United Nations AIDS Conference Simulation - Essay Example

UNAIDS Simulation Activities and Outcomes Identity Number: Question This simulation activity involved the United Nations GeneralAssemblies. According to Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey (2010), the General Assembly is the deliberative faction of the United Nations and is made up of the United Nations member states each with a vote. The United Nations AIDS Committee is responsible for proposing and negotiating global resolutions in the fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey further explain that these resolutions are then forwarded to the general assembly for a final vote (2010). Students were assigned different roles either as state delegates or non state delegates. The simulation proceeded according to a version of parliamentary procedure used in the United Nations Parliamentary procedure. The name of the committee was the United Nations General Assembly. This simulation addressed the topic of global action against the spread of AIDS. The signatories for this resolution included Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, the Russian Federation, South Africa and India (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). The sponsor was the United Nations AIDS Committee who authored this resolution. Pre ambulatory phrases were used to state the issues that the Committee was to discuss and resolve. These statements stated the reasons for the Committee to resolve the issues. The issues discussed during the simulation included the reaffirmation of those resolutions that the United Nations General Assembly had developed in the previous assembly. The current and continual damage caused by the epidemic was identified. It was identified that there was need for the committee to restructure the techniques that were currently being used to combat the epidemic. The committee having realized the importance of nation states inputs on AIDS resolution efforts welcomed their ideas. Emphasis was put on the importance of both general and sex education to curb misinformation regarding the spread of AIDS to facilitate the fight against the epidemic. The issues concerning access of HIV medications and treatment by victims were discussed. Other factors that were shown to catalyze the spread of AIDS were identified as the use of illicit drugs and prostitution. Finally, the committee reaffirmed their commitment to the fight of AIDS by putting measures in place that would facilitate this agenda. They addressed the issues of education, funding, staffing in treatment and support facilities and other measures to address the topics identified in the simulation process. Question 2 The state and non state actors in this simulation have different and overlapping roles to play. The state actors represented delegates from the signatory countries; Russian Federation, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and India. The non state actors represented the delegates from the World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation and Pharmaceutical Corporations invited (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). The state delegates represented their respective countries in the discussions and resolutions on the AIDS epidemic and its spread while the non state delegates represented the interests of the supporting and funding organizations. In this simulation the member states sent their delegates to act on their behalf. The delegates were expected to be conversant with the foreign policies of the states that they were representing. Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey (2010), explain that the World Health Organization delegates served the role of international observers to monitor the proceedings of the committee. World Health Organization played the role of Non Governmental Organization in this Assembly and was responsible for providing information regarding the political, economic, humanitarian and cultural climate present in the member countries present. These bodies give recommendations which serve to provide solutions to global issues and in this case the spread of the AIDS epidemic. The World Health Organization had the right to vote, make procedural motions, they were permitted to speak before the assembly and at the same time the delegates were signatories for the assembly (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). The state actors worked with the World Health Organization delegates in fostering the spirit of cooperation. The recommendations made by the state actors or delegates were as valid as those made by the World Health Organization delegates and each player ensured that every party’s perspective was considered. Question 3 This simulation employed the principles of international negotiations. According to Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey (2010), negotiations can be complex particularly when the topic being negotiated is of such a magnitude. Most international negotiations; this simulation included rarely have a win-win or win-lose outcome (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). There was uncertainty regarding some aspects of this negotiation. The delegates had the difficult role of learning the perceptions of the different parties during the negotiations. The interaction between the members was possibly conflicting and it was up to the skilled negotiators to mediate. The structure of this negotiation shaped the strategy. For example, the presence of the state delegates dictated that issue to be resolved had to be discussed at length and each delegate from the member state’s opinion sought and considered before reaching a resolution. The diversity of the contexts from which the delegates originated dictated different resolutions for different contexts but the underlying structure remained similar (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). This structure is what shaped the strategy to be employed. According to Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey (2010), international negotiation systems are in most cases complex and strategies that focus on simple negotiations fails in most cases as the resolutions are neither simplistic nor static. The negotiation tactic employed related to the topic of discussion and the delegates each applied internationally approved instruments relating to the topic of AIDS spread and alleviation. When a delegate gained the general support of the committees, a resolution was reached. Consensus was facilitated when the delegate mentioned a past and acknowledged principle that was used to guide a conduct or decision. A decision was considered reinforced when the application of a global convention regarding a similar matter was applied (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). Question 4 In this simulation there were two level games played whereby both the state and non state actors after consideration of the opinion and concerns of the states and organizations they represented made certain decisions. For example, the state delegate for Tanzania expressed the concern of his state regarding the current state of the support and treatment centers for patient with AIDS in the town of Arusha. The United Nations representative acknowledged this fact and the complexity of the issue as well as the gaps that exist in the funding of facilities in the region were addressed. The delegate expressed that his government had concerns regarding funds allocated for the running these facilities. It was imperative that the committee addressed the delegate’s concern making it possible for him to provide his government with feedback. On the other hand, World Health Organization delegates explained the reason for the condition of the Tanzanian health facilities. Issues to due with misuse of funds by government bodies were raised to explain the condition of the facilities in the country of interest. Overall, there were negotiations and some compromises were made. Member states and non states had voting rights and their representatives within the committee forwarded their concerns and tried to resolve them cooperatively at an international level (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). Question 5 The outcomes of this conference were determined by the rational self interests (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). This was expressed by the delegates acting on behalf of either their states or organizations. The state delegates furthered their agendas regarding the policies, funding and opportunities they were campaigning for. On the other hand, the non state players consisting of the non governmental organizations and the pharmaceutical corporations sought to push for their agendas. World Health Organization for example championed the need for cooperative working between the states and the organization in facilitating healthcare for people with AIDS. There was strategic planning whereby the organization funding and the pharmaceutical companies used the existing structure to shape the strategies (Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey, 2010). There was the need for existing infrastructure to enable the funding agencies and non governmental organizations to direct resources to the states whose delegates were present in the conference. Pharmaceutical corporations present also strategized so as to maximize their profits. Generally, there were calls for cooperation between states and non states mainly as a strategy to achieve individual rather than collective goals. According to Starkey, Boyer, Wilkenfeld, & Starkey (2010), cultural factors and diversity also affected the negotiation outcomes. Culture plays a role in shaping the foreign policy of a country and as such a significant determinant of the conference’s outcome. The cultural context of the states shaped the policies in place regarding the management of HIV/AIDS and as such, these determined the perceived needs in terms of infrastructure, educational policies and strategies. References Starkey, B., Boyer, M. A., Wilkenfeld, J., & Starkey, B. (2010). International negotiation in a complex world. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Read More