Model UN Conference
THE 2nd ANNUAL PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE MODEL UN CONFERENCE
April 3, 2020
"Paying It Forward: Striving to Build a Sustainable Future"
PCMUN Mission
The PCMUN seeks to provide high school students with an opportunity to expand their global education and apply their knowledge in a simulation environment to solve global issues. Consistent with PC’s mission to serve the greater community, this is an outreach program by the Model UN Club at Presbyterian College to engage high school students with a view to promoting global awareness, compassion, and collaboration in the global community.
Welcome Letter from the Secretary-General
Esteemed Delegates, Faculty Advisors, and Friends,
On behalf of our PCMUN staff, I am excited to welcome you to our Second Annual Presbyterian College Model United Nations Conference for pre-college students and I look forward to seeing everyone on April 3, 2020 on the lovely campus of Presbyterian College. PCMUN seeks to promote global understanding, facilitate learning of global issues, and enhance students’ problem-solving skills in a simulation environment. Participants are expected to research the issues beforehand and create resolutions at the conference. In this process, students will be able to tackle an issue from the perspective of a Member State, propose a solution on their behalf, and work diplomatically with representatives of other Member States in an engaging experiential learning environment.
This year, the theme of our conference is: Paying It Forward: Striving to Build A Sustainable Future, which was inspired by the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit and the impassioned speech by Greta Thunberg, a young climate activist from Sweden. Our conference consists of three committees: the General Assembly Plenary (GA), the General Assembly – Third Commitee (GA 3rd), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), with each area focusing on a specialized area of sustainable development.
Our staff is working diligently to put this conference together and we cannot wait to see you on campus! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at pcmun@presby.edu.
Respectfully,
Kailynn Turner
Secretary-General
PCMUN 2020
Tentative Schedule
Keynote Speaker
8:30 – 9 a.m.
Check-in and reception in the lobby of Neville
9 – 10 a.m.
Opening ceremony with a keynote speech by Dr. Lance in Kuhne Auditorium
10 a.m. – Noon
First session
Noon – 1 p.m.
Lunch in the Greenville Dining Hall (GDH)
1 – 3 p.m.
Second session
3 – 3:30 p.m.
Reception in the Cornelson Center
3:30 – 4 p.m.
Awards and closing ceremony
Registration
Schools interested in participating in PCMUN should complete the registration form linked below. The early bird registration fee is $15 per student received by Feb. 28, 2020, which includes a buffet luncheon at the Greenville Dining Hall. There are no charges for faculty chaperons. Regular registration is $20 per student received by March 16, 2020, and on-site registration is $25.
A check payable to “Presbyterian College” should be mailed to Ms. Cynthia Stoddard, 503 S. Broad St., Clinton, SC, 29325. For inquiries, please send an email to pcmun@presby.edu.
Registration rules: please review the country matrix to ensure the availability of countries before submitting the registration form. Once you are assigned a country, you are also responsible for representing that country in all committees as noted in the country matrix. You may assign one or two students to represent one country in the General Assembly and the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. David Z. Liu is Associate Professor of Political Science at Presbyterian College (PC), who received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his B.A. in International Relations from Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, China. He offers courses on East Asian Politics, International Relations and Political Economy.
Dr. Liu has been serving as the faculty advisor of the Model United Nations Club since its inception in spring 2017. Along with a group of PC students who share the passion for global learning and the desire to engage the global community for the betterment of the humanity, he endeavors to bring the global education to the larger community through the PCMUN and to encourage students at all levels to think about a world beyond their own and to become a responsible and contributive member of the global community.
General-Assembly
The General Assembly will be chaired by Ms. Kailynn Turner.
Topic: Expanding youth involvement in combating climate change
Since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, the Member States have attempted to keep climate change in check through intergovernmental collaborations such as the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015. Nevertheless, these efforts have failed to yield meaningful results and we are increasingly witnessing the dire consequences on our environment as a result of our actions and inactions. The burden to reverse or mitigate the effects of climate change will undoubtedly fall on the shoulders of future generations, who stand to inherit an earth that might be barely recognizable from today. For this reason, UN Secretary-General Guterres convened the first Youth Climate Summit last year to hear their concerns and solicit their suggestions. In the upcoming session at the PCMUN conference, we invite young delegates from around the world to share their country’s experiences, discuss strategies to elevate the voice of the youth, and offer solutions to combat climate change.
International Renewable Energy Agency
The International Renewable Energy Agency will be chaired by Ms. Hannah McElroy.
Topic: Increasing the Use of Renewable Energy Sources
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) helps promote and aid in the transition to renewable and sustainable energy amongst countries. According to the Renewable Capacity Statistics report by IRENA in 2019, the renewable energy capacity reached 2,351 gigawatts by the end of 2018, which accounted for a third of the global power capacity. While half of this came from hydropower, solar and wind installations accounted for 84% of the recent annual growth. Notably, Asia alone accounted for 61% of total new renewable energy installations in 2018. In the upcoming session at the PCMUN conference, we invite delegates to examine the viability of different types of renewable energy sources, share each country’s experiences on expanding the use of renewable energies, and devise a global strategy to further increase the renewable energy capacity.
General Assembly Third Committee
The General Assembly Third Commitee will be chaired by Ms. Hannah Pressley.
Topic: Re-evaluating the Role of Freedom of Expression and Information in the New Era
As expressed in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human beings should be able to express their opinions without interference and to receive and impart information and ideas through any media without hindrance. This right is important as it serves as the best defense against tyranny and safeguard for human freedom. In recent years, however, the rise of incivility in public discourses, the use of social media for hate speeches and terrorist propaganda, and the spread of disinformation to interfere in electoral processes, have raised concerns regarding the limits of free speech and information. In June, 2019, UN Secretary-General Guterres delivered remarks at the launch of the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, which prompted concerns from human rights organizations such as the Freedom House that governments might take advantage of this campaign to curtail the civil liberties of their citizens. In the upcoming session at the PCMUN conference, we invite delegates to share their country’s experiences with regard to the freedom of expression and information especially in the era of online social media and suggestions on how to sustain this basic human right in the face of new challenges.
Member State Matrix
Member State | GAPLEN | IRENA | GA III |
Afghanistan | x | x | x |
Albania | x | x | x |
Algeria | x | x | x |
Antigua & Barbuda | x | x | x |
Argentina | x | x | x |
Australia | x | x | x |
Azerbaijan | x | x | x |
Bangladesh | x | x | x |
Belarus | x | x | x |
Belgium | x | x | x |
Benin | x | x | x |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | x | x | x |
Botswana | x | x | x |
Burkina Faso | x | x | x |
Cameroon | x | x | x |
Chad | x | x | x |
China | x | x | x |
Cote d`Ivoire | x | x | x |
Croatia | x | x | x |
Cuba | x | x | x |
Cyprus | x | x | x |
Czech Republic | x | x | x |
Denmark | x | x | x |
Dominican Republic | x | x | x |
Egypt | x | x | x |
Estonia | x | x | x |
Ethiopia | x | x | x |
Finland | x | x | x |
France | x | x | x |
Georgia | x | x | x |
Germany | x | x | x |
Ghana | x | x | x |
Guinea | x | x | |
Guyana | x | x | x |
Haiti | x | x | |
India | x | x | x |
Iran | x | x | x |
Iraq | x | x | x |
Italy | x | x | x |
Japan | x | x | x |
Jordan | x | x | x |
Kazakhstan | x | x | x |
Kenya | x | x | x |
Kuwait | x | x | x |
Lao People`s Democratic Republic | x | x | |
Libya | x | x | |
Luxembourg | x | x | x |
Malawi | x | x | |
Malaysia | x | x | x |
Mauritania | x | x | x |
Mauritius | x | x | x |
Montenegro | x | x | x |
Netherlands | x | x | x |
New Zealand | x | x | x |
Nigeria | x | x | x |
Norway | x | x | x |
Pakistan | x | x | x |
Panama | x | x | x |
Peru | x | x | x |
Philippines | x | x | x |
Portugal | x | x | x |
Republic of Korea | x | x | x |
Republic of Moldova | x | x | x |
Russian Federation | x | x | x |
Rwanda | x | x | x |
Samoa | x | x | x |
Saudi Arabia | x | x | x |
Senegal | x | x | x |
Somalia | x | x | x |
South Africa | x | x | x |
Spain | x | x | x |
Sri Lanka | x | x | x |
Sweden | x | x | x |
Switzerland | x | x | x |
Thailand | x | x | x |
Togo | x | x | x |
Trinidad & Tobago | x | x | x |
Turkey | x | x | x |
Uganda | x | x | x |
United Kingdom | x | x | x |
United States | x | x | x |
Uruguay | x | x | x |
Venezuela | x | x | |
Yemen | x | x | x |
Zimbabwe | x | x | x |
Delegate Preparation Resources
Delegate Preparatory Guide
Position Paper Guideline
Example Position Paper 1
Example Position Paper 2
GA Plen Background Guide
IRENA Background Guide
GA 3rd Background Guide
For inquiries, please send an email to pcmun@presby.edu.