IS306 - Exam Preparation §

(F) Day of the week: Friday Class: IS306 Created Time: July 23, 2021 1:02 AM Database: Class Notes Database Date: July 23, 2021 Days Till Date: Passed Last Edited Time: September 16, 2021 9:53 AM Status: Researching Type: Reading Notes

Y3S2 IS306 Final Exam

1. Controversial issue or United Nations decision presented
   • I write arguments for or against it
     • Use legal and laws to debunk the decision if it’s opposing UN’s membership rules or past rulings
     • Make 2 arguments on completely different grounds of reasoning and topics
2. Reflection Questions
   • Through the simulations and research what’s your lessons learned about the real United Nations in New York
   • What are the challenges posing the United Nations system or procedure
   • What have you newly learned about the United Nation’s effectiveness and role as the largest global intergovernmental organization
3. Draft Operative Clauses
   • Use concise and to clear wording of what you want happen
   • Be realistic to what type of sensitivity can be achieved according to the voter’s list

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1. Controversial Issues in UN §

• COVID-19
  • intellectual property of vaccine development
  • pharmaceutical secrets and commercialization of global pandemic
  • bilateral vs multilateral distribution of vaccines
    • bilateral improves countries’ relations, but is unequal and bad for poor countries
      • If choose to use both, because it gives countries more methods in distributing vaccines
      • pragmatic: gives countries a chance to use opportunity to better relations with foreign partners
    • multilateral through COVAX is more equal but less self-beneficial to rich countries’ foreign relations
      • stop countries from selectively choosing allies over the betterment of the collective world
      • COVAX is a trusted source that gaurentees contributions of vaccines safely gets to the hands of those who need it
      • COVAX doesn’t discriminate who they pick to get the vaccines
  • investigation of China’s source of COVID-19 (lab leak or natural)
• Somalia
  • How involved should the international community be in Somalia’s instability
    • fighting between clans and the Islamic State’s Al Shabaab
    • the resolution of internal political conflict either with the help of international intervention (US’s position) or through internal discussion, void of outsiders’ pressure (China’s position)
      • Should US or international community be organizing an election for them or forcing it upon them?
• Myanmar
  • Between the people’s want for democracy over the government’s military dictatorship, which one should be prioritized when dealing on the international level?
  • putting an election ran by the un might be opposing western values on another country
  • Does sanctions, arms embargo, smart sanctions do anything to stop the ruler, or does it only hurt the citizens?
    • smart sanctions, asset freezes normally just hurts the people’s finances
      • market activities that was once driven by the rich are less active leading to less wage for middle class
      • bad rulers or elites might confiscate and take from the poor for themselves
    • military sanctions if not done correctly or air tight will create a black market for weapon smugglers, underground deals, or distrust in the country

2. Reflection Questions §

• Lessons learned about the United Nations
  • most countries abstain from voting and not pick sides to save face and maintain relations with both super powers
• Challenges of United Nations’ system or procedure
  • the p5 being too overpowered / inequity of representation
  • from p5, larger nations are represented by the same one vote as a tiny nation of insignificance
• Effectiveness of United Nations’ role as the largest global intergovernmental organization
  • p5 being opposing superpowers leading to veto-off deadlock in decision making
    • disasters requiring immediate response makes the UN weak
    • becomes a playfield for superpowers to rally support for themselves and their decisions?
  • UN many times has turned to inaction such as the case of
    • The UN recognizing Khmer Rouge as representative of Cambodia while the country is in genocide.
    • Russia vetoed the decision to intervene in the on-going Syrian Civil War

Notes of Interesting Things in UN Procedures §

• States normally don’t vote no on substantial matters to save face
  • if it doesn’t sway the vote if you vote no or yes, just abstain
• Give case studies and substantial evidence to prove your points, not only using words
  • how could we do that in an exam, is that allowed to reference something obscure or should we reference a well known event instead.