IMUNC Press

Conference Press Corps 2013

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PolAct Appreciation Photoset!

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Israeli Cabinet erupts in panic as virus infects leaders

By Diyanah

The deadly BITA virus which has to date infected more than 40 000 Israelis has begun to show its contagious effects on top-echelon government officials. A few members of the Israeli Cabinet were escorted by health officials into a monitored quarantine area shortly before noon today after they began to show warning flu-like symptoms of the virus.

The disruption escalated at about 1.15 p.m. EST after health officials walked into the cabinet meeting room and promptly ordered the cabinet to put on masks and cease all talk amongst themselves for 15 minutes. An unnamed health official stated that this was due to the airborne nature of the virus. More political leaders were transferred to the quarantine area after.

The unexpected intrusion temporarily halted heated discussion regarding a possible ceasefire to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier, the ongoing war had resulted in oil pipe explosions, causing the Israeli cabinet to scramble for alternative oil solutions. "It's a bad day for Israel," said the Israeli cabinet secretary. Reparations were underway even as Palestinian tanks were spotted along the Israeli borders.

Naftali Bennett had earlier reminded the council that tapping into the nation's oil potential was inextricably linked to Israel's military capability against Palestine. The JCC1 deputy chair called it a "time of unparalleled animosity" between both cabinets. 

However, after the crisis struck, tension in the room was only further heightened as it was revealed that US Defence Department had deployed the USS Roosevelt fleet to station at the Port of Haifa and issued a DEFCON 2 order to its troops. A DEFCON 2 order describes that the US Armed Forces are ready to be deployed and ready in less than 6 hours for a possible nuclear war.

The Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated however that Israel was “unwilling and unlikely” to use nuclear weapons to end the conflict. He alluded to the “Mutually Assured Destruction” Cold War term, which guarantees complete annihilation from both sides should a full-scale nuclear war erupt, as a reason why the Israeli government is keen to seek for a peaceful resolution instead.

Rumours that a cure which could remove the virus from an infected person but not prevent the virus from spreading floated around the cabinet; but as of press time, no official cure was revealed to the press.

Palestine has declared that it is willing to agree for a ceasefire only if Israel is willing to push its borders east, back to the pre-1967 borders before the Six Day War. This means that Israel has to give up West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula which it is unwilling to.

Discussion on managing the territorial conflict and curbing the BITA virus continues.

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Oil Crisis Imminent Following Israeli DPM's Death

By Alaric

            Following additional news of small clashes erupting in the West Bank and the possible involvement of Iran in the death of DPM Peres, the ECOSOC convened to discuss the impending worldwide oil shortage. Within minutes of initiating debate on the issue, several delegates voiced their suggestions, with the DPRK proposing that the council devote its efforts towards controlling speculative trading in order to regulate oil prices while encouraging nations with oil but not the means to tap into it to seek aid from other member nations. This call was supported by the delegate of Mauritius, who further advocated development of alternative sources of renewable energy as well as a possible carbon tax to control the usage of oil and the rate of depletion of oil reserves.

            Similarly, the delegates of Denmark and Togo suggested immediately initiating talks with the affected nations in order to maintain exports of oil from OPEC. The delegates of Iraq and Iran, however, warned that attempts at interfering with the current situation in the Middle East could have dire consequences, with Iran threatening to cease exports of oil in a show of support for Palestine. This threat was met with severe condemnation from many members of the council, with Denmark, Mauritius and Paraguay accusing them of being counterproductive to efforts at peace and resolving the crises. Belgium and the United Kingdom similarly called for members not to place any blame upon specific nations, and appealed for nations to act in mediatory roles while finding a cure for the virus.  

            In a relatively tumultuous turn of events, the council appeared agreed on the need to resolve the oil crisis, but conflicted over the perceived political divisions. Despite calls for member nations such as Ukraine for other nations to not “point fingers at each other”, key players such as the United States chose to remind the council of Iran’s earlier threat, warning that they would not stand for any form of provocation from any OPEC nation whatsoever. Similarly, Iraq continued to draw attention to itself and its “bloc of nations” contributing a sizable portion of the world’s oil supply, subtly warning member nations that it would be preferred not to antagonize them. In a more mediatory stance, Japan and the United Kingdom, among other nations, urged members to consider pooling their oil reserves as a means of weathering the crisis at hand.

After a series of heated debates, a resolution was introduced in the ECOSOC with regards to the issue of an impending oil crisis. The resolution, written by Denmark, Mauritius and Paraguay, called for closer ties between the United Nations and OPEC as well as actions undertaken by individual governments in order to manage oil supply and prices. The resolution further underlined future plans for nations to develop infrastructure to utilize alternative energy sources, as part of a greater goal to reduce reliance on oil worldwide. With member nations eager to find a solution to the impending crises, the resolution was eventually passed by the council.

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Foreign Aid in the Crisis: SC

By Natalie Teng

The third and last day of the IMUN conference focused mainly on the crisis issue introduced. Israeli DPM Peres was found dead from an unnatural cause, and Palestine was accused of being the perpetrator of the deadly virus that killed the politician. This sparked extreme anger and caused violent riots, resulting in the deaths of 50 Israeli millitants with the total death toll rising to more than 400. 

During open debate, there was unity among the members of the house that the violence in Palestine should be irradiated immediately, and most delegates expressed their willingness in providing medical and humanitarian aid to both Palestine and Israel. Upholding the sovereignty of Palestine was key, as it was pointed out by the delegate of USA that the 2 states needed to return to peace talks after the issue at hand had been settled. The delegate of the USA, supported by the delegate of the ROK, suggested for peacekeeping troops from the USA and UN to be deployed into the area. However, the delegate of the UK and the delegate of Russia strongly opposed to this suggestion, reminding the council that foreign intervention may be dangerous as the military aggression may heighten tensions as well as fan the anger towards pro-western peacekeeping troops. The delegate of Pakistan pointed out that the peacekeeping troops should not be a long-term solution and also reminded the council that measures such as quarantining should be taken to avoid the spread of the unknown virus. At this point, the delegate of The USA declared DEFCON Level 2 and sent the USS Roosevelt fleet to the Gulf, ready to intercept more violence. The move was supported by the delegate of The Republic of Korea but strongly opposed by the other delegates. China pointed out that the US-Israeli pacts would cause Palestine to feel increasingly threatened, heightening tension, and urged the removal of the fleet. The delegate of Russia reminded the council that unilateral action could be biased, causing the destabilization of the Middle East. Here, the resolution submitted by the delegate of Russia was introduced. The council was agreeable to the resolution except for Clause 2, calling for weekly diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Palestine and mutual recognition of sovereignty of The State of Israel and The Palestinian National Authority. Clause 7 to approve the temporary proliferation of military forces by Iran was also opposed. After open debate and the concession that Palestine required military aid, which would further incentivise Israel to participate in peace talks, the clauses were agreed upon and the resolution was passed with much jubilation.

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The Question of Internet Freedom: HRC

By Cheang Kit Lea

The delegates of the Human Rights Council (HRC) convened on Day 3 of the International Model United Nations Conference to continue their discussions on the topic of internet freedom. The provocative question of the right of an individual to Internet freedom was intensely debated. Delegates weighed the importance of upholding this right with the imperative of governments in ensuring national security through Internet regulations.

The resolution introduced by China yesterday was debated, and those who supported the resolution stood for prizing national security over personal privilege. Many delegates criticized the resolution’s overt focus on censorship. The delegate of Iraq pointed out that because of individual freedom on cyberspace, “everything is proliferated at an exponential rate.” Especially in nations where the political climate is turbulent and volatile, the Internet can be manipulated as a dangerous tool to perpetuate radical sentiments and ideology. Iraq urged the council to consider what she perceived to be the cornerstone of all nations: religion. Either way, the council agreed upon the need to ensure Internet safety, and to ensure relative degrees of online safety nets.

The delegate of Paraguay introduced a second resolution in response to the question of Internet freedom. Highlights of her resolution included the quirkily named Committee UNDRESS, strict punishments to radical or hate-based online comments directed along racial and religious lines, and the formation of a trust fund that ensures monetary support. An amendment was proposed, incorporating cyber wellness teachings into national education of More-Economically Developed Nations (MEDCs), and providing avenues for victims to seek help and escape from cyber bullying.

Mid-session, as media headlines screamed crisis and assassination of a prominent political figure, the issue of Internet Freedom immediately took a backseat, in light of more pressing priorities.

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World Bank: An Ultimatum

By Nikhil Dutt Sundaraj

Today, at the World Bank, delegates from 30 countries came together to resume discussions from the last two days. A 5-minute moderated caucus was first called for the discussion on certain clauses in Millennium Development Goals 4 (Reduce Child Mortality Rates) & 5 (Improve Maternal Health).

The delegate of the Republic of Korea, who was arguably the most active delegate during the debates over the past two days, initiated the dialogue. The main issue in this case was clause 37, which pertained to the use of Traditional Medicine (TM) as a legitimate endorsed form of medicine.

Delegates of Korea, USA, Chile and Laos and Kenya were the main advocates for the usage of traditional medicine. There were some voices against its usage, citing the tried and tested methods of Western medicine as a safer form of medication. Debates proceeded for about an hour on this issue until it was finally put to a vote. A majority voted for the implementation of this clause.

Delegates were shortly called to a mass briefing, which quickly turned into an IMUNC crisis situation. A group of eight insurgents broke in, armed with assault rifles and pistols. A video presentation informed delegates that Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Asher Peres had been found dead in his residence in Jerusalem. DPM Peres was in Jerusalem to attend the first of a series of peace negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority. Biological warfare and suicide bombing was brought into play, involving riots between Palestinian insurgents and Israeli forces.

In light of this significant new development, new debates had to begin, and new courses of action had to be taken. The main topic up for discussion for the World Bank was the matter of regional trade (especially oil trade), seeing as countries had closed off their ports. Most called for mediation, but the USA, being a vehement supporter of Israel, condemned the alleged assassination of Peres by Palestine/Iran but affirmed that neutrality was temporarily necessary, as conflict would raise oil prices. Delegates also recognized the urgent need for R&D funding to quell the threat posed by the rapidly-mutating virus, easing fears among oil exporting nations and decreasing stock market speculation.

The USA, in response to the crisis, raised its DEFCON level to 2.  An Israelite representative clarified that Israel wanted to maintain good international relations, but would take control of all oil fields between Israel and the West Bank. They urgently requested assistance and sent out a plea to Egypt. The USA immediately pledged its assistance and allegiance to Israel, but Egypt, on the other hand, chose a more neutral stance, refraining from rendering special assistance.

After further debate and prolonged discussion, insurgents, frustrated at the lack of action on this front, abducted the chair of the council. Finally, the delegate of Korea put forth a resolution that, after voting and extended discussion, was passed.

Given the backdrop of the crisis, the World Bank delegates were able to react, handling the situation admirably and passing a resolution amidst the confusion of the chaotic international stage. The effects of this resolution on the world stage remains to be seen.

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ECOSOC: Leaning dangerously towards MAD* talk

*Mutually Assured Destruction

By Alaric

In the recent debates in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it appears that the delegate of Ukraine’s claims that “We are here to deal with an economic and social” rather than a political issue seems sadly mistaken. With the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict escalating violently following the death of the Israeli DPM Peres, efforts to counter the threat posed to the world’s oil supply from the Middle East region seem to have met a roadblock in the form of political infighting within the council.

Admirably, several nations, both small and big players alike, have voiced their concerns for the impending oil shortage and proposed viable solutions. Russia, Guatemala and the United Kingdom, for example, have spoken of pooling oil reserves of member nations in an act of mutual cooperation, while others such as Kenya have spoken of the need for measures to curb the likely speculative trading in oil in the wake of the turmoil in the Middle East.

However, others appear unable to circumvent the political nuances of the crisis and focus on the pragmatic concerns at hand. Iran and Iraq have understandably voiced their support for Palestine, but through the relatively undiplomatic manner of threatening the entire council with an embargo of oil exports. This, despite other delegates highlighting the fact that Iran and Iraq are comparably small components among the OPEC nations, appears frightfully counterproductive towards peace efforts.

Yet, an example of the correct attitude has not been upheld by the major parties in the council either. The delegate of The United States, in a shocking example, chose not to mince his words in warning the entirety of OPEC, not just Iran and Iraq, that any form of provocation whatsoever would face retaliation from the USA as well as the other P5 nations. Japan, seemingly a level-headed participant calling for cooperation between all parties, somehow found ways to insult Iran and Iraq in his speech.

Taking a step back, one can see how the actions of both parties can result in Mutually Assured Destruction. True, Iran and Iraq are small players, but their potential to convince more of OPEC to restrict the world’s oil supply cannot be ignored. Similarly, while it is true that the P5 nations will triumph in a military confrontation, the resulting destruction of a large portion of the world’s oil reserves, in the face of an impending shortage and a deadly biological weapon, seems somewhat unintelligent. With time running short, the fate of the world remains uncertain.

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JCC: The Palestinian Perspective

By G Suraj

    8:15am in the morning, and the debates are already getting heated up. The Joint Crisis Committee started off day 3, the final day of IMUNC, well and are going steady. The committee continued where they left off yesterday, at war with Israel.

  Last night, the Palestinians lost the Gaza strip to their opposition, and lost 8000 troops. Being in a particularly vulnerable position, the council struggled to work together to ensure that no more mistakes were made.

  Many of the directives passed had little to no opposition. The council had their eyes set on a unified goal, making critical decisions with ease. The delegate Aziz Duwaik introduced a series of new directives against Israel, with the council successfully passing all of them.

  The Palestinan cabinet subsequently received news of an Israeli handicap: the cabinet was unable to send directives, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had folded too many paper planes, resulting in swollen hands. This handicap lasted for 20 minutes, a critical moment during which the Palestinian cabinet endeavoured to gain the upper hand. 

  The delegates tried their best to pass as many directives as they could during the crucial 20 minute window. Unfortunately, the first directive met with unexpected opposition, taking up a critical amount of time. Delegate Aziz Duwaik once again took charge and redrafted the directive, which was subsequently passed through direct voting procedures to expedite the process. The council managed to get one more crucial directive through before the 20 minutes were up.

  With the sudden onset of the crisis and death of Deputy Prime Minister Asher Peres, tension between the two nations skyrocketed. Palestinian militants suspect the involvement of Iran in Peres' death. Peres' death was caused by BITA virus, believed to be an airborne virus.At this point, Israeli-Iranian war is not unlikely, due to the suspicion of foul play and even potential biological warfare.

  The Palestinian cabinet was then visited by three Israeli envoys for peacekeeping talks. Negotations were intense between the council, with the envoys offering a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the viral cure and control of the West Bank. The Palestinians, however, were unwilling to give up what they called "something very important to us", the territory and critical control of economy and external security. The council finally came to a decision, declining Israel's offer of a ceasefire. 

  Stay tuned for more from the JCC: Israeli Cabinet!

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The WHO Sass-ion

By Pranav

One might be startled by the way the debates in the World Health Organisation transited from a dull session where most of the delegates seemed to be in a stupor, to a fiery and stimulating one. The first impression that the council gave was that it was fractionated and rather disorganised, and the fact that the same few delegates, namely the ones from UK, Russia and Chile were the ones perpetually speaking did not help to change my opinion of the council.

The Russian delegate kick-started the session by putting forward his resolution concerning the secondary issue of curable diseases.  The Russian delegate was duly appreciated by all the delegates who came up to speak on the resolution. However, the most prominent issue with the resolution was that there was inadequate mention and coverage of short term solutions for problems at hand, as pointed out by the delegate of India.

Nonetheless, the icing on the cake of the first session was the epic battle between the delegates of Chile and Paraguay. These two delegates came up alternatively under the pretence of discussing the second and fourth clauses and took digs at each other, much to the humour of the whole council, which was hanging on every word of theirs. It all started with the Paraguayan delegate terming the fourth clause which stated that an unbiased international body should monitor the regulation of funds and monetary funds, as very “preachy.” Majority of the delegates did not seem to share Paraguay’s view and voiced their opposing view, headed by Chile, who seemed to have a personal vendetta against Paraguay. When asked about this, Paraguay says that it is unlikely that Chile would have anything against her.

It was after all, a comedic exchange as Chile commented that the council had to “educate the delegate of Paraguay,” while Paraguay retorted by accusing Chile of being “sassy.”

When interviewed, all that Paraguay said was, “that was a nice try by Chile, but it was all for entertainment. We had a fun little sass-sion.”

Since most of the clauses in the resolution met with no resistance, it came down to the British delegate’s amendment to clause 12 on lowering the cost of drugs, and promoting the governments of the respective nations and relevant NGOs to subsidise the drugs and medicines for the civilians, and further propagating the creation of mandatory vaccination schedules.

The council moved into direct voting motion, with 18 for and 5 against the motion. Following this, the council adjourned, therefore pushing the voting for the resolution itself to after lunch.

Soon crisis struck. The WHO convened once again after lunch to deal with the spread of the BITA virus, with Iran making it crystal clear that it was not associated with the death of the Israeli Prime Minister. There were calls from multiple delegates to put aside politics and find a cure for the “disgusting” epidemic, as put forwards by Pakistan. As the council moved on to open debate, the general motion was that preventive measure like the providing of masks and the quarantining of the affected cases should be implemented. A new resolution was submitted by Russia again, and after some deliberation, the new resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority and UK abstaining. The whole session rounded up with the council reverting back to the resolution concerning the secondary issue, and this resolution was also passed, drawing the entire WHO council session to a close.                          

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Keeping the World Secure in Times of Crisis

By Natalie Teng

The third and last day of the IMUNC conference was focused mainly on the crisis issue introduced. The Isreali Deputy Prime Minister was found dead from an unnatural cause. Palestinian was accused of being the perpetrator of the deadly virus that killed the politician. This sparked extreme anger in the Palestinians and caused violent riots as well as 10 suicidal deaths by Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of 50 Israeli millitants with the total death toll rising to more than 400 and 800 were injured.

During the open debate, there was unity among the members of the Security Council that the violence in Palestine should be irradiated immediately and most delegates expressed their willingness in providing medical and humanitarian aid to both Palestine and Israel. There was also the general consensuses that the sovereignty of Palestine must be recognized for the long-term peaceful relationship between Israel and Palestine. It was pointed out by the delegate of USA that the 2 states need to return to peace talks after the violent issue at hand has been settled.

The delegate of the USA suggested for peacekeeping troops from the USA and UN to be deployed into the area. This was supported by the delegate of The Republic of Korea while the delegate of China and the delegate of Morocco expressed their willingness in deploying peacekeeping troops. However, the delegate of the UK and the delegate of Russia strongly opposed to this suggestion, reminding the council that foreign intervention may be dangerous as the military aggression may heighten tensions as well as fan the anger towards the pro-western peacekeeper troops. The delegate of Pakistan pointed out that the peacekeeping troops should not be a long-term solution and also reminded the council that measures such as quarantining should be taken to avoid the spread of the unknown virus. 

At this point, the delegate of The USA declared DEFCON Level 2 and is sent the USS Roosevelt fleet to the Gulf, ready to intercept anymore violence. The move was supported by the delegate of The Republic of Korea but strongly opposed by the other delegates. China pointed out that the US-Israeli pacts would cause Palestine to feel increasingly threatened, heightening tension and urged the removal of the fleet from the Gulf. The delegate of Russia also reminded the council that unilateral action is often biased and will cause the destabilization of the Middle-East, working against the purpose of the Security Council. The delegate of Guatemala called for the fleet to be moved to international waters and for the same restrictions of the peacekeeping troops as suggested before to be placed on the fleet.

Here, the resolution submitted by the delegate of the Russian Federation was introduced into the Security Council. The next crisis video was screened, providing new information to the council. It showed the extremist group, Humanity Intervention (HIV) claiming that they were responsible for creating the deadly virus that killed the Deputy Prime Minister in support of Palestinian sovereignty. The council then made friendly amendments to the resolution and began debates on it. The council was agreeable to the resolution except for clause 2 for weekly diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Palestine for mutual recognition of sovereignty of The State of Israel and The Palestinian National Authority and clause 7 to approve the temporary proliferation of military forces by Iran. The council moved on to have individual debates on each clause.

The delegate of China was supportive of clause 2, reminding the council that HIV was not approved by the Israeli government and that the Israeli government would still be open to peace talks. The delegate of Russia also pointed out that once sovereignty of the 2 states are recognized, there would be no need for the existence or support for HIV. However, a few delegates strongly believed that the discussions between the 2 states at this point would not be useful. After voting, this clause was passed.

Regarding clause 7, the delegate of Russia explained that this clause was needed as Palestine has little military power and requires the help of fellow Middle-Eastern country, Iran which has the greatest amount of arms. This would act as an incentive for Israel to participate in the peace talks. The delegates of China and Pakistan agreed with the delegate of Russia. However, the delegate of USA pointed out that the Israelis have not caused a full-blown violent attack and that there was no need for such drastic action to be allowed. In the end, clause 7 was passed and with this, the resolution was passed with much jubilation.

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[Leaks] Planking in the World Bank

In the World Bank, the delegate of Japan has been ordered by the chair to assume a sideways planking position for submitting a joke amendment to the resolution being debated.

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Crisis Press Release 4: Autopsies on further fatalities in USA and UK shed light on the BITA virus attack mechanism

Autopsies on further fatalities in USA and UK shed light on the BITA virus attack mechanism. In just a few days since the release of the BITA virus’ identity, the death toll has risen to three, with two other fatalities originating from the USA and UK respectively. To confirm the hypothesis that the virus was engineered to target Peres specifically, detailed autopsies down to the DNA level were conducted for these two fatalities to gain more insight into the virus’ attack mechanism. Results have shown that the virus targets the R45 protein receptors found on neuronal cells in the brain.

  “Some people naturally have more of these R45 receptors than others. There are many types of protein receptors other than the R45. There are NR31, H7, DT53 and many more kinds. Everyone has at least one of every type but the specific numbers of who has how many differs from person to person. When it comes to the possibilities for the combinations of receptors found on cells, the possibilities are endless. That is why you will rarely find anyone with close to the same protein receptors on their neurones and we can say with certainty that Peres’ death was engineered.” Alban Reideberg from Queen Elizabeth Hospital was quoted to say. “These people who died as a result of the BITA virus were more of collateral damage. They possessed the gene, CISR731, that coded for a larger quantity of R45 receptors to be produced on their neurones. Peres had that gene as well and as a result, these people suffered the same fate as he did. However, doctors’ reports show that they did not die as quickly as Peres. This could be due to the definite differences in protein composition found in the different victims.”

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Pre-Crisis: ECOSOC to tackle HIV in LEDCs

By Alaric Ng The Economic and Social Council convened today to debate on a resolution tabled by the Delegates of Paraguay, Mauritius and Russia. The resolution, written with the issue of ameliorating the effects of HIV in LEDCs, proposed a comprehensive framework of establishing UN organizations in conjunction with existing groups and the governments of LEDCs to improve the welfare and treatment of HIV patients from all walks of society. Calling upon existing organizations dedicated to healthcare and HIV-related education, the delegate of Paraguay stressed the need for proper education in LEDCs to minimize the transmission of HIV. The delegate of Paraguay further proposed the development of new bodies, such as the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to work with the governments of LEDCs to develop adequate educational programmes and monitoring healthcare standards, while appealing to the governments of LEDCs to do more in tackling social issues such as sexual slavery and the stigmatization of HIV patients in their respective nations. Taking a more aggressive stance in support of the resolution, the delegate of DPRK urged the council “to think twice before opposing this resolution”, highlighting the importance of recognizing and escalating efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS worldwide and not just in LEDCs. The delegate of Morocco further appealed to member nations to overcome existing religious and social boundaries in rectifying the social stigmatization of HIV victims. In a praiseworthy turn of events, a large number of delegates from both first and third-world nations, including Togo, Georgia, Guatemala, Canada and France, spoke in support for the resolution. France in particular supported the proposed use of incentives to convince pharmaceuticals to reduce prices of HIV medication, highlighting it as a measure all member nations ought to adopt. However, opposition soon arose from members such as China, who drew attention to a proposed segregation of HIV-positive prisoners from uninfected prisoners as a continuation of the social stigmatization the resolution proposed to eradicate. In response, the delegate of Denmark pointed out the lack of any superior means of monitoring prisoners, noting with some incredulity the unlikelihood of preventing all forms of undesirable activity in prisons. Criticism was also directed at the proposed increase in the use of contraceptives by the delegate of Iraq, citing religious beliefs. In response to queries on alternative contraceptives, the delegate of Iraq highlighted existing programmes dedicated to reducing the transmission of HIV by educating the public to “uphold the moral values of Islam” as an effective measure. As the delegate of Japan began his speech against the resolution, the debate was suddenly interrupted by the sudden intrusion of a fully armed Red Team, consisting of a Medic, Pyro, Sniper and Spy. The Red Team mysteriously lingered for several minutes, stating nothing of their intentions, before abruptly leaving. Following the resumption of debates, the delegate of Japan continued his speech, demanding the striking off of clauses in the resolution which proposed to restrict the international movement of HIV-positive individuals to prevent the transmission of HIV. This concern was shared by the delegate of China, stressing the need for greater surveillance and monitoring of HIV-positive individuals rather than restraining them. As of press time, however, debate on this resolution ground to a halt with an important briefing for all delegates regarding the upcoming International Night event. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Crisis Press Release 3: Insight into virus mechanics

Top tier privately-funded pharmaceutical research firm Pharma-Segen has released a report and accompanying video explaining the mechanisms of this all-new virus.

Viral infections occur when a virus invades the cells of an organism. The virus enters a host cell and exploits the cells’ metabolic capabilities to undergo reproduction. When replication is complete, the cell ruptures, releasing the virus DNA and its copies, which then invade other cells. This continues until the body’s immune system is able to eradicate all copies of virus DNA. If the body is unable to eradicate the virus, it will no longer able to carry out functions essential for life which will result in death.

Similar to the common cold, as it spreads, the virus mutates at a rapid rate. Those who have been exposed virus once may be infected multiple times by different mutant forms of the virus, individually known as a “strain” of the virus. The autopsy of Peres’

body reveals no more than an abrupt and total shutdown of the system due to viral infection occurring in brain neuronal cells.

Some people are more susceptible to specific viruses because some viruses are more easily able to bind to receptors on their cells and thus invade the cell. If the immune response is not fast enough, virus molecules are able to reproduce many times, killing a large number of cells before the virus can be completely neutralised.

Due to the presence of large R45 receptors, a type of protein receptor, on the neuronal cells in Peres’ brain, the BITA virus invades Peres’ brain cells more readily than the immune system is able to neutralise it, causing death within a minute of entrance of the virus into the body. The type of receptors on cell plasma membranes depends on the DNA sequence of a cell. The research institute affirms that the external structure of the virus had to be engineered with careful consideration of Peres’ DNA, implying that the virus was not naturally occurring but synthesised. Pharma-Segen Executive Director, Adelheid Fischer, stated in a press conference yesterday: “This virus could very well be an all-new form of biological warfare that is completely unprecedented and has near-unlimited potential. A group of highly experienced biomedical scientists must be responsible for the creation of this virus as there is almost no possibility of this virus occurring naturally.” 

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Crisis Press Release 2: Riots break out at the Israel-Palestine border

In less than 10 hours, the situation along the West Bank has worsened. 10 Palestinian suicide bombers have carried out attacks and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along the border since 3 a.m. today, local time, and this has resulted in the

deaths of at least 50 Israeli military personnel in these areas. Motives for these attacks are said to revolve around opposition to the proposed two-state solution, the denial of Israel’s right to exist and anger towards Israel’s accusation that Palestinians were responsible for Peres’ death. These accusations are the result of the unconfirmed cause of Peres’ death. As the attacks continue, the Israeli Defence Force has responded by bombing select Palestinian towns suspected to harbour these militants. This has caused the overall death toll on both sides to reach 100 and this number is expected to rise. The outbreak of violence along the West Bank border has prompted activist groups in Israel and around the world to protest against the violence and place pressure on both the Israeli government and PNA to take action. In an official statement released, Abbas has made the PNA’s stand clear: “We do not stand for such violence and we demand that the Palestinian people cease fire immediately.” 

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Crisis Press Release 1: Israeli DPM found dead in Jerusalem, suspicions soar

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Asher Peres was found dead in his residence in Jerusalem. DPM Peres was in Jerusalem to attend the first of a series of peace negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority.

Both parties stated in a joint press release that these negotiations were intended to discuss a new peace proposal drafted by the Quartet on the Middle East, and expressed their hope that the talks would accelerate the attainment of political, economic and social stability in the region. While paramedics are still unable to explain what caused the sudden shutdown of his body.

PM Peres’ body was pronounced dead by paramedics at 9 p.m. local time. His body was found 20 minutes earlier in his private quarters by an Israeli government official, who alerted paramedics after discovering that his pulse had stopped. Autopsy results have been inconclusive as while the results point towards a natural death, incongruities with Peres’ past health records hint that there is more than meets the eye.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s death has halted peace negotiations and suspicions have arisen that Palestinians may be involved in his death. While the majority of Israelis are convinced that Palestinians who oppose the two-state solution are responsible for the attack, there are mixed reactions within the Palestinian people with regards to this incident. Palestinians who oppose the two-state solution and Israel’s existence as a whole have showed their pleasure at Peres’ death through various means, such as through graffiti and taking to the streets to protest against any further negotiations. On the other hand, Palestinians who have described themselves to be moderate have stated their concerns on how Peres’ death would serve as an obstacle in the negotiations and would only delay the settlement of the issue.

It is feared that the suspicion between the Israelis and the Palestinians will break out into full-blown riots and fights within the next few days, as small clashes have already been reported along the West Bank. The Israel Defence Force has since deployed extra troops to reinforce security at these borders.

Presently, DPM Peres’ death are Hezbollah, renegade factions of the Fatah-Hamas Party and perhaps even Iran. Israeli authorities have begun investigations into the PM’s death. In a report released yesterday announcing the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are deeply unsettled by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of our Deputy Prime Minister.” 

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Quotes from the World Bank

Delegate 1: "How long is the unmoderated caucus?"

Delegate 2: "I think 17 letters."