UNDETERRED - vipsmundelhi.files.wordpress.com · Every committee room opens its door to a new dimension. A promising day full of hopes, points raised, questions answered and the constant

UNDETERRED INTRA VIPSMUN 2015 Issue 1 11

UNDETERRED Intra

VIPSMUN 2015

4th April 2015

INAUGURATION CEREMONY... INTRA EDITION KICKS OFF.

The Secretary General initiated the opening ceremony of the Intra VIPSMUN 2015 by extending a warm welcome to the delegates and all the fellow members. He said “In today’s world, no country or nation can live in isolation, and cohesion at the international theatre is tantamount to global peace and progress, in the words of Kofi Annan. Also more than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together, and that my friends, is why we have the United Nations.”

He further described this edition of VIPSMUN and highlighted the role of MUN in an individual’s life by stating that, “Through this MUN, we seek to inculcate qualities that a negotiator, on a national scale would require,

encompassing the dynamics of an evolving world. It is of course, a corollary that we learn to sensitize ourselves to the events occurring in the world. In the eventual pursuit of peaceful solutions, we learn to travel the path of unanimity, rather than majority. We learn to harmonize our needs with that of our neighbors and learn that compromise is better than conflict.”

Anurag Tandon

Secretary General

VIPSMUN 2015

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Anurag Tandon, Secretary General, VIPSMUN

“In the spirit of these words, I wish the delegates luck, and hope their deliberations are fruitful and their resolutions are impactful. May we all learn something from this experience and may we be better people in every sense.”

Opening Remarks by the Secretary General

UNDETERRED INTRA VIPSMUN 2015 | Issue 1 2

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Dear delegates,

“Model United Nations is an educational simulation in which people learn about diplomacy, international relations and United Nations” – this is what would all the literary definitions of an MUN would preach but when we come to talk about it, it is a creation of a world within a world.

Every committee room opens its door to a new dimension.

A promising day full of hopes, points raised, questions answered

and the constant urge to make this world a better place.

Now, being associated with the press i.e. one of the major pillars of any democracy brings with it a whole bunch of responsibilities and its role is often foreseen. We, as the IP Team not only present to you all the facts but also encourage you to form your own opinions.

We listen, we articulate, we let the ink overflow and highlight anything and everything that happens around. We know the reasons behind those witty smiles and take privilege in spreading some real ones. ‘Flipped through the pages and then forgotten’ no longer describes anyone of us.

I strongly believe that there is an end to the stars and wars and it initiates as soon as we take a step forward to do our bit for global peace. I would now take the privilege to welcome you all to Intra VIPSMUN’15. I wish you all the best for scripting your own fate and may the voices within you unveil.

Tanushree Vij

Editor-In-Chief

INTERNATIONAL PRESS DELEGATION

Intra VIPSMUN 2015

From the desk of:

Editor-In-Chief


The General Assembly had its spirits high while discussing the agenda of strategies to combat religion based ethnic cleansing with special reference to ISIS.

The first session kicked off on a positive note with the chair explaining the rules and regulations to the delegates. The delegate of Russian Federation commenced the GSL.

The delegate of Iraq in its turn said, “ISIS is a huge monster and is accused of violating human rights of people. We support all the countries who want actions to be taken against ISIS”.

The delegate of France raised the first motion to enter into a moderated caucus asking “Are armed forces of NATO required to be sent to Iraq and Syria?” The

Motion passed with a clear majority. The delegate of France believed it to be the only solution and the delegate of UK had a similar outlook towards it. “It is not possible to combat this problem without sending armed forces to Syria and Iraq,” said the delegate.

The discussion continued as focus shifted on the measures to protect the loss of lives of innocents. Other relevant Issues like preserving the oil reserves in Iraq were also taken up.

Furthermore, blocs were formed. Russia, UAE and UK formed one bloc and the other bloc consisted of USA, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan etc. The delegates discussed about various military and non-military actions which can be taken to combat the scourge.

The first session finally concluded among delegates who attempted to recognize various non-military actions to battle with the menace of ethnic cleansing by ISIS.

Troops Shall Be Marching Soon!

by Medha Chawla and Trina Banerjee


The agenda for the General

Assembly had a deep effect on

the art of diplomacy upon the

delegates. The delegates, on one

side, were floating on ideas to

combat religion based ethnic

cleansing and on the other hand,

were in a mindboggling situation

to find out how they were

involved in the given situation.

Points were raised, proposals

went by, but some of them were

surely in the time warp with an

unanswered question,

‘to speak or not to speak’.

The delegates of Uzbekistan,

Palestine, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and

Israel seemingly avoided inclusion

in any controversy which might

have risen if they had commented

on the agenda. They were very

conscious about their foreign

policies until the Executive Board

requested them to express their

opinions on the agenda.

During unmoderated caucus,

every nation focused on the

question, whether to send

military help to Syria and Iraq or

not. However, the masterminds

to the NATO, like the USA and

UK had no say in the proposal.

There was a survival of boredom

for a few but a question of life and

death for the others.

The delegate of nation states like

Russia tried their best to

safeguard the interests of their

country through a shout out that

they would not support the

United States in any kind of

collision with the ISIS.

The assembly was like a

contrasted arena for the

discussion of an issue which was

of global significance.

To Speak or Not To Speak?

by Trina Banerjee and Medha Chawla


The Second session started with a motive to draft a resolution for the agenda which was being discussed since morning. The chair initiated the council proceedings with an unmoderated caucus wherein the delegates were to form and discuss clauses of draft resolution. The delegates were seen engaging in heated discussions and forming blocs to present a working paper before the council.

The committee finally came up with two working papers by two different groups – USA with NATO countries and the Muslim countries along with Russia. The working papers were submitted to the Executive Board and they further recommended amendments on areas such as women safety, education, health etc. The sponsors of the first working paper were Pakistan and Iran followed by the second working paper which was sponsored by France and UK. According to first working paper, certain countries would provide shelter to the refugees from war and affected areas, also work for the upliftment of their citizens in various fields like education, health etc.

The second working paper suggested that Iraq and Syria along with Iran would agree for military actions. Also, refugee camps would be opened and assisted in the government controlled regions of Iraq and Syria. Working paper 2 which was sponsored by France and UK was finalized as the resolution for the agenda after the required amendments were made.

Relieve the ISIS Intimidation

by Tanvi Bhaita and Smridhi Girohtra


The Human Rights Council tried to bring a ruling upon how nations could ensure access to safe abortion for those who’ve been suffering loss of life due to unsafe abortion practices being carried out by the individuals having no medical expertise.

The GSL began with the delegate of Mexico, delegate talked about Article 6.1 of Mexico’s penal code. Following which the delegate of Afghanistan mentioned that they guarantee access to health services and that abortion should be done only, for the safety of women or if the fetus can risk the life of the mother.

While the council was still working upon the need for legalizing abortion, delegate from the Island Nation of Sri Lanka pointed out the factors that push women towards having abortion and how their country focuses its attention on prevention of the same by providing sex education and awareness about the contraceptive measures.

There was a moderated caucus on ‘Grounds of Abortion’ in which all the nations showed active participation. The delegates of Singapore, Kingdom of Japan and India were the main contributors in moving the discussion ahead. The committee also discussed about how to save pregnant women’s life when there is a danger to it due to certain complication during pregnancy.

The delegate of France made the committee notice that there are two lives in danger under the abortion process. There are multiple factors that can cause women to take up illegal abortion- the major factor being cultural stigma. Further, the delegates tried to understand the reasons behind increase in the rate of illegal abortions and measures that can be taken to curb the same at the end of the first session.

Illegal Abortion- a venomous deed soon to exhaust itself

by Vani Kumar and Udit Sharma


The Human Rights Council in its second session addressed a very crucial issue related to the abortion rights concerning women around the globe, “Is religion hampering the abortion rights of a woman?”

The council reflected that even after four decades since Roe vs. Wade, the world still has a narrow approach towards women rights.

The delegates of various countries actively participated in this discussion, dividing the council into two halves, one supporting the religious views prohibiting abortion and the other in support of a women’s right to abortion. The Islam oriented states in the HRC stated that there is a pre – dominance of the laws in the Quran as against the laws protecting the right to privacy of a woman in their respective countries. The delegate of Pakistan emphasized on a penalty i.e. ‘Diyat’ which a person needs to pay in case of an abortion after a period of 21 days while the delegate of South Sudan stated that it totally prohibits abortion in accordance to its traditional beliefs.

On the other hand, other non-Islamic countries had mixed views with regard to abortion. Hungary, a predominantly catholic state had a liberal stand towards abortion even though their religious text, The Bible, prohibits it.

The delegate of France stated “Religious factors cannot

overshadow a country’s Human Rights” reflecting their secular beliefs.

India, a signatory to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, considered rights of women on a higher pedestal than its traditional social beliefs.

The discussion ended with certain solutions which were agreed upon by most of the countries in the Human Rights Council. The solutions included assistance from the WHO, liberalization of domestic laws, complete relaxation on abortion due to rape or minor pregnancies and access to medical facilities in the rural areas.

Abortion or Religion.

By Lavanya Bhagra and Aniket Tiwari.


Reject, Escape and Repeat

by Tanvi and Smridhi Girohtra

The first session of ECOSOC witnessed a series of failing motions and off topic discussions.

On interviewing the Board, they felt that proceedings of the council were not up to the mark as majority of the delegates were first timers. On the other hand, the fact that the delegates were trying to follow the guidelines gained a positive feedback from the Executive Board. The Executive Board also believed that a daylong MUN isn’t sufficient enough to get a concrete resolution and wasn’t sure if the committee would be able to pass one.

The topic relating to Nuclear energy needed to be fiercely discussed in the council and given utmost importance for the day according to the EB. As the council ended, everyone including the EB was hopeful for a much more interactive and energy filled council after the break.

By Medha Chawla and Trina Banerjee

The second session of Economic and Social Council, after a series of failed motions in the previous session, kicked

off with motions raised by the delegates of China, Iran, Sri Lanka, USA and Saudi Arabia but the events carried on

the same track as the first session and failed again.

The motion raised by USA to enter into a moderated caucus for discussing the limitations of sustainable

development was finally passed. It was the first passed motion of the committee. USA, China, Kuwait and Saudi

Arabia participated and raised their country's point of view on the same. The delegate of USA enlisted various

disadvantages of hydro power energy and wind energy, one of which included a drastic decrease of fish

population and death of birds respectively. Kuwait’s delegate said, ‘We are against sustainability’. Throughout

the discussion, the delegate seemed uninterested and said vague things. He was later seen sleeping in between

the session. The committee was later followed by a rejection of seven motions consecutively but the eighth

motion about global free trade passed. Issues like differentiated responsibilities and financing of alternate

forms of energy were also discussed.

The session finally adjourned without passing any resolution.


‘Apples and Marijuana’ - Two extremities of UNODC

By Lavanya Bhagra and Aniket Tiwari

The slow proceedings of the UNODC juggled between two extremities. On one hand, the seriousness of the agenda was established when the delegate of USA argued about the legality of Marijuana in the country. Under the federal law of the United States, the use, possession, sale, cultivation and transportation of Marijuana has been declared illegal but if the states want to pass a law to decriminalize Marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes it may do so.

On the other hand, the delegate of Italy displayed a completely unprofessional attitude; he was found sleeping through most of the proceedings and was even pointed out by the chair. During the Unmoderated Caucus, the delegate of Italy left the council and was later found eating an apple outside the council. Delegates of China and Cuba commented on Italy’s lazy attitude stating that it is highly unprofessional on the part of the Italian delegate.

The proceeding later deviated from the serious agenda and turned into a discussion addressing the pros and cons of the surroundings while it was delightful to see the chair encouraging the delegates and urging them to state a brief background of their respective countries.

The highlight of the proceeding was to see the delegate of UAE have his foot in his mouth after wrongly stating that UAE is a part of the Asian continent.


Illegal Drugs Should Never See The Daylight

By Udit Sharma and Vani Kumar

In the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime, it was observed that the opinions of delegates of The United States and Iraq varied to a great extent.

As the session was flowing, the atmosphere of the council heated up. The delegate of Iraq said that to control illegal trade of drugs in Asia, one needs to keep a check on the growth of drugs like Cocaine, Heroin and Opium in nations like Afghanistan which are the root of funding terrorist units like Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The delegate of The United States said “main cause of illicit drug trafficking is the easy routes that the smugglers get through the middle-east and lack of proper law to act as a sheep dog. There is a dire need to quickly find a way to curb this problem.” Delegate of Kingdom of Japan also joined the fray when US said that depression is one of the major triggers that lead to drug abuse.

While the entire Council was finding a way to bring a stern law for breaking the backbone of drug trafficking network, a few delegates unleashed verbal artillery upon each other, which was a rare sight to see in the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.

The Idea That Clicked

A vote of thanks and sincere words from the Secretary General

After a fulfilling and ecstatic valedictory session, Anurag Tandon, the Secretary General of VIPSMUN provided an insight of the objective behind conducting the Intra VIPSMUN’15.

He stated that “The objective of organizing the event was to expose our students to the idea and concept of MUNs. It was with a view to acquaint them with the technicalities and to boost their confidence, that this event was organized across all streams at VIPS.”

“MUN conferences are being held every week globally and we hope to equip our students with the skills to participate, to the fullest of their abilities. It is always a matter of pride for VIPSians to bring laurels to the institute.” said the Secretary General.

He further extended a vote of thanks to all the esteemed dignitaries, faculty coordinators and the organizing committee.


Valedictory Ceremony

By Trina Banerjee and Medha Chawla

The proceedings came to an end with exemplary level of debate and discussion among the delegates. The Secretary General of the VIPSMUN said that it was an honor for the students of the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies to organize such an event and be a part of its success. The chair for each council was felicitated by Prof I.M. Pandey (Director General, VIPS) and Mr. Dalip Kumar (Registrar, Academics and Examination). The awards were given to the delegates who showed excellent representation skills in MUN. The delegates of General Assembly had a tough competition among themselves however, in the end, the delegate of Mexico won the Special Mention and Iran won the Best Delegate Award. Delegate of Pakistan was given the award for the Best Position Paper.

In the Human Rights Council, the delegate of France won the best delegate award while the delegate of Thailand bagged a special mention. Mexico was rewarded for the best position paper and India won a verbal mention.

In the Economic and Social Council, the Best Delegate was won by the delegate of United States of America. The delegate of Brazil won the Special Mention Award as well as the Best Position Paper.

The Intra VIPSMUN’15 was finally declared closed by the Secretary General, Anurag Tandon.

The experience was etched in the hearts of all the participants who worked with utmost zeal and compassion for the delegation of their respective countries.

Executive Board felicitated by Prof. I.M. Pandey (Director General, VIPS) and Mr. Dalip Kumari (Registrar, Academics and Examination, VIPS); accompanied by Teacher Convener Prof. Dr. Shilpa Khatri Babbar( Director Students’ Welfare, PR & Protocol )


Ode of thanks…

‘I inspire

I educate

I believe’

It is truly said that a teacher affects eternity. One can never tell where his influence stops.

We wholeheartedly thank Prof. Dr. Shilpa Khatri Babbar, our teacher convener, for her esteemed guidance and

support throughout. She has been the driving force in making each edition of VIPSMUN, a success. She creates a

firm yet friendly atmosphere that unites every team member and results in the best of outputs. Her constant

hard work and efforts keeps us on our feet until we reach the final day. No words can suffice our gratitude and

love towards her.

The legacy of the event shall continue to grow under her able guidance.

Regards,

The Secretariat and Team VIPSMUN


The Faculty Coordinators

(From left to right):- Ms. Shruti Nagpal (VSJMC), Mr. Ankur Sharma (Founding Secretary General, VIPSMUN),

Mr. Keshav Gupta (The Dias), Ms. Indu Sahu (VSIT), Mr. Sant Kumar (VSBS), Ms. Navjeet Sidhu (VLS),

Prof. (Dr.) Shilpa Khatri Babbar (Director, Students’ Welfare, PR & Protocol, VIPS),

Ms. Preeti Rana (VLS) (Not present in the photograph)

The Secretariat:

Anurag Tandon: Secretary General, VIPSMUN

Aneesh Renganathan: Deputy Secretary General, VIPSMUN

Ambar Tewari: Under Secretary General, International Press

Kshtij Kumar: Under Secretary General, Delegate Affairs

Praful Jindal: Under Secretary General, Logistics & Hospitality

Dhruv Pande: Director General, International Press, Media & PR


International Press Delegation Intra VIPSMUN 2015

Editor in Chief – Tanushree Vij

Reporters:-

Trina Banarjee

Udit Sharma

Tanvi Bhatia

Vani Kumar

Lavanya Bhagra

Smridhi Girotra

Medha Chawla

Aniket Tiwari

Photographers:-

Jerin T.Jacob

Ria Mukherjee

Anish Sethi

Siddhant Sinha

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UNDETERRED - vipsmundelhi.files.wordpress.com · Every committee room opens its door to a new dimension. A promising day full of hopes, points raised, questions answered and the constant