The End of civilization?

Topic 1 - Future of Farming (Food Production, Soil Replenishment, Stacked Farming and Agricultural Biotechnology)

Agriculture and farming are an essential component of our society. This industry is getting increasingly threatened by climate change, use of pesticides, concerns towards animal husbandry, unsustainable methods of farming, soil degradation and an aging workforce. Due to these arising issues that have become increasingly prominent and alarming countries are being forced to take action. With climate change being a big concern in agriculture, countries will meet up at The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, (COP26). Prominent member states include: US, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, India, Brazil. Possible solutions that delegates could look into would be investments in to cover crops in order to rebuild soil health, technological advancements, agricultural biotechnology, Reducing Livestock Methane Emissions, efficient irrigation management, disaster prevention.

Resources:

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Biotechnology

World Food Program

Brazil launches carbon-reduction goals for agriculture

Coronavirus outbreak spurs high-tech greenhouse boom in China

The Future of Farming Technology

Is The Future Of Farming Indoors?

5 Tools and Technologies That Drive Sustainable Agriculture

Topic 2 - Potential Dangers of Unregulated Cryptocurrencies

Volatile, untraceable, power consuming, inefficient, cryptocurrencies are a strange new addition that threatens to throw off the world economy, dominated by cash and credit cards for decades. Most people still do not fully grasp the effects of cryptocurrencies and the benefits / detriments they could possess for countries worldwide. The amount of power used to generate one bitcoin / ethereum is equivalent to a month of electricity for a US household. Data processing centres generate immense amounts of heat, not a healthy alternative for a world wishing to save the environment. For nations wishing to capitalize on cryptocurrencies and develop economies to better suit them, UNDP member states must come together to create resolutions on how to include or repress the new crypto movement into their countries.

Resources:

Regulating the no man’s coin - the rapid rise of cryptocurrencies has regulators scratching their heads Regulators put cryptocurrency in crosshairs

Cryptocurrencies, Digital Dollars, and the Future of Money

Bitcoin Has a Regulation Problem

Making sense of bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain

The six challenges and solutions for cryptocurrency adoption

Cryptocurrency buzz drives record investment scam losses

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Topic 1 - The Changing Nature of War

Wars in the 21st century are anything but conventional. Foot soldiers and trenches are being replaced by drone strikes, proxy conflicts, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Large-scale military industrial complexes are able to profit from the plight of those at war, and nations around the world are not prepared to deal with the advancements of new technologies. With the threat of war between China and America looming over the world, SPECPOL aims to debate on effective means on how the UN and member nations can combat the changing nature of war. Creating resolutions on how to prevent cyberattacks / data leaks and foreign surveillance in neutral nations is vital while also discussing what guidelines should be set relating to the usage of mercenaries, contractors, drone strikes, in sovereign countries.

Resources:

Future wars: Artificial Intelligence, drones and cyber weapons

The Rise of Cyber and the Changing Nature of War

The Changing Character of War

Artificial Intelligence Is The Future of Warfare

Inside a future cyberwar: What will cyber warfare really be like?

The future of war and deterrence in an age of autonomous weapons

Topic 2 - Potential Damage of UN Peacekeeping Forces​

​The UN Peacekeeping Forces are as old as the UN itself. The sole purpose has always been to cease conflict and retain peace in conflict-stricken nations. The vast majority of UN Peacekeeping Operations now take place on the continent of Africa. Since it has existed, it has come under vast scrutiny as to the effectiveness of such operations. The failures to prevent bloodshed in Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia and so many other countries have undermined the legitimacy of the force. Reports of widespread human rights abuses, collaborating with rebel forces, and lack of any real solution to operations like MINUSMA, UNMISS, UNAMID are an embarrassment to the largest diplomatic organization in the world. SPECPOL asks delegates to critique the UN Peacekeeping Forces, highlight it's ineffectiveness, and create solutions to improve the response and actions of the UN soldiers.

Resources:

United Nations Peacekeeping history

United Nations Peacekeeping - What We Do

Is UN Peacekeeping Losing its Appeal?

Global: Ending impunity for crimes committed by UN peacekeepers

UN: Stop Sexual Abuse by Peacekeepers

Dispatches: A Year of Reckoning on Sexual Abuse by UN Peacekeepers

The Role of Peacekeeping in Africa

When the peacekeepers are part of the problem

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Topic 1 - Women's Economic Empowerment

With the rising importance in feminism, the discrimination females face economically can not be overlooked. Historical, outdated gender norms create difficulties for women’s growth in economic settings. These ideals are internalized by industries and working places, limiting not only women’s economic opportunities, but the respect and decency towards them in economic situations. This issue is highly prevalent in Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific’s large rural market forces women into overly-harsh working conditions, little pay, and disallow any input from them into these economic systems. This topic urges delegates to not only find solutions to overcome these limiting, sexist ideals, but to find systems that can support the development of women in Asia-Pacific’s economy and their well-being within their development, at the benefit of women as individuals and their gender in society.

Resources:

Women’s Economic Empowerment

Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality

Women in the Workforce: An Unmet Potential in Asia and the Pacific

Why Women Entrepreneurs Are Critical To Economic Growth

Increasing Women's Participation in the Asian Economies

Topic 2 - How to Rebuild the Asia Pacific after 1.5 years of lockdown: The Pandemic Environment

Almost 2 years after Covid-19 was first declared a pandemic by the WHO, the nations in the Asia-Pacific region are still trying to come to terms with the effects it has had on each of their respective countries. Mass unemployment, industries destroyed, health infrastructures pushed to the brink. The rapid reversal of poverty reduction programs years in the making. Although Asia managed to escape Covid case surges and high infection rates in 2020, the rise of the Delta variant in 2021 proved to be a challenge for the largely unvaccinated region of the world. As vaccination rates increase and restrictions are finally being loosened across the continent, the next challenge that ESCAP wants delegates to focus on is how to rebuild. Delegates should discuss the many different sectors of the economies and groups of people that have been severely affected by the pandemic, and how the committee should reallocate resources to these groups. By doing so, delegates will be able to plot a road map in order to emerge from the worst global economic crisis of the 21st century in a stable and effective way.

Resources:

An Asian strategy for recovery and reconstruction after COVID-19

Economic Recovery in East Asia and Pacific Faces Setback

Five windows of opportunity for postpandemic Asia

Southeast Asia’s post-pandemic recovery outlook

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Topic 1 - The Situation in Ethiopia

The Tigray War is the latest eruption of violence in East Africa, caused by unresolved tension brewing from the gradual transition to democratic ideological politics from ethnic federalism, which had been the policy of Ethiopia for the 25 years after the defeat of the military junta in 1991. The conflict, which broke out in November 2020, has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides, and spread outside of Tigray to the regions of Amhara and Afar. Airstrikes and food shortages threaten to repeat the mass starvation of 1984 which one aid official described as "Hell on Earth" as 8 million Ethiopians starved. The involvement of multiple internal and external forces in the Tigray War has caused many UN former officials to warn that Ethiopia could disintegrate like Yugoslavia, as the rebels refuse to give into the pressure from the Ethiopian government. The delegates at the BaliMUN Security Council will be asked to create resolution(s) to help end the civil war, and return stability to the East African nation. Previous resolutions in the UN Security Council were rejected by China and Russia. Delegates will be encouraged to not repeat the mistakes of the diplomats and submit a strong resolution, although veto power is still very much allowed.

Resources:

Who are the Tigray fighters, and why is Ethiopia at war with them?

Rebels are closing in on Ethiopia's capital. Its collapse could bring regional chaos

Ethiopia’s Tigray war: The short, medium and long story

Ethiopia: Future of Tigray and Horn of Africa ‘in grave uncertainty’

End war now before it’s too late for Ethiopians, UN rights chief urges fighters

Ethiopia is at war with itself. Here's what you need to know about the conflict

Topic 2 - Climate Refugees

Climate change not only has an impact on our natural surroundings but it also has an impact on the people who live in the areas most affected by this crisis. Climate refugees are people who have been forced to move to another area in their country or to a completely new one in order to escape the extreme weather conditions that are being faced. Some of these weather conditions could be: abnormally heavy rainfall, prolonged droughts, the rise in sea-level, desertification, environmental degradation and cyclones. According to Al Jazeera, 55 million people were forced to move within their countries in 2020 due to extreme weather conditions which is the highest recorded number in at least a decade. The UNHCR already has an agenda to help this issue which includes: law and policy (providing support internationally to develop enhanced protection for refugees and others displaced within the context of climate change and disasters), operations (reducing environmental degradation and enhancing the preparedness of displaced people) and, UNHCR’s environmental footprint (improving UNHCR’s environmental sustainability through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the negative impacts on the environment). Delegates are encouraged to discuss ways to minimize the impacts of climate change on the population, discuss how countries can help aid others during these difficult times and, to find solutions that would hopefully prevent extreme weather conditions from happening more often.

Resources:

How climate Refugees Move Across Continents

Environment, Disasters and Climate Change Climate change and disaster displacement

Climate refugees – the world’s forgotten victims

In 2020, more people displaced by extreme climate than conflict

The climate crisis, migration, and refugees

The Refugees The World Barely Pays Attention To

One Billion People May Become Climate Refugees By 2050

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