General Assembly Plenary
I. Implementing the Durban Declaration: Measuring Progress Toward Eliminating Racism and Intolerance
II. Ensuring Global Food Security
III. Examining the Role of Women in the International Security System

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
I. Bridging the Digital Divide Among Member States
II. Establishing Best Practices for Primary Education in Math and the Sciences
III. Utilizing the Culture of Peace to Prevent Conflict

World Health Organization
I. Addressing Chronic Cardiovascular and Lifestyle-Related Diseases
II. Addressing Food Safety
III. Accelerating Progress Against Neglected Tropical Diseases

Conference on Disarmament*
I. Draft Convention on the Regulation of Small-Scale Nuclear Weapons and Radiological Devices
II. Evaluating Restrictions on the Testing and Use of Ballistic Missiles
III. Addressing the Need for Small Arms Control in Post-Conflict Zones

Commission on Narcotic Drugs
I. Narcotics and Conflict Zones
II. Strengthening of the United Nations Machinery for Illicit Narcotics Control
III. Addressing the Social and Economic Factors of Narcotic Production

United Nations Environment Programme
I. Evaluating Environmental Crisis Response throughout the UN System
II. Assessing Efforts to Promote Future Global Biodiversity
III. Strengthening and Promoting Best Practices for the Reduction of the Worldwide Carbon Footprint

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
I. Increasing Economic Security and Development through Innovation and Production of Alternative Energy Sources
II. Promoting the Standard of Living Throughout Pacific Island Countries and Territories Through Sustainable Urban Development
III. Expanding the Objectives of the Tsunami Regional Trust Fund

International Law Commission*
I. Immunity from Prosecution for State Officials and Heads of State
II. Addressing Rights to Shared Natural Resources
III. Evaluating the Treatment and Protections of Prisoners of War and Unlawful Combatants

League of Arab States
I. Promoting Economic Integration Among Arab States
II. Implementing tools to combat the illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons throughout the Middle East
III. Developing a pan-Arab Response to Requests for Extradition and Repatriation of International Criminals

Security Council*
The Security Council will have an open agenda.

* Conference on Disarmament, International Law Commission, and Security Council are single-delegate committees. All other committees allow up to two delegates to represent each country.

Topic Descriptions

General Assembly Plenary
Implementing the Durban Declaration: Measuring Progress Toward Eliminating Racism and Intolerance
Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations (UN) has been committed to protecting the citizens of the international community from unwarranted pain and suffering. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, great strides have been taken by the international community to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. In 1997, the General Assembly decided in resolution 52/111 to hold a world conference in Durban, South Africa from August 31 to September 7, 2001, to discuss the injustices plaguing the world surrounding racism and intolerance. Member States, representatives of NGOs, and businesses met to show their concern and hope for a comprehensive plan of action to eliminate all forms of racism, discrimination, and intolerance, protocols and definitions that had already been established by the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in June of 1993.
Ensuring Global Food Security
As the global population increases, food resources are more strained. The current global economic crisis has created a disastrous mix of high food prices and reduced ability to buy necessities. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has committed to helping those who are vulnerable to the food crisis. He also pointed out the different factors that have lead to the current food crisis, including the “inability of farmers to produce enough food to meet demand, with volatile markets offering prices that are sometimes too low to cover their costs, seeds and fertilizers being too expensive, and trading systems often hobbling their access to markets at the right price.” The Secretary-General has made it clear that this crisis is a major destabilizing force in the world that has many sub-topics to offer such as climate change, market stabilization, border security, global poverty, and lack of access to resources or technologies.
Examining the Role of Women in the International Security System
Throughout the world, various cultural and historic influences have a significant impact on the ability of women worldwide to participate in any security-related position. Even the United Nations, according to the organization Women In International Security at the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University, does not involve women in security-related positions nearly as often as men: "In 60 years of UN peacekeeping—from 1948 to 2008—only seven women have ever held the top post in peacekeeping operations... the lack of women in senior positions in the UN, particularly in peacekeeping missions, reflects the reality that significant cultural and institutional impediments remain to women’s entry and advancement within the UN." This topic is an opportunity for the General Assembly to evaluate the extent of gender discrimination throughout the UN and its Member States, and for the General Assembly to decide whether or not to take action to rectify potential flaws in current policy.

Conference on Disarmament
Draft Convention on the Regulation of Small-Scale Nuclear Weapons and Radiological Devices
This topic will examine a new facet in nuclear proliferation: small weapons and radiological devices (commonly known as “dirty bombs.”) Although many agreements mention nuclear weapon bans, new technology has created a classification which is not immediately identifiable within the constrains of the current definition of nuclear proliferation. Small nuclear weapons are often found in the “bunker-buster” category, and these devices are hard to regulate with current standards. The purpose of this topic is to establish new international guidelines as necessary for these new uses of nuclear technology.
Evaluating Restrictions on the Testing and Use of Ballistic Missiles
In their article, Two Treaties to Contain Missile Proliferation, Thomas Graham and Dinshaw Misry make a case that missile regulations should be made - beginning with test bans and the restriction of intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs). This topic presents the opportunity to examine the issue of missile proliferation and resolve the growing threat. Few agreements have been made on this issue, and none have overwhelming international support. While the media often focus on states acquiring nuclear weapons technology, simply possessing the tools and knowledge to make a bomb will not allow an entity to threaten rivals on the other side of their continent. The greater threat to global security is not "the bomb", but the ability to deliver such a device to any location with relative ease. To truly curb the proliferation of any weapon of mass destruction, it is critical that missile proliferation be regulated.
Addressing the Need for Small Arms Control in Post-Conflict Zones
This topic will seek to address one of the most important but least controversial aspects of small arms regulation. In many post-conflict zones, weapons simply disappear and states rarely attempt to disarm the general populace after a conflict. Additionally, many suppliers of these weapons regularly fail to put a stop to the trade at the end of the violence. The Conference on Disarmament will be asked to examine, establish, and reaffirm small arms guidelines such as the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. Within this topic, the Conference will be encouraged to reach a consensus on limited small arms restrictions and reach comprehensive agreements for their regulation in areas recently embroiled in and/or prone to conflict.

World Health Organization
Addressing Chronic Cardiovascular and Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Although often considered to be diseases of affluence, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases are rapidly becoming major killers in developing countries as well. These diseases are responsible for 60% of all deaths world-wide, of which more than three quarters will occur in the developing world. And, although these diseases are also often associated with old age, half of those fatalities were people under 70 years of age. Because these diseases are debilitating over a long term they negatively impact productivity in those countries, but they have an even larger impact as they demand expensive care and rob resources from other health-care initiatives. According to a 2005 WHO report, inexpensive and highly effective solutions are widely understood but programs to promote and support them are not yet in place. This is an epidemic we can either easily address now or continue to pay ever steeper prices for in the future.
Addressing Food Safety
A recent report by the WHO points out that dangers to food safety such as contamination, parasites, and other zoonotic agents present a serious risk worldwide. Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli contaminations are common throughout the world, but in modern times these contaminations can rapidly become dangerous and widespread, even in highly-developed countries with sophisticated monitoring and testing regimes. Only a handful of zoonotic contaminations have been linked to terrorist activity, however this is no reason to assume that there is no risk of such action. Adopting policies and assessment tools to alleviate or eliminate these threats from accidental or intentional food contamination is a critical step to ensuring that our food remains safe to eat.
Accelerating Progress Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
Approximately 1 billion people in the world are directly affected by diseases such as schistosomiasis, chagas disease, onchocerciasis, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, or one of the other nine diseases classified as Neglected Tropical Diseases. Very little research is conducted to develop testing or new medications for the treatment of these diseases because they affect almost exclusively very poor or remote populations. These diseases have a significant economic impact on regions that they affect. It is estimated that Brazil loses US$1.3 billion in wages and industrial productivity each year to Chagas disease, and lymphatic filariasis is estimated to cost the global economy US$2 billion per year. Further, several of these diseases carry significant social stigmas, isolating and marginalizing those who suffer from them.

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
Bridging the Digital Divide Among Member States
The "Digital Divide" is the disparity between people or states that have access to modern technology and those that do not. As all sectors of the global economy shift toward reliance on technology, the need to bridge the Digital Divide becomes increasingly critical to allow states to function on equal footing in society. The UNESCO will examine the extent of the Digital Divide in terms of technology education, access to technological resources, and infrastructural and financial barriers to bridging the divide.
Establishing Best Practices for Primary Education in Math and the Sciences
The National Center for Education Statistics has developed Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which has been a well-received benchmark used to compare 4th and 8th grade students between countries in these critical subject areas. There has been a significant decline in math and science aptitude among students throughout the globe. Given the role that mathematics and science will play in the 21st century, it is essential to explore how countries are best leveraging educational achievement among youth in these areas.
Utilizing the Culture of Peace to Prevent Conflict
UNESCO has defined a culture of peace as "a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts..." Among the chief of reasons of conflict, both domestic and international, is a lack of understanding and tolerance of cultural differences. Promoting a culture of peace is essential in the prevention of all conflicts. As noted in the UN Charter, a central mission of the UN is its determination "to save succeeding generations from the scorge of war."

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Increasing Economic Security and Development through Innovation and Production of Alternative Energy Sources
The pursuit of sustainable economic development through trade and infrastructure policies is a core mandate of ESCAP. Recently, ESCAP has teamed with various UN agencies to participate in the Capacity Building in Trade and Environment project, which works to achieve Target 9 of MDG 7: “Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse loss of environmental resources”. This topic will expand upon the studies of this project to recommend policies, trade agreements, and programmes which will not only create environmentally-friendly infrastructure within developing states in the Asian-Pacific region, but will also work to solve obstacles including a lack of skilled workers and the ability of governments to invest in their own countries.
Promoting the Standard of Living Throughout Pacific Island Countries and Territories Through Sustainable Urban Development
This topic allows the ESCAP to address a variety of economic and social issues related to sustainable urban development. There are multiple Member States within ESCAP whose cities face a number of development challenges due to poor, or non-existent, urban planning. This topic seeks to address this problem from an environmental, economic, and social standpoint. Debate will also focus on lost revenue for these urban sectors due to pollution or poor planning. The Beijing Olympics made it clear that cities throughout this region have enormous tourism potential if they follow sustainable development guidelines.
Expanding the Objectives of the Tsunami Regional Trust Fund
The TRTF was established by ESCAP to provide regional warning systems and response preparedness to those countries in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia area that are facing the constant threat of tsunamis. Although warning systems are very effective, the treatment of the effects of a tsunami could be better emphasized and implemented into this fund and ESCAP agenda. This could include proper response mechanisms, proper building programs to strengthen the structures of coastal buildings, and the establishment of an emergency aid fund for ESCAP to allocate to those countries effected by future tsunamis.

Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Narcotics and Conflict Zones
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs has recently emphasized the importance of the perpetuation of intrastate conflict through the use of narcotic drugs. This topic examines the role of narcotics in conflict zones, with an emphasis on conflicts involving rebel groups and child soldiers. For example, rebel leaders, such as the LRA in Uganda, are often identified as using heroin and other opiates to exercise control over their armies. Such practices encourage chemical dependence for young people and also promote the spread of diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. This, in turn, perpetuates the demand for narcotic drugs in post-conflict zones. The proliferation of conflict through the use of narcotics as a control mechanism not only addresses the mandate of this committee but also relates directly to topics of concern in national, regional, and international security.
Strengthening of the United Nations Machinery for Illicit Narcotics Control
The CND will examine the United Nations resolutions, regulations, and bodies that relate to drug control to focus the committee on the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches. Though there has been much debate on the various symptoms of the drug trade, success has been limited due to inefficient management, limited resources, and lack of funding mechanisms. For this reason, this topic will focus on how to better coordinate international efforts to combat drug supply and demand through the analysis and reassessment of current treaties and resolutions. Further, funding has proven to be a recurring issue faced by the CND, as it lacks the necessary funding and manpower required to be effective in promoting efficient and solid drug control mechanisms. This topic is strongly tied to this year’s SRMUN theme and has the potential to offer a timely, insightful debate to the inner workings of the UN machinery for drug control.
Addressing the Social and Economic Factors of Narcotic Production
The supply of illicit drugs is readily available in many markets, despite international efforts on reduction. However, the foundation of social and economic factors which lead to people becoming opiate farmers has yet to be effectively addressed as the profitability of farming drug-supply crops such as coca and opium poppies remain. This topic will address the use of alternative development to reduce the supply of illicit drugs. With resources and opportunity, farmers can be given alternatives to drug production. Further, the examination of social and educational means to combat the production of opiate plants should be addressed as well to limit the number of farmers entering the trade. Not only does this reduce the drug supply but it also promotes state and regional security through legitimate income generation and development. This topic will not only examine past efforts at reducing the illicit drug supply but also promote new alternatives to opiate farming. It is not possible to control and eliminate drug use and production if we do not completely understand the reasons people have to use and produce the drugs in the first place.

League of Arab States
Promoting Economic Integration Among Arab States
For centuries, the global community has recognized that a vital key to peace and security in the world is economic stability. The Arab region is rich in natural resources that could be an essential piece of bringing peace and security to a region that has been plagued with violence. Promoting economic integration among members of the Arab League represents a step towards achieving this goal. At the League's inception, economic prosperity was a top priority, and by seeking new methods of integration in an increasingly connected world, Arab States have everything to gain. This topic allows the League to address issues such as Globalized Banking, methods for increasing per capita income, addressing unemployment rates, impact of the Global Economic Recession on the region, necessity of integration for future development and sustainability, methods for increasing private investment capital, cultural boundaries to economic integration, removing trade barriers, and the emergence of security and economic arrangements in sub-regions of the Arab world.
Implementing Tools to Combat the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons throughout the Middle East
When the League Secretariat became the Regional Focal Point for Small Arms under the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, it was charged with providing technical assistance to states wishing to prepare their National Reports, set up National Coordination Agencies or establish Focal Points with regional and international bodies and organizations. With the Fourth Biennial Meeting of States coming up to review and reanalyze implementation of the Programme in June, and National Reports currently coming in, this topic will be about as recent as it gets considering our writing schedule. The League will discuss border control issues, trade and economics issues regarding black markets, militant groups purchasing such weapons, and terrorism in a topic that exemplifies the security initiatives the League takes to enhance peace.
Developing a pan-Arab Response to Requests for Extradition and Repatriation of International Criminals
Extradition and repatriation policy in the Arab World has recently been under some scrutiny due to the nature of many international terrorist organizations. This topic allows the League's Member States to hold discussions of existing extradition agreements, including bilateral agreements, the Organisation Communale Africaine et Malgache (O.C.A.M.), of which some Member States are also members, and pacts made by the LAS itself that have not been fully ratified. This topic allows the League's Member States to discuss the terms by which extradition and repatriation will be acceptable, and allow the League to determine whether a standard League policy should be implemented for extradition and repatriation.

United Nations Environment Programme
Evaluating Environmental Crisis Response throughout the UN System
Since the start of the new millennium, the world has witnessed over 35 major conflicts and some 2,500 disasters. Over two billion people have been affected, and millions have lost their lives. Not only do these tragic events destroy infrastructure, cause population displacement and fundamentally undermine human security, they also compound poverty and tear apart the fabric of sustainable development. After responding to disasters over the past decade, the UNEP should now focus its attention on how to improve the UN’s response time to these situations so as to prevent conflicts. The UNEP should perform a comprehensive evaluation of the UN's environmental emergency response, and focus on ways to address shortcomings in the system.
Assessing Efforts to Promote Future Global Biodiversity
Biodiversity is considered to encompass the variety of species, their genetic makeup, and the natural communities in which they occur. Coupled with this is also human use of this system for our own health and economic benefits. An estimated 40% of the world economy is based on biological products and processes. It is especially important to note that biodiversity has its greatest effect on low-income families of developing nations whose income is dependent on agricultural productivity. Additionally, discussion of this topic by UNEP would also focus on stopping the loss of (and reversing) our natural assets such as animal/plant species and ecosystems.
Strengthening and Promoting Best Practices for the Reduction of the Worldwide Carbon Footprint
An ecological footprint is used to determine human pressure on the planet. Specifically, a carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by a person, organization, or company. The Kyoto Protocol was a first start in regulating and setting a standard for greenhouse gas emissions. Moving forward, it is becoming clear that the international community must work to find common ground and establish best practices to continue to further reduce the worldwide carbon footprint.

International Law Commission
Immunity from Prosecution for State Officials and Heads of State
The ILC has attempted for years to create a comprehensive policy addressing state officials and heads of state, including at the most recent ILC session. This topic allows the ILC to re-evaluate current law on the question of immunity for a wide variety of crimes, and how these laws have developed over time. The ILC can choose to create standardized limits and protections for immunity - especially with regard to immunity from prosecution in international courts. This topic will allow the Commission to explore, and potentially define, the limits of universal jurisdiction, and to address previous and pending ICC and ICJ cases as they relate to immunity for state officials.
Addressing Rights to Shared Natural Resources
Shared natural resources have been a long discussed topic of concern in the United Nations, particularly with trans-boundary waters. It is estimated that significantly over half of all ecosystem resources have been depleted, degraded, and/or used unsustainably. With resources diminishing, it brings the possibility of increased conflicts and disagreements without specific international frameworks or international law. Since 2003, the International Law Commission (ILC) has been working on draft articles under Shared Natural Resources about transboundary aquifers. The ILC is also moving its focus to oil and natural gas resources in order to resolve the increasing legal controversies over these resources.
Evaluating the Treatment and Protections of Prisoners of War and Unlawful Combatants
This topic allows the ILC to clarify guidelines for the treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) and Unlawful Combatants. Often creating havoc in a war torn state, mistreatment and vagrant abuses of power perpetuate violence and more conflict arises when former soldiers are mistreated. Drawing on the rights established by the Geneva Convention and the Declaration of Human Rights, the ILC must discuss and provide guidelines for proper treatment of all global citizens, with security being the top priority. The Commission should also closely examine the definition of Unlawful Combatants as established by the 4 December 1989 United Nations resolution 44/34 on the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. While this is one of the more recent attempts to further define Unlawful Combatants, movement in the past decade toward war against non-state actors rather than combat between sovereign states leaves a critical gap in these definitions, and has led to strained global relations. The most infamous example of this is the treatment and status of prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay facility operated by the United States. A legal decision better defining treatment standards and definitions for Unlawful Combatants would help avoid further incidents and outrage over inconsistent treatment around the world.