Summit Sikkim is a three day summit organized by SMITMUN held annually in Sikkim, India. At Summit Sikkim, delegates gain insight into the workings of the United Nations and dynamics of international relations by assuming the roles of UN representatives and members of other international cabinets.
Summit Sikkim is an exciting opportunity for students to debate issues that confront world leaders and to draft resolution in response to these global issues. Participants develop the ability to work with others who are equally motivated and passionate about the topics of the debate and to respond to global concerns. They also get a chance to learn about diplomacy and international relationships while inculcating critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills.
COUNCILS OF SUMMIT SIKKIM 2017
Agenda 1- Providing for Freedom of Speech and addressing Press Censorship
Freedom of Speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one’s opinion publicly, without fear of censorship or punishment. What happens when the right to free expression clashes with the rights of others or threatens the safety of the nation? Don’t we see people getting arrested for voicing their thoughts? Don’t these incidents provoke a thought of “Whether we actually have the Freedom of Speech and Expression”?
Press Censorship is a global phenomenon. Time and again, we’ve seen or heard news of something getting censored, somewhere in the world. The reasons seem unreasonable to many while a necessity to the rest. This makes us think about the power of Press to supress the power of speech and expression. The United Nations General Assembly convenes to discuss the current standards of Press Censorship and the changes it needs to go through, if any.
Agenda 2- Reforms of Security Council
The Security Council’s membership and working methods reflect a bygone era. Though geopolitics have changed drastically, the Council has changed relatively little since 1945.
Since 1993, the UN General Assembly has hotly debated Council reform but has not been able to reach agreement. A handful of states aspire to “permanent” status for themselves, while many other countries reject such claims. While there is general agreement that the Security Council needs to be reformed, there is extensive disagreement on exactly how. The most well recited argument for an expanded Council is the argument that the Council does not reflect contemporary power realities and should therefore be reformed to reflect the so-called new realities of the 21st Century.
It is clear that aspirant countries understand the value of permanent membership, each has an interest in their own election and each uses the rhetoric of representativeness in support of their claims. Permanency concentrates power in the hands of five or five + six, in the case of a reformed Council. The reform of the Council is part of the broader issue of UN Reform, to build a more effective and democratic global institution which serves as the platform where countries can together contribute towards Global Security.
Agenda 1- Dispute in South China Sea
Tensions have persisted in the Spratly islands for quite a few decades now, with the main cause of dispute being ownership of the islands. The South China Sea is a vital trading passage for China, Japan and Korea, as well as other nations on the western rim of the Pacific, serving as their only bulk trading route with key markets in the Americas and Europe, amongst others. Over $5 trillion of annual shipping trade passes through the region, and, according to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. imports and exports make up $1.2 trillion of this. In recent years, political tensions and the threat of violence and war in this area has escalated, and is imminent, now more than ever. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims. China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols. Therefore, it has huge global implications in all spheres, that includes not only trade but also a division of nations based on opinions and mutual relations.
China is, as of now, primarily targeted and condemned by many nations in the Security Council and the global community as a whole, for breaching the sovereignty of nations such as the Philippines. The ‘nine-dash’ line, and china’s historical claims which it has been using to assert its claims over these lands are hugely controversial and have come under serious scrutiny from other nations. China has repeatedly challenged USA’s freedom of navigation exercise in the region and has also stated that multilateral negotiations concerning this dispute have failed due to western interference.The global community must fully perceive the sheer magnitude of the rising threat of war between the countries involved in this situation and the hugely catastrophic consequences which would follow. The global community can only hope that the UNSC is able to reach an agreement which can prove to be the solution to this dispute.
Agenda 2- Balochistan Crisis
In the ungoverned corners of the world, conflicts simmering under the surface will almost inevitably boil over every now and then. The conflict in Pakistan’s Balochistan province is far then worse and it will almost certainly spill over Pakistan’s borders. Pakistan’s on-off dialogue with the Taliban has been commanding headlines and the attention of politicians and diplomats. But there has been little interest in a dialogue that could end the longest civil war in Pakistan’s history.
Forced disappearances and raids against alleged separatists have continued over recent years, with nationalist militias responding with aggression. Human rights violations in the Balochistan province of Pakistan have drawn concern and criticism in the international community, being described by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as having reached epidemic proportions. As long as the government stays silent on Balochistan, the longest civil war in Pakistan’s history will only create more casualties and break more records for longevity and heartbreak. Also, while the Balochistan conflict has always been an international conflict (ethnic Baloch reside in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan), 2016 saw an unprecedented internationalization of the instability in province. A striking aspect of globalization has been that regional conflicts eventually begin to draw invested international players. It’s your chance to save the people of Balochistan from the crisis they’re in and eventually contribute to global security and peace.
Agenda – Reforms on Eligibility to hold public office
A career in politics appeals to many. However, politics is a unique path in many ways, especially when it comes to the actual qualifications that an aspiring politician needs to meet. For most jobs, there is a basic list of requirements that all potential candidates need to meet in order to be considered for the position. These typically include things like education, work experience, and proficiency in technical skills.
Someone who wants to be a computer programmer, for instance, would get a degree in computer science, work internships in the field, and get certified in the various programming languages they want to work with. After accomplishing all of that, they would meet the minimum requirements for the job they are after and would apply for it.
Politics is a totally different ball game. Most political offices have little to no specific requirements to run offices. The most common requirements are age and residency. For instance, in order to become a senator in the United States Congress, you have to be at least 30 years of age, a US citizen for at least nine years, and be a resident of the state you are elected to represent. That means that virtually all American’s could run for that office, one of the highest and most powerful in the world. Many local offices have even less formal requirements and the situation gets even worse when it comes to India! The AIPPM gives you a chance to set things right.
Agenda – First Contact
Since the dawn of civilization mankind has looked upon the stars and tried to fathom the reason for their unique existence on this blue planet. For centuries our solitary has always been questioned. As time passes with rapid technological development we homo sapiens leave our footprints beyond our home planet Earth.
An unusual signal from deep space received in the CARMA radio observatory California, USA catches all the headlines which most of them make us believe that it is so some unnatural origin and not definitely due to some technical glitch in the outer space satellites. Unfortunately, USA is not the only one to assert receiving the signal. 11 more places around the world seem to be terrified as well as confused with complexity of the message signal. But they all came to a conclusion that we are not the only existing creatures in the infinite universe. Following the decree, global civil unrest follows, many governments fall, it looks as if the day of reckoning has arrived in which global destruction and annihilation is imminent. The UN calls for an emergency crisis meet of all its functioning global members to deal with the global catastrophe and to face the larger truth that stares on our faces.
Agenda – Reforming the Global Pharmaceutical Industry
Rapid advancements in science, technology, and medicine have led to the rise of the complex, dynamic field that is the pharmaceutical industry. Given public dependence on pharmaceutical products to maintain and improve quality of health, it is crucial that this industry is both efficient and safe. Unfortunately, multiple issues limit the positive impact of the pharmaceutical industry, ranging from counterintuitive patent laws to safety concerns.
Potentially promising areas of discussion for improvement include analyzing intellectual property rights, incentivizing innovation, and investing in scalable solutions to regulate problems such as counterfeit medicine. It is therefore the responsibility of the World Health Organization to resolve the best manner in which to suggest standards for and advise the global pharmaceutical industry.
The delegation fee for Summit Sikkim 2017 is Rs. 1650(Non-SMITians), inclusive of food, lodging and entry to two Social Nights.