Guest Speaker
Ms. Kristina Buende
European Union Representative Hanoi
Kristina Buende is currently the Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Vietnam. Before working at the EU, she worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Pakistan for 2 years, worked with German consultant companies on development operations in Niger and Afghanistan, and then started her career with the European Union (EU). From 2008, Ms. Buende has worked with the European Union (EU) for 15 years. Through her experiences working with the EU, Ms. Buende has worked in nations such as India, Egypt, Brussels, Myanmar, and now Vietnam.
Regarding Ms. Buende's educational career, she studied for two years for a bachelor degree as an interpreter for French and Arabic. However, she later stopped pursuing this degree as she did not want to be an interpreter as a job. Instead, Ms. Buende switched to geography, urban planning, and islamic sciences. Geography was her main study of focus as she always had an interest in other nations. Along with this passion, Ms. Buende wanted to study languages to further pursue her interest in international relations and to study abroad.
Ms. Buende believes MUN to be a great opportunity for students to understand the systems and structures behind the UN, an important body that exists to solve world issues. In general, she believes that there is a need for individuals to communicate at an international level and that young people also need to learn this political process. In particular, learning how to speak to other people with different backgrounds and viewpoints is a fundamental skill to learn.
Concerning Ms. Buende’s view on our conference theme of “How we can use multilateral diplomacy to surmount rapid societal change?”, she believes this to be extremely relevant in today’s political challenges and conflicts. Ms. Buended stated how these global issues have become increasingly large and increasingly more difficult to find solutions. This is where she believes communication and multilateral diplomacy needs to be emphasized. Additionally, she states “...there is no point for each nation to address these issues separately; it needs to be done together.” From this, Ms. Buende concludes that in today’s society multilateral diplomacy is a tool to solve such issues.
Guest Speaker
Danny Hwang
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Point Avenue
Danny Hwang is the Founder and CEO of Point avenue, a private education technology company that is headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam. Mr. Hwang’s company also provides private education in Ho Chi Minh and in Bangkok, Thailand. Additionally, his company has launched their own international school called True North School. Mr. Hwang’s passion about education and student learning outcomes has made him pursue a career as an educational entrepreneur.
However, before Mr. Hwang became involved in the education sector, he studied at West Point, a United States service Academy, because he wanted to serve his country. Especially, as 9/11 unfolded when Mr. Hwang was a senior in High school, this influenced him to pursue this path. For six years, he was a sniper in the army and led soldiers in over 500 combat missions. However, Mr. Hwang later pivoted to education to join his brother in an education technology startup. Shifting from the military to education sector, Mr. Hwang stated how it took him time to become a subject matter expert in both sectors. Moving from these different sectors and starting his own company, Mr. Hwang learned how it's more important to build than to be chasing your own passions.
Mr. Hwang’s message to delegates when approaching a speech is “...to never act like you know something that you don’t know…” and to be truthful in communication. Additionally, he said that when creating a speech or participating in a debate you need to be prepared, you need to read the material, you need to observe, and you need to compete. Gaining this comes from experience by being active and proactive about absorbing knowledge. Moreover, he stated how creating an effective speech requires you to formulate and build on your own opinion.
Moving forward, Mr. Hwang illustrated his experience with our theme “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?” He stated how when he first came to Vietnam, he could see rapid societal change occuring there. For one, he sees the relations with Vietnam and the U.S. becoming stronger as a testament to a shift in society. From his military background and knowledge regarding the history between the two nations, he would have never imagined these nations to be creating such diplomatic ties.
Head Chair
Donghyun (Danny) Han
Honourable directors, distinguished delegates, and most esteemed guests,
My name is Donghyun and I am a junior at Seoul international School. I will be serving as the head chair for 2024 March UNISMUN General Assembly 1. This conference would be my sixth Model United Nations experience and third as a chair.
The theme for this year’s UNISMUN is “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?,” urging all delegates to bridge differences and find unique and collaborative solutions. Considering the ongoing development of several global issues, whether it be international conflict or enviornmental concerns, I hope delegates can find inclusive solutions that benefit all parties involved.
As a whole, General Assembly 1 will provides an opportunity for delegates to elaborate on resolutions for disarament and international security. Amidst the evolution of modern day weaponary and technology, delegates will be tasked with forming potential solutions to previously non-existent challenges and strengthening pre-existing norms for global security.
This year, General Assembly 1 tackles various issues in line with the committee objectives, considering the questions of the implications of cyber and ABC weapons defense research, nuclear states and nuclear umbrellas, and the enforcement of arms embargoes. These three topics require thorough research and cooperation to properly resolve. Agenda 1 encourages delegates to comprehend the underlying complexities of nuclear and cyber weaponry research, especially amid imminent international tensions. Agenda 2 examines the relationships between nulear-weapon states and the subsequent nations. Finally, Agenda 3 challenges delegates to understand how arms embargoes have developed overtime and must be maintained.
In conclusion, I hope the 2024 March iteration of UNISMUN will be filled with passionate delegates and fruitful debate.
Deputy Chair
Artem Polovinkin
Greetings esteemed chairs, distinguished delegates, and honorable guests.
I'm Artem, a student at IGBIS in Malaysia KL, honored to serve as your Deputy Chair for General Assembly 1 at the 2024 UNISMUN. With two years of experience as a delegate trainer and leadership team member at IGBIS, this is my 9th MUN conference and first as a chair.
In our rapidly evolving world, navigating the multitude of shifts in views, opinions, and events can be overwhelming for the global community. The conference's theme, "How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change," showcases the importance of collaboration on a global scale, it being the key to achieving prosperity, especially in the modern world with the amount of emerging conflicts.
The council of GA1 itself deals with disarmament, global challenges, and threats to peace, serving as a diplomatic bridge between nations for negotiation and peaceful resolutions. The conference theme aligns seamlessly with the objectives of fostering future collaboration and conflict mitigation. Active participation in this council promises to enhance world peace through the promotion of justice and diplomacy, in accordance with UN values, laying the groundwork for future leaders like you and me to make a change.
The agenda includes critical topics such as the "Implications of cyber and ABC weapons defense research," "Nuclear states and umbrellas," and "Enforcement of arm embargoes." These subjects resonate deeply with the transformative waves we are experiencing as a society. From questioning the role of nuclear warheads in the modern world together with recent inventions of cyber warfare to the delicate balance of arms embargoes, they showcase that it is only up to us to maneuver through all the difficulties and form solutions for modern day issues, forging stability and the path for future generations to come.
In conclusion, I wish everyone the best of luck, and let us forge lasting memories.
Procedural Chair
Greta Måwe
My name is Greta Måwe and I am currently a sophomore at UNIS. I joined MUN in 2020 and have taken part as delegate, member of delegate training and SG and this will mark my 8th conference. First as a chair, of which I am honored to be the procedural chair for General Assembly 1.
In our ever-changing world where different stakeholders' values on how to progress for sustainable development differ, strains on multilateral cooperation become more recurrent. The conference theme, “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?” amplifies the importance of peaceful solutions and negotiations amid the complexities of 21st-century conflicts to lead the way on how the world should progress forward.
The theme intertwines with the core of the General Assemblies as their mission is to provide recommendations on international issues, for GA1 in the context of Disarmament and International Security. When the impacts of warfare cause stark disparity and humanitarian suffering the regulations of warfare and the development of modern weaponry become exceedingly important. The purpose of GA1 reflects this and delegates will have to engage diplomatically to compromise and cooperate to create agreements and regulations to promote stability worldwide.
The world is at the beginning of a new epoch of armed conflicts where nuclear weapons, autonomous weapons and other modern weaponry are developing rapidly generating an urgent need for multilateral diplomacy. The topics of GA1 are the questions of: the implications of cyber and ABC weapons defense research, nuclear states and nuclear umbrellas and enforcement of arm embargoes. The topics reflect the modern circumstances of warfare and the regulations that are put in place will determine the state of international security for generations to come.
With all that being said, I hope to see all delegates engage in debates and make memorable experiences & I look forward to seeing everyone in March 2024!