ALICIA DENG (alicia.deng@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Employment Quotas and Inclusive Workspaces

It is estimated that disabled individuals are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than those without disabilities, especially in lower income countries. By itself, this approximation reflects a widespread barrier to workforce inclusion. Additionally, unemployment often leads to increased poverty and dependence on social welfare, which introduces an economic impact. By implementing quotas and promoting inclusive workplaces in general, companies are able to reduce dependency on government assistance programs, increase overall productivity, and provide opportunities for a marginalized group. However, by mandating employment quotas for people with disabilities, countries with high unemployment rates might argue that such mandates could have the reverse effect, straining their economies and hindering job creation for the general population. How should the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities approach creating more inclusive workplaces? For countries facing concerns about economic productivity, how else might they implement accessibility standards in the workforce? Delegates will discuss the feasibility and impacts of mandates in diverse economic and social contexts.

Topic 2: Global Accessibility Standards for Infrastructure

As countries continuously grow and expand their infrastructure, the need for accessibility standards becomes more critical than ever. Accessible and inclusive environments empower and care for everyone, regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.3 billion people have a significant disability. Delegates should potentially consider these ideas they develop new global accessibility standards: general infrastructure, healthcare, and assistive technology. General infrastructure includes public transport, living centers, and other areas of urban development. How can the world improve its framework while simultaneously ensuring equity and accessibility? Delegates will discuss global guidelines to ensure these public spaces are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, access to healthcare and rehabilitation services are methods to treat the health inequities that arise from unfair conditions of health systems around the world, especially faced by persons with disabilities. How can international guidelines ensure that advancements in technology and urbanization are inclusive and equitable while citing some countries’ economic constraints and the need for international aid?

ELSPETH YEH (elspeth.yeh@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Media Censorship and the International Rights of Journalists 

Journalists reporting from crisis and conflict zones face severe challenges, including censorship, violence, and threats to their personal safety. Both foreign and local correspondents play a critical role in safeguarding the truth and informing the global community, often risking their lives to provide first-hand accounts from volatile regions. However, authoritarian geo-political trends have led to intrusive constraints and hostile working conditions; this has led to all-time high rates of journalist imprisonment and widespread hypersurveillance that infringes on journalists’ privacy. Additionally, intimidation tactics and government rhetoric fosters local distrust and aggression against the press. These conditions obstruct journalists’ essential function as guardians of truth and purveyors of knowledge. To protect this necessary demographic, states must prioritize policies that uphold journalistic freedom and protect journalists’ individual rights. What measures can be implemented to ensure journalists’ safety and mental well-being in dangerous environments? How should governments balance national security concerns with the need for a free and independent press? How can organizations counter local hostility and distrust towards journalists, especially in environments where they are labeled as 'enemies' or 'foreign agents'? How can states that rely heavily on government-controlled media be encouraged to transition toward independent journalism? Should there be international oversight or mechanisms to hold governments accountable for violence and harassment against journalists?

Topic 2: Educational Equality: Keeping Children in School

Millions of children globally are not enrolled in or attending school. Education is the foundation for personal development, critical thinking, and future economic opportunities. It empowers children with the skills and knowledge to break the cycle of poverty, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and make informed decisions. Without universal access to education, countless youth are deprived of the chance to reach their full potential and shape a better future for themselves and the world. Logistical and cultural factors both contribute to this matter. In rural areas, the nearest school is often miles away from children’s residences. Many families rely on children’s contributions to family and commercial labor, preventing young people from attending classes. Girls and young women are often excluded from education due to societal expectations and gender roles that confine them to domestic responsibilities. Additionally, many states are significantly underfunding their education departments. This committee will discuss possible changes in infrastructure that would encourage students to stay in school. How can governments and organizations incentivize families to prioritize education over child labor, especially in low-income communities? How can states ensure that their education systems are adequately funded, and what international support mechanisms could be employed to assist underfunded education systems?

THOMAS LIN (thomas.lin@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Reforming UN Peacekeeping Operations

Since its formation in 1945, the United Nations Department of Peace operations has been an instrument to help countries torn by conflict and create conditions for lasting peace around the world. It is the United Nations Security Council that has the power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain peace and security globally. However, the UN’s peacekeeping operations have been filled with controversy. Increasingly, there have been reports of human rights abuses by UN soldiers, especially in Africa and the global south. Moreover, experts are also doubting the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations; although they do create short-term peace, the effect of regional stability declines over time. It is worth noting that many UN peacekeeping missions are deployed without the consent or assistance of the nation-state affected. Studies have also shown that with the native nation-state’s support, the missions are more likely to be successful. As future citizens of the world who are committed to peace and security for all, delegates of DISEC are encouraged to reflect on the role of UN peacekeeping operations in the world. How can the UN partner with regional organizations and local governments to improve the safety and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations? What are some root causes of unsuccessful peacekeeping operations? What roles should individual countries of the UN play in the global commitment to peace and security? 

Topic 2: Improving Global Accountability Mechanisms for Non-State Military Organizations (NSMOs)

Non-State Military Organizations (NSMOs), such as militias, terrorist groups, rebel forces, and guerrilla forces, operate outside any nation-state and frequently perform actions beyond the bounds of international law. NSMOs often use violence to achieve their goals and breach humanitarian codes by using children in the military. In a global context, NSMOs can contribute to regional instability and violate human rights laws. However, at the same time, one must recognize the reasons why they exist, most often in developing and politically unstable countries. Interestingly, NSMOs have existed since the pinnacle of the Cold War, and they are not disappearing, but rather continue to appear and reappear. The need to improve global accountability mechanisms for NSMOs is a pressing global security concern that requires innovative and nuanced approaches and solutions. As DISEC, delegates should ask themselves questions such as how do nation-states cooperate to combat violence from NSMOs? What roles should the UN play to enforce accountability while addressing the root causes of NSMOs? What are some past attempts at reform, and why have they failed? 

JACOB LIAO (jacob.liao@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Combating Care Drain: Promoting Sustainable Healthcare in Developing Nations

Brain drain represents the phenomenon where skilled individuals and professionals emigrate from their home country to other, more developed countries seeking better career opportunities, higher wages, and improved living conditions. Care drain, which refers specifically to the exodus of healthcare workers from less affluent nations to richer countries, undermines the fragile health systems of developing countries and poses a grave challenge to global equity. Developed countries, which have up to 20 times the per capita medical personnel that developing countries have, see 20% healthcare workers in their systems originating from foreign nations. Despite policies like the WHO’s red list that prevent targeted recruitment towards countries with critical healthcare shortages, developing nations continue to face significant challenges in retaining healthcare personnel, perpetuating global disparities in access to medical care. Delegates should explore solutions that safeguard the rights of migrant healthcare workers in both sending and receiving countries, promote ethical recruitment practices, and enhance international cooperation to strengthen healthcare systems worldwide.

Topic 2: Maternal Mortality: Combating the Disparities in Healthcare Infrastructure

Maternal mortality remains one of the most pressing human rights challenges of our time, with stark disparities in maternal health outcomes between wealthier and lower-income countries. Women in developing countries are over 50 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than those in high-income nations, reflecting deep inequalities in access to quality healthcare, education, and necessary resources. This gap is further exacerbated by factors such as poverty, lack of access to skilled birth attendants, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and discriminatory social practices. Despite the UN’s unanimous commitment to the WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio, progress has been uneven and insufficient. Solutions should focus on improving access to skilled healthcare providers, investing in health infrastructure, and tackling social and political barriers that contribute to the persistence of maternal mortality. International cooperation, ethical resource allocation, and a focus on equity are essential to ensuring safe motherhood.

TAEE CHI (taee.chi@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Assessing the Downsides of the Shadow Education System in East Asia

East Asia is renowned for its high-performing education systems, with countries like South Korea, China, and Japan frequently topping the international rankings. Yet above these crowning achievements lies a towering edifice of private education that favors the wealthy in their ascensions to the top. In Japan, the average annual cost for a high school student to attend cram schools (known as "juku") is ¥685,000, and for university students, the annual cost can rise to around ¥1.56 million. Similar levels of expenditure can be seen across the region. The prominence of a “shadow education system” across East Asia in the form of hagwons and cram-schools has led to greater opportunity gaps between students from wealthier backgrounds and those from lower-income households. Additionally, the intense focus on private education has perpetuated a “teaching-to-the-test” culture, often characterized by high stress, an overemphasis on exam performance, and a diminished focus on creativity. These concerns will be at the forefront of the discussions held by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the committee will be asked to consider one question above all: how can we reform the schooling landscape in East Asia so that education truly becomes a genuine equalizer? 

Topic 2: Corruption, Clans, and Conglomerates: South Korea’s Chaebol Challenge

Chaebol, a combination of the Korean words chae (wealth) and bol (clan), refers to the system of family-run conglomerates that have long-dominated South Korea’s economic system. Originally a handful of families anointed by South Korea’s military dictatorship to help rebuild the economy, the chaebol have maintained their strategic alliance with the government and become significant instruments of economic growth. Yet in recent years, companies like Samsung, SK, and Hyundai have increasingly roused the public’s ire. Top executives have been found guilty of corruption—though they rarely stay behind bars for long—and practices common among chaebols, such as cross-shareholding and political favoritism, have drawn much criticism. Economists question the chaebols' outsized influence on the economy, arguing that their monopolistic behavior stifles competition and hampers the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. These concerns have drawn the attention of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and member states have called a meeting to address the challenges posed by the chaebol system and foster a more equitable economic environment in South Korea. Delegates will be tasked with analyzing current chaebol governance structures, researching applicable case studies from other East Asian countries, and proposing effective and equitable policy reforms. 

HIROKO KAWASE (hiroko.kawase@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Tackling the Bureaucracy of the UN 

The United Nations, founded in 1945, is one of the world’s most complex organizations with 15 specialized agencies, 193 member states, and an annual budget of over 50 billion dollars. Despite this, they are often criticized for their bureaucratic inefficacy that often hampers resourceful allocation, timely decision-making, and active commitment to their SDGs. While the UN wasn’t built to be perceived as inefficient, it was a natural byproduct of its growth and immense responsibilities. Therefore, this committee will examine how the United Nations can strike a balance between serving as a global entity committed to its mission of upholding international peace, sustainable development, and human rights while doing so in a timely and efficient manner. As the special committee on the charter of the United Nations, delegates must ask questions such as how has the bureaucracy affected the UN’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to global crises (e.g., peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, health emergencies)? What reforms have been proposed or implemented in the past to address UN bureaucracy? Discussion should be centered on the feasibility of potential solutions. For example, some nations may propose results-based budgeting where funding is directly tied to performance. Would that lead to more efficient use of resources? Or would that lead to prioritization of short-term goals over long-term goals that aren’t measurable on a regular basis. 

Topic 2: Improving the Global Image of the UN

The United Nations is a household name that has its name and resources intertwined in most global issues. Despite their efforts, the global image of the UN has been in decline with only 35% of people in a recent study holding a favorable image of the organization. This global image often is harmed by their lack of accountability, weak enforcement power, western dominance as well as failure to reform. Therefore, this committee will examine how the United Nations can work to improve its global image and uphold itself as an entity that fulfills its missions in an ethical and pragmatic manner. As the special committee on the charter of the United Nations, delegates must ask questions such as what role do peacekeeping missions play in crafting an image of the United Nations? What nations have the most positive and negative views of the UN and why? Are simple marketing campaigns likely to work in certain countries over others? Are direct community efforts more effective in certain countries than others? And More! 

NICK YEE (nicholas.yee@yale.edu)

Topic 1: Contending with the Belt and Road Initiative

The rise of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, China’s global development strategy aimed at enhancing regional connectivity, has provided the first significant challenger to the World Bank in the global development sphere. The World Bank’s developmental assistance, conditional upon progress in Western values such as democracy, transparency, and human rights, contrasts deeply with China’s “no strings attached” approach, as they support regimes with little oversight and emphasize social and political stability to build economic growth. While the Belt and Road has been criticized as supposed “debt trap diplomacy”, it is clear that the BRI is appealing to developing countries for the opportunities it offers to alleviate their economic disadvantages, quickly and without social upheaval. As the World Bank, delegates must contend with how it should approach international development. Should economic development have “strings attached”? Is there a place for the BRI within global development, and if not, how can the World Bank respond? Given the BRI’s growth, how can the World Bank make itself more attractive to developing countries while upholding human rights and democracy? 

Topic 2: Financial Inclusion and Microloans 

In developing countries across the globe, microcredit and mobile money have become popular media for increasing financial inclusion. In areas without banking infrastructure and an informal workforce, neither financial literacy nor access is available to acquire capital to build and scale businesses, with nearly 1.7 billion people still unbanked globally. Microcredit and mobile money seek to target poor clients and marginalized groups and have shown mixed results in their implementation across the globe. Today, systemic issues such as infrastructure limitations, social structure, cultural acceptance, and financial literacy continue to hinder its success. In many countries, there are no birth certificates to provide adequate identification, while in others, financial empowerment for women can challenge established gender norms, causing social conflict. In addition, predatory lenders, which have been heavily invested in by many development banks including the World Bank, have become increasingly problematic with predatory interest rates leaving many in debt. Delegates must undertake the challenge of building a foundation in developing countries that will allow these instruments of financial inclusion to succeed while finding solutions to protect vulnerable populations of borrowers.

GLORIA KUNNAPILLY (gloria.kunnapilly@yale.edu)

Topic 1: The Rights of Magical Creatures

The mistreatment of magical creatures, such as house-elves, goblins, and centaurs, is a longstanding issue within the wizarding world. House-elves have been historically enslaved, often facing cruel treatment when working under wizards. Goblins have suffered discriminatory laws that limit their rights, particularly regarding the ownership of wands, which they are forbidden from using. Despite their critical role in the wizarding economy as skilled bankers and metal workers, they are treated as second class citizens. Centaurs, who possess great intelligence and magical abilities, lack any real political representation. Their deep distrust of wizards is exemplified by their isolation and refusal to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic. Enslavement, discrimination, and lack of representation continue to harm these beings, despite their contributions to society. The global impact of these injustices is felt in the deepening divisions between magical creatures and wizards, leading to frequent unrest. This mistreatment happens due to historical power imbalances, as well as societal norms that devalue non-human magical beings. In this committee, delegates will explore both the historical and modern-day struggles of these creatures. They will aim to create a legal framework to protect their rights. How can wizarding societies ensure equality for magical creatures? What role should wizards play in rectifying past mistreatment? Should magical creatures be granted autonomy and political representation?

Topic 2: Ownership and Exploitation of Magical Resources

Control over magical resources like rare plants, metals, and artifacts has caused significant tensions between wizards and non-wizard magical beings such as goblins and centaurs. These resources are vital for crafting magical items, yet they are often found in lands inhabited by magical creatures, raising questions about rightful ownership and exploitation. Goblins, for instance, are expert metal workers and treasure keepers, with a cultural belief that anything they craft remains their property even if sold. The fundamental difference in values led to significant conflicts with wizards, as evidenced by disputes over ownership of artifacts such as Godric Gryffindor’s sword. Meanwhile, centaurs, known for their connection to the natural world, have guarded their forests and magical plants that dwell within them. However, the increased demand for rare ingredients, like unicorn hair or venomous tentacula, has led to encroachment on their lands. As wizards’ demand for these resources grows, so does the risk of displacing or exploiting these beings. In this committee, delegates will debate how to fairly distribute access to magical resources. How can we prevent the exploitation of magical creatures while still ensuring the supply of necessary materials? Should non-wizard magical beings be given full control over the resources in their territories?

WAY LEE (way.lee@yale.edu)

Topic: Isolated at the Crossroads: Taiwan's Fight for Global Standing

In a rapidly polarizing global landscape, Taiwan finds itself at the center of intensifying diplomatic pressure. Countries across the world are recalibrating their foreign policies, with some distancing themselves from Taiwan. For example, longstanding allies, such as Palau and the Marshall Islands, are reconsidering their recognition of Taiwan, with discussions emerging around reducing relations to a trade representative level. This erosion of diplomatic ties, fueled by mounting global tensions and conflicting interests, threatens Taiwan's stability, trade, and international standing. This crisis committee, represented by the Cabinet of Taiwan, is tasked with responding to these challenges as the international community increasingly seeks to force Taiwan into an isolated position. Delegates must navigate a delicate geopolitical environment while ensuring Taiwan's security and sovereignty are preserved.

Faced with the degradation of diplomatic ties, this committee must work as a cohesive unit to formulate strategies that strengthen Taiwan's global presence. Each delegate will play a crucial role in advancing Taiwan's interests, forming new alliances, and countering the escalating global pressures. Delegates must be prepared to debate and collaborate on pressing matters, from defense policies and economic strategies to innovative diplomacy and international outreach. The success of Taiwan as a unified bloc will depend on the committee’s ability to balance short-term actions with long-term goals amidst a fast-evolving, high-stakes geopolitical crisis.