The European International Model United Nations Newsletter May/June 2011
Contents: Excursions|Registrations|Yalta|Local Promoter|Sigrid Kaag|Afghanistan
Excursions
TEIMUN is not just a MUN simulation, and The Hague is not just a city in the Netherlands. The Hague has many International Organizations (IO’s) that you as a delegate can visit. But we, as Board of Directors, like to make things easy for you. We already arranged a variety of fascinating excursions to some IO’s. For example: the International Criminal Court, the Peace Palace and the International Court of Justice. But non-governmental organizations such as Hivos are also a part of the program. So, visiting TEIMUN means visiting the most interesting IO’s The Hague has to offer as well.
Registrations for TEIMUN 2011 At the moment, we have received registrations from all over the world and based on these registrations alone, we dare to say that TEIMUN 2011 will be an even bigger success than the previous editions! At the moment over 50 nationalities signed up and the number is rising! Therefore, we urge everyone who’s interested to sign up now, as the deadline for registrations for those who require a visa has already elapsed and the registration deadline for people who don’t require a visa is coming up.
For those who still have doubts about participating, let us remind you why you should participate. You’ll have the opportunity to enhance your debating and negotiating skills, to increase your public speaking, and to widen your knowledge about the workings and complexity of decision-making within the structures of the United Nations. Furthermore, you will also be able to visit amazing locations such as the Peace Palace, the International Criminal Court, and the Eurojust headquarters. Besides these intellectual and educational elements, you will have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to become acquainted with their customs and cultures. We sincerely hope to see you in The Hague to participate in our beautiful conference from the 11th until the 17th of July!
The European International Model United Nations
Newsletter 2011 May 2011
The Big Three Obviously, if there was no United Nations, there would be no MUN. This years’ Historical Council will simulate the conference that made it possible for the United Nations to emerge: the Yalta Conference of 1945. At this conference, President F.D. Roosevelt received Stalin’s commitment to participate in the newfound international organization. The UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations, lacked effectiveness due to the fact that several important countries did not participate in the League. If the USSR would have rejected membership, the UN could have experienced a similar faith. This wasn’t the only decision that would direct the course of history. Churchill – representing the United Kingdom – and Roosevelt both came up with ideas on how to divide Germany. Whereas Churchill argued for North, South, and West Germany, Roosevelt proposed seven regions, of which one international zone and six sovereign nations. The honorable gentlemen could not pursue Stalin to agree to their plans, and in hindsight, Europe should feel lucky Joseph refused. Sixty-six years after the end of WWII, Germany is the propelling-force behind Europe’s economy and a valued member of the international community, something we cannot expect to have come from Prussia. “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it”, Winston Churchill once said. At TEIMUN, participants will have the chance to (re)write history, fortunately with the benefit of hindsight. How would you decide on the future as one of the Big Three?
The European International Model United Nations
Newsletter 2011 May 2011
Report from our Local Promoter from Malaysia I had participated in TEIMUN 2010 in the ICJ Council. TEIMUN, to me, is by far one of the best, if not the best, international events I have been to. The activities are challenging and interesting as well. Working in the councils, motivated by our chairs throughout the day, we would then proceed to party all night. I was lucky; my year at TEIMUN was during the World Cup. It was made even more fantastic when the Dutch reached the finals. More importantly, it was the people I met that made me feel a sense of home away from home. Though I was the only Malaysian, I did not once felt out of place. The friendships made continue even today. I affirm the same promise to my fellow delegates; if you are ever in Malaysia, visit me. I am happy to show you around. As a Local Promoter, I was given the privilege to help out with organizing the event. With materials sent to me, I had meetings with universities informing them the benefits of this event and encouraged them to send participants. I sincerely hope my efforts were fruitful. Here I am wishing I could be there with you, Cheers! Amir Isyam ICJ Council, TEIMUN 2010 Local Promoter, TEIMUN 2011
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Newsletter 2011 May 2011 Sigrid Kaag will be one of the speakers at TEIMUN As the last, but not least, speaker to be announced for TEIMUN’s opening ceremony in theatre Diligentia, we are proud to present to you: Sigrid Kaag. Ms Kaag is Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator and Director of the Partnerships Bureau of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Born in 1961, Sigrid Kaag holds a Master of Philosophy degree in International Relations of the Middle East from Exeter University, and a master’s degree in international relations from St. Antony’s College at Oxford University. Ms Kaag worked for the Shell Petroleum Company in London and proceeded to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Thereafter, she served as Deputy Head of Sector in United Nations Political Affairs Department in the city of The Hague. She also served as Senior United Nations Adviser in the Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Khartoum, Sudan. She was the Chief of Donor Relations with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) during 1998-2004 and Senior Programme Manager with the External Relations Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Jerusalem, covering the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Jordan and the Syria. Since 2007, Ms Kaag has served as the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Amman, Jordan. Prior to this, she served as the Chief of Staff of the Executive Director and as Deputy Director of Programmes of UNICEF in New York. Along with Ms Kaag, two other speakers have previously already been welcomed in our newsletters to speak at the opening ceremony: Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former Secretary-General of NATO and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Mr Uri Rosenthal, currently fulfilling the latter function. TEIMUN is glad to present to you Ms Kaag to complete this sequence!
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Newsletter 2011 May 2011 The Failed State Afghanistan? A great deal of the international community’s attention in recent years has been focused on the case of Afghanistan. In addition, the concept of a ‘failed state’ has been used frequently in relations to Afghanistan. A ‘failed state’ is unable to provide their citizens with security and public order, legitimate representation and wealth or welfare for their citizens. Unfortunately, the international community has not been able to create a stable state in the region and the UN continues to struggle how to deal with this so-called failed state. There are still many issues to be addressed by the international community. For instance, how can the international community deal with tribal leaders and their role throughout Afghanistan? We can see that some of the warlords from earlier wars and conflicts in Afghanistan are now negotiating with the UN and are working as secretaries in the new government. A comparison of the Afghan state before and after US intervention demonstrates that the new state is in essence not very different from the pre-existing power structures and that, besides new appearances and ‘labels’, not that much has changed since the installation of the Karzai administration. After the fall of the Taliban regime, the same power holders established themselves as formal political powers at the national, regional and local level of the new state (Lister, 2007). It is thus of the essence that the international community finds a way to deal with these power structures and to keep in mind how power is transferred to the regional and local level. It is the responsibility of the UN to create better understanding on how ‘new democracies’ can function. But for now, Afghanistan will disputably continue to be considered a ‘failed state’.
From your TEIMUN journalists: Karsten Judith Knotters Sam Trompert Your TEIMUN journalists: Karsten Kip,Kip, Judith Knotters andand Sam Trompert