The following Committees will be role-played at GEMUN '08:
General Assembly (Topics in GA: 1. Measures to combat international terrorism, 2. Alternative energy sources, 3. Biotechnology and genetic engineering, 4. Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, 5. Poverty eradication and 6. Open agenda)
Security Council (SC Topics: 1. Peacekeeping, 2. Disarmament, 3. Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, 4. Counter-terrorism and 5. Open agenda -- All Issues of Security and International Peace)
Economic and Social Council (Topics in ECOSOC: 1. Sustainable Development, 2. Human Settlements, 3. Extreme Poverty and Hunger, 4. Globalization and 5. Open Agenda)
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP Topics: 1. Global warming, 2. Biodiversity, 3. Deforestation, 4. Sustainable Agriculture/Consumption, 5. Freshwater Quality, 6. Persistant Pollutants/Chemicals in the Environment and 7. Open Agenda)
World Health Organization (WHO Topics: 1. World Hunger, 2. Water Sanitation, 3. HIV/AIDS, 4. Immunization, 5. Tobacco and Drug Abuse, 6. International Spread of Disease, 7. Health Education and 8. Open Agenda)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF Topics: 1. Child Soldiers, 2. Children in Darfur, 3. Children of the Natural Disasters, 4. Achieving Universal Primary Education and 5. Open Agenda)
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW Topics: 1. Education and training of women, 2. Violence against women, 3. Women's literacy and development, 4. Discrimination against women, 5. Empowerment of women and 6. Open Agenda)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA Topics: 1. Disposal of radioactive wastes, 2. Management of live radioactive materials, 3. Water resources, 4. Nuclear technology and 5. Open agenda)
Country Information/News/Miscellaneous
General Assembly (GA) -- The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is composed of representatives of all member states, each of which has one vote. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the UN, excluding matters of peace and security specifically under Security Council consideration.
- General Assembly Home Page
1. Measures to combat international terrorism -- Terrorism, according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, is as follows: criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act. While the General Assembly does not have the explicit power to enact binding security resolutions, resolutions regarding counter-terrorism issues may be submitted to the General Assembly, voted on, and then referred to the Security Council.
- UN Action to Counter Terrorism
2. Alternative energy sources -- The continued development of energy technology currently faces many challenges. Energy development is an ongoing effort to provide sustainable energy resources through knowledge, skills, and constructions. The depletion of fossil fuels, upon which the world economy is reliant, has created a new need for environmentally conscious and sustainable energy sources. These include wind, solar, water, nuclear and other energy technologies. Many of these technologies are already available, but have not yet been implemented, practically, on a wide scale.
- Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development
3. Biotechnology and genetic engineering -- As stated by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, biotechnology is defined as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. With evolving science and technology, genetic engineering and biotechnology has become more prolific and useful but transversely more controversial and potentially dangerous. The UN supports further development of biotechnology to provide powerful tools, but also recognizes the need to regulate potentially dangerous technology.
- UN Division for Sustainable Development -- Biotechnology
4. Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament -- Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "nuclear weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The United Nations recognizes that the spread of nuclear technology and weapons is detrimental to the welfare of mankind, and thus must me stopped. At present, 189 countries are States Parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or NPT; Only four states are not. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty has three pillars: non-proliferation, disarmament, and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology, and all three of the pillars are important in the consideration of Nuclear Non-Proliferation. Once again, the General Assembly does not have the explicit power to enact binding security resolutions, but Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament resolutions may be submitted to the General Assembly, voted on, and then referred to the Security Council.
- Danger of Nuclear Weapons -- GA Resolution
5. Poverty eradication -- Poverty is described as the ³lack of opportunities, accompanied by high levels of undernourishment, hunger, illiteracy, lack of education, physical and mental ailments, emotional and social instability, unhappiness, sorrow and hopelessness for the future.² Poverty eradication programs may be aimed at economic or non-economic poverty. Some methods of poverty eradication are education, economic development, and income redistribution. Poverty reduction efforts may also be aimed at removing social and legal barriers to income growth among the poor.
- UN CyberSchoolBus: Poverty Curriculum
6. Open Agenda
- A Global Map of Human Impacts to Marine Ecosystems
- United Nations Peacekeeping Home Page
- United Nations Cartographic Section (Peacekeeping Maps)
- Fifty Years of Peacekeeping
- Reform at the UN
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Renewing the United Nations
- Oceans and Law of the Sea -- Home Page
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea -- Overview and full text
- International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea
- Law of the Sea & Antartica -- resources in the United Nations System
- International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
- ISDR: Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning
- STOP DISASTERS! A disaster simulation game from the UN/ISDR
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
- Committee against Torture
- UNHCHR -- Torture
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Torture and Inhuman Treatment
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Security Council (SC) -- The Security Council's purpose in the United Nations is to preserve and create safety and security for various countries. The Security Council meets to produce and sign treaties that protect the peace of the countries involved. Its main purpose, however, is to find peaceful and rational ways to resolve the issues of today's world and to avoid conflict and violence altogether.
- Security Council Home Page
- Alliance of Civilizations
1. Global Peacekeeping uses peaceful negotiations to solve political conflicts without violence. There are 17 active peacekeeping operations today with a $5.25 billion dollars budget. These operations are trying to resolve conflicts in countries including Sudan, Liberia, Congo, Ethiopia, Sahara, Haiti, India, Pakistan, Cyprus, Lebanon, and much of the Middle East. These missions include overseeing ceasefires, supervising armistice agreements, and providing support to other UN personnel. Peacekeeping includes promoting human rights, peaceful negotiations, and enforcing peace between neighboring countries. The Middle East and violence in Darfur are still major issues.
- United Nations News Service
- United Nations Peacekeeping Operations
- UN -- Peace and Security
- Peace and Security resources in the UN System
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Peacekeeping
2. Disarmament prevents countries with superior weapons and military force from overpowering smaller countries. Disarmament includes documenting, collecting, and disposing of smaller weapons, ammunition, and explosives. It also includes establishing responsible arms management programs. These local weapons include landmines, which are a major issue.
- What is Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)?
- UN and Disarmament
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Disarmament
3. Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons stops the spread of nuclear weapons. This includes preventing the spread of nuclear technology. The UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been ratified by over 190 states. Another treaty has banned the use of nuclear explosions for military or civil testing. These treaties are major steps to the complete disarmament of nuclear weapons.
- Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Terrorism and Disarmament
- Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
- NPT: background
- Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)
4. Counter-Terrorism prevents or deters terrorist attacks and works to determine peaceful ways to solve the issues causing the attacks. The UN has come up with five steps to prevent terrorism, called the "Five D's"; to dissuade groups from choosing terrorism as a way to achieve their goals; to deny terrorists the means to carry out their attacks; to deter States from supporting terrorists; to develop the UN capacity to prevent terrorism; and to defend human rights in the struggle against terrorism.
- UN acts against terrorism
- Terrorism -- Global Issue before the UN System
- Terrorism and Disarmament
5. Open Agenda -- All Issues of Security and International Peace
- S-G 1999 Report -- Achieving peace and security
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Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) or the Economic and Social Council, is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, full employment, and economic and social progress; identifying solutions to international economic, social and health problems; facilitating international cultural and educational cooperation; and encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Economics deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services within a country. Social issues are those that relate to human society and its modes of organization.
- Economic and Social Council Home Page
1. Sustainable Development is defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (Brundtland Commission, 1987). Over 1 billion people in the world make $1 or less a day, while the richer countries are using the world's resources rapidly, polluting the atmosphere and causing possible scarcities. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) has been in existence in the UN since 1992 to ensure that they successfully carried out the goals of The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). These goals are being carried out by businesses and government organizations. The UN and government organizations are monitoring patterns of production, especially of toxic materials, along with use of alternative fuels and public transportation. The most recent conference of the CSD was held last May and the next review session will focus on Agriculture, Rural development, Land, Drought, Desertification, and Africa.
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
- UNICEF -- Goal: Ensure environmental sustainability
- Sustainable Development and the UN System
- United Nations Division for Sustainable Development
- Achieving Sustainable Development -- The Earth Institute
2. Human Settlements are being developed by The United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The goal is to provide Human settlements for all people; inhabitable cities and towns everywhere. The agency receives funding from partners, governments, organizations, and about 5% of the annual UN budget. In 1996 the Habitat Agenda was established in Istanbul and adopted by 171 countries. It makes an effort to promote sustainable development and lessen global poverty. The members have committed to make an effort to improve the lives of 100 million "slum dwellers" by 2010. Unchecked, the number of "slum dwellers" will multiply to 3 billion by 2050. This is one of the most pressing issues today. Currently one half of the world's population is living in cities. Cities generate opportunity, but they also generate crime and poverty. The goal is to eliminate these "slum dwellers" with newly developed human settlements.
- UN-HABITAT -- The Challenge
3. Extreme Poverty and Hunger affects over 3 billion people in the world. It's a long lasting and pressing issue. Because of poverty, thousands of people die each day of hunger. There is more than enough food, but it is not reaching those in need. The UN funds the World Food Programme (WFP) which is working to get food to those areas which need it most. The WFP is encouraging kids to go to school as well as providing food for those affected by HIV/AIDS. They're also focusing on building skills to get people working and out of poverty.
- UNDP Poverty Reduction
- World Food Programme Overview
- FreeRice
- Poverty.com -- Hunger and World Poverty
4. Globalization is the growing integration of economies and societies. Globalization has had both positive and negative impacts on the world. On the positive side, it has brought countries such as China and India out of poverty, but, negatively, there are concerns globalization has brought about inequality and environmental degradation. Since 1950, the amount of goods being exported has increased ten times. The goal of globalization is to bring more markets, business, and jobs to all countries. However, globalization has had some very bad effects such as the Asian Financial Crises, which affected many countries all over the world. This was the fifth such crisis in the last 20 years. Although globalization has advanced many countries, central Asia and Eastern Europe have more people living in poverty now than they did 10 years ago. Globalization has left large parts of the world untouched and there is still much progress to be made.
- Globalization -- Cyberschoolbus
- Globalization -- World Bank
6. Open Agenda
- Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries
- UNCTAD -- LDCs, Land-Locked and Island Developing Countries
- ESCAP: Least Developed Countries Coordination Unit (LDCCU)
- UNESCAP: Small Island Developing States
- Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries
- Small Island Developing States Network
- UN and Small Island Developing States
- Human Rights
- United Nations Human Rights Website
- Human Rights resources in the United Nations system
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Homepage
- Human Rights module -- UN's Cyberschoolbus
- Amnesty International (Human Rights)
- Human Rights Watch World Report 2007
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- Trade and Development resources in the United Nations System
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Globalization
- UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development
- Science and Technology for Development
- Youth Employment Network -- Home
- Social Development resources in the United Nations System
- United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
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United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), established in 1972, works to encourage sustainable development through sound environmental practices everywhere. Its activities cover a wide range of issues, from atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, the promotion of environmental science and information, to an early warning and emergency response capacity to deal with environmental disasters and emergencies. UNEP is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and has regional and outpost offices in Paris, Geneva, Osaka, The Hague, Washington, New York, Bangkok, Mexico City, Manama, Montreal and Bonn.
Mission Statement: To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of the future generations.
- UNEP Home Page
- UNEP -- Cyberschoolbus
1. Global Warming is a serious problem effecting the world today. Scientists predict it will lead to an increase in temperature as well as a rise in sea-level. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, are increasing the levels of greenhouse gases, which in turn are drastically changing the make-up of the earthĠs atmosphere. Scientists are noticing changes such as a rising sea level and shrinking glaciers that are affecting plants, animals, and even people. The changes from heat to cold, and sensitivity to diseases such as malaria and smog episodes can affect the health of people. For more information on global warming visit the following websites:
- Gateway to the UN System's Work on Climate Change
- UNEP Climate Change
- UNEP Global Change
- Earthwire Climate -- The Environmental News Portal
- Global Leadership for Climate Action (GLCA)
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Climate Change UN Convention on Climate Change & UN System
- UNEP Our Planet Magazine
- UNEP Maps and Graphics on Climate Change
- OneWorld -- News -- Climate Change
- Apollo Alliance -- Good Jobs, Clean Energy0
- energy [r]evolution, a sustainable world energy outlook
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Climate Change
- UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Climate Action, Assisting Business Towards Carbon Neutrality
- Earth Charter and Climate Change
- AIT in the Classroom -- Educator's Resource
- Calculate your personal impact on global warming
- Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
- Repercussions of a Melting Planet
- PBS--Global Warming for Educators
- PBS--Climate Change
- Climate Change -- Science and Development Network
- People and the Planet -- Climate Change
- Climate Ark -- Climate Change and Global Warming Portal
- India ahead of many in adapting to global warming
2. Biodiversity is the biological diversity of life on Earth. Biodiversity is very vital to the Earth's economy, since approximately 40 percent of the economy relies on biological processes. Many countries are dependent on the genetic diversity in their environment. The objective of UNEP is to educate people to maintain biodiversity, but many human activities, such as deforestation, are decreasing biodiversity. Because the number of species and other things are decreasing, focus on the preservation of biodiversity is necessary, and the problem of our Earth's shrinking biodiversity needs to be solved. For more information on biodiversity go to the following websites:
- UNEP -- Biodiversity
- Biodiversity -- Global Issues
- Biodiversity: United Nations System-Wide Earthwatch
- UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Biodiversity
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
- Biodiversity -- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Biodiversity -- Wikipedia
3. Deforestation is the destruction of forests, which can effect biodiversity, climate change, and has social effects as well. Rain forests are being destroyed at a rate of 78 million acres per year, which is causing a huge loss of species and many harmful effects on the environment, which consequently destroys the habitats of many animals, plants and other organisms, and brings them closer to extinction. Deforestation can cause the soil to dry up and prevent vegetation from returning to the area. Lack of vegetation prevents the recycling of water and oxygen. For more information on deforestation go to the following websites:
- Agenda 21 -- Combating Deforestation
- United Nations Forum on Forests
- FAO Forestry Department
- National Geographic: Eye in the Sky--Deforestation
- Biofuels Boom Spurring Deforestation
- UNEP -- Billion Tree Campaign
- Global Forest Watch
- Deforestation continuing at alarming rate
- Deforestation -- Wikipedia
- Deforestation -- Enviro Facts
4. Sustainable Agriculture/Consumption is a method of farming where an ecological balance is preserved. Both natural and human resources must be preserved. Current practices of agriculture have many effects such as a decrease in soil, increase in pollutants such as pesticides, loss of water, and many other negative effects on an ecosystem. When the agriculture is maintained, changes in the climate which cause of the production of greenhouse gases will decrease. If sustainable agriculture is increased it can solve many environmental, as well as social concerns. For more information on sustainable agriculture/consumption, visit the following websites:
- FAO: Agriculture 21
- UN Division for Sustainable Development -- Agriculture
- What is Sustainable Agriculture? University of California
- Agriculture UN resources
- UNEP and Sustainable Agri-food Production
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
- People and the planet -- Food and Agriculture
- UNEP Sustainable Consumption
- UNEP Activities in Sustainable Consumption
- UN Division for Sustainable Development -- Consumption and Production Patterns
- Greendex: Consumer Choice and the Environment--A Worldwide Tracking Survey
5. Freshwater Quality Management of water suitable for human use is a major global problem, which is increasing as the population does. UNEP has worked to establish a better way to promote the management of water resources since itıs creation, and is still working on that today. Differences in rainfall amounts affect freshwater quality in rivers because of the increased concentration of pollutants. If unsuitable water is used for drinking or bathing it can greatly affect human health, which is why UNEP continues to work on emerging problems related to freshwater quality. For more information on freshwater quality visit the following websites:
- UNEP -- Freshwater
- Water Resources Management
- Water Supply & Sanitation
- UNEP -- GEMS/Water
- UNEP -- Vital Water Graphics
- Game: Water Alert!
- UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme
- Global Action Required to Avert Water Crisis, Say Reports
- Global Water Partnership
- Water resources in the UN system
- Water and Sanitation guide
- NOW: Science & Health - Leasing the Rain - Water Facts
- UNEP -- World Environment Day -- Key Facts about Water
- World Environment Day 2003 -- Water, 2 billion people are dying for it!
6. Persistant Pollutants/Chemicals in the Environment Chemicals that are in the environment are able to cycle through the food web, which then can pose many effects to human health, and the environment of the whole world. Many actions have been taken to make countries support the management of harmful chemicals, and to increase their knowledge on the use and disposal of harmful chemicals. The compounds that make up these pollutants are called persistent bioaccumulative and toxic, or toxic organic micro pollutants, and many of them were formerly used as pesticides. For more information on chemicals in the environment visit the following websites:
- Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS)
- UNEP Activities in Chemicals
- The Blacksmith Institute -- World's Worst Polluted Places
7. Open Agenda
- A Global Map of Human Impacts to Marine Ecosystems
- The Blacksmith Institute -- World's Worst Polluted Places
- The Global Environment Information Centre
- Earth Policy Institute
- WWF: Living Planet Campaign
- Planet Ark
- Sea Turtle Survival League
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World Health Organization (WHO) The World Health Organizationıs main objective is to better the health of people all around the world. The organization strives to improve problems in areas such as immunization, health education, nutrition and the provision of essential drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded in 1948 as a world alliance in health for all. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, WHO promotes technical cooperation for health among nations, carries out programs to control and eradicate disease and strives to improve the quality of human life all around the world.
- WHO Home Page
- Cyberschoolbus -- WHO
1. World Hunger -- There are over 852 million people around the world who suffer from chronic hunger. Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes, which equates to one child dying every five seconds. In essence, hunger results from poverty in extreme cases where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food. This problem affects all parts of the world. Although relief efforts have helped this problem, they have not yet solved the issue fully. It is estimated that over 13 billion dollars will be needed to put an end to world hunger and feed even the poorest countries in this world. For more information on this topic, go to:
- WHO -- Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Hunger Facts -- Bread for the World
- Hunger Facts: Statistics on Hunger from CARE
- World Food Programme
- FAO -- Right to Food Homepage
- Friends of World Food Programme
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
- WFP Foodforce -- The Game, The Reality, How to Help
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- World Food Day 2006
- International Alliance Against Hunger
- HungerBanquet.org
- The Hunger Site
- World Hunger
- The world hunger problem: Facts, figures and statistics
2. Water Sanitation
- WHO -- Water, Sanitation and Health
- UNICEF Statistics Water and Sanitation
3. HIV/AIDS HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV/AIDS has been one of the largest problems throughout the world for the past decades. Every year, this virus takes the lives of over 15,000 people in the United States alone. Although many people have made great strides towards eliminating this deadly virus over the past couple of years, there are still many strides to be taken. From children to adults or from women to men, this virus has had an impact on every generation to one extent or another. Unfortunately, at the rate this disease is spreading, the lack of knowledge about this disease will only cause more deaths over time. In the past year alone, almost 3.1 million people died from this disease. Estimations of the extent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic cannot be made with any precision for the future; what happens next will depend on what actions are taken. For more information, go to the following websites:
- WHO -- HIV infections
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases
- UNAIDS
- HIV/AIDS a global issue and the UN system
- UNODC -- HIV/AIDS Prevention
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- AIDS/HIV
- Worldwide HIV & AIDS Epidemic Statistics
4. Immunization
- WHO -- Immunization
- WHO -- Vaccines and Biologicals
- UNICEF -- Immunization Plus
- International Organizations Preventing Disease Through Vaccination
5. Tobacco and Drug Abuse
- WHO -- Tobacco
- UNODC-- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
6. Health Education Health promotion through education is crucial to the survival of the human race. If people are aware of important health issues, then they will know how to prevent, treat, or stop serious illnesses and diseases from spreading. This would result in less health related deaths worldwide. In countries that don't have educational systems it will be harder to spread the knowledge of health issues, but we must come up with ways to teach the world's inhabitants of health and safety.
- WHO | School health and youth health promotion
- WHO | Promoting Health
- UNESCO | Education -- Health Promotion
- Medical Statistics on the Internet
7. Open Agenda --
Any other topic relating to WHO.
- WHO -- Health topics
- WHO -- Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network
- WHO -- Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response
- New insights into spread of infectious diseases
- Cyberschoolbus -- Communicable Diseases
- NewsHour Extra: The Rules of Engagement: Addressing Health Mysteries -- Lesson Plan
- Global Health Council -- New Rules to Protect Against Spread of Disease
- WHO -- Health Action in Crises
- WHO/AFRO -- Regional Office For Africa
- New Perspectives -- Natural Disasters
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United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) UNICEF was originally United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, created by the General Assembly in 1946. It was used to help children and their families after World War II. The organiszation soon became UNICEF. Over the years, UNICEF has helped families all around the world. However it almost did not become a permanant organization. People thought it's was finished after helping Europe rebuild itself. But the General Assembly didn't think so. UNICEF's headquarters is in New York, but it has regional offices and country offices in over 250 countries and territories.
- UNICEF Home Page
- Cyberschoolbus -- UNICEF
- UNICEF Press Centre
- Children: resources in the UN system
- UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (IRC)
- UNICEF on Wikipedia
1. Child Soldiers In many undeveloped parts of the world there is a practice of using children as soldiers. This practice has been on the rise in many impoverished nations now more than ever before because of the flood of lightweight, automatic weapons that have reached the worldıs black markets after the Cold War. About 100,000 child soldiers are believed to be in Africa alone. One of the main goals of the UNICEF meeting this year is to rid the world of this inhumane practice.
Starting places for research:
- Child Soldiers -- Children and Armed Conflict
- Child soldiers -- Amnesty International
- Human Rights Watch: Child Soldiers
- Child Soldiers -- Children of Conflict -- BBC World Service
- UNICEF -- Children and armed conflict
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Child Soldiers
- Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
- BBC World Service -- Child Soldiers
- Uganda: Child soldiers at centre of mounting humanitarian crisis
- UN -- Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict
- Impact of Armed Conflict on Children
2. Children of Darfur Since 2003, the Darfur area of Sudan has been fought over by the Janjaweed militia (supported by the Sudanese government and the Arab-Baggara tribes in the north) and the Sudanese Liberation Front and the Justice and Equality Movement (supported by the Fur, Zaghawa, and Massaleit ethnic groups).The Sudanese government and the Janjaweed attack non-Baggara civilians including women and children. This conflict has stopped much trade going into and out of Sudan, creating a humanitarian crisis. One of the goals for this yearıs meeting is to help the children of the Sudan. Starting places for research:
- UNMIS -- United Nations Mission in Sudan
- UN Sudan Information Gateway
- IRIN Africa -- Sudan
- UNICEF -- Crisis in Darfur
- Human Rights Watch -- The Conflict in Darfur Through Children's Eyes
- IRC -- Caring for Mothers and Children in Darfur
- UNICEF -- Sudan -- Darfur -- Overview
- afrol News -- "One in five children in Darfur malnourished"
- WHO -- Health Situation in Darfur, Sudan
- Sudan Crisis -- WFP
3. Children in Emergencies In December, 2004, a 9.3 volume earthquake occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It triggered a number of devastating earthquakes that rocked all landmasses that bordered the Indian Ocean. Although initial estimates had put the worldwide death toll at over 275,000 with thousands of others missing, more recent analysis compiled by the UN lists a total of 229,866 people lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing. Of these missing are countless children believed to have been taken from their parents in the wake of the tsunami and sold into slavery. The children that are there are still living in poverty. One of the goals of this years meeting is to help alleviate the hardships pressed onto the children in this and other emergency situations. Starting places for research:
- UNICEF in emergencies -- Reaching the vulnerable
- Emergency Relief: UNICEF USA
- WFP -- Tsunami Crisis
- UNICEF -- Tsunami disaster -- Tsunami disaster
- UNICEF -- The Asian Tsunami
- UNICEF -- Thailand: children cope with tsunami
- UNICEF -- Education and play help children leave the tsunami behind
- Oxfam's Cool Planet for Children and Teachers
4. Achieving Universal Primary Education Around the world, 115 million children are not enrolled in school. The causes of this could be a lack of trained teachers, gender-relate pressure from the community or the need for children to work at home to support the family. Regardless, this catastrophe must be corrected. The UN with the help of the Millenium project are helping to put these kids back in school. This is one of the goals of the meeting this year. Starting places for research:
- UniversalEducation -- EndPoverty 2015
- Education resources of the United Nations System
- UNICEF -- Goal: Achieve Universal Primary Education
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
- UNICEF -- Basic Education and gender equality
- UN Literacy Decade Slide Show
- Commonwealth Secretariat -- Universal Primary Education
- Goal 2: Universal Primary Education -- UNAUSA.org
5. Open Agenda
- UNICEF -- HIV/AIDS and Children
- UNICEF -- Goal: Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases
- UNICEF -- United for Children Against AIDS
- UNICEF -- Young child survival and development
- UNICEF and Child Survival
- UNICEF -- Goal: Reduce child mortality
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
- UNICEF -- Early Childhood
- Surviving the first five years of life
- Child Mortality
- UNICEF report -- gender equality critical to child survival and development ...
- The UN Secretary General's Study on Violence Against Children
- OHCHR -- UN Study on Violence against Children
- A low cost laptop for every child
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Girl Child
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Child Labor
- UNICEF's Child Labour page
- The UN Works for Fair Labour
- Child Labor -- UN Photos
- Child Labour guide
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Children's Rights
- UNICEF -- Goal: Improve maternal health
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 5: Maternal Health
- Making Motherhood Safer
- 'Invisible Crisis' in Maternal, Infant Mortality
- Hunger, malnutrition kill six million children annually
- Children's right to adequate nutrition
- Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition
- Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition Key factor to achieve the UN MDGs
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Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) -- The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established as a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council to prepare recommendations and reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. CSW also makes recommendations to ECOSOC on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women's rights. The object of CSW is to promote implementation of the principle that men and women shall have equal rights. In recent years, a lot of progress has been made in the field of women's rights. Access to education and proper health care has increased and respect for the human rights of women has improved in many countries, especially after the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men. The majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. Women, on average, receive between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men earn for the same job. Women also continue to be victims of violence. The time is here for men and women to work together to secure the rights of all women all over the world.
- UN Information and Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women
- Women and Gender resources in the UN system
- UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW)
1. Education and training of Women According to the Beijing Platform for Action, "Education is a human right and an essential tool for achieving the goals of equality, development and peace. Equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications is necessary if more women are to become agents of change." Of the world's 960 million illiterate adults, two thirds are women. On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which in article 26, says, "Everyone has the right to education." However, girls all over the world are still being denied an education because of early marriages, pregnancies, lack of accessible schools and gender-biased cultural attitudes.
- United Nations Girls' Education Initiative
- Education and Training of Women
- Gender Mainstreaming in UNESCO
- WomenWatch: Directory of UN Resources on Education and Training of Women
- Women's United Nations Report Network -- Right to Education
- The United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012)
2. Elimination of Violence against Women -- The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women describes violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." According to the Study of the Secretary-General, violence against women is a violation of human rights that causes untold suffering; cutting lives short, and leaving many women in pain and fear worldwide. It impoverishes communities and encourages more violence in societies. Violence against women also stops women from reaching their potential, restricts the economic growth and undermines a societyıs development.
- International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
- Women and Violence
- UNIFEM -- Violence Against Women
- UNFPA -- Violence Against Girls and Women
- Behind closed doors: Violence against women
- WHO -- Violence Against Women
3. Discrimination against Women -- 70% of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1 a day are women. Millions of women worldwide live in miserable conditions and lack their fundamental human rights for no reason other than the fact that they are women. Discrimination deprives women, the power to make decisions, earn a living, and be free of violence, abuse, and exploitation. Women in every country, according to the International Labor Organization, are continually being paid less than men. Discrimination plays an influential role in developing countries, where women make up only 31% of the formal labor force. The women in these countries often face discrimination such as sexual harassment, and are rarely able to rely on an organization to protect their rights.
- Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
- 51st Session CSW -- The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child
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Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
4. Open Agenda
- MDGs -- Cyberschoolbus -- Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
- UNICEF -- Goal: Promote gender equality and empower women
- UNFPA -- Promoting Gender Equality
- Gender Mainstreaming in UNESCO
- Division on the Advancement of Women -- Women in Decision-making Processes
- UNIFEM Asia -- Women's Participation in Decision-Making and Leadership
- International Women's Day 2006 -- Women in Decision-Making
- Women in Politics
- Women in Power and Decision-making
- Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: What Really Works on the Ground
- Gender Mainstreaming in UNESCO
- Women and Poverty
- UNIFEM -- Women, Poverty & Economics
- Gender and Development Section -- UNESCAP
- Cyberschoolbus Briefing Paper -- Girl Child
- International Women's Day Page
- United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
- UNESCO -- Efforts toward 'Literacy for All'
- UNESCAP -- Women Literacy
- Women, Literacy and Development
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- IAEA Home
- Atomic Energy resources in the UN system
1. Disposal of Radioactive Waste -- Radioactive wastes have been handled carelessly in the past and this has been evident in areas surrounding the waste dumps. Areas surrounding radioactive land fills have seen an increase in disease, cancer, miscarriages and many other symptoms. In areas in which radioactive materials are dumped into water there have been mutations, death of fish, and contamination of water. While the past cannot be changed, the future standards for disposal of radioactive wastes must be changed.
- Cyberschoolbus -- IAEA
- Safe and Environmentally Sound Management of Radioactive Wastes
- UN System-wide Earthwatch -- Radioactive waste
- Agenda 21 -- Safe and Environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes
2. Management of live radioactive materials -- Radioactive materials that are still in use are considered live. The atoms of these materials are still charged with a unhealthy energy making them more potent than radioactive wastes. They can cause the same and more severe reactions as radioactive wastes and sometimes are handled just as carelessly. Live radioactive materials are dangerous to handle carelessly because they can still be used. This topic is attempting to determine standards for working with radioactive materials.
- What is Radioactive Material and How does it Decay? -- Ohio State University
3. Water Resources -- The earth's surface is seventy percent water, but less than one percent of that water is available for humans to use for fresh water needs. The amount of life the earth can support is directly tied to the amount of fresh water on the planet, so this water must be protected. While most contaminants can be removed from water, radioactive wastes can permanately corrupt the water, making it unsafe for use.
- UN Decade for Action 2005-2015, Water for Life
- IAEA Water Resources Programme
- Department for Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Water Resources
- Managing Water Resources -- IAEA Technical Cooperation
- Safe and Environmentally Sound Management of Radioactive Wastes
4. Finding acceptable ways to introduce nuclear technology into a non-nuclear country --
- Nuclear Technologies Solving Problems
5. Open Agenda
- IAEA Opening Special Exhibit on Air, Earth & Oceans
- IAEA -- Nuclear Security Home
- IAEA -- Nuclear Safety and Security
- Russian-American Nuclear Security Advisory Council
- Radiation, Transport & Waste Safety
- IAEA -- Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
- Statements of the IAEA Director General to the 60th Regular Session of the GA
- EUROPA -- Research -- Energy -- Innovative Concepts
- New Horizons in International Co-operative Innovation
- NTI: Nuclear Threat Initiative Home
- Prevention of Nuclear Terrorism
- Nuclear Security
- Department of Safeguards
- UN News Centre -- News Focus -- DPRK
- News Centre -- In Focus: IAEA and DPRK
- News Centre -- In Focus: IAEA and Iran
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