Awards Policy

On our conference website, you can find our Awards Policy. The criteria we use to grade your performance during committee are as follows:

• Quality of research, as reflected in your position papers and debate;
• Quality of amendments, resolutions, and proposed solutions;
• Ability to accurately represent your nation’s interests and policies;
• Diplomacy skills in building consensus and compromising with others;
• Effectiveness in working in caucus and resolution groups;
• Persuasive skill in communicating with other delegates; and,
• Responding effectively to situations of crisis.

BMUN also strictly prohibits the use of pre-written resolutions. All substantive documents should be drafted collaboratively in committee.

Staying on policy is one of the most critical aspects for me. Beyond that, I would sum up the above as your preparedness, rhetorical skill and influence, and ability to push your national agenda. But most importantly, try to learn something and improve upon your skills; that'll be far more important for you in the future than winning an award.

Tips for Success in DISEC

Come Prepared

1. Understand the topic fully: Our first topic is on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and our second topic is small arms and light weapons. We highly value delegates who are able to demonstrate strong research in all of these fields.

2. Know your nation's stance well: While some nations take relatively clear positions on a particular topic, other nations may have more ambiguous stances. Even if your country does not seem to be involved with a particular topic, it probably still has some guidelines for its actions.

3. Prepare a strong opening statement: Most Model United Nations speeches are thought of on the spot or during committee, but your first speech can be thought of beforehand. Take advantage of the speaker's list and prepare a strong first speech to establish yourself in committee.

Speeches

1. Focus on one idea at a time: Before giving a speech, think about what you want to achieve with your speech and try to narrow the purpose of your speech down to one or two points. If a speech has too many points, it becomes less compelling.

2. Take a deep breath: When you're called on for a speech, you have the floor! That means you can start whenever you think you're ready. If you're nervous about speaking, take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, then speak. As long as you do not take too long, you will be better off.

3. Don't panic: The purpose of giving speeches is to get a message across to your audience, not to just throw everything out there. If you're nervous and talking too fast, slow yourself down. There's no point in making a lot of points if no one understands them.

Resolutions 

1. Be SMART(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely): There's nothing we hate more than generic resolutions that encourages the establishment of some obscure committee that will  resolve a problem that the world's leaders have been struggling with.

2. Be Creative: One of the best parts of Model United Nations is the level of creativity seen in conferences. While adhering to SMART guidelines, a best delegate should also be able to think outside the box. If we keep on implementing the same policies, how can the world ever move forward?

3. Be collaborative: Model United Nations awards are not determined by whose name appears first on the list of sponsors, we value delegates who are able to work collaboratively with others, and resolutions are the best way to show collaboration.

MUN IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE 

At the end of the day, the most rewarding part of MUN is not rewards (ironically). The most rewarding part is the process of becoming a better public speaker, a more thoughtful delegate, and perhaps, a future politician.

BMUN is Right Around the Corner

Hi Delegates,

BMUN 66 is right a round the corner. In a little more than a week we'll all be on the UC Berkeley campus and opening our committee. Whether you're new to MUN or have racked up a lot of experience, there is still plenty you can do to prepare for conference. Beyond studying our committee's topic synopsis and researching your nation, you can take more steps to make sure that the BMUN expereince is great for you and your fellow delagates. For example, you can anticipate the stances and solutions that nations apart from own will espouse during commitee. To get an idea of this you can study other nations' approach to our topics and read delegates' responses on blogposts.

Also, I suggest looking up some information on UC Berkeley, especially if you're intested in being a student here in the future. Outside of committe you'll have time to explore the campus and surrounding area. Additionally, you'll have an oppertunity to ask us questions about our experience as students here on the last day of conference.

Get excited for BMUN! I'm looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Get Excited for BMUN 66!!!!

Hey delegates! 

I just wanted to say how excited I am to meet you all at conference (coming up quickly!) and offer some advice/resources to give you some last minute preparation for committee.

First, BMUN is a conference focused on learning, research, and diplomacy; to do well as delegates you have to try to epitomize those tenants to the best of your ability. This means operating with kindness in caucus and imbedding all your statements with relevant research.  If you are unclear what type of research is appropriate, check out learn.bmun.org. Typically, any URL that ends with .org, .edu, or .gov are considered appropriate. Avoid sites with bias, or at the very least crosscheck them with relevant sources. 

Second, start writing your speeches now! In order to be comfortable in such a large committee you want to allot as much time as possible to speech preparation. At the very least, you will have preparation for multiple comments if you are not able to give your speech on one of the topics. 

Lastly, I know that DISEC can seem intimidating as a Bloc A (I was in a Bloc A as a delegate last year). I swear its not as difficult as you think. Focus on making friends and showing off your research in caucus sessions. 

If you have any questions you can contact any of us. My email is mmclean@bmun.org. 

See y'all soon!!!

Less than two weeks left!

Hey, delegates!

I'm super excited for conference, and I can't wait to meet you all! I just wanted to share my two-cents on committee preparation and performance. 

Firstly, don't stress! BMUN is a learning conference, and we are here to help with any parts of the topic that may seem a little confusing. Know that you have worked hard researching over the past few weeks, and you don't need to be an absolute expert on the topics. You will learn even more throughout committee as you hear other delegates' research and perspectives. 

Secondly, search about the topics on the Internet. I'm sure you will find a non-exhaustive list of articles that will explain specific aspects of the topics. Now that your position papers have been written, just relax and read these resources leisurely. 

Thirdly, please reach out to us and communicate any questions or concerns you have! We want you to have the best experience at BMUN, and we are here to help you achieve that. 

See you soon! 

"France's Macron threatens Syria strikes if chemical weapon use proven" from BBC

As there have been multiple allegations of Syria employing chemical weapons against its citizens this past year, French President Emmanuel Macron has come forth, threatening an air strike on such a stockpile. Macron assured that French intelligence services were not able to find such weapons thus far, however. The French President maintains the "red line" policy--a policy President Obama had claimed but didn't fulfill--in which there would be foreign intervention if chemical weapons were proven to have been used. 

Article:

France's Macron threatens Syria strikes if chemical weapon use proven [BBC]

Technology Policy

DISEC will be using the Unmod Tech policy found in the Electronics Policy on the Conference Policies page. In general, this means the use of electronics such as laptops and cell phones will only be permitted during unmoderated caucuses and only for conference related purposes. However, I'm pretty flexible with this, so if the committee is making good progress or on a tight schedule, I may allow the use of electronics during formal debate as well. On the other hand, we can also prohibit the use of electronics if it becomes disruptive.

Pakistan developing new types of nuclear weapons: US

Pakistan is now developing short range nuclear missiles that can pose a great threat to its neighboring countries. India, in particular, is under threat as a result of Pakistan's new technological developments. Pakistan's nuclear development show that while North Korea has the most media attention for its nuclear weapons, there are many other countries that pose similar threats. During conference, delegates should devise solutions that are not focused on particular countries. Instead solutions should also aim to address all countries in possession of nuclear weapons.

Pakistan developing new types of nuclear weapons: US [The Times of India]

Small Arms Proliferation in Africa

Last month, Nigeria's federal government announced that it would be revamping its Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Its goal in doing so is to halt the proliferation of small arms in Nigeria and its neighboring nations in order to weaken the fighting power of Boko Haram, a Jihadist military group in Africa that has alleged itself with ISIS. In order to accomplish this, Nigeria seeks to coordinate with its neighbors, such as Chad and Niger, since they are labeling this proliferation as a region issue.

This article further describes some of the existing platforms that Nigeria is seeking to base their efforts on, but doesn't strongly review what specific measures might be taken to combat small arms proliferation. What kind of actions do you think can and should be taken to tackle this issue?

Supplemental Information for Syria and Chemical Weapons

Hello Delegates!

With more alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of what is going on in Syria. If you have Netflix, I highly recommend watching "The White Helmets" on Netflix. This was the Oscar winner for the Best Documentary Short Subject category and a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The documentary centers around this group as they volunteer to save lives in Turkey and Syria. 

They were one of the first people to respond to the latest chemical weapons attack in Syria. In this article survivors of chemical weapon's attacks detail their experiences and their is some information on the White Helmets. It is important to know the symptoms so if a crisis does arise in committee you will have a more concrete understanding of what exactly happened. Moreover, its crucial to know the extent that airstrikes bombing hospitals has on the civilians in Syria (this article also delves into that topic).

Excited to see you all for BMUN 66, keep researching! I recommend getting notifications on your phone for specific topics so you can keep up to date before the conference. BBC is a great neutral resource for international news.

"India admitted to Australia Group" from The Hindu

In January, India was admitted to the Australia Group, which is dedicated to nonproliferation of chemical and biological weapons. Members of the group attempt to minimize the exportation of technologies and materials which could be used in developing chemical or biological weapons. 

Source:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-admitted-to-australia-group/article22475433.ece

The Australia Group is an informal association of countries that attempt to control exports to avoid weapon development. Other examples of these types of groups are the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, and the Wassenaar Agreement. Do you think these groups are effective in achieving non-proliferation? What are their shortcomings? Could such a group be implemented under a UN body? 

Crisis Procedure

In the event that a crisis emerges during the course of the conference that is within the jurisdiction of DISEC, the committee may elect to table the current topic to address the issue. Procedurally, nothing really changes when addressing a crisis, although I expect the pace of debate and turnaround time for paper writing will probably increase proportional to the urgency of the crisis.

Nigeria institutes committee on small arms, light weapons

The Nigerian president has recently established a nationwide committee on small arms and light weapons. The Nigerian president stated that on the issue of small arms and light weapons, "it is not possible to for any one nation to tackle the problem". Nigeria's solution to small arms provides a perfect example of what a DISEC resolution on this topic should include. We expect delegates to find practical solutions that can mitigate the threat of small arms on a region by region basis instead of broad solutions that lack practicality.

Nigeria institutes committee on small arms, light weapons [The Guardian]

The Secretary-Generals Plans for Disarmament Talks

The U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is aiming to push hard for renewed disarmament talks in 2018. He's concerned by what he calls a twenty-year stalemate regarding the subject. Not surprisingly, he aims to have nuclear disarmament be a significant part of this discussing. However, Guterres wants to also focus on new areas of disarmament, ones that haven't been discussed much in the past. Cyberwarfare, robotics and their military application have raised concern in recent years and he wants them to be addressed. Read more about Secretary-General Guterres' speculated plans for 2018 here:

Exclusive: U.N. chief plans major disarmament push but U.S. skeptical [Reuters]

View these ideas as a possible guide for what you might want to address during conference.

Upcoming Small Arms and Light Weapons Discussions for 2018

In June, the Review Conference of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA) will occur and while it will be past this conference it is worth noting the potential implications it could bring to countries. While the PoA is hard to apply, the stance the UN takes against weapons differs significantly from that of the United States which could evidently lead to a deeper divide between the organization and the country. This Conference will most likely tackle ammunitions, a caveat of small arms and light weapons that was previously covered in the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines. They will follow this conference in June with another in August to discuss the Arms Trade Treaty

While the practicality of this attempt to regulate is called into question, this shows that the UN is taking deeper strides into limiting arms usage. While this specifically relates to small arms and light weapons, it throws into focus the scope of the United Nations as a whole because measures such as this will do little to deter international superpowers. 

Do you know how your country will likely vote? Are you okay with the changes or will your country have a hard time adjusting (if you decide to adhere at all)? 

Check out this article for further information! I'm so excited to read your position papers and see you all debate. BMUN is coming up fast! 

2018 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review

I want to clarify that the scope of our committee is international and that delegates should not focus on the nuclear affairs that occur between only one or two countries. The issues of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and small arms are relevant to all countries in this committee. With that said, however, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the Trump administration's 2018 Nuclear Posture Review because of the changes it could effect in the international community. As well, although this update may be out of the scope of DISEC and thus not thoroughly discussed in committee, it's also just a significant event in American domestic affairs. 

A new Nuclear Posture Review is released when an administration decides to change the status quo policy regarding nuclear weapons. It appears that the Trump administration wants to stray away from disarmament and lean towards proliferation of smaller nuclear weapons to compete with China and Russia in this new strategy. 

In a National Public Radio interview, Alexandra Bell describes why the Trump administration is calling for the proliferation of "smaller nuclear arms": 

"The idea is that [a lower-yield nuclear weapon] would be more usable, that our largest nuclear weapons and our arsenals would somehow deter us, that we wouldn't want to cause that much damage. So we need these smaller options to convince countries that we will, in fact, respond to aggression."

Bell also points out that the nuclear bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are considered "small" nuclear weapons, of about 20 kilotons and less. 

Also, this year's NPR discusses the nuclear option in retaliation to cyberattacks. Cyberattacks are a fairly recent phenomena in foreign affairs, and many governments have not outlined how retaliation should look like. In the 2018 NPR, however, the Trump administration has proposed employing nuclear weapons in response to cyberattacks. In light of this, many foreign policy and national security experts have commented on this update in policy. In a Washington Post piece, Richard A. Clarke and Steve Andreasen describe the recently changing attitudes towards the deployment of nuclear weapons:    

"Five years ago, the Pentagon’s Defense Science Board published a report equating the impact of Chinese and Russian capabilities to launch an 'existential cyber attack' against the United States with the impact of a nuclear attack — and recommended that the United States be prepared to threaten the use of nuclear weapons to deter cyberattacks. When the board’s recommendation was exposed to the light of day by the two of us and others in 2013, it was publicly rebuked and, as a matter of policy, quietly discarded. 

But just last month, the board’s proposal became U.S. policy. In December, the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy quietly expanded the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. defense plans, stating they are 'essential' to prevent 'non-nuclear strategic attacks' — i.e., cyberattacks. 

This week, the Trump administration is expected to release its 'Nuclear Posture Review.' A leaked pre-decisional draft reaffirms the policy of threatening nuclear use to prevent cyberattacks, but goes even further — expanding the role of U.S. forward-deployed nuclear weapons in NATO’s European defenses."

If you are interested in U.S. national security and foreign policy, I recommend you read further about the 2018 NPR or even read the actual document itself. 

Here are some sources with different stances on the new strategy:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/with-nuclear-weapons-were-getting-too-comfortable-thinking-the-unthinkable/2018/01/30/3e1edb3c-051a-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html?utm_term=.8929af0a358d
• https://www.npr.org/2018/01/28/581397033/the-other-npr-nuclear-posture-review
• http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/13/trumps-nuclear-strategy-seeks-new-weapons-to-counter-russia.html

The real harm of the global arms trade | Samantha Nutt [TED]

Samantha tells us first-hand her experience with war and how she thinks we can solve the problem of the global arms trade. Do you agree with her? Can you think of any arguments against her claims? And since this is the first source we've posted like this, how should we use this source?

Source: The real harm of the global arms trade | Samantha Nutt [TED]

Trump: North Korea's 'reckless pursuit' of nuclear weapons could soon threaten the US

Donald Trump has recently been applying "maximum" pressure to North Korea on the matter of nuclear weapon development. This time, instead of placing more sanctions on North Korea, the Trump administration is looking to conduct a limited strike on North Korea. While these actions align with U.S. foreign policy, numerous critics have started questioning whether such action will inflict any reciprocal damage onto the United States.

Questions to consider:

The implementation of sanctions or the usage of air strikes can also warrant reciprocation. Delegates should consider these factors in drafting their resolution.

While following country policy is paramount, be careful of the extent of your country's actions. Even though some countries are anti-nuclear weapon, it does not necessarily mean they have the will or ability to take direct action.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/30/trump-.html