Economic and Social Council
Chairs: - Laura Grosack (lauraliz09@yahoo.com) - Reed Tso (reedtso@yahoo.com)
Topics: - Alternative Energy - Economic Situation in Latin America - Sustainable Development of Tourism
Download Chair Letter as: pdf doc
Hello delegates! My name is Laura Grosack and I will be one of your chairs for the ECOSOC Committee at UNYMUN 2009. I am a senior at Manlius Pebble Hill and I have been involved in Model United Nations for five years. This will be my seventh time chairing and I'm really looking forward to being a part of this committee. MUN has become a really important part of my life and I'm glad I have the chance to chair at my last conference. When not involved in MUN, my interests and activities include tennis, writing, music, good conversation, and Scrabble. MUN has taught me an ample amount about an array of issues so I fervently hope that the topics we have chosen for you will be both challenging and interesting. I look forward to a lively and worthwhile debate. Please do not hesitate to e-mail me with any questions or to simply say hello before the conference at lauraliz09@yahoo.com. I look forward to meeting all of you. Good luck!
My name is Reed Tso and I will be one of your chairs for ECOSOC this year. This is my first time chairing at any conference. I am currently a sophomore at Jamesville Dewitt High School. Besides MUN, I spend my time playing tennis on the varsity team and singing for the school's musical department. I hope that this year's committee will be full of interesting debate and great resolutions. If you have any questions or draft resolutions feel free to email them to me at reedtso@yahoo.com.
This committee will be run resolution-style, meaning resolutions should be prepared prior to the conference. Delegates should make about forty copies to bring to committee. In order to be considered for an award, a resolution must be submitted. Chairs will also accept position papers before or at the start of the committee session, but they are not required. In terms of awards, we are looking for delegates who are well-spoken, cooperative with delegates and chairs, and who maintain the policy of their nation throughout committee. It is essential that delegates are well prepared for the conference and demonstrate this in committee.
This year we will continue our poster contest, which will be taking entries as your school registers the day of the conference. For more information on the event and rules, please see the Important Information page.
Alternative Energy
Unfortunately, the high consumption of fossil fuels has led to the necessity for a new energy for the world to develop and utilize new alternative energies. The international community has already strived to create some alternative energy, as well as beginning to research other possible sources. However, the overall use of alternative fuel in today's world is <1%. Obviously, something needs to be changed.
Some energies have already been developed and are proven sources of alternative energy. These include wind energy, solar energy, hydro energy, ethanol, and hydrogen gas. These energies are trying to be used in today's world because of the detrimental effects fossil fuels have on the environment, as well as the hope to increase the overall efficiency of today's energies.
Research could also be conducted in order to give countries multiple choices to support a consistent energy. The research would have to include all the nations equally in order to ensure that both developing and first world nations have an equal advantage in using and creating an alternative energy. Any new energy introduced would have to be sustainable by the international community as well as environmentally safe.
A majority of nations are depending too heavily on fossil fuels. The balance toward relying on fossil fuels as an energy source needs to shift toward alternative energy. Even though the United Nations has brushed upon this topic in the past, nations need to understand the need to change.
Questions to Consider
What should the U.N. do to continue alternative energy production? How should the U.N. approach alternative energy in regards to the fields of research, on alternative fuels and the development of new alternative energies?
Further Research
-- http://www.energyrefuge.com/index.htm -- http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00910/Economic Situation in Latin America
Beginning in 1997, East Asia suffered a financial crisis that eventually spread to Brazil in 1998 and soon covered the entire continent of Latin America. The consequences of this crisis were felt in the realm of employment and poverty. In 1998 and 1999, the majority of nations in Latin America suffered a severe economic recession that caused many corporations to go bankrupt and eventually close. In addition, the banking and financial system's of nations in Latin America worsened, causing unemployment and poverty rates to increase.
From 2000 on, Latin America has suffered its worst economic performance, with real gross domestic product (GDP) for the region projected to drop by two percent, which is the largest decline since its profound "debt crisis" of 1983. Argentina, for example, is in economic turmoil, with real GDP expected to fall fifteen percent more. In addition, Uruguay is in a severe recession, facing a decline of another eight to ten percent in this year's output. Even Brazil, which hold's the region's largest economy, has only achieved one percent economic growth in the past year. This nation now faces a potential major financial crisis which could make its growth turn negative in the years to come.
Many factors have contributed to this economic crisis. The global economic slowdown as well as the weakening of an ample number of commodity prices has had a negative impact on exports from the region. A diminished inflow of foreign direct investment to Latin America has also reflected the weaker worldwide investment atmosphere. External factors aside, the internal factors of Latin America's crisis are also vital. These issues pertain to domestic economic weaknesses and how these weaknesses have been dealt with and how they are connected with external factors. In Brazil, a large buildup of net public debt (from about thirty percent of GDP in 1994 to over sixty percent today). A large external financing requirement for the combined public and private sectors have made Brazil vulnerable to adverse change in the financial market that now even threatens to make sovereign default a hard thing to do.
The fact that the world economy as a whole is suffering does not alleviate the situation either It will become much more difficult for less developed nations such as those in Latin America to come though this global economic breakdown. Nations that are tightly linked to the United States economy such as Mexico and Central American countries will be more negatively affected than those that are diversified. As delegates, there are many aspects to consider when attempting to solve this issue.
Questions to Consider
- Do banking systems within Latin American need reformation and if so, what type of reformation would solve the issue without causing detriment to society within the area?
- How can the problems of unemployment and poverty be connected and solved when researching ways to solve the economic crisis of Latin America?
- What is your country's current economic status? Do you have the capabilities to eradicate the economic crisis?
Further Research
-- http://www.eclac.org/default.asp?idioma=IN -- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3184833/Financial-crisis-Latin-America-hit-hard.html -- http://www.coha.org/2008/10/the-us-financial-crisis-affects-latin-america-the-colombian-context/Sustainable Development of Tourism
With 12% of the global GDP and 200 million jobs (8% of employment worldwide), tourism is the largest industry on the planet, and continues to be one of the world's fastest growing industries. For many developing nations, is an important source of revenue and employment, and used effectively, can be an effective tool for reducing poverty. A major portion of tourism focuses around the natural environment. While the attention that the influx of visitors inevitably draws to the environment can serve to increase environmental awareness, uncontrolled growth in tourism can also cause environmental degradation, destruction of fragile ecosystems, and social and cultural conflict. Not only does this cause permanent harm to the local environment, but it also destroys the profitability of the region as a tourist destination. The international community has responded to this threat with increased calls for the development of a more sustainable tourism industry.
The World Tourism Organization, building off plans created at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, hopes to "Promote the sustainable development and management of tourism globally in Member states, regions and specific types of destinations involving both public and private sectors for the generation of social, economic and cultural benefits for host communities commensurate with global development interests, for ensuring the supply of quality tourism products and avoiding or reducing negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environments."
The UNCTAD has also developed a series of ambitious objectives for the industry, among which include improving "local institutional and training capacities to facilitate tourism development and promote sound and sustainable tourism policies", as well as the development of regional and international tourism networks, and encouraging local entrepreneurship. Much of their efforts have been focused on assisting developing nations build up their international trade and tourism potential, both through training and resources.
As the tourism industry continues to expand, many worry about its' effect on indigenous cultures and environments. The influence of foreign investors, while playing an important economic role, also threatens a nation's sense of national pride and cultural identity. Executed improperly, there is also the possibility of creating an elite class of foreign corporate workers, while citizens of the host nation remain economically underprivileged. As efforts for Sustainable tourism continue, attention must be paid to these concerns, and policies must be careful to "conserve their [indigenous peoples] built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance" (UNWTO world tourism).
One must also pay attention to the need to reduce the economic disparities that often result from the creation of a tourist industry. The committee must strive to develop a plan ensuring viable long term economic operations which provide stable employment and work to reduce poverty levels in the host community.
When addressing this topic, please recognize the multifaceted nature of the issue. Do not disregard environment to focus on cultural preservation, and do not forget global cooperation in order to discuss economic opportunities. The tourist industry has enormous potential to serve communities world wide, and it is the task of this committee to maximize that potential. Only through the development of a sustainable tourist industry can this be done.
Further Research
-- http://www.unwto.org/index.php -- http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/index.asp -- http://tourism.unctad.org/QuickPlace/sustainable-tourism-for-development/Main.nsf/h_Toc/550911B9F996A255C1256DB3002B9458/?OpenDocument -- http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/eco-tour.html