Delegation Anticipation – Interview with delegates regarding GA Issue #1

“Disinformation” is characterized by the Oxford Dictionary as: “false information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media” (Oxford Dictionary). The question of the spread of disinformation through social media and its effects on minors is a significantly relevant issue that must be addressed, especially due to a recent increase in the use of social media by younger generations. In a recent study, conducted by Gallup, it was found that 51% of male U.S. teenagers spent a minimum of four hours on social media per day. It was also deduced that female teenagers spend nearly one-hour more on social media daily than their male counterparts (Adgate, “Gallup: Teens Spend More Time On Social Media Than On Homework”). This large and repeated exposure to the media increases the chances of youth receiving disinformation and thus being affected by it. The IMUN Press team interviewed the delegates of Palestine, United Kingdom, Israel and Russia to further discuss the issue and what each delegate claimed their goals and expectation towards the debate to be.

Upon being asked about the relevancy and importance of this particular agenda issue, while all delegates agreed that it is definitely a topic that should be discussed, they differed in their explanations as to why that is. To begin, the delegates of the UK and Israel both claimed the issue to be important due to the nature of today's lifestyle and the increased use of social media by younger generations. The delegation of Israel said themselves that as communication “expands through social media – which once you put it out you can never fully take it back – it becomes much more serious”. It can be said that both these delegations intend to discuss the effect that disinformation has on youth and eliminate these harmful means of communication. Additionally, the delegate of the UK aptly stated that this issue connects to the topic of political extremism, an issue that is also discussed in this IMUN conference and becoming more importance in these times. On the contrary, delegations of Palestine and Russia take a more targeted approach towards the issue. As for Russia, the delegate claimed that “disinformation has an important role to play” in the country´s policy, which should be considered in the debate. For Palestine, the importance of this issue lies within it “suffering from a lot of disinformation from Israel or from news outlets in regards to the war between Israel and Gaza”, as the delegate phrased.

In terms of the expectations that each delegate holds for the upcoming debate, it was universally agreed that each delegation looked forward to an interesting, lively and productive debate. In particular, the delegate of the UK specified the need for asking “adequate questions, understanding the terms, motions” and making sure clauses “don´t contradict their country´s position”.

Each delegate was also asked for what their hopes for the debate was. For Palestine, the delegation aims to eliminate disinformation and protect freedom of speech.  In turn, the same delegate felt that the Israeli government is an avid user of malicious disinformation as it intends to limit press and criticism of its own government.  This foreshadowing of opposing views reveals the nature of IMUN in being a microcosm for real-life international disputes.

Additionally, each delegate was asked to iterate other delegations which seemed to share the same stances on the issue of disinformation and its effect on youth. The delegate of Russia claimed to find allies within BRICS members (being Brazil, India, China and South Africa) and Qatar and Columbia, who collaborated with the delegate in submitting their resolution. Predictably, Russia's oppositions on the issue lies within NATO member nations, particularly the United States, France and the UK. Israel also agreed with this, claiming their adversaries to be Western European countries, such as Germany and the UK. As for those with similar views, the delegate found that discussing with both France and Afghanistan allowed for the delegate to listen and incorporate two opposing political views to reach a mediative resolution.

When asked how certain delegates aim to navigate differences between other member states, the Israeli delegation claimed to wanting to find a consensus on the issue. The delegate’s strategy was to find a basis for an alliance and “build it from there”, referring to possible resolutions. On the other hand, the delegate of Russia states that due to its country´s policy and perspectives it plans to navigate differences “carelessly” with the intention to try and persuade other delegates into agreeing with them.

Works Cited

Adgate, Brad. "Gallup: Teens Spend More Time On Social Media Than On Homework." Gallup, 18 Oct. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2023/10/18/gallup-teens-spend-more-time-on-social-media-than-on-homework/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.