General Assembly

Reproductive healthcare is defined as the equitable distribution of safe reproduction. This includes availability, knowledge, and accessibility of medical services, such as contraception, fertility treatments, sexual educational opportunities, and safe pregnancies. Population sustainability refers to growth in population and development in a way that either expands or does not exceed the socioeconomic and environmental resources needed to support the health and future development of future generations. Resource management refers to the process of identifying, planning, and allocating resources to achieve specific goals or project objectives.

Population sustainability is a reflection of a nation’s policies in terms of resource management and access to reproductive healthcare. Nations differ in their approaches to population issues, depending on economic status, resources, and birth rates some face underpopulation, while others deal with overpopulation; both stem from inadequate resource distribution and limited access to effective reproductive healthcare. When people have access to this, they are better equipped to plan familial development, see improvement in their maternal and child health outcomes, and have a reduced rate of unintended pregnancies. Additionally, when resource management is better, nations are better able to meet the needs of their population without placing pressure on the environment or economy.

Together the aforementioned points can better population sustainability and ensure policies remain ethically aligned with the Geneva Conventions, and avoid practices that resemble war crimes–such as eugenics, mass deportation, and one-child policies.

The 1949 Geneva Conventions are a series of international treaties outlining rules restraining the brutal extent of warfare. These protect people uninvolved or unable to fight. Amongst other policies, the following are strictly prohibited: forced abortion and sterilization, genocide, and forced deportations. It is important that delegates explore humane resolutions which respect these policies.

Organized Crime is defined as an association of three or more individuals who act in the aim of committing at least one serious crime to obtain a financial or other material benefit.

Transnational as originating in one nation and practicing in another nation. For example, in the context of Transnational Organized Crime, a gang started in Nation A commits crimes in Nation B.

Transnational Organized Crime has in the past consisted of trafficking, financial crime, terrorism, and more recently, cybercrime. Transnational Organized Crime is most prominent in coastal African and Central Eastern European nations, however it is a problem that affects every nation differently. Protocols on human, gun, and migrant trafficking protocols have been put in place by United Nations organizations in the past to combat organized crime, along with resolutions regarding transnational intervention. The transnational nature of these crimes makes international cooperation essential, as no single nation can effectively combat them alone. However, political differences, concerns over sovereignty, and uneven enforcement often make coordinated global responses difficult and controversial. The main thematic components of Transnational Organized Crime as a topic include the feasibility of international intervention, trafficking, terrorism, and cyber/financial crime.

Natural Disasters are defined as unexpected events that originate from natural causes and/or human-induced amplifiers which more often result in the widespread destruction of property and the loss of life. Examples of natural disasters include, but are not limited to: earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and heat waves. Human-induced amplifiers in the context of natural disasters refers to any action, series of actions, or developments that increase the frequency and/or intensity of these hazards. Examples of these include urbanization, deforestation, climate change, and other practices such as smoking and leaving campfires unattended. Urbanization contributes to increased natural disasters by stimulating further deforestation, increased emissions, and lessened permeable surfaces through the construction of paved roads.

Relief is defined as any form of economic assistance (which is often provided by the regional, state, or federal levels of government or non-governmental organizations), specifically monetary aid, to those who face the outcomes of a natural disaster so that they do not have to shoulder the economic burden themselves.