Special Session on Terrorism
Topic Summary
Delegates will participate in the UN General Assembly Special Session on Terrorism where they will address evolving challenges posed by terrorist organizations and the international community’s response to violent extremism. In the October session, delegates will examine terrorist recruitment strategies in developing nations and explore how governments can strengthen prevention efforts to reduce terrorist membership. In the December session, delegates will examine the role of state sovereignty in responding to terrorism and consider when international intervention is necessary and justified. Delegates will work together to develop comprehensive strategies to combat terrorism prioritizing balancing international law and state sovereignty.
Dear Delegates,
Welcome one and all to HMUN Online 2027! My name is Emily Chen, and I am a junior in Eliot House at Harvard College studying Economics and Neuroscience. I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and I am incredibly excited to serve as your Director for the Special Session on Terrorism!
I first discovered Model United Nations in grade nine after getting involved in debate and public speaking as a way to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I quickly fell in love with MUN’s unique combination of research, diplomacy, strategy, collaboration, and public speaking. Since then, I have stayed deeply involved in the activity, serving as President of my high school MUN club and continuing at Harvard as a member of the travelling Intercollegiate Model United Nations team. I currently serve as the Secretary-General of HMUN China 2027, Under-Secretary-General of Operations for HNMUN 2027, and a Board Member on the IRC Board of Directors, and I previously served as the founding Secretary-General of HMUN Canada 2026 and Director-General of HMUN China 2026.
This year, our committee will travel back to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, a pivotal moment in the history of European imperialism and the partition of Africa. Delegates will navigate competing political, economic, and strategic interests while confronting broader questions of sovereignty, trade, territorial control, and colonial expansion. At the same time, I encourage you to remain mindful of the profound imbalance of power at the heart of the conference and the exclusion of African voices from decisions that would shape the continent for generations. Additionally, given the subject matter, I ask all delegates to approach committee with maturity, sensitivity, and respect. Historical simulation should encourage us to critically examine the ideologies and systems that shaped the period without reproducing racist or dehumanizing rhetoric.
Throughout the weekend, I hope you will research deeply, negotiate creatively, listen actively, and collaborate openly. Whether this is your first conference or your tenth, your perspective matters, and your voice has power. I cannot wait to meet you all and see the ideas, diplomacy, and energy you bring to committee.
Sincerely,
Emily Chen
Director for the Special Session on Technology
Harvard College Class of 2028