BMUN LXX NATO

Hi everyone! Since BMUN is so close now, the chairs put together this mini-specialized rundown to help you all prepare for committee this upcoming weekend! Please read it in its entirety so that you are ready for committee. What is a "specialized committee"? Specialized committees are committees that lie outside of the official United Nations, and often have different capabilities regarding their ability to take action. The main difference between a specialized committee and a general assembly committee is the writing of committee directives instead of resolutions. Committee directives are similar to resolutions, requiring signatories and sponsors, and are voted on by the whole committee. However, no pre-ambulatory clauses are required. They are often shorter with one to four operative clauses but can be longer depending on what the committee is trying to accomplish. These directives take action unlike general assembly committees when you are making suggestions. A typical com...

  Hello delegates! We hope your research is coming along well. In this post, we want to give you all a brief explanation as to why we chose the topics of the Yemeni Civil War and Mediterranean Security? We set the first topic as the  Yemeni Civil War because it has remained one of the worst humanitarian crises the world has ever seen for the past several years. There has been very little headway in the issue, and more importantly many believe that any potential UN-led actions have been exhausted. In this regard, I wanted to view it in a different light as an organization removed from the UN. Moreover, some of the actors in this crisis are in fact NATO members, and so NATO may provide a unique opportunity to create actionable change. Topic A is meant to emphasize creativity: this conflict is old, and its continuation is a testament to the unique challenges it presents. Our second topic is  Counter-Terrorism and Capacity-Building: Securing the Mediterranean Sea. NATO has a ...

  We are so excited to welcome you to BMUN 70 and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization! In this committee, you will be simulating NATO, acting as country signatories of the treaty and debating to achieve actionable solutions to our topics. Our first topic is the Yemeni Civil War. The second topic is Counter-Terrorism and Capacity-Building: Securing the Mediterranean Sea. This blog's main purpose is to function as a tool for you. We hope to see active engagement with fellow committee members on this platform to preface committee. This blog is also available to you as a learning tool to understand other countries' policies before the committee starts and better shape your solutions. You are able to comment on posts we have written, so please don't hesitate to ask about follow-up information, comment on anything you know that is relevant to the blog post, or pose questions to other committee members.  Please write in first-person as the country that you are representing.  ...

Hopefully by now, you you have had the opportunity to read through the Topic Synopsis. If you are having some difficulty with certain terms, or want a quick refresher, here are some key terms to remember! Key Terms Topic A: Yemeni Civil War Violet Line : A boundary drawn to separate the Ottoman and British spheres of influence in Yemen. Called "Violet Line" because it was created by drawing on a map with a ruler, using violet ink. Used as the border between Northern and Southern Yemen, in the1960s, and was dissolved during reunification in 1990. Arab Republic of Yemen : After the Zaydis gained independence north of the Violet Line in 1918, they established the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. Due to the death of the Ahmad bin Yahya, in 1962, the military took over and formed the Arab Republic of Yemen (ARY), also referred to as Yemen Arab Republic (YAR).   Ali Abdullah Saleh : A politician from the ARY party, who was put into power as the leader of the reunified, yet stil...

Hi everyone! My name is Sanjay Rangavajjhala, and I am honored to be your head chair for this session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I'm currently a sophomore at UC Berkley pursuing a double major in Molecular and Cell Biology and Computer Science and a minor in Data Science. This is my second year in BMUN, though I have been involved in MUN for over 6 years now. I grew up in the Bay, so have had the opportunity to be a part of BMUN both as a delegate and chair. Outside of BMUN, I am involved in computational biology research at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs studying immune receptors. In my free time, I enjoy biking, cooking, and watching Fargo.  I am really excited to explore the topics that we have in line for this year with all of you this coming March! If you have any questions about the committee, the topics, Berkeley, or me, please feel free to reach out. Stay safe, and hope to see you soon! Best, Sanjay

Hello!  My name is Naman Satish, and I am excited to be one of your Vice Chairs in the NATO Committee for BMUN 70! A bit about me, I grew up in Southern California, and I have been doing MUN since 7th grade, and really enjoyed both the delegate and chairing experience, however this will be my first time chairing at BMUN! Incidentally, my favorite memory from MUN as a delegate was a NATO committee, so I look forward to making this conference an overall amazing experience for you all as well, as well as getting to hear your solutions to two growing problems that haven't seen as much international focus as they deserve. Outside of BMUN, I am currently a freshman majoring in Mechanical Engineering, trying to switch to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. My favorite show that makes me absolutely lose track of time with is The West Wing, my favorite genre of music is Indie, and in my free time I like to play video games or board games! See you in March! -Naman Satish