Welcome to Disarmament and International Security Committee
Dear Delegates,
As the Chair for the Disarmament and International Security Committee, I would first like to welcome all of you to ILMUNC XXIX! I am really excited for this year’s conference and truly hope you have an amazing time!
After living my whole life in São Paulo, Brazil, I decided to shake things up a little and go somewhere else for college. I'm currently a junior at Wharton concentrating in Finance, Management, and Business Economics and Public Policy, with a minor in International Relations in the College of Arts and Sciences. I have always had a strong interest in political science and international affairs, which is reflected not only in my academic choices, but also in my participation in Model United Nations. Throughout high school, I attended several conferences in the Brazilian circuit, including HACIA Democracy, which is a very interesting simulation of the Organization of American States. My path in Model UN continued in college, not as a delegate, but on the organizational side of things. I served as an Assistant Chair for the Legal Committee in my freshman year and Vice-Chair for DISEC last year, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing some familiar faces! Apart from Model UN, my main non-academic interests involve an obsession for soccer (as any good Brazilian), boxing, travelling a lot, and going out with friends.
Going back to the First Committee, the DISEC staff has been working really hard to ensure that everyone has a nothing less than epic experience this year. We focused not only on selecting topics that deal with current international issues of great global significance, but also on finding an approach that better incentivizes a constructive debate. We are doing our best to help you enjoy ILMUNC as much as you can. If you have any questions or comments regarding the ILMUNC XXIX, our topics, or the committee as a whole, don’t hesitate to contact our USG for General Assembly, Renata Giarola; she would be glad to talk to you!
Yours truly,
Dinho Carvalho Pinto
Moderator, Disarmament and International Security Committee
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXIX
Dear Delegates,
My name is João Victor Mokdissi, and it is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference. I am extremely excited to serve as your Moderator for the Disarmament and International Security Committee.
Originally from Brasilia, Brazil, I am currently a senior pursuing a triple concentration in Finance, Real Estate, and Management at the Wharton School. Aside from business, I am very interested in political science and international relations, two passions that I explore by participating in Model United Nations. My love for Model UN began in my sophomore year of high school, and it has grown ever since. In high school, I attended various conferences around the world, including ILMUNC, the Iberian Model UN Conference in Lisbon, and the Brazil Model United Nations Conference in Rio de Janeiro, where I had the experience of being a delegate, then chair, and eventually Secretary-General. In college, I continued to participate in Model UN, and I served as Under-Secretary-General of General Assembly committees at ILMUNC XXVII. Last year, I served as Moderator for DISEC so if you are a DISEC veteran I’m looking forward to seeing you again! At Penn, I am also Chair of the Wharton Council, a research assistant for the Management Department, and a Management 100 Team Advisor. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, exploring the great restaurant scene in Philly, and spending time with my friends and family!
Throughout my Model UN career, I have always chosen to participate in General Assembly committees, and DISEC has been a personal favorite. This year, DISEC’s hard-working staff and I have carefully selected great topics for debate and prepared detailed background guides to assist you as you prepare for the best conference you will ever attend. Please feel free to contact our USG – Renata Giarola – if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to meeting all of you in January!
Sincerely,
João Victor Mokdissi
Moderator, Disarmament and International Security Committee
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXIX
Topic Summaries
Topic A: Curbing the Threat of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a nation under the control of communist powers that poses a threat to international security and world peace. The nation has been trying to develop a nuclear weapons program for some time now with little to no transparency, and these efforts have been met with a great deal of opposition from the United Nations. In December of 2011, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Il, passed away, leaving control of the nation in the hands of his son, Kim Jong-un. With a largely unknown new leader in power, the UN’s need to monitor and control the actions of the DPRK becomes more crucial than ever before.
Topic B: Black Market Small Arms Trade
The United Nations has been working since the start of the 21st century to combat the illicit trading of small arms in the black market. However, these efforts, while substantial, have produced little results, and the transferring of these types of weapons continues to grow. People have come to realize that deaths resulting from the use of these illegally traded weapons are far more substantial than deaths brought on by any officially recognized militaries; only through fighting the exchange of small arms on the black market can their detrimental usage be stifled.