“The first ingredient of political stability is an informed citizen. The first ingredient of economic progress is a skilled worker. And the first ingredient of social justice is an enlightened society. Education is thus the key to global peace and prosperity.”
Kofi Annan
SG letter
Genoa, Monday June the 13th 2011
Dear GeMUNity,
A decade ago, in February 2002, Genoa hosted what was to become Italy’s largest and most successful Model United Nations event. Through time, the conference grew to become what it is today: An internationally renowned and acclaimed reunion. Every year, GeMUN brings together over seven hundred students from more than ten countries for a three-day simulation of the United Nations’ Committees.
In 2011 GeMUN inaugurated the Environment Commission and the International Court of Justice, emphasizing the importance of cooperation, tolerance and international understanding in order to achieve the goals of the United Nations, and fulfill the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Looking back at what the past months have yielded, we have decided to dedicate the eleventh edition of Genoa Model United Nations to the theme of youth.
Today more than ever, movements urging the empowerrment of youth echo through the international community. Reflecting upon Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon’s quote - “Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels.” – we understand how such a voice is embodied in our younger generations. Let us considers the demonstrations which took place throughout the first half of 2011, the “Arab Spring”; The presence and impact youngsters had in Egypt and Tunisia, just to name a few, are undeniable.
In fact, our modern world is undergoing an unprecedented change. Aided by the spread and development of new technologies, such as the Internet, it is indisputable that the voice of young is becoming, and will continue to be, more important than it has ever been in history; So to the recent demonstrations in Italy, where students repeatedly crowded the streets of Rome and other major cities, demanding the of their political rights, their constitutional rights.
Today, faced with an irrefutable demonstration of the value of youth, it is our duty to ensure the possibility for them to develop their full potential. It is on such a premise that we lay the foundations of the 2012 edition of GeMUN. Our wish, our goal, is for the conference to result in the adoption of resolutions and documents which embody the Convention on the Rights of Children, ratified by the General Assembly in 1989, and to ensure that all children can benefit from such rights as awarded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In doing so, we must recognize the importance of factors which promote the growth and development of a child; the right to a family, to a home and to safe and serene environment, and the right to a continuity of such conditions, from birth to adulthood. Thereupon, we frame subsequent entitlements; the rights to a fair and unbiased education, a training which will allow them to develop their own character and personality, to develop principles of cooperation and friendship toward their peers. Moreover, the right to a tranquil childhood, hence combating the risks posed by war, which affects children both directly and indirectly, granting a proper level of healthcare to newborns and adolescents as well as preventing child labor and the exploitation of minors.
In conclusion, I would like to end by expressing my hopes for a successful and fruitful conference. The issues on this year’s agenda are of the utmost importance, and ignoring them today would mean paying the price for our negligence in a near future.
I wish you all a successful preparation; for any questions or doubts I am at your complete disposal.
Best regards,
Dario Panada,Secretary General
