inclusive, free and fair, and called on all political actors in Haiti to ensure they were held in a peaceful atmosphere.
Welcoming the valuable continuing support of donors, the Council urged them to make available the additional technical and financial assistance required by the Haitian Government to meet the country’s immediate humanitarian, early recovery and reconstruction needs, while laying the foundations for sustainable economic and social development. In that connection, it recognized the vital importance of the high-level donor conference on Haiti to be hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., on 14 April.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti, Hédi Annabi, who stressed that sustained international engagement was critical to enabling Haiti to take advantage of a unique moment of opportunity. The country now had its best chance in decades to break from the destructive cycles of the past and move towards a brighter future. While it was a difficult environment in which to ask for further assistance, he acknowledged, there was a compelling logic for making an additional effort that would be relatively modest in absolute terms, but which could make a critical difference in securing the investments made to date and preventing the major costs that would be associated with any renewed decline or disorder.

The international community had made a remarkable contribution in providing opportunity for Haiti, and its Haitian counterparts were today showing a clear determination to seize that chance, he said. Hopefully, with the Council’s support, that partnership would be sustained to enable the efforts made to date to reach fruition and place Haiti firmly on the path towards a better future. Haiti might be at a crossroads, at a turning point between risk and renewal, as several speakers suggested, but among the member countries of the Inter-American Development Bank, it was one of the most vulnerable –- with the highest poverty rates and some of the most challenging indicators in terms of access to housing and basic services, the Bank’s General Manager of the Department of the Caribbean Countries told the Council. She noted that some 7.5 million Haitians lived below the poverty line, even before the multiple crises of 2008. However, the 2008 food and oil price shocks had provoked riots, which had pushed more Haitians into extreme poverty. Last year had turned out to be exceptionally difficult, even considering Haiti’s turbulent history. The events of 2008 had focused efforts on disaster relief, but it was time to re-launch the Government’s growth and poverty reduction strategy, and a renewed partnership with donors. That was the purpose of the forthcoming 14 April conference at the Bank’s headquarters, and the Bank was pleased to host it. Mission Chief for Haiti of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Haitian authorities would seek an additional $125 million in budget support and about $700 million in project financing at the donor conference next week to help close the $50 million budget gap and finance critical investment projects. She urged donors to provide that much-needed financing. Failure to do so could deter investment projects needed to create jobs and raise living standards. In the past five years Haiti had made great strides in macroeconomic management in partnership with IMF, she said. Despite devastating hurricanes and high food prices last year, Haitian authorities had maintained macroeconomic stability and remained on track under the poverty reduction and growth facility programme. But those hard-won gains remained fragile and the global crisis was affecting trade and fiscal links. IMF had stepped up efforts to help the country respond to both the global financial crisis and last year’s hurricanes.
United States, saluting MINUSTAH’s bravery, said the Mission had made progress towards consolidating stability and security, including strengthening the national police. It had achieved important gains in security, which, hopefully, would provide a sound basis for progress in other critical areas. MINUSTAH’s success was impressive, but it was not the whole story; much of the progress made remained fragile, especially after the terrible difficulties of 2008, including the food crisis, hurricanes and storms, and the ongoing global financial crisis. All those factors could imperil Haiti’s security and seriously exacerbate poverty. Much more remained to be done in key areas. Desperate poverty, malnutrition, lack of education and other socio-economic problems still bedeviled Haiti.
Donors at the Washington conference on 14 April should be careful not to view security and development as separate spheres, she stressed, adding that, in fact, the absence of one undermined the other. During the Council’s recent mission to Haiti, members had seen compelling evidence of how poverty and unemployment created an environment conducive to civil unrest and undoing many hard-won gains. The United States was encouraged by advances towards the creation of a professional national police force and would continue to work with MINUSTAH to help expand the facilities at the National Police Academy. In order for Haiti to be secure, it would need its police forces to stand on its own. Efforts to reform the justice sector as a whole must be intensified and address prison overcrowding and the rule of law throughout the country.
That was particularly important in terms of curbing drug trafficking, where real progress was vital, she said, adding that the United States would increase support for the counter-narcotics efforts of the police. The Haitian Government should take advantage of the Hope 2 legislation passed by the United States Congress in 2008, as it could open a huge window of opportunity for Haitian market access. As for elections, they must be free, fair and inclusive, and all voices must speak and be heard. There was a need to deepen common efforts to support the country in its fragile transition. Haiti stood at a crossroads, a turning point between risk and renewal, towards democracy that should grow deeper roots, and, hopefully, towards economic progress for all.

QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED:

• What are the possible ways through which your country could help the situation of the lack of democracies in countries in different parts of the world?
• What are measures taken to overcome the violation of human rights?
• What are the possible solutions to help the Haiti situation?

REFERENCE:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25232&Cr=Haiti&Cr1
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30514&Cr=haiti&Cr1=
http://www.amnesty.org/en/ai_search?keywords=Haiti&op=Search&form_id=search_theme_form&form_token=d31126fef7a018f99d243fbf3d891f26

Prevention and Combat of Corrupt Practices; In Specific Transfer of Assets of Illicit Origin

Prevention and Combat of Corrupt Practices; In Specific Transfer of Assets of Illicit Origin.It is widely recognized that corruption is a threat to the stability of societies, the establishment and maintenance of the rule of law and economic and political progress. Any meaningful solution to the problem must therefore account for the recovery of the assets derived from corruption. The recovery and return of those ill-gotten gains can make a significant difference to countries recovering from corruption and sends the important message that the international community will not tolerate such illegal conduct.

In cases of large-scale corruption the amounts of state resources illicitly converted to private ownership and exported to international banking centres and financial havens can be staggering. According to the Nyanga Declaration on the Recovery and Repatriation of Africa’s Wealth:
“An estimated US$ 20-40 billion has over the decades been illegally and
corruptly appropriated from some of the world’s poorest countries, most of
them in Africa, by politicians, soldiers, businesspersons and other leaders, and kept abroad in the form of cash, stocks and bonds, real estate and other
assets.”

Although the full extent of the transfers of illicit funds or assets is impossible to measure with precision, there can be very little doubt that corruption and the laundering of proceeds derived from corruption have a cancerous effect on economies and politics around the globe. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that the total amount of money laundered on an annual basis is equivalent to three to five per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), an amount of between $600 billion and $1.8 trillion. It would be safe to assume that a significant portion of that activity involves funds derived from corruption.

MEASURES ADOPTED BY SOME MEMBER STATES:

Brazil
Brazil indicated that the Commission on Public Ethics, was responsible for reviewing the legislation on the ethical conduct of civil servants of the Federal Public Administration; for elaborating and proposing a Code of Conduct for authorities in the area of the executive branch of the Government; and for receiving and reviewing charges against authorities who are not performing in accordance with the Code of Conduct. In April 2001, the position of General Corregidor of the Union was created, with the responsibilities of assisting the President of the Republic in all matters related to public assets. Brazil has also indicated that complementary law No. 105, provides flexibility in the application of the rules concerning bank secrecy for financial operations, bank client information disclosure and capital movement. The purpose is to investigate practices of money laundering of resources originating from illicit and criminal activities, including corrupt practices.

Switzerland
Switzerland reported that, regarding mutual assistance in criminal matters, the return of objects and assets has been governed by law since 1 February 1997. There are two distinct forms of return: at the end of mutual assistance proceedings, objects or assets provisionally seized may, on request, be returned to the competent foreign authority, either to be confiscated or to be returned to the entitled parties abroad. The federal law on the sharing of confiscated financial assets empowers Swiss authorities to conclude sharing agreements with foreign States. The different parties to such an agreement agree on the distribution formula. As a general rule, assets are shared equally among the States concerned, but the draft law provides that, depending on the nature of the offence or other factors, it is possible to return all the assets to the requesting State. With regard to this last element, the draft law aims to give concrete expression to a practice already broadly applied in Switzerland. However the Swiss officials face continuous criticism from the world community over the complete and effective implementation of the above measures.

Turkey
Turkey reported that, in September 2001, it signed a series of Council of Europe conventions, including the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and the Civil Law and Criminal Law Conventions on Corruption. In January 2002, Turkey ratified the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS

The need to fight corruption at all levels was underlined in the Monterrey Consensus, adopted by the International Conference on Financing, held in Monterrey, Mexico, from 18 to 22 March 2002. In that Consensus, member States committed to negotiating and finalizing, as soon as possible, a United Nations Convention against Corruption in all its aspects, including the question of repatriation of funds illicitly acquired to countries of origin; and promoting stronger cooperation to eliminate money-laundering.

The Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption, whose terms of reference were adopted by General Assembly resolution 56/260 of 31 January 2002, held its first session in Vienna from 21 January to 1 February 2002, at which it began its first reading of the draft convention against corruption.5 The reading was completed during the second session of the Ad Hoc Committee, held from 17 to 28 June 2002, and several developments have been made since.

On the occasion of the second session, the Centre for International Crime Prevention organized a one-day technical workshop on the issue on “asset recovery”.

In accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/13, the Centre for International Crime Prevention has started the preparation of a global study on the transfer of funds of illicit origin, in particular funds derived from acts of corruption, and its impact on economic, social and political progress, in particular in developing countries.

In 2001, IMF and the World Bank divided the international efforts to counter money-laundering into three
categories:
(a) efforts concerned primarily with financial/supervisory matters (e.g. those of IMF, the World Bank and the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision);
(b) efforts concerned with both financial/supervisory and legal/criminal enforcement matters (e.g. United Nations activities); and
(c) efforts concerned primarily with legal/criminal enforcement matters (e.g. activities of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)).

PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE TACKLED:

Laundering activities
Corrupt officials do not always disguise their transfers of illegally acquired wealth through laundering activity. In some remarkable examples of corruption, little if any effort was made to hide the systematic embezzlement. For instance, when Jean-Claude Duvalier fled Haiti, investigators had little trouble locating incriminating paperwork that showed that the former “President for Life” had embezzled more than $120 million.

the money-laundering process is most susceptible to detection during the so-called “placement” stage, when the assets are being physically deposited into a financial institution, because the wealth is still close to the original criminal activity. For that reason, transparency is necessary for the international financial and banking markets to prevent money-launderers from placing profits gained from corruption into financial institutions. The principle of “sunlight” works particularly well because money laundering
is an inherently hidden activity. Simply put, the more banks and other financial institutions report suspicious transactions, the more information authorities receive about possible laundering operations.

Opaque financial systems
Both practical and legal obstacles, including the absence of a comprehensive international instrument relating to corruption and money-laundering, impede the international efforts to create transparency. One basic hindrance is that the rapid movement of funds complicates efforts to recover and return money because the electronic transfers, in particular via the Internet, lend anonymity to the transactions and can be extremely difficult to trace.
A second practical problem is the continued lack of transparency in many of the world’s financial systems. For example, one conduit for laundered funds continues to be the correspondent accounts that certain financial institutions provide to foreign banks. Correspondent banking involves one bank providing services to another bank to move funds, exchange currency and carry out other transactions. Those accounts can provide the owners and clients of a poorly regulated, and even corrupt, bank with the ability to move money freely around the world. Trusts are also increasingly being recognized as a gap in transparency that enables complex laundering schemes.

Likewise, offshore accounts and personal investment companies provide havens and opportunities for any laundering activity, including the laundering of funds derived from corruption.

Lack of uniformity of laws
A fundamental complication facing recovery actions is the diversity of legal systems. Governments and financial institutions from different legal systems can have difficulties bridging differences in concepts and procedures. The resulting legal problems in recovery actions vary, depending upon the jurisdiction (common law/civil law) and the recovery approach (civil/criminal).

Another common legal complication to recovery actions arises because the tracing and freezing of illicitly transferred assets straddle the boundary between civil and criminal proceedings. Each type of proceeding is distinct and may not be available in every State under the same circumstances.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW?

1. Legal measures
Expansion of predicate offences to include foreign corruption
Measures that enable the confiscation of the proceeds of corruption in national legislation appear important. Those measures would become considerably more effective if they were combined with an expansion of anti-money-laundering provisions to include foreign corruption as a predicate offence.
Pre-trial seizure or restraining orders or other action to prevent the dissipation or disappearance of assets
To provide for the type of expeditious legal action often necessary to seize funds in the modern global economy, it would appear necessary to have measures that would enable authorities, at the request of another State, to prevent any transfer of those assets for which there is a reasonable basis to believe that they will be subject to recovery as the proceeds of corruption. Such legal mechanisms should also allow for the restraining of assets based on a foreign order or the issuance of an appropriate restraining order by a court in the requesting State. At the same time, however, those mechanisms should ensure that the foreign action has a legitimate
basis and impose reasonable deadlines on the requesting State to submit evidence supporting the seizure.

2. Organizational arrangements
Spontaneous disclosure of information on assets of illicit origin
The spontaneous sharing of information between States is an important
component of the international cooperation necessary to recover and return funds derived from corruption. Therefore international cooperation would be significantly strengthened by measures that allow the forwarding of information on funds of illicit origin to another State without prior request, and without endangering ongoing investigations in the State offering the information, when the disclosure would assist the other State in a recovery action.

3. Methods for recovery
The expanded use of civil proceedings as a replacement of, criminal actions, when appropriate, could be considered as a vehicle for recovery.
As discussed during the technical workshop on asset recovery civil
proceedings instituted by the Philippines and the Russian Federation have allowed those countries to recover nearly $1 billion and $180 million, respectively. More recently, Nigeria has recovered over $1 billion in Abacha funds (to date) in large part because of a civil lawsuit filed in the United Kingdom.

4. Preventing the transfer of funds or assets of illicit origin
The recovery and return of diverted funds is similarly complex and cumbersome, with efforts to trace and return the wealth frequently frustrated by a combination of legal and practical factors. For those reasons, it is important that all States take steps to prevent the transfer of illicit funds or assets derived from corruption. For example:
a. Establishment of financial intelligence units and increased voluntary information-sharing
b. The United Nations as a repository for information on due diligence and on suspicious transaction reporting
c. Development of early warning

Conclusion:
As noted above, the difficulties and complexities inherent in combating the
transfer of illicit funds arising from acts of corruption cannot be underestimated. It is an ongoing process and can deeply hamper the economic growth and the social stability of a nation. Thus it is of supreme importance that assets of a country are used for its development and communal growth which will also lead to international economic stability.

Questions to consider:

• What is the current economic policy and Growth rate of your country?

• What is the exact history with reference to corruption such as transfer of illicit assets in the form of money laundering goods etc.?What steps were taken to prevent the incident?

• What measures have been implemented to combat corruption? Include treaties, laws international conventions etc.

• What is the chief cause for social corruption- economic divide, backward economy etc.?

• What steps have international bodies taken to help your nation and how successful have they been?

• How is your nation planning to contribute to the world stage? Does it require aid or can it provide it?

REFERENCE LINKS:
http://www.mfa.gov.cn/ce/ceun/eng/chinaandun/economicdevelopment/qqh/t276898.htm
http://www.un.org/esa/documents/draft87cCorruptpractices.pdf
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/gaef3041.doc.htm
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/56/a56186.pdf

Multi-lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle: Creation of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank

Multi-lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle: Creation of an International Nuclear Fuel BankOVERVIEW:

The multi- or internationalization of the nuclear fuel cycle was heavily discussed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially with regard to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. It was identified that given the appropriate administrative authority, both multi-nationalization and internationalization have a potential to significantly increase the proliferation resistance of the nuclear fuel cycle. However, implementing such models also would have disadvantages, especially in the areas of political independence, transfer of technologies, and planning security of national nuclear programs.

Enriched uranium provides the fuel for many of the world’s nuclear power reactors, and the enrichment process is a vital process in a multi-step nuclear fuel cycle. The enrichment of uranium, while a necessary step in the creation of the fuel that power many of the world's civilian nuclear reactors, can also be employed for use in nuclear weapons. By providing a secure and reliable supply of the fuel needed for nuclear power generation, a nuclear fuel bank would limit the dissemination of enrichment technologies.

IN September 2006, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) pledged $50 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help create a low-enriched uranium stockpile to support nations that make the sovereign choice not to build indigenous nuclear fuel cycle capabilities.
NTI´s contribution was contingent on two conditions:
1) That the IAEA takes the necessary actions to approve establishment of this reserve; and
2) That one or more member states contribute an additional $100 million in funding or an equivalent value of low enriched uranium to jump-start the reserve.
Every other element of the arrangement - its structure, its location, the conditions for access - would be up to the IAEA and its member states to decide. Warren Buffett, one of NTI´s key advisors, is financially backing and enabling this NTI commitment.

"This pledge is an investment in a safer world," Buffett said. "The concept of a backup fuel reserve has been discussed for many years. Its creation is inherently a governmental responsibility, but I hope that this pledge of funds will support governments in taking action to get this concept off the ground."

"I have long been advocating the establishment of assurance of supply mechanisms in view of increasing demand for nuclear power and to strengthen non-proliferation," said IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei. "At the core of such mechanisms will be a fuel bank of last resort, under IAEA auspices. Such a bank would operate on the basis of apolitical and non-discriminatory non-proliferation criteria, and I welcome the recent action by the US Congress as a positive step in this regard. In addition to the $50 million already pledged by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), it brings such a fuel bank closer to realization. I also have welcomed the Russian proposal for a fuel bank under IAEA control and a German initiative calling for the creation of an international enrichment centre, open to participation by all interested States."

Nunn, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, said, "We envision that this stockpile will be available as a last-resort fuel reserve for nations that have made the sovereign choice to develop their nuclear energy based on foreign sources of fuel supply services—and therefore have no indigenous enrichment facilities. The goal of this proposed initiative is to help make fuel supplies from the international market more secure by offering customer states, that are in full compliance with their non-proliferation obligations, reliable access to a nuclear fuel reserve under impartial IAEA control should their supply arrangements be disrupted. In so doing, we hope to make a state’s voluntary choice to rely on this market more secure."

Nunn expressed concern that "cooperation in nuclear security is being sorely tested today by mounting tensions over the three areas of consensus and commitment that created the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and have held it together for nearly 40 years." Those three areas are:

The commitment of nuclear weapons states to make progress toward nuclear disarmament.
The commitment of non-nuclear weapons states to forego nuclear weapons.
The commitment of all nations to ensure NPT compliant member states access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition to the NTI plan, several other proposals for the creation of a reliable fuel supply have been submitted to the IAEA and are currently under consideration.

A German plan calls for multilateral uranium enrichment under the auspices of the IAEA and calls for a third-party State to provide an extraterritorial area for a uranium enrichment plant. The plant would be financed by countries who would act as buyers of the plant’s nuclear fuel.

A Russian proposal seeks the establishment of a joint enrichment facility at the country's pre-existing Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex, which is already a manufacturer of LEU. An IAEA controlled LEU reserve would be located at Angarsk.

Both Russia and the US have announced their willingness to make nuclear material available for a fuel bank in the past. An IAEA-administered fuel bank was a key proposal made by an IAEA Expert Group in 2005, tasked with finding options both to improve controls over fuel enrichment and reprocessing, while ensuring access to nuclear fuel for electricity generation.

WHY ACTION IS NEEDED NOW:

Civilian nuclear power is expanding to meet growing demand for electricity as existing supplies of electric power are threatened by soaring prices for natural gas and oil, concerns about air pollution, and the challenge of lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly 30 countries around the world utilize nuclear power; while some 10 countries have mastered the technical challenge of enriching uranium for nuclear fuel. Three additional countries have recently announced plans to consider uranium enrichment in the future. There are 27 new nuclear plants under construction, most in the Far East (principally in China and India). Moreover, many operating power plants are getting old.

In countries like Great Britain and France some older nuclear plants are due to be replaced, and France, where over 70 percent of the power is nuclear, is ready to build new plants. Worldwide, nuclear provides about 16 percent of electric power. Much of that technology is "dual use:" centrifuges used to enrich power reactor fuel can also be spun longer to make weapon-grade nuclear material (high-enriched uranium).

Despite the many layers of complexity, "this is an either/or situation," Tariq Rauf of IAEA, scientific secretary for the special event, said. "If we don’t make it work, then we must prepare to live in a world where dozens of countries have the capability and key ingredients to make nuclear weapons."

As an increasing number of nations plan for the development of civilian nuclear energy, concern has grown over the potential for diversion of nuclear material and technology from peaceful to military use.
The establishment of a nuclear fuel supply system has been considered as a means of not only minimizing this risk, but also in assisting nations in their peaceful development of nuclear power. Providing a reliable fuel supply to nations with a burgeoning nuclear power programme eases the economic cost and nuclear weapons-related risks intrinsic with building enrichment capabilities.

ABOUT THE NTI

Composition
NTI is a charitable organization dedicated to reducing the threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The Initiative is governed by an international board of directors with members from China, France, India, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a place where leaders with different perspectives and experience come together to find common ground and act on a common vision of global security.

Goal
NTI´s goal is to reduce toward zero the chance that any nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon will ever be used anywhere, either by intent or accident.

Work
NTI has been a strong supporter of the work and mission of the IAEA. In September 2001, NTI made an initial contribution to help launch the Agency’s Nuclear Security Fund. Since that time, NTI has worked with the IAEA to support several other critical projects in assisting member states secure nuclear materials and in building the Agency’s institutional capacity to continue and accelerate this work into the future.

Reactions to the nuclear fuel bank proposed by the NTI:

USA
The IAEA has recognized a recent $50 million funding allocation by the US Congress for purposes of a nuclear fuel reserve under the auspices of the Agency. US President George Bush signed the funding allocation into law on 26 December 2007.
Iran
In early 2008 Iranian presidential advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi said Iran could join a proposed international bank for enriched uranium that would provide countries with safe fuel for nuclear power stations - but only as a supplier.
"Having this nuclear fuel cycle is part of our right, there is no reason -- when we can produce something -- to go get it from other people," he said.

Norway
The Government of Norway has pledged financial and political support for an IAEA-administered international uranium fuel bank initiative. The $5 million Norwegian donation is in support of an initial $50 million contribution made by NTI advisor Warren Buffet and a US funding allocation of $50 million to establish an IAEA reserve of low-enriched uranium for use as fuel in power reactors to generate electricity.

UAE
The United Arab Emirates has pledged $10 million towards a fuel bank proposal originally launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in 2006. The UAE commitment was presented to IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on 1 August by Mr. Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE Special Representative for International Nuclear Cooperation. "The Government of the United Arab Emirates would like to express its political and financial support for the proposed IAEA-administered international low-enriched uranium fuel bank as proposed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative," wrote UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a letter addressed to Dr. ElBaradei.

India
India has proved willing to provide a site for the proposed nuclear fuel bank.

EU
The European Union backs plans to create a nuclear fuel bank before 2010 which would ensure supplies and cut the need for nations to enrich uranium."We want the bank to be established very soon. In any case before the next NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) review conference in spring 2010," said Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief. IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed the EU's offer. "The EU pledge, along with those by Norway, the UAE and the USA shows growing momentum for a new more equitable framework for nuclear energy,” he said.

RECAP

The concept of a multilateral LEU supply bank is not a new one, and has in fact been discussed in past decades. Assurances of supply of nuclear fuel, including nuclear fuel reserves (or banks), could provide States confidence in obtaining nuclear fuel for electricity generation and protect against disruption of supply for political reasons. The risk of such disruptions could possibly dissuade countries from initiating or expanding nuclear power programs or create vulnerabilities in the security of fuel supply that might in turn drive States to invest in national uranium enrichment capabilities with possible additional proliferation risks. Thus, multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle, in general, have the potential to facilitate peaceful use of nuclear energy while providing the international community with additional assurance that the sensitive parts of the nuclear fuel cycle are less vulnerable to misuse for non-peaceful purposes.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

The support for the multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle has grown steadily over the years. As the delegates of the IAEA, it is your role to assess the benefits and shortcomings of such a change, keeping in mind the immediate and long term objectives of your country's energy policy.

Delegates, you may take into account the following while doing your research.

• Does your country use nuclear energy for civilian purposes?
• Does your country possess the capability to produce Low Enriched Uranium for civilian reactors?
• Would multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle benefit your economy and help meet the energy requirements of your nation?
• Has your country, in the past been party to multilateral agreements involving nuclear fuel or technology?
• Would multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle diminish the dependence on fossil fuels and other alternative sources of energy and would such a shift be desirable?
• What security concerns might arise as the result of the establishment of an international nuclear facility?
• Does your country have proposals that would ensure that the LEU produced or generated at an international nuclear facility would be disbursed fairly and without any bias?
• Would multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle promote the principles enshrined in the NPT?
• How likely are any of the fuel assurances programs through the International Nuclear Fuel Bank to have the desired effect, and what must be done to make them both feasible and effective?
• Will the multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle actually result in the supplier countries having undue influence over the generation of nuclear power?

SOURCES:

IAEA homepage:
www.iaea.org

In focus: revisiting the nuclear fuel cycle:
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/FuelCycle/index.shtml

The Nuclear Threat Initiative:
http://www.nti.org/index.php

The Nuclear fuel cycle:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/05/nuclear_fuel/html/enrichment.stm

IAEA, developments in 2008:
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/year_in_review.html

Russian Proposal for an international Uranium Enrichment centre:
http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Infcircs/2007/infcirc708.pdf

Germany's proposed multilateral enrichment sanctuary project:
http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/Infcircs/2007/infcirc704.pdf

Multi lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle:
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2008_09/Simpson

Text of the NPT:
http://www.un.org/events/npt2005/npttreaty.html

Maintenance of international peace and security with special reference to the Middle East

Maintenance of international peace and security with special reference to the Middle East.

“…..regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security.” -- Barack Hussein Obama.

OVERVIEW:

International peace and security is an issue of growing concern in a today’s terrorised and ailing world. The Middle East, with its immense wealth, cultural diversity and key economic assets is quickly becoming extremely vulnerable to corruption and terror thus becoming a threat to the maintenance of peace and security within the region and globally.

Firstly, there is the question of extremism. In 2007, more than 72,000 people were targeted by terrorists worldwide, with over 70% of these being in and around the Middle East. Iraq and its civil chaos is example of the same. The democratically elected governments and its regular struggle with Islamist extremists, the eternal tension created by foreign troops on Iraqi soil further aggravates the situation. Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen have all been linked to extremism in some form. Very often it is the territorial abuse of a sovereign nation, generally with a weak government. Often even illegal arms manufacture and trade, bilateral and multinational ties along with a religious outline are used as causes to propagate violence.

Secondly, the situation in Israel and its decades long conflict with Palestine and the Arab world. This conflict began years ago over the battle for religious land and has grown and incorporated several issues. Over the years countless efforts and developments have occurred. The formation of PLO, the signing of the historic Oslo treaty, the eventual creation of Fatah and Hamas, the division of territories- the Gaza strip and the west bank, up to recent warfare and ceasefire and so on. The involvement of the developed nations particularly USA has a key significance in this issue. Thus a rapid and through agreement is needed for the economic, social and political growth of the entire middle east.

Human rights play a close part in maintaining harmony. The Middle East has been under the radar for their violations for some time. Women rights in particular along with the interpretation of Sharia law, the extreme punitive measures in place such as whipping and wall standing, together with compulsory military training and other practices has often enraged the remaining world. Though effective, several nations and world bodies have challenged the implications of such practices on the victims and have often linked it to be a cause for brewing hatred and terrorism.
The law of the land particularly the functioning of the government is key to maintenance of stability.
Iran’s recent disputed election

Nuclear armament along with the strengthening of military weapons across the world is another matter of growing alarm. Iran’s nuclear policy, Israel’s ambiguity of its own, Syrian view on the issue, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Nuclear Test Ban treaty among others are matters which require immediate attention. The threat of a nuclear war is nearer than ever before and brings with it destruction of a magnitude that we cannot sustain.

Every aspect of a nation- economic (industry, agriculture), Social (rights, religion), Political (democracy, equality, sovereignty) affect the global scene very closely. 72,000 is more than a statistic -- it is parents, teachers, children, friends and loved ones. Terrorism and conflict affects people of all regions, religions and backgrounds, and confronting it requires a global effort.

BACKGROUND:

Since the advance of the Ottomans in the 16th century, the fate of the Arab world was frequently determined by foreign powers. The vacuum of power, caused by the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th and early 20th century, was filled out by the upcoming European colonial powers, above all France and the United Kingdom. Along with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire after WWI and the process of decolonization, a number of independent states emerged across the Middle East by the end of the 1950s. Due to their immense oil resources, the USSR and, to an even greater extent, the oil-importing USA attached high importance to controlling the oil production and to securing the routes of transport. This, again, led to an extensive interference of foreign powers in the internal affairs of Middle East countries, since they became dependent on the protection and the financial, economic and military support of the superpowers. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the US lost its counterpart and became the undisputable hegemon of the region. Afraid of harmful consequences, in the following years only a few countries dared to openly refuse US policy, among them Iraq, Iran and Syria. In 2003, the invasion in Iraq by a US-led coalition ended the rule of Saddam Hussein and paved the way for free elections, the first in half a century. Iran currently alienates the international community, above all the West and Israel, through the construction of a nuclear program that could be designed for the development of nuclear weapons.
However, the most pressing threat to the regional and international security, apart from potential Iranian ambitions to go nuclear, is a non-state one, namely international terrorist movements. The attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, drew the attention of the world to the Middle East, as all 19 perpetrators came from Arab countries. After the US occupation of Iraq, the country became the hub of international Jihadis fighting for the expulsion of all foreign troops and the establishment of a theocratic order.

EXTREMISM: THE IRAQ CONFLICT

Insurgents regularly target civilians as well as security forces. Tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims have spilled over into brutal sectarian violence.
In 2007 US troop levels were increased by 30,000, as commanders tried a military "surge" to stamp out resistance. The number of attacks had declined by year's end.
In June 2009 US troops withdrew form Iraq's towns and cities, handing over security to Iraqi forces. US President Barack Obama described the move as a milestone, but warned of "difficult days ahead".
US-led combat operations are due to end by September 2010, with all troops gone from Iraq by the end of 2011.
American missiles hit targets in Baghdad in the early hours of 20 March 2003, marking the start of the campaign to remove the Iraqi leader.
US and British ground forces entered from the south, with the leadership in Baghdad remaining defiant. By 9 April US forces had advanced into central Baghdad and Saddam Hussein's grip on power had withered.
Sovereignty was transferred to an interim government in June 2004 and six months later Iraqis voted in the first multi-party elections in 50 years

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT:

There are two primary issues at the core of this continuing conflict. First, there is the inevitably destabilizing effect of trying to maintain an ethnically preferential state, particularly when it is largely of foreign origin. The original population of what is now Israel was 96 percent Muslim and Christian, yet, these refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes in the self-described Jewish state (and those within Israel are subjected to systematic discrimination).

Second, Israel's continued military occupation and confiscation of privately owned land in the West Bank, and control over Gaza, are extremely oppressive, with Palestinians having minimal control over their lives. Over 10,000 Palestinian men, women, and children are held in Israeli prisons. Few of them have had a legitimate trial; Physical abuse and torture are frequent. Palestinian borders (even internal ones) are controlled by Israeli forces. Periodically men, women, and children are strip searched; people are beaten; women in labour are prevented from reaching hospitals (at times resulting in death); food and medicine are blocked from entering Gaza, producing an escalating humanitarian crisis. Israeli forces invade almost daily, injuring, kidnapping, and sometimes killing inhabitants.
According to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, these territories were supposed to finally become a Palestinian state. However, after years of Israel continuing to confiscate land and conditions steadily worsening, the Palestinian population rebelled. (The Barak offer, widely reputed to be generous, was anything but.) This uprising, called the "Intifada" (Arabic for "shaking off") began at the end of September 2000.
The situation has deteriorated ever since. In the last two years killings have increased. Palestinian rocket fire was met with a full arms aggression launched by Israel. Eventually a cease fire was reached but then breached within 3 months. Thus this conflict is a long standing one and has global implications. It closes deals with cruelty in its most brutal form and a solution is the need of the hour.

IRAN: “THE AXIS OF EVIL”

In 2002, US President George W Bush declared Iran as part of an "axis of evil". Washington accuses it of undermining its efforts in Iraq and of trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran, which is building its first atomic power station with Russian help, says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
In 2006 the government announced that it had succeeded in enriching uranium. President Ahmadinejad said Iran has an "inalienable right" to produce nuclear fuel.
The country has an abundance of energy resources - substantial oil reserves and natural gas reserves second only to those of Russia.
Iran has been led by a conservative elite since 1979, but appeared to be entering another era of political and social transformation with the victory of the liberals in parliamentary elections in 2000.
But the reformists, kept on the political defensive by powerful conservatives in the government and judiciary, failed to make good on their promises.
Former President Mohammad Khatami's support for greater social and political freedoms made him popular with the young - an important factor as around half of the population is under 25.
But his liberal ideas put him at odds with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and hardliners reluctant to lose sight of established Islamic traditions.
The elections of June 2005 dealt a blow to the reformists when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tehran's ultra-conservative mayor, became president.
Mr Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in June 2009 has further widened the rift between conservatives and reformists within Iran's political establishment.

The UN has issued only one statement with reference to the conflicted election:
“The Secretary-General has been following with growing concern the situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and is dismayed by the post-election violence, particularly the use of force against civilians, which has led to the loss of life and injuries. He calls on the authorities to respect fundamental civil and political rights, especially the freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of information. The situation in Iran is of concern to the international community, and the Secretary-General calls on the Government and the opposition to resolve peacefully their differences through dialogue and legal means. He urges an immediate stop to the arrests, threats and use of force. The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that the democratic will of the people of Iran will be fully respected.”

HUMAN RIGHTS AND VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT:

The human rights situation in the Middle East remains poor. Restrictions of freedom of expression and freedom of religion are worsening. Journalists, academics, human rights defenders, and ethnic and religious minorities (such as members of the Baha’i faith) face harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detention and threats of prosecution. The use of the death penalty is rising, and Iran is one of the few countries in the world that still executes juvenile offenders. Although rare, cruel and inhumane punishments such as flogging, stoning and amputations remain on the statute books.

The following are certain instances that have been regarded as critical:

United Arab Emirates (UAE):

Amnesty International concern that ‘Abdullah Sultan al-Subaihat who was arrested by Amn al-Dawla officers on February 8 2007 and sentenced to three-year prison sentence, did not receive a fair trial. ‘Abdullah Sultan al-Subaihat is serving a three-year prison sentence at al-Wathba prison, some 60 km from the city of Abu Dhabi. He is alleged to have been tortured while detained incommunicado by members of Amn al-Dawla (State Security). After an unfair trial, he was found guilty of “obtaining secret information on state security”.
Jordan

Amnesty International continues to be concerned about torture and ill-treatment in detention in Jordan, as well as the link between torture, unfair trials, and the death penalty. Amnesty International has particular concerns about the application of the death penalty in Jordan because there is a pattern of death sentences, and sometimes executions, occurring as a result of unfair trials where confessions extracted under torture are used as evidence against the defendants. There has also been a pattern of suppression of freedom of expression and association, especially in the wake of laws restricting freedom of the press and expression that were promulgated in the fall of 2001. Several clerics and journalists and members of professional associations have been arrested, detained, and charged for peaceful expression of their opinions. The practice of killing women and girls by husbands or family members because they have allegedly engaged in behaviour that goes against social norms (so-called "honour killings") continues to be a problem in Jordan; measures calling for stricter punishment for those committing honour killings have failed to be enacted.

Lebanon

Lebanese women won the right to vote and to participate in national elections in 1952, 19 years before women in Switzerland. Yet, today, political participation by Lebanese women remains dismal at the national level.
In the June parliamentary elections, only 12 women ran for office and only 4 were elected out of 128 seats. Since suffrage, in fact, only 17 women have served in Lebanon's Parliament.
The reasons are complicated but male domination of the country's politics is one major reason. Another is that political parties are focused on sectarian interests, marginalizing women's voices.

Syria

Freedom of expression and association continues to be severely restricted. Scores of people have been arrested and hundreds remained imprisoned for political reasons, including prisoners of conscience and others sentenced after unfair trials. Discriminatory legislation and practices remain in force against women and the Kurdish minority. Torture and ill-treatment in detention continues to be reported and carried out with impunity. Human rights defenders continue to face arrest, harassment and restrictions on their freedom of movement. Syria retains the death penalty.

Saudi Arabia

The push for political reform, occurring simultaneously with an increasingly unsettled security situation, has created a very unpredictable human rights environment. Killings by both government security forces and armed groups occur periodically, either in attacks or shootouts. The pardon and release of prominent reform advocates by King Abdullah may signal a more consistent support for reform, but torture and ill-treatment persist, as do incommunicado detention, prolonged detention without charge, and unfair trials.
There are still scores of political prisoners and possible prisoners of conscience. Saudi Arabia continues to use flogging and amputations as punishments. Executions, beheadings with a sword, occur regularly and are disproportionately carried out against foreign nationals. Foreign workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, particularly female domestic workers, who have virtually no protection at all.

CONCLUSION:

It is evident from the above data that definite and immediate measures need to be taken in order to resolve the crises that plagues the entire region. Needless to say the Middle East is a key area in the global scene, especially due to its immense reserve of crude oil and gas. Religious implications coupled with the difference in laws and way of life has played a close rule in shaping the current scenario. Even though several steps have been implemented none have met with much success. Thus it is fundamentally important to re-think procedures and start afresh with innovative and most importantly effective measures to bring harmony to this conflicted region.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

• How has the turmoil in Middle East affected your country?

• What steps has your country taken to mitigate the violence? Pay heed to all the region specific treaties and conventions that have been ratified by your nation.

• How far are the situations in the Middle East affecting socio-economic matters?

• Human rights and their violation pose an international threat. Discuss with reference to your nation.

• Nuclear armament along with gathering of military strength and its impact on international security. Please take mote of terrorist activity and extremism.

• What are the possible steps to restore peace? Is democratization and accountability of absolute importance?

USEFUL LINKS:

http://www.cfr.org/issue/65/international_peace_and_security.html
http://www.un.org/ga/62/agenda/ps.shtml
http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc1383.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/oct2003/unhc-o17.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Middle_East_peace_proposals
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.main
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2003/rp03-050.pdf

SMUN 2010

1) The General Assembly (Plenary):

The General Assembly (GA) is the main decision-making body of the United Nations. It includes all 192 member states; each member state has one vote. It is empowered through Article XI of the UN Charter to “consider the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security.” The GA addresses issues involving all aspects of the UN’s work, including humanitarian, peace and security, and human rights matters. It also plays a significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The Assembly meets in regular sessions intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.

Agenda for the GA

- Resource Sharing in Disputed/Unclaimed Territories.
- Rethinking Kyoto, Montreal and Copenhagen: a Follow up to major environmental treaties.

2) The Economic and Social Committee:

The ECOSOC serves as the central forum for the discussion of international economic and social issues. The council’s 54 member governments are elected by the General Assembly for an overlapping term of three years. There are special reservations made according to geographical requirements. The ECOSOC was established under the United Nations Charter as the principal organ to coordinate economic, social, and related work of the UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and regional commissions. It is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, facilitating international and cultural co-operation and encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Agenda for the ECOSOC

- Maintaining economic stability in a globalised world with special reference to the Euro-zone and devaluation of currency in China.
- Measures taken by member nations to crack and combat illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

3) International Atomic Energy Agency:

The IAEA is the world´s center of co-operation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the world´s "Atoms for Peace" organization in 1957 within the United Nations family. The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. The IAEA´s mission is guided by the interests and needs of Member States, strategic plans and the vision embodied in the IAEA Statute. Three main pillars - or areas of work - underpin the IAEA´s mission: Safety and Security; Science and Technology; and Safeguards and Verification. As an independent international organization related to the United Nations system, the IAEA´s relationship with the UN is regulated by special agreement. In terms of its Statute, the IAEA reports annually to the UN General Assembly and, when appropriate, to the Security Council regarding non-compliance by States with their safeguards obligations as well as on matters relating to international peace and security.

Agenda for the IAEA

- Elimination of rogue nuclear programmes.
- Future of nuclear technology and missile defense.

4) The Security Council:

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action. Its powers are exercised through United Nations Security Council Resolutions. There are 15 members of the Security Council, consisting of 5 veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) and 10 elected non-permanent members with two-year terms. Security Council members must always be present at UN headquarters in New York so that the Security Council can meet at any time.

Agenda for the SC

- The economic sources and the social consequences of terrorism.
- Economic, social, religious and regional conflicts of affecting the world at large with special reference to Congo, Afghanistan, Iran and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

(S).M.U.N 101

SC

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Thursday 30 September 2010

SMUN Orientation 2010

Wednesday 8 September 2010

SMUN 2010 Details

Monday 20 July 2009

The Use of Nuclear Technology in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

The Use of Nuclear Technology in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Situation of democracy and human rights in developing countries with special reference to Latin America

Prevention and Combat of Corrupt Practices; In Specific Transfer of Assets of Illicit Origin

Multi-lateralization of the nuclear fuel cycle: Creation of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank

Maintenance of international peace and security with special reference to the Middle East

Day 2 GA

Contributors