OUR SAINTS MUN

THE first Council Session of the first day of Saints Model United Nations Conference began with, as typically expected, a standardized narrative of Opening Speeches, General Speakers Lists and Caucuses. What was atypical of dia uno was, however, the variegated pace of and happenings in each council -- when SOCHUM (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee) has just transited from opening speeches to the general speakers' list, SC (Security Council) is well into active debate on the adoption of policy responses to the threat of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syra), in part due to differences in council size.

HOWEVER, the Day Two found councils steeped in increasingly engaging discourse as resolutions are formulated and debated upon. While some councils are largely agreeable on most policies, other councils appear to be drastically polarized, and more than one would wonder: Where are we heading to?

Here, the Press Corps takes a closer look, and hopefully, bring you the answers...

Security Council: Strike or No Strike? The Opportunists Are At Play.

Here is where the drama usually takes place, a council dominated by the presence of the Permanent Five, itself an oft-polarized group, and it didn't take long before the rift grows apparent. As the council launched into debate on the most effective approach to tackle the most influential extremist group in world history which has become, verbatim in the Iraqi delegates' words, "far greater than [the Security Council]'s petty squabbles". Iraq and United States of America began with proposing air strikes as the 'not-perfect-but-the-best-we-have-now' solution while Russia, one of the main arms suppliers to the Middle East, advocated for a more diplomatic stance in calling for the termination of asset inflow to ISIS, regaining control of oil-producing lands controlled by ISIS, a highly ambitious plan, and arming the Syrian Army. Combined with the scenario of seemingly irreconciliable differences between Iraq and Syria, the two key players, and problems of insurgency in the turbulent region, coming to a satisfactory and effective resolution for all parties has become a long yet interesting journey to come.

Special Decolonization and Political Committee: Commercialisation and Militarisation of Space

North Korea, Egypt, Sweden and Australia are at play --an interesting combination, to begin with-- and they're playing a dangerous game. In this council of active discourse, a tax system has been introduced on the gains made by the private sector to mitigate the potential problems of exploitation and proliferation due to the commercialization of space. Other key issues highlighted included the problem of space debris, which, notably, has been dismissed by some in their confidence in the ability of current arms systems to “intercept falling debris before they cause any damages”. In the legal quagmire of space regulation, spanning the lengths of both public and private sectors in countries worldwide, the issue of liability, its corresponding policy formulation and enforcement are heatedly debated. Perhaps the best answer to the gridlock is a question plangently posed by the Egyptian delegation: "...if not now, when? If not us, who?"

Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Council: The Issue of Child Labour

Day One held a slow-going council session for SOCHUM,with the opening speech taking up almost half of Council Session One for the largest council in Saints MUN 2015, and the proper council debate was just coming into form when the house was forced to adjourn for the day. In spite of this, the next day, events took a better turn as more active discourse flourished, with calls for increased transparency, assistance in adaptating the economic frameworks of nations as they shift from reliance on child labour for the production of goods and services to a more legal-aged workforce, as well as the establishment of the Committee to Head International Labour Development (the aptly named C.H.I.L.D.), a multi-lateral body dedicated to the monitoring and elimination of child labour in affected nations. As countries with opposing stances come close to reaching a compromise, a resolution was formulated and still being debated upon as this article was finalised. Will it be passed? Or will it be tabled? Well, the workings of the international body has, more often than not, eluded the comprehension of even the experts in international relations. And SOCHUM may surprise us yet.

Human Rights Council: Immediate vs Gradual Deportation vs No Deportation: The Complex Solutions To Complex Problems

A council boasting a mighty delegation of 41, the Human Rights Council stands as the second largest council this year. Surprisingly though, Council Session One was considerably productive as delegates plowed through Opening Speech, defining the rights of illegal migrants and the problems they create on Day One. Definitions included, most notably, freedom of religion (courtesy of the the Republic of Korea, much to the chagrin of certain strictly theocratic nations), and frequent citations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Next comes the issue of deportation, with the limited capacities of developing recipient nations in comfortably accommodating the migrant inflow, and nations against deportation describing deportation as "throwing illegal migrants around like balls". Day Two brought new glimmers of hope as agreements with the Asian Development and World Banks were proposed to improve conditions in home countries to target the root cause of illegal immigration as well as shorter-term solutions to establish temporary migrant shelters and skills training. However, the vexing issue of integration and managing local responses to the influx of migrants remains at hand, and if history taught the United Nations anything, it is that mindsets are slow to change.