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

The Unavoidable Vulnerability of Seoul

A huge focus is often put on North Korea's nuclear program and how it is being used as a deterrent against military action from nations such as the US and South Korea. With this, many believe that dismantling it will deprive North Korea of all such deterrents. However, this is not the case.

For decades North Korea has maintained a well-fortified array of artillery weaponry that is pointed directly at Seoul. Being just 35 miles away from the city, these weapons have the ability to bring devastation upon it. And they're extremely well protected. How do you think this affects the strategies of South Korea and its allies? Even if North Korea agrees to abandon its nuclear program, might they still possess a robust deterrent against direct foreign intervention?

Here is an article that outlines the situation pretty well:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/north-korea-artillery_us_58f631a4e4b0b9e9848eb990

Delving Deeper into the United States Current Position on the Iran Deal

The Trump Administration has made their opinions on the Iran Nuclear Deal abundantly clear with President Trump claiming he would introduce changes to the deal if the document didn't undergo changes. In essence, the Iran Nuclear Deal essentially ensured an sanction relief would be provided to Iran provided they cut back on their atomic program.

While Rex Tillerson traveled to Warsaw to discuss strengthening the deal with Britain, France and Germany (the original parties in 2015), Iran has rejected the possibility of renegotiation.

Regardless, Tillerson noted that the United States wishes to have greater control over "Iran's malign behavior". He specifically cited Iran's support for Houthi rebels in Yemen as part of the US's reasoning. 

________Source_______________________________________________________

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-tillerson/tillerson-says-washington-europe-start-work-on-iran-nuclear-deal-idUSKBN1FG0CF?feedType=RSS%3C/div%3E%3C/body%3E%3C/html%3E 

Alleged Chlorine Gas Attacks in Syria

After a missile attack last Monday, some civilians in Ghouta, a rebel-held region east of Damascus, have reported the smell of chlorine gas. Thirteen are reported to have experienced suffocation in Douma. International rescue and health groups argue that the symptoms of patients they are treating point to gas attacks, a claim in which the Syrian government rejects. This is the second reported chlorine attack in the region of January 2018. This isn’t the first time that Syria has denied using chemical weapons against rebel strongholds. A joint effort made by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has found that Syria has been employing chlorine gas and sarin as weapons.

After the alleged sarin attack in Ghouta in 2013, an attack President Assad denies responsibility for, Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention and agreed to destroy its stockpile. In November 2017, the United States sponsored a resolution to renew the jurisdiction of a panel to investigate who was responsible for a sarin attack carried out in Syria earlier that year. However, Russia vetoed that resolution. If the resolution to renew that UN panel had passed, the panel would have been the governing body responsible for investigating these recent attacks. Last Tuesday at the United Nations, the United States condemned Syria for employing chemical weapons. As well, the US condemned Russia for being complicit with Syria’s chemical weapons program, as they had vetoed the November resolution.

Sources: 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-ghouta/rescuers-in-rebel-held-syrian-area-accuse-government-of-gas-attack-idUSKBN1FB135 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-weapons-ghouta.html http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42675657

Notes on Your Position Papers

As you write your position papers, make sure you refer to BMUN's Position Paper Guidelines to ensure that you meet the requirements. There is a pre-formatted example on the page as well, which you can download and use as a starting point. I'll include some tips below, but make sure you read through the guidelines in their entirety so you don't miss anything.

1. If you want to be considered for the Best Position Paper Award, you must submit your position paper by 11:59 PM PST on February 5. If you want to be considered for committee awards, you must submit your position paper by 11:59 PM PST on February 12. We grade all papers equally, regardless of when they are submitted. But we do appreciate early submissions as they make our lives a lot easier!
2. Make sure you explicitly label the four sections of your paper: Past and Current International Action, Country's Position, Proposed Solutions, and Questions to Consider. Not only will this make it easier for you to organize your own thoughts, but it makes the secretariat's job much easier during grading.
3. Read through the submission instructions and formatting requirements as well. Papers will be uploaded to Huxley this year, which will streamline grading and help get your papers back faster.
4. Do not go over the page limit. While it's good to have a fleshed out paper, it's arguably more important to be able to state what you need to in a concise manner.
5. Our conference is very researched focus. As such, you'll want to make sure you are well-researched before diving into the bulk of your paper.
6. I am personally most interested to read your Proposed Solutions (although I still have to follow the rubric and assign points proportionally to each section). What stands out to me the most in papers are solutions that are not only thoughtful and effective, but also practical and implementable. Putting these solutions on paper will give you a head start come the first committee session.
7. Your papers should adhere to MLA 8 formatting. The Purdue Online Writing Lab is a good resource to refer to. I would recommend using an automated citation tool like Easybib or Microsoft Word's built-in bibliography. This also means that you must have in-text citations:
• Usually, this is simply the author's last name in parentheses.
• If there are multiple authors, list them by their last names in the order they appear (if it's a reasonable number).
• If there are several authors, you may abbreviate it as the first author's last name followed by "et al."
• If there is no listed author, the title of the work is sufficient.
• If you have multiple sources by the same author, you can list the author's name followed by a comma and the title of the work.
8. Finally, do not plagiarize. This will disqualify you from any award and will result in disciplinary action with your advisor. Academic integrity is a value we hold dearly both at BMUN and at UC Berkeley.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. You can also find sample position papers on our BMUN Learn website (including one from one of my best delegates!).

Small Arms in Ukraine

There's a lot of visible content in current events that relate to our first topic of nuclear disarmament. Much of the news this past month has involved North Korea and its nuclear program. Don't let this overshadow our second topic of illicit small arms trade. As you can see in our committee's topic synopsis, there are many regions in the world affected by this topic. One such is Ukraine. Its civil war with the rebelling Donetsk People's Republic has allowed Russian small arms to flood the country. Through its backing of the DPR, Russia has provided a massive number of firearms and light artillery equipment that have been leading to the death and injury of civilians.

Here's an article from a Ukranian source on the recent killing of a civilian due to mortar fire:

https://www.unian.info/war/2357377-olenivka-incident-update-one-civilian-killed-another-wounded-in-shelling-by-occupation-forces.html

The website has a lot of great articles on this ongoing war that we tend not to hear much about. 

“Trump administration takes more steps to crack down on North Korea's nuclear weapons development

Tensions between North Korea and the United States continue to elevate with the Trump Administration attempting to curb North Korea nuclear development. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin of the United States claims that they focusing their efforts on stifling those financing North Korea directly. In part they are doing this through sanctioning entities, individuals and even vessels. While this primarily targets North Korean nuclear development, these sanctions attempt to limit all weapons supplied to North Korea.

Questions to Consider:

• How does your country propose the elevation of tensions between these two nations?
• Is your country affected or will your country be affected by these tensions? 
• Is there any relevant/realistic technology outside of the THAAD system that could be effective in targeting a nuclear attack?

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/24/treasury-dept-issues-more-sanctions-in-response-to-north-koreas-nuclear-weapons-development.html 

North Korea still making millions from small arms export

While small arms is commonly perceived as an issue that only exists among terrorist organizations and non-state actors, state-actors also play a significant role in defining the small arms landscape. North Korea is a state that still makes significant profits from exporting small arms. The United Nations first placed sanctions on North Korea's small arms trade in 2009. However, the implementation of such sanctions has not significantly reduced North Korea's small arms exports. In this committee, delegates should not only consider the implementation of sanctions to reduce small arms exports, but also consider how to reinforce these sanctions to ensure their effectiveness.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/14/news/north-korea-small-arms-trade/index.html

"How serious is the North Korean anthrax threat?" from CNN

It was discovered that a North Korean soldier who had escaped to South Korea had anthrax antibodies in his blood, potentially implying that North Korea is employing biological weapons. The South Korean government is preparing against a biological attack by stocking up on anthrax vaccines following this discovery in November. The Trump administration, in the National Security Strategy report, claims that North Korea is funding nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons research.

North Korea, however, has denied all such claims and expresses its frustration and anger to the United States for spreading “untruths”. North Korea is a signatory to the Biological Weapons Convention. The author of this article points out how the United States falsely asserted that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction in 2003 which was proven to be supported by false intelligence.

Given that Kim Jong Un’s half brother, who fell out of favor with the state, was killed by a nerve agent attack, it’s suggested that the North Korean state does have these capabilities. Also as North Korea is testing its missile defense system, some have expressed fear about missiles being launched containing biological weapons. However, experts have assured that it is unlikely for the pathogens to stay alive during a launch. The biggest threat is to South Korea, as biological weapons could easily delivered by armed forces.

Article link: http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/asia/north-korea-anthrax-intl/index.html

What does Hawaii's False Alarm Reveal?

I'm guessing most of you heard about this, but I've linked a good NYT article on the matter:

Over the weekend a false balistic missle warning was sent to the phones of resdients and tourists in Hawaii. In the 40 minutes between the issueing of the original warning and it's retraction, hundreds of thousands of people ran to shelter and said good bye to loved ones. It was a traumatic experience that has strengthened the fear of rogue nations, such as North Korea, possessing nuclear weapons. This coincides with aggressive efforts from nations such as the US to deprive North Korea of its nuclear program. Thus US and it closest allies currently see the destruction of this program as the primary means of reducing the threat that North Korea poses to the world.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/us/hawaii-missile.html

"EU commends destruction of Libya’s chemical weapons stockpile"

The Chemical Weapons Convention, originally passed on January 13th, 1993, had a huge step forward with Libya's continued cooperation in destroying their chemical weapons stockpile. While recent tensions between the United States and North Korea has highlighted the issues with nuclear weapons, Libya's milestone should not be overlooked. 

This step was accomplished in part by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) resolution from July 2016 that requested assistance in helping Libya eliminate their remaining 500 metric tons of chemical agents. The European Union responded by providing aid to the nation of Libya per financial or technical means. 

Questions to Consider:

• Does your country have a chemical weapons stockpile? If so what category level and if your nation doing anything adhere to the CWC?
• Is your nation a signatory to the CWC? 
• What additional steps should be taken to reduce nations stockpiles of chemical weapons or nuclear weapons? 

Sources:

https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-commends-destruction-libyas-chemical-weapons-stockpile/ 

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/libya/events/2017/article/libya-destruction-of-chemical-weapons-stockpiles-12-01-18 

Pentagon Suggests Countering Devastating Cyberattacks With Nuclear Arms

The United States has recently drafted a new nuclear strategy that permits the use of nuclear weapons as retaliation against devastating cyber attacks. Although this nuclear strategy is not approved by President Trump yet, it carries major implications for the current state of nuclear weapons. The United States' inclination toward broadening the scope of what warrants nuclear retaliation may spread to other nuclear-armed states. Nuclear-armed states will be perceived as comparatively passive if they do not adopt similar retaliation strategies. Furthermore, the new nuclear strategy increases the probability of nuclear weapons usage against non-nuclear-weapon states. Between two nuclear-armed states, mutually assured destruction will still play a significant role in preventing nuclear weapons warfare. However, between a non-nuclear-weapon state and a nuclear-armed state, the nuclear-armed state becomes more prone to use nuclear weapons since the cause to use nuclear weapons has broadened. This news article also brings into question what qualifies as "extreme circumstances" that justify the use of nuclear weapons. Recent improvements in technology have led to an increasingly diverse and broad range of threat. Which one of these threats can be considered as legitimate grounds for nuclear retaliation? Who should be in charge of making these judgments? These are all questions that should be addressed in a draft resolution.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/politics/pentagon-nuclear-review-cyberattack-trump.html

"Exclusive: Trump to call on Pentagon, diplomats to play bigger arms sales role - sources" from Reuters

By trying to expand arms sales overseas, the United States government may be contributing to an increase in small arms proliferation globally. Foreign diplomats would essentially act as salesmen for American defense contractors under this new policy. Officials from the Trump administration have said that, however, the already established International Trafficking in Arms Regulation will undergo a overhaul and be a considerable focus as they pursue this arms sales expansion.

Although this move could improve the economy by increasing the inflow of money, it runs the risk of fueling the expansion of illicit small arms trade. Before this plan was announced, arms sales had increased by $11 billion between 2016 and 2017 under Trump’s tenure. The United States’ expansion of sales are meant to compete with foreign competitors who have been leading specific sectors of the arms market. Many are worried, however, that these sales to governments could end up in human rights abuses and/or terrorist attacks, as potentially not all governments are equipped to use maintain arms responsibly. As well, these arms could be overtaken by private citizens and black market sales could ensue. These increased sales have been under scrutiny as some of the countries the United States is selling to, like Saudi Arabia, could use these arms to commit civilian deaths--like in the Yemen Civil War. Given these claims, the Trump administration has assured that such potential consequences would be taken into account when engaging in any arms transactions.

Article Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-weapons/exclusive-trump-to-call-on-pentagon-diplomats-to-play-bigger-arms-sales-role-sources-idUSKBN1EX0WX

Hello There

Hi everyone! I'm Liam and I'll be a vice chair for BMUN 66's DISEC. This is my third year as a secretariat. I'm really looking forward to meeting and interacting with you all during our conference in March; we have two really awesome topics that will hopefully make for some great experiences in committee. Here's a bit more about me:

I'm a senior at Cal majoring in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. In my free time  I like to golf, play video games (especially PUBG), and do anything that has to do with Star Wars. Outside of BMUN, I'm in an engineering consulting club as well as a social fraternity.

Hello!

Hello, my name is Elle Mahdavi, and I will be your vice-chair for DISEC BMUN 66! I’m a second year majoring in Political Economy with a double minor in French and Public Policy. I’m originally from Laguna Beach, CA. When I’m not hanging out with other BMUN members or doing schoolwork, I enjoy going to art museums, watching movies, and eating food. This is my second year in BMUN and my sixth year participating in MUN overall. I hope to work in global governance or with refugees in my future. I look forward to seeing you all in committee!

Hiya!

My name is Michelle McLean and I will be one of your vice chairs for DISEC. Currently, I am freshmen intending on double majoring in Rhetoric and Political Science (with an emphasis in International Relations). On campus I am involved in Berkeley Model United Nations (BMUN), Rally Committee, Berkeley Democrats, and Hall Association. In my spare time I love reading, watching John Oliver and Stephen Colbert, keeping up with international politics, and eating plenty of waffles (I aspire to one day epitomize Leslie Knope). I am so excited to be able to see you guys debate on topics that are becoming increasingly relevant in the international sphere. If you need any help do not hesitate to email me at mmclean@bmun.org.

Hello!

Hi! My name is Richard Jin. I was born in Houston, Texas but lived most of my life in Shanghai, China. I am a freshman here at Berkeley and intend to double major in Business and Computer Science. Aside from MUN, I enjoy playing tennis and the piano. I am also a hardcore Star Wars fan. If any of you guys want an extensive conversation about Last Jedi, find me! In addition to BMUN, I am also involved with a business consulting club and a tennis club. I am really excited to meet all of you in March and will happily answer any questions through email (rjin@bmun.org).

Greetings from your head chair

My name is Stevie and I will be your head chair of the UN General Assembly First Committee: Disarmament and International Security. This is my second year as a member of the BMUN secretariat and fifth time staffing a Model United Nations conference. I am currently a senior studying chemical engineering with the hopes of pursuing a career in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Outside of class, I’m involved in a research lab, a professional fraternity, a social fraternity, and various professional groups on campus. I spend my free time walking dogs and producing YouTube videos and other online content. I'm excited to get this blog started and I can't wait to see all of you in March!