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The 3rd Asia Pacific Model United Nations (APMUN) 2008 was held in Incheon, South Korea. That year, nearly 200 delegates from Korea and over 30 other countries around the world attended the APMUN to address urgent global issues through debate and negotiation in the spirit of the United Nations. The 2008 conference was organized by the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Ewha Womans University and Incheon Metropolitan City.
The 2008 conference was composed of four themes: Ensuring the future against threats of climate change; strategies for poverty reduction through diminishing the risk of disasters; advancing towards a knowledge-based economy; and regional collaboration to stop human trafficking. Since the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to reduce global poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women by 2015, the global community has reached the midpoint of this development plan. The underlying purpose of this 2008 conference is to reevaluate the past course of our actions and draw effective approaches to materialize the MDGs.
Participants gained insight and inspiration from discussions over those critical global issues. Moreover, the conference was also complimented by a range of carefully chosen social events, providing abundant opportunities for networking among students from various countries, entertainment and sampling of the local culture. The conference presents a high respect for cultural diversity, interactive training on procedure and communication skills for participants, and keenly emphasizes delegate welfare.
To visit the APMUN 2008 Website, please click here >>
To read the Incheon Declaration, please click here >>
To read the APMUN Report, please click here >>
In celebration of WFUNA’s 60th anniversary in 2006, the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations (IFUNA) kindly offered to host the second WFUNA Asia and Pacific Regional Model UN Conference in New Delhi , from 9-12 February 2006. As with the first WFUNA regional Model UN conference, successfully hosted by UNA-China in 2004, the conference in India simulated the UN Economic and Social Commission of the Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) and focused on the Millennium Development Goals.The WFUNA 2nd Asia -Pacific Model United Nations Conference was sponsored by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, UNA-USA and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
Young people in the WFUNA-Youth network actively participated. As far as practicable, the Model UN Conference is a student-led event. More than 100 participants from 14 countries participated in the Model UN conference. Each UNA in the Asia and Pacific region was invited to bring a delegation of 5 people – composed of a representative of the UNA and four university students.
Conference Description
The Model UN conference was a simulation of the 53 member Commission of ESCAP, together with its three committees on Poverty Reduction, Emerging Social Issues and Managing Globalization. This event had the active support of UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown and ESCAP Executive Secretary, Mr Kim Hak-Su.
The aims were to promote Asian/Pacific regional cooperation, educational opportunities and networking among university students, fostering their skills in research, advocacy and negotiation by focusing their attention on the critical trade and development issues associated with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
By linking the Model UN conference to the MDGs, students were encouraged to see their activities as an integral part of the Global Millennium Campaign. Participants gained:
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Knowledge of how the UN and the World Bank work with governments, civil society and corporate sector to achieve the MDGs
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Understanding of the strategic, political, economic and commercial issues that are being debated and need to be resolved if the Goals are to be achieved
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Skills to research, analyze, debate and negotiate on issues relating to the Goals
The policy issues related to the Millennium Development Goals are complex and touch on a myriad of domestic policy issues, legal provisions, institutional issues and political interests. The first step for students to take were to research all the factors that can have a bearing on the policy decision-making process at home and abroad of the country that they are required to represent. A range of government regulations and actions affect the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals - including standards in areas such as health, education and the environment; regulations covering services such as provision of water, energy, banking and telecommunications; competition policy and laws concerning bribery and corruption, agricultural support programs; and industrial subsidies.
Students came to the conference equipped to participate in negotiations that encompass the whole analysis, advocacy and negotiating chain that lead to international agreements on issues relating to trade and development.
Many world leaders and corporate executives cite Model UN as a formative experience that affected their career choices and worldviews. While MUN creates connections between participants, it fosters important skills in public relations and negotiation that are crucial in today's competitive job market.
It is proposed to optimize the use of information and communication technologies in the preparation, conduct and follow-up of the Asia/Pacific Model UN. Among the many reasons for doing so is to highlight the relevance of efforts to bridge the digital divide for the alleviation of poverty: this will be one of the sub-themes of the conference. The website will be a world online forum, through which students throughout the region may participate in debates before, during and after the conference. The website will enable students to register online, network with each other and serve as an exemplary data base for up-to-date and authoritative papers on all the issues relating to the Millennium Development Goals through to 2015.
University students from countries in Asia and pacific region which have, or are in the process of establishing, United Nations Associations were participating: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Mongolia, New Zealand, United States and Vietnam.
To read the Beijing Declaration, please click here>>>
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The organizers of GYAN, together with staff and interns from WFUNA have collaborated on creating a special discussion forum on the "TakingITGlobal" (www.takingitglobal.org) website specifically for APMUN participants. TakingItGlobal - connecting young people on global issues, the world's most popular on-line community for young people interested in making a difference (play the MDG game while you are there!)
This page provided a venue for delegates to:
- Discuss the theme of the conference (The Millennium Development Goals: Strengthening Human Security in Asia) and related issues
- Explore ideas that they have been researching
- Test their knowledge of the MDGs, ESCAP and their assigned countries
- Come-up with an action-plan for the conference
- Strengthen country positions
- Begin getting to know each other before arriving in India
Each week, two specific questions was posted, and the discussions was centered on these. In addition, in the final days of the discussion (which should last about 3 weeks total, ending on 6 February). The participants have discussed and shared their ideas actively with the others and got to know each other before they met in New Delhi.
At the closing of APMUN, WFUNA gave a special prize to the delegation that was the most active in this forum.
The Simulation: UN Economic and Social Commission for the Asia and Pacific (ESCAP)
The APMUN conferences are a simulation of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
ESCAP headquarters are located in the United Nations Building, Bangkok, Thailand. The website is http://www.unescap.org/
The functions of ESCAP include:
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Promoting economic and social development through regional and subregional cooperation and integration;
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Serving as the main economic and social development forum within the United Nations system for the UNESCAP region;
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Formulating and promoting development assistance activities and projects commensurate with the needs and priorities of the region while acting as an executing agency for relevant operational projects;
1. COMMITTEE ON POVERTY REDUCTION
Poverty is the leading development challenge facing developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, with two thirds of the world’s poor living in this region. The urgent need for effective action on poverty reduction is reflected in the United Nations millennium development goals, which call for the proportion of people living in extreme poverty to be halved by the year 2015. Poverty is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon with complex and interlinked issues requiring an integrated focus on economic, social and environmental areas.
The goal of the Committee is to enable the member states of ESCAP to better design and implement pro-poor policies and strategies to attain the Millennium Development Goals. Under the overall supervision of the Commission, the Committee shall:
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Review the progress made and obstacles encountered in achieving both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the relevant Millennium Development Goals.
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Analyse global and regional trends and developments, including emerging economic and social issues, which have an impact on poverty levels in the region, with a special focus on recommending policy options that support pro-poor economic growth and prevent social inequities.
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Promote the exchange of experiences and the transfer of best practices on poverty reduction, as well as human and institutional capacity-building, with special emphasis on:
(a) Integrating poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental protection;
(b) Integrating poverty reduction and population dynamics and migration;
(c) Strengthening the economic and social position of the poor through a needs-, development- and rights-based approach; (d) Enhancing the participation of the poor in decision-making through community-based organizations;
(e) Fostering sustainable and affordable information and communications technology focused on the needs of the poor.
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Strengthen liaison with governmental and non-governmental, regional and bilateral organizations as well as private sector entities to support poverty reduction policies and strategies that maximize synergies and avoid duplication of effort.
2. COMMITTEE ON MANAGING GLOBALIZATION
The process of globalization has profound, and still unfolding, implications for the region’s economic and social development. The challenge is how to manage globalization effectively by formulating and implementing effective policies to seize the new opportunities while minimizing inevitable costs.
In this context, the Committee on Managing Globalization shall address issues within the focused subprogramme areas of (a) international trade and investment, (b) transport infrastructure and facilitation and tourism, (c) environment and sustainable development and (d) information, communications and space technology.
Under the overall supervision of the Commission, the Committee shall:
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Review and analyse emerging economic issues and their implications for the region and recommend policy guidelines which could be considered for adoption by Governments.
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Review and analyse trends and developments in order to raise understanding of the implications of World Trade Organization agreements, and recommend appropriate activities to strengthen capacities of countries to participate actively in international trade negotiations.
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Promote the exchange of experiences and the sharing of best practices in investment promotion and facilitation and strengthen countries in building capacity in support of enterprise and entrepreneurship development, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
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Promote further development of sustainable tourism by strengthening capacities of human resources and institutions and promoting regional cooperation.
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Serve as a catalyst for action in formulating and implementing transport initiatives with a particular focus on the Asian Highway, the Trans-Asian Railway and the development of intermodal transport linkages to improve access to domestic and global markets.
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Review and assess the state of the environment in the region and highlight the major environmental considerations with a view to encouraging the integration of such concerns into development policies, strategic plans and programs at the macroeconomic and sectoral levels.
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Assist in capacity-building, formulation and implementation of strategies and action plans for sustainable use of natural resources, particularly water resources, with a special focus on problems of water quality and access to safe drinking water for the poor.
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Strengthen national capacities in preventing, mitigating and managing water-related disasters and in combating land degradation, desertification and the negative effects of climate change.
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Promote capacity-building in sustainable energy development through policy advice, human resources development and exchange of information.
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Promote the development of information and communications technology (ICT) transfer and application, particularly through regional cooperation and networking of governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations for the benefit and mainstreaming of developing economies and economies in transition
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Review and analyse major development trends so as to anticipate and identify emerging social development challenges and issues having an impact on the Asian and Pacific region, focusing on socially vulnerable groups, including women, youth, people with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, the ageing population, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDS.
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Promote social policy development and the mainstreaming of social dimensions in national development programs.
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Promote the goals of Education for All, particularly through mainstreaming education in all relevant programs, especially for socially vulnerable groups.
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Recommend appropriate national capacity-building strategies at all levels for improving the development and delivery of basic social services such as education, health and nutrition, removing barriers to equal participation and threats to human security, focusing on disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, in tackling persistent and emerging social issues.
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Recommend multisectoral strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, including preventive education and public awareness programs.
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