Topic #1- Protecting Cultural Heritage Sites in Warzones: Cultural heritage can best be defined
as the impact and legacy of physical artifacts that define the culture of a people or civilization,
preserved for the benefit of future generations. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was officially established in 1946 to protect the world’s
cultural heritage sites, and to decide what modern creations warrant future protection. However,
in modern conflict zones, such as the Middle East, where some of the most ancient of structures
and artifacts exist, armed conflict has resulted in destruction of many sites and threatens the
destruction of many more. The physical history of entire cultures are in jeopardy every day. This
committee has been tasked with constructing a method to protect cultural heritage sites in
conflict zones. The situation remains complicated, as NGOs across the globe struggle to spread
attention about the destruction of ancient structures in Syria, where some of the first civilizations
were born along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as the International community turns its back
and chooses not to directly intervene in the conflict. Votes in Britain and the USA to take direct
military action have failed, and China and Russia have continually supported the opposing side
to other western powers, causing conflict to continue perpetually. Violence in Egypt, Timbuktu,
Tibet, and across the African continent threaten countless more relics of human civilization.
What level of obligation does the international community have to protect the heritage sites of
other countries? Should the lives of international forces be put at risk to protect cultural heritage
sites? UNESCO made some headway in 2003 with the Declaration concerning the Intentional
Destruction of Cultural Heritage, but more needs to be done to secure and protect what remants
remain of the cultural heritage of countless civilizations.
Topic #2- The Effects of Economic Sanctions on the Education and Scientific Progress of
Nations: Since the establishment of the United Nations in 1946, economic sanctions have been
used against other nations for the purpose of political and economic compulsion. The Arab
embargo against Israel, the global embargo against Cuba, international trade limits on Iran, North
Korea, China, the Soviet Union, and other sanctions against dictatorships across the globe, have
all at different times served to harm the target countries’ governments abilities to function. It has
also harmed the educational and scientific progress of these nations. The citizens, whether or not
they agree with the practices of their respective governments, are all equally disadvantaged by
economic sanctions. This committee has been tasked with answering the following questions. Do
sanctions have a tendency to accomplish their intended goals? Is placing sanctions against
another country worth the loss to the global economy? Is the practice of using economic
sanctions worth the loss to the educational and scientific progress of the global community? Are
sanctions the most effective non-violent method of political or economic compulsion? Western
democracies have used and continue to use sanctions to promote their agendas. Smaller
countries, particularly the targets of these sanctions, argue that they harm civilians while
increasing national fervor, resulting in those civilians supporting their government’s actions
more than before. These countries also argue that they are being suppressed from being a
positive influence on the world. UNESCO has an obligation to encourage collaboration in
education and science on a global level. Sanctions against another country harm that country’s
ability to communicate with the global community and to advance their own level of educational
and scientific advancement enough to have a measurable impact on the progress of the rest of the
world. Once a country falls behind, catching up is difficult. Much debate has occurred on the
international level, but as long as the most powerful nations, particularly among the security
council, continue to support the use of sanctions, they will continue to be used for the foreseeable
future.