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 Matthew Ruiz. I am a sophomore living in Pforzheimer House, and I double concentrate in Government and History, accompanied by a secondary in Spanish. I am from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. I am pre-law and I plan to go to law school after my undergraduate education. I started competing in Model UN in high school when many of my friends did Model UN and had lots of fun. I had a great time in high school, and have had a great time here at Harvard. Last year I staffed a lovely HNMUN committee in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It was a wonderful experience where I got to meet the great members of MUN and meet so many amazing people from all over the world. As such, 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 watching movies and building LEGO sets. I serve as the Oralist Captain of the Harvard Undergraduate Moot Court team, where we construct legal arguments that answer complex legal questions. I also am a huge fan of education and furthering the education of others. On my own, I am a private tutor, but I’m also a tutor with the Harvard Student Agencies. Whenever the opportunities to educate the youth present themselves to me, I find it hard to resist. Earlier this year I went to Istanbul to help teach middle schoolers on business and artificial intelligence. 

I am very 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 am very excited to meet each of you and see the creativity, diplomacy, and collaboration you bring to committee this February!

Sincerely, 

Matthew Ruiz

Director, UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development

ecosoc@hnmun.org