Which SLMUN 2019 Committee best fits you?
View(s):Commission on the status of women
Women and children and the role they play has taken an increasingly importance stance. It is because of this that the Commission on the Status of Women was first established. It functions as an intergovernmental body that recognizes as well as promotes women’s rights. However, it doesn’t really stop there. This commission goes the extra mile of actually showcasing women’s lives in contemporary society and documenting them. They are a commission exclusively dedicated to promote the gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Commission of the status of women or CSW as it is most commonly known was first established by the ECOSOC resolution 11 (II) of 21 June 1946. Moreover, in 1996, ECOSOC resolution 1996/6 expanded the mandate of the commission and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. It also brings gender perspective in UN activities.
The CSW is actually making its mark on SLMUN’s platform for the first time. It is being simulated because of the rising conflicts with regards to women not only around the world but specifically in Sri Lanka as well. We hear of movements such as the #metoo and we wonder if there is a body that hears the pleas of so many women around the world. As a delegate applying for this committee you are expected to have a passion for women’s rights and the belief that through your solutions you can tip the scales and perfectly balance the rights of men and women. You have to have the ability to see through the façade that is placed and come through with concrete evidence and a lot of statistics to prove yourself.
At SLMUN 2019, delegates of the CSW will find themselves engaging in discussion on the topic of “Threats towards global information security emphasizing on cybercrime”. With the advent of technology this appears to be a pressing concern. Moreover, one where no one standard solution can be presented. As delegates of this committee one is expected to look for answers and understand that in every perspective it becomes paramount to ensure that women are empowered and their rights upheld.
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
World Health Organization is an organization established by the United Nations on April 17th 1948. Currently it is working with 194 Member States across six regions, with more than 150 officers with just one particular goal, a goal to give equal access of Health to each and every individual across the globe.
After two months of formation as World Health Organization, a new Committee named World Health Assembly (WHA) was formed by the United Nations on 1948. The main function of WHA was to determine the policies of the organization appoint the Director General, supervise financial policies and to review and approve the proposed programme budget. Basically the WHA is a decision making body of World Health Organization.
WHA takes place annually in Geneva in which senior health officials from Member States attend to create effective well-versed resolutions and budgetary planning for future implementation. At the Health Assembly two main types of meetings are held (each with different purpose)
Firstly the main type of meeting is called “Committees” in which people meet to debate technical and health matters (Committee A) and financial and management issues (Committee B) . later on, it approves the texts resolutions which is then submitted to the plenary meeting.
The second main type of meeting is “Plenary”. The World Health Assembly meets in plenary several times in order to listen to reports and adopt the resolutions transmitted by the Committees.
Moreover the WHA focuses on “Technical briefing” which is organised on specific public health topics to present new developments in the area, provide a forum for debate and to allow for information sharing. By the end of the meeting, new goals are set which has to be implemented, new tasks are delegated and the World Health Organization’s report is reviewed.
The ultimate goal of the organisation is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion people from health emergencies and to provide a further billion people with better health and well-being.
Students like us may not be able to take part in World Health Assembly meetings held in Geneva, but we can be delegates representing a specific country and attend the model simulation of WHA through SLMUN 2019.
The WHA topic to be discussed at SLMUN 2019 is “Tackling social issues relating to the global phenomenon of mental health, with special emphasis on the lack of understanding, social stigma and the lack of accessibility to treatment facilities”.
This topic revolves around the aspects of mental health, misunderstandings following it, the stigma that continues to surround it as a result of those misunderstandings and the lack of required treatment. Mental health is a vital section of health-related aspects, and is not addressed or discussed to its worthy potential. Thus by implementing this committee at SLMUN 2019 we hope to shed some well-deserved light into this topic.
If you’re an individual who is passionate about giving equal health services to the people around the world, if you’re an individual who is more interested in the biological aspects of human life, then WHA is the perfect choice for you to voice out your thoughts and opinions to discuss effective resolutions.
Article to be continued next week…..
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-Shenali Perera and Yakuta Dawood