Model United Nations 2011

British School of Costa Rica

Handbook Conference 2011

Andrés Rodríguez C.
Luis Ernesto García E.
CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Model United Nations

2. Registration and payment options
3. Basic Procedure
4. U.N. terminology
5. Letters from the chairs

Welcome to the British School’s third annual Model United Nations. A cordial
greeting from Secretary Generals, Andres Rodriguez and Ernesto Garcia, and the
teacher in charge Ana Rojas is extended to every school wishing to participate. The
goal of this conference is for delegates to develop critical thinking whilst having fun
and being part of a memorable weekend.

The Model of the United Nations, as its name implies, is a scale

representation of the real United Nations, with the adaptations required in order for
it to take place given time, facilities and personnel, yet keeping a direct link, as
accurate as possible, to the United Nations reality. It is expected that each delegate
adheres to the position of the country he/she is representing and that he/she is
willing to defend it as a real delegate would in the United Nations.

The price for this conference consists of $150 per institution and ¢10,000 for
every student and faculty member. This price includes food for both days (apt for
vegetarians and/or diabetics), credentials and the event’s logistics team as well as
the school’s facilities.

On Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of May, days on which the
conference will take place, it is expected that students will be ready and willing to
participate in a discussion with different points of view from all around the world. It
is crucial that they prepare both research wise and regarding the skills needing for
debating (speaking with clarity and confidence) in front of an audience, as it is
expected that each delegate will try to convince his/her counterparts that his/her
country’s opinions regarding the issue being dealt with is the correct one.

Proper conduct from each delegate is also imperative. From each student
formal attire is expected and compulsory while in school grounds for the days in
which the conference takes place. Within each committee the dressing code may
vary according to each chair and whether or not it is disrespectful to other
delegates. Each student must respect parliamentary procedure and abstaining from
making direct attacks against a chair, page, secretary general, faculty member,
delegate or any other individual present; however, disagreements with countries
are permitted. Finally, outmost respect to the chair and co-chairs when deciding on
relevance and procedure is necessary. Note that it is the chair’s responsibility to
keep the debate flowing and correct any delegate who does not abide by its
country’s position. The director might correct a student if he/she fails to comply with
these rules, its country’s position or parliamentary procedure, this will be done
discreetly.

Finally, we would like to remind you we are very excited about your
participation both diplomatically and socially. In the end, the M.U.N. is another way
to learn about other cultures, world issues and create inter-institutional bonds. Once
again, welcome to the BSCR third M.U.N 2011.

Andres Rodriguez and Luis Ernesto Garcia

Secretary Generals
REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

We have bank accounts in colones and dollars in different banks in order to

try and fit your needs and transactions. Each delegate or teacher in charge will
have to pay a fee of $20 (c10 000) in order to cover logistic expenses such as food
and tech support throughout the conference. If possible, the deposits for school
registration ($150) should be made in dollars and the one per delegates in colones,
however either way is possible.

HSBC BAC San

José
Dollars #11803 #904829
645
Colones #11803 #904718
905

It is imperative to indicate in the deposit transaction which school you are

paying for and that the deposit is being made with the purpose of paying for “MUN”.
The registration can be done through the reply to the invitation letter that was sent
a couple of days ago, and an official confirmation is made through the deposit of
$150. Once the deposit is made, please inform us by sending an email to the official
MUN account: bscrmun2011@gmail.com. Please include the number of delegates
and which committees they would like to participate in, in order to give them
priority in the country assignment.

Payment Deadlines

The deadline for the school registration deposit is 6th of May.

The payment per student or teacher can be made by cash, up to the day of the
conference (21st of May) or by deposit the 18th of May.

The deadline for any changes in the number of delegates is Monday the 16th of
May in order for us to make the necessary changes in country assignment and all
changes in contracts with 3rd parties.
Basic Parliamentary Procedure

The debate taken place is not a normal, formal debate but rather more like a
discussion forum. These rules must be strictly followed but are subjective to each
chair. Any changes will be announced. Terminology is also explained below.

• The committee will begin with an oral calling of each delegate to which every
delegate must reply to be present. This is to be executed by a chair or a co-
chair or, in their absence, a secretary general.

• Secondly, the debate will be started (a motion to begin the debate should be
introduced and voted up by delegates). Any delegates wishing to speak must
raise their hands or placards.

• Following, a delegate should present a motion to start a speakers’ list and

once the debate is flowing, the chair might suggest starting a moderated
caucus. After an agreement between significantly large group(s) of countries
is achieved, a resolution must be written and voted upon.

• Finally all delegates must attend the General Assembly for a closing
ceremony in which awards for best delegates and honorary mentions will be
handed out. These will be awarded per committee by each delegate.

It is expected that each delegate will follow the United Nations’ parliamentary
procedure unless the Chair explicitly changes a term, rule or procedure in order to
improve the quality and flow of the debate. If an extraordinary situation were to
occur in which the chair is not capable of dealing with, it is asked that the delegate
reaches a Secretary General for assistance.

Basic Terminology:

• Delegate: Person representing a country. When the debate is taking place

each delegate must speak in representation of its delegation, not as an
individual.

• Committee: Where each issue is discussed.

• Speakers’ list: Basic form of the debate. Uses a list of each country wishing to
speak, only one country might speak at the time, no delegate is to leave their
 seat unless asked to do so. Each speech is timed. If a delegate or delegation
is addressed directly, this delegate has right of reply.

• Right of reply: The right for a delegate to reply to any personal attacks. The
delegate has only 30 seconds to reply, unless expressed otherwise by a chair,

• Motion: Action to request a specific procedure. Motions are usually voted on

by fellow delegates. The chair has the power to accept, entertain or not
entertain a motion.

• Point: Request or statement made by a chair or co-chair to the delegates or

vice-versa. This includes the following:

 Point of order: When a delegate is out of line, disrespectful to

others or speaks out of time. Can be said to a specific delegate
or the committee as a whole.

 Point of parliamentary procedure: Issued by a delegate to

inquire about a certain aspect of the parliamentary procedure.

 Point of personal privilege: This point has priority over the

debate and can be used at any point. Used when something
does not allow the debate to flow properly. Usually deals with
concrete elements that are not part of the debate (windows,
doors, pages, etc.) or with problems hearing other delegates.

• Moderated caucus: Informal debate where each delegate wishing to speak

lifts up his/her placard. The chair then decides which delegate gets to speak
for the present amount of time allowed.

• Un-moderated caucus: Informal debate where delegates are free to talk to

other delegates out of their seats. Particularly useful when discussing position
papers or resolutions. There is no need for a time as delegates are free to
speak to whomever they wish to as long as it is in a respectful manner and
they stay in their committee.

• Working paper: Initial idea of a resolution draft.

• Resolution draft: To be presented to the entire committee, must include at

least 3 signatures

• Resolution: Final, formal response by the committee to the issue. Must be

approved by at least ¾ of the voting delegates.
 • Honorary mentions and Best delegate award: Awards given by each chair, at
the closing ceremony, to celebrate outstanding preparation or debating skills.
This award will be given objectively by each chair.

• Yielding time: During debate, any remaining time a delegate has must be
yielded either to the chair or another delegate. If this is not done, the
outstanding time will be used in an moderated caucus to discuss the issue.

ASAMBLEA GENERAL HISTORICA

Saludos estimados entusiastas del Modelo de Naciones Unidas,

Mi nombre es Dari Seo y yo seré su director para la Asamblea General

Histórica de las Naciones Unidas: Política de Apartheid, 1963 en la Conferencia de
las Naciones Unidas en el Colegio Británico. Si escogieron formar parte de este
comité, les prometo que no se van a arrepentir.

Al formar parte de un comité tan innovador, les recomiendo fuertemente que

cada uno de ustedes lleve a cabo una investigación profunda para prepararse para
la conferencia. Como ya muchos saben, el debate en este comité se va ejecutar en
español. No sólo se discutirá la problemática del Apartheid y lo que las Naciones
Unidades deben hacer, sino también debemos debatir como si estuviéramos en esa
fecha histórica, 1963, no como si estuviéramos en la época actual.

Quisiera aprovechar esta oportunidad para darles un par de consejos que yo

he aprendido durante los Modelos de las Naciones Unidas en que he participado:

1. Un país pequeño no significa que tiene una posición débil

2. Un país pequeño no implica poca participación
3. Usen su “ensayo de posición oficial” como medio de negociación, persuasión
y exposición de propuestas
4. Estudien la posición de su país extensa y profundamente en este contexto
histórico, los directores estaremos poniendo mucha atención a todo lo que
dicen

Les recomiendo que lean el resumen del tema de Apartheid, estudien los
términos y procedimientos de una conferencia MNU y que investiguen más sobre el
tema. Si no encuentran mucha información en español, no se preocupen. Tienen
todo el derecho de hacer una traducción personal de lo que encuentren en inglés.

Por favor, contáctenme si tiene alguna duda o inquietud. Con mucho gusto
los atenderé, les guiaré y ayudare para asegurar un debate efectivo y fluido.

Sinceramente,

Dari Seo

Correo electrónico: dseo93@hotmail.com

SECURITY COUNCIL
Dear Delegates,
 It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the 3rd annual British School
of Costa Rica Model United Nations. My name is Daniel Divney, and I will be your
chair along with Maria Ximena Arteaga. The topic for the Security Council this year
is the ongoing Libyan Civil War, and the foreign intervention in it. This ongoing
conflict is proving to be a critical issue, with countless civilians being killed or
wounded every day.

Throughout this year, uprisings in Libya have increased in scale until armed
protests and fighting broke out, putting Libyan civilians at risk. The fighting
intensified, with pro-Gadhafi forces clashing against protestors in multiple, bloody
battles, essentially splitting the country in two. Armed intervention by coalition
forces from 16 different countries began the 19th of March, imposing a no fly-zone
and the destruction of Libyan military assets. The no fly zone is currently being
managed by NATO. However, clashes between Libyan ground forces and rebels are
still constant and deadly, as the Libyan military boasts of superior armament and
equipment. Gadhafi still remains in control of a large part of Libya, and has pledged
to eliminate all resistance forces. The point of this committee is not to decide
whether or not action should be taken in Libya. This decision has already been
made. The real decision is whether or not this intervention in Libya should continue,
and if so, for how long, and by whom.

As a delegate representing a country, you must make sure you represent not
only the country’s name, but also it’s economic, political, and social point of view. If
at any time during the course of the debate it is felt that you have ceased to
correctly represent your country, you will be corrected and asked to maintain your
country’s true opinion. You are expected to maintain a civil and respectful attitude
with other delegates and members of your committee, and you will be required to
dress appropriately as a member of your country’s U.N. delegation.

In order to prepare appropriately for this committee, I recommend

investigating what your assigned country’s history is regarding military involvement
and foreign policy. The reasoning behind that country’s choice is also a key factor,
and I advise you research any and all possible motives for your country’s actions
and opinions, as this kind of situation is not restricted to the country of Libya. You
should arrive with a detailed knowledge of the situation, as to permit a greater flow
of dialogue and solutions within the committee. In order to qualify to receive either
an Honorary Mention or a Best Delegate award, you must have written a position
paper that must either be handed in the first day of the event, or sent in by email.
My email is daniel.divney@gmail.com. Do not hesitate to send in any questions that
you may have.

Kind regards:

Daniel Divney and Maria Ximena Arteaga

Directors for Foreign Intervention in Libya in the Security Council
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Dear Delegates,

My name is Mónica Quirós and along with my co-chair Isabella Mejia, we are pleased
to be welcoming you to the 3rd annual British School of Costa Rica Model United
Nations. In this committee, we will be discussing the controversial topic of the use
of birth-control methods and abortion in refugee camps around the world. This has
been up for discussion since the 1990s, and has become of imminent importance.

It is estimated, according to United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR), that there are around 40 million refugees displaced worldwide, 80% of
which are estimated to be children and women. Although refugee camps have been
settled to provide these people with basic needs such as food, water and medicine,
the issue about whether or not reproductive health services are to be provided as
well, has been raised.

Women often become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or forced

prostitution, which can cause both physical and mental trauma; pregnancy by itself
poses a risk even in developed countries, and taking into account the trauma these
women have faced, pregnancy can be fatal in many cases. It is estimated that
around 13% of pregnancy-related deaths world-wide, are associated with unsafe
abortions in refugee settings, and to these numbers, you can add the victims of
sexually transmitted diseases(STD) which are likely to develop in refugee camps
where information and prevention methods are limited.

Throughout the weekend I expect all of you to accurately represent your

country’s position on the matter of both the use of birth-control methods and the
possibility of abortion; I expect you to present solid arguments for your position,
rather than to simply allege that it is your country’s religious or moral perspective;
especially when it comes to the representative of the Holly See, who will serve as an
official observer. I also hope that you are able to discuss the implication of the
implementation of these “solutions”; factors such as education, and resources are
important to be taken into account.

Although this specific topic is prone to turn into a debate about moral issues,
I am encouraging you to substantiate your position with real, solid arguments which
are up for debate and to suggest possible solutions that uphold your country’s
opinion on the matter. I am expecting you to demonstrate a respectful attitude
towards other delegates and the countries’ specific views at all times and you will
be required to dress appropriately as a proper delegate from your country
throughout the weekend.
Looking forward to seeing you,

Mónica Quirós and Isabella Mejía

Directors of World Health Organization

INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

Dear Delegates,

It is my pleasure to invite you to the third British School of Costa Rica Model United
Nations. My name is Sebastian Steffen, and I will be your chair along with your co-
chair María Paula Murillo. The topic for this year’s Internet Council is WikiLeaks and
its impact on global diplomacy. Specifically, the issues to be considered are:

Should the web be controlled in any way?

Should governments be transparent?

Should the activities of WikiLeaks be punished as crimes? And if so, how?

WikiLeaks was launched in October of 2006 with the mission to increase

transparency on the part of companies and governments by leaking confidential
documents. Since then, WikiLeaks has leaked thousands of files and has sparked a
controversial argument with one side praising it and the other side wanting to
eliminate it. WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange was arrested in London on the 7th of
December of 2010 because of a Swedish arrest warrant for rape allegations.
Assange’s legal staff tried to prevent an extradition as they wanted to avoid the
possibility of him falling into the hands of the USA. Even with Assange under arrest,
WikiLeaks has kept on releasing documents and shows little or no signs of slowing
down.

As a delegate, you must accurately represent your country’s foreign policy, as well
as its social, political and economic viewpoints. If at any point during the course of
the debate you should stray from your country’s true position, you may be asked to
return to it immediately. As well as this, you will be expected to maintain a
respectful and civil attitude towards your fellow delegates and members of the
committee. As a representative of your country at the U.N. you will be required to
adhere to the protocol dress code.

In order to prepare for this committee, I advise you to learn as much as possible
about not only your country, but also as many of the other countries as possible by
focusing on the government’s transparency and their history regarding censorship
and controlling internet access. Moreover, I advise that you look at documents
leaked by WikiLeaks about your country, as this can give you a better
understanding of how your country came to its position. You should arrive with a
detailed knowledge of the situation in order to allow a smoother and quicker flow of
opinions, dialogue and solutions. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any
questions.

Yours sincerely,

Sebastian Steffen

sebsteff@gmail.com