In the precincts of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, student representatives
from 46 countries assembled to participate in the Asia-Pacific
International Model United Nations (APMUN) event. At the inaugural on
20 September 2012, Prof. Said Irandoust, President of the Asian
Institute of Technology (AIT) remarked that planet earth was no longer
silent, and it was shouting louder about interdependence of every
human, including that of the next generation. Planet earth is shouting
that “there is no longer any credible pursuit of happiness if it is not
the happiness of every child, every woman, every man on Earth. To
understand and to act on our common destiny is the main ethical must of
every responsible person,” he averred.
The AIT President stated that AIT is proud and honored to have taken
the lead in creating the first Asia-Pacific International Model United
Nations Conference at University level. The purpose is to provide such
a privileged atrium of consultation and debate on the culturally
diverse aspirations of young leaders of the world, he said. President
Irandoust added that the timing of the event is auspicious since this
is the first major such event being convened under AIT’s status as an
international intergovernmental organization. “We are delighted that
Cambodia is the latest country to ratify AIT’s new charter, aside from
Japan, Sweden, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and
Vietnam,” he said.
Mr. Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional
Representative for Asia and the Pacific spoke about the impending food
availability crisis. We live in one world, on one planet and share the
same earth, water and atmosphere. Yet one in every seven suffers from
lack of nutrition. One billion suffer from lack of food, while another
billion are overweight. Mr. Konuma remarked that food production will
have to be increased by 60 per cent in order to feed the estimated 9.2
billion population by 2050.
Addressing the young delegates, Mr. Shun-ichi Murata, Deputy Executive
Secretary, ESCAP remarked that the genesis of conflict is often based
on disparities. Youngsters can be catalysts of change. Welcoming the
delegates on behalf of the Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Noeleen
Heyzer, Mr. Murata described participants as “leaders of the future.”
Mr. Abramo A. Chabib of AIT, who was the Master of Ceremonies,
described APMUN as an experimental laboratory to prepare youngsters for
the next level of decision making. According to Dr. Sandro Calvani,
ARCMDG Director and the leading force behind the event, “APMUN ( http://www.asiapacificmun.org/ ) has
been established in order to offer students the unique opportunity to
experience first-hand the practical application of what they have been
learning in their higher education in international affairs. Often
students do not understand or do not get the feelings of how the
government leaders perform when they meet in institutional
consultations on global public goods”.
H.E. Mr. Kesang Wangdi, Ambassador of Bhutan to Thailand, also graced
the occasion.
The speech delivered by the AIT President can be read at this link.
Photographs from the event can be viewed at these links:
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