Westlake+MUN+2011

toc = Westlake Conference - 2011 =

//By Cindy Lee//

On November 11th,, Maple Leaf Model United Nations (MUN) club members headed to the West Lake MUN conference which was held and organized by Hangzhou International School (HIS). In this conference MUN members took part in different simulations of the UN councils including the Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, Advisory Panel, Economic and Social Council and the Arab League with students from schools across China. Each of these forums debated issues that the world now faces.

In the Security Council, delegates (the representatives of countries) discussed issues related to peacekeeping. Thus, during the West Lake MUN Conference, the topic debated was the situation in Somalia. Maple-Leafers in the council were excited and confident about their resolutions which explained how they would solve the Somali problem, at first. However, the Permanent 5 (the founding members of the UN: England, Russia, China, the USA and France, also called as P5) vetoed all clauses except for one. The P5 explained that the solutions suggested by the resolution had been already suggested, tested and failed. Wounded in their first debate, Maple-Leafers learned that it was crucial to be prepared for the veto power of the P5.

The Advisory Panel is to provide advice to the Security Council, which they did at the end of the conference. The students in that forum were different experts on varying issues. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is another forum in which delegates debated issues such as drug trafficking, the protection of journalists and preventing the spread of diseases such as E-coli.

In the General Assembly (GA), students discussed almost every current issue. Maple Leaf students who were in the GA can now give some tips for future MUNers; students must know their countries and resolutions well enough to be able to answer questions about them. Also, they recommend thorough research on each topic because otherwise they won’t be able to participate, or even worse, they could be embarrassed when the Chair randomly calls them to come up front and state their positions. They should also know about the different relationships among countries in the GA so their participation can be more authentic.

In the Arab League, the most professional delegates did great jobs in representing their own countries. The members of the Arab League held different or similar religious beliefs so the students had to be careful not to offend others. The main issue debated was the Syrian Crisis. On the second day, the Arab League actually temporarily suspended Syrian membership because of its violation of human rights. The delegate of Syria responded to this rather unexpected event in a diplomatic way and thus was complimented by all participants in the forum.

West Lake MUN is often regarded as a learning conference. That is because most of the participants are attending a MUN conference for the first time. Chairs, the moderators of sessions and debates, and staff are friendly and the conference is more informal and comfortable than formal and strict. Therefore, there are some activities in the conference that help students to become familiar with parliamentary procedures and debate forms. In “fun debates,” students discussed topics such as ‘should exes stay as friends’, ‘better toilet: western or eastern’ or ‘hip hop or rock’, using the formal language and procedure of a conference. There were some controversial debates as well. Forums also were surprised with a “crisis debate,” about an imaginary 8.7 earthquake that had struck Iran and possibly done damage to a nuclear reactor. As part of the situation, Iran asserted that it had no damage, while Israel announced that actions should be taken in Iran to protect the environment.

During a rather short conference, maple leaf MUN team members learned a great deal of facts and experienced things that aren’t offered in regular classes. Mr. Whitehead, the teacher of International Relations 12, said “ The Model United Nations (MUN) trip to Hangzhou was a smashing success this year! 16 of your fellow Maple Leaf students travelled to Hangzhou International School (HIS) and debated current events with other students from across China and around the world. Our school was represented very professionally by all our delegates, who also learned an incredible amount about parliamentary debate. I know this trip was a success, because once we returned, all the students wanted to do was to share everything they had seen and done with the rest of their class! I can't wait for my next trip to BeiMUN in March .” As he said, the West Lake conference was a big achievement and all members of DMLIS MUN club look forward to future conferences.

Issues that were debated at the 2011 Westlake MUN Conference
The issues for this year's conference were chosen by the members of the Model UN Club at Hangzhou International School. They are listed below.

General Assembly 1:

 * Ensuring the Security of Nuclear Weapons
 * Promoting Disarmament
 * The Prevention of the Spread of Arms to Young Adults

**General Assembly 3:**

 * Protection of the Legal Rights of Children
 * Providing Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities
 * The Promotion of Peace through Sport

Economic and Social Council

 * Improving Measures to Prevent the Spread of Diseases such as E-Coli
 * Prevention of Drug Trafficking
 * Protection of Journalists

Human Rights Council

 * The Use of the Military Against Civilian Protests
 * Forced Displacement of People by their Government
 * Human Rights in Business in an Era of Globalisation

Security Council

 * Situation in Somalia
 * Situation in the South China Sea
 * Reform of the Security Council

**Advisory Panel: Horn of Africa**

 * Combating Malnourishment
 * Ensuring the Protection of Women and Children Refugees
 * On the question of Militant Groups

**Arab League**

 * Formulating strategies to promote the tourism industry in the Arab world for the purpose of stimulating economic growth
 * The housing issue of settlement on the West Bank
 * Considering the impact and the future of alternative energy sources on oil-producing and non-oil-producing members of the League
 * Considering expansion of the Arab Charter on Human Rights with special regard for the prevention of exploitation, trafficking, and abuse of children

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