general assembly 2027
TRANSCRIPT
GeneralAssembly2027BackgroundGuide
EagleMUNC
BostonCollegeModelUnitedNationsConference
Chairs: [email protected]
AlexPilla
Website: www.EagleMUNC.org
March18-202016
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COMMITTEETOPICBACKGROUNDGUIDE
Introduction DearDelegates,
MynameisSaikaSuzuki,anditisagreatpleasuretoserveyouasyourGeneralAssembly
2027chairforthefourthannualBostonCollegeModelUnitedNationsConference.
Thisyear,TheGeneralAssemblyof2027willconductdebatesonproblemsrelatedto
increasedclimatetemperature,advancedtechnologyanditseffectoncybersecurity,and
resolutionsregardingtheincreasedinstabilityinglobalwelfare(potentiallyescalatingtoa
possiblenuclearwar).
IjoinedtheModelUnitedNationsmysenioryearofhighschool.Iservedasachairofthe
EconomicFinanceCommitteeduringmysophomoreyearinthesecondannualEagleMUNC,
andachairoftheTrojancommitteeinEagleMUNCIII.IamfromAlbany,NY,andIcametothe
UnitedStatesfromJapanattheageof10.Ilovelearningaboutdifferentculturesoftheworld
andhaveapassionforlaw,culturalstudiesandinternationalrelations.Iamveryexcitedforthe
conferenceinMarch.IamaJunioratBostonCollege,andIamaResidentAssistantforthe
freshmanresidencehallsoncampus.Iamalsopartofseveralstudentorganizationson
campus:AHANAPre-Law,InternationalClub,andtheShawLeadershipProgram.Iamalsoa
doublemajorinCommunicationsandPoliticalScience.
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TheOverviewoftheGeneralAssembly
TheGeneralAssemblyisthemain
representativeorganoftheUnitedNations.
Establishedin1945undertheCharterofthe
UnitedNations,itexercisesdeliberative,
financial,elective,andsupervisoryfunctionsin
themattersrelatedtotheUnitedNations
Charter.ThisistheonlyorganintheUnited
Nationswhereeverymemberoftheorganization
isrepresentedandisallowedtovote.Itsprimaryroleistodiscussissuesonworldlymatters
andmakerecommendationsformemberstatestoadopt.
TheGeneralAssemblyconvenesannually,withadditionalspecialsessions,andinthe
beginningofeachannualsessions,theGeneralAssemblyalsoholdsageneraldebatethat
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allowsmemberstoraiseanyissuesofconcern.However,mostoftheworkisdelegatedtothe
differentcommittees.Therearesixcommittees:DisarmamentandInternationalSecurity
(DISEC),EconomicandFinancial(ECOFIN),SocialHumanitarianandCultural(SOCHUM),
SpecialPoliticalandDecolonization,AdministrativeandBudgetary,andLegal.
AccordingtothecharteroftheUnitedNations,theGeneralAssemblyhasthepowerto:
• ConsiderandapprovetheUnitedNationsbudgetandestablishthefinancial
assessmentsofMemberStates;
• Electthenon-permanentmembersoftheSecurityCouncilandthemembersof
otherUnitedNationscouncilsandorgansand,ontherecommendationofthe
SecurityCouncil,appointtheSecretary-General;
• Considerandmakerecommendationsonthegeneralprinciplesofcooperation
formaintaininginternationalpeaceandsecurity,includingdisarmament;
• Discussanyquestionrelatingtointernationalpeaceandsecurityand,except
whereadisputeorsituationiscurrentlybeingdiscussedbytheSecurityCouncil,
makerecommendationsonit;
• Discuss,withthesameexception,andmakerecommendationsonany
questionswithinthescopeoftheCharteroraffectingthepowersandfunctions
ofanyorganoftheUnitedNations;
• Initiatestudiesandmakerecommendationstopromoteinternationalpolitical
cooperation,thedevelopmentandcodificationofinternationallaw,the
realizationofhumanrightsandfundamentalfreedoms,andinternational
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collaborationintheeconomic,social,humanitarian,cultural,educationaland
healthfields;
• Makerecommendationsforthepeacefulsettlementofanysituationthatmight
impairfriendlyrelationsamongnations;
• ConsiderreportsfromtheSecurityCouncilandotherUnitedNationsorgans.1
TheGeneralAssemblyisalsoobligatedtotakeactionsintimesof“threattopeace,
breachofpeaceoractofaggression,”2inthecasethatthesecuritycouncilhasfailedtoact.
Theyaretoimmediatelyconsiderthematterandrecommendtoitsmemberscollective
actionsthatwillmaintainorrestoresecurityinthenations.
HistoricalBackground(2015-Present)
Therearesomeimportantmacroeconomicfactorstokeepinmindduringthissession
oftheGeneralAssembly,duetosomeimportantshiftsoverthepast12years.Theenergy
marketislargelydividedintotwosectors-renewablesandnaturalgas.Thenaturalgasmarket
isdominatedbytheUnitedStatesandRussia,whilethecenterofrenewableenergyisWestern
Europe,withleaderssuchasFrance,Germany,andSpain.Russiahaslostgroundselling
naturalgastoWesternEuropeduetotheincreasedrelianceonrenewableenergyandthe
presenceoftheUnitedStatesinthemarket,buthasvastlyexpandeditsinfluenceinEastern
Europe/CentralAsia,establishinganexpandedCommonwealthofIndependentStateson
January1st,2021.
ThePeople’sRepublicofChinahasbeenextremelyactiveinengagingtheMiddleEast
andAfricaintradeagreementsoflate,signingrecentagreementswithRwanda(2023)andthe
1"UnitedNations,MainBody,MainOrgans,GeneralAssembly."UNNewsCenter.UN,n.d.Web.30Aug.2015.http://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml2Ibid.
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UnitedArabEmirates(2024).AlthoughtheEuropeanUnionstillremainsinplace,the
Eurozonewasdisbandedin2020,withEuropeancountriesrevertingtotheirformercurrencies
withmixedeconomicresults.LatinAmerica,ontheotherhand,isinthemidstofan
unprecedentedperiodofeconomicgrowth.Forexample,theUnionofSouthAmerican
Nations(USAN)hasdevelopedintoamajoreconomicbloc,emboldeningcountriesinvolvedto
takeagreatroleontheworldstage.IntheMiddleEast,tensionshavegraduallysubsided,due
inparttothedefeatofISISin2018bycoalitionforces,theadmittanceofKurdistantothe
UnitedNationsin2022,therelativestabilizationofcountriessuchasLibyaandIraq,anda
majorreductionofWestern(e.g.US,UK)armedforcesintheregion.However,muchoftheoil-
dependentMiddleEastiscurrentlyfacinganeconomiccrisis,duetothedrasticallydecreased
worlddemandforoil.
Thebestwaytodescribethecurrentpoliticalstateoftheworldisoneofmulti-polarity.
AlthoughtheUnitedStatesstillcarriessignificantinfluence,theirpowerhasbeenincreasingly
checkedbythelikesofChina,Russia,LatinAmerica(particularlyBrazil),plustoalesserextent,
IndiaandtheEuropeanUnion.TheEUhasseenitsinfluencegraduallyweaken,aseconomic
malaiseanddomesticissueshavedistractedmanyEuropeancountriesfrominvolvementin
globalaffairs.Further,recentyearshaveseenthebreakupofUkraineandtheformationofthe
DonetskPeople’sRepublicandthereunificationoftheKoreanPeninsulaundertheUnited
RepublicsofKorea.Duetothemultipolarstateoftheworldatthistime,influenceiskeyfora
nation,andcertainareasoftheworldhavebecome“battlegrounds”ofsortsforthatinfluence.
Africa,theMiddleEast,EasternEurope,andSoutheastAsiahavebecomehotspotsforworld
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powerstocompetefortradeagreementsorevenalliances,leadingtoarenewedfocuson
strongdiplomacywithcountriesfromtheseregions.
Topic1:CyberSecurityandIntelligence
Technologyhas
becomeanintegralpartof
theworldcollectiveinthe
21stcentury,andhas
particularlybeenadvanced
overthelastdecade.The
riseofdronesandintelligence-gatheringtechnologieshasmadeconventional
“bootsontheground”warfarevirtuallyobsolete,givingrisetomanystatesto
reduceorevenabolishtheirarmedforces.Thedevelopedworld,mostnotably
theUnitedStatesandthePeople’sRepublicofChina,havesooutpacedother
developingcountriesintechnologicalwarfare,stateshavefounditincreasingly
difficulttodefendagainstcybersecuritybreaches.Technologicaladvancements
havenotonlyledtoincreaseintheimportanceofcybersecurity-ithasalso
increasedtheimportanceofintelligencesharingbetweennations.Advanced
technology,includingtheproliferationofcomputersandinternetresources,has
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madethesharingofintelligenceeasierthaneverbefore,butthistechnologyhas
createdagrowingdisparitybetweencountries.Thosewithfinancialresources
canaffordnewtechnologywhereasdevelopingcountriescannotcommunicate
aseffectivelyastheydonothavetheresourcestodoso.Inordertomaintain
peace,internationalcooperationandsharingofintelligencehasbecomecritical.
Ithasbecomereadilyapparentthatifthereisnointernationalcoordination,
therecannotbestability.Moreover,whilefacilitatingsharingofintelligence,the
GeneralAssemblymustdetermineawaytodososafelyandconfidentially.In
ordertodothis,delegatesmustaddressmilitarycybercapabilities,facilitatethe
creationanduseofacomputeremergencyresponsenetwork,andfostera
collaborativecybersecurityeffortbyallmembercountries.Further,theGA
shouldattempttocreatealegalframeworkthatappliestocyberspaceonan
internationallevel.
CyberSecurityandIntelligenceBlocPositions
UnderdevelopedandDevelopingRegions:Theseregionswillbetryingtoattain
increasedaccesstointernationalintelligenceandadvancedtechnologywhile
simultaneouslyrequestingaid/trainingtocreatebettercybersecurityprotocols.
Thisiscrucialinordertosurviveinthenewtechnologicalera.
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DevelopedCountries:Thetaskforthesecountriesistofindwaystocreaterules
toregulatethecyberspacebetweendifferentnations,andtofostera
collaborativeintelligencecommunity.Theywillalsoberesponsibleforproviding
aid/trainingtounderdevelopedcountriessoastofurtherbettercybersecurityon
aninternationallevel.
QuestionstoConsider
1. HowwilltheGeneralAssemblyprotectcybersecurityinanincreasinglytechnologicallydependentandadvancedworld?
2. Istheamountofinformationsharedincyberspacesafe?3. HowshouldtheGeneralAssemblyfacilitatesharingofintelligenceinorderto
coordinatedifferentefforts?4. CantheGeneralAssemblycreateguidelinesinordertofacilitatesharingof
intelligence?5. ShouldUNPeacekeepersparticipateinintelligenceoperations?
Topic2:Transparency:
AnotherissuethattheGeneralAssemblymustfaceismaintaining
transparencywithintheinternationalcommunity.Therehasbeenincreased
criticismregardinglackoftransparency,asmembernationsrarelysharetheir
stealthoperationsandintelligence,citingstatesovereigntyandfearingthatit
couldbecomecompromised.TheGeneralAssemblymustdetermineawayto
createguidelinesthatfacilitatetransparencywithoutcompromisingthesecurity
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ofmembernations.TheGeneralAssemblyalsomustexplorethehowmuch
transparencyisappropriatewithintheinternationalcommunity.Thismay
involvecreatingcollaborativeintelligence-sharingteams,sharingnetworks,or
theformationof“watch-dog”organizationsthataresolelydevotedtothe
sharingofclassifiedintelligence.
BlocPositions:
Africa:MostofthenationsinAfricawillbeattemptingtopromotemore
transparencywithintheregionandalsofromneighboringcountries.Theyalso
needtofindwaystobettertheirintelligencecollectionprocesses,asforthemost
parttheirtechnologyisnotterriblyadvanced.
AsiaPacific:SecurityisbecominganincreasinglyimportantissuewithinAsia
PacificasPRChinahasbecomeaworldsuperpowerandKoreahasbecome
unified,meaningthattheytoohavebecomeamajorplayerwithintheregion.
Consequently,AsianPacificcountriesmustfindwaystoattaintransparency
(especiallyfromtheselargesuperpowers)inordertoensurethesecurityoftheir
owncountries.Thekeytask,however,isbalancingtheamountthelevelof
transparencyneededwithinthisregionandwithintheworld.
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WEOG(WesternEuropeanandOthersGroup)andEEG(EasternEuropean
Group):Themaintaskofthethisgroupistodeterminetheamountof
transparencyneededtoengenderasecureinternationalcommunity,butthey
mustbesuretoprotecttheirownsovereigninterests.Itwillbetheresponsibility
tochooseandimplementthenecessarytechnologyinordertoaccomplishthis
goal.
GRULAC(LatinAmericanandCaribbeanGroup):Thisgroupwilllooktosee
increasedtransparencyfromtheirNorthAmericancounterpartsandespecially
fromtheUnitedStates.Theywillalsobeseekingmoreadvancedtechnologyto
boosttheircybersecurity.
QuestionstoConsider
1. Howshouldcountriesmaintaintransparencyintheinternationalcommunity?2. Howtransparentshouldtheinternationalcommunitybeintermsoftheirpoliciesand
legislations?3. Isthereawaytomaintaintransparencywithoutcompromisingsecurity?4. WhichstatesshouldtheUNGAencouragetobemoretransparentininternational
actions?
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Topic3:ClimateChange
Temperatureshaveincreasedoverthepastseveraldecades,decreasing
polariceandcausingthesealevelstoriseincrementally,leavingsomestatesat
riskoftotalsubmersion.Further,climatechangehascontributedtothe
extinctionorreductionofanumberofspecies,includingtheextinctionofpolar
bearsinthewild(someremainincaptivity)andthenear-extinctionofadélie
penguins.Scientistspredictthatclimatechangewillmakeregionsacrossthe
equatoruninhabitablewithinthenexttwentyyearsastemperatureswillcontinue
torise.Inaddition,climatechangehascontributedtoextremeweather
phenomena,causingmorefrequent
(andmuchmorepowerful)hurricanes,
tsunamis,andtyphoonstooccur.The
GeneralAssemblymustfindawayto
combattheeffectoftherisingsea
levels,coordinateeffortstomaintain
thesafetyofthepeoplewholiveon
thecoastalareas,andsearchforsolutionstopreventthissituationfrom
escalatingfurther.
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BlocPositions:Water-borderedRegions:Theseregionsarechallengedtofindandimplementsolutionstotheproblemofincreasingsealevels(assomeharbortownshavebeenperpetuallyflooded.Theywillalsorequestaidandresourcesfrominlandregionstohelpwithevacuationeffortsincertainareas.HighEnergyConsumingCountries:Thesecountriesneedtocreatemoreenergy-responsiblepolicies,especiallywithregardtotheuseoffossilfuels.Thesecountriesandregionsmustimplementrenewableenergypoliciesinordertominimizeenvironmentaldamage.UnderdevelopedRegions:Thesecountrieswillbesearchingforwaystoimplementadvancedtechnologysoastocontributetotheglobalefforttowardsglobalwarming.CQuestionstoConsider:
1. Howshouldtheinternationalcommunitycombattherisingsealevelsanditsdangerstothecoastaltowns?
2. HowshouldtheGeneralAssemblycreateguidelinesforthefloodlocations.3. Howcantheinternationalcommunityhelpslowrisingtemperatures?
WorksCited "UnitedNations,MainBody,MainOrgans,GeneralAssembly."UNNewsCenter.UN,n.d.Web.30Aug.2015.http://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml"UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly."EncyclopediaBritannicaOnline.EncyclopediaBritannica,n.d.Web.06Sept.2015."UNITEDNATIONSDGACM."UNNewsCenter.UN,n.d.Web.06Sept.2015.‘TheCurrentandFutureConsequencesofGlobalWarming.”NationalGeographic.N.d.Web.08Sept.2015.http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
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“TheUNtakesabigstepforwardonCybersecurity.”ArmsControlAssociation.N.d.Web.09Sept.2015.https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2013_09/The-UN-Takes-a-Big-Step-Forward-on-Cybersecurity