Reaching Beyond a Cure
By LYNN HONG, Grade 12,
Korea International School
When a problem arises, it is our natural impulse to find a cure. But for the delegates of THIMUN Singapore this year, the so-called “impulse” signifies otherwise: to find a cure and a preventive measure against the problem.
Looking back to the 1987 United Nations “Report of World Commission on Environment and Development,” the conference this year honors sustainable development, a development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” With its main focus set on creating a “future,” THIMUN Singapore aims to see beyond the immediate now. With this larger theme in mind, each forum will be debating issues as various as monitoring the build-up of naval capabilities in South East Asia, promoting the Rule of Law at the international level, and reducing health risks from environmental pollution and hazards.
Attesting to this special area of attention is the establishment of a new forum: the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Headed by Jessica Yun from Korea International School (KIS), the commission will consider social, economic, and environmental approaches to sustainable development and ultimately work to empower the developing countries of the world. The CSD will delineate solutions to protect and manage natural resource base of economic and social development, support the use of non-motorized transport, and control communicable diseases.
With high hopes of producing fruitful resolutions, delegates arrived early at the SALT Center, standing in several lines at the registration table, chatting with friends and meeting new people. Scattered across the registration table were stacks of purple badges, booklets, and ribbons. As Hwa Chong Institution Admin Staff busily distributed the materials and guided delegates to their respective conference rooms, delegates leisurely strolled around the hall, taking pictures with each other. Strutting in their heels or walking in a sharp suit, many delegates expressed their excitement for the conference this year.
“It’s going to be a fun conference,” said Aaron Willis, delegate of Cambodia from the GA. “ Everyone here tends to know what they’re doing.”
Participants anxiously waited for the conferences as they stood in groups of two or three, peering at the campus maps and their agendas.
“This is my first conference, and I’m really excited and somewhat scared,” said Won-Tack Doo, delegate of Ghana from GA2, “but I want to enjoy being with being other delegates this year.”
Returning delegates hope to open new doors with this conference.
“This is my second THIMUN conference, and it’s the only international conference I can come to,” said Hyo Sung Joo a delegate of Philippines from GA6. “I’m in the GA6 this year, so I guess I’ll have to work hard to stand out this year.”
Benjamin Franklin once said that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Through heated discussions and enlightening resolutions, the THIMUN Singapore delegates this year hope to secure true prevention that is far more worthy than an immediate cure.
