COUNTRIES
Italy, Nigeria, China, USA, Russia, France, UK, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Vietnam, Ghana, Ecuador, Australia, The Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, Canada, Mali, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Israel, Morocco, Egypt, Germany
Topic A: Global Campaign/framework to Combat Climate Change
Climate change – the most fundamental issue of our time – will be addressed by the United Nations Environment Programme. There have been numerous efforts to reduce emissions and global warming by the UN, including the Paris Climate Agreement which aimed to keep global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius. Apart from the already existing efforts, there are more actions that need to be taken, in order to avoid the current projections of an average temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius and the increase of droughts, floods, and sea-level rise that will consequently occur. Delegates are expected to debate on a wide range of ideas and possibilities to combat climate change and the way it will affect, or is already affecting people around the world. This can be in the form of promoting green economic policies, sustainable industries, sustainable waste disposal, and others. Since the effects of climate change will affect all parts of the World, this committee includes a wide range of nations, including developed nations which are the biggest contributors to climate change, and developing nations that are affected the most.
Topic B: The Global Waste Trade and Its Impacts on Developing Countries
Currently, the global waste trade comes (mainly) from developed countries in Europe and North America to developing countries around the world, with the biggest importers being in South-East Asia. In 2017 changes in Chinese regulation caused a ban in the import of trash, which moved most of the imports to other countries in the region including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Recent reports show that those nations often lack safe disposal of trash and that about 90% of all trash is deposed in unregulated dumps or openly burned. There are different types of waste being exported by developed nations, ranging from regular plastic waste to toxic waste. While the concerns to the environment and human health are obvious, the economic impacts of it are complex and important. The delegates will have the opportunity to debate the current state of the global waste trade and to come up with alternatives that are safe and environmentally friendly while trying to minimize the negative economic impacts that may arise from it.
CHAIRS
Jorge
Jorge is a second year International Relations, Sociology and Cooperation Development student at the Complutense University in Madrid. Born and raised in a rural town in the north of Spain, among his main passions are theater, spoken poetry and knitting. A community volunteer, he has developed a passion for the debate world since since attending COMPIMUN 2018, his very first Model UN. According to his friends, if he were an animal, he would be a Koala, a meerkat, or a tiger. Self-defined as a workaholic, he lives by the sentiment that calm seas never made a skilled sailor. Jorge is excited to be chair of the UNEP committee, as it directly addresses the most urgent problem of our generation: sustainability and climate change. He is looking forward to meeting you this April and will put his best to ensure that everyone will have an amazing experience not only during the sessions, but also in the socials.
Youssef
My name is Youssef El Assar from Egypt and I study industrial engineering and management at Nile University.
I have been doing MUN for four years now as a delegate and chair in many national and international forums, in addition to being the Secretary General of Nile International Model United Nations. For me, MUN is a life changing experience where you broaden your horizons with unique knowledge, make new friendships and learn to be a positive change maker. This year, I am really happy to be chairing the UNEP committee along with Jorge Moral Vidal where we will find solutions to two challenging global issues of climate change and global waste trade.
I can’t wait to see you at Amsterdam this April and i promise you a very fun and memorable experience!