It is my goal to make DISEC at HMUN 2012 the best committee you have and will ever be in. I want you to have so much fun that you will brag to your teammates after committee about how fast time is flying by. I want you to have so much fun that you will be stalking the HMUN DISEC 2012 Facebook group page months after the conference is over. I want you to have so much fun that you will consider persuading our Secretary General, Hunter Richard to extend HMUN 2012 indefinitely. Model UN has given me so much and there is nothing I want more than for you all to experience the things I love so much about Model UN.
At Harvard I am actively involved in all aspects of Model UN – the high school conference, the collegiate conference and the traveling team. However, like all of us, there is more (but not much more) to me than MUN. Next year, I will be a sophomore government major with a secondary in East Asian Studies. In the summer of 2011, I will be studying at National Taiwan University to continue my recovery of the Chinese language. Other random things about me are that I know all the words to Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock,” I am an advocate of wearing sunglasses indoors and that I am the subject of a popular meme in the Harvard traveling MUN team.

I look forward to meeting you all in January!

Warm Regards,

Tim Tsai

Email Tim at: disec@harvardmun.org

As the world relies more and more on the internet for their political and economic infrastructure, cyberspace has evolved as an avenue for international cooperation for the common good and as a new frontier for warfare. The U.N. Charter states that a nation cannot use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any other nation. However, there is no international consensus for whether or not attacks made in cyberspace can be considered an act of conventional aggression.

Today, both sovereign countries and independent actors are increasingly utilizing cyberspace to carry out attacks on cyber infrastructure and to gain information from foreign powers. The reason for this trend is that cyber-attacks can be initiated inexpensively and that the origin of a cyber-attack is difficult to determine. This gives aggressors a means to carry out their objectives efficiently and covertly. However this also brings up the question of the differences between actions taken by state actors and individual actors. If a hacker cell steals intelligence from another country, is it considered a state-backed cyber terrorism or independent cybercrime?

Where countries were once hesitant to attack another country for fear of retaliation, cyber-attacks provides for a covert method of instigating conflict between parties.
Nations around the world now recognize that cyberspace is the new battleground. After land, sea, air and space, military organizations, state and non-state actors are on the brink of implementing what will become the new hybrid wars on all fronts. #Nevertheless no one can comprehend what lies ahead for the offensive and defensive use of cyber weapons. Aside from a number of minor scrimmages, cyberwar and the full potential of a cyberattacks have yet to be seen.

This purpose of this topic is to shed light on a new dimension of international security. While conventional and ballistic weaponry still pose a great threat to the world, the ambiguity of the potential destruction of cyber warfare highlights the need for international regulation and cooperation. As world continues to rely on new technologies and the internet, there has not been a more crucial time to discuss the future of intellectual property, national sovereignty and cyber security. Developed or undeveloped, each nation has a stake in securing cyberspace for safe and constructive purposes. Look at your nation’s specific policies on the future of the internet and cyber warfare for debate.

According to the Federation of American Scientists, Biological weapons are those that deliver toxins and microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, so as to deliberately inflict disease among people, animals, and agriculture.# Biological attacks can result in destruction of crops, temporarily discomforting a small community, killing large numbers of people, or other outcomes. In many ways, biological weapons are more dangerous and cost effective than both chemical and nuclear weaponry. The potential for infection and the transfer of disease can cripple entire cities if biological weapons are used. As such, the potential threat of biological weapons is still very relevant for international community to address today.

In 1972, the large majority of the world signed the Biological Weapons Convention, which illegalized the production, stockpiling and offensive use of biological weaponry. However much like the situation regarding nuclear weapons, some independent terrorist groups or even sovereign nations are still covertly pursuing the production of biological weapons. Recent scientific breakthroughs in biotechnology have made it easier to develop dangerous viruses, bacteria, and toxins with fewer resources. This has increased concerns that individuals and groups could resort to bioterrorism to attack a population.#
In 2001, letters containing anti-American sentiments and lethal anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and two Democratic U.S. Senators, killing five people and infecting 17 others.# Occurring a few days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Amerithrax crisis revealed that biological terrorism is still a grave threat to international security. This incident also proved biological terrorism is not always in the form of intercontinental ballistic missiles, as commonly perceived. Rather, something as simple as mailing toxic letters can be effective at fulfilling the malicious intentions of terrorists.
While nuclear terrorism is more salient in today’s conception of disarmament and international security, biological terrorism is more feasible while having the same devastating results. This topic will be focused on developing new ideas on counterterrorist tactics that can be implemented worldwide. Looking at the scientific, political, social, and economic facets of this issue is imperative in creating a comprehensive solution that can curb and eventually prevent biological terrorism and the pursuit of biological weaponry.