Even More News Update =)
Hey Delegates =)
Hope you guys are having a great week! I found just a few more websites with news updates I think might be helpful to you all. Please be sure to continue checking the blog and to comment on any of the past blog posts. My vice chairs and I are sure to notice your comments and will take them into consideration when we are evaluating your performance in committee.
Ariana Afshar
Secretary-General urges ministers to usher in new era of climate change solutions
News by topic: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Trade, Investment, Technology
February 25th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Hi, this is Louis and Jocelyn representing the country of Thailand. While Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon is taking the right first steps in creating another policy similar to the Kyoto Protocol, the process of drafting such a policy must be carefully planned. Because of the fact that “one size fits all” may not be applicable in this case, we must be cautious in how we approach this. It is crucial that the delicate balance between countries’ strong economic growth, environmental protection, and developments in green technology is found.
Fortunately, the article states that these negotiations will be going on for two years, meaning that there will be plenty of time to plan out the specifics.
February 28th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I was paying attention to the Centre for Economic and Environmental Development and I saw that they were discussing Haiti which is an interesting country in the grand scheme of things especially economically. The country has had little productivity recently mostly due to a lack of initial development at the creation of the state and definitely in part to the intense domestic violence occurring there. If there was though a more effective free trade zone in that region and if there were a way to protect investments in the country better, the economy could easily take off, either as a trading port and center or even possibly as a producer of a good like Coffee or another agrarian product if the government nationalized and controled the exports of the country as well. At least that’s my assessment.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Hello everyone this is Sean and Peter. In response to post that Thailand made, we belive that Ban Ki-Moon must re-evaluate the steps that should be included in an agreement for developing nations to ratify it. Developing nations must be taken into account when creating any type of agreement because of the fact that there are hundreds of millions of people living in developing countries, which will be affected by the agreement. Therefore Yemen believes that Ban Ki-Moon must create different types of fields within the agreement for developing nations to sign it. Fortunately as stated, there are still two years for negotiations to occur.
March 5th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Hey everybody, this is Shawna and my partner Serena representing Germany. In response to Zaq Rosen’s blog, we agree that the country of Haiti is one of the developing nations that is in need of opening up their trade market. There had even been reports showing that the poor peasants of Haiti are being forced to eat cookies made out of dirt as their everyday meals due to poverty. We believe in the assistance of already existing microfinancing organizations and other NGOs, which would work to corporate with Haiti in the process of opening up their trade market. It is very important to do so since statistics had shown that trade liberalization can greatly improve a nation’s economy.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Hello everyone this is Zaq again,
There was actually a very interesting microfinancing organization that the chair, Ariana posted in one of her previous links about an organization called the Greman organization I believe that actually functioned in much the same fashion as the model previously used in Haiti with the exception of investment in the business itself rather than a particular resource. The idea is actually quite novel: invest in the business and then subsequently allow that to grow and begin to finance other businesses in the localized region as well in a somewhat pay it forward manner. INterestingly enoguh the organization is actually making returns and capable of continuing its investment in Africa. Expansion of coroporations like this then could not only be profitable to other countries but can work at a grassroots level and accomplish their objectives (or objective, in reality).
March 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey everyone, this is Serena
I would just like to state that the meeting called by Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon is surely a brilliant step to take to secure that there will be a solution to the problem. Since having economic development along with a well perserved environment is very crucial. Without an adequate environment it is hard to maintain a postive attitude. Since the Kyoto Protocol is drawing to a close, the need for a 2 year decisson plan to draw some plans in resolving this issue is not a bad idea, having a two year time span could enable the delegates/countries to come up with the most effective plan.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Hi everyone, this is Tanya and Lindsey.
In response to Germany’s comment, Russian Fed agrees that the meeting called the Secretary-General is a brilliant idea. However, Russian Fed does feels that careful details must be carefully planned out to cooperate with policies in developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol has made a significant decrease in percentage of greenhouse gas emission seeing that Russia has once accounted for 17% of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases. Thus Russian Fed strongly supports the need for plans resolving this issue. Also, Russia suggests countries to strengthen and streamline federal and regional institutional structures for environmental and natural resource management, improve federal and regional environmental policy and strategy formulation and implementation, and upgrade environmental and natural resource management systems.
March 9th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
In Ban Ki Moon’s statement he specifically mentioned the Bali Road Map actually as well as following up on the creation of a comprehensive convention for the reduction of emmisions in 2012. There is a point of congtingency to be considered here; in the Bali Road Map, which Mr. Moon said should be the guide for this coming cenvention, it stated that all nations should participate int he sharing of green technology. The question standing is thus, then: How does one do this? Most First world countries are unwilling to share their “green technology” and this has led to a greter schism in sustainable development. There is a distinct adverse affect that can be associated with more envinronmentally sustainable means of production, but the long term costs of not implementing these should essentially out weigh these momentary monetary set backs, should they not? The sharing of technology should be considered here as one of the turning points in the human development on the face of the planet. Alliances for this purpose could affect the face of the planet for years to come.
-Zaq
March 11th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed out something very good yesterday. It is a neccesity for Africa to improve its conditions, to catch up with the MDGs. Having 500 million dollars sent into Africa to help with the agriculture is a step that the UN took to help them out. The Green Revolution should be publisized internationally so that the people are aware of the issue, and perhaps more people can be involved in the aid of this movement. But since this is a rather new action of the UN, it wouldn’t be as fast but there should be some action to spread this idea.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Hey everyone, it’s Zaq again,
Concerning the green revolution, there have been attempts made already to boost african agriculture and agronomists have faced significant set backs with desertification and other blights that have spotted african agriculture. Also, in order for an african green revolution to be successful what arable land that is left must be utilized to the fullest of its capacity. Sudan is rich with arable land but current instability has thwarted attempts at agriculture in the region, where historically it has been a large scale producer. IN order to enable africa to become self sufficient it must be invested in and in a way that will require nations to invest in the infrastructure and government policies as well.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Good call by the secretary general to try to separate past eras from the current one. In addition to the largely unsuccessful plans used last millennium, the plan contained within the MDG has not quite worked. I don’t know if anyone else has seen the evaluation of MDG from 2007, but sustainable development has only made a modicum of progress.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
After reading the article on the Inaugural Development Cooperation Forum, which was very interesting, I came to agree with the possibility of developing and developed nations meeting to communicate at the DCF. As a small island-nation, we need the support and aid from foreign nations to bolster and maintain our economy. The only way we can maintain our tourism industry and preservation of our beautiful island-nation is by receiving economic assistance from stronger nations. If the developed, powerful nations ever want the developing nations to grow and succeed then they should continue to aid us.