Our Committee Mentors
Mr. Riehm
I had the opportunity to speak to one of our mentors (Mr. Riehm) and got the chance to get to know him and receive some feedback and suggestions regarding our committee topics. Mr. Riehm is a middle school mathematics teacher and is keen on the development of MUN in UNIS, becoming the mentor for GA1.
After a few conversations, Mr.Riehm told me something very interesting. He told me how it is important to “not tell people how to think but instead allow them to think through their own lines of reasoning to come with their own conclusions”. This stood out to me because it connects to how nations can achieve multilateral cooperation, linking to our UNIS MUN theme. If we think about it critically, if nations could have constructive conversations and debates that manage to achieve a way of individual thinking to each and every nation’s situation, there could be better results when coming up with a resolution to disagreeable global issues. Sometimes, countries are told what to do based on political power, which is assertive instead of conservative and perhaps not as effective.
After asking Mr.Riehm about our conference’s theme, he suggested that a big part of answering the question is “learning to listen to the needs of each other”. This is truly significant and links back to how we acknowledge nations’ problems. If everyone could understand perspectives and provide empathy, it could shape the way problems are efficiently resolved.
To finalize our conversation, I asked him about our specific committee topics and how their importance should be addressed and he told me how it all links back to sustainability in the way we communicate our needs. More specifically, how nations communicate their needs within territory and resources in the Arctic and how justifiable is the use of autonomous weapons towards self-defense or aggression. It is all about sustainability and how efficiently nations communicate, but in this case, how we communicate with each other in the upcoming conference.
Head Chair
Daniel Yoon
Greetings fellow chairs, distinguished delegates, and honorable guests.
My name is Daniel, currently a senior student at Singapore International School at Gamuda Gardens, and I am elated to serve as the head chair for General Assembly 1 of November 2023 UNISMUN Conference. I have been the leader of MUN at SIS Gamuda Gardens for 2 years and I have trained approximately 60 delegates for 4 conferences. This upcoming conference will be my 5th MUN conference, and my 3rd experience as a chair.
The General Assembly 1 focuses on the disarmament of weapons and threats to peace in the international community, and seeks solutions to challenges in international security such as regulation of disarmament.
The theme of this conference is “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?”. As delegates and chairs, we all must collaborate and tackle each topic that threatens international security and concerns our global community. Multilateral cooperation is a way of achieving a specific target of nations and seeking consensual solutions to global challenges.
In GA1, delegates will be debating on 2 topics:
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The issue of the regulation of autonomous weapons.
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The issue of division of Arctic territory.
As the number of military conflicts and political climates rises, we are in urgent need for multilateral cooperation and strive for international peace. These topics will help delegates to have a deeper understanding of the potential danger of autonomous weapons that could deteriorate the existing international conflicts. Furthermore, the General Assembly 1’s main challenges will be covered: threats to peace in international security, solutions to challenges in the international security regime, and governing disarmament and regulation of armaments.
Deputy Chair
Miguel Pena
Honorable directors, distinguished delegates, and fellow chairs,
My name is Miguel Pena, I am a junior at UNIS and I am pleased to serve as the deputy chair for GA1: General Assembly 1. I have approximately 2 years of MUN experience, my first-ever MUN conference actually being on this committee, and I have acquired many significant skills in order to organize and enhance fruitful debates, which is what I will do in this upcoming conference to set an appealing environment for all delegates.
I am esteemed to participate in the General Assembly 1 to deepen the theme: How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation? This is not only a powerful theme to the whole world, but an enriching one to GA1 as we must address the disarmament and international security to ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation. Currently, there are many gaps within multilateral cooperation, but with this committee, we can enhance sustainability through peace and justice as say the values of the United Nations.
One of the most crucial reasons for the General Assembly's existence is to act as a venue for international diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. GA1 offers an opportunity where all member states are able to collaborate, negotiate disputes, and look for peaceful resolutions to international issues, regardless of their size or power. This diplomatic purpose is essential because it reduces tensions between states, prevents conflicts from turning into war, and promotes a culture that encourages cooperation and compromise in addressing global challenges.
I am honored to partake in the upcoming November 2023 Conference and I look forward to your fruitful debates!
Procedural Chair
Phuong Anh Bui
Honorable directors, distinguished delegates and fellow chairs,
Greetings, my name is Phuong Anh. I am currently a senior at Nguyen Tat Thanh Lower & Upper Secondary School (NTT) and I will be serving as the procedural chair for this year’s November UNISMUN General Assembly 1. This is my first year in the Model UN community and the upcoming November Conference will mark my 2nd Model United Nations conference, and my 1st as a chair as well.
The theme of the November conference is “How do we ensure sustainability through multilateral cooperation?” Along with the development of modern society these days, the world has become more interconnected, which results in interdependence of nations on each other and numerous relevant security conflicts. Therefore, it calls upon cooperation from every nation to come up with sustainable solutions so as to lessen the number of conflicts.
General Assembly 1 (DISEC) is one of six main committees at the General Assembly of the United Nations. It plays a crucial role in dealing with disarmaments and security matters, which pose a threat to the international community; therefore, every nation is offered magnificent chances to cooperate, discuss and figure out solutions to conflicts and armament. Furthermore, this purpose is vital as it will help bring out many outstanding measures which promote a peaceful world to all regardless of their states as well as stop conflicts from causing any further negative effects or wars.
In the upcoming November Conference, the General Assembly 1 will concentrate on two main areas of concern in disarmament and international security: “The issue of the regulation of the autonomous weapons” and “The issue of the division of the Arctic territory”. I am enthusiastic to hear what the delegates will discuss in order to successfully achieve the goals for the upcoming conference.
With all said, I am grateful for having an opportunity to attend the November 2023 MUN conference and will be looking forward to seeing your collaborative work and fruitful debates!