SECURITY COUNCIL (SC)
MUN 2012 Director Nithya Thiru

The Security Council is the organ of the United Nations responsible for maintaining peace and security among member nations. The Security Council is the most powerful organ in the UN since it has the ability to create and enforce economic sanctions and military intervention. The Council is made up of 15 member nations with five of those being permanent members that have the power to unilaterally veto any resolution. The permanent members of the Security Council are France, China, the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States. Non-permanent members are chosen regionally for two-year terms.

The Following are possible topics Security Council resolutions could target.

″ Biological Warfare: Anthrax, Ebola, Cholera, Smallpox, etc.

″ Security Measures regarding a nation devastated by a pandemic disease

″ Actions against countries who use biological weapons

″ International agreements limiting biological weapon production and research

″ Any current emergency event that threatens peace and security

LINKS

http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_news.shtml http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions11.htm http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/security_council/index.html http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/index.htm http://www.peacewomen.org/un/sc/scindex.html 
http://www.haaretz.com/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ http://www.aljazeera.com/ http://www.economist.com/

United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
MUN 2012 Director Joshua Spring

The United Nations Development Program embodies the ideals of universal human rights towards all nations, especially in those who are more likely to be marginalized in our ever globalizing world. Many post-colonial nations find themselves in situations where their undeveloped economic and educational systems and government infrastructure cannot support the needs of the people. When such situations arise, the lives of millions can be at stake due to malnutrition, disease, and environmental degradation. The goal of the UN Development Program is to work to eliminate these problems by assisting in the development of these countries.

Though these goals have never been achieved on a global level before, the UN still has an unprecedented opportunity to try to use international cooperation to attempt to make these goals a reality. By securing human rights in other nations, we can lessen poverty driven violence that has the potential to spill into the international arena. Therefore, the programs that the UN Development Program directs have the potential to secure peace on a global level, so do take them seriously! 

http://www.beta.undp.org/undp/en/home.html http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/successstories/le_benin_forme_lesjeunesalentreprenariatagricole.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/2011/12/29/sustainable-energy-access-critical-for-development-in-africa-helen-clark.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/successstories/more_water_betterlivesforsudanesefarmers.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2011/12/21/top-un-aid-official-calls-for-scaling-up-of-humanitarian-efforts-in-philippines.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/projects_initiatives/undp_and_the_hornofafricacrisis.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/goodwillambassadors/match_against_poverty.html
http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2011/12/12/undp-invests-in-livelihoods-to-ease-tensions-in-northern-kenya.html
http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDWPAXrSlo&list=UUagCOAfZBpsTOlAJq_vcWbw&index=8&feature=plpp_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUGny-U4_Wo&feature=BFa&list=UUagCOAfZBpsTOlAJq_vcWbw&lf=plpp_video
http://www.unol.org/res/rw8.shtml

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
MUN 2012 Director Kate Hoppe

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was established in 1972 to serve as the United Nations authority on environmental issues. Its mission is "to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations." UNEP works to assess current environmental conditions and trends, develop instruments for the measurement of said trends, increase education on environmental issues, and facilitate sustainable development of resources. It focuses its efforts on six major arenas of environmental responsibility: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, harmful substances, and resource efficiency. Most recently, UNEP helped to organize and sponsor the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa.  At this conference UNEP report indicated that greenhouse gas emissions need to peak before 2020 in order to keep global temperatures from rising above 2 degrees Celsius. Reports such as this will be factored into international agreements concerning emissions cutting and a transition to a global green economy.  Studies and conferences like this help to spread information and further the Millennium Development Goals of environmental stability as well as global partnership.

Some helpful resources:

http://www.unep.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko3e6G_7GY4 http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=43&ArticleID=3301&l=en http://www.unep.org/Documents.multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=287 http://www.undp.org/mdg/roles.shtml http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/environ.shtml http://www.unep-wcmc.org/ http://www.unep.org/climateneutral/News/tabid/724/Default.aspx
http://www.global500.org/ http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?documentid=97&articleid=1503 http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguide/specenv.htm

United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
MUN 2012 Director Benjamin Dunaway

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a committee that works to educate communities and individuals throughout the world, and promote equality, global sustainability, and understanding through communication and education. Knowledge grants communities the ability to grow and develop as a society, and it is this that UNESCO uses as a basis for the work that it does around the world. 

UNESCO tends to be a somewhat general committee, and as such, there is a wide range of possibilities in terms of potential resolutions. All resolutions must be related in some way to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Universal primary education is one MDG that could be addressed within UNESCO. One might evaluate what has been done to reach this goal, and then lay out a plan to help move this goal forward. Gender equality is another MDG that could be applied to UNESCO. One might look at the state of education for women, and what can be done to improve this. Resolutions regarding educating communities about climate change or other environmental issues would also be something to look into. For example, creating a program that would educate farmers in South East Asia about more sustainable farming practices is a possibility. Health related issues also require a great deal of education. Educating communities about proper hygiene, or how certain diseases are spread is also highly valuable.

Remember that it is often more effective to focus on a specific region, rather than the world as a whole. This will help ensure that the resolution will bring about concrete action. Once again, keep in mind that all resolutions must related to the MDGs. Please be sure that you are aware of, and understand all eight goals.

UNESCO Homepage - http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/
UNESCO Brochure - http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001887/188700e.pdf
UNESDOC Database - http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/resources/publications/unesdoc-database/
Millennium Development Goals, Universal Education
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/education.shtml
MDG Monitor, Universal Education (SCROLL DOWN)
http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal2.cfm
World Education - http://www.worlded.org/WEIInternet/index.cfm

World Bank (WB)
MUN 2012 Director Katey Clem

The World Bank's mission is "Working For a World Free of Poverty". Their main purpose is to help developing countries by assisting them financially by providing either low-interest loans, interest-free loans or grants for things like education, health and agricultural systems. Though the World Bank is not actually part of the United Nations, it's partnership with them is vital towards helping the United Nations achieving their goals.

In the Model United Nations, the function of the World Bank is substantial. As well as writing our own resolutions, we receive resolutions from all of the committees and decided whether or not we will fund the projects proposed.  It is fast-paced, task-orientated, and definitely a lot of fun.

World Bank Website - http://www.worldbank.org/
World Bank News Links
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/world_bank/index.html http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,pagePK:34382~piPK:34439~theSitePK:4607,00.html
About the World Bank
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,pagePK:50004410~piPK:36602~theSitePK:29708,00.html
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTSITETOOLS/0,,contentMDK:20062181~pagePK:98400~piPK:98424~theSitePK:95474,00.html http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldBank http://www.facebook.com/worldbank
Millennium Developmental Goals 
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTSITETOOLS/0,,contentMDK:20205641~menuPK:435312~pagePK:98400~piPK:98424~theSitePK:95474,00.html http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20040961~menuPK:34480~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

World Health Organization (WHO)
MUN 2012 Director Rebecka Bowlus 

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a body of the United Nations (UN) created in the late 1940s. The WHO was created to be a much needed authority on international health. The organization is responsible for setting world health standards, creating policies & guidelines, conducting world health research, and working with & within countries to address their public health concerns. The WHO defines health as "...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

This all-encompassing definition of health allows us MUNers in the WHO to include resolutions on nearly every Millennium Development Goal. Search through the WHOs current programmes and projects for inspiration as well as through news articles about the WHO or about important global health issues.

http://www.who.int/en/
http://www.who.int/about/brochure_en.pdf
http://www.who.int/topics/millennium_development_goals/en/
http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/whsresults/en/index.html
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/w/world_health_organization/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/