Topic Summary

The Human Genome Project once taught us how to read DNA. Now, the Genesis Initiative, a multi-billion dollar project funded by a global consortium of states and private investors, has taught us how to rewrite it. This initiative has produced an AI tool that predicts the effects of gene edits with terrifying accuracy, removing the risk factor that was previously holding back gene editing. While somatic editing (fixing genes in one person) is already being used to cure diseases, this new AI tool has made germline editing (changing the DNA of future children) a reality.

Because this project was funded by a mix of private wealth and powerful nations, there is no agreement on who "owns" it. This committee must step in to create a global rulebook. We must decide: Is this tool a "global public good" that should be free for every country to use, or is it a private invention? Delegates must find a way to stop designer babies and genetic inequality without slowing down the medical miracles that could save millions of lives.

Director’s Letter

Dear Delegates,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Commission on the Governance of Gene Editing Technologies in Global Health for the 2027 session of Harvard National Model United Nations! I am excited and honored to serve as your director and I look forward to meeting you all and getting to see your problem-solving skills in action as you take on this exciting committee.

My name is Olivia Lunseth. I am a rising junior living in Cabot House, and I study Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology as well as Global Health. I am on the pre-med track and I plan to apply to medical school in the spring of 2027. Model UN came into my life freshman year of college when I attended the fall club fair and signed up! I am from a small town called Negaunee in Northern Michigan and my high school never has a Model UN program, so I was excited to get involved. I ended up being assistant director for the press corps at HNMUN that year and then last year, at HMUN, I was an assistant director for the Futuristic Economic and Social Council. These were both incredibly rewarding experiences for me, so I wanted to expand my involvement and become a director this year.

I wanted to direct a committee on gene editing because it is an emerging technology with enormous potential to transform global health, while also raising complex ethical, political, and economic questions for the international community. As delegates, you will grapple with balancing scientific innovation, equitable access to healthcare, and the risks of misuse in a rapidly evolving field that could shape the future of medicine and international governance for decades to come.

Aside from Model UN, I enjoy running and work as a run leader for the Harvard Wellness Center. This spring, I also ran the Boston Marathon in support of the Phillips Brooks House Association’s Summer Urban Program, which serves local communities and underfunded neighborhoods. This upcoming fall, I will serve as co-chair of An Evening With Champions, an annual figure skating show that raises funds for the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s adult and pediatric cancer research fund. I am also on the academics committee for Harvard Undergraduate Women in Medicine, where I enjoy helping connect other pre-med students with opportunities through our committee. In addition, I write for the Harvard Independent and work as a page at Houghton Library. This summer, I will be staying on Harvard’s campus to work as a proctor for the summer school program. I also plan to study for the MCAT and, hopefully, shadow surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital.

I am excited to support you throughout every stage of this committee, from your initial preparation to our final moments in session. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas along the way. I look forward to meeting each of you and seeing the creativity, diplomacy, and collaboration you bring to committee this February!

Sincerely,

Olivia Lunseth

Director, UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development

ecosoc@hnmun.org