Engaged Tasmanian Students Debate Contentious Topics

Date: TODAY – 02/04/2012

General Assembly Debate
Time: 09:00 – 16:00
Date: TODAY – 02/04/2012
Where: Wrest Point’s Derwent Room

The UN Youth State Conference is hosting its Model General Assembly debate today in the Derwent Room at Wrest Point.

Starting at 9:00am, the 60 delegates of the four day conference will represent the views of United Nation’s member states.

They will be debating three of the following four issues:
• The Question of North Korea,
• The Question of Access to Essential Medicines for Developing Countries,
• The Question of Climate Change, and
• The Question of the Horn of Africa.

A brief description of the resolutions:

The resolution on North Korea follows the leadership change in North Korea since December 2011. The resolution recognises that North Korea is at a potential crossroads. It encourages North Korea to come back to the negotiating table, at the same time as offering significant relief aid to the impoverished state. It also addresses North Korea’s nuclear program.

The Essential Medicines resolution expresses the United Nation’s discontent with the lack of universal access to life-saving medication, With a focus on global patent law and medicine distribution in countries, the resolution proposes stronger powers for the World Health Organisation, and emergency exceptions to otherwise strict patent laws.

The Climate Change resolution Recognises that climate change is raising sea-levels, putting low-lands and small island states at risk of permanent inundation. The debate also centres around the lack of provisions for climate refugees in current international agreements.

The resolution focusing on the Horn of Africa Crisis recognises that the international community responded poorly, resulting in significant loss of life. It also notes that future droughts are likely to be more common, and more severe as a result of Climate Change. The debate focusses on how to improve future detection of crises and a faster, more effective response.
UN Youth Tasmania