United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 80 double DELEGATIONs

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) promotes peace and international cooperation through education, culture, science, and technology while working to preserve and strengthen the cultural foundations of each society. Topic A will address the increasing global threats facing cultural heritage sites, including those arising from interstate conflicts and irresponsible tourism. Delegates must approach this issue from multiple angles, considering transnational strategies to preserve and safeguard cultural heritage sites. Topic B will confront the growing commercialization and appropriation of indigenous art and culture, which has contributed to the theft of intellectual property and exploitation of indigenous communities. Delegates must discuss how to protect indigenous cultural expression from exploitation while creating frameworks that allow indigenous communities to maintain intellectual ownership of and economically benefit from their artistic and cultural heritage

Chairs: Catherine Hiemstra & Sophia Saccone

TOPICS

Topic A: Combating Global Threats to Cultural Heritage Sites

Topic B: Addressing the Commercialization of Indigenous Arts and Culture

About the chairs

Catherine Hiemstra (she/her) is in the class of 2027 in Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics with a minor in French. She is originally from Birmingham, Michigan. Catherine served as NAIMUN LXII’s Director of Philanthropy, chaired SOCHUM for NAIMUN LXIII, and is currently serving as the CEO of the Georgetown International Relations Association (GIRA)! She also competed in Model UN in high school (her retirement is going very well, thank you for asking). Catherine loves running (not really, but she does it anyway), exploring new coffee shops, reading, getting a late night snack, and watching movies. She can’t wait to chair UNESCO for her last NAIMUN. 

Sophia Saccone (she/her) is in the class of 2027 in Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics and minoring in both French and Theology & Religious Studies. She is from Carroll County, Maryland. This will be Sophia’s third year staffing NAIMUN, and second year co-chairing in GAs (the best organ). She is also involved in GIRA’s Model UN conference for middle schoolers, DistrictMUN, where she previously served as Director of Registration. Outside of MUN, Sophia loves hiking, trying new restaurants, pretending to be a good driver navigating the Georgetown streets., and playing sudoku (in the name of neuroplasticity and not procrastination, of course). She is so excited to chair UNESCO for her final NAIMUN!