International Press Gallery

Written by Daily Sabah In the usual episode of debates, UNHRC has once again failed to make decisive steps. The  blame game continues as countries push the responsibility of funding. While more solutions are drafted out, the lack of funding has emerged as a problem. In order for the implementation of the solution, regardless of the establishing of separate entities or providing of quality education, there has to be sufficient funds to support such efforts. Under the discussions of the UNHCR on the use of funding, the following are the possible purposes:      - Provide the basic needs of refugees      - Integration programmes that equip them with the necessary skills to join the workforce, and award      them with a certificate after they have completed the programme, to show their eligibility to access to      more job opportunities      - Building of infrastructure for permanent physical structure for the ...

Written by Breitbart The US delegate has decided not to take part in discussions on the Kashmir conflict, after unfavourable discussions emerged.  On the 20th and 21st of August, a 2-day United Nations Security Council Conference was held, where countries all over the world came together to discuss on solutions to raging Kashmir conflict at the borders of India and Pakistan. The discussions have been extensive so far, with many topics being brought up such as human rights of soldiers and cross-border tensions, and a resolution has also been proposed.  Yet, the delegation of US has been unusually inactive in these discussions. In fact, they have not even spoken much at all.  In the past, under the Trump administration, former President Donald Trump has openly acknowledged that Kashmir has been ravaged by violence and descended into chaos. He has also actively engaged in talks with the Prime Minister of Narendra Modi regarding the issue, and has always expressed his willing...

Written by IRNA In the past two days Sustainable Development Youth Convention (SDYC), delegates across various committees participated in rigorous and intense debates, attempting to lobby each other to approve of and follow through with their unique ideas to address a particular issue. Going in loops were extremely common for a few of the councils that consisted of more inexperienced delegates, and as such, progression of the debate was slow. Many of the delegates have learnt to refine their initial ideas, whereas there were also delegates who were completely convinced by the others. However, amidst the chaos, there were delegates who were silently sitting in the corner of the meeting room, with their cameras usually turned off and their mics nearly never unmuted. They were the delegates who were part of the press council. The press delegates were silent, but should they be unmuted, one would only hear the sound of furious typing, as the delegates overload their brains to interpret wha...

Written by Yonhap News Agency Due to not being able to join the G20 conference, Yonhap News Agency are only able to know what it’s been up to during the press conference. G20 has been working on plans which their finance minister came up with. They have also completed a drift article which forces on new sustainable technologies to mitigate effects on climate change. Technology that is most sustainable and more feeding the growing population for future generations. One such technology is Genetically modified food. Claiming that this technology is extremely beneficial towards the curtain situation on climate change. They have also brought forward the idea of a substitute in the form of protein. Which requires less energy to produce, and eliminate a fraction of greenhouse gas. Where this idea is still being explored. They are planning to make such technology affordable by using funds from IDB or the world bank. They also have an ambassadorship program as well as a world agriculture forum....

Written by Daily Mail After yet another day of productive discussions, the council of G20 has achieved not one, but multiple agreements and articles, a feat that may seem far-fetched to other councils. Amongst the agreements and discussions said, some key ideas stood out more than others, such as technology that is more sustainable and efficient, together with the use of genetic engineering. Creations of various different aids and funds have also pushed the council to greater heights, ensuring that the council progresses forward as a whole. The council plans to use “a kind of genetic engineering, which is a kind of controversial, as the GMO that we currently have at the moment”, as said by the delegate of Italy, who claims to be the unofficials spokesperson of the G20, alongside the delegate of Spain. The delegate of Italy also stated that, “the council believes that research into mutated genesis will be extremely beneficial in reducing the impact of climate change going forward”, in a...

Written by The Nation Pakistan This year, the G20 committee focused on new sustainable and efficient policies to mitigate climate change. Are these new technologies affordable for farmers and less economically developed countries (LEDC)? The delegate of Spain then suggested using grants from Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) to support these stakeholders. As more economically developed countries (MEDC) have more funding allocated for innovations as compared to LEDC, they have the ability to host ambassadorship programs where farmers and LEDC can learn and adapt from their technologies. Forums could also be held annually for countries to update on their research progress and share their findings. However, greedy private owned companies conducting research may not be willing to give up their “secret recipe”. LEDC would also face the issue of inequity. The delegate of Italy then pointed out the joint partnerships with companies and governments would greatly reduce inequity as information i...

Aug. 21, 2021 Written by Wall Street Journal UNOCT’s Counter-Terrorism Week in July 2021 has prompted the United States to introduce stricter legislation to contain both international and domestic terrorist threats. During this biennial gathering of Member States and international counter-terrorism partners, the General Assembly discussed the review and resolution of the seventh biennial United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). The GCTS is reviewed every two years, ensuring that counter-terrorism strategies are up-to-date and relevant to Member States’ counter-terrorism priorities. The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the UN General Assembly, aims to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism. What is the United State’s role and stance in this international counter-terrorism war? The September 11 terrorist attack remains the most infamous terrorist attack on the United States, and the United States continues to take a firm...

Written by The Nation Pakistan In early 2013, the notion of a Pakistan-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was proposed. This decision was made in light of Pakistan's "Vision East Asia" program, which was supplemented by Thailand's "Look West" policy, as well as the fact that bilateral commerce between the two nations had for the first time surpassed the billion-dollar threshold. In 2016, Pakistan exported $20.53 billion worth of products, whereas Thailand exported $213.59 billion worth of goods during the same time. The sheer disparity in export quantities between the two countries is a reflection of their respective levels of development.  Textiles, clothing, cotton, and grains are Pakistan's main exports, whereas mechanical equipment, electrical machinery, and vehicles are Thailand's main exports. Pakistan's manufacturing employment must be protected. At Pakistan's level of development, a country with 207 million people cannot afford to ou...

Written by Buzzfeed To the US and its allies, bioterrorism from North Korea is more threatening than nukes and missiles. In a joint press release from UNOCT, which stands for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the US, Japan and South Korea state mutual concerns over the threat posed by the North Korean bioweapons programs. It’s indeed a worry for the three allies as they are on top of the list of North Korea's attacks -- if Kim Jong Un really intends to launch one. Firstly, compared to terrorist groups which spread all over the world, the three countries believe that state-sponsored weapon development programmes pose a more serious threat to their national security. “ It must be remembered that the barrier of entry for bioweapon development is extremely high. An extremely high level of scientific skill is required to cultivate, and/or weaponise these reagents. Such reagents are also restricted items and would be very hard otherwise to obtain from government research in...

Written by Alternet In the fourth session of the conference, the progress of UNCTAD seems to fall into a state of indecision. Delegates of the developing and smaller developed countries are facing a dilemma: US-China trade war has posed negative impacts and potential threats on their trading relationship with the US and China, while none of the countries seems to have the potential to replace them. In the first few council sessions, delegates of the developing countries, such as Thailand and India, mentioned and agreed that the solution to mitigate the impacts of US-China trade war is trade diversion. They boldly and blindly posed ideas of forming more bilateral trade partnerships between developing countries and other developed countries, in order to reduce reliance on these two large economic bodies. Mysteriously, the delegate of the US remains unusually quiet almost throughout the sessions, even though the diversion of trade from the US hinders the US economy to a large extent. The ...

Written by Yonhap News Agency The UNHCR has plans to provide education for refugees.  The Yonhap News Agency hopes to further support it, as South Korea has accepted a refugees law, and wishes to help educate the refugees living in the country.  As claimed by UNHCR, Providing education for the refugees is important as it not only allows them to ease the burden on the host country, it will also help make sure that this can be a potential solution to solving abuse and exploitation in the long run.  Making sure the school syllabus is up to date as the US school syllabus.  The delegate of Germany proposed on how to get the education. Is by the refugees themselves showing interest, volunteering in studying. They will be well interested and invested into this, and doing their best to learn. Education will not be given to those who show no interest as it will only serve to waste resources given to them.  To encourage more refugees to be willing to study, the delegate o...

Written by IRNA Bioterrorism is a subject threat that is rarely covered on, but when it is covered, it usually entails serious consequences. In the UNOCT, biological weapons are defined by the delegates as lethal viruses or bacteria that can be used to harm and possibly kill people, and the act of bioterrorism is the act of intentionally releasing such biological weapons. The council recognises that movement of bio-weapons between countries is dangerous and should be stopped as soon as possible. There are various solutions that have been suggested to combat such an issue, and the delegates have even taken inspiration from the current COVID-19 situation. Despite this, the most prominent idea of the discussion was for biological scanners to detect bioweapons at airports. However, there is never a foolproof solution to any one problem. Delegates have raised concerns on the amount of time required to implement this system, along with the amount of time that is required for one check itself...

Written by Hindustan Times The recent draft resolution co-sponsored by India is a good start, but is no panacea for the Kashmir conflict. (Source: UN Photo / Evan Schneider) There was little surprise in the UNSC when Russia motioned to introduce a draft resolution, which she had co-sponsored with India. It was glaringly obvious in the small council of just ten delegates that two of the key figures in debate were working on a comprehensive solution. After being introduced, the draft resolution in question was largely praised for its careful balancing of interests, though some continued to criticise its limited effects. The delegate of Estonia applauded the curtailment of the UNSC’s role, reminding the council that the issue was a “fundamentally bilateral” one. On the other hand, the draft resolution was criticised by China for being too unambitious, saying, “we have spent far too long standing idly by as humanitarian problems occur before us.” Even more critical was Estonia, which absur...

Written by Blaise Hwang, correspondent of Ars Technica “Everyone wants Kashmir - but no one wants Kashmiris.” - Fatimah Asghar, author of ‘If They Come For Us’ Even without the worst-case scenario of all-out war, Kashmiri citizens are still not safe from the violence of conflict. [Image source: Daily Times] The Kashmir conflict is a noose that has been hanging over the international community for quite some time. Despite having started in 1947, the Kashmir conflict is no closer to being resolved than it was 74 years ago. An Emergency In Action While the UNSC has been engaged in fierce debate over solutions to the Kashmir conflict, the results of said efforts are disappointing to say the least. As it often does, the UNSC found itself bound by the restrictions of international diplomacy. “We can’t violate the sovereignty of not one, but two states!” protested the delegate of Estonia, an argument frequently echoed for the following council sessions. However, it is also not wrong to state ...

Another hurdle for humanity to overcome. The past few years has seen a rise in novel forms of terrorism due to improvements in science and technology. Terrorism continues to mutate and infect every corner of the earth, continually presenting challenges for governments to overcome. Two facets of terrorism stand out: Bioterrorism and Cyberterrorism. Bioterrorism predates cyberterrorism, with the most famous case taking place decades ago, in 1995.  The cult Aum Shinrikyo amassed the nerve gas Sarin, which affects the body’s neurotransmitter acetylcholine. They proceeded to release the gas in Tokyo’s subway trains, killing 14 and injuring 5800 commuters. Since then, the group has splintered into three new factions, and have collected millions of dollars in funds. The attack lives in infamy among the Japanese, and one would expect that the Japanese government would do anything to prevent such an attack from happening again. However, this is not the case. When asked about his views on th...

Written by RT Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source: Presidential Press and Information Office) "We are so near that if ever you call us from the mountain tops we will appear at your side."  Leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev on his visit to India.  This famous quote marks the amicable ties between Russia and India rooted in history and geographical proximity. Russia stands by India in the UNSC debates on the Kashmir Conflict, offering beneficial solutions that target the escalation of the conflict whilst maintaining its bilaterality. The United Nations Security Council has gathered for Day 2 of debates, which are more smooth-flowing on the surface. However, as council debates unfold, we see the troubled waters beneath the surface. The Delegates of Russia and France appear to be leading the council in the right direction, with most of the council agreeing that the Kashmir Conflict is indeed a bilateral issue between India...

Written by Breitbart US is willing to work with other countries on resettling refugees, but how honest are these assurances? “From abandoning Bagram Air Base before we got all of our citizens out of the country to leaving high-tech weapon systems for the Taliban’s taking, to unnecessarily pushing President Trump’s withdrawal date from May to the middle of “fighting season” in Afghanistan, President Biden and our generals have failed us all. ” - J.D. Vance, Republican candidate for US Senate in Ohio . The US refugees resettlement systems have been on spotlight ever since the refugee admissions ceiling was first slashed to 45,000 by former US President Donald Trump in January 2017.  As he continued to drop the numbers further, to nearly 18,000 in 2020, many countries all over the world condemned the US leader for taking such a strong stance against refugees, and expressed their hope for change upon the change in administration.  Yet, even upon the election of Democrats, no chang...

Written by The Economist [Image source: The Indian Express] In order to ensure sustainable food supply, creative ideas need to be explored. Even before the pandemic, global hunger was a prominent issue. The COVID-19 pandemic just made the situation worse. Workers are exposed to the virus, packed like sardines in the manufacturing line. The meat factory mega cluster in America at the start of the pandemic proves that mass food production cannot take place safely in current times. In less economically developed countries (LEDCs), farmers are at the risk of contracting the virus as well, due to intermingling between farmers. They also have an additional problem of sustainable agriculture. Faced with the issue of climate change, farmers are required to make efficient use of resources while remaining environmentally friendly. Fortunately, the G20 recognises these issues and convened to find possible solutions They have the world’s reassurance that they will prioritise essential workers work...

 Written by Daily Mail “My fellow esteemed delegates and chairs, this delegate would like to…”       From the secretive council of G20, to the chaotic council of UNCTAD, the delegates of all the 6 councils braced themselves for the intense debates and the non-stop frenzy of arguments as a new SDYC begins, with a new set of challenges facing us, and the nostalgic slew of unexpected backstabbing, intense discussions, frantic questioning. As tension rises and the arguments become increasingly heated, the patience between them slowly peels off, revealing the rash, panicked side of all delegates.      Well, when I say all…      Meet the council with no failed resolutions. This council has braved wave after wave of chaos, churning ideas and opinions so fast that its poor chairs could not even keep up (imagine marking 70+ essays). Tasked with covering the most number of topics, the council has (almost) never appeared in any of the articles...

Written by The Nation Pakistan Privacy - a state in which one is not observed or disturbed by other people. Earlier in the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) press conference, the United States delegate was pressured on how the citizens sovereignty and privacy are not infringed when the government is surveilling drug traffickers. They rebutted stating that there are boundaries in place to prevent intrusion. However, no specifics were given. They were then questioned if the policy would change for the citizens' privacy. They then gave a brief plan on improving their legislation and giving the citizens the freedom to choose whether to use drugs. It was also highlighted that the government has the authority of investigating suspicious individuals, while restating that the privacy of innocent citizens was an importance too. In response to the growing terrorist threat, the United States has stepped up its counter-terrorism operations, with the goal of improving the governme...

 Written by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha UNITED NATIONS, United States, 21 August 2021 Continuing on with the reporting on the UN Security Council today, a resolution has been made on the Kashmir conflict. As of now, it seems that most members of the UNSC are supportive of the current draft resolution. The draft resolution made by the UNSC included many key points including the creation of the United Nations Commission on Inquiry in India and Pakistan (UNCIIP), expansion of the role of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), ceasefire between the Pakistanis and Indians and the protection of human rights for Kashmiris. The new power of the UNMOGIP would include a monthly report to the UNSC on the situation between Pakistan and India as well as helping to foster stronger relations between the two nations. The newly created UNCIIP would inquire on human rights errors in Kashmir and report to the Office. Meanwhile, the UNSC also wants the two nations to uphold pr...

Written by Wall Street Journal Upon American troops’ evacuation from Afghanistan, Kunduz and other provincial capitals fell to the Taliban within just 48 hours. On April 14, 2:29PM, President Biden announced that “more and endless American military force could not create or sustain a durable Afghan government”. A bold claim, especially since following American troops’ evacuation from Afghanistan, Kunduz and other provincial capitals proceeded to fall to the Taliban within a mere 48 hours. Biden’s controversial decision to pull out American troops from Afghanistan was not received well internationally, with news agencies such as BBC and NPR  stating that “As Kabul falls, Biden backlash grows” and that “Republicans were scathing about the White House’s actions, and Democrats, while acknowledging that President Biden was carrying out the policies of his predecessor, criticized the haphazard manner of the U.S. withdrawal.” In addition, how relinquishing a large amount of support from A...

Written by Wall Street Journal The September 11th Al-Qaeda terrorist attack in 2001 remains a fresh wound for many Americans. The despair it has wrought upon American citizens is irreparable, and yet terrorism is still very much alive today. Possessing the forms of bioterrorism, cyberterrorism, ecoterrorism, nuclear terrorism and most importantly, narcoterrorism, the United States and its citizens have a duty to play in ensuring economic, social and political stability under the threat of this climate of fear.  What is narcoterrorism? Narcoterrorism refers to the influence of government policies through intimidation or threats made by narcotics traffickers. One of the most well-known examples of narcoterrorism is Pablo Escobar’s dealings with the Colombian government. Following Pablo Escobar, drug trafficking has only continued to spread all across the world, and the term ‘narcoterrorism’ has extended to label terrorist organisations that engage in drug trafficking activities. Narc...

Written by IRNA The council of UNHCR is focused on dealing with refugee abuse of exploitation. In the past day of debate, there have been many different unique ideas, as well as much refining of present ideas, to address the issue of such. However, with many unique ideas, they also come with many rejected ideas that do not address the issue effectively, and along with that valid reasons as to why that is so. A small note for readers, that we must not forget that despite each solution having its own problems. Solutions can be used together in conjunction to solve an issue in a better and more effective way. Here is a quote, from Sun Tzu in his book, the art of war, “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more f...