RBS MUN

RBSMUN 2013

Rato Bangala School Model United Nations 2013

COMMISSION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT (CSTD)

2013

STUDY GUIDE

Chair: Roshan Chapagain Vice Chair: Romy Dangol Moderator: Mihir Nath Pyakuryal

CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR .................................................................................................. 3 TOPIC A: STEM CELL RESEARCH .......................................................................................... 4 HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................................ 4 CURRENT SITUATION......................................................................................................................... 9 RELEVANT UN ACTIONS .................................................................................................................. 12 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS .................................................................................................................. 13 BLOC POSITIONS ............................................................................................................................... 15 QARMA: QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER .......................................................... 16 TOPIC 2: IMPROVING ACCESS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY AS MEANS FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT..............................................................................................17 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................................................... 17 HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM .......................................................................................................... 19 CURRENT SITUATION....................................................................................................................... 21 RELEVANT UN ACTIONS .................................................................................................................. 22 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS .................................................................................................................. 23 QARMA: QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER .......................................................... 24 POSITION PAPER REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................25 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .........................................................................26 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................27

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Delegates, Welcome to the Rato Bangala Model United Nations and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) of 2013! My name is Roshan Chapagain, and I am the Chair of your committee. I have always been fascinated by MUN, and the multifaceted growth opportunities it provides to all participants. I assure that you will benefit immensely from the conference, and that you will have fun! In this committee, we will be discussing the use science and technology in the context of its availability and access to developing nations. The topics of focus of this years commission will be largely on areas of renewable energy and stem cell research. Stem cell research is a complicated issue with numerous social, scientific, and economic complications. Debating on stem cell research on a global scale will be challenging as ethical limitations and technological ability differs drastically from nation to nation. However, it will be your responsibility to not only to solve these ongoing debates, but also to advocate stem cell treatments in developing nations that have been devastated by epidemic breakouts. Tackling the problem of extending renewable energy access to the global community as a whole has been more systematically discussed in the past, as non-renewable energy sources are slowly running out and new prospects of energy have to be developed. Millions of individuals are still deprived of their minimum energy requirement as specified by the United Nations and many are still unaware of the massive advantages of renewable energy. You, as delegates, will be assigned the responsibility of seeking out new ways of enhancing the use of renewable energy and making it available for the global community. With the hope of engraving this year's memories in each and every one of us I trust we will be able to work together as a committee and come up with solutions to the problems the world has been engrossed in for decades. Indeed delegates, it is the power to believe in a better tomorrow that gives us the strength to come together and work as one, regardless of out differences. All in all, I expect the much sought-for enthusiasm from all of you in making this committee a success and the memories perpetual. Best of luck to you all. Roshan Chapagain, Chair, CSTD

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

TOPIC 1: STEM CELL RESEARCH HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM

The first researcher to use the term stem cell was the German biologist Ernst Haeckel, who described it as the fertilized egg that becomes an organism, and also to describe the single-celled organism that acted as the ancestor cell to all living things in history. Although the definition has shifted over the past century, this first understanding was surprisingly close to how we now define stem cells. The definition of a stem cell was further refined in 1886 when William Sedgwick, a distinguished contributor to the public health of the United States, described the parts of a plant that grow and regenerate, and in 1909 when Alexander Maximow, a Russian academic, described blood cells that can differentiate into various types. While Haeckel immediately recognized the importance of stem cells in the development of a fetus from an embryo, Sedgwick advanced his definition by showing that stem cells continue to play a large role in development throughout a plants life, far after it has grown from a seedling. Maximow extended Sedgwicks finding about plants to humans, noting how stem cells play a continual role in blood cell development in humans throughout their entire lives, not just in the fetal stage. Less than 50 years later in 1957, E. Donnall Thomas, a physician and scientist from Seattle, attempted a human bone marrow transplant for the first time, later winning a Nobel Prize for this revolutionary work. In 1986, Andrew Lassar and Harold Weintraub successfully converted rodent fibroblasts (a type of connective tissue) directly into myoblasts (which generate muscle cells), using a single gene. After this leap to understanding a human application, scientists became more aware of how stem cells play a large part in human development and disease. The first batch of human embryonic stem cells was made in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, immediately showing potential for drug discovery and transplantation. Not soon after, the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, signed an executive order that greatly limited the amount of resources that could be dedicated to stem cell research due to his conservative party affiliation and the Catholic Churchs influence on the party. Since then, the international community has addressed the issue of stem cell research in the United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning. In 2002, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) was formed by a group of scientists who wanted to use their extensive knowledge in the field of research on stem cells to help develop sustainable, safe and effective treatment. They also wanted to raise public awareness, create education programs for people outside the scientific community understand and appreciate the work done with

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

stem cells. Their organization constituted an international clientele, as they recognized the need of contributions from researchers around the world to help the area effectively expand. 1908: The term "stem cell" was proposed for scientific use by the Russian histologist Alexander Maksimov (18741928) at congress of hematologic society in Berlin. It postulated existence of hematopoietic stem cells. 1960s: Joseph Altman and Gopal Das present scientific evidence of adult neurogenesis, ongoing stem cell activity in the brain; their reports contradict Cajal's "no new neurons" dogma and are largely ignored. 1963: McCulloch and Till illustrate the presence of self-renewing cells in mouse bone marrow. 1968: Bone marrow transplant between two siblings successfully treats SCID. 1978: Haematopoietic stem cells are discovered in human cord blood. 1981: Mouse embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass by scientists Martin Evans, Matthew Kaufman, and Gail R. Martin. Gail Martin is attributed for coining the term "Embryonic Stem Cell". 1992: Neural stem cells are cultured in vitro as neurospheres. 1995: Dr. B.G. Matapurkar pioneers in adult stem-cell research with clinical utilization of research in the body and neo-regeneration of tissues and organs in the body. Received International Patent from US Patent Office (USA) in 2001 (effective from 1995). Clinical utilization in human body also demonstrated and patented in 60 patients (World Journal of Surgery-1999 and 1991). 1997: Dr. B.G. Matapurkar's surgical technique on regeneration of tissues and organs is published.[73] Regeneration of faellopian tube and uterus is published. 1997: Leukemia is shown to originate from a haematopoietic stem cell, the first direct evidence for cancer stem cells. 1998: James Thomson and coworkers derive the first human embryonic stem cell line at the University of WisconsinMadison. 1998: John Gearhart (Johns Hopkins University) extracted germ cells from fetal gonadal tissue (primordial germ cells) before developing pluripotent stem cell lines from the original extract. 2000s: Several reports of adult stem cell plasticity are published. 2001: Scientists at Advanced Cell Technology clone first early (four- to six-cell stage) human embryos for the purpose of generating embryonic stem cells.

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

2003: Dr. Songtao Shi of NIH discovers new source of adult stem cells in children's primary teeth. 20042005: Korean researcher Hwang Woo-Suk claims to have created several human embryonic stem cell lines from unfertilized human oocytes. The lines were later shown to be fabricated. 2005: Researchers at Kingston University in England claim to have discovered a third category of stem cell, dubbed cord-blood-derived embryonic-like stem cells (CBEs), derived from umbilical cord blood. The group claims these cells are able to differentiate into more types of tissue than adult stem cells. 2005: Researchers at UC Irvine's Reeve-Irvine Research Center are able to partially restore the ability of rats with paralyzed spines to walk through the injection of human neural stem cells. April 2006 Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago identified novel stem cells from the umbilical cord blood with embryonic and hematopoietic characteristics. August 2006: Mouse Induced pluripotent stem cells: the journal Cell publishes Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka. November 2006: Yong Zhao et al. revealed the immune regulation of T lymphocytes by Cord Blood-Derived Multipotent Stem Cells (CB-SCs). October 2006: Scientists at Newcastle University in England create the first ever artificial liver cells using umbilical cord blood stem cells. January 2007: Scientists at Wake Forest University led by Dr. Anthony Atala and Harvard University report discovery of a new type of stem cell in amniotic fluid. This may potentially provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells for use in research and therapy. June 2007: Research reported by three different groups shows that normal skin cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic state in mice. In the same month, scientist Shoukhrat Mitalipov reports the first successful creation of a primate stem cell line through somatic cell nuclear transfer October 2007: Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies win the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their work on embryonic stem cells from mice using gene targeting strategies producing genetically engineered mice (known as knockout mice) for gene research. November 2007: Human induced pluripotent stem cells: Two similar papers released by their respective journals prior to formal publication: in Cell by Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka, "Induction of pluripotent stem cells from adult human fibroblasts by defined factors",and in Science by Junying Yu, et al., from the research group of James Thomson, "Induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from human somatic cells" pluripotent stem cells

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

generated from mature human fibroblasts. It is possible now to produce a stem cell from almost any other human cell instead of using embryos as needed previously, albeit the risk of tumorigenesis due to c-myc and retroviral gene transfer remains to be determined. January 2008: Robert Lanza and colleagues at Advanced Cell Technology and UCSF create the first human embryonic stem cells without destruction of the embryo January 2008: Development of human cloned blastocysts following somatic cell nuclear transfer with adult fibroblasts February 2008: Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse liver and stomach: these iPS cells seem to be more similar to embryonic stem cells than the previously developed iPS cells and not tumorigenic, moreover genes that are required for iPS cells do not need to be inserted into specific sites, which encourages the development of non-viral reprogramming techniques. March 2008-The first published study of successful cartilage regeneration in the human knee using autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells is published by clinicians from Regenerative Sciences October 2008: Sabine Conrad and colleagues at Tbingen, Germany generate pluripotent stem cells from spermatogonial cells of adult human testis by culturing the cells in vitro under leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) supplementation. 30 October 2008: Embryonic-like stem cells from a single human hair. January 2009: Yong Zhao and colleagues confirmed the reversal of autoimmune-caused type 1 diabetes by Cord Blood-Derived Multipotent Stem Cells (CB-SCs) in an animal experiment.[ March 2009: Andras Nagy, Keisuke Kaji, et al. discover a way to produce embryonic-like stem cells from normal adult cells by using a novel "wrapping" procedure to deliver specific genes to adult cells to reprogram them into stem cells without the risks of using a virus to make the change. The use of electroporation is said to allow for the temporary insertion of genes into the cell. 28 May 2009 Kim et al. announced that they had devised a way to manipulate skin cells to create patient specific "induced pluripotent stem cells" (IPS), claiming it to be the 'ultimate stem cell solution'. 11 October 2010 First trial of embryonic stem cells in humans. 25 October 2010: Ishikawa et al. write in the Journal of Experimental Medicine that research shows that transplanted cells that contain their new host's nuclear DNA could still be rejected by the individual's immune system due to foreign mitochondrial DNA. Tissues made from a

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

person's stem cells could therefore be rejected, because mitochondrial genomes tend to accumulate mutations. 2011: Israeli scientist Inbar Friedrich Ben-Nun led a team which produced the first stem cells from endangered species, a breakthrough that could save animals in danger of extinction. January 2012: The human clinical trial of treating type 1 diabetes with lymphocyte modification using Cord Blood-Derived Multipotent Stem Cells (CB-SCs) achieved an improvement of Cpeptide levels, reduced the median glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) values, and decreased the median daily dose of insulin in both human patient groups with and without residual beta cell function. Yong Zhao's Stem Cell Educator Therapy appears "so simple and so safe" October 2012: Positions of nucleosomes in mouse embryonic stem cells and the changes in their positions during differentiation to neural progenitor cells and embryonic fibroblasts are determined with single-nucleotide resolution. 2012: Katsuhiko Hayashi used mouse skin cells to create stem cells and then used these stem cells to create mouse eggs. These eggs were then fertilized and produced healthy baby offspring. These latter mice were able to have their own babies.

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

CURRENT SITUATION
Stem cells have a complex story full of ethical and scientific opposition. For a long time for the general population cloning meant research on stem cells. Research on stem cells has become a subject of controversy and interest. In fact, research on stem cells extends far beyond cloning, but a more useful and relevant purpose in the medical community. Many people do not understand what are stem cells, the research is ongoing, and most importantly, it promises that they have much to offer for the future of medicine. If we continue to advance the field of stem cells, the international community must act together because the research on stem cells is widely opposed because the ethical complications. Developing countries are excluded due to lagging behind in technological expertise and financial strength. On top of these ethical and moral criticisms, many nations are missing out on opportunities for research due to a severe lack of funds, trained personnel, and equipped institutions. Recent progress has been made in the field of stem cell research, holding promise of more successful treatments for chronic diseases. These include everything from diabetes and cancer to cardiovascular, ophthalmologic and neuromuscular disorders. While researchers worldwide jump at the opportunity to study and learn from these exciting cells, they have faced criticism from opposing parties. In particular, those against stem cell research view embryos as a promise for future life, blurring the line between human dignity and scientific tool. Many countries that are heavily influenced by the Catholic Church have struggled to accept stem cell research due to this ambiguity. In fact, the leader of the Catholic Church, current Pope Benedict XVI, had declared that such actions of producing organs using fetuses will result in damnation. Thus it is difficult to allow stem cell research to continue effectively, even if it holds great medical promise for its citizens, in a country largely influenced by a man who promises a descent into hell for conducting this type of research. Because stem cell research is very new not many fruits of research have reached commercial availability. Due to this, it is difficult to point whether they will be administered a pharmaceutical or therapy. Currently there is no program in place to ensure that the new stem cell therapies are safe and effective before appearing on the market. Several stem cell clinics that promise solutions for various diseases cannot be insured. These are mostly scams or are experimental, and ultimately fueling the arguments of those who oppose stem cell therapy. Although at present there is no regulatory body to monitor new methods of stem cell treatments as they become available, of course, be a need for them in the coming years, in national and international level. Development of stem cell therapy not only provides remedies for diseases that afflict parts are aligned, but also helps reduce the cost of stem cell therapies as well. A stem cell treatment that eliminates or dramatically improves chronic diseases is still significantly cheaper than the long-term options available today. Developing therapeutic stem cells in the domestic care not only ensures a treatment that can cure diseases, but also helps to reduce the cost of stem cell therapy as well. As with any form of medical

Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

care, not every person who needs it will receive stem cell treatments. However, domestic production from beginning to end will significantly reduce the cost of these treatments. In China and India stem cell treatments are being sold without evidence of their safety and effectiveness. Without sufficient regulation and enforcement, patients are placed at risk of exploitation and may be exposed to potential financial harm, adverse health reactions and long-term complications. Due to absence of national and international rules and regulations, the people are being exploited and proper and effective research is not being carried out. If researches as well as application are not properly monitored, the name stem cell therapies may not be respected. The requirements are much more financially demanding for stem cell therapy, if used in a traditional therapy style, like as in chemotherapy than if stem cell therapeutics were to follow a pharmaceutical model, in which the patient could simply pick up their medication and self-administer it at home. Furthermore, the stem cell therapeutics that are currently being tested or are available require complementary treatment using chemotherapy or radiation, which adds additional cost and requires an advanced health infrastructure. Religious pressures prevent any growth in the field of research on stem cells because of the alleged violation of the laws of abortion through the use of human embryos for research purposes. To appease a possible solution for the Conservative Party in this point of contention is the use of non-viable embryos, despite the changes, the definition of a country to another. A viable embryo is one that could not develop in a womb, even if placed. However, the majority of embryos for researches are used created in a lab to live in a petri dish. The boundary that separates researchable embryos is not clear, searched, and differs from the presentation of each country. In many countries, this kind of scientific debate is not in favor of using embryotic stem cells, especially in countries still led by the Catholics. This creates a difficult environment for scientists to conduct research on stem cells. Human embryos provide a feasible base for conducting research because they have stem cells with the ability to grow into any tissues. Some stem cell therapies have already moved into the public sector while avoiding the ethical controversy that other research has endured. For example, stem cells have been used to grow artificial skin products that help in the healing of foot and leg ulcers. The artificial skin helps to heal the skin, hopefully preventing the need for drastic measures such as amputation. Furthermore, bone marrow cell transplants have been used for two decades to date, and are now considered a relatively standard procedure as previously discussed. These procedures are considered standard and publicly available, but more controversial procedures are currently being developed, and therefore face the ethical controversy. In the United States unregulated stem cell clinics, which are medical clinics that offer highly experimental procedures and therapies that have not been approved or regulated by any governing body have been growing in number. Many researchers are concerned by this and are pushing for more regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, the California Stem Cell Treatment Center in Beverly Hills performs cosmetic and experimental treatments on degenerative diseases clearly

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stating that it is not approved by the FDA or is proven to be effective. The reason these clinics target degenerative diseases is that many, such as the ones listed, currently have no cure, and desperate patients and family members will many times be pushed to extreme measures in order to slow or stop the progression of these diseases. Unregulated clinics have also sprung up in other countries such as South Korea, Mexico and China, giving rise to the phrase, stem cell tourism to describe people who travel abroad to seek experimental and unregulated stem cell treatments. Stem cell researchers are advocating for support from the FDA, specifically to crack down on these unstandardized clinics and to provide funding to researchers who could replace these clinics with legitimate and regulated stem cell treatment centers. The Iranian government has invested a notable amount of resources toward stem cell research. In 2009 they created the Iranian Council for Stem Cell Research and Technology Development to put forward policies about research done domestically and to allocate funding. They have done a great deal to advance stem cell research occurring within Iran, such as giving grants to universities and research centers, as well as establishing a stem cell donor bank that accepts cord blood, peripheral stem cells, and bone marrow stem cells. Considering these factors, it seems as though Iran is set up to be one of the leaders in stem cell research. However, research is limited by the supreme leader of Iran, who holds that research with human embryos can only be conducted under certain, strict regulations. The Ministry of Health and Tehran University of Medical Sciences responded to this limitation by setting forth Ethical Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Research. Despite these specific guidelines, Iran has been continuing to conduct stem cell research at many universities and research institutions throughout the country, and continuing to contribute a substantial amount of published research annually. It would make sense to see this type of technological prowess conflicting with cultural guidelines in other countries similar to Iran, where there is both a strong scientific and religious presence. With the promise of offering treatments for currently incurable diseases, governments have been pouring money into research programs, thus increasing the pressure on researchers to yield successful results. With this external pressure coming from governments who demand results for their spent resources, researchers are drawn into dangerous secretive human experimentation. In the middle of this international ethical debate, skepticism, and unregulated clinics, dangerous human experimentation is the last thing that needs to be added to the already complicated aura surrounding stem cell research.

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RELEVANT UN ACTIONS
At the fifty-ninth general assembly, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning with 84 in favor and 34 against. In a broad sense, the declaration charges member states with the following responsibilities: to protect adequately human life in the application of life sciences; to prohibit the application of genetic engineering techniques that may be contrary to human dignity; to prevent the exploitation of women in the application of life sciences; and to adopt and implement national legislation in that connection. The goals were set so that there would be international guidelines for countries while conducting stem cell research, while countries were not legally bound but could practice as they wish within these set guidelines. However, some member states criticized the Declaration, pointing out the vagueness of the definition of human life as a point of possible controversy if it were to encompass all human cloning. Spain suggested it be replaced by the term human being in an effort to clarify the text. China, India, and Belgium, all of whom voted against the Declaration, also acknowledged their intention to adhere to the restraints against reproductive cloning, yet they will continue to do research in therapeutic cloning. However, other countries that also viewed this ambiguity as a potential threat against therapeutic applications of stem cell research chose to abstain, such as South Africa. Finally, the majority of countries who were in support of the Declaration viewed it as a historic milestone toward protecting human rights and dignity. Although the Declaration on Human Cloning was ultimately passed, many member states agree its vague language requires revision in order to more accurately protect the rights of both human beings and scientific researchers.

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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
With the many layers that surround this issue, it is difficult to offer a solution that will address every complication. However, there are certain measures that could be taken to decrease the amount of controversy centered on this issue. The Iranian government and scientific community have collaborated to create guidelines for their own country in order to appease scientists, the government, and the general public. Five Iranian scientists published a summary of the current documentation of these different collaborations that have been published by Iranian researchers in the field and titled the work, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among the goals of the agenda is a dedication to cross-border relationships, which would allow leading research scientists from throughout the Middle East to collaborate, creating a network of the most advanced research practices and strategies. Their goals also include increased financial resources provided by the national budget, especially toward science-based private companies. They wish to extend their influence into education to better prepare post-graduate students and current scientists for this emerging technology. Finally, the country wishes to set forth clear guidelines addressing legal or ethical concerns associated with stem cell research to ensure that scientists can conduct their research without fearing any legal or cultural backlash. While these goals and strategies were designed for Iran, any country can learn from their ability to collaborate between the scientific community and policy makers to create these types of goals. While international guidelines are a helpful starting point, they must be vague in order to address all member states. However, within each nation, more specific and culturally appropriate guidelines should be made and upheld in order to allow scientists to work to their full potential within local cultural appropriateness. China, India and Brazil also propose efforts that could improve the current situation surrounding stem cell research in their respective countries. Again, these ideas should be applied to every country currently pursuing this type of research. Specifically, when stem cell treatments become available, distributors should make an extra effort to ensure access in various regions domestically, not just in the major cities. Furthermore, programs or policies should be implemented to ensure that they are affordable to most citizens, benefiting the widest possible demographic. These treatments should also be developed at a similar pace as health infrastructure and professional training, so that when the treatments become available there is a means to distribute them. This idea should also be considered in the context of developing nationswho will tend to their healthcare needs? As stem cell treatments are being developed primarily for prevalent health needs domestically, developing nations that have perhaps a higher incidence of healthcare problems will miss out completely on the ability to benefit from new treatments, widening the healthcare gap between developed and developing countries. However, one must consider that basic healthcare needs must be

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addressed before groundbreaking research can be conducted in these countries that face such a severe deficiency of healthcare options. One way to include developing nations in the stem cell research field is through partnerships. Essentially, nations that have the ability to perform stem cell research must not only consider the needs of their own country, but how to aid the largest demographic possible. A lack of clear and internationally favored guidelines not only hinders the research, but it slows the process between laboratory finding and clinical trials, which are the ultimate barriers before creating a commercially available treatment. Not only is there a severe need for these type of protocols in order to move along the research process, but the general public needs to believe in stem cell therapies the way they believe in breast cancer research or cancer prevention. Currently, a lot of skepticism still hovers around the topic of stem cell research. Another factor that contributes to this skepticism is the new industry of stem cell tourism. This is most certainly an international problem, and thus should be controlled on an international scale. If there were an international regulatory system, countries with lax domestic regulation would not be able to open clinics promising results using shoddy or completely unacceptable practices in order to attract international business. This not only hurts the progress of stem cell research in the countries from which these stem cell tourists travel, but it exaggerates the lack of credibility of stem cell treatments in general. However there arent solutions proposed on an wide international basis.

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BLOC POSITIONS
The following describes how member states sided in the vote for the United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning. As a reminder, this Declaration urged states not to conduct any stem cell research that compromised human dignity and human life. Many member states felt the wording was too vague. In favour: Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cte dIvoire, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Morocco, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uzbekistan, Zambia. Against: Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Iceland, India, Jamaica, Japan, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom. Abstain: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bhutan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russian Federation, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam.

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QARMA: QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER

How can we regulate stem cell research on an international scale in order to offer better guidelines than the existing United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning? Will still allow sufficient flexibility within each country? Considering implications for democracy, sovereignty, and cultural respect, should we aid research efforts that face backlash from conservative parties? If so, how? How can we streamline the process from laboratory experiment to commercially available treatment? How can we ensure that stem cell therapies become affordable and available to the largest demographic possible? How can we regulate stem cell tourism?

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TOPIC 2: IMPROVING ACCESS TO RENEWABLE ENERGY AS MEANS FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Explosive oil prices, the increasing energy demand and environmental change issues are shaping the global energy debate today. Renewable energy has turned out to be a viable option for enhancing easy access to energy at maximum locations either off grid electrication, or in urban and rural areas and in promoting productive uses and industrial applications of energy in intensive industrial sectors. 2.4 billion people use traditional biomass wood for cooking and heating , such as feces or residue. Continuous use of these types of energy sources, expose them to the concentration of carbon monoxide and particulate indoor particles many times higher than the (WHO) World Health Organization standard .Basic traditional stoves and charcoal release high amounts of carbon monoxide and other pollutants. Among the World population, the ones to suffer the most are women and children using charcoal and estimates reach up to 2.5 million people. WHO sources record incidents of premature death in women and children from breathing the smoke from biomass stoves indoor. Renewable energy has the capacity to eliminate these needs saving thousands of women from acute respiratory problems.

About 1.4 billion people have no electricity in their house and a billion more only have access to untrustworthy electricity suppliers. About 3 billion people use biomass and coal to rally their basic requirements. Availability of modern energy services for cooking and heating, lighting and communications, and mechanical power for home uses is a vast area of discussion. The energy access problem is chiefly dominating in the least developed countries, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The poor are at a major disadvantage. The urban poor have some admission to electricity, but its quality is poor, service is undependable and their connections are often disrupted. In rural areas, physical availability is often nil. If the rural poor do have access to electricity, it tends to be of inadequate quality and/or quantity from stand-alone systems or poorly run and inefficient mini-grids. There is inadequate data available on precise measure on the basic energy necessity, but many developing countries have regarded availability of 1 unit of electricity per day per household as a basic

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energy requirement. Thus it is seen that in many developing countries the 30 units of electricity per month category is provided at a very concessionary rate. Many have also measured categories of energy requirements as follows 1. "Fundamental energy needs" associated to human survival and extremely poor situations. 2. "Basic energy needs" required for attaining basic living standards, which includes all the functions in the previous (cooking, heating and lighting) and, in addition energy to provide basic services linked to health, education and communications. 3. "Energy needs for productive uses when additionally basic energy needs the user requires energy to make a living. 4. "Energy for recreation", when the user has fulfilled the previous categories and needs energy for enjoyment."

Until recently, the definition of energy poverty was only the minimal amount of energy needed in the determination of energy poverty, but another school of thought is that not only the amount of energy, but the quality and purity of the energy must be taken into account in determining energy poverty. Such a definition is as follows: One is under" fuel poverty if they do not have access to at least: (A) The equivalent of 35 kg of LPG for cooking per capita per year of liquid /gaseous fuels or improved supply of hard fuel sources and clean and efficient cook stove

(B) 120kWh of electricity per capita per year for lighting, access to basic services (drinking water, communication, improving health services, better services, education, etc.), plus some added value from local production. With so much money being poured into petroleum mining and newer prospect of energy generation like nuclear energy potential investment in the renewable energy sector seems to have drained away. As developing countries cannot afford nuclear reactors or huge mining sites cheaper renewable sources of energy seems to be the only option. But with government money allocated for big industrial energy development projects it is the poor population that have been forced into the corner. Lack of funding, energy transportation challenges and several other issues come into highlight while tackling the problem of making energy more readily available and cheaper to all.

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HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM

In the late 1830s, when exposed to light energy released by photovoltaic compound scientists developed solar cells through solar energy. In 1839, William Robert Grove's reaction between hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, invented the first hydrogen fuel cell.

In the 1850s, commercial oil drilling in Titusville began and in Pennsylvania began in the worldwide export of oil. Soon after, creating additional demand for fossil fuels cars with combustion engines started.

In the late 1880s, commercially available in the United States was the first hydroelectric and simultaneously solar energy was developed in Europe. The potential advantages of renewable energy have only been currently discovered. In the past after the development of steam engines the world had been heavily dependent upon coals and oil. But now as these energy sources are depleting, causing the oil prices to skyrocket, estimates are that oil sources will completely run out by the end of 2050. Even now oil prices have elevated to such levels that the poor population seems to be forced in a tight corner and with their current situation many may have to reconsider burning firewood as in a few years time they wouldnt even be able to even afford oils for their stoves. Renewable energy carries the prospect of answering all the debated energy issues but the birth of a new prospect gives birth to new associated problems. Easier said than done, countries have encountered many problems while promoting the use of renewable energy and making it accessible to the common population. Some major hurdles in placing renewable energy in the mass population's reach are as follows:

Infrastructure Developing new and efficient renewable resources required large initial investments for infrastructure. These investments increase the cost of providing renewable electricity, especially during early years. Examples include

Prospecting: Developers needed to find acceptable sites with first-rate resources and with admission to transmission lines. Wind sites may take up several years of monitoring to decide on whether they are suitable or not. Permitting: Permitting issues for usual energy development sites (ie mining ) are generally well standardized, and the process for review were well laid out. However, renewable development consisted of new types of issues and ecosystem impacts. It took a long time to set the standards and it is still in the process.

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Installation, operation, and maintenance: New Workers needed to be trained to install, operate, and maintain the latest technological equipments, and also be specially taught to grow and transport biomass fuels. Some renewable power plant needed operating skills in sever climate conditions before production could start. For example, the optimal spacing of wind turbines was different in New England ridgelines compared to an agricultural land in the Midwest and the design had to be adapted accordingly. Economies of Scale Almost all renewable energy equipments were manufactured in big factories, where mass production had greatly reduce primary costs. As a result in the 1990s, manufacturing costs for photovoltaics had declined 20 to 25 percent for each doubling of production volume, as shown in the figure The Spire Corporation", which is a company manufacturing assembly lines for photovoltaic modules. It said that costs for photovoltaic modules can be reduced from about $2.25 per watt to $1.80 per watt simply by upgrading photovoltaic factories so that for example if a company manufactures 10 MW of photovoltaics per year, they start making 25 MW per year. Estimates on cost economy also suggested cost reductions for wind, fuel cell, and biomass technologies. Unfortunately, as we only produced minimal amount of these equipments, prices remained high. This drastically decreased the demand, and therefore lowered the production volumes. This problem is especially complicated with technologies having longer life span. However, scaling up manufacturing of new technologies too quickly can create its own problems, such as shortages of skilled labor and bottlenecks in parts supplies. Lack of Information

People were provided insufficient information to make the correct decision on which type of renewable to use. Most utilities provided limited or zero data about their emissions or the fuels they used. As renewable technologies are quite new, people only knew little about them. Many customers were made to believe that solar and wind technologies were unreliable as they can be generated only in the presence of the sun or the wind. They hadn't realized that these intermittent technologies were highly reliable when combined with other available options.

Institutional Barriers

Customers from industrial and commercial sectors were also unaware about the renewables and have institutional barriers which served as obstructions in purchasing renewable as Industrial energy buyers preferred low-cost solutions. Also Industrial environmental manager rather worked on reducing inhouse pollution than consider their pollution associated with their source of electricity purchases. Even local electricity companies were unaware about renewables. Most institutions and customers had not studied how renewable resources could fit into their systems or the locally available resources. For instance, only a few had investigated how the output of solar and wind technologies matched their system peak load.

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CURRENT SITUATION
Many countries still dont have proper access to renewable energy. It still remains a global challenge, especially for the poor people. Renewable energy currently constitutes 15% of the global energy. This energy can be used to provide modern energy services, reduce air pollution and mitigate the problems arising due to climate change. Access to and use of this energy reduces the depletion of fossil-fuel and also ensures a sustainable tomorrow. Starting with the World Summit on Sustainable Development, renewable energy has figured prominently in governmental/international meetings and discussions. The fifteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development focused on energy for sustainable development, Climate change and industrial development also provided an opportunity to formulate the follow-up to the World Solar Program 1996-2005. Renewable sources of energy have become an integral element of the global vision for sustainable development. The investment in electricity from renewable sources like the wind, sun, waves and biomass grew to $187 billion, compared with $157 billion for natural gas, oil and coal. Total new investment in clean energy increased to $260 billion in 2011. Some recent researches estimate that renewable sources of energy will contribute more to a low-carbon energy supply by 2050 than nuclear power or fossil fuels. The UN has called for a major initiative to promote universal access to renewable energy in developing countries. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has also called for the formation of a high-level group to support access to energy efficiency and renewable energy and increase its share up to 30%. Such access to energy is essential for a sustainable future.

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Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

RELEVANT UN ACTIONS
General Assembly resolution 65/151 on The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Global Action Agenda set by the Secretary-Generals High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. Resolution of A/RES/65/151, which promoted action in the development of sustainable renewable energy and highlighted the particular importance of local participation. Resolution of A/RES/66/288, which recognized the critical role that energy plays in the development process by increasing access to sustainable modern energy services. General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/199, which promoted the innovation of renewable energy resources and established the World Solar Program. United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Operational Satellite Applications Program (UNOSAT), provided detailed satellite imagery to relief and development organizations within and outside of the UN for sustainable development. The 1992 World Summit and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development that promoted international cooperation in sustainable development and also the success of programs such as the Morocco Solar Plan and the European Union (EU) Africa Energy Partnership.

(A/RES/66/288): Rio +20 goal to gain energy access for all. UN System Task Team on the post-2015 UN Development Agenda.

The Kyoto Protocol (FCCC/KP/CMP/2007/9) and the commitment of the signing nations to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. EU launched an Energy Partnership with Africa to increase energy access, energy security and the development of renewable energy to strengthen energy efficiency.

- the United Nations Millennium Declaration, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in their entirety, particularly MDG 7 Target A which aimed to integrate the principles of sustainable development in country policies and programs.

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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
Access to affordable, renewable energy is essential for sustainable development and poverty reduction. The improvement in the quality as well as quantity of energy services around the world helps in various aspects social, economic or environmental. Simultaneously, there will be promotion of economic growth and minimization of climate change. While country policies and frameworks should be reformed consistent with low emission and green energy, improvement of household access to hydro, wind, solar and geothermal energy supply seems mandatory. Development of effective approaches for the deliverance of energy service is essential. The energy access challenge is more critical in the least developed countries, in South Asia and subSaharan Africa. The Secretary General of the UN has called for a major UN initiative to achieve universal access to modern energy services by 2030. Governments need to make renewable energy access a top political priority. Practical and effective actions are required to mobilize public-private partnerships and bring about innovative solutions to overcome the problem.

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Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

QARMA: QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER

How do you initiate reliable access to renewable energy for people in less developed countries? What measures can be taken to develop a variety of sustainable technologies and energy solutions specifically implemented to improve reliable renewable energy? Need of special focus on research in fields such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal energy solutions but how, keeping in mind the consideration towards more cost-efficient technology for underdeveloped and developing nations. How to address the issue of facilitating renewable energy access on the local level? Since existing frameworks and agreements have brought about no desired result s what can be an improvement of these domestic and multilateral plans of action? How a suitable infrastructure can BE ESTABLISHED for an easy access to renewable energy for sustainable development be prepared? Who will finance and fund for new initiatives and sustainable energy projects aiming at improving access to renewable energy and clean fuels?

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Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

POSITION PAPER REQUIREMENTS

Committee: Commission for Science and Technology Development Country: Delegate: Topic: Introduction to the Topic In your countrys view, what are the main elements of the problem? What are the roots of these problems and give a brief history concerning the topic and committee?

Current Situation What are your national interests in the situation and briefly explain the stance on the topic? What is your country doing to support or condemn the topic? What past resolutions or treaties have the country supported regarding the topic?

Solution What does your nation believe needs to be done to solve the problem? What would your country want to be included in the committees resolution?

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Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Before jumping into the research please note that the information has to be from a credible source as at time you may even be asked to present the committee with a substantiated proof. And please do not entirely depend upon Wikipedia for all your answer. Wikipedia will not be considered a valid source. Here are some of the sites that you might find useful and will be considered reliable by the dais: www.reuters.com www.iea.org www.un.org www.bbc.com www.thenewyorktimes.com

Be sure to consult other books (that may be found in the library) and be up to date with the news.

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REFERENCES
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/focus_areas/sustainab le-energy.html http://www.nmun.org/ny_archives/ny13_downloads/ResolutionsSummary/UNDPASumRes.pdfs http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/objectives/renewable-energy http://www.gpoba.org

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Study Guide: Commission for Science and Technology Development