Northeast Catholic Model United Nations

OMUN

2008-12-11T08:49:00.002-05:00

OMUN is almost here, and country assignments have been given out. Please arrive at school around 8 AM on Saturday if at all possible. Beattie and myself will be running the debate as Secretary General or Undersecretary General. Most of the rest of you will be in capacities as debaters or directors. More to follow.

-Sean

Help for OMUN

2008-11-10T19:15:00.003-05:00

This week's meeting is Thursday, November 13, 2008 @ 2:45 PM in Room 211 A.

If you need help with your country assignments, contact me, Sean Devlin, at seanfdevlin@yahoo.com

Also, for the debate at Salesianum, there is a bus provided from NC. It will arrive back at school around 6 PM.

For OMUN, I will brief any newcomers on assignments, should they need the help. Contact me at the above email. In addition, there is a football game between North/Judge and Salesianum in the near future. Ask Fr. Hurley for times, location is in Wilmington, Delaware.

The upcoming debates are good ways to prove yourself for NAIMUN, so make sure you put out a good effort.

-Sean Devlin, Vice President

New Administration, New Blog

2008-10-16T22:38:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Milan Stanic, I have gained access to this page and will be able to fill in all the events and goings-on of the club on a normal basis. Stay posted. The first debate is Saturday October 18th, at 2pm. This is especially reccommended for our new members, because this is a chance to gain the experience of a what a real Model UN event is like.

-Sean Devlin, Vice President

World Champions!

2008-05-18T12:38:00.009-04:00

North Catholic wins World Championship in New York!

Thirteen students from Northeast Catholic High School attended the International High School Model UN Debate Championship in New York City, in which North Catholic, along with Father Judge High School and Salesianum High School won the Secretary General Award.

2300 students from 153 different schools and 17 different countries were given the unique opportunity to debate and resolve current international issues together at the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) Global Classrooms Model UN Conference in New York City sponsored by the UNA-USA and Merrill Lynch. Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban-Ki-Moon, delivered the keynote address. In addition to Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, speakers scheduled to address the students during the Opening Ceremony on May 15, 2008, include John A. Thain, Chairman and CEO, Merrill Lynch, Ambassador William H. Luers, President of UNA-USA, and Frank McCourt, noted Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Angela’s Ashes and former New York City school teacher.

Held at the United Nations headquarters and at the Grand Hyatt in New York City, the conference mobilizes students to engage in discussion of world crisis and globalization and development and is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Topics to be discussed at the conference include global warming, multi-national corporations in development, and nuclear non-proliferation.

“I can see that this program is truly nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. I am always encouraged by spending time with young people, especially those involved in model United Nations. These programs give students a deep appreciation of the challenges of international diplomacy, [through] filling the shoes of ambassadors from different countries. I think arguing their positions also give students greater understanding of the challenges which we are now facing,” said UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

Milan Stanic, a senior, won the Best Delegate award and Top Gavel in a simulation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, in which he served as a justice for the case of Nikola Sainovic.

Michael Smaczylo, William Davis and Sean McMahon, seniors, along with Marcus Rodriguez, a sophomore, all won the Honorable Delegate award for their representation of the People’s Republic of China.

Moreover, Adam Jimenez, a freshman, won the Honorable Delegate award in the General Assembly as he represented Niger in the topics of Multinational Terrorist Groups and Energy for Sustainable Development.

DeSales

2008-04-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, 29 March 2008. the Politics Department of De Sales University hosted the 17th Annual Model United Nations Security Council Convention. Two hundred students from thirty Lehigh Valley and Delaware Valley High Schools debated the current crisis in Iran, international terrorism on the high seas, and the plight of refugees in many troubled spots of the world.
In the individual academic debate competitions the following students won first place gavels: William Davis and Marcus Rodriguez.
In the Ad-hoc Crisis Committee, club president Milan Stanic represented India in which the committee attempted to solve the Kashmir Conflict. Milan Stanic also finished with a first place gavel.

NAIMUN XLV

2008-02-25T20:07:00.002-05:00

North Catholic wins academic recognition

Ten students from Northeast Catholic High School attended the national High School Model UN Debate Championship in Washington, DC and won two national awards.

The Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University hosted the 45th Annual North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference (NAIMUN XLV) at the Washington Hilton Hotel on 14-17 February 2008. More than 3,000 high school students from across the USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico participated in the largest Model UN debate on the World Affairs topics in the United States. The keynote speaker was the Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York City: Ban Ki-Moon

For the second year in a row, Milan Stanic, a senior, won the Outstanding delegate award in a simulation of the international debate about the Serbia-Kosovo dispute.

Moreover, Sean McMahon, a senior, won the most prestigious debate award in the Model International Court of Justice.

Participation certificates were also presented to: Michael Smaczylo, Nicholas Beattie, Thomas Weney, Sean Devlin, Marcus Rodriguez, Chris Carmona, Michael Bradely, Vicente Hernandez, Adam Jimenez and Armando Portillo.

West Catholic MUN

2008-02-02T19:10:00.000-05:00

West Catholic was a success for the North debating team. The conference had about 300 delegates from over 10 schools in committees ranging from DISEC, SPECPOL, SOCHUM to the Legal Committee . North winners include Milan Stanic, Michael Smaczylo, William Davis, Marcus Rodriguez, Sean McMahon, Adam Jimenez, Mike Bradley, Vicente Hernandez and Armando (Tito).
Next debate is the NAIMUN XLV Conference in Washington DC!

DELMUN XXI

2007-12-10T23:05:00.001-05:00

DELMUN was a huge success, both for the organizers and for the North debating team. The conference had well over 500 delegates from over 26 schools in committees ranging from the General Assembly, Security Council, and the International Court of Justice. North winners include Milan Stanic, William Davis, Marcus Rodriguez, Sean McMahon, Tom Weney, Nicholas Beattie, Sean Devlin, Mike Bradley, and Chris Carmona.
Chris won Honorable mention in the crisis Security Council, one where a delegate must truly think on his/her feet, Nick,Sean,Tom, and Marcus were in the usual Security Councils debating The Threat of the Illegal Trafficking of Drugs on International Peace and Security, Kashmir Issue between India and Pakistan, and a United States Crisis with the Russian Federation. In the ILO Mike Bradley achieved Honorable mention on topics ranging from Child Labor Laws, Gender Equality in the Work Place and Social Security. In the General Assembly, Will Davis swept the committee room with a gavel with his performance, topics included: Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe, Independence of Kosovo, Reconstruction of Iraq.
Lastly Milan and Sean debated in the International Court of Justice, in which cases included; Serbia v. USA, Sudan v. Chad, Syria v. Israel. Milan finished with the top gavel as well as "Best Prosecutor" for his performance in the representation of Serbia, in which the court ruled in favor, and found the United States guilty of war reparations. Sean McMahon also had an exceptional performance in which he represented Syria in the case against Israel for the dispute over the territory, the Golan Heights, as well as serving as a justice for the rest of the cases; resulting in a gavel award for "Best Justice".
Our next conference will be "CRUMNATO" (Crusader Model NATO) which will be held in mid-January.

UNA-USA (New York)

2007-12-10T23:04:00.015-05:00

9th Annual UNA-USA Model United Nations (UNA-USA MUN) Conference
May 15-17, 2008.

This three-day conference will be held at United Nations Headquarters and the Grand Hyatt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, and will feature both Opening and Closing Ceremonies in the General Assembly Hall, as well as committee sessions held in the meeting rooms of U.N. Headquarters. The conference will have over 2000 students and 18 committees, covering diverse and pressing international issues such as the protection of orphans and vulnerable children, food security and distribution in emergency situations, evaluating Iran’s nuclear compliance with the IAEA, access to primary education, the role of diamonds in fueling conflict, and global warming.

The UNA-USA Model UN conference will provide an authentic simulation of the United Nations in a highly professional setting and the chance for delegates to debate with thousands of students from across the country and around the globe.

Committee	Topic
General Assembly Regional (GA)	Global Warming
General Assembly (GA) : Blue	Women & Employment Landmines
General Assembly (GA) : White	Multinational Terrorist Groups Energy for Sustainable Development
World Health Organization (WHO)	Malaria, TB, & Infectious Diseases Maternal Health
I nt’l Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)	Protection of Nuclear Materials Evaluating Iran’s Compliance
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)	Role of Diamonds in Fueling Conflict Digital Divide: Providing Tech. to Developing Countries
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)	P artnerships to Address the World Drug Problem Rights of Indigenous People
UNICEF Executive Board (UNICEF)	Access to Primary Education Violence Against Children
World Food Program Executive Board (WFP)	Food Security and Distribution Genetically Modified Foods
UN AIDS Program Coordinating (UNAIDS)	Protection of Orphans and Vulnerable Children AIDS Crisis and Security Concerns in Sub-Saharan Africa
UNDP Executive Board (UNDP)	Multinational Corporations & Development Eradicating Poverty
Security Council (SC)	Situation in Sri Lanka
Historical Security Council (HSC)	Situation in the Falkland Islands (1982)
Int’l Criminal Trib. for Yugoslavia (ICTY)	Case of Vujadin Popovic Case of Nikola Sainovic

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - TENTATIVE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008

START	FINISH	ACTIVITY
2:00PM	6:00PM	Conference Registration & Hotel Check-In

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

START	FINISH	ACTIVITY
9:00AM	5:30PM	Conference Registration & Hotel Check-In
9:30AM	10:45AM	Rules of Procedure Training Session I Grand Hyatt Hotel
12:00PM	1:15PM	Rules of Procedure Training Session II Grand Hyatt Hotel
1:30PM	2:45PM	Rules of Procedure Training Session III Grand Hyatt Hotel
4:00PM	5:45PM	Entrance to the UN Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters
6:00PM	7:00PM	Opening Ceremonies General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters

FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008

START	FINISH	ACTIVITY
8:30AM	12:00PM	Committee Session I Grand Hyatt Hotel
9:00AM	10:00AM	Faculty Advisor Informational Meeting
10:00AM	11:00AM	Faculty Advisor Seminar
12:00PM	1:30PM	Lunch
1:30PM	4:30PM	Committee Session II Grand Hyatt Hotel
3:00PM	3:30PM	Faulty Advisors’ Feedback Meeting

SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008

START	FINISH	ACTIVITY
8:30AM	10:00AM	Entrance to the UN
10:00AM	12:30AM	Committee Session III United Nations Headquarters
10:00AM	10:30AM	Faculty Advisor Informational Meeting
11:30PM	1:30PM	Lunch (Times will be staggered for different committees) Delegate Cafeteria, United Nations Headquarters
1:00PM	3:30PM	Committee Session IV United Nations Headquarters
2:15PM	3:00PM	Evaluation Meeting
3:45PM	4:30PM	Closing Ceremonies General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters

Country Assignments

Germany	ICTY	Milan

Serbia	GA Blue	James Ditro
Serbia	GA Blue

Serbia	GA White	Vicente
Serbia	GA White

Serbia	E. Europe	Bradley
Serbia	E. Europe

Serbia	WHO	Alfonso
Serbia	WHO

Serbia	IAEA	Devlin
Serbia	IAEA	Beattie

Serbia	UNICEF	Weney
Serbia	UNICEF

Niger	GA White	Adam Jimenez
Niger	GA White

Niger	WHO	Yeiron Corniel
Niger	WHO

Niger	Econ. Com. Africa.	Conteh
Niger	Econ. Com. Africa.

Niger	ECOSOC	Carmona
Niger	ECOSOC	Joe Sebastian

China	UNICEF	Marcus
China	UNICEF	Mike

DELMUN XXI

2007-12-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

OMUN 40 Conclusion

2007-11-17T23:34:00.000-05:00

Click HERE to read more

OMUN XLI

2007-11-17T23:33:00.002-05:00

OMUN XLI is currently in the works. We will contact schools in September.

OMUN XL

2007-11-17T23:04:00.001-05:00

Today North Catholic won the Distinguished Delegation award at our own DeSales Oblate Schools Model United Nations Conference. It is said that this is the best North performance at the debate in over 10 years. This was the 40th year of the Conference and it was also one of the largest conferences in history with close to 500 students in attendance from over 18 High Schools.

Next month: Delaware Model United Nations Conference, in February, National Championship in Washington D.C., and in May, the World Championship, where North and Judge will defend their title.

Update

2007-11-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

The next meeting is Monday, November 19th
The next conference is OMUN @ North Catholic on November 17th
There will be a football game between North and Judge on November 18th at 3pm at North.

Update

2007-10-26T20:33:00.001-04:00

The next meeting is Monday, November 12th
The next conference is OMUN @ North Catholic on November 17th

Update

2007-10-18T23:14:00.001-04:00

The next meeting is Friday, October 26th

SC1 Background Guide

2007-10-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

TOPIC: SITUATION IN GEORGIA

INTRODUCTION

Since it declared independence from Russia in 1991, the country of Georgia has struggled to keep together. Three regions within Georgia’s borders—Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Ajaria—have campaigned unsuccessfully for their own independence. Abkhazia is the most volatile of these three breakaway regions.

Throughout much of Georgia’s 16-year independence, Abkhazia has struggled for autonomy. The people of Abkhazia are ethnically distinct from most of the Georgian population, and under Georgian rule their native language and culture were suppressed. Abkhazia declared independence in 1992, but its autonomy has not been recognized by Georgia or the international community. Fighting between Georgia’s military and Abkhazia’s soldiers has occurred intermittently since then.

BACKGROUND

History of the Conflict

The Russian Empire took possession of Georgia in 1801, and swallowed up Abkhazia about fifty years later. In 1931, under the orders of Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, Abkhazia was incorporated into Georgia. Under Russian and Georgian leadership, Russian and Georgian were the only recognized languages; the Abkhaz language and culture were suppressed. Ethnic Georgians began to move into Abkhazia, gradually outnumbering the ethnic Abkhaz five to one. In 1991, Georgia held a referendum, or vote, in which the people voted overwhelmingly for independence. Georgia became a sovereign nation. But the unity of the new country was threatened immediately. Georgia’s minorities sought greater autonomy for the Abkhazia and Ossetia regions, but they faced great resistance from the Georgian majority. Leaders in Abkhazia initially called for separation from Georgia and integration into Russia. Later, Abkhazia advocated for full independence. In 1992 the Georgian government sent troops to the region to quiet the calls for independence. Violence broke out between the two groups and continued for over a year. Abkhaz officials were forced to temporarily abandon the Abkhazia capital, Sukhumi. A ceacefire agreement was reached in September 1992, signed by Abkhazia, Georgia and the Russian Federation. But only a

month later, the ceasefire collapsed and violence resumed.

In October 1993, Abkhaz separatists forced government soldiers out of Abkhazia. By then, more than 200,000 ethnic Georgians had fled Abkhazia. Both Georgia and Abkhazia accused each other of human rights abuses against the civilian population. By 1994, Abkhazia and Georgia agreed to a ceasefire and signed a UN-sponsored agreement, called the Moscow Agreement, which brought Russian peacekeepers into Abkhazia. Under the agreement, Abkhazia would be largely autonomous, but would remain a part of Georgia. About 30,000 displaced Georgians were able to return.

Within months of the ceasefire, Abkhazia adopted its own constitution, in which it declared itself an independent nation. The international community did not recognize the declaration.

Economic Sanctions

In 1995, Eduard Shevardnadze was elected president of Georgia. Shevardnadze took a hard line stance against Abkhazia, convincing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an organization of Eastern European countries, to impose economic sanctions on Abkhazia until it agreed to rejoin Georgia. Russia refused to participate in CIS’s economic sanctions on Abkhazia. “The Russian Federation, by taking the side of the Republic of Georgia in this conflict, is violating the terms of its peacekeeping function approved by both sides of the conflict,” said a statement by the Russian State Duma, or legislature, regarding the economic sanction. The economic sanctions imposed by the other CIS countries helped stifle the Abkhaz economy. Abkhazia continues to have a very high level of poverty.

The Fighting Continues

In 1998, renewed violence between Georgian government forces and Abkhaz troops caused 30,000 people to flee. Violence flared again in 2001. Because a political agreement cannot be reached, Russian peacekeepers remained in the region. In May 2006, Abkhaz officials presented a peace plan to Georgia, but the proposed plan included the demand that Abkhazia be recognized as an independent country. “The plan is very controversial and is based on the demand that Abkhazia’s independence be recognized, which is unacceptable to us,” said Georgia’s state minister. “But it also includes a number of provisions that we could start considering today.”

Tensions between the parties took a turn for the worse on July 25, 2006, when Georgian Special Forces launched a large-scale operation in the Kodori Valley, in Abkhazia. The Georgian operation was intended to restore order to an area plagued by criminal activities. Although Georgian officials considered the operation a law-enforcement measure and not a military one, and although Georgia’s government gave Abkhaz leaders notice before the operation took place, Abkhaz officials considered the operation a breach of the Moscow Agreement. Tensions between the two parties remain high, and periodic violence continues.

PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTION

Many UN agencies are currently operating in Abkhazia, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Program. The programs include agriculture programs, water rehabilitation projects, business aid, child immunization and food assistance to children and adults.

UNOMIG

After the first 1992 ceasefire between Abkhazia and Georgia, the Security Council established the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia, or UNOMIG. UNOMIG’s 88 military observers were meant to verify that both sides complied with the provisions of the ceasefire. When the ceasefire broke down, UNOMIG remained in order to observe the conflict and report to the UN. Both sides of the conflict are required by the Moscow Agreement to allow UNOMIG to patrol the region unhindered, but UNOMIG movement is frequently obstructed. In addition, UNOMIG personnel have often been caught between clashing parties of Georgia and Abkhazia. Even more frequently, the lack of adequate law enforcement in Abkhazia leaves UNOMIG observers at risk from criminal activity.

In 1999, UNOMIG experienced “an explosion at the fence of the Sukhumi headquarters on 9 July; the throwing of a grenade over the fence of the newly opened Zugdidi office on 27 September; and the kidnapping of seven UNOMIG personnel on 13 October.” In 2000, two UNOMIG military personnel were abducted in January; two observers, an interpreter, and two non-governmental officers were taken hostage in June; and two UN military observers were abducted in December. In 2001, fighting resumed in the conflict zone, and a UNOMIG helicopter was shot down. All nine unarmed people on board—including two UN staff members and four UN military observers—were killed.

Human Rights Office

A 1993 UN fact-finding mission reported that many of the accusations of human rights abuses were correct. Both Georgian government forces and Abkhaz forces had committed human rights violations. In 1996, a Human Rights Office was established as part of UNOMIG. The Human Rights Office is meant to observe and report on human rights violations in the Abkhazian region. The Office also monitors the court system and has reported that the Abkhaz government discriminates against non-Abkhaz citizens. Returning non Abkhaz citizens displaced by violence were declined the right to reclaim property, thereby preventing the return of displaced persons and refugees.

Security Council

The UN Security Council has issued a number of resolutions on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia. In each of these resolutions, the Security Council has stated its support for the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.” The Council “considers unacceptable and illegitimate the holding of self-styled elections in Abkhazia, Georgia.”

The Council “stresses the urgent need for progress on the question of the refugees and internally displaced persons, calls on both sides to display a genuine commitment to make returns the focus of special attention.” The Council considers that “the Abkhaz side bears particular responsibility to protect the returnees and facilitate the return of the remaining displaced persons. However, many Abkhaz believe the immediate return of 60,000 Georgian refugees could destabilize the region, and Abkhaz officials claim that many of these refugees have already returned, but have simply not registered with the UN refugee agency.

The Council called on Abkhazia to improve its law enforcement and called on Georgia to provide UNOMIG with comprehensive security. It also “urges the Georgian side to address seriously legitimate Abkhaz security concerns, to avoid steps which could be seen as threatening and to refrain from militant rhetoric.”

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORMULATING A RESOLUTION

Security Council delegates will want to take into consideration the previous Security Council

resolutions. What demands must still be met? Are there new ways to address the conflict? The

following are items delegates may want to address in a resolution:

• The need to repatriate refugees and internally displaced persons in Georgia and neighboring regions;

• The need for the Georgian government and Abkhaz leadership to continue discussing a workable peace plan;

• Whether UNOMIG’s mandate should be continued, whether more troops should be established;

• How human rights violations can be prevented, both by military forces and by court systems; and

• How to encourage the Abkhaz leadership to increase law enforcement measures.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. Does your country struggle with any separatist groups? What is your country’s reaction to these groups? If not, how does your country react to separatist groups from other countries in your region?

2. What kind of relationship, if any, does your country have with Georgia?

3. Has your country been affected by the unrest in Georgia, or by ethnic conflict in Caucasus region (such as Chechnya or Azerbaijan)? How does your country respond to conflicts in those regions?

Update

2007-10-08T20:31:00.001-04:00

The next meeting is Friday, October 26th

Update

2007-09-19T17:19:00.000-04:00

The next meeting is Monday, October 8th @ 2:30pm in room 211A

Update

2007-09-13T18:27:00.000-04:00

The next meeting is September 19th. The first conference is at Father Judge on the 13th of October, followed by a football game on Sunday the 14th. Read more here.

Update

2007-09-11T17:24:00.000-04:00

The first meeting is this Thursday, September 13th. The website has been redone.

Important Websites

2007-09-11T17:22:00.001-04:00

The following links deal with an array of topics, ranging from research background information and more specific information. Remember that some sites hold only the views of only certain nations or organizations. More will be added as the site stays active.

United Nations Sites

United Nations Home
General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social
International Court Justice
Trusteeship Council
Secretariat
International Criminal Court
UNA-USA
High Comission on Human Rights

News Report

Philadelphia Inquirer

US News and World Report

New York Times

Foreign Affairs Magazine

BBC (Great for International News)

Associated Press

CNN

World Policy Journal

Foreign Policy

US Department of State

British Consulate

Library of Congress: Country Studies

Human Rights

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Research Initiative

IHL Iraq

UNIFEM

International Humanitarian Law

Statistics

Global Statistics

Miscellanious

CIA World Factbook

Crisis Web

Migrations' Worldwide Impact

Nationmaster.com (Great Site)

Wikipedia (Free Encyclopedia)

Current Debates

2007-09-11T17:20:00.006-04:00

Last Debate of the Year
Padua MUN
April 26, 8:30AM-6:00PM

Current Country Assignments

World Summit- UK: Adam and Josh
World Summit- Palestine: Will Davis

WHO- UK: Nick Beattie and Sean Devlin
WHO- Palestine: Vicente

SC1- UK: Milan
SC1- Palestine: X

SC2- UK: Mike Smaczylo
SC2- Palestine: X

SC3- UK: Marcus
SC3- Palestine: Carmona

GA- UK: Mike Bradley
GA- Palestine: Mike Conteh

TOPICS
World Summit
1. Election and candidate security in the Middle East
2. Peacekeeping organizations and budget
3. Peacekeeping security in Darfur

WHO
1. Combating the threat of Malaria and Tuberculosis in Africa
2. Threat of biological and chemical weapons
3. Female genital mutilation/ circumcision

SC1-3 & GA
1. Situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia
2. Crisis in Chad
3. Kashmir Conflict

OMUN 40

2007-09-11T17:19:00.001-04:00

I would once again like to thank all of those who attended and I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves. Throughout the day the delegates debated in topics ranging from secessionist regions, independence seeking provinces, to human rights violations. When looked at from a broader perspective, and as foretold by Mr. Stan Witalec, Northeast Catholic's President, the issues that we discuss ultimately set forth a domino effect in the world. The delegates experienced this first hand today as the civil unrest in Turkey with the Kurds affects the soveriengtny and territorial integrity of Serbia and Georgia, as well as the overall sovereignty of Myanmar. The delegates diligently worked to solve these issues with comprehensive resolutions, however, little did they know that with every action there is a reaction. To my knowledge, not a single council was shocked by a second crisis that only the chairs were aware of.
If the delegates were to mistakenly grant Kosovo independence from Serbia, they would have set an illegal precedent that not only would have shook the sovereign nation of Georgia, it would have also destabilized the entire Balkans. With the precedent set in Kosovo, the next area in the Balkans to secede was in Bosnia, which is known as Republika Sprska.
A just and enduring political settlement for Kosovo requires that Bosnia be treated in an identical manner. If Kosovo has the right to secede from Serbia, then the Republika Srpska must have the right to secede from Bosnia. If an independent Kosovo must have the right to unite with Albania. Similarly, an independent Republika Srpska must have the right to unite with Serbia.

The followers of late President Slobodan Milosevic state that if Serbia's breakaway Kosovo province becomes independent, Serbia should respond by recognizing the Republika Srpska -the Bosnian Serb-controlled half of Bosnia.

Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia which had comprised former Yugoslavia are now all independent countries. Tiny Montenegro was the last republic to secede from much larger Serbia in a referendum last year. Kosovo formally remains part of Serbia, but has been run by the United Nations and NATO since the end of the 1999 war between ethnic Albanian separatists and Milosevic's forces. Any attempt by Belgrade to win independence for the Bosnian Serbs would likely trigger renewed bloodshed in Bosnia. "The preservation" of Kosovo and the Bosnian Serb mini-state are Serbia's "priority goals," and added that international policies in Bosnia and Kosovo were "jeopardizing essential interests of the Serb people.” Bosnian officials and Western powers, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy, have formally protested the Serb’s apparent attempts to link the fate of Kosovo with Bosnia.

Again, I thank all who attended, debated, and helped with this conference. North Catholic is looking forward to seeing you again next year in November at OMUN XLI.

Milan Stanic 08'
OMUN XL Secretary General

How to write a resolution

2007-09-11T17:17:00.001-04:00

Writing Resolutions

Resolutions are the bread and butter of problem solving in the United Nations. The same goes for the Model UN. Writing a resolution is very easy and does not take much time at all. A resolution is a good way of organizing and attacking the problems presented by a certain topic. You are writing solutions, hence resolutions. First a couple of key parts of the resolution process.

The Working Paper-The working paper is the first part of the resolution process. Once a draft has been copied and given out it is then turned into a work paper, discussed upon the floor and is open for signatories.

The Draft Resolution- When the working paper has enough signatories (usually 20% of the delegates in the council.) it becomes a draft resolution to be officially debated on and eventually voted upon.

The Resolution-The final step, when a draft resolution has been passed it is then a resolution.

Here is an example of a Working paper from a former debate.

Topic: The Sudanese Conflict
Submitted to: The Security Council
Sponsors: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Co-signatories:

Security Council,

Recalling all relevant resolutions upon the topic, specifically Security Council Resolutions, 1564 (2004) 1556 (2004), 1547 (2004) and 1502 (2003) and taking into account the Plan of Action agreed by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Sudan and the Government of Sudan,

Commending the leadership role and engagement the African Union has taken in addressing the situation in Darfur and expressing its readiness to continue supporting it fully,

Condemning all acts of violence and violations of human rights and the international humanitarian law by all parties to the crisis, in particular by the Janjaweed, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, rapes, forced displacements, and acts of violence those with and ethnic dimension, and expressing the utmost concern at the consequences of the conflict in Darfur on the civilian population, including women, children, internally displaced persons, and refugees,

Expressing the determination of the Security Council to halt a humanitarian crisis in this area by taking further action if required,

Noting the need for the Sudanese government to take stronger stances in preventing the genocide committed within their borders to ensure the safety and security of the lives of civilians within Sudan especially within Darfur and southern regions of the country,

Acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter

1. Calls on the Government of Sudan to fulfill all unfulfilled commitments made in the July 3, 2004 Communiqué;
2. Affirms that greater cooperation with various human rights NGO’s is pertinent to improving the already inhumane living conditions in the Sudan;
3. Establishes an ad hoc Committee on the Sudanese Refugee Crisis to determine, discuss, and situate refugees of the Sudanese Conflict;
4. Welcomes the work done by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to send human rights observers to Sudan and calls upon the government to continue cooperating with the High Commissioner in the deployment of those observers;
5. Decides that all states shall take necessary measures to prevent the sale or supply, to all non-governmental entities and individuals, including the Janjaweed, operating in the states of North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur;
6. Decides that all states shall take necessary measures to prevent any provision, to the non-governmental entities and individuals state in paragraph 3, operating in the states of North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur;
7. Encourages the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan and the independent expert of the Commission on Human Rights to work closely with the Sudanese Government in supporting independent investigations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Darfur region;
8. Expresses full support for the African Union-led ceasefire commission and monitoring mission in Darfur;
9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Breakdown of the Resolution
Introduction

Topic: The Sudanese Conflict
Submitted to: The Security Council
Sponsors: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Co-signatories:

Security Council,

This is basically the introduction of the resolution. It states the topic, the council the resolution is being submitted to, what country is sponsoring the resolution, and co-signatories. Sponsors are the people who submit the resolution or who have written. Remember just because you add an amendment it does not mean you are a sponsor. Co-signatories are those who sign your resolution so that it may be brought up for discussion during the debate. And finally it is usually nice to put the name of the council again as though you were writing a letter. You’d write “Dear ______,” in a letter here simply write the name of the council as shown above.

Perambulatory Clauses

Recalling all relevant resolutions upon the topic, specifically Security Council Resolutions, 1564 (2004) 1556 (2004), 1547 (2004) and 1502 (2003) and taking into account the Plan of Action agreed by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Sudan and the Government of Sudan,
Commending the leadership role and engagement the African Union has taken in addressing the situation in Darfur and expressing its readiness to continue supporting it fully,
etc…

This is the part of the Resolution which generally addresses the situation but does not state things that could be taken as action such as creating agencies or, establishing funds etc. It is the part of the resolution where past resolutions are recalled the situation is stated and reactions to past actions are stated.

Operative Clauses

1. Calls on the Government of Sudan to fulfill all unfulfilled commitments made in the July 3, 2004 Communiqué;
2. Affirms that greater cooperation with various human rights NGO’s is pertinent to improving the already inhumane living conditions in the Sudan;
3. Establishes an Ad Hoc Committee on the Sudanese Refugee Crisis to determine, discuss, and situate refugees of the Sudanese Conflict;
4. Welcomes the work done by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to send human rights observers to Sudan and calls upon the government to continue cooperating with the High Commissioner in the deployment of those observers;
etc…

The Operative clauses are the actions that will be taken by that specific council. Calling on governments and stating changes that should be made, or improvements etc…

Limitations on Resolutions

Certain councils limit you, in what you can accomplish in a resolution. Such as turning the normal actions stated in an operative clause to mere suggestions etc.

The Security Council
In the Security Council you are not limited at all in what you can achieve in a resolution. The Security Council is the supreme authority in all matters of international peace and security.

The General Assembly
The GA is limited in that it merely gathers a consensus of ideas shared by all members of the council. GA Resolutions are not finite and can create no organizations or funds. GA Resolutions are merely taken as suggestions by the Security Council unless stated otherwise.

Regional Organizations
Regional Organization are autonomous and can make region-specific decisions on their own. They do not need overhead clearance by the UN etc.

Other UN Subcommittees (ECOSOC etc…)
Same as the GA in respects that their resolutions are not finite unless stated otherwise.

What is MUN?

2007-09-11T17:13:00.001-04:00

What Exactly is,
Model United Nations?

In the Model United Nations (MUN) at the high school level, students the world over are given the chance to step into the shoes of real delegates to debate and resolve conflicts, crises and epidemics that threaten the world daily. Before doing so delegates research their countries and topics to the best of their ability coming to each debate with a drive to accomplish their designated countries agenda while gaining consensus on issues of international and sometimes national interest. The topics are diverse and can range from wars, conflicts overseas and conflicts at home in the Security Council, or confronting diseases and epidemics in the Commission for Human Rights.

Almost as diverse as the topics are the many colorful people who participate in the activity. Because the activity is practiced worldwide and delegates are constantly meeting new people be it at local or international debates. Traveling adds even more flavor to the club. Aside from traveling to many local high schools, two debates are held at the national and international competition levels, where delegates worldwide converge in places such as the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC, the Hague in the Netherlands, and finally the actual United Nations Headquarter in New York City.

At North we are lucky enough to have a very generous alumni who also have participated in the club and fund most of our local competition fees, which would otherwise cost anywhere form ten to twenty dollars per delegate. Many Colleges and Universities nationwide respect North’s model UN, and in fact in the 1970’s North Catholic was respected as the leading power in Model UN thanks to the leadership of moderator Fr. John Hurley OSFS. Fr. Hurley still acts as moderator of North’s Model United Nations and in 2001, and 2003 he was awarded the national moderator of the year award for his expertise and leadership.

Speaking of awards, Model UN awards can be put on resumes and scholarly applications as academic awards for debating. A surprising fact that not many know is that by joining Model UN you really join two clubs. The Clubs you join are not only the North Catholic’s Model UN team but also become a member of the North Catholic Chapter of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, looking even better on applications. The World Affairs Council has been around since the mid-1940’s and many colleges look highly upon the two combined.

At North especially Model UN takes on a very easy-going role in its debates still debating with “zest” and winning many awards in the doing. The feeling at North is relaxed and always welcomes new members into the ranks, year-round. If a sport takes up most of a student’s time at one half of the year he may join later on and vice-versa. After nearly every meeting the club gathers in the Gym or on the football field for a game of football and/or basketball.

My name is Matthew Biedrzycki and I am the President of North’s MUN team 05’-06’ and since I joined in 2002 as a freshman, I have grown to love the club and have made many friends in and outside of it as a result. Sticking with it is the only way to go, times get hard and discouraging but you grow and pull through in the end. To conclude North Catholic’s Model UN Club is the place to be for students looking to learn, have fun, making lasting friends, and culture themselves in a very unique way.

Contact Us

2007-09-11T17:09:00.004-04:00

Nick Beattie
President/OMUN XLI Secretary General/ Website Administrator

Sean Devlin
Vice President/OMUN XLI Under-Secretary General

Milan Stanic
Model UN Alumnis
Email: stanicmi@shu.edu

William Galson
Model UN Alumnis
Email: wgalson@mail.USP.edu

Brian Galson
Model UN Alumnis
Email: bwg22@drexel.edu

Summer Update

2007-09-10T17:33:00.001-04:00

Hello eveyone... I am currently writing to you from Georgetown University, which is a great school... I hope you have all paid attention to the news lately, because there are certainly plenty of headlines. The experience here at Georgetown at the International Relations program is phenomenol, and I will recommend it to each and every one of you. It is a great program which focuses on what we love to do; debate about world affairs. I have met several distinguished professors, government officials, congressman, and ambassadors, and I must say that I am truly overwhelmed. Tomorrow I have lectures about nuclear proliferation and arms control, which are great topics. I hope you are all having a great summer, and more importantly, that you are all ready for next year. As some of you may know, preparations for OMUN have begun, and the topics so far are good, however they can greatly change depending on the near-future.

Milan Stanic '08

World Champions

2007-09-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

On Thursday May 17th North Catholic’s Model UN delegation departed for New York City to compete in the 8th annual World Model United Nations Conference, a multi-day event designed to challenge competitors into thinking on their feet and acting to the best of their ability for extended periods of time. However the North delegation rose to the occasion and proved that sheer determination can go beyond imagination.

From start to finish, all 9 North delegates who attended the conference, acted with experience and skill beyond comparison, and were acknowledged with the title Supreme World Champions of 2007. From the beginning, the delegates elevated themselves above the competition, however, 4 students in particular, remained steadfast in the face of various events, leading the team to victory. While representing the Russian Federation, Michael Smaczylo and Marcus Rodriquez, achieved gavel status, the highest honors attainable. Club President William Galson and Vice-President Milan Stanic attained the honor of being the Outstanding Delegation while representing the United States of America in the Security Council, the committee requiring utmost responsibility.

In response to North Catholic’s victory, the team’s moderator Rev. John Hurley OSFS is quoted to have exclaimed: “This victory has been the greatest in the last decade, and an astounding finale for the graduating members, one that will be remembered among the team.”

Milan Stanic '08