Background Guide - TJHSST Activities

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TechMUN 2015
Global Health Summit 2050
Thomas Jefferson High School Model United Nations Conference
TechMUN 2015
High School General Assembly
Chair: Will Ryu
Chair: Kritika Singh
TechMUN at Stuart Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart
High School Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
TechMUN 2015
Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisers,
My name is Will Ryu, and I will be one your
chairs for the Global Health Summit 2050 Committee for
TechMUN 2015. To introduce myself, I am currently a
junior at TJHSST and have been participating in Model
UN since 9th grade. This year, I am one of two Historians
for TJMUN, so you may have seen me running around
with a camera at various conferences such as
WMHSMUN, CHMUN, & ILMUNC. Beyond TJMUN,
I am the Photography Editor and Head Photographer for TJ Media, am the General Managing Coordinator
for a upperclassmen-underclassmen mentoring program called BigSibs at TJ, lead the Global Health
Initiative club at TJ with Kritika as the Vice-President, and am a part of the TJ 2016 Class Council as
Historian. Outside of school, I work with Kritika for our Malaria Free World non-profit as the Chief
Marketing Officer, and lead a volunteer orchestra for students of all ages across the county.
Academically, I am interested in international relations and global policy, and hope to major in
international relations in college.
For the duration of the conference, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. As
much as we expect that all delegates maintain a degree of professionalism throughout the weekend, we
want to make sure that it is a fun and memorable experience for all of you. We are extremely excited to
see cooperative collaboration, and hear insightful ideas regarding the issues mentioned. If you have any
questions or concerns prior to the conference, please contact me through email or through TJMUN
representatives!
Sincerely,
Will Ryu, Chair
TechMUN 2015
willryu0122@gmail.com
Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisers,
I am so excited to welcome you to the
Global Health Summit 2050 at TechMUN 2015!
My name is Kritika and I, along with my incredible
co-chair Will, am delighted to serve as your chairs
for an unforgettable conference. A bit about myself
is that I am a junior at TJHSST and have been
doing MUN since 7th grade. This year, I am a
Fundraising Coordinator for TJMUN and help out
with raising money for the club as well as local charities. Outside of MUN, I am the President of
the Global Health Initiative club at TJ, am on the Varsity Tennis team, am a choreographer for
Bollywood Dance, and am the founder of Malaria Free World, a non-profit organization aimed at
raising awareness about malaria research through educational events. My research interests lie in
infectious diseases and health policy and hope to end up in a major research lab in the future.
In committee this weekend, we will specifically be examining your diplomacy,
cooperation, and general knowledge of global health. Please come prepared to debate, discuss,
and collaborate. In the mean time, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to me
through email!
Looking forward to seeing you all in April!
Sincerely,
Kritika Singh, Chair
kritika.singh2016@gmail.com
TechMUN 2015
The Cold War inspired a new interest in
Topic A: Biological Warfare
Background:
germ warfare, with the UK, USSR, and US
all investing heavily in research and
development.
The Oxford dictionary as defines
biological warfare as “the use of toxins of
biological origin or microorganisms as
weapons of war.” There have been many
instances of biological weapon usage
throughout history, but in more recent times,
biological warfare has risen from relative
obscurity to a highly contested issue around
the world. Manufacturing of biological
weapons peaked during the Cold War but
since then there have been many concerted
efforts to decommission weapons
[2]
.
In 1972, the UK, USSR, and USA
signed the Convention on the Prohibition of
the Development, Production and
Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological)
and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction
[2]
. This was also known as the Biological
Weapons Convention (BWC). The BWC
outlawed the production of biological
weapons, however, some countries abuse the
convention and fail to disclose their
operations in the international community
[6]
.
Biological weapons have been used
throughout ancient and recent history. It is
thought that in 400 BC, Scythian archers
dipped their arrowheads into decomposing
bodies in order to spread disease. It is also
well known that during World War I, the
Germans used mustard gas, however, they
also conspired to unleash diseases such as
Anthrax and Cholera on the opposing troops
[2]
. Similarly, in World War II, the United
Kingdom, United States, and Canada came
Problems & Perspectives
The problem posed by biological
weapons is complex as it encompasses
attempts to ensure biological disarmament
under the BWC [6]. The prohibition on the
use of biological weapons in the Geneva
Protocol remains the international standard,
which is the proliferation of capabilities, is
not transformed into actual weapons [6].
together to develop a weapon form of
Anthrax, which, hopefully was not used [6].
TechMUN 2015
Overall, we can see that there are no easy
[3]
options to the biological warfare problem.
biological weapons are relatively easy to
Recently, the failure of the BWC
. Coupled with this is the fear that
manufacture, compared to other weapons of
protocol negotiations has had three
mass destruction, which makes them all the
immediate impacts on the global
more worrying.
community: first, diplomacy among the
Each of these problems needs to be
states parties to the Convention has shown
addressed in order to ensure that the
few signs of being overcome in the next few
framework prohibiting the use of biological
years; second, the aspirations of states
weapons is not to be eroded in the future.
parties that supported the BWC have
How should we tackle these impending
dissipated and there is now a lack of
problems? Some possible ideas would be
ambition; third, states have been forced to
developing a new way of thinking about the
consider other means to address the
problems biological weapons pose and how
biological weapons problem, but most do
such issues can be dealt with and how such
not have meaningful ideas.
issues can be managed. Another idea could
Today, at least two countries (USSR
be to develop a strategy to overcome
and the USA) retain sample of smallpox, but
political difficulties at the international
in secure research centers [6]. Smallpox can
level. Lastly, there needs to be some long-
be particularly devastating, which is why the
term efforts to prevent the development and
WHO keeps around 200 to 300 million
use of biological weapons by any one under
vaccines in storage as precaution. A major
any circumstances.
issue is that biological weapons can be
Questions To Consider:
easily hidden or disguised which makes it
1. Should the UN consider increasing
very difficult to act internationally against
its Biological Warfare policies? If so,
them. Additionally, compared to other
how?
global issues, there is fairly little
involvement of Non-Governmental
2. How can your specific country
impact the biological weapon policy?
Organizations in Biological Warfare debates
TechMUN 2015
Topic B: Population Control
Background:
By definition, population control
refers to “a policy of attempting to limit the
growth in numbers of a population,
especially in poor or densely populated parts
apparent than ever that a solution to ethical
population control is needed – the overall
global population is increasing at a faster
rate than it ever has, and the available
resources are not expected to be sufficient in
efficiently sustaining projected populations
[6]
of the world, by programmes of
.
Historically, population control
contraception or sterilization”[4]. This idea
has been present in our international
community for centuries, steadily
developing its aspects with regard to new
research findings and changing societal
beliefs. Though some approach this topic
from a completely statistical and scientific
standpoint, others are more psychologically
cautious, taking into account the ethics
affiliated with the idea that human
populations should have the ability to
control its own size. Debates are constantly
held regarding the ethics of population
control as new science-fiction books and
laboratory research findings are published.
But, no global consensus has been reached
regarding the extent to which the human
race should scientifically alter its future.
However, with that said, it is currently more
usually occurred without intent.
Furthermore, population control is not solely
achieved through scientific and statistical
means. Wars, famines, and disease
outbreaks all contribute to the overall sense
of population “control”. However, in recent
decades, scientific population control has
become an ever-popular solution to solving
many global issues such as: widespread
famine and clean water scarcity. With that
said, several organizations are currently in
place to monitor world populations, with
many others attempting to develop an ethical
method of regulating the population increase
rates.
Problems & Perspectives
When discussing the topic of
population control, regional and
TechMUN 2015
international perspectives are of equal
Contraceptive medication/devices and
importance. To start off with the perspective
permanent sterilization operations are all
from the Asian continent: many families and
examples of how scientific research impacts
individuals are at stake. With series of
population control. With that said – is it in
revisions continually being made to the 1979
the moral interests of the human race to
one-child policy, China has endured much
continually force change upon our
turmoil due to resource shortages, gender
population sizes?
ratio imbalance, and continual overcrowding
Questions To Consider:
[8] [9]
. In contrast, South Korea and Japan
1. To what extent should research be
have a different set of problems. Though
done to scientifically regulate global
efforts were made after participation in the
populations?
20th century wars to reduce family sizes,
both nations now share the problem of low
2. What specific moral issues exist
with the research done?
birth rates. For Japan’s case specifically,
3. How can all of the aforementioned
there is actually a problem of a declining
related issues be addressed without
population size. For South Korea, low
inflicting the sovereignty of
fertility is a problem shared with many other
individual nations?
nations in the global community [7].
In Southeast Asia, natural disasters
continually impact overcrowded populations
[5]
. In most of Europe, a somewhat different
problem is being faced: immigration from
Northern African states is causing for
overcrowding, and a sudden change in ratio
between local natives and immigrant
populations. Internationally as a whole, all
countries face the same problem of scientific
control over the global population.
TechMUN 2015
Works Cited
[1] "Biological Warfare: Get Facts on Examples and History." EMedicineHealth. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 Feb. 2015.
[2] "Biological Weapon." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
21 Feb. 2015.
[3] "Biosecurity and Biodefense Resource - Federation of American Scientists." Biosecurity and
Biodefense Resource - Federation of American Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
[4] Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/population+control>.
[5] Ehrlich, Paul R. "Population and “Natural” Disasters."
http://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/population-and-natural-disasters/. Millenium Alliance for
Humanity and Biosphere, 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/population-and-natural-disasters/>.
[6] Frischknecht, Friedrich. "The History of Biological Warfare." EMBO Reports. Nature
Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
[7] Haub, Carl. "Did South Korea's Population Policy Work Too Well?" PRB. PRB, n.d. Web. 21
Feb. 2015. <http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2010/koreafertility.aspx>.
[8] Larson, Christina. "Why China's Second-Baby Boom Might Not Happen." Bloomberg
Business. Bloomberg L.P., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-08-01/with-end-of-chinas-one-childpolicy-there-hasnt-been-a-baby-boom>.
[9] Mason, Colin. "The China Model: Looking at Population Control." Crisis Magazine. 2015
Crisis Magazine, 9 June 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/the-china-model-a-closer-look-at-populationcontrol>.
[10] "One World, One Community." Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical
Medicine. Tulane University, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.sph.tulane.edu/publichealth/students/images/SGHS_LOGO_2.png>.
TechMUN 2015

Background Guide - TJHSST Activities

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