These conference agendas are designed to help you focus your research concerning the issues within your sub-game.  These agendas serve three purposes: 

First, these agendas guide the discussions that take place during the conferences. These conferences are not free-for-all sessions, but structured debates moderated by SIMCON. Issues that are not outlined in the conference agenda are not open for debate. 

Second, the agendas offer a direction for your research. You must be familiar with your country’s position on the issue areas and the questions posed in the conference agenda.

Lastly, the agendas set the tone for your negotiations over the system prior to the conferences. Since you know what will be discussed in the conference, the weeks prior to the conference should be spent lining up allies and trying to pre-negotiate rough outlines of agreement so the conferences will be productive.

Prior to each conference, a detailed conference agenda will be posted. These agendas might reflect a discussion of proposed treaties addressing pertinent issues. The conference agendas listed below are broad guidelines concerning the points that will be addressed. According to the normal conference format, after the first agenda item is discussed, the conference will move on to the next agenda point, and so on.

The international global community continues to face issues concerning international crime, including drug trafficking.

1. What can be done to reduce drug trafficking?   What is the best strategy or combination of strategies to reduce narcotics production and exports?
2. Is the biggest problem associated with drug trafficking the demand for illegal drugs?
3. Who will finance and provide the other necessary resources such as personnel and communication devices to enforce any drug control policy that is proposed?

 

International war crime tribunals were created following the atrocities of World War II.  However, war crime tribunals are primitive as compared to the legal systems of most advanced industrialized countries. 

1. How much authority should an international court have?
2. What incentives do countries have to agree to abide by international crime tribunal policy or decisions? What actions should the tribunals take if a country does not abide by its decision? What resources does an international crime tribunal have, considering that states are the highest authority?
3. Does the international crime tribunal serve as a good example to minimize war atrocities?
4. Is international law biased against lesser-developed, particularly non-Western cultures?

 

Global Environmental Issues

Conference II

Addressing environment-related issues is already a sticky business, without taking into consideration the division between EDCs and LDCs. When matters of differing levels of development are considered, sustainable development puts an even larger burden on developing countries.

1. Are the developed countries primarily responsible for protecting the global environment because they are the main contributors to global warming?
2. Do existing global environmental treaties discriminate against the lesser developed states in preventing those states from developing more quickly because they are held back by environmental restrictions unlike the developed nations?
3. In some cases EDCs have attempted to export hazardous waste to LDCs. Should this be permitted by international law? What are the consequences for both the EDCs and the LDCs of trade that is environmentally dangerous?

 

Conference I

Many countries disagree about how to define human rights. How should it be defined? What aspects should be included? What action should be taken to protect these rights? Some argue that human rights are based on inherent moral principles, while others argue that they are culturally grounded. Even when some ground is established as a basis to address human rights, problems of implementation remain. Not all countries have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Of those that have signed, there are still disagreements about aspects of human rights.

1. In EDCs, many people take material security for granted and argue for less tangible rights like free speech and assembly. In LDCs, human rights are more of an issue of basic human needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Is it possible to address both aspects of human rights?
2. Is it possible for countries that advocate human rights as an extension of moral principles and those that advocate culturally grounded principles to find a middle ground on which to agree about human rights?
3. Is it possible for countries to reach a consensus on human rights? If so, how? If not, what are the implications of disagreement? What is the worth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights if countries are in disagreement over its contents?

 

Conference II

Situations occur almost daily where humanitarian aid and intervention are needed. In part, this is due to the economic disparities between EDCs and LDCs. Arguably, as many people in LDCs live below the poverty line, much help is needed. However, it is often only the extreme cases of famine or genocide that receive attention. Even in such situations, much time lapses before efforts are organized.

1. What is the difference between humanitarian aid and humanitarian intervention and how are each defined?
2. Can countries determine a policy to address human rights issues that might call for aid and/or intervention? If not, what is the best alternative?
3. Who should determine whether or when humanitarian intervention is justified?

 

Conference I

Global population is a transnational issue that affects everyone. LDCs pose a problem because the planet cannot continue to sustain the world’s population if growth rates increase at the current rate. Improved access to health care as well as economic concerns and cultural differences make population control a challenge in developing countries. While population growth in EDCs is minimal, these populations are more demanding of the earth’s resources.

1. What are effective strategies for dealing with population growth?  Are LDCs solely responsible for solving population problems?
2. Is it possible for countries to come to an agreement regarding population control? What about cultural differences? If an agreement is not possible, what is the best alternative?
3. How would a program or alternative be implemented? Where would the funding come from? Who would provide the necessary staff and resources for education?
4. Is demanding population control a violation of a country’s sovereignty?
5. How should issues of population control for ethnic cleansing purposes be addressed?

 

Conference II

Attempting to properly feed people is also a world health issue. People who are malnourished are less economically productive, making development even more difficult in LDCs. Often times, food is readily available but does not reach the people who need it. This situation can occur for a number of reasons including lack of transportation and political instability.

1. What steps should be taken to improve health conditions related to malnutrition?
2. Is it possible to guarantee a minimal standard of nutritional intake for all people throughout the world?
3. Should international organizations like the UN become involved in famine situations that result from political instability, as was the case with the 1991-1992 Somali famine?