On Wednesday the 12^th of October, all the members of the team as well as the translation team attended a press conference aimed at “Young reporters at the UN”. It consisted of advice and explanations given by professional journalists to help us young journalists participate in press conferences: some tips for writing an article, what sort of questions we could ask, amongst other useful things. This information will help us during the two subsequent press conferences we will attend this year. Three journalists spoke. First, we listened to Gunilla von Hall, the Genevan correspondent for a Swedish newspaper. Gunilla is often on the move, she writes about all conflicts involving the UN and she is currently in the field, in the heart of the action. Notably, she has been to Iraq, Columbia, Rwanda, Iran and Greece. She covers mostly terrorism, refugees and war. For her, a good journalist must always maintain a certain distance from what they witness, and must not be too personally involved.

Next, Laurent Sierro, UN correspondent for Swiss Telegraphic Agency took over. The purpose of a press agency is to publish raw information as fast as possible so different media can then publish it. But with the rise of the internet, every second counts and they have to be as quick as possible when releasing news. Verifying the accuracy of swiftly changing information has become a priority for them. For our press conferences, Laurent recommends we remain critical, and to check all information provided.

Finally, El Hadji Gorgui Wade Ndoye spoke. He created his own newspaper in Africa, called « Continent Premier »: he is at the same time journalist, editor-in-chief and the head of publishing. According to him, his mission is to show the world a different side of Africa, not the one we all know with AIDS, famine, etc. He wants the world to understand that Africa is not a country, but a continent made up of a multitude of culturally rich societies (54 countries). For him, a journalist must be free to write what they think, they must « be as objective as possible in expressing their subjectivity ».

Finally, we were able to ask questions to these journalists, who have all marked us a great deal. It emerged that a good journalist must always check their sources and that they must search within the superficial to find what is essential. The next press conference will focus on « Sport for Development and Social Cohesion »: it is time for us to read up on the subject to be able to ask relevant questions!

Lucile Brunel

Translation: James Cradden

Many migrants live in the deplorable conditions of the Calais « jungle » in northern France, waiting to be granted refugee status or to move to other countries. However, as Francois Hollande announced in September, the dismantling of this camp is planned for “the end of the year », leaving only a few weeks for the local authorities to find a home for roughly 8200 migrants. However, according to Jacques Toubon, former Minister of Justice, « the system for relocating and sheltering unaccompanied minors is yet to be operational ». Indeed, there are nearly 1,000 minors in the slum, of which the majority are unaccompanied. Since their age does not allow them to apply for asylum in France, they would instead be covered by child welfare, and those with family in the United Kingdom (between 20 and 25%) could be sent. According to Bernard Cazeneuve, « conditions allowing isolated minors to be sheltered in good conditions » are still the subject of debate among French decision makers. But the end of 2016 and therefore the complete dismantling of the « jungle » is fast approaching, and it becomes more than imperative to find a solution.

©Phillipe Huguen/AFP

On 19th October 2016, we participated to our first Youth Climate Dialogue with the Trinity College Nabbingo (Uganda) organized by UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research). Read the article

Following the successful drone ship landing of the Falcon 9 rocket earlier this year, Elon Musk detailed his company’s plan to launch a manned mission to Mars in his speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico last Tuesday.

Musk opened up his speech with his vision to “make Mars seem possible” and went on to say that it was a place where anybody could go if they wanted to – provided they have the money: the cost of sending someone to Mars is currently estimated to be around “10 billion dollars per person”. However, Musk said that there could be significant decrease in the price as time goes on because of the reusability of the spacecraft, in-orbit refueling and even propellant production on Mars itself, reducing the cost to less than $200,000 per person.

The “Interplanetary Transport System” includes a large, reusable booster powered by 42 Raptor engines that will fly a spaceship into Earth orbit, to be later refueled using the same booster. Elon Musk said that the spaceship alone is capable of liftoff on small celestial bodies – such as Mars.

Lucas Van Mol

INTERVIEW Maïlis Fontani, a 1^ère S student and chair of the WIPO 4 committee at Fermun 2017, shares with us her expectations for the conferences.

Did you take part in Fermun 2016? If so, what position did you have and what experience did it bring you? I was an “admin” during that conference, which allowed me to observe: I know what to expect from Fermun 2017.

Why did you choose to be a chair? I chose this position because I enjoy responsibility and facing up to challenges. I’ll learn how to manage new difficulties. I’m also going to Harlem as a delegate and I’m really excited about that too.

Which committee did you choose to chair? I didn’t really choose but I’m in WIPO 4 which is about health, a subject at the heart of study by other organisations such as WHO, WIPO and WTO. I really like the link between health and intellectual property and I’m focusing on how to provide broad access to healthcare while respecting the ownership rights of medical researchers. It’s a compelling paradox as disadvantaged people accessing healthcare can rarely pay for research. Other committees would’ve also interested me, such as the one centred one the rights of aboriginal peoples or the one on “Green technologies”.

Are you anxious about Fermun 2017? For the time being, not really, but maybe stress will come later. With Lucie, the other chair, we’re trying to make sure all the delegates are ready to make sure the conference goes smoothly.

Are you in contact with the foreign chairs on your committee? Well, there are only three chairs on my committee, of which two are from Ferney (Me, and Lucie, a Terminale) and a student from the French lycée in Madrid, Marcus. We’ve created a Facebook group to get to know each other. He’s very invested and has nearly finished his report. He’s working on the protection of patient data, while Lucie is preparing the thematic on medical counterfeiting. We’re a super team!

Are the delegates in your committee coming to you for advice a lot? No, generally speaking the delegates have been very independent while writing their TPG and they’ve not really asked many questions yet.

Are you happy with the quality of their TPG? Yes, they’re really very thorough, and the delegates have worked very seriously on them, even if there wasn’t any competition for each country as everyone wanted a different position. You can tell they’ve spent time on it and that’s a really great feeling. The Board have now attributed all the nations.

Finally, what are your expectations for Fermun 2017? I think it’s going to be a great conference like last year’s, it’s really super that WIPO are hosting us. The project of bringing people from Kenya is really brilliant and I’m really happy that there’ll be a party at the end of the conference. On top of that, I’m relieved that I’ve been assigned to a small committee, I think there will be a good vibe. I looking forward to discovering what resolutions we’ll end up taking!

Lucille  Brunel

Traduction: James Cradden

With the new year in swing, we’ve begun our preparations. The different committees are practicing their roles, discussing this year’s issues and beginning the long and arduous process required for a successful conference. With WIPO’s involvement this year, we’re cooking up a conference with intellectual property at its core; these issues are becoming more and more significant and they are especially important for young adults, who will live and work in a world shaped by these keys issues. With the democratisation of knowledge thanks to the world wide web, we are more than ever confronted with antiquated policies which no longer provide the protection required for creators or the freedom expected in our new era. We’ve put cutting edge issues at the forefront of this newest edition of our conference. Here’s hoping it’s a good one !

James Cradden