We greatly look forward to the upcoming UCLA Model United Nations Summer Institute (MUNSI), where we will be spending a wonderful week exploring international diplomacy and foreign affairs! Please use this document to learn more about the committees that will be offered during MUNSI, as well as the topics that will be explored, the list of countries you may choose from to represent during debate, and introductions from our wonderful Head Chairs. IMPORTANT: Please be sure to submit your Committee Preference Form by Friday, May 29th, 2015 at 5:00pm.

Please visit our website for more information:

http://www.summer.ucla.edu/institutes/ModelUN Questions? Email us at MUN@international.ucla.edu

Table of Contents WELCOME TO THE UCLA MUN SUMMER INSTITUTE

Introduction from the Program Coordinator 2 COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS

Introduction from the Chair of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 4 Committee Description and Current Members of United Nations Human Rights Council 5

Topic 1: Human Trafficking Topic 2: Freedom of the Press

Introduction from the Chair of Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM) 7 Committee Description and Current Members of Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural 8

Topic 1: Discrimination Against Women Topic 2: Child Soldiers

Introduction from the Chair of Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) 10 Committee Description and Current Members of Disarmament and International Security 11

Topic 1: Biological Warfare Topic 2: Global Small Arms Trade

Introduction from the Chair of Security Council (SC) 13 Committee Description and Current Members of Security Council 14

Topic 1: The Crisis in Syria Topic 2: Nuclear Weapons in Iran

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Introduction from the Program Coordinator

Dear Delegates, Hello! My name is Andy Leung, and I am the Program Coordinator for the 2015 UCLA Model United Nations Summer Institute (MUNSI). This is my first year as Program Coordinator for this wonderful program, but it is not my first year staffing the program; I served as a Counselor during the previous two Summer Institutes and loved every minute of it! I am greatly looking forward to working with each and every one of you during this year’s Summer Institute. I hope you are as excited for MUNSI 2015 as I am! To begin with, a little bit about myself. I am a third year here at UCLA majoring in Business Economics and minoring in Accounting. I have been involved in MUN for four years in high school and three years at UCLA (moving on four). Still to this day, I love the leaps and bounds we make in committee rooms on foreign affairs! Though I am very passionate about business and economics, I also have a strong love for international relations. Both business and international relations have overlapping themes and practices in terms of speaking skills, research, and negotiations. I am of Cantonese origin; my parents came from Hong Kong, and I was born here. I have travelled to Hong Kong and China numerous times, and I hold dual citizenship in Hong Kong and the United States. I view Hong Kong as a direct representation of the mixture of business plus international relations. I love experiencing cultures through travelling around the world and especially through partaking in the food that is native to the region and the music that is celebrated by the people. With that being said, I cannot wait till MUNSI 2015 begins. I am always excited to meet new people, and I am especially excited to hear and see each and every one of you participate in everything we have to offer. I want you to challenge yourself to indulge your mind in the research of the issues that will be raised, find the balance between your character’s opinions and your own to confront these topics, and interact with one another to weave together resolutions. The play out of our committee sessions will hopefully interest your minds on the impact of international events as well as spark your interest for future MUN activities. In this document, you will find an introduction to the committees we will be simulating during the Institute, as well as letters from each of the Head Chairs, who will be facilitating debate and working with you to ensure this experience is not only fun but one that contributes to your education and growth as Model UN delegates and global citizens. There are three non­crisis, or General Assembly committees. They are the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Social Humanitarian and Cultural (SOCHUM) Committee, and the Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) Committee. And, for more experienced delegates who

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are up for a challenge, we are offering one crisis committee this year: the United Nations Security Council (SC). Once MUNSI begins, my staff and I will be training you extensively to prepare for these committees and debates. Even if this will be your first time participating in a MUN debate, we are confident that these training sessions will prepare you to the fullest! After you have reviewed the Committee Descriptions, please be sure to submit your Committee Preference Form to us. You will then receive an email from me regarding the work you are expected to complete prior to your arrival to MUNSI 2015. This will include extensive research on the topics which will be addressed by your committee, culminating in two short research papers (AKA position papers) that are essential to your MUN success. My correspondence with you will include a detailed explanation of what the position papers should include and look like, two sample position papers, background guides on the topics you have chosen to introduce them to you in more detail, and a research guide to assist you in your search for factual information. If this is your first time writing a position paper, do not worry; my staff and I are here to assist you in any way that we can and our research guide will hopefully make the process not only simple, but enjoyable. Again, please be sure to submit the Committee Preference Form by Friday, May 29th, 2015 at 5:00pm. Let me leave you with these words for now: each and every one of you has an important role to play in the upcoming Model UN Summer Institute. Your goal should be to challenge yourself, and hopefully after the week you spend at MUNSI, you will not only learn a lot about Model UN, but also yourself, all while having a great time (which I know you will!). If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at MUN@international.ucla.edu. I look forward to hearing from all of you! Sincerely,

Andy Leung Program Coordinator | UCLA MUNSI 2015

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United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, My name is Utkarsh Pandey and it will be my distinct pleasure to Chair the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the 2015 UCLA Model United Nations Summer Institute. The UNHRC is the primary authority on international human rights, and I cannot stress enough just how much the three days of committee we will spend can influence the formation of human rights policy throughout the world. The future of the world is in your hands as we attempt to pass resolutions on the freedom of the press, and it is up to you as delegates to do your utmost to stop human trafficking, a scourge that has been plaguing the world for decades. The Human Rights Council is at a crossroads of destiny, and the repercussions of your actions as delegates will be felt for years to come.

A little bit about myself: I was born in the dusty little town of Faridabad, India, but moved to South Africa at an early age. Raised in Johannesburg on a diet of football, debate, and classic literature, I returned to Delhi to complete my high­schooling, and further decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. Currently a junior, after college I plan to go to graduate school and hopefully enter the environmental nanotechnology industry in order to tackle the problems of clean energy and sustainable technology.

I raised my first placard in my junior year of high school, and I haven’t looked back since. Model United Nations is my passion away from engineering, and in my college career I have travelled to MUN conferences in Washington DC, Montreal, San Francisco, Chicago, Sacramento and New York. In addition to my travel team credentials, I have also staffed BruinMUN and LAMUN for the last two years, and currently serve as the Director of Publications on the Executive Board of MUN at UCLA. If you choose to join the UNHRC, I promise you a week full of intense debate, political intrigue, and most importantly, the time of your lives. I am extremely excited to have you delegates with us this summer, and I hope you’re ready for the greatest thing you’ll do all year. Best Regards, Utkarsh Pandey Head Chair | UNHRC | UCLA MUNSI 2015

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COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION The UN General Assembly established the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2006 in order to replace the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), which allowed nations with human rights atrocities to be members. The UNHRC coordinates and leads international action in the protection of human rights and in the prevention of atrocities such as violence against reporters, while protecting freedom of religion, women’s rights, and the freedom of ethnic minorities. The UNHRC works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which provides assistance to governments in training over areas of administration of justice. In the years that the UNHRC has existed, they have addressed conflicts in Israel and Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, Libya, Iran and North Korea. Members of the UNHRC are elected by the General Assembly, and each seat has a term of three years. Keep in mind that the UNHRC is the most powerful international body pertaining to Human Rights, and as delegates from various countries in the UNHRC you have great power in enacting sweeping international legislation to deal with the topics that have been put forth in the background guide. The eradication of human trafficking and the enforcement of press freedom is in your hands, delegates, and you must come well prepared to do justice to the most important human rights organisation in the world, the UNHRC.

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CURRENT MEMBERS OF UNHRC The following states are current members of UNHRC. Please choose from this list of countries the ones you would like to represent in committee. You may choose multiple states and list them in order of preference.

Albania Cuba Ireland Netherlands South Africa

Algeria El Salvador Japan Nigeria The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Argentina Estonia Kazakhstan Pakistan United Arab Emirates

Bangladesh Ethiopia Kenya Paraguay United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

France Latvia Portugal United States of America

Botswana Gabon Maldives Qatar Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Brazil Germany Mexico Republic of Korea Viet Nam

China Ghana Montenegro Russian Federation

Congo India Morocco Saudi Arabia

Côte d’Ivoire Indonesia Namibia Sierra Leone

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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM) Committee

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, My name is Shushan Ginosyan, and I’d like to first say that it is going to be a genuine pleasure serving as the Chair of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM) Committee during this year’s UCLA MUNSI. I myself first began my MUN career at the tender age of 13. Since then, my fondness of this phenomenon we call Model UN has only grown. I am an entering­third year student pursuing a Philosophy major and civic engagement minor. Born and raised in Los Angeles, I was exposed to a plethora of cultural and ethnic diversity. On Saturday mornings, I’d travel “across the globe” with my mother. We’d go to the New Deli Spice Market across town to pick up some good Indian spices, Han Kook market for fresh fish, the Italian Deli for some prosciutto and mascarpone cheese, the Russian Market for some hard bread and stalichni salad, and so on. These small shops were filled with ethnic foods and immigrant grocers, who often didn’t speak a word of English. Many of these grocers had stern faces. They seemed discontent with the world. I didn’t understand why. What could have possibly been the source of their discontent? After discussing the topic of urban slums and poverty in developing nations at my very first MUN conference, my ignorance was shattered. I realized that the stern faces and concerned looks shared by my grocers were justified. My goals in life are simple. In my lifetime, I’d like to master the art of being a good human being. I’d also like to become an international human rights attorney, and work for the UN. In the meantime, we in SOCHUM will focus on the important issues of discrimination against women, as well as child soldiers. I hope that the UCLA Model UN Summer Institute will offer you some inspiration, and encourage you to think profound thoughts. I hope that during your time with us, you gain a better understand of your goals (short term or long term) and aspirations in life. Aside from discussing with you all about international issues, I hope to introduce you to all that Los Angeles has to offer, from our amazing UCLA campus to the Santa Monica Pier. And, if you want to have a moving and memorable experience, I encourage you to sign up for the SOCHUM committee. You won’t regret it! Best Regards, Shushan Ginosyan Head Chair | SOCHUM | UCLA MUNSI 2015

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COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION After its establishment in 1945, the United Nations General Assembly set in place six main committees. The first, deals with disarmament and international security (DISEC); the second, with economic and financial issues (ECOSOC); the third, with social cultural and humanitarian issues (SOCHUM); the fourth, with special politics and decolonization (SPECPOL); the fifth, with administrative and budgetary issues, and the six, with legal issues. It is the third committee, the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), that we are concerned with. With the creation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it became one of the central focuses of the UN to protect the human rights of all people. The General Assembly of the United Nations, allocates to SOCHUM agenda items that primarily deal with human rights and humanitarian issues. SOCHUM deals with issues that affect countless people around the world. In previous sessions, SOCHUM has discussed a wide range of topics such as the advancement of women, the elimination of racism and discrimination, the advancement of the protection of the rights of the disabled, the protection of the right to self­determination, the protection of internally displaced peoples, and so on. In order for this committee to have a large impact around the world, the delegates of this committee must cooperatively compose effective recommendations to the international community, in the form of resolutions. Within these resolutions, the delegates of SOCHUM can recommend solutions to end discrimination against women and the use of child soldiers. Delegates in this committee will have the power to help create recommendations to support international political cooperation among the nations of the world.

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CURRENT MEMBERS OF SOCHUM The following states are current members of SOCHUM. Please choose from this list of countries the ones you would like to represent in committee. You may choose multiple states and list them in order of preference.

Afghanistan Bolivia Côte D'Ivoire France Ireland Madagascar Netherlands Russian Federation

Spain Ukraine

Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina

Croatia Gabon Israel Malawi New Zealand Rwanda Sri Lanka United Arab Emirates

Algeria Botswana Cuba Gambia Italy Malaysia Nicaragua Saint Kitts and Nevis

Sudan United Kingdom

Andorra Brazil Cyprus Georgia Jamaica Maldives Niger Saint Lucia Suriname United

Republic of Tanzania

Angola Brunei Darussalam

Czech Republic

Germany Japan Mali Nigeria Saint Vincent & Grenadines

Swaziland United States of America

Antigua & Barbuda

Bulgaria

Democratic People’s

Republic of Korea

Ghana Jordan Malta Norway Samoa Sweden Uruguay

Argentina Burkina Faso Democratic

Republic of the Congo

Greece Kazakhstan Marshall Islands Oman San Marino Switzerland Uzbekistan

Armenia Burundi Denmark Grenada Kenya Mauritania Pakistan Sao Tome and Principe

Syrian Arab Republic

Vanuatu

Australia Cabo Verde Djibouti Guatemala Kiribati Mauritius Palau Saudi Arabia Tajikistan Venezuela

Austria Cambodia Dominica Guinea Kuwait Mexico Panama Senegal Thailand Viet Nam

Azerbaijan Cameroon Dominican Republic

Guinea Bissau Kyrgyzstan Micronesia

(Federal States of)

Papua New Guinea

Serbia

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Yemen

Bahamas Canada Ecuador Guyana Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Monaco Paraguay Seychelles Timor­Leste Zambia

Bahrain Central African Republic

Egypt Haiti Latvia Mongolia Peru Sierra Leone Togo Zimbabwe

Bangladesh Chad El Salvador Honduras Lebanon Montenegro Philippines Singapore Tonga

Barbados Chile Equatorial Guinea

Hungary Lesotho Morocco Poland Slovakia Trinidad and Tobago

Belarus China Eritrea Iceland Liberia Mozambique Portugal Slovenia Tunisia

Belgium Colombia Estonia India Libya Myanmar Qatar Solomon Islands

Turkey

Belize Comoros Ethiopia Indonesia Liechtenstein Namibia Republic of Korea

Somalia Turkmenistan

Benin Congo Fiji Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Lithuania Nauru Republic of Moldova

South Africa Tuvalu

Bhutan Costa Rica Finland Iraq Luxembourg Nepal Romania South Sudan Uganda

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Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) Committee

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, My name is Shantam Jain and I will be your Chair for the Disarmament and Security Council (DISEC) Committee at the 2015 UCLA MUNSI. Let me start by introducing myself. I was born and brought up in India and had the opportunity to travel to many countries and experience several cultures & backgrounds. These experiences shaped my worldview and greatly influenced my dreams and aspirations. I am a second­year Business Economics major at UCLA and aspire to be an investment banker one day. Even though I have been involved in Model UN for the past six years, my enthusiasm towards it has only increased with time. My passion for MUN also stems from the fact that I consider it to be a crash­course on life. I have continued to learn various life skills from MUN such as diplomacy, socializing, public speaking, maintaining relations, leadership and teamwork. Model UN has enriched me with many great memories, and I hope to give you all a fun experience here at the Summer Institute! As the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, DISEC has been entrusted with the responsibility to “establish co­operation and maintain international peace and security” as stated in the UN Charter. You will be challenged to tackle two very important problems that the world is facing today, biological warfare and the global small arms trade. Being able to bond with delegates from different parts of the world as we debate over many important global issues is something that I am thrilled for you to experience. I am also excited to see how imaginative you can get with your solutions. Feel free to email me with any questions that you may have with regards to DISEC, Model UN or UCLA. I eagerly wait to welcome you in person at the 2015 MUNSI and wish you all the very best. Best Regards, Shantam Jain Head Chair | DISEC | UCLA MUNSI 2015

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COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION The First Committee, DISEC, is one of six main committees at the General Assembly of the United Nations that deals with matters concerning world peace. In particular, DISEC is concerned with disarmament and related international security questions. Chapter IV of the UN Charter explains the Composition, Functions and Powers, Voting rights etc. of the General Assemblies. Article 11 of this Chapter states, “The General Assembly may consider the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and may make recommendations with regard to such principles to the Members or to the Security Council or to both.” As the name suggests, the Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) Committee takes the above mentioned responsibility on its shoulders. Although DISEC does not have the power to impose sanctions or authorize military intervention, it provides the first and largest area for discussion of key issues around the world. Additionally, it forms a common ground for countries to discuss issues with equal power as no country has veto power. DISEC has thus been able to pass many resolutions that you may have heard of. Some of these include the Nuclear Non­Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and many more.

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CURRENT MEMBERS OF DISEC The following states are current members of DISEC. Please choose from this list of countries the ones you would like to represent in committee. You may choose multiple states and list them in order of preference.

Afghanistan Bolivia Côte D'Ivoire France Ireland Madagascar Netherlands Russian Federation

Spain Ukraine

Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina

Croatia Gabon Israel Malawi New Zealand Rwanda Sri Lanka United Arab Emirates

Algeria Botswana Cuba Gambia Italy Malaysia Nicaragua Saint Kitts and Nevis

Sudan United Kingdom

Andorra Brazil Cyprus Georgia Jamaica Maldives Niger Saint Lucia Suriname United

Republic of Tanzania

Angola Brunei Darussalam

Czech Republic

Germany Japan Mali Nigeria Saint Vincent & Grenadines

Swaziland United States of America

Antigua & Barbuda

Bulgaria

Democratic People’s

Republic of Korea

Ghana Jordan Malta Norway Samoa Sweden Uruguay

Argentina Burkina Faso Democratic

Republic of the Congo

Greece Kazakhstan Marshall Islands Oman San Marino Switzerland Uzbekistan

Armenia Burundi Denmark Grenada Kenya Mauritania Pakistan Sao Tome and Principe

Syrian Arab Republic

Vanuatu

Australia Cabo Verde Djibouti Guatemala Kiribati Mauritius Palau Saudi Arabia Tajikistan Venezuela

Austria Cambodia Dominica Guinea Kuwait Mexico Panama Senegal Thailand Viet Nam

Azerbaijan Cameroon Dominican Republic

Guinea Bissau Kyrgyzstan Micronesia

(Federal States of)

Papua New Guinea

Serbia

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Yemen

Bahamas Canada Ecuador Guyana Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Monaco Paraguay Seychelles Timor­Leste Zambia

Bahrain Central African Republic

Egypt Haiti Latvia Mongolia Peru Sierra Leone Togo Zimbabwe

Bangladesh Chad El Salvador Honduras Lebanon Montenegro Philippines Singapore Tonga

Barbados Chile Equatorial Guinea

Hungary Lesotho Morocco Poland Slovakia Trinidad and Tobago

Belarus China Eritrea Iceland Liberia Mozambique Portugal Slovenia Tunisia

Belgium Colombia Estonia India Libya Myanmar Qatar Solomon Islands

Turkey

Belize Comoros Ethiopia Indonesia Liechtenstein Namibia Republic of Korea

Somalia Turkmenistan

Benin Congo Fiji Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Lithuania Nauru Republic of Moldova

South Africa Tuvalu

Bhutan Costa Rica Finland Iraq Luxembourg Nepal Romania South Sudan Uganda

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Security Council (SC)

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Dear Delegates, Welcome to the 2015 Model United Nations Summer Institute! My name is Aaron Sun and I am the chair of the Security Council (SC). I am a recent graduate of UCLA who majored in political science with an emphasis in international relations, and have had four years of Model UN experience. I hope that you come to MUNSI excited to gain new insight into international issues, and that you bring your knowledge and diplomatic resolve with you to the negotiating table. MUN provides an outlet for me to express myself and the interests that I hold. MUN has offered me many opportunities to hone and improve my debate and public speaking skills. The discussions that I have had in committee carry on out of committee, and this has helped bolster my networking skills. Most of my friends are ones that I have met through this organization, which offers so many professional opportunities. And, I love debating international relations with others. The Security Council today faces some of the world’s most important and complicated issues, and to successfully resolve them you must be willing to look past your individual differences and come up with logical, well thought­out, and creative solutions. Charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council cannot simply ask another committee to solve its problems or shift its responsibilities to a newly created UN body ­ you as delegates must rise to the occasion. The Security Council will be run as an open agenda crisis committee, meaning that the committee will start with no set agenda. At the beginning of the committee delegates will be given time to lobby for whichever topic they want to discuss first and then the body as a whole will set the agenda by a simple majority vote. It is up to you as delegates to come prepared for any and all topics that might come up. As a crisis committee, the Security Council chair and crisis staff will also present you with crises and informational updates from time to time in order to get delegates to think quickly and address new developments that fall under each topic. Expect to receive news briefs, intelligence reports, press releases, and other materials to inform the committee of new (and usually fictional) information that changes the circumstances surrounding the topic that delegates are currently debating. Thus, it is important for delegates to be willing to be creative and think about new solutions to the interesting problems the committee will throw at you. Once again, welcome ­ feel free to email me anytime with questions concerning the Security Council, MUNSI, or UCLA! I am incredibly excited to meet all of you, and I wish you all the best of luck as you research and prepare for what will be a memorable and fun week! Best Regards, Aaron Sun Head Chair | SC | UCLA MUNSI 2015

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COMMITTEE DESCRIPTION Since its inception in 1946, the United Nations Security Council has been the crux of UN efforts to promote peace, and resolve conflict throughout of the world. The UNSC has the power to draft and pass resolutions, create working groups, and form organizations but unlike other UN bodies, the Security Council may also pass binding resolutions, impose sanctions, mandate collective security forces, and dispatch UN peacekeeping operations. In effect, the Security Council is the only committee in the UN that can made that states party to the UN charter take certain actions. The framers of the UN charter gave the Security Council these powers to facilitate its ability to deal with the vast range of tough security challenges and issues of peace that confront our world today. In practice, most of the issues that have been brought before the council were extremely difficult, intricate, and complicated. For example between January and May 2012, the Security Council passed resolutions on topics ranging from the Situation in Sudan (Darfur) to a resolution extending and supporting the mandate of the International Tribunal on crimes against humanity in Yugoslavia in 1991.

The Security Council is also organized differently from other UN bodies. Chapter V of the UN Charter stipulates that the Security Council be made up of 15 member states with five permanent members and 10 non­permanent members. The P­5 members of the council are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Each of the P­5 possess veto power over any resolution presented before the council meaning that each P­5 country can singlehandedly strike down any Security Council resolution they do not approve of.

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The 10 non­permanent members of the council are chosen to represent different regions of the world through elections and they serve two­year terms on the council. Each of the 10 non­permanent members has a vote but none of them possess veto powers like the P­5 states.

The work of the Security Council and its member states is essential to the mission of the United Nations. The Security Council is in essence the first responder to international crises and must develop solutions to those crises in a timely and efficient manner taking into account all of the intricacies and complications that are involved in international politics. As delegates in this committee it is your goal to ensure that the Security Council can succeed in its mission to promote peace and security throughout the world. CURRENT MEMBERS OF SC The following states are current members of SC. Please choose from this list of countries the ones you would like to represent in committee. You may choose multiple states and list them in order of preference.

Angola Jordan Russian Federation

Chad Lithuania Spain

Chile Malaysia United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

China New Zealand United States of America

France Nigeria Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

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