Model United Nations of the Far West 46th Session

Daily Briefing

Committee on Regional Organizations - Committee focused on various major issues, such as human rights and general cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. The majority of the discussion centered on human rights, and much headway was made.

Regional Organizations - With most of the time spent in caucusing, there was some confusion on the general topics amongst the delegates. Time went to generating ideas for speeches and resolutions, and no resolutions were passed.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) - Facing problems with observer relations and delegates leaving early, the executive committee on refugees spent most of their time discussing the topic of physical health of refugees.

General Assembly - While battling the intense heat caused by lack of air conditioning, the order of agenda items went for the most part unchallenged. However, no resolutions were passed.

UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) - After much caucusing, general debate commenced on global warming. During the debate, a delegate requested a Right of Reply. It was denied. No resolutions were passed.

ECOSOC - The topic which was discussed the most was the impact of AIDs. While all delegates agreed on the problem, none could agree on a solution. The committee was divided between abstinance, birth control, and sex education.

The agenda set before the General Assembly of the 46th Session of the Model United Nations of the Far West, brings to light important issues dealing with the Prohibition of Weapons, Policy for Sustainable Development, and the Right to Self-Determination.

After an hour of caucusing about the order of agenda items stated above, general debate began with the Prohibition of Weapons as was orginally outlined. During debate Iraq raised eyebrows when they declared that first world nations were attempting to limit third world access to nuclear weapons to protect their already domineering status. Ukraine noted that Iraq's statement was ironic in light of the fact that they themselves had so recently been an aggressor against a smaller nation, namely Kuwait.

In contrast, Saudi Arabia implied that first world nations, were in fact, supplying nations like his own with nuclear weapons. When pressed to state which nation(s) supplied them with nuclear weapons, the delegate replied that in the interest of national security he could not divulge such information, thus causing an uproar throughout the assembly.

As the clock ticked on there was agreement among specific Asian nations that the issue of Nuclear Proliferaton would best be resolved on a regional level as opposed to an international sweep of nuclear weapons.

In an interview with Cathy Gouvias, a representative of Iraq, she stated that between eight and eleven Arab nations had formed together to create a Muslim voting block, in an attempt to gain more voting strength for their causes. This may affect the outcome of future resolutions being passed.

Also accomplished last night, was a motion by Bolivia allowing The Holy See participatory rights, which translates to being included in general and substantive debate, without the right to vote. The motion passed.

The debate stopped only when the environment of the ballroom became unbearable, yielding the need for the air conditioning to be turned on, water to be refilled, and the microphone to be moved. Perhaps today, if the temperature is right, and the microphone is in an ergonomically correct position, a resolution or two may pass through the slow moving hoops of the General Assembly.