GOVERNING THE
HAITIAN ARMAMENT CRISIS
DISARMAMENT & INTERNATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE
As the Tournament of Champions General Assembly committee, DISEC marks a historic first: the iteration of a TOC-level General Assembly, created to redefine the limits of advanced multilateral diplomacy. DISEC at HarvardMUN Canada represents the pinnacle of the competitive Model United Nations circuit, bringing together the most accomplished delegates to operate in an environment defined by intensity, complexity, and consequence. Rooted in the mandate of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee, TOC DISEC reflects a world where global security is no longer governed by precedent alone, but by rapid technological change, strategic uncertainty, and increasingly fragile international norms.
Unlike a traditional security forum, DISEC at HarvardMUN Canada immerses delegates in a high-stakes decision-making environment where information is incomplete, trust is scarce, and every choice reverberates across the global order. Delegates will navigate deterrence, escalation, and cooperation at once, confronting threats that blur the boundaries between diplomacy, warfare, and emerging technology. Actions taken in this committee will reshape alliances, provoke rivalries, and redefine stability itself. Delegates are expected to think multiple moves ahead, exercise restraint under pressure, and balance national interest against the survival of the global order. This committee rewards strategic vision, disciplined negotiation, and decisive leadership at the highest level. DISEC offers a rare opportunity to participate in a defining experiment in elite diplomacy, where the future of international security is shaped not by theory, but by the caliber of those bold enough to lead.
TOPIC A: Preventing the Weaponization of Biotechnology
TOPIC B: Haiti’s Developmental Crisis and Violent Conflict
In partnership with the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute, the Best Delegates (Champions) of the TOC DISEC committee will win a six-week, volunteer internship with the CDA Institute over the summer.
Additionally, HarvardMUN Canada is honored to invite the CDA Institute’s Director of Scientific Research, Dr. Kevin Budning, to join the TOC DISEC committee as an honorary chair to provide his expertise into issues of national security and defence for delegates throughout debates and commitee sessions.
COMMITTEE DAIS
HONORARY CHAIR
Dr. Kevin Budning
Dr. Kevin Budning is a trusted advisor in the national security and defence communities, with over a decade of experiewnce spanning government, industry, and academia. He currently serves as the Director of Research and Programmes at the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute, where he helps guide the Institute’s strategic research agenda and partnership development.
Kevin has held key roles with the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) and Collins Aerospace, where he led research teams, conducted reviews of Canada’s intelligence community, and authored high-level analyses and briefings that informed federal decision-making. Dr. Budning holds a PhD from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
DIRECTOR
Maurits is a first-year student studying Government from Miami, Florida. He was born in the Netherlands to Cuban parents and has lived in the United States for the past ten years. At Harvard, Maurits is deeply involved in Model UN, serving as the Under-Secretary-General of Administration for HMUN Canada, a Director for HMUN Africa, and an Assistant Director for both HMUN and HNMUN. He is also a delegate on Harvard’s Intercollegiate Model UN team. Outside of MUN, Maurits is involved with Harvard Consulting on Business and the Environment and the Harvard Public Opinion Project. Beyond campus, he is the founder and chairman of Virtutem Populo, Miami’s largest student-led civic nonprofit organization. His favorite MUN memory is traveling to North Carolina with his team earlier this year.
Maurits Acosta
SENIOR AD
Erica Peng
JUNIOR AD
Kira Budilova
JUNIOR AD
Renyi Niu