Hi All!
I am currently working hard at the Model United Nations Conference, where students from over 5 continents are coming together to work in different committees under the United Nations to compose resolutions to be passed in favor of the topics which they voted on and are now debating.
My partner and I are wokring for the General Assembly Plenary, on the topic of Climate Change- more specifically Environmental Degredation as a Source of Conflict. Nations prepare speeches to try to convince other nations of their main points, and then they move into caucuses and informal debates where the negotiate their goals. Eventually groups of nations (usually blocked regionally or by developed/developing ) will come together on common grounds and draft a working paper which will be ammended by the chair of the committe. We are still in this process!
On Thursday we will go to the United Nations and hold our final voting on the resolutions as well as have a closing ceremony with speakers who are real UN delegates.
What is proving to be true, that many intellectuals have written about concerning organizations like the United Nations is that there is a lot of talk, and persuasion but very little action comes out of it. What is especially difficult is the lack of knowledge, the lack of recognition and the lack of reality surrounding funding. Without the funds nation states cannot ultimately achieve their humanitarian efforts. This usually means that without the support of wealthy and powerful nation states efforts even on an organizational level cannot be put into action.
Though this is merely a simulation, it is frustrating how overarching and unrealistic some of the goals being proposed in the UN really are. Perhaps if international organizations would be willing to think within the bounds of reality, with realistic financial barriers, they would be able to put more of their resolutions into action.
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Thanks for your post from the Model UN, Anja! Your observation about the UN is acute. People sometimes think the UN can or should be involved in every problem in the world, but they don't realize how little money/resources the UN has. It is dependent on member states for donation, and has approximately the same operating budget as the University of Minnesota!
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t aware the UN’s budget was THAT low, it’s actually quite amazing everything they have accomplished considering. While there is very little immediate action coming directly from the UN, I believe that the interaction between countries and leaders (and the media attention these talks get) is paramount to making international progress. The UN encourages decreased violence and provides aid to struggling nations when funds allow. All-in-all, it’s a lovely outlet for communication, if nothing else.
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