VianuMUN 2023

Topic

Combating the Threat of Bio-Terrorism after the Covid-19 Pandemic

About the committee

The Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) is the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The committee concerns itself with questions of international importance regarding the security and demilitarization throughout all countries and regions, along with ensuring that citizens across the globe remain protected. This Vianu MUN’s edition DISEC topic is combating the Threat of Bio-Terrorism after the Covid-19 Pandemic. Bioterrorism is the deliberate use of biological agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi) to harm or just frighten the people. It is related to the military use of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. Attacks with biological agents are among the most dangerous and deceptive among the other forms of attacks aforementioned. Attacks could occur without being detected for a long time, potentially exposing a vast number of people, who are unaware of the threat. The United Nations remains on the forefront of the fight against bio-terrorism, passing resolutions and calling on states to do more to ensure their citizens safety. We need you, esteemed delegates, to solve, once forever, this issue! Join this challenge by signing up for the DISEC committee!

Countries

Topic

Discussing the Ethics of the Recent Feminist Waves

About the committee

The Third Committee of the General Assembly, also known as the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee or SOCHUM, focuses on issues dealing with fundamental human rights and operates with the goal of designing peaceful settlements for issues within the large spectrum of social, humanitarian, and cultural complications in the international community. As the first two feminist waves had clear and quantifiable objectives that mainly targeted legislative changes, there were also issues within the movement, seeing that their institutional victories weren’t available for all women. Because of this, the third wave of feminism represented a new ideal that was based on more complex principles, such as intersectionality, criticizing ,,white feminism” and its history of segregating other people affected by patriarchy from the mainstream movement. The third-wave feminist’s self-expression differed, protesting loudly against the patriarchy and reclaiming their sexuality. The fourth wave isn’t so much of a shift as the continued growth of the third wave, surrounding the MeToo movement and a resurgence of attacks on women’s rights. The last two feminist waves bewildered people that initially supported the movement, considering it radical and arguing that it is clashing with many principles of early feminism, especially with the idea of resisting traditional femininity. As with every wave before them, the third and fourth waves are complex, encompassing many movements that both complement and clash with each other. If you're interested in debating this highly controversial topic while having a true learning experience, join the SOCHUM Committee!

Countries

Topic

Discussing the Legal and Moral Implications of Human Cloning

About the committee

The Legal committee is the Sixth committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations. It deals primarily with legal matters and is the primary forum for the consideration of international law and other legal matters concerning the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly has a specific responsibility to foster the gradual development of public international law, according to Article 13 of the UN Charter, it shall work with “supporting the gradual development of international law and its codification." Following precedent, this provision has been understood as a broad authorization to draft new treaties on a wide range of topics, adopt them, and recommend them to governments for signature, ratification, and accession. While international law-making conversations take place in a variety of United Nations specialised bodies depending on their actual subject area, those connected to general international law are normally held at the Sixth Committee. The Legal Committee has universal membership, which means that all United Nations member states are de jure members of the Sixth Committee. Human Cloning is a complicated subject in our social climate, considering the different approaches around the globe of this issue and its moral and legal implications. During these 3 days of intense debate, you will need to use your skills to support your country’s views over the matter and reach a satisfying conclusion for all states involved. We are sure you will bring up strong arguments in regards to this delicate topic and we are eager to see the debate unfold!

Countries

Topic

Addressing the Ongoing Syrian Civil War

About the committee

The United Nations Security Council is one of the main organs of the UN. It is tasked with ensuring peace, allowing new members into the UN and making changes to the UN Charter. It can be convened at any time when a problem arises that breaches international security and peace, and it has power to exert its will upon any country that is a UN member, being the only committee of the UN that can directly enforce its wishes upon other countries. The world is split apart various international conflicts, but sometimes the most dangerous crises are the internal ones. The Syrian civil war is an ongoing multi-sided civil war in Syria fought between the Syrian Arab Republic led by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad (supported by domestic and foreign allies) and various domestic and foreign forces that oppose both the Syrian government and each other, in varying combinations. Come delegates and find a way out of this wormhole together through various solutions, compromises, betrayals and of course arguments! So what are you waiting for? Join the Security Council!

Countries

Topic

Counterfeit Currency and Security Documents

About the committee

Join the INTERPOL Committee for an overwhelmingly interactive experience, connecting the police webs on an international level, and tracking down world wide operations, with unique solutions and unexpected outcomes! Fake currency undermines economies while fraudulent identity documents give criminals freedom of movement, however tracking down the illegal factions, that are falsifying these, often proves even harder. Counterfeiting has been considered a crime dating back to antiquity. Today, the scope is wider, the impact greater, the tools more readily available and the techniques increasingly sophisticated. If left unchecked, the circulation of counterfeit currency can undermine national economies, weaken financial institutions and jeopardize people’s livelihoods. It fuels the underground economy and finances the activities of organized criminal networks and terrorists. The fraudulent use of identity and travel documents – whether they are counterfeit, forged or simply unofficial – is a major threat to both individuals and society as a whole. Recent developments in photographic, computer and printing technologies, along with the availability of low-cost equipment, have made forgery much easier. Can you unfold the mysteries that hide in the shadows, sneaking right under the police’s noses?

Countries

Topic

The Prosecutor v. Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi

About the committee

Established by the Rome Statute in 1998 and seated in The Hague, Netherlands, The International Criminal Court is the only international court with jurisdiction to judge and prosecute individuals for international crimes of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity. Therefore, at Vianu MUN 2023 we will be looking upon the situation in Libya (The Prosecutor v. Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi). The case goes back to February 2011, when anti-government rallies started taking place in Benghazi, due to the oppressive regime and the arrest of a human rights lawyer. Protesters called Gaddafi, the leader of the country, to step down and to release the political prisoners, but instead, Libyan security forces used water cannons and rubber bullets against the crowds, which resulted in several people being injured. The situation worsened, demonstrators taking control of Benghazi and extending the protests to Tripoli. As a result, the Libyan Government began using lethal force against people, firing live ammunition, using tanks, artillery, warplanes, and helicopter gunships to deter the crowds. Thousands of people died, went missing, or were wounded. Although Saif Al-Islam had no official position, not only was he considered to be the second most influential person in the country, but he also had the power of a de facto prime minister, meaning that he could exercise control over crucial parts of the state apparatus. Now it’s your chance to share your take on the case, by being either a judge, or an advocate, at Vianu MUN 2023!

Countries