UNcensored

10 Things About the UN that I bet You Didn't Know

2008-06-06T01:03:00.000-07:00

1) In 1999, Louise Frechette became the first woman ever, to be elected to the post of Deputy Secretary General.

2) There's an organization under the UN, called the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which coordinates postal policies between member nations.

3) The UN Troops are popularly referred to as the "Blue Helmets", for relatively obvious reasons.

4) 115 Indian Citizens have died in UN Peacekeeping operations. That's the largest number of fatalities for a single country.

5) The Vatican is a "permanent observer nation" in the UN, even though it satisfies all requirements of a member state, because it wants to be "Politically Neutral".

6) The UN spends in excess of 2 Billion US$ every year, on development.

7) Even though the UN HQ is on Manhattan Island, it isn't under US Jurisdiction. It is in "International Territory"

8) Dr. Ban Ki-moon, apart from drawing an enormous salary, also gets a helicopter, a private-jet, and an apartment in downtown Manhattan.

9) The US has used its veto power 14 times, The Russian Federation comes a not-so-close second place, with four uses, since 1989

10) The Mural in the Security Council depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes, and sybolizes the world being rebuilt after WWII. The entire chamber was a gift to the UN from the Norwegian Government.

Is the UN just a US with an ‘N’?

2008-05-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

The whole issue of the relationship between America and the UN has weakened the UN. Ever since it was formed, the US has been a potent member of the UN. America has struck deep into the UN mine, and pumped hundreds of millions of dollars and then, expected monopoly over the decision making. As a result of which, some major international problems were dealt with by America, fanning its supremacy, (such as in Suez and especially in the Middle East) rather than the UN solving them.

In 1985, this theme was even taken up by America’s Congress which declared that:

"Voting rights (in the UN) should be proportionate to the contribution of each member state to the budget of the UN and its specialized agencies."

It is clear that America did not want to contribute toward the UN budget. America wanted to invest. In case the United Nations does not let the U.S.A make their way, they refuse to follow the United Nation’s guidelines. This how far fetched the ever growing financial tentacles of the US of A are.

In the UN, most work is done by the Security Council, which consists of 15 nations, five of which are permanent members. The USA is a permanent member. The other ten countries are selected and are on the council for a period of two years. In a routine matter, a minimum of nine approvals is required for the matter to be passed. In a more important matter, however, all five permanent members must approve for the matter to be passed. Therefore, one of the major countries can veto anything they think doesn't benefit them. They believe that, as they facilitate green for the UN, they should get the most say out of all the countries. Of course, third-world countries would not be able to pay anywhere near to the sum that say, France or Britain pays. However, the permanent five expect the UN to benefit them although they are already well off, so how can any good be done? That is precisely the reason why the third world countries continue to remain third world countries.

In 2005, two weeks prior to when world leaders were due in New York to talk about global poverty and United Nations reform, the United States was trying to renege on commitments to fight poverty. If this wasn't so gut-wrenchingly important to the one billion people in Africa, Latin America and Asia who subsist on barely anything, the U.S. proposal, presented by America's new UN ambassador, John Bolton, would be almost comical.

The leaders of more than 170 countries were to show up to sign an agreement, under negotiation for six months, to bolster the UN Millennium Declaration, which was drafted with great fanfare in 2000. Chief among the Millennium Declaration's goals was for developed countries, like the United States, Britain and France, to work toward giving 0.7 percent of their national incomes for development aid to poor countries by 2015. When America woke up to the financial obligations, President George W. Bush had a change of heart. The draft document that Bolton shared with other diplomats calls for striking almost all mentions of the Millennium Development Goals, which also call for poor countries to adopt good governance.

American officials at the United Nations also complain that the section on poverty is too long. And the United States wants to erase parts of the text that would ask countries to "achieve the target of 0.7 percent of gross national product for official development assistance by no later than 2015."

That’s the power the USA exercises over the UN. The expectations clearly demonstrate the depth to which they hold access. Of course, staunch right conservationists would argue, and even justify America’s decision, since for most extremes, financial growth is no more than a sample size of 1.

Iraq was clearly an Albatross around its neck. The UN also had to hang its head in shame in the dealings of Iraq, since it did not have much to boast about it being an uninfluenced decision.

When the US presented a formal draft to the Security Council, that stated military action against Iraq, the world shifted its eyes to the other permanent members. France, China and Russia were under an acute pressure. "You're either with us or against us," was the message that Washington sent out to the other permanent members.

With this delicate international dynamics, the US, after several weeks, decided to abate the draft (apparently), and this included tough weapons inspections with a threat of military force, meant as backup.

The US submitted its draft to negotiation with all 15 council nations to show its reluctant allies, France and Russia, that it had sufficient support for the resolution among the 10 non-permanent members.

After what happened with Iraq, its quite obvious as to what happened next. These are some of the luxurious stems of control that the US has. The UN and its bodies function almost independently. It’s a ridiculous method of functioning, considering the magnitude of implications a body such as the UN can have on the world.

Effectively, the US is the UN, even though several people would like to believe that the UN is a peacekeeping body. And that it is a boon to the world. They fail to accept that has an organizational flaw that can lead to its downfall – Lack of finance and transparency, which countries like the USA take full advantage of. The whole multilayered structure of the UN makes it susceptible to such global powers. We want to build uber optimistic bubbles of hope around us and ignore reality because it does not fit into the idealistic mould of thoughts. While we do this, sitting in a country that is so politically instable, America is already executing its blue print of how to take over the world.

Country Profile

2008-05-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Perhaps some of you are wondering what exactly a country profile should look like?
My advice to you would be to let lose the creativity (forgive the clichéd statement) and come up with something that’s not merely a compilation of mundane facts but a spirited composition of those essentials that make YOUR country unique in its own splendid and quirky way.

Have a look at the country profile that we (Dipti, Ajooni and I ) made for BMUN 2007. We were the delegates of Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Here are the general guidelines (which can also be found with the invite) that we ask you to follow while making your country profile:

COUNTRY PROFILE
Delegates are required to prepare a country profile; a document which covers in sufficient detail the following aspects of the country assigned to the delegation:
Geography
Location
physical or political divisions
physical features (Rivers, lakes, mountains and geological formations of note)
climate

History
A brief review of the history of the country with special mention of important leaders, pioneers and personalities of note and eras if any
Culture
People,
way of life,
food,
entertainment
structure of society

Government
Nature of system of governance
Structure of parliament or governing body

Defense
A review of the
Army
Air Force
Navy and
Internal Security
a mention of a military nuclear program if any

Economy
Nature of the economy
State of the economy
National income
Trade relations and strategic partnerships with other countries
Import and export policies

Foreign Policy
Relations with other countries with a special mention of partnerships, alliances or ongoing conflicts if any

Role in the UN
Role played by the country in question in the UN and
Contribution to UN peace keeping missions

The Country Profiles may be printed or handwritten and are to be submitted on the day of the Orientation on the 14th of June.
Delegates are strongly advised to used a variety of sources for their research and check the authenticity of any information used. Misrepresentation of facts will be penalized.
The country profiles will be judged on the level of understanding of the Country and its authentic portrayal, accuracy and relevance of facts and figures, illustrations, creativity and originality.

UN University!

2008-05-18T08:04:00.001-07:00

I don’t know why it hadnt occurred to me before that the United Nations must have a University! In a moment of randomness I googled it and it EXISTS! Of course it is a no frills course for post graduates only but the fact that it exists has put me over the moon and I wanted to share it with all of you.

“The UNU International Courses (UNU/IC) are organized annually for a select group of postgraduate students and professionals in various occupations (with a college or university degree) in Japan and abroad who wish to pursue careers in international fields in public-service or private organizations, including the United Nations, multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations, as well as national foreign service organizations.”

Courses to be offered:
I. Governance of Emerging Global Issues
II. Environmental Change: Managing Risks
III. Globalization and the Multilateral System
IV. International Trade and Development

“The work of UNU continues not only at the Headquarters in Tokyo, but all around the world. The key focus areas of peace and security; good governance; development and poverty reduction; science, technology and society; and environment and sustainability continue to draw attention to the most pressing issues facing the global community.”

Somalia

2008-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Land of The Ghost Poets, Somalia In The Present:

The cold war was a war without bloodshed, without gunfire and without the destruction of the lives of thousands of innocent by- standers. It was also one of the most hypocritical façades in recent history because while the former USSR and the USA remained fairly unscathed it left a trail of suffering and violence in a beautiful united African nation once referred to as the “land of poets” now doomed to resonate the hatred of the “land of enemies”.
The last stable government Somalia has seen was in the form of the President Mohamed Siad Barre. During his regime in the, bi-polar world, both sides tried greatly to gain control over the strategically located African- horn nation providing military, economic and diplomatic aid to an unstable government that chose to divide the united people of Somalia on the lines of their clans rather than bring them together based on their ethnic unity. Clan wars broke out and the brutality has never paused since then.
The human rights violations in Somalia are atrocious. From arrests of journalists to child abuse, the violence continues even a decade after the collapse of Siad Barre’s government.
Now Somalia is a war ravaged country, a shadow of its former self, devastated by unending famines and police brutality. After the collapse of the Somali government in 1991 and the bitter clan fighting that followed, Mogadishu fell under the control of warlords who terrorized civilians. Sun brazen teenagers with no education who had never witnessed anything but death used brute force and weapons; supplied by both the USA and Russia during the cold war period; to control the landscape.
Early last year the Islamic Courts Union, a coalition of businessmen, Mogadishu clan elders and militant Islamists unexpectedly defeated many of the warlords, some of whom were members of the Transitional Federal Parliament which is an interim Parliament of Somalia that was formed in neighboring Kenya in 2004.
Many Mogadishu residents welcomed the security brought by the Courts, but the aggressive, Islamist tendencies of some of its leaders and the threat they posed to the weak Transitional Federal Government alarmed regional and international observers.
This year has moved the country’s longstanding crisis into a new, chilling cycle of foreign intervention, relentless insurgency and brutal response. Since then food prices have soared in the beleaguered capital and the desperation arising from widespread hunger has made Mogadishu one of the most violent cities in Africa. People who survived sixteen years of war, statelessness and ruthless warlords are fleeing. Civilians are daily victims of the violence, including mass arrests, targeted killings, indiscriminate bombardment and attacks similar to those common in Iraq – remote-control explosives and suicide bombings – with even less reporting and international attention. Somalia’s crisis has been exacerbated by external factors and the threat now extends far beyond its borders threatening the stability of the entire African Horn.
Children play in the ruins of buildings in heart of Mogadishu. “This is no longer human,” said a Somali aid worker. “What you see around you is a whole city that is dying.” People are deliberately killed solely because they are members of a rival clan. Families are forcibly expelled from a town and stripped of their goods and livelihood simply because of their clan identity.
The words ‘mandamus’, ‘habeas corpus’ and ‘certiorari’ mean nothing to the people of Somalia. It has turned into a nation of suppressed, insecure, angry nationals just begging for the world to sit up and take notice. The freedoms and opportunities we so often take for granted are impossible dreams to some. The international community of today is thriving with political discussions and broad-minded views on development; yet, somewhere along the way Somalia got buried under the red African dust. We talk of values like equality and freedom but there is an entire nation that continues to self-destruct. While the developed nations fight new wars and the developing struggle to hold their ground, Somalia struggles to stay alive every moment of every day.
With the spread of diseases even the United Nations is finding itself ill equipped to handle the never ending tumult and turmoil of a once serene nation irrevocable turned incarnadine by differences that once never existed. If the world persists in turning a blind eye to the suffering of Somalia soon enough the only music heard from the Somali sands will be the echo of far away war drums and fire arms along empty streets.

Position Papers

2008-05-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an example of a Position Paper if you were wondering what it should look like. You neednt stick to this format but it should give you somewhere to start.

Good Luck!
~Dipti

Topic: Peace keeping post conflict.
Country: The People’s Republic Of China
Delegates: Dipti Ramesh and Aditi Verma.

Peace is the foundation for development while development is fundamental for peace.
“United Nations peacekeeping has gone through a period of extraordinary growth over the last 10 years” Said the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs however there is still the need for peace keeping efforts especially by the United Nations, after war and aggression.
Since its first dispatch of military observers to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in 1990, China has sent 3,362 military personnel to 14 UN peacekeeping operations. China now has more than 3,000 soldiers serving in UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sudan.
China believes very strongly in world peace. it is also keen on helping developing nations recover post war. Recently on the war in Iraq Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said, “China is willing to offer continued help to Iraq in its reconstruction.”
Peace is one of China’s prime concerns. As it is on the threshold of becoming a developed nation any conflict at the international level would be highly detrimental to China’s position. China is confident that a resolution can be passed to help in the development of war-stricken nations without compromising the sovereignty of member states.
Education and economic development remain perhaps the most important tools in ensuring peace after conflict. We must promote cultural studies at the primary school levels and together with the government, UN special agencies and NGO’s make our citizens aware of social and political issues.
China has made contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting international cooperation. On the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, China has developed friendly, cooperative relations with other countries and promoted peaceful coexistence and equal treatment among countries. China has adhered to the principle of being a friendly neighbor.
China has also expedited cooperation with a vast number of developing countries, to seek common development by drawing on one another's advantages within the South-South cooperation framework. Active in the settlement of serious international and regional problems, China is working hard to bring about a just and rational new international political and economic order, and stands for greater democracy in international relations.
China adheres to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and attaches great importance to the UN's role in international affairs. China vigorously promotes multilateral cooperation to settle regional conflicts and development problems, and actively supports the UN to play a greater role in international affairs. China backs up UN reform, and firmly helps safeguard its long-term interests and the common interests of its members. China has joined more than 130 inter-governmental international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is committed to 267 international multilateral treaties such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and actively participates in international cooperation in such fields as anti-terrorism, arms control, non-proliferation, peacekeeping, economy and trade, development, human rights, law-enforcement, and the environment.

In the years to come China will focus on:

- Striving for a peaceful international environment to develop itself, and promoting world peace through its own development;

- Achieving development by relying on itself, together with reform and innovation, while persisting in the policy of opening-up;

- Conforming to the trend of economic globalization, and striving to achieve mutually beneficial common development with other countries;

- Keeping in mind peace, development and cooperation, and, together with all other countries, devoting itself to building a harmonious world marked by sustained peace and common prosperity.

It has become the assiduously sought goal of the Chinese people to eliminate war, maintain peace, and build a country of independence and prosperity, and a comfortable and happy life for the people.
As such, the Peoples Republic Of China looks forward to offering its support, in whatever form possible, to nations firmly committed to ending violence in all its forms.

Black vs. Female vs. Republican (and the American dream thrown in)

2008-04-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hilary Clinton has discovered another fore father. This time, from Pennsylvania. Why, you ask? Because she desperately needs to save face now. Barack Obama, a black man (pardon my racist implications, unholy me!), with a middle name like Hussein and a last name that rhymes with Osama, is actually doing pretty well. And that's not altogether too surprising.
Like I was saying, Hilary Clinton has risen valiantly to the occasion, this time as a Working Class Heroine. Obama points out, very rightly, that she seems to discover roots all over the place. This time, it is a great grandfather who worked in mines in Pennsylvania. Hilary, during her childhood (I'm not making this one up, honest!), learned to fish, shoot and play cards and spent her time around men with names like "Old Hank". The Old Swank hung around with people named Old Hank.
Obama and Hilary, an African American man and a woman seem to be taking the elections by storm and that makes me suspicious. Both the Democratic candidates are far from typical (by American standards atleast). So what are they gearing up for? A new (pseudo) order? Or a Republican candidate? Is John McCain going to be put in the Oval Office at the end of it all?Someone pointed out in the article I was reading that the lady who grew up rough is now worth a hundred million dollars. Are people really foolish enough to fall for her sentimental prattle about the American dream?
Barack Obama seems to have good intentions, atleast, let's not think about where those always lead! He supported pastor Jeremiah Wright who blamed America for 9/11.But what good have good intentions ever done? Forty three people have been sworn into the Oval Office so far, but what changes have actually happened? A grand total of none. Which of the Presidents has actually been able to make life easier for the Hispanics and make living conditions in the ghettos a little better? Really makes you think, doesn't it? And what on earth is the American Dream?

MUN in a nutshell

2008-04-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

A Model United Nations, or a MUN, is a conference that simulates the working and functioning of the United Nations Organization. It follows the rules of parliamentary procedure, while encouraging thinking that's out-of-the-box. A MUN focuses on the functioning of the various organs of the United Nations, for example the Security Council, the ECOSOC, The General Assembly, etc. Each school is represented by a delegation that has been assigned a country that is a member of the United Nations. The participants need to be fully aware of the policies of their country - pertaining to both internal and external affairs. They must possess a clear understanding of the problems faced by their nation - locally, nationally, and on a multi-national level. This will allow them to involve themselves fully in the heated debates that take place during the sessions of their assembly.
A MUN encourages students to assert themselves, while also learning that conflict can be resolved by co-operation and compromise can be achieved. They are required to defend their country and stand by its policies. They are under constant fire, and face criticism accordingly. In this manner, they learn to become open to points of view other than their own. Greater challenges must be overcome when a student's personal stand contradicts that of the country he must represent, and one must adopt a convincing line of argument nonetheless.
The debating aspect of a session of a MUN is a prelude to the main objective: the framing and passing of a resolution. Once all arguments have been heard and censured or praised, regarding each item on the agenda, those delegates who have made the greatest impact must garner what support they can for their proposed resolution. All resolutions are written and presented according to parliamentary procedure as well, and then they are discussed. The passed resolution is the one that the most number of delegates find agreeable. This depends upon whether voting for it is in order with each country's foreign policy. In this way, a delegate learns to integrate ideas in such a way that it becomes acceptable to most others, while not losing their long-term objective in the aim to please all.
The RotoMUN 2008 has been organized by a group of dedicated students working with the Rotary Club of Bangalore West. They are experienced MUNners, who wish to promote this activity as they feel that MUNning has brought about a positive and definitive change in their quickness of thought, their diplomacy and their inter-personal skills. A person who leaves a MUN is distinctly different from a one who entered it. A MUN refines a student's oratorical skills and diplomacy, it gets a student in touch with pressing current issues and hones his researching skills, then tests the limits to which his knowledge can be applied by making him think on his feet. It encourages students to stand up, speak up, and lead by building upon their confidence. It exposes them to the flaws in the system, and it pushes them to find their own solutions. By changing the very perspectives of the students, a MUN sets students up to change the world.