Youngsters tackle global issues

from the Gulf Daily News

By REBECCA TORR

MODEL United Nations (MUN) delegates began to tackle issues of world poverty, gender equality and access to healthcare at the opening of Bahrain MUN yesterday.

More than 450 15-to-18-year-olds from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are participating in the three-day event, held at Al Raja School, Manama.

The students from 40 private and government schools are representing 200 different countries and UN agencies and include Press, administration, security staff and alumni.

BAHMUN is organised by the Rotary Club of Adliya and held under the patronage of Education Minister Dr Majid Ali Al Nuaimi.

The opening ceremony was addressed by keynote speaker former UN General Assembly president Shaikha Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa, who outlined the history of the UN, its different chambers, as well as its role, activities and goals.

She said the UN was tackling various challenges such as extreme poverty, illiteracy, access to healthcare, the spread of Aids/HIV and malaria and discrimination against women.

"Women account for two-thirds of 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty and two-thirds of the world's illiterate are women," she said.

"There are 270 million children worldwide that have no access to healthcare, and four million die each year in the first month of their short life.

"Every year malaria kills one million people and Aids three million."

She said that in September 2000, at the UN millenium summit, world leaders agreed to tackle these problems and others and set several Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by 2015.

MDGs projects are already proving successful and the millennium villages are a good example.

The villages are a method developed by the UN to help African communities get out of poverty by the deadline, and the project has so far reached 4,000 in 79 villages.

Shaikha Haya said the UN was also bringing countries together to tackle another global challenge that of climate change.

The average global temperature had risen by 0.74 degrees in the last century and this was the largest and fastest trend ever witnessed, she highlighted.

"The earth could rise up to three degrees in the 21st century and most changes are due to human activity, due to the emission of greenhouse gases," she said.

"The UN is working to bring countries together to address climate change."

Speeches were also delivered by club president Talal Al Mannai and BAHMUN academic co-ordinator Terrie Cheesbourg.

Mr Al Mannai said BAHMUN, initiated in 1994, was an ideal platform that gave younger generations the chance to share their opinions on issues of global concern that would have an impact on the world for many years to come.

"In sponsoring this event, the club aims at creating a framework of thinking, exchanging ideas, an atmosphere of decision making where participants can freely express themselves and develop a sense of responsibility for the world that we all share together," he said.

"It also aims at illustrating the opportunities that exist worldwide to build friendship, contribute to a better community, meet different people who all contribute towards building understanding among nations."

The opening was attended by Education Ministry assistant under-secretary for educational services and private education Dr Khalid Al Alawi on behalf of Dr Al Nuaimi. Ambassadors, UN and ministry officials, teachers, Press were present.

Plaques of appreciation were presented by Mr Al Mannai to Dr Al Alawi, Shaikha Haya, past district assistant governor and Shura Council member Khalid Almoayyed and school board of directors chairman Dr Isa Khayat.

BAHMUN is a simulated meeting of the UN General Assembly (GA), the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

It simulates the process of negotiations, discussion, diplomacy and lively debate, which is the cornerstone of the UN.

In their groups, students each represent a specific country, or organisation and deliver an opening speech on their country's or organisation's policies at the start of the meeting. They then enter into lobbying, debate and later voting.

BAHMUN's closing ceremony will be held tomorrow (March 1) at 4.30pm, when students will present the resolutions they have passed.

becky@gdn.com.bh

DEBATE ISSUES

THE issues to be debated by each group are:

l GA - The advancement of women in the Middle East to create equal rights and women empowerment; and, the right to educate and allocate humanitarian resources for the eradication of poverty in Africa.

l HRC - The globalised bill of rights for health and well-being of children and adolescents; and, the question of protecting the rights and welfare of migrant workers globally.

l ECOSOC - The question of environmental health, sanitation, pollution and the protection of the environment; and, the proper management of transboundary water resources with emphasis on the Euphrates River.

l IAEA - The question of Iran's right to own and use nuclear technology; and, the question of the GCC researching the possible use of nuclear technology as an alternative source of energy in the near future.

l Security Council - The formation of an international tribunal to bring to justice those involved in the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Harriri; and, the question of adding permanent members to the Security Council.

Each group will also be given a crisis issue to deal with at some time during the event.