4th Special Political & Decolonization (4th SPD)
SPD
Kyle Khandikian
4thSPD@bruinmun.org
Dear Esteemed Delegates,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to BruinMUN 2011’s Fourth Committee, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee! My name is Kyle Khandikian and I am so thrilled to be your Chair for what is sure to be an exciting weekend of debate and international relations. I am a second year English major and plan on double majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Global Studies. This will be my sixth year involved in Model United Nations and my first year as a head chair, making this experience just as exciting for me as it will be for you!
In order to make our committee comfortable, warm and inviting for you all, I feel it necessary to give you some background on myself. I was born and raised in Encino, California, and have been involved in Model UN since my freshman year of high school. Here at UCLA, aside from traveling and competing with MUN, I am involved on campus as an active member of the Armenian Students’ Association, keeping close with my roots (hence the interesting last name). I’m really excited to be traveling abroad this summer to Turkey where I will spend 2 months exploring Istanbul and the greater Mediterranean region, and look forward to starting my career as a student writer for The Daily Bruin this fall. I hope to one day work in the media, possibly in public relations and marketing, though at the moment my future is up in the air, but that’s what college is about right?
The 4th Committee is an important committee of the General Assembly because it tackles a wide variety of issues, including those related to conflict, decolonization, peacekeeping, and human rights. Model UN is a forum for young people like you and I to discuss and come up with viable solutions to the problems our world faces today, which is why I expect a high level of professionalism and respect from you as delegates, which my dais and I will reciprocate gladly. But most importantly, I want you all to have fun!
This year’s topics for our committee will be the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These two topics are very real and very current issues that I think deserve the world’s attention, and I am interested in seeing what you all think about them. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a territory dispute between two former Soviet republics, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan over the now de-facto independent region of Nagorno-Karabakh. With a ceasefire still in effect since 1994 and the threat of war always looming over this volatile transcontinental region, I think this topic is one that will stimulate very engaging debate. With our second topic, sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we will explore the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence, specifically against women, during conflict. With a new study by the American Journal of Public Health estimating that 2 million Congolese women and girls are victims of sexual violence, and that rape occurs there at a rate of one per minute, this is a pressing human rights and health issue that must be addressed.
I am looking so forward to meeting and working with you all very, very soon. I am certain that our committee will be one to remember. Please feel free to contact me at 4thSPD@bruin.org with any questions, concerns, comments, or if you just want to learn more about Model UN and UCLA in general.
Best Regards,
Kyle Khandikian
4th SPD, Chair
Topics:
Download Topic Synopsis! (pdf) Updated June 1. Document is password protected.
Topic A: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict:
Between 1988 and 1994, Armenia and Azerbaijan, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, fought over the Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. This undeclared war left over 30,000 dead, with Armenian forces in full control of most of the territory as well as about 9% of Azerbaijan’s territory outside of Karabakh. A Russian brokered ceasefire in 1994 is still in place today; however, war is always looming over the region with constant threats from Azerbaijan and frequent skirmishes along borderlines. Furthermore, the now de-facto independent Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized by no state in the world, and suffers from dire economic conditions. In committee delegates will debate the future of Karabakh as well as address the socio-economic situation in the region.
Topic B: Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo:
In May 2011 the American Journal of Public Health released a study reporting that nearly 2 million women and girls in DCR have been victims of sexual violence, and that rape occurs there at a rate of one per minute. A long history of war and conflict in the region, from the First and Second Congo Wars, the Kivu Conflict, and the Rwandan Genocide have created a hotbed for the use of rape as a weapon of war. Sexual violence is used to “intimidate, humiliate and torture” in the DRC. Since 2008 the United Nations has considered rape a weapon of war. In committee delegates will discuss proper forms of action to stop and prevent sexual violence in the DRC as well as the legal implications of such acts.
Contact Your Chair: 4thSPD@bruinmun.org