Background Guide UMLMUN ECOSOC 2014.docx



Biography-1904990Corey Lanier is a Senior Political Science and Criminal Justice dual major looking to attend graduate school for Higher Education & Student Affairs next year. Corey has been involved with the International Relations Club for three years, including serving as the Treasurer and UMLMUN committee chair for two, and the teaching assistant for one. Corey has been able to travel to Vancouver and Toronto, and is looking forward to traveling to Europe for the first time to compete in ScotMUN. Corey is also apart of the Student Government Association, Student Alumni Ambassador program, Pre-Law Society, and the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. Topic One: Stopping the Growth and Trafficking of Opium in the Middle East Opium is one of the worlds most addicting drugs and a growing problem worldwide. Despite being largely produced in the middle east, opium can be found in most countries worldwide. Afghanistan is the opium capital of the world. In 2012, 154,000 ha of Opium was produced in Afghanistan, an 18% increase from the previous years net cultivation of 131,000 ha. Since 1994 opium production in Afghanistan has steadily increased (aside from 2001) peaking in 2007. However, it is possible that current estimates are far lower than expected and that we are currently experiencing around the same amount of net opium production as Afghanistan saw in 2007. There has been an effort in Afghanistan to reduce the amount of poppy produced, with 17 provinces being poppy free in 2011 and 2012. Afghanistan is one of the leading suppliers of opium products worldwide, with other middle eastern and southeast asian countries contributing. Side effects of opium withdrawal range from nausea all the way to comas and death. However, the Opium can also cause euphoria in it’s users. Opium takes large amounts of effort and money to grow, and farmers are often times heavily invested in their product. This means that if a farmers crop is destroyed, it often times However, the profit return farmers get are typically four times the amount a normal farmer would get from legal crops.This topic is not just related to the Middle East though, as the effects of opium based drugs can be found in most countries, especially first world. Because opium based drugs are illegal, the price of drugs skyrocket. What started as a few dollars in the Middle East now cost hundreds of dollars when it hits the market. Due to the high cost of opium based drugs, users resort to crime to get the money they need quickly. The opium issue is also an economic issue. When users want to use opium based drugs, such as heroin, but cannot afford it, they turn to imitation products. Krokodil is a heroin knock-off product widely used in Russia, but also found in other parts of the world. While the product as similar euphoric reactions as heroin does, it has much worse, if not disgusting, side effects. This drug causes a users skin to eat itself, and is physiologically and psychologically damaging. (WARNING: Be careful when researching Krokodil, the images are EXTREMELY graphic, and not for weak stomached. It is recommended that delegates use extreme caution when researching Krokodil to avoid these unsettling images.)Below you will find a resolution titled 53/12. This resolution set out to limit the spread of illicit poppy seed across the world. This resolution attempted to accomplish this by reinforcing the illegality of illicit poppy seed growth, and motivating countries to report such activity. However, this resolution did not outline plans for farmers of the illicit product, or handling any addiction consequences. The role of this committee is to implement a plan of action to control and eradicate the production of opium with special attention being made to the Middle East. This committee should also take into effect the economic realities of such a plan, as well as handling any imitation products existing in the world.Key Questions:How will the UN handle the individual farming networks who grow opium?How will the UN handle the larger network of opium dealers and traffickers?How will the UN handle the users of opium being safely removed from their addiction?How will the UN handle the economic effects of opium?How will the UN handle imitation products?Below is resolution 53/12 passed in 2010. How can this be strengthened?Key Websites: (Information on Krokodil. Last time I checked, did not contain any pictures of the effects)Topic Two: Global Issues with the Legalization of Marijuana. Marijuana is a common term for the plant cannabis that is intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine. The primary component that makes marijuana a psychoactive drug is a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol commonly called THC. Side effects include heightened mood, relaxation, increase in appetite, short term memory loss, dry mouth, and paranoia. Marijuana is often used for recreational activities and have been since the third millennium BC. However, in recent times marijuana has had strict restriction on its legal use and possession. The UN has previously said marijuana is the most sold illicit drug in the world, with about 4% of the world's adult population using marijuana a year. In recent times, many government have enacted laws relating to lessening the restrictions on marijuana. In December of 2012, Washington state in the United States of America was the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Since then, one other state (Colorado) has also enacted a similar law even though it is still federally illegal. Uruguay is the first country to legalize marijuana completely. Uruguay legalized marijuana to attempt to solve the war on drugs in a peaceful way. Through there legalization process, they made the government the sole seller of the drug. With the government being the sole seller of marijuana, it means buyers are now protected through formal means. With a drug coming off the black market, there is less of a chance for criminals to intervene. Use cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee as an example. These products all contain drugs, nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine respectively, and are regulated by the government. Supporters of abolishing drug laws claim that prohibition does not curve drug use, it only makes it more dangerous. However, some claim that a tough stance on drugs can actually lower user rates. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says that Sweden, a country that spends three times the amount of most EU countries, has only ? of a drug problem. For sweden, they have been able to cut drug use, and the population of Sweden overwhelmingly agree this is the right move. This committee must determine the economic value in prohibiting drugs.Attention should be made to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs published in 1961. Article 22 mentions countries should report cannabis production, as well as seizing any illegally grown cannabis. Article 28 mentions countries that allow production of cannabis, and how they must operate. Article 49 allows for states to allow use of cannabis for non-medical purpose. Care should be given to who were the original signers of this document, and what updates should be made.The purpose of the committee is to determine if countries such as Uruguay or the USA can legalize marijuana for non-medical purposes. There are many benefits, and issue surrounding international and domestic policy when it comes to legalizing a previously illicit substance. If the committee determines legality is best, how should this be handled?Key Questions:Is it globally legal to legalize marijuana for recreational use?How will countries deal with taxation and trafficking if so?Is spending large portions of countries GDP worth it?Will existing offenders be released from prisons?How will the international community handle the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs? Should it be updated?Key Links: ................
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