Westphalian diplomat 2014 04 02 wednesday

The Westphalian Diplomat2nd April 2014

Imagine this: You are stuffingyourself with some deliciousGreek and Georgian food, toyour right someone is talking toa group of Armenians and onthe dance floor some Pakistanisin traditional dresses show thecrowds the definition ofdancing.No, this is not some kind of

strange dream but in fact theGlobal Village at MUIMUN2014.Yesterday evening, most

delegates came together tocelebrate the signature event ofMUIMUN in the club“Schwarzes Schaf”. Some seemed to be fatigued by theirexhausting first day’s sessions and missed this event -what a shame!Global Village, a tradition that MUIMUN veterans do

and newcomers will love. It is much more than just aparty. Let us daresay that it is the quintessence of

MUIMUN. The bestfrom all participants’cultures combined inone big party.And this time, it was

even more meaningfuldue to this year’smotto! Everyone coulddemonstrate theuniqueness of theircountries and their

personal cultural sovereignty.The amount of visible impressions and culinary

delights was overwhelming. Just having tasted reallydelicious spicy Tunisian dip, you could learn somethingabout Kosovan history around the next corner,

And of course, thePakistani delegationagain put all otherdancers to shame.Dressed in traditional

garbs, they put on ashow like no other andinvolved everyonearound them. Perhapsit is some kind ofwitchcraft? In any case,no pair of feed couldstand still for amoment.But this year, there

was another danceperformance which

draw quite a lot of attention: The dance competitionbetween the chairs of the AU, ICC, UNESCO, GA6, GA1andCEPAL.It wasquite ahigh-lightfor allpeoplepresentandpurefun. Inthe end, somehow everybody won the contest, but thatdid not even matter anymore, because nobody caredabout winning.So, after all, who needs Highschool Musical if we have

MUIMUN? Or as Daft Punk puts it: Lose yourself todance!

By JohannesHuland

Global Village: MUIMUN got the moves!

MUIMUN page 2 | Committees page 3-7 | Timetable page 8 | Panorama page 8

B r e a k i n g News

Tsunami alert in Chile after 8.2 earth quake in Chile, at least 5 people dead.NATO suspends all civilian and military co-cooperation with Russia over Crimea conflict.Champions League: Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich 1-1

2 Wednesday 2nd April 2014 - TheWestphalian Diplomat

You may have alreadynoticed that at this year´sconference there are somevery young faces amongthe participants. With 17years Richard Brand is oneof the youngest atMUIMUN. He still goes toHigh School and isrepresenting Kazakhstanin the GA 1st-committee atthe conference.NEXT GENERATION is

the name of the programwhich enables a total of 38 seniorsfrom six different High Schools inMünster to take part at MUIMUN2104. The idea behind: Talentedseniors can participate and get toknow the UN, prepare a politicaltopic and improve their Englishskills. It is nationwide the only MUNwhere seniors can join students at ahigh-level conference. Accordingly,the seniors have to be well prepared:Since February the seniors practiceMUN´s with their teachers in weeklymeetings.How Richard Brand feels among

university students at an

international conference and what heexperienced during the first two dayshe told Magdalena Tröndle in aninterview:What is your first impression of

MUIMUN?“When I saw the huge castle and all

those well-dressed and professionallooking guys I was a bit scared. And,of course, I asked myself, if I amgood enough to join the conferencepeople who go to university. I askedmyself if I am able to do this and hadmany questions in my head.”Why do you participate at

MUIMUN?

“I am very interested inpolitics. Simulating theUN is a big personalchallenge and a greatpossibility to get to knowhow politicians think anddecide. It´s a big chancefor me and I am justhonored to be part of thisinternational conference.”What do you expect of

MUIMUN?“I expect to get to know

many different people. Ihave been in London two times and Ijust love different countries.MUIMUN is a great place to get toknow various people and culturesand, of course, to make friends! Theinternational atmosphere mostfascinating to me.”Who do you want to become?(smile) “At my High School I

actually choose advanced courses inchemistry and math. But I can reallyimagine working in the diplomaticservice, maybe at the UN.”

ByMagdalena Tröndle

The Many Faces ofMUIMUN:High School Senior Richard Brand

MUIMUN

TheWestphalian Diplomat - Wednesday 2nd April 2014 3

It was Katie Melua who startedsinging about the amount ofbicycles in cities. Since I cannot singwithout cracking windows andbeing responsible for the immediatevanishing of crowds, I rather writeabout them.Münster is Germany’s bike capital.

Apparently I’m convinced, Münsteris able for competition. Europe, theworld — a bike revolution. It wouldhave nice results on the wholeclimate change issue as well.Unfortunately, not everyone thinkslike me and not everyone likes bikesand therefore it probably stays withinthe borders of the city of theWestphalian peace. By the way itgained the title of the most liveablecity in the world — not only due tothe bikes but I bet they played animportant role. Anyway, let’s focus onthe “Leeze”. E v e r y o n e has at least

one. More likely two or three or evenfour. Some people know that theyhave more than one or two but justcannot remember where and whenthey last used it and moreimportantly where they left it —hopefully locked. Unconfirmednumbers speak of around 250.000inhabitants and 1 million bicycles. Afixed amount of income in Münster’shousehold is money which diligentpolice officers collect off poor

students. Every time of theday, everywhere in Münster,a penalty and price foreverything…It might be a quiet night

but certain sounds will notbe vanishing any time soon:The humming of wheels onthe Promenade, the rattlingof loose bicycle chains ofthe older models while

riding through the city centreenjoying the ride of hell overcobblestones and the loud cursing ofa student who either has to free hisbike which he or she left two monthsago in front of the main station orwho just realised that it is once againraining and the saddle is wet withoutany tissues in sight.

By JackyWestermann

TypicallyMünster: 1 million bicycles

“We are a sovereign country andwon´t allow any form of foreignmilitary presence”. With thisstatement of independence thedelegate representing South Sudanstates her matter. Depicting theSouth Sudan conflict as thecommittee´s first topic reveals to bea trigger for discussions on statesovereignty.Watching the delegates from Sudan

and South Sudan competing againsteach other for speaker´s time and forsupport from the other nations isgreat fun, especially whenreconsidering the alphabetical seatingorder.“Without a referendum our conflict

won´t end. We are not a failed state.We want to be stabilized”, thedelegate of South Sudan questionsthe decision of The Hague Court thatpreviously approved the sovereignstatus of the country. While the two

opposing states are rather focused onmatters of state definition, otherdelegates draw attention to thevictims and call upon the UnitedNations tosendhumanitarian aid.After the

lunchbreak,chairmenFlorianWittrockand JanOle take ashot atmotivating thedrowsydelegateswith a runaround the park. Accompanied bythe cheers and applause of other

committees, the short refreshmentshould lead the way for an even morefruitful debate.But what if the country on focus isnot present after the break? Whilethe absence of the Sudanesedelegate causes some shortobtrusion in the flow of thedebate, it simultaneously opensthe floor for new perspectives.What is it that really preventsSudan from finding a satisfactorysolution for both parties? As apossible reason the committeethrows in natural resources as oil.After all, the African Union

looks back on a day ofintriguingly committed debates.And even in high heels the girlsproved today that their committeewas certainly the fittest…

ByFranziska Funke/Magdalena Tröndle

AU: “Where is Sudan?”

COMMITTEES


Starting energetically into sessionthe CEPAL’s member states decidedyesterday to tackle the issue of theOrganization of American States(OAS) first.In the debate, the points of

argument focus primarily around thequestion where headquarters shouldbe centered, but also on howpeacebuilding intentions would beimplemented and institutionalised inthe OEA framework and ifboycotting on Cuba could bealleviated. Generally, it is proposed tomove the OAS’s headquarters fromWashington to Latin America.Two opposed groups emerged,

although stands on single issues stilldeviate and a number of countriesremain neutral. One group formedaround the United States and isdetermined to maintain much of thecurrent structure and direction as

expressed in Peru´s working paper.Bolivia proposes that the budget of

the OEA would be made up by eachcountry contributing a fixedpercentage of its GDP in the future.But Peru amongst others highlightsthat they might not always be able to

make the financial contributionsdemanded from them and Panamacasts doubts that during financialhardships the financial situation ofthe entire organization woulddeteriorate due to the direct link withGDP. At some point the discussionbecomes effectively tiring, stalls andenters into a stalemate regarding howthe influence of the United States canbe curtailed without consequentlyafflicting the overall power of theorganization in world matters.Due to the complex positions

assumed in this debate a resolution isnot expected soon. The only thingthat can be foreseen with some extentof certainty is that the financing willbe altered strengthening theinfluence of many states from SouthAmerica as compared with theUnited States.ByHenningSchmies

CEPAL: Quo vadis OEA?

It is the first day of debating andalmost all delegations appeared todiscuss Topic B of the agenda:Overcoming Energy Poverty inDeveloping Countries.There is a broad variety of needs

and circumstances among thecountries in need of electric power sothere have to be found individualsolutions.By sharing their experience on how

they have overcome the problem ofenergy poverty, countries such asBrazil or China are offering tosupport others on their way to a highstandard of electrification.Electrification is very important for

overcoming famine and achieving astate of industrialisation, hence thecouncil agrees upon including thefight of energy poverty in a follow upto the Millenium DevelopmentGoals.

Possible energy sources arehydroelectricity, biomass, solar ornuclear power, but not all are

applicable everywhere. Somecountries have a lot of sunshine

hours, others can use the power oftheir big rivers. Biomass is deprecatedbecause of its CO2-footprint andsome countries reject the use ofnuclear power due to securityconcerns.Rural and urban locations or the

political stability also play a role inthe creation of a centralized ordecentralized electrical grid and thesearch for potential investors.The developing countries welcome

offers by the United States, Chinaand the UK to help financingprojects via the IMF, loans andrecommendations to companies; yetthey fear to depend even more on thegood will of the first world. It will beinteresting to see how the councilovercomes the difficulties on the wayto solve those problems.

ByFelix Baumgärtel

ECOSOC: TheWay to a Stable, Cheap, Secure andSustainable Energy Source: an Odyssee?

COMMITTEES


The sun is rising over the top ofthe LWL museum and delegatesare entering DISEC in small drops,purposeful helping themselves tosome water — obviously some ofthem facing after-effects from lastnight’s champagne reception.It quickly becomes clear that not

all delegations were too happy withyesterday’s choice (Topic A) butagree upon the importance of asolution; or as Russia puts it: “Evenif the topic was out of sight, it shouldnot become out of space”. Severalcountries are underlining the threatof an arms race in outer space andthe need for its prevention, especiallythe delegate of Germany recallingconsequences of a different arms racefrom past times, while the delegate ofthe USA among others is denying theexistence of an arms race at all. Thedelegate of DR Congo, on behalf of

developing countries, and hercolleague from Denmark appeal totheir fellow delegates to bear in mindthe guarantee of equal use of andaccess to space for all nations withoutexcluding anyone.First sessions, first quarrels: The

RoK denies the Russian Federation togive opinions on threats tointernational peace regarding itscurrent daily behaviour. Also the

atmosphere between seatneighbours Italy and Israelturns icy for a moment,when Italy reproachesIsrael for showingaggressive behaviour. Thepromise for a make-uppizza solved the issue.Being eager to start

working on draftresolutions as soon aspossible instead of “stating

point of views”, Iran and Estonia arealready trying to find possiblesupporters. Others are first sizing uptheir fellows’ opinions before afterthe coffee break entering workingmode. After all, it seems DISEC’smembers are realising their potentialof solving today’s and tomorrow’sproblems in unification.

By JackyWestermann

GA 1st: Pizza and Unexpected Coalitions

“It’s not that simple.”With this sentence, theGerman delegate fromthe GA6 Committeereally sumps up what isgoing in today’s session.Since the committeedecided to deal withTopic B first, today is allabout the Responsibilityto Protect. With this, thego-ahead was given for ahard-working and verysuccessful day in thecommittee.The first very committed nation to

speak today is the People’s Republicof China, kind but clearly explainingtheir point of view. They appreciatethe first and the third part of theproject: prevent and rebuild.However, China attributes the dutyto react in a country only to theSecurity Council (SC) . Throughout

the session, the Islamic Republic ofAfghanistan reveals to be a strongopponent to China and its like-minders. Obviously, Afghanistanhandles the theme with somescepticism, due to their harmfulexperience with intervention in thepast. As a consequence, Afghanistanand its allies “suggests to establish aneutral body as an expert

Commission which supportsthe Security Council indeciding on PeacekeepingMissions”.Next to those two really

omnipresent parties, everyonejoins the discussion andcontributes well-thoughtarguments, leading to a dozenof unmoderated caucuses andfinally even to two draftresolution papers.Right in the middle of all

this development, everyoneappreciates a nice coffee break. Howdo I know that? Well, if a delegateraises a point of information to askhopefully “Will there be cake?” —there is no doubt! Looks like we arehaving extremely effective andinspirational week.

ByLisa Neidl

GA6: Unmoderated caucus — and cake!

COMMITTEES


This year’s conference, theHuman Rights Councildecides to put their focus onthe Human Rights Situationin the Occupied PalestinianTerritories, a long-termconflict that has beendiscussed since the beginningof the 20th century withoutever being solved properly.On the one hand, the

existence and on-goingexpansion of the Israelisettlements have serious impacts onthe civil, political, economic, socialand cultural rights of the Palestinianpeople. On the other hand, Israelicitizens seem to be under a constantthreat by terrorist groups.As soon as the speaker’s list is set,

the delegate of Palestine — present asa state with observer status, just as

the opponent Israel — appeals to themember states to discuss about thisissue in a humane way and not beingdriven by the pursuit of power, whileIsrael emphasizes its situation as themost endangered country on earthwhich deserves a right to existence.The HRC’s member states seem to

sing from the same hymn sheet when

saying that it is absolutely necessaryto find a peaceful solution for theMiddle-East conflict. Nevertheless,opinions are divided concerning thequestion whether to support theIsraeli point of view or thePalestinian, which might remind ofthe immemorial dispute betweenoccident and orient.Being stuck in a heated debate with

several accusations and heavycriticism, the first constructive ideathat comes up during the session thecontroversial proposal of the two-state solution which is supported bycountries such as the United States,Germany, France, Pakistan and theRepublic of Korea. The debateremains exciting

ByLeonieGomm

HRC: “Let’s talk about it as human beings, not assuperpowers”

The second session of the ICCstirs quite a lot of emotions.There are not only some reallymoving opening statements,but also interesting witnessexaminations, including moreor less surprising turns.During the morning session,

the different members of the ICCstart with their openingstatements. At first theprosecution delivers its speech,which harshly condemns Rojes’actions and demands severepunishment, due to the fact he wasacting out of free will and involvedinnocent civilians, even children.The defence, in turn, does not even

try to deny Rojes’ crimes. But theyput their focus on justifying him andpresenting him as a human whosuffered great disadvantages. Thiswas due to the fact he grew up in oneof the most underdeveloped areas of

the country and had to support hisfamily.At last, the victim representatives

are heard. They plead for moreattention for Rojes’ victims. Due tothese statements, they reject thedemand of considering Rojes asmore humane and also call on forcompensation for the victims.Subsequently, the prosecution

presents their first two witnesses: thejournalist Roberto Villena and

Ignacio Velazquez, personalassistant to Diego Turbay,both present at theassassination of theColombian congressman.While the first managed toescape the attack, the latterwas tortured by theperpetrators. In theirexaminations, both agree onthe cruelty and the level ofRojes’ cold-bloodedness.

The court also examines an expertwitness. He knows backgroundinformation on the FARC andobjects the statement of the defencecounsellors, that Rojes wasuneducated and had no chances inlife. However, he also demandshuman rights for the accused,because in Colombia, he would notexperience this kind of justice.

By JohannesHuland

ICC: A day full of emotions and revelations

COMMITTEES


Many of the SecurityCouncil’s member states see therole of women in peace andsecurity as a very importanttopic on their country’sagendas.To initiate the debates, the first

challenge for the Security Councilis breaking this topic down: Whatare the actual problems thatwomen are facing in conflicts?What are the different aspects tothis topic? Which regions areespecially affected by this? While thisis mainly a security issue, there werealso discussions how to connect thisto social and economic aspects.Argentina proposed that to involvewomen in security policies, thereshould be more women included inarmed forces.The SC abstains from superficial

solutions, but tries to get down to theroot of the problem and findsolutions to prevent conflict-relatedviolence against women from thebeginning. The discussion focusedon various aspects that can preventthis, from improving education forwoman to prevent exploitation, tofighting poverty and organized

crime, which was seen as amain source of violenceagainst women by manystates. Especially humantrafficking is seen as amajor threat. Proposals toprevent this range fromimproved border controlsto training of police andmilitary forces. Whilesome member states likeChina are concernedabout their countries

sovereignty, others believe that theUnited Nations need to take action.The delegate of Chad concludes

that, despite different approaches tosolve the problem, the fight againsthuman trafficking is a common goalthat unites all members of the SC.

By Susan Goessling

This morningthe delegates ofUNESCO proveonce more thatquality reallygoes overquantity. Eventhough, or let’srather say just,because thecommitteeconsists of merely 8 honourabledelegates, the delegates contributeenriching ideas leading to aconstructive debate.Thanks to the small committee size

the delegates benefit from debatingin an intimate and encouragingatmosphere. What makes the ChairsPaula Sinziana Iancu and NourFellah especially proud is the fact thatthe UNESCO committee was the firstone to be completely registered!The task for the first sessions is to

reach a consensus consistent with thedifferent positions regarding theprotection of the World HeritageMonuments and Sites during warsand conflicts. Pointing out theimportance of finding a sustainablesolution, the delegates agree on theneed of protecting the WorldHeritage Monuments not onlyduring conflicts, but also before andafter wars have raged.You can definitely feel the tension

between the delegates of the Russian

Federation and the USA whilehaving a short discourse aboutthe recent Russian interventionin Crimea. Back to the topicdebating about currentconflicts and solutions, thedelegate of France emphasizesthat firstly know-how needs tobe passed on. Further the ideaof forming a panel of expertsbeing in charge of the

classification list of protected WorldHeritage Sites is introduced by thedelegate of Iran. Everybody isawaiting a clear definition of theconditions and further approaches tothe solution in tomorrow’s session.

ByAnnkathrin Struß

UNESCO: Striving for quality over quantity

SC: Fighting organized crime to prevent violence againstwomen

COMMITTEES


Today's Schedule

09:00-13:00 Committee Session 112:00-13:00 Lunch A13:00-14:00 Lunch B15:00-18:00 Workshops20:00-22:30 Pub Quiz

Today in History

2. April 1982:

Argentinean troops occupy the Falkland-Islands. Provoked by thisviolation of their sovereignty, Great Britain declared war againstArgentina, which resulted in the Falklands War. The national

affiliation of the isles was always a matter of discussion and escalated duringthis conflict, but after the war, the islands remained under British protection.

EveningActivity: Pub Quiz

Does your delegate expertise reach beyonddiplomacy and global politics? Are you a realgeek when it comes to Geography, Films andGossip? This is your chance to show off yourknowledge and even win a price. After anexciting quiz, the cozy atmosphere of ourMUIMUN pub quiz location allows forlively chats and one or another drink. Teamup and join at Pension Schmidt, AlterSteinweg 37.

French Tongue Twister:Je dis que tu l'as dit à Didi ce

que j'ai dit jeudi.(I say that you said Didi what I

said on Thursday.)

Iwas born in 1947. I really enjoy travelling,

negotiating and influencing world events. Myspouse, who I met at Yale University, was also

popular among the world — but more during the 90s.Especially the use of drugs was discussed intensively inhis context. Another family member is my daughterwho recently got married which was all over the papers— focussing on the $$ we spent.

Person 1stApril: Napoleon Bonaparte

How it all startedYou are right now participating in the 8th edition of

MUIUMN - did you ever wonder about the beginnings of thisconference? It all started with a Venezuelan trainee, AntonietaAlcorta Rosales, who was an experienced MUN delegate andworked at the Innovation Office at the University of Münster.After the University’s Chancellor and several faculty memberswere convinced, a group of students started visiting internationalMUNs to gain experience and ideas for their own MUN. Finally,in 2007, a group of 25 enthusiastic students organized the veryfirst MUIMUN.

EditorialMünster University International Model United NationsChief Editorship: Franziska Funke, Christian StöcklEditorial Staff: Johannes Huland, Magdalena Tröndle, Felix

Baumgärtel, Lisa Neidl, Leonie Gomm, Susan Gössling,JackyWestermann

Contributors: Tobias Farwer, Moritz Glade, Annkathrin StrußJulian Philippi, Henning Schmies

Print: UniPrint: 200 copiesThe Westphalian Diplomat is an independent newspaper. The content

of the articles does not necessarily represent the opinion of the“Arbeitstelle Forschungstransfer”.

Who is it?

PANORAMA

MUIMUN 2014 going viral!

Spread the word of this year’s conference!Whenever you post or tweet on all conceivablesocial media platforms, we kindly ask you to add

#muimun2014(and if you feel like it #yoloswag)

Let’s see ifwe can beat the Oscar’s selfie ;)Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!Not to forget our MUIMUN Gossip page — wecannot wait for your contributions!

With regard to yesterday´s news we would

like to comfort our dear delegation from

Reading, England: Of course the United

Kingdom is not about to join the European

Monetary Union to weaken the Russian

economy. April fools!

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Westphalian diplomat 2014 04 02 wednesday