Novice United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD)

Committee Profile

The UNCSTD covers science, technology, and development all in one committee. In Novice UNCSTD, we’ll be tackling pertinent technological advancements like artificial intelligence and environmental technologies and making sure that they benefit our planet. Artificial intelligence in particular is tricky to balance, as it can supplement human work but also disadvantage workers in certain industries. Journalism and creatives in general are one such field that is placed in harm's way due to the increasing use of AI. Within the committee, delegates will attempt to alleviate this issue and ensure that journalistic work is protected and not exploited or replaced. Additionally, the increased use of technology to make certain processes more environmentally friendly has been a major helping point to making the planet green. However, countries with less economic resources often fall behind in the implementation of such technologies. How do we make sure the green technology revolution is equitable? That’s up to delegates to decide, using creative and technologically innovative ideas. In all, Novice UNCSTD is a committee and space to discuss the intersections of technology and global equity. As the world advances, it’s important to make sure no one group, country, or space is left behind.

Chair Letter

Dear Delegates,

My name is Lori Garavartanian and I will be your chair for the Novice UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development. I am a junior at UCLA majoring in Political Science and applied linguistics. I’m interested in topics like law, journalism, international relations, and sports marketing!

I’ve been taking part in MUN since I was in 8th grade. I’ve competed in committees that I didn’t even know existed and topics I thought were fringe and obscure. Navigating these issues and meeting students from all over the state or country made Model UN challenging and interesting for me. Thinking about global conflicts and understanding how the United Nations worked was helpful in sorting out my interests and wondering how I can effectively make an impact. I’ve been part of MUN at UCLA since the first quarter of my freshman year. I also serve as a delegate on our travel team. So while I may be a chair now, I’m in all your positions multiple times a year.

UNCSTD is the United Nations agency that is responsible for understanding scientific and technological innovation and implementing it to aid with development. It is the forum that helps ask questions about changing technology and how that impacts communities globally. Some of the issues raised include the governance and use of frontier technologies, the Internet, and artificial intelligence. The CSTD is also an open platform where proposals, ideas, and intellectual thought can be propelled towards tangible policy change. The forum allows member states, as well as other actors in the science, technology, and development space, to collaborate and come up with innovative solutions. As part of a generation highly in tune with technological advances, use your creativity to consider how the technology in your everyday life has the potential to impact the way the world develops.

Allow yourselves to consider what a technologically advanced future can look like if we funnel technology and science into certain fields and avenues. I encourage you to think out of the box and consider questions about sustainability and global development that have never been pondered before. I look forward to hearing all the interesting solutions and discussions you’ll bring forth!

Welcome to UNCSTD!

Lori Garavartanian | Chair | BruinMUN 31

uncstd@bruinmun.org