United Nations Human Rights Council
TOPIC A: Healthcare as a Human Right
TOPIC B: HUMAN RIGHTS OFFENSES OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS
Despite the legal obligations of countries to commit monetary funds to the international development of healthcare delineated by the UN Charter and various other binding legal documents, donor countries have been failing to meet required contributions to developing countries and foreign aid to these countries has been viewed merely as voluntary. In developing countries, the lack of access to the right to health remains nonexistent for those living in poverty. Whether it is due to the lack of resources or the focus of spending on other areas such as defense by governments, the means of realizing the access to health continues to be unavailable. As the world becomes more globalized, the discussion of the human right to health as well as states’ obligations to support the development of healthcare internationally becomes urgent. The rise of globalization also brings into light the role of multinational corporations in human rights violations. These organizations impact not only the access to proper health but also clean water, housing, freedom of expression, and the right to life. Therefore, it is critical to discuss the areas of health as a human right as well as the human rights offenses committed by multinational corporations as the world further globalizes.
Director’s Letter:
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the United Nations Human Rights Council! My name is Aaron Eudaimon and I am extremely excited to be your director at Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) 2022!
I am currently a sophomore at Harvard living in Leverett House thinking about concentrating in either Electrical Engineering or Applied Math with a secondary in Government. I grew up in Herndon, Virginia where I went to high school. Before college, I had no experience with MUN! My first time ever in a MUN environment was being an Assistant Director for the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL) at HMUN 2021, and my second experience with MUN was being an Assistant Director for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at HNMUN 2021! Joining MUN at Harvard has definitely opened my eyes to the international process of multilateralism and has gotten me very interested in foreign policy as well as international relations.
At Harvard, besides MUN, I am involved in the Harvard Band where I play French Horn as well as the Mellophone. I am also the Prop Crew Manager for the Prop Crew section, so we spend time making builds and props for the field shows. In addition, I am also in the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) and serve as the Social Chair for the Harvard ROTC Association. ROTC prepares college students to take on leadership positions while serving in the military after graduating college. In my free time, I enjoy working out and exploring Boston with my friends. I also love playing Spikeball when the weather is nice.
Model UN was such an amazing experience last year and I hope that you enjoy your time at HNMUN this year as we will be tackling the important issues of health as a human right and the human rights abuses committed by multinational organizations which impact the lives of millions of people around the world. We will be discussing how various factors such as human-health and non-state organizations are intertwined with human rights. As delegates in the Human Rights Council, you will be able to shape our contemporary understanding of human rights and ultimately influence how we interact with human rights. While committee sessions may become stressful and overwhelming, please keep in mind that HNMUN will allow you to thrive as well as make new friends!
I am so excited about the conference and am looking extremely forward to meeting all of you in January! If you have any questions or concerns, whether it is about HNMUN, life at Harvard, or otherwise, please feel free to reach out. I want to make the conference experience this year the best that it can be!
Sincerely,
Aaron Eudaimon
Director, United Nations Human Rights Council
Harvard National Model United Nations 2022