Advisory Panel Continues Going Strong

By Natalie Boyle
If Thursday morning in the Advisory Panel got off to a bit of a slow start, Friday morning was the complete opposite with both the Political and Humanitarian groups diving into debate. Amendments flew in the Political division, with almost every speaker introducing an amendment. The debated clause concerned the promotion of tourism to aid in the economic growth of Kashmir. Debate time on this clause was actually extended an extra ten minutes because most of the time allocated for debate was actually spent debating various amendments. The addition of the hard copies of the debated resolutions contributed greatly to the quality of interaction. The Humanitarian group, which was unfortunately overlooked in Thursday’s report, was also a flurry of activity with amendments and speeches. “What will we do? Arrest them? Beat them? Then we are no better than the people who commit these atrocities. Two wrongs don’t make a right,” said the Advisor of the IMF, Kevin Obike, during a passionate speech asking for the striking of the word ‘mandatory’ from a clause. On a slightly lighter note, the UNDP Advisor, Lu Yangquan said, “ It’s like asking a nun to teach sex education,’ regarding freedom from bias while discussing a clause to raise awareness about different religions and cultures in Kashmir. The Plenary Session began a little later than planned, but with great success. The first question asked by the Advisor of the USA, Yang Junghwan, began with “Hello, Advisor of Pakistan,” which set a light-hearted but focused tone for most of the forum. Fast-paced debate ensued as amendments were raised, debated, and passed. Due to the highly polished nature of the clauses, the forum moved quickly through the causes passed by the Political committee. Though Advisors were reminded to stick to factual evidence, high-caliber debate continued. “The Forum is going very well. I’m very impressed with the advisors. This is the first year we’ve had an Advisory Panel, so I’m really impressed with the speed that they’re picking up on the debate and proposing amendments. The quality of debate is also impressive,” Haebin Kim, President of the APQK said. Kim, along with Deputy Presidents Kelvin Kwok, Andrew Sankar, and Hwa Young Jin are the devoted chairs leading the first Advisory Panel. Most of the Advisors will agree with what Peter Hung, Advisor of France, said concerning the forum: “It was constructive and fruitful.” The Forum was able to complete all the clauses submitted by the Political group before lunch, showing that the Advisors are working diligently to make this conference successful.