The Model United Nations Position Papers
The 2003 National Model United Nations Conference in New York City will mark the culmination of months of preparation as students from around the world meet at the world’s largest collegiate conference. Two hundred universities, represented by more than twenty-six hundred students and faculty members will research, debate, compromise and deliberate during this annual five-day event. Conducted only blocks from the headquarters of the United Nations, this simulation mirrors the form of the United Nations, requiring participants to function within the rules of diplomacy. Each delegate is asked to research the foreign policy of a given country, and then in turn, apply it to a variety of specialized topics. In addition delegates are required to give formal and informal speeches, work in small and large groups, draft technical documents, and finally vote on policy as prescribed by the foreign policy of their particular country or organization.
The Model United Nations delegation at California State University, Chico, is a student based academic organization that studies many aspects of the United Nations as well as other significant international organizations. This multi-discipline approach to the teaching of international relations educates students on the goals and functions of the UN, often times propelling students into a lifetime of involvement in world affairs. To accurately represent the assigned countries, this delegation prides itself on thoroughly researching the background of a topic, in addition to staying current with daily developments that affect the substance of the assigned issues for discussion. Students work diligently to complete these tasks—understanding that these documents serve not only as a guide for our delegates in their respective committees, but are passed along to the conference organizers, as well as to members of The United States’ Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Position papers are the cornerstone for performance and preparation in the national conference.
The following position papers are a representation of the 2002-2003 Chico State delegation. For three years running, Chico State has received outstanding achievement awards for its position papers. This delegation takes great pride in these awards, as they reflect the dedication and discipline practiced by its members. Citing both long-standing policy as well as adaptation to the ever changing geo-political climate, each country’s foreign policy objectives are clearly outlined, and the prospective solutions to these important problems are discussed in detail. This year the Chico State delegation represented two separate countries, the Palestinian National Authority and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Please note that the views expressed within the following papers do not necessarily represent those of the authors.