U.N. official opens conference

Comparing the United Nations to a "town meeting of the world," a U.N. official opened the 24th-annual Model United Nations Conference sponsored by the Univerity. During a 45-minute speech, John Washburn, the director of the Executive Office of the Secretary General focused on the current state of the U.N. as he addressed student delegates from over 60 universities. Much of his speech centered around the growing Perisan Gulf Crisis and the U.N.'s role in it. He said that unlike previous crises, the world in united in condeming the agression of Iraq. This, he concluded, will make the U.N. more effective than in the past. "This unanimity will make it easy for the Security Council to function. . . as it seeks to reach an aggreement and work the will of the world," Washburn said. He also added that the crisis will enable the U.N. to specifically decide on the regulation of peace-keeping forces. Currently, as the U.N. charter now exists, there are no specific provisions regulating the traditional forum of the peace-keeping forces. He added that they have traditionally be used only for defensive purposes, adding "is not a sword, but a shield." Washburn said a new enforcement force could be created which would be both an offensive and defensive force. This new peace keeping unit is provisioned in chapter seven of the U. N. charter, but has never been used. Washburn said that even if the the situation is resolved in the Gulf, the need for an enforcement force will likely be started in another area of conflict in the world. Washburn wrapped up his speech by wishing the delegates luck with their weekend-long session adding that he hopes they will experience "some of the frustrations, failures, the hopes and success," of the real U.N. Over 800 students are participating in the four-day conference at the Hershey Hotel, where students are expected to debate, argue and speak for the nation they represent. The conference is intended to give students a feel for international relations while providing them with an opporutnity to debate world issues. Delegates said after the speech that they were excited about the weekend adding that Washburn's speech gave them an added incentive to start the session.

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