Caroline Orth for The New York Times

The United Nations 2013 Yearbook

by Caroline Orth for The New York Times

As Johns Hopkins University Model United Nations Conference (JHUMUNC) delegates embark on their diplomatic endeavors this weekend at the 2014 session, take time to reflect on a few examples of what the United Nations accomplished in the last few months of 2013 to inspire your own committee’s movements towards international cooperation.

A nuclear-weapon-free world: As a result of multiple international conferences that gathered early in 2013 concerning the danger to humanity posed by nuclear weaponry, the United Nations General implemented Resolution 68/39 on December 5th, 2013. The resolution outlines a plan to expedite the commitments of countries to reduce their nuclear arsenals to reduce their potential catastrophic threat. The commitments that the UN wishes to accelerate include a treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, ratified in 2011. While the treaty intends to cut the number of deployed nuclear missile launchers by half, the agreement does not affect the currently inactive nuclear warheads that both countries have stockpiled in the thousands.

Piracy in Somalia: In the 7,061st meeting of the United Nations Security Council, armed robbery at sea on the coast of Somalia was addressed through Resolution 2125, which was adopted on November 18th, 2013. Continuing established measures from 2008 and 2011 resolutions, the Council urged Somali authorities to criminalize piracy off the coast under domestic law and to allow bordering countries to assist them in maritime security. A decrease in attacks by Somali pirates was welcomed in 2013, though on January 17th of this year, a piracy attack was launched south of the Arab state of Oman, and was fortunately unsuccessful.

Situation of Syria: The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural committee vocally condemned the use of chemical weapons and a wide range of human rights violations, especially those against children, with Resolution A/C.3/68/L.42 October 31st, 2013. Citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its resolution, the Third Committee expressed its ongoing outrage at the Syrian government’s continued violations of international law, which have resulted in over 100,000 casualties thus far. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons set a December 31st, 2013 deadline for the removal of the most toxic chemical weapons from Syria’s arsenal, but a January 27th report from the United Nations Security Council suggests that the deadline was missed.

Keeping in mind what our United Nations delegates have been putting into action up at the New York City headquarters, what can we expect to come out of the 32 committees called to session tonight? How will the International Atomic Energy Agency respond to terrorist groups acquiring nuclear weapons? What resolutions will the Legal committee pose in order to enforce international law regarding Somali pirates? Will the JCC Syrian Government be able to gain support for Assad’s regime, or will the Syrian National Coalition find its own international allies?

There is no doubt that JHUMUNC 2014 will be full of decisions that will alter the course of world history one way or another. Follow The New York Times UN Correspondents for the latest coverage.