International Organization for Migration

 
 

Topic A: Countering Migrant Smuggling

Topic B: Preventing Human Trafficking

Smuggling and human trafficking are two of the most significant crimes relating to the migration: both acts open up a variety of avenues for individual exploitation, amongst a variety of other human rights violations. The protection against and prevention of both crimes are in dire need to be reassessed by the International Organization for Migration, as past efforts have been insufficient in stopping these issues. However, any adequate solution to the issues of smuggling or human trafficking must be incredibly nuanced, taking into consideration the issue of national sovereignty and the varied resources available to nations across the globe. Delegates in the International Organization for Migration will tackle these issues, amongst others, to make progress to resolving these pressing crimes facing migration in an era of dramatic migration and political unrest.

 

Dear Delegates,

Hello and welcome to the International Organization for Migration! My name is Fayyaz Razi and I am thrilled to be your Director. Over the course of the HMUN weekend, you will be acting as member states of the IOM. You will be discussing two different forms of illegal migration: smuggling and human trafficking, both incredibly complex topics that involve the consideration of migrants, crime networks, and human rights. Considering the last decade of unrest and dramatic migration, it is an incredibly significant time for the IOM to address migrant smuggling and trafficking to ensure that the process can be made safer, fairer, and less criminally connected.

For a little bit about myself, I am a current sophomore at Harvard concentrating in Government with a secondary in Astrophysics. I am currently a member of Harvard’s Intercollegiate Model UN Team and served as an assistant director for the 2024 iterations of HMUN and HNMUN. This year, aside from serving as your director in this committee for HMUN, I will also be a director for HMUN Dubai, HMUN Australia, and HNMUN! I am very excited to use the skills and experience I have gained from my time in Model UN to make this committee exciting and educational for all of you, and I am also grateful for the opportunity to learn from each of you as a result. Aside from Model UN, I am a part of the Harvard Association for U.S.-China Relations and am a member of the Harvard Association for Cultivating Inter-American Democracy. I am extremely interested in international relations and the role U.S. foreign policy plays in shaping global discourse, and want to work in a similar area in the future. In my free time, I really enjoy playing pickleball recreationally, traveling, and watching investigative documentaries on YouTube.

During committee, I look forward to seeing your creative and collaborative solutions to the dual issues of smuggling and human trafficking—whether it be through detailed resolutions or fun and creative speeches. As your committee chair, I aim to create a fun and collaborative atmosphere that I hope you will enjoy. I look forward to meeting each of you and exploring these critical issues together! I am excited to delve into these topics with you and see what creative, cooperative solutions you come up with as a team. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email.

All the best,

Fayyaz Razi

Director, International Organization for Migration

iom@harvardmun.org

Harvard Model United Nations 2025