• Peter De Grassi

1. Background

Genetically Modified Foods, or GMF, are a new and useful item for our world. They are labeled as a manipulation to a crops genetic make-up to change or enhance its characteristics. In the 1980’s, a discovery was made to change ones DNA and this was called GMP or the genetic modification process. In 1983, the first plant, a tobacco plant, was modified to be resistant to anti-biotic and was a success. These crops were a huge success with many. In 2004, it was recorded that almost 8.5 million farmers around in 18 countries have started growing these crops. Soybeans, maize, cotton and canola take most of the market of genetically modified foods. Even though they are useful, they are sometimes harmful to those who digest them. Their have been cases where people were severely injured by these products. With theses problems many have made progress in making these food items more safe. Many protocols such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity or the Biodiversity protocol have helped with making genetically modified foods safer to consume. Some of the ways these protocols help with the problems is they regulate and ensure the safe passing of genetically modified foods around the world and also make sure people check these foods. People such as the FAO and the UN have also helped with this problem and have put in great efforts to neutralizing the problems of GMF’s.

II. UN Involvement

One of the main participators in cleaning up some of the genetically modified foods problems is the United Nations. The UN has put efforts in making genetically modified foods more safe for people to grow and eat. The UN has created a protocol called the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity which is an international agreement that wants to create a more safe process of handling and giving living modified foods around the world. Also many people have wanted a protocol for helping with bulk shipments of genetically modified foods and living modified foods to create a more safe and easier way to ship these foods. With these protocols the UN believes it will keep a more secure market for genetically modified foods and less injuries will happen because of this. The UN has also created some International organizations to help with this dilemma. Some of these are the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Health Organizations (WHO) and the World Food Program (WFP). These organizations help around the world with the supplies they have and also with the members around the world. With the help of the UN and its organizations, they believe they can create a more protected market for people around the world.

III. Country Policy

Qatar has done as much as they can for the situation they have in their country. Qatar has created a labeling system which tells customers if an item is a genetically modified food or not. Qatar believes this will help its customer to chose natural foods or GMOs. Qatar has joined the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity and believes this will also help with the problems and effects of GMOs. They also created the Biodiversity protocol which promotes safety of international trading of GMOs and also the carrying of these items. With all these protocols Qatar believes this will stop fatal injuries and the death of some of its citizens. With the help of the UN with Qatar, Qatar believes they will create a safer environment for their citizens. They have created some possible solutions to stop this problem.

First Qatar believes we should, make a treaty to ensure that there are no possible chemicals in these foods that could harm our people and have these countries check for those chemicals. Next we should also check for these chemicals in shipping items to make sure they didn’t catch and diseases or bugs while being shipped. Check new modification towards food and have beta testing to ensure that are no side effects to these modifications to make sure they do not harm our people. With these solution this will guarantee the safety of our people.

Work Cited

“Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?”Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

“History of Genetically Modified Foods.”History of Genetically Modified Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

“UN Announces New Measures to Boost Safety in Trade of Genetically Modified Organisms.”UN News Center. UN, 27 Feb. 2004. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

“UN Announces New Measures to Boost Safety in Trade of Genetically Modified Organisms.”UN News Center. UN, 27 Feb. 2004. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Peter De Grassi

Who (adv) Qatar

Laguna Hills High School 2014

Position Paper

I. Background

Organ trade, like genetically modified food, is a good thing but also a bad thing. Organ trade is defined as the trading of organs illegally between two people for money or profit. The number of donors increased from 196,000 to 382,000 in the span of 9 years across the globe. The ESKF cost around 32.5 billion dollars a year which 6.5% of the health care market. The first successful transplant was a kidney which happened in Boston in 1954. This transplant was from a healthy twin to his very sick brother who needed it badly. In organ trade, there are 3 categories of trafficking of organs and firsts without the persons knowledge. Secondly is when people are tricked into giving their organs to other people and do not get anything in return And lastly people give up their organs for money but don’t get the money they were promised. With in these categories are many other ways of doing it but these are the main way. For the past years, many people have been stripped of their organs illegally or stripped from dead bodies. With all these ways it hard to solve this with just one solution. We need many different aspects of help to close this problem in all different regions. Some will need to donate money or get volunteers and also we must make new laws to stop this problem. With these problems many have stepped up to help with it. The UN has done a big part and a whole bunch of IGOs have also.

II. UN Involvement

The UN has many ideas to stop this problem of organ trafficking and are willing to help countries with the problems. The UN has also got help from some of its IGOs such as the WHO and the COFS. These organization are willing to donate volunteers to help with the problem. They are many more local organization that are also helping. The Un first believe that we should make a protocol to suppress and further punish people who traffic these organs. With this it will keep offenders of this in jail and will almost like a scare tactic for others. Some more organizations are the CPDC and also the European Committee of Crime problems. These will help in solving the crime of this and also helping with the imprisonment of the offenders. The UN has helped exponentially with America and most of South America to stop this in their region. Their are willing to spread out after that to many other countries to help them with their problems

III. Country Profile

Qatar has worked with the coalition for Organ-failure system or COFS which is a non profit organization trying to stop the trafficking of organs. Qatar is also getting help form the World Health Organization or WHO which is providing volunteers for them. Qatar has also made some laws in organ donors to fill out more paper slips and more precaution in the surgeries. They have also made some special hospitals for organ donors to go to so they wont go to these cons who will take their organs. While Qatar has other problems, they are still putting in their best efforts on this dilemma.

Some possible solutions for this problem is to make rehabilitation centers for people affected by their organs being trafficked or their organ being “stolen”. This will help bringing them back to health and also get them back on their feet. Another idea is to make specialized hospitals for organs donors where they will not be tricked into giving their organs away. They will also have secure areas for the organs to be shipped and to be held and kept clean and in good condition.

Works Cited

“Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?”Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

“Human Trafficking for Organ Removal: Evidence from Egypt by Debra Budiani-Saberi.”Rights Work Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

“The Human Trafficking Project: Organ Trafficking: A Fast-Expanding Black Market.”The Human Trafficking Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.

“Trafficking for Organ Trade.”Trafficking for Organ Trade. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.