The European International Model United Nations Newsletter April 2010 Contents: GrunnMUN | Registration | Locations| Speakers | Staff Dear all,
Groningen; it seemed like Despite the time constraint, world leaders were gather- all councils were able to We are proud to present ing to solve world issues. accomplish consensus on the second Newsletter of the resolutions. Hearing TEIMUN 2010. This edi- 09.30 the speeches of the chairs tion starts with a report at the Closing Ceremony on our GrunnMUN confer- After welcoming all del- it seemed that all councils ence, followed by an up- egates, we gathered to lis- were able to give rise to date on the registration, ten to the guest speakers both constructive debates locations and speakers. at the Opening Ceremony in and hilarious statements Last but not least our the theater of the building. by different countries. lovely staff members will Marcel Roele explained our be introduced. Don’t for- theme ‘Battle of the Sex- 17.30 get to register and see es: coordination or clash of you at TEIMUN 2010! global interest?’ in the con- After handing out the deltext of sexual relationships. egate awards, it was time to start the social activities After the conference was at the after session drinks. officially opened, the del- The mingling of delegates egates were asked to go to continued in the restaurant their councils. Louis XV, whereafter we enjoyed a few drinks in one 10.15 of the local bars ‘t Vaatje. Delegates did not hesitate to start the simulation and soon Report on GrunnMUN after the Opening Ceremony 2010 we saw heated debates and delegates discussing work09.00 ing papers on the hallway. The clock was ticking, forcAll 100 delegates were wel- ing delegates to work hard comed into the Academy and effectively to come to Building; the building that agreements. functioned as the United Nations headquarters for one At the same time the Securiday. The flags waved at the ty Council coped with a crisis entrance and as soon as the in Southern Sudan. The Secstudents entered the build- retary General continuously ing they were no longer able updated the council on new to imagine being a regular developments. student at the University of
By the time we had to bring our last standing delegate to the train station, so that he could return safely to Macedonia, we realised that it was definitely time to call it a night. We as the Board would like to thank our delegates and staff once more for making this day into a success. We did have an amazing time and we hope all participants did too!
Registration We are happy to see that people from so many different countries have already registered for TEIMUN 2010. Currently, we have more than 30 different nationalities participating this summer. In the picture below you can see the diversity at TEIMUN 2010 so far: Nevertheless, we are still busy recruiting students from all over the world. To make delegates experience this global gathering during the conference, TEIMUN was the first MUN that created a ‘Global Village’. Over the years the party has evolved into an amazing event. All participants are encouraged to bring national specialties such as typical food, drinks, music, and traditional clothing. In addition, we bring South Africa to the conference by watching the semi-finals with all the delegates together. The World Cup Football will stir up friendly rivalry between all nations. Check our website for our other social activities and further information on accommodation in The Hague. We would like to remind you to arrange your overnight stay on time. Suggestions for hostels/hotels can be found online at ‘The Hague information’. Remember that the registration will close in May! Locations for TEIMUN 2010 Koninklijke Schouwburg The Opening Ceremony of TEIMUN 2010 will take place at the Royal Theatre of the Hague. In 1802 a group of bourgeoisies rented the originally small palace for a duration of 99 years and transformed it into a theatre. Since 1804 it has been one of The Hague’s most prominent buildings, situated at the Korte Voorhout, which in the sixteenth century already played a significant role in the city’s travel routes. The Royal Theatre is considered to be the most important podium in the Netherlands for international performances. This year it will host our Opening Ceremony and welcome a number of speakers, which are highlighted in the article below. Mondriaan College TEIMUN’s 2010 conference will be held at the Mondriaan College in The Hague. It is located only five minutes from the Central Station and is therefore a very accessible location. Busses depart every ten minutes from the bus station. However, when the beautiful Dutch summer is in full bloom a lovely ten minute walk through one of The Hague’s typical streets, the Theresiastraat, gets you to the Mondriaan as well. The Mondriaan is a college for catering and tourism and is well equipped with all the necessities for a successful conference. In the building you can find several different conference rooms as well as an extensive resource room. Furthermore, entering the building you will find a large central canteen and a bar, which will welcome you with drinks every day when sessions are over.
Speakers TEIMUN 2010 After the board of TEIMUN already announced that Gerrit Zalm, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Netherlands, will be speaking at the conference, some exciting new names were added to the list! These are: Eimert van Middelkoop, Maxime Verhagen and Jozias van Aartsen. Eimert van Middelkoop Eimert van Middelkoop is a Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion and has been Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Balkeneinde IV since February 22, 2007. After high school Van Middelkoop attended, what is now called, the Erasmus University where he obtained a B.A. in sociology in 1971. In 1989 Van Middelkoop became a member of the House of Representatives, first for the Reformed Political Federation and since the year 2000 for the ChristianUnion. As a parliamentarian he was specialised in foreign and military affairs. He led a special committee which investigated the role of the Netherlands in the fall of Srebrenica. However, Van Middelkoop lost his seat in the House of Representatives, in the 2002 elections. Tineke Huizinga, the high-
est-ranked woman on the candidate list of the ChristianUnion, got more preference votes. From 2003 until 2007 Van Middelkoop was a member of the Senate. In the 2006 elections the party doubled its seats and joined the fourth Balkenende cabinet. Van Middelkoop became Minister of Defense in 2007. Because of his extended experience with Dutch politics and his involvement with international relations, being a minister of Defense, Eimert van Middelkoop will be an interesting speaker on our conference in July. Maxime Verhagen Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and since February 22, 2007 Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Balkenende IV. Verhagen was born in Maastricht. He studied at Leiden University where he obtained an M.A. in history in 1986. For a brief period during his college years, Verhagen was affiliated both with leftish-radicalism and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD); he joined the CDA in 1976.
Verhagen started working for the CDA and was elected to the city council of Oegstgeest. From 1989 to 1994, he was a member of the European Parliament. On 17 May 1994 he became a member of the Dutch House of Representatives. On 11 July 2002 he became chairman of the parliamentary group of the CDA. After becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Fourth Balkenende cabinet, in 2007, he was succeeded in that position by Pieter van Geel. Besides all his achievements in his political career, Maxime Verhagen is also known for being a great fan and user of Twitter. Some people applaud him for that, which resulted in a large group of followers. But at the same time, fellow politicians tend to ridicule him for his extensive use of the new technology, perhaps distracting him from his actual job. All in all, with his great career in national politics and his experience with foreign affairs, Maxime Verhagen is a speaker TEIMUN is proud to have this year.
Jozias van Aartsen
Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician and member of the liberal VVD. He is currently the Mayor of The Hague. He studied law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, however he did not graduate. Van Aartsen then decided, at the age of 22, to move to The Hague and start a political career. When Hans Wiegel became leader of the VVD in 1971, van Aartsen was asked to work for him in the Dutch House of Representatives. In 1978 Van
The TEIMUN Staff Every TEIMUN conference requires coming up with interesting topics, writing background papers and a full week of chairing. This is where the TEIMUN Staff comes in. Every year staff members are carefully selected and put together in a solid team to provide the intellectual content of the conference. The 2010 Staff consists of 19 experienced TEIMUN-veterans, who will be responsible for chairing the Secretariat, the various councils, the ICJ and the Crisis Staff. The Staff’s first task was to determine the topics.
Aartsen became Chef de Bureau of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1985 he became Secretary General of Internal Affairs himself. He was minister of Agriculture from 1994-1998 in the First cabinet of Wim Kok. In the Second cabinet of Wim Kok he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. When the cabinet fell as a result of the NIOD report about the fall of Srebrenica, he became parliamentary leader of the VVD in the Dutch parliament. During the last decade, Van Aartsen is probably best known for being the parliamentary leader of the VVD in the Dutch House of Representatives. He performed this task from May 27, 2003 until March 8, 2006, when he stepped down after poor results in the 2006 Delegates will be informed by the staff about the various topics that will be debated in the various councils. In order for delegates to be able to prepare thoroughly, the members of the staff will provide delegates with the necessary background papers and information. During the conference the members of the staff will chair and supervise the debates in order to lead the delegates towards fruitful resolutions.
This year’s staff Secretariat Rishi Raithatha is a 24 year
Dutch municipal election. Subsequently, Van Aartsen announced that he would not run for the VVD in the 2006 general election. He left the Dutch House of Representatives to become an EU-coordinator responsible for matters related to energy. However Jozias missed Dutch politics and went back to The Hague to take office as the new Mayor on the 27th of March 2008. With his great career in politics, his experience in international relations and his special bond with the city of The Hague, Jozias van Aartsen is considered to be a fascinating speaker for TEIMUN.
old native Londoner with a passion for go-karting, reading and Africa. He will have the tough job of representing the undisputed leader of the United Nations, the Secretary-General. Rishi is currently doing a master in International Relations and International Organisation at the University of Groningen, TEIMUNs beautiful hometown. He will be assisted by the “little-big” girl from Istanbul Mine Ekim, who will represent this year’s Under-Secretary-General. Prior to TEIMUN 2010 she participated in several MUN conferences as an organiser, staff member and delegate, so she definitely knows her
way around.
lantic Council.
General Assembly After winning the TEIMUN 2008 award for Best Speaker and vice-chairing the Security Council at TEIMUN 2009, the eloquent Charles Nysten will be this year’s chairman of the General Assembly. He will be assisted by the lovely Marijke Speelberg, who will co-chair the General Assembly in what is to be her 10th MUN conference.
Human Rights Council The Turkish Ece Aygun, who can be considered a genuine MUN veteran, will chair the Human Rights Council. She was a member of the 2009 TEIMUN staff, won several awards at RIMUN, OxIMUN and Harvard National MUN and chaired at UNISUN 2008 and 2009. She will be assisted by Iranian Babak Mohammadzadeh. After his “totally crazy and fun experience” at TEIMUN 2009 he simply couldn’t resist applying for this year’s staff.
Security Council Cees Heere is the man whose interests stretch so far as “pretty much anything he once read a good book about”. Despite being only 19 years old, he is already finishing up on his bachelors degree at Utrecht University College and will be chairing this year´s Security Council. His fellow student at Utrecht University College Elske Rowel just can’t say no to attending MUNs, culminating in co-chairing this year’s Security Council. North Atlantic Council The passionate debater and carrier of the MUN-virus Onur Gomez will be chairman of the North Atlantic Council. Onur started attending MUNs in 2005 where he participated at the Harvard MUN. Prior to TEIMUN 2010 he chaired at Euroforum 2009 and will chair again at Euroforum 2010. Anna Alberts, another Groningen-based student of International Relations and winner of the TEIMUN 2009 Award for Best Delegation will co-chair the North At-
Economic & Social Council Chairwoman of the ECOSOC Dilpreet Dhanoa has got it all. She obtained a degree in History, graduated in International and Intellectual Property Law and Practice, was awarded Best Delegate at Harvard World MUN, OxIMUN and LIMUN and perhaps most importantly, she loves hot chocolate. Her vicechairwoman will be LeighAnn McChesney, the first-ever American chair at TEIMUN. Historical Council For the first time in 23 years, TEIMUN will be simulating a Historical Council. As a former member of the TEIMUN Board of Directors, a current member of the TEIMUN Supervisory Board, and most importantly a student of History, Sebastiaan Zwaans is undoubtedly ‘the right man for the job’. In the effort of chairing the Historical Council he will be supported by half Swiss, half American Christina Carson, a student of International Relations at
the University of Geneva, who is specialising in History. International Court of Justice The ICJ will be represented by registrar Noa Alster, and advocates Netta Barak-Corren and LauraJean van de Ven. Noa and Netta are both experienced students of law at Hebrew University in Israel. Noa won the TEIMUN Award for Best Delegate in the ICJ in 2009, in turn Netta was awarded the TEIMUN 2009 Best Speaker Award. Laura-Jean successfully represented one of the judges of the ICJ at TEIMUN 2009 and seems to like partying better than sports, something we all applaud. Crisis Staff This year’s Crisis Staff will consist of two Groningenbased former members of the TEIMUN Board of Directors. Mark van Embden, student of International Relations and Peter Jaap Blaakmeer, who is studying Business Administration. Being both ‘men of the north’ they will keep their heads cool whenever crisis occurs.
Your TEIMUN Journalists: Sonny Motke, Sophie den Held and Marius Temming