Despite these negatives, the pandemic has firmly shown us that human existence is characterized by resilience – the ability to evolve, thrive and adapt in harsh conditions. Today, the pandemic has caused more deaths than World War II. The United Nations was founded on the premise of preventing such death and destruction in the future. Therefore, the UN and the Youth and Health Commission as a specialized agency have a major role to play in returning the world to a more stable state. Thus, DAIMUN has incorporated the Youth and Health Commission (YHC) for the very first time to showcase this very spirit of resilience. With its emphasis on humanitarian issues pertaining to youth and health, the YHC’s role is as diverse as it is essential for resolving these issues.

The YHC addresses an array of agendas which come together to fully encompass its mandate, providing delegates with a unique, wholesome experience in committee. Our first agenda, “Measures to address the conditions and effectiveness of juvenile incarceration”, focuses on the poor conditions that juveniles are forced to serve their sentences in and their consequences. The UNICEF estimates that there are more than 1 million children behind bars, subjected to abuse and without any proper healthcare or education. Hence, it is imperative that comprehensive reforms are implemented to improve the effectiveness of juvenile justice systems. It is the YHC’s responsibility to catalyze change and galvanize the global community to solve this pressing humanitarian problem.

Our second agenda is, ‘Measures to mitigate the supply of counterfeit medicines in conflict-ridden areas’. The issue of counterfeit medicine has been severely exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic due to the increased demand for medicinal supplies. Counterfeiters are blatantly trying to benefit from the desperate demand for critical drugs such as chloroquine, vaccines and Remdesivir by selling falsified versions. In fact, INTERPOL has reported that the supply of counterfeited chloroquine rose by over 100% during the pandemic. With this in mind, it is imperative that Member States work in unison to prevent the supply of counterfeit drugs.

The third agenda is "Strengthening measures to prevent human organ trade". With the increasing demand for organ transplant worldwide, there is an unprecedented need for organ donors. A black market has developed where illegal and forceful trading of vital organs takes place every day. The legacy and act of transplantation must not target impoverished humans and make them victims of organ trafficking but rather be a celebration of better health worldwide. An exponential rise in illegal organ trade cases in recent years has drawn policy makers' attention to this pressing issue, which is at the forefront of medical ethics. Hence, it is the responsibility of the YHC to take appropriate action to counter this rise.

I, the President of the YHC, joined by my Deputies Mudit Baid and Diya Shah take great pleasure in inviting you to join us in making history at the first-ever session of the YHC at DAIMUN 2021, promised to be filled with enthralling debate and high-quality paperwork.