Welcome to United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Dear Delegates,
It is with great delight that I welcome you to the twenty-eighth session of the Ivy League Model United Nations, or ILMUNC! I'd also like to introduce you all to the best committee at ILMUNC this year, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)! My name is Anant Shukla, and I will be your chair at this year's conference. Along with my wonderful staff, we look forward to making your weekend in Philadelphia in January the most memorable Model UN conference you attend!
Just to make sure we all get to know each other, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am originally from Richmond, Virginia and in my last year of undergraduate study. I am pursuing a dual degree in the College and Wharton here at Penn, majoring in Finance and International Relations with a focus on South Asia. I have been involved with Model United Nations since my freshman year of high school and ILMUNC will be the last conference that I help host. At Penn, I have been heavily involved with ILMUNC's sister conference, UPMUNC. I served as an Assistant Secretary General in 2009, the Undersecretary-General for General Assembly in 2010, and currently as the Secretary-General for the conference. I am an avid Manchester United fan, and also enjoy swimming, learning foreign languages, traveling, and watching Seinfeld.
The topics we will be discussing regarding early warning systems, universal standards for infrastructure, and disaster response to earthquakes, among many others, are very timely with regards to the natural disasters we have seen in recent years. From Japan and Haiti, to Iceland and Chile, these topics are of a universal nature and I look forward to the creative solutions you guys will develop during committee. The rest of my staff and I have been hard at work putting together this awesome committee for you guys and we cannot wait to meet you next year! Until then, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Best of luck in your preparations and at the conference!
Best Wishes,
Anant Shukla
Chair, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVIII
Topic Summaries
Topic A: Universal Standards for Infrastructure and Early Warning Signs
Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and more: natural disasters are unpredictable and uncontrollable. What can be controlled, however, is the response to natural disasters. Identifying and fortifying the proper infrastructure to deal with natural disasters is critical to both preventative and reconstructive efforts. Each nation requires man-made structures tailored to the needs of its particular circumstances. However, in order to be prepared for emergency response as a global community, it is imperative that this infrastructure be constructed in conformity with certain international guidelines set forth by UNISDR. These guidelines, which will introduce a standardization of both infrastructure and protocol, must be based on research initiatives that will spur preventative actions by studying topics such early warning tsunami systems and seismographic prediction technologies.
Topic B: Disaster Response to Earthquakes and Tsunamis
In light of the recent tragedies in Japan, New Zealand, Chile, and Haiti, global response efforts to earthquakes and tsunamis is becoming increasingly important. Action taken has proven that the international community has failed to properly utilize and allocate relief resources, and to devise an appropriate and realistic timeline for recovery. Poor communication and coordination among the world’s leading nations has only further impeded progress. The UNISDR must investigate what can be done to reform and, therefore, more effectively respond to these issues.