Associated Press

February 24^th, 10:47AM PST

Battle Plan on the Millennium Development Goals

By Richard Kulesza

Associated Press

NANAIMO (AP) – The United Nations will be gathering today in a giant summit in Nanaimo, Canada today.  The unprecedented gathering will bring together 5 committees simultaneously: The Security Council, the General Assembly, the WHO, the Human Rights Council as well as a Summit on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  All of these committees are here to broadly address the practical application of the Millennium Development Goals after the update they received earlier this year during September’s Summit on the Millennium Development Goals.

Despite the weather, the City of Nanaimo has worked around the clock to keep the airport and highways open, allowing the delegates to continue to pour in from around the world.  The usual armed escorts are expected to begin arriving around noon in anticipation of the 3:30pm opening ceremonies.  The conference is to run throughout the weekend with intense debating running all day Friday and Saturday.  Hope rings high in the air even now that resolutions can be made to have significant impact on human development, rights and securities.

When asked about his hopes for this weekend’s conference, the Conference Secretary General Kegan Pepper-Smith said, “On behalf of the United Nations executive we are extremely excited about the commencement of VIUMUN 2011.  We are pleased that all delegates have braved the snowy and wintery conditions to be a part of this fantastic conference in order to work towards addressing the world’s most pressing issues.”

In light of continued chaos around the world, the Security Council will be addressing both combating international terrorism and children within armed conflict during this weekend’s sessions.  The United States is expected to take a strong lead around the subject of terrorism as always and there are rumours of new policies in this realm really shaking up the international community.  An inside source was quoted say, “This weekend may change how we look at terrorism.”

The General Assembly is tackling the situation in Afghanistan as well as the world food crisis.  With many countries threatening to pull out their international forces from Afghanistan, a long-term solution for a self-sustained government must be reached relatively quickly.  Equally topically, the world food surpluses are dwindling and despite overall hunger decreasing globally, ensuring food security will be significant issue for all in the next few decades.

The health of the citizens of the world will be worked by focusing on the combating of HIV/AIDS and maternal health in the developing world by the WHO.  The WHO has been fighting against the spread of HIV/AIDS for decades now and despite many successes; there is significant room for new and innovative solutions to deal with it once and for all.  Maternal health, especially in the developing world, may be one of the keys to several of the Millennium Development Goals.  With roots in child health, gender equality as well as maternal health directly, addressing this subject may be one of the most effective ways to meet many of the 2015 goals.

The Human Rights Council will be addressing the situation in Somalia as well as universal education by examining a case study of girl’s education in Afghanistan.  With the Transitional Federal Government within Somalia being unable to enforce human rights nationally, and with increasing risk of similarly failed states globally, the subject or responsibility towards global human rights is a messy subject to be tackling.  Despite this topic being vital, with the international community’s usual defensiveness towards infringements against sovereignty, productive solutions here will be difficult.  Contrasting to that, the case study of girl’s within Afghanistan gives a concrete connection to the work the international community is already doing to bring about education worldwide.

Last but certainly not least is the Summit’s bold addressing towards securing rights for Indigenous Peoples.  They will be covering the topics of development with dignity, strongly interwoven with the workings of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as viewing the place of Indigenous communities and their development in relation to the Millennium Development Goals. 

The snow has stopped and the doors are open.  The press stands ready for sessions to begin with excited anticipation.  This reporter knows you, the readers, will be up for some very interesting developments in global politics during the next four days.