In our eyes, the Harvard Model UN session in India has the potential to transcend the

impact of another rich learning experience for students. We believe it can have a much
wider impact as an initiative which converges the future generations from across the world
in this very country whose success will be crucial for everyone, especially to all those who
believe in Democratic Principles, Human Rights and Free & Fair Trade. There are very few
places on this planet where the interplay between paradoxes presents itself as a perfect
backdrop for an animated, argumentative conference by young people with an agenda to
discuss, deliberate and solve some of the pressing issues affecting the World Today.
HMUN India willbring together over 1000 delegates from across the leading schools of the
SouthAsia, South East Asia, The Middle East and the USA. Thought leaders from
Industry,Government & International Organizations based across the world areexpected to
enrich the delegate experience while dynamic social events and state-of-the-artlogistics will
provide the ideal environment for networking. The conferencewill be held in Hyderabad, the
conventions capital of India, with state-of-the-artinfrastructure which offers the best
facilities to run a successful global conference.
The conference will be held in Hyderabad which has over the years earned it self a position
as the conventions capital of India. With a world class airport, state of the art infrastructure
and government-industry partnerships, the city promises to offer us the best facilities to run
a successful conference.

WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION - Heather Liu
Hi, my name is Heather Liu and I am a junior at Harvard University concentrating in economics. I hail
from the cold, tundra of what is also known as Harbin, China, but I have lived in the charming
southern city of Memphis, Tennessee for the majority of my life. It is my distinct pleasure and honor
to serve as your director for the World Trade Organization and I am beyond excited to be apart of
this conference. A little bit about myself: when Im not eating, sleeping, or catching up with the
incessant amount of homework, I am practicing Bikram Yoga, watching TV, and going to various
restaurants around Boston with friends. At Harvard, besides my involvement with the International
Relations Council, HMUN, HNMUN, and HMUN China, I am also involved with Delta Gamma, a
female sorority, The Crimson, Harvards daily student publication, as well as CityStep, a public
service organization that teaches middle school kids in the Cambridge area how to dance. If I could
choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, I would pick sushi. If I could watch one TV channel
forever, it would be the Travel Channel. I hope you are as excited as I am about HMUN India 2012,
and I cannot wait to meet you and get started on our debate.
AGENDA 1: Intellectual Property rights across borders
Protection and enforcement of international intellectual property rights is not a new topic.
In 1986, the World Trade Organization introduced a set of rules known as the Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPS for short. This agreement
was the first agreement to dive into the multilateral dimension of the trading world,
attempting to narrow differences across countries and synthesize everything under a set of
governing international rules. While good and services are a main portion of trade across
countries, ideas and knowledge are increasingly becoming a part of trade as well. For
creators, the most important assets they have are their ideas and designs. In order for them
protect those ideas; they are given the right to prevent others from using their ideas as well
as to use the right to negotiate payment if others do plan on using them. Intellectual
property rights can take many forms: copyright, authors rights, trademark, related rights,
patent, etc. Most of the inherit value that comes in ideas, especially in new medicines and
other high-technology products, lies in their design, concept, invention, and research.
Because these values are not tangible, it is hard to keep track of their movement across
borders and countries.
Thus, the point of tension comes in. Governments and nations hope to foster an
environment in which creators will produce ideas that can benefit all of society. However,
different countries have their own respective extent of rules in regards to intellectual
property rights. Having intellectual property rights benefits society as it encourages
creation, so it is important that the World Trade Organization intervenes in order to fully
develop a set of governing rules. Some of the issues that need to be considered include:
What is the appropriate length of time in which governments are allowed to reduce a period
of protection in order to tackle a health epidemic? How will developing and developed
countries be affected by the agreement? How should countries enforce the agreements in
their own respective territories? Questions and disagreements will naturally arise as a result
of disputes over intellectual rights. Therefore, it is up to the Word Trade Organization to
intervene and set up rules, standards, and procedures that will fairly govern all countries.
AGENDA 2: AGRICULTURAL TRADE AND ITS IMPACT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In 1998, agricultural trade accounted for 10.5 percent of total merchandise trade. With
trade in services taken into account, agricultures percentage drops down to only 8.5
percent. Even though agriculture is in the forefront ahead of other sectors such as mining,
automotive, textiles, etc., the rate of grown in world agricultural exports is still behind
manufactures. Within agricultural goods, about 80 percent of the total consists of food
products. In countries such as America, agricultural trade plays an important role in
maintaining overall economic activity involving domestic production and employment. The
agricultural trading system also plays a large role in ensuring global food security. For
example, if adverse climatic conditions or other crises were to strike a country, then it is
important to know that the world markets can meet temporary food deficits.
Previous implementations that tried to combat many of the problems that have come about
as a result of agricultural trade include the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT
for short. While it did apply to aspects of agricultural trade, it contained many loopholes.
Because of the shortcomings, the World Trade Organization later replaced it. The World
Trade Organizations objective will be to reform the trade sector and make policies more
market-oriented. This way, both importing and exporting countries will benefit from
improved security. Three main points that need to be considered are: market access
(different countries trade restrictions), domestic support (subsidies, farmers incomes), and
export subsidies (create competition in the market). Overall, implemented policies will need
to cause the least amount of distortion in trade as possible and the interests of countries
that reply of imports for food supplies, the countries that reply on exports as a source of
income, and the concerns of less developed economies should all be considered. The
resulting question that this committee should hope to resolve is: What is needed to create
the fairest market for farmers and the agricultural trade industry?
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION - BILLY GORMAN
Dear Delegates, My name is Billy Gorman, and Im thrilled to welcome you to what will most
definitely become the most exciting committee of HMUN India 2012, the World Health Organization!
I am currently a rising senior at Harvard College, residing in the fabulous Kirkland House, and I can
surely say my short time here has been a whirlwind. Originally from the nearby town of Whitman,
Massachusetts, I grew up a short 35-minute drive from Harvards campus. Despite essentially
attending school in my backyard, I can honestly say that I have learned more about myself and the
world during my brief stay here than I ever have before. I study government, focusing on
comparative politics in China, and I will be earning a secondary in English literature, meaning I love
reading anything from political theory to Victorian literature. I was not lucky enough to have
participated in Model UN in high school, but I have become very involved since arriving at Harvard. I
have previously directed the WHO twice, in addition to directing the Security Council and the
Organization of American States this past year. In Boston, I am a three-year administration staffer,
and I am on Secretariat for HMUN 2013. Outside Model UN, my hobbies include long distance
running, following my favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, and studying marine biology. This
will be my first time traveling to India, and I cannot wait to arrive in Hyderabad. Best of luck with
your committee preparations, and I cannot wait to meet you all!
AGENDA 1: FIGHTING DISEASE FOLLOWING DISASTER
In the past decade, countries from every corner of the earth have been struck by natural
disasters. From the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, to Hurricane Katrina in the United States, to
the 2010 Haitian earthquake, our generation has clearly seen the damage that our earth can
inflict upon us. In many cases, however, the damage is not limited to the disaster itself.
Intuitively, many are already aware of the issues health providers face following these
crises. Disasters disrupt communication, transportation, and basic infrastructure systems
that we depend on. Meanwhile, the suffering population is at a much higher risk for disease
outbreak, as water and food supplies are either destroyed or dirtied, and citizens suffer
from malnutrition, open wounds, and inadequate healthcare. Although, admittedly, many of
these concerns cannot be wholly eliminated, it is the responsibility of the World Health
Organization to take steps to manage them.
Following disasters, how can we ensure that populations will have adequate, safe drinking
water, free from bacteria such as cholera and E. coli? When diseases do begin to emerge,
how can we better control them, so that outbreaks do not spiral into epidemics? Even
before the disaster strikes, what steps can be taken to ensure that adequate medicine and
other medical supplies will be available in rural areas, in case transportation is disrupted?
Looking at long term, how will we educate populations so they practice better sanitation
habits, should their food and water become tainted? And if damage following a disaster is
too damaging, forcing communities to relocate, how can we improve refugee camp
conditions? Although much of the world believes they have common solutions to these,
differences in opinion continue to prevent adequate solutions from being implemented. It is
my challenge to you to address these concerns and find innovative, economical, and
practical solutions to these ever-present problems. It wont be easy, but nature isnt
waiting.
AGENDA 2: ETHICS IN DRUG RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Following World War II and the revelations of countless inhumane experiments performed
in Nazi concentration camps, the Nuremberg Code was established in 1949, ensuring many
rights for research subjects that were previously not guaranteed. Though great strides were
made, ranging from smaller-scale experiments violating consent rights, to severely harming
patients in cases like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments. The United States took action
following this particular case, passing the National Research Act in 1974 to further protect
the rights of test subjects. While other nations and bodies have passed similar laws and
documents, however, legislation is uneven across countries, and international mandates
that have been passed have been deemed inadequate, still receiving much criticism.
With the unequal standards between nations, companies can simply go to nations with the
least stringent policies, continuing to neglect the rights of their subjects. As long as these
laws are not adequately standardized amongst nations, discussion on this topic will continue
without improvement. Examining the current situation, several questions emerge. Firstly,
should there be an updated universal policy on health research to the Nuremburg Code? If
one is created, how stringent should these codes be? Does the standard treatment of every
human being override any potential gains that research may provide? Is there a point where
in protecting certain rights of patients is not only unnecessary, but actually harmful, in that
they inherently prevent companies from developing beneficial drugs that the world needs?
With our increased capabilities in science and technology, some truly amazing inventions
can be created, and fascinating discoveries can be made. The question ishow much are we
willing to pay for them?
SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONISATION COMMITTEE (SPECPOL) - JULIA SOLOMON
STRAUSS
My name is Julia Solomon-Strauss, and I will be directing HMUN Indias SpecPol Committee. I am a
third-year studying Social Studies (history, politics, and philosophy) at Harvard. I lived my whole life
in Chicago, and have been involved in competing in or staffing twenty Model UN conferences over
the past five years. Along with HMUN India, I am the Under-Secretary-General for the General
Assembly for HMUN Boston 2013. Im also involved in HNMUN and WorldMUN, both college-level
conferences, and the Harvard Program for International Education. Besides MUN, I love reading
fiction, traveling, and seeing new cities. I am so thrilled to meet you all in Hyderabad in a few
months!
AGENDA 1: THE SITUATION IN THE CAUCASSUS
Situated on the border between Europe and Asia (the area between Turkey and Russia
between the Black and Caspian Seas), this volatile region has dealt with a series of political,
military, and economic crises in its long history.
The Caucasus continues to face security threats, but is in fact one of the most neglected
regions in discussions international peace and security. It remains one of the most
important global regions in which to preserve stability, due to the possibilities for exploiting
the region for wealth.
The Caucasus has incredibly important mineral deposits, making it not just an issue of
marginalized minorities in the wake of the Soviet Union but also potentially powerful
nation-states emerging with the wealth of their energy stores. In the North Caucasus region,
insurgencies continue to rip nations apart, an issue that has been unheeded by the
international community. The breakaway regions of the Caucasus, hoping to capitalize on
mineral growth, complicate the situation of fairly allocating resources. The SPECPOL must
address how to allow this war-torn region to flourish economically and politically in order to
create a permanent and prosperous peace for its citizens.
AGENDA 2: STANDARDS FOR INTERVENTION
The United Nations, and especially the Security Council, has an obligation to intervene in
situations that threaten international peace and security, in order to take appropriate action
and preserve human lives. The enduring struggle faced by the global community is in what
circumstances this intervention is warranted, valid, or even crucial. The criteria for
intervention, in the form of sanctions or military action, have not been set forth concretely.
The Security
Council, therefore, continues to grapple with determining the appropriateness of action on
a global scale. Various situations include atrocities, such as genocide, or extreme deprivation
of human rights. This topic is extraordinarily pertinent given the case studies of the recent
months.
Today, we face challenges in the Middle East and in Japan, as the country struggles to cope
with its nuclear crises and natural disasters. The Council must determine in what cases we
are obligated to intervene for the greater international good and how to adapt to the
violently changing geopolitical structures of the early 21st century.

DISARMAMENT AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY - KESHAVA D GUPTA
Welcome to the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) at HMUN India 2012!
My name is Keshava D. Guha, and I will be your committee Director. I am a rising senior at Harvard,
studying Social Studies (politics, economics, history) with a focus on international relations during
the end of the British Empire, and the history of international organizations. I was born in Delhi, and
grew up in Bangalore after graduating next year, I hope to return to India and write the exam for
the Indian Foreign Service. Model UN has always been my primary extracurricular activity. I was a
delegate in Bangalores first-ever DISEC simulation back in 2005- and am amazed by how far MUN
has grown in India since that time. At Harvard, I have served as Head Delegate of our travelling MUN
team, and as a committee chair and executive staffer for HMUN, our sister conference HNMUN (for
college students), and WorldMUN. Outside of international relations and MUN, my great passions
are literature and sport. I have reviewed books for The Harvard Crimson, The Hindustan Times and
the Indian editions of Time Out, and have published opinion pieces on cricket in Indian newspapers.
Do feel free to email me at any time if you have any questions I look forward to meeting you in
August.
AGENDA: NUCLEAR-FREE MIDDLE EAST
In early 2010, the Arab League came to the UN to request that the body commit to a
nuclear-free Middle East. In the worlds most consistently volatile region, nuclear states can
legitimately be viewed as a dire threat to international peace and security. The international
community has most recently been concerned with Irans nuclear program, with the
Security Council imposing sanctions and other nations threatening the possibility of a
preemptive strike.
Simultaneously, Iran and the Arab League in particular have argued that the sanctions
campaign is hypocritical since Israel is internationally acknowledged to possess nuclear
weapons, a claim neither confirmed nor denied by Israel itself. At the same time, other
Middle Eastern states such as Syria and Saudi Arabia have not completely abandoned
nuclear ambitions, and their remains the threat of non-state actors acquiring nuclear
weapons. This topic is an attempt to frame the debate on nuclear weapons and the Middle
East in a much broader context than merely Irans nuclear program.