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New Mexico State University

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Assignments

NMUN•NY Assignments

Each year, the NMSU Model United Nations Team attends the National Model United Nations in New York City, where they attend committees, give speeches, write resolutions and negotiate with delegates from other universities around the world. Each school represents a certain Member State of the United Nations, and each team member is assigned to a specific committee of the UN where they advocate their country’s positions on the issues that committee addresses.

New Mexico State University will be representing the Federal Republic of Somalia at NMUN•NY 2019.
General Assembly

The General Assembly is one of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations, serving as the primary representative, deliberative policymaking body of the organization. All 193 Member States have a seat on each of its committees, and each Member State – regardless of population or power – is given one equal vote on the draft resolutions that come before it.

General Assembly First Committee

  • William Bradford and Gabriela Quintana
  • The GA First Committee focuses on all matters of disarmament and international security, with the goal of achieving a world safe from the threat of nuclear weapons and war. The mandate of the committee is to establish multi-lateral conventions and agreements which target the ability of terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction and initiate negotiations on arms control among Member States. The committee acts on general threats and the bigger picture of peace, as opposed to the Security Council, which acts on specific conflicts and regimes. This year, the committee will discuss: Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security; Nuclear Disarmament and International Security; and International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

General Assembly Second Committee

  • Seth Wright and Nicolette Pacheco
  • The GA Second Committee deliberates global economic and financial issues, with the goal of fostering economic growth, sustainable development and the reduction of poverty. The committee’s mandate is to provide a set of international standards regarding trade, debt sustainability and development. The committee may also provide recommendations on macroeconomic issues in special cases such as in the most impoverished nations and in occupied and contested regions. This year, they will address: External Debt Sustainability and Development; Facilitating Knowledge Transfer for Sustainable Development; and Ensuring Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable, and Modern Energy for All.

General Assembly Third Committee

  • Iliana Viscarra and Ana Maldonado
  • The GA Third Committee has a wide scope, considering issues on social, humanitarian and cultural affairs with the goal of enhancing and protecting human rights worldwide. The mandate for the committee includes initiating studies on the current states of human rights and making recommendations to Member States regarding those rights. The committee also reviews topics closely connected to human rights, such as criminal justice, drug trafficking and gender equality. This year the committee will consider: Inclusive Development for Persons with Disabilities; Combatting Human Trafficking; and Strengthening Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance.

Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

  • Haley Stewart
  • The GA Fifth Committee is referred to as the UN’s administrative and budgetary committee. It’s mandate is concerned with the internal structure of the UN’s principal organs, with the goal of ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the work the UN does. The committee may review internal affairs related to accountability and proposed structural reforms. This year, the topics before the committee are: The Role of Youth in Achieving the Paris Agreement; Capacity-Building for Combating Climate Change in Developing Countries; and Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change.
Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council, commonly referred to as ECOSOC, is another of the 6 principle organs of the United Nations. As the name implies, ECOSOC focuses on coordinating the work of the UN on economic and social issues. ECOSOC is comprised of 54 Member States, elected to three year terms, manages 70% of the UN’s budget and oversees the work of 27 specialized agencies and commissions.

Economic and Social Council Plenary

  • Mariana Marañón-Laguna and Brett Cornwell
  • The Economic and Social Council Plenary. This year the council will review: Public-Private Partnerships for Inclusive Development; Harnessing New Technologies to Achieve the SDGs; and Ensuring Access to Technical, Vocational, and Tertiary Education.
Department of Development

The Department of Development is a focus group of agencies, funds and programs established through special conventions and agreements which typically fall under the jurisdiction of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Entities that fall in the purview of the Department of Development can be either plenary – comprised of all Member States – or smaller bodies dedicated to specific issues.

United Nations Environment Assembly

  • Marcus Sanchez
  • The United Nations Environment Assembly is the plenary body of the UN devoted to environmental health and stewardship. The mandate of the assembly is establish environmental policy and facilitate regional and global cooperation between Member States to ensure the longevity of our ecosystem. The assembly reports to ECOSOC on issues related to environmental health and promotes awareness and framework to respond to environmental threats such as climate change. This year the assembly will discuss: Addressing Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics; Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution to Improve Air Quality Globally; and Promoting the Responsible Disposal of Electronic and Hazardous Waste.
Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs

The Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs is a group of agencies, programs and independent organizations which are affiliated with the United Nations and typically fall within the jurisdiction of either the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council. Entities of this department are either plenary – comprised of all Member States – or smaller bodies with the primary goal of promoting and protecting human health and rights.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

  • Fay Yurwit and Angel Salcido
  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This year the organization will consider: Providing Adequate Shelter for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; Supporting Sustainable Return and Reintegration of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; Strengthening the Capacity of Refugee Resettlement Countries.