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Dear delegates,
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the Legal committee. My name is Lotus Cannon and I am looking forward to being your chair at this amazing WorldMUN conference in Vancouver!
I grew up in New Jersey and currently live in Edison. I am a sophomore at Harvard concentrating in Economics. Russian by heritage, I love learning about other cultures, whether through my friendships, travel, or my experiences with MUN. I am fluent in Russian and learning Spanish. I enjoyed participating in Model UN in high school, both in debate and the executive board. At Harvard, I am also a Director of Administration for the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference. Apart from Model UN related activities, I love ballroom dancing. I began dancing my freshman year, when I joined the Harvard Ballroom Dance Team and am absolutely addicted.
The legal committee will be addressing the issues of updating the Geneva Conventions and the legal status of the South China Sea. These topics are quite different but they both involve discussing how the United Nations would act to maintain peace between nations and protect the rights of nations, as well as individuals. I expect that you will work with your fellow capable delegates to form comprehensive solutions that will address all aspects of these issues, while staying consistent with your individual country’s position. I hope that you will also take this opportunity to converse and learn from your co-delegates and take part in the wonderful diversity that is WorldMUN.
Until then, I encourage you to contact me with any questions or comments you may have and I will do my best to respond.
Best,
Lotus Cannon
Chair, Legal Committee
World Model United Nations 2012
legal@worldmun.org
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Topic A: Modernizing the Geneva Conventions
Throughout a large period of history, people have abided by the humanitarian laws of the Geneva Conventions, which outlines international law for conventional warfare with respect to battlefield conflict and standards for civilian treatment. The original Geneva Convention was formed in 1864 for the sole purpose of helping wounded soldiers but has been expanded to regulate armed conflict and protect all people who are not participating in hostilities, such as civilians, health workers, and prisoners of war. However, the recent changes in the manner of war makes it crucial to consider whether these rules still apply in the 21st century. New methods of war, such operations as bombings and raids, as well as the use of private companies in the military brings to question how international law will apply to unconventional warfare. Expansions to the laws of war would need to include ways to ensure employees of private military companies are protected and that violent groups are held accountable. Previous attempts to reinvent the Geneva Conventions, such as the Montreux document, have aided in filling some of these cracks in treaty law but unconventional warfare is yet to be directly addressed. Further revisitation to these legal grounds for modern warfare tactics is needed in order to clarify and maintain relevance with the new world of international war.
Topic B: Legal Status of the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a highly disputed area, as it is claimed at least partly by multiple nations, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The sea spans some of the world’s most used shipping lanes and is one of the richest sources of fish. In addition, these economic lanes are said to lie atop great oil and natural gas deposits. The conflicting claims laid by virtually every nation surrounding this maritime region have caused relations to worsen between these nations, leading to flashpoint military incidents, such as the apprehension of Vietnamese fishing vessels and China’s recent confrontation with the Philippines. China has dramatically increased its established governance in these waters, enforcing a fishing ban as part of its new “far sea defense” policy. Such an aggressive mode of establishing sovereignty has led to serious questions about the legitimacy of China’s increasing influence in the region. It is an issue that has attracted more attention international attention because of China’s rise in economic strength, but the energy and economic benefits of controlling the region could dramatically increase the economic strength of virtually any of the Asian nations, which means that the region has the potential to spark military conflict. The resolution of this topic has great consequences for the world’s balance of trade and relations between nations. Given the breadth of China’s economic relations with the rest of the world, how this issue is resolved will have heavy implications for the rest of the international economic system.