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ECOFINC O M M I T T E E G U I D E

Economic and Financial Committee

Committee Guide

Distinguished Delegates, Welcome to the sixth simulation of the Navrachana International Model United Nations. As the chair of the Economic and Financial Committee, I look forward to step with you into the world of debate, diplomacy and international affairs.

My aim… As it has always been here at NIMUN, is to host delegates; introduce them to the world of Model United Nations and give them a remarkable opportunity to broaden their perspectives, improve their public speaking and negotiation skills and help them adapt to a political environment.

I hope the topics prove to be interesting and this topic guide enlightening. As with any and every Model UN, however, the research and your work as delegates should not stop at this guide. Please use it as just that, a guide. Use it to steer your research to the main points of debate, to enlighten yourselves on the priorities of you country and those of your allies and the less cooperative counterparts alike.

Model UN is one of the most intellectually stimulating experiences in which you can participate. By digging deep your two topics, all of you will undoubtedly gain a better perspective on our global society. I would like to advice you when devising solutions, to make sure to not only think about what your solutions are, but also, how they will be implemented. By focusing on these two things, I am fully confident that we will pass comprehensive and thorough resolutions!

To ensure every delegate makes the most of this experience, I would like to necessitate a few rules and regulations. I believe the quality of debate is in the hands of the delegates. That being said, I expect each delegate to be fully informed about the two agendas. Having your research in place will allow you to carry forward the committee proceedings and shape the resolutions we pass. You are expected to exhibit modesty and decorum during committee proceedings. The delegates have the liberty of standing their ground, while being politically correct, but in the correct manner; respecting one another and maintaining the discipline that is expected.

Drive your research in the direction you want the committee to go in. Be the difference you want to make. In September, I cannot wait to see the product of your research and preparation manifest itself in committee. If


Committee Guide

ever you require any assistance or face any difficulty, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to meeting you all!

Warm Regards,

Raj Chug


Committee Guide

The Economic and Financial Committee

The Economic and Financial Committee, also known as ECOFIN is the second of the six committees of the United Nations General Assembly. It was formed with the rest of the General Assembly when the UN was established after the Second World War in 1945. The committee first met in London in January 1946. Since then, the committee meets once every year in October for a 4-5 week session. Its primary roles include addressing issues related to economic growth and development with specific regard to macroeconomic policy on international trade and external debt sustainability, securing financing for sustainable development, poverty eradication and globalization and interdependence.

In recent times, the Millennium Development Goals and special situations related to Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries, as well as recovery and restructuring in the aftermath of the 2008 Financial Crisis has been focused on increasingly. The 68th session of the will start in September 2013. The ECOFIN is open to all 193 member nations of the UN, each of which has equal representation and voting rights. Though resolutions adopted by the committee are not enforceable, they carry the weight of the international community’s will. The GA also has the power to convene an emergency special session and act to ensure peace security.

The ECOFIN regularly updates its working methods and practices to enable deeper debate and greater impact of the committee’s deliberations and decisions. These efforts include streamlining the agenda, holding “question time” sessions with secretariat officials after the presentation of substantive reports and reducing the number and length of draft resolutions adopted. The Committee currently holds a dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions as well as a number of side events as part of its programme of work.


Committee Guide

Committee History This committee was officially created in 1945 as one of the original general assemblies since ECOFIN is also known as the Second Committee. It first met in San Francisco on April 25th, 1945. ECOFIN is unique in that it focused on the globalized economy and support nations financially. Its membership is open to all member states of the United Nations as one of the General Assemblies and follows the same parliamentary procedures as any other main organ of the United Nations. Thus, a total of 193 nations are represented in ECOFIN.

Committee Mandate

The mandate of a committee is the expressed powers or topic areas that it has the jurisdiction to cover and discuss. According to the United Nations, ECOFIN functions to discuss issues relating to economic growth and development (including international trade, international financial system, external debt sustainability and commodities), financing for development, sustainable development, human settlements, poverty eradication, globalization and interdependence, operational activities for development, and information and communication technologies for development. Its mandate further explores groupings of nations such as Least Developed Countries to encourage regional growth and support for all nations, which is just one of the many subgroups that are formed under ECOFIN to be able to substantively solve niche issues.


Committee Guide

Topic one: Impact of the disputes in the Crimean region The Crimean region is a peninsula located in northern part of the Black sea. The region is a part of Ukraine as the Soviet leader who took over from Stalin after his death, Nikita Khrushchev, transferred Crimea as a "gift" to Ukraine in a surprise move in 1954. The Crimean region is a pro-Russia part of Ukraine, separated from the rest of the country geographically, historically and politically. It also hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Russia and Ukraine have had a lot of fights for the peninsula as it originally belonged to Ukraine but was later annexed by Russia. The dispute between Russia and Ukraine has impacted in the region in financial, social, political and legal ways. The crisis for Crimea for Ukraine was a very prolonged one since its post-Soviet independence began as a protest against the government dropping plans to forge closer trade ties with the European Union, and has since spurred escalating tensions between Russia and Western powers. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and possible future incursions into eastern Ukraine could reshape the geopolitical map of Europe and derail cooperation between Moscow and the West for years to come.

The situation in Ukraine is of grave concern. Events that have been stirring for several years now but have only just come to a glaring fore over the past 6 months have formed the basis for the most violent aftershock of the Cold War. Specifically, the area known as Crimea has become the epicenter of the political and military turmoil that is plaguing Ukraine. Crimea has been an autonomous part of Ukraine since the split of the Soviet Union in 1991. Several referenda have been held to determine the status of the region as a sovereign territory. Its sovereignty was strategically challenged by the ratification of the Russian-Ukrainian Partition Treaty signed in 1997, which allows the Russian Black Sea fleet to stay in Crimea until 2042.

Russians make up almost 58% of the total population of Crimea, Ukrainians about 24% and the original inhabitants of the region, the Crimean Tatars make about 12%, after their mass influx in the early parts of the 21st century. Even the second and third most ethnically populous group put together barely make more than half the number of Russians in this region, which encourages Russia to make Crimea part of its sovereign territory. Pressure from Russia has been immense on Ukraine for aligning its preferences to those of the


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West. This has further intensified due to the demographic of Crimea, which has been predominantly Russian since the turn of the 20th century. The situation was aggravated from 2005-2010 during the Victor Yushchenko presidency.

The Russo-Georgian War posed a situation where people began believing that an attack on Ukraine in the near future could not completely be written off.

Tensions worsened in November 2013, when Ukraine’s now ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, abruptly announced the abandonment of a trade agreement with the European Union in order to be closer to Moscow. This was received by widespread protest within the nation. These were met by stringent anti-protest laws which became more draconian with the increase in the number of protests and protestors. Following the referendum made to annex Crimea and make it a part of the Russian Federation, the world’s top leaders, notably the government heads of France, Germany, United Kingdom and United States have been vocal about their disdain about how they feel Ukraine’s constitution and sovereignty is being violated by Russia’s actions. While Russian President Vladimir Putin holds the stance that he will do whatever he can to keep Russians in Ukraine’s sovereign territory safe, USA feel that Russia’s ‘incursion’ into Crimea will cost them and lead to their isolation from the world community if they don’t stop soon.

As things have developed since February 2014, it doesn’t seem like an impasse will be reached any time soon, and this is at the cost of the civilians. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on March 1, 2014, the UN envoy from Russia addressed the committee in defense of his nation’s actions, claiming it was done “to protect their facilities and prevent extremist actions.” According to the interim Ukrainian government, the country of Ukraine is “on the brink of disaster.”

Crimea status (Prior crisis)

Crimea was an autonomous republic of Ukraine of two million people with its own parliament and laws that permitted the use of the Russian language in everyday life. Crimea's parliament called for a referendum, in which the peninsula's 1.5 million voters opted overwhelmingly for union with Russia. Following that vote, Russian legislators passed a resolution nullifying Ukrainian laws in Crimea and putting in force Russian legislation. Parliament set a deadline of January 1, 2015 for the integration of Crimea's economic, financial, credit, and legal systems into the Russian Federation.


Committee Guide

Russian moves in the Crimean region violate the international laws

• Non-intervention provisions in the UN Charter • 1997 Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and

Ukraine Past International Action As of March 1, 2014, the UN Security Council has not passed any resolutions to�enforce peace in the area. In order to accommodate the present conditions that prevail in the region, the UN Security Council is in talks of a possible resolution that will reaffirm Ukraine’s sovereignty. However, Russia is expected to veto this resolution. What will be more important will be the stance taken by the other nations, particularly China in the longevity of the tenets of this imminent resolution. The UN has already convened for an emergency meeting with the agenda being specific to the Crimean region in order to clarify the stances that different governments have had. The UN Charter has the power to take suitable action in an event that peace of an area is threatened and subsequent meetings and resolutions will need to take into account all that is happening in the area, with the aim of some positive and decisive action being taken to avoid any further military or civilian casualties. The humanitarian issue in this crisis is also a problem for the Security Council to consider. While the Russian government justifies its actions as an act to protect its people in Crimea, in doing so, it is directly threatening the existence of the minorities, particularly when armed forces from their country lay siege to the region. This is further fueled by a similar situation dating back to earlier in the 20th century when the original inhabitants of the region were forced to leave. This is the most sensitive issue that is at hand because both governments will want to protect their citizens and the introduction of military in a region on the basis of a Treaty could be seen as a threat to peace. How did the Crimea crisis affect the world economy? As Russia annexed Crimea and intervened in Ukraine it raised a question on the fundamental principles of the European order. Russia’s moves in Ukraine regarding the Crimea crisis violated international laws which bring questions on the legislation and international norms and laws. The conflict for Crimea will supress growth as investment and trading become lower priorities and the global economy suffers. One of the local effects was that the people who did


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not want to become Russian were force to and they were the people who voted against the annexation.

How did the Crimea crisis affect other economies in the world? The US and EU have imposed an array of sanctions on Russian individuals and businesses in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The countries who used to trade with Crimea will now only trade fair only if they have good relations with Russia. Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea has not only violated the international laws but the policies of countries like The United States of America and most European Countries. China sees the annexation of Crimea by Russia as a dangerous precedent for regions that have long sought independence under Chinese rule like Tibet. China has remained on the sidelines of the conflict by neither supporting nor going against on Russia’s actions. The annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine had caused a lot on anxiety in the central Asia.

Consequences Russia had to face after the annexation of Crimea There were a number of sanctions imposed by The United States of America and the European Union on Russia. Especially, on Russian individual and businessmen which could bring down the total output for Russia making it hard for them to grow economically but Russia manages to still grow through its natural resources.

Russia violated the UN charter so it shall have to justify it so and also went against the policies of the USA and other countries. A G8 summit in Russia was boycotted by USA and France giving Russia less opportunities to justify their acts.

The question is, how long the current euphoria of most of Russian society summoned by the annexation of Crimea will last, taking into account the costs Russia will incur in connection with the annexation. The annexation costed Russia a lot (Direct and indirect costs connected with the annexation will also come from the regional budgets) and it increased their costs which were to be retained by tax revenues thus the tax would increase and it may trouble the poor in Russia.


Committee Guide

It seems that these activities will reinforce the West’s image of Russia as an unpredictable and dangerous country, which does not necessarily mean their acknowledgement of Russia’s regional ambitions.

The options for the region’s countries are limited. The fear of Russian expansionism will adversely affect the Eurasian integration process.

Apart from the need for direct financial outlays, Russia’s annexation of Crimea generates administrative and organisational problems. They will need to create a border infrastructure and ensure the defence of the borders; as well as the demarcation of new borders, including maritime borders, and the division of territorial waters to regulate access to and ownership of the shelf. Settling these issues will be more difficult as Ukraine, which should be a party to most of the agreements, does not recognise the annexation of Crimea, and will not want to hold talks to resolve these issues.

Definition of Key Terms Invasion This term refers to a military offensive by a relatively superior nation in terms of income, size or its stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. This military offensive may be to “establish democracy”, “stabilize the region” or simply take over the host country for economic and geographical benefits. Sovereignty The generally accepted definition of sovereignty, accepted by the United Nations as well, is defined as the independent authority a body has over a geographic area, which may be a territory or a natural resource under the country’s geographical borders. In its most basic sense, sovereignty may be defined as a government’s power to hold jurisdiction over the nation it belongs to. Orange revolution The Orange revolution were a series of mass protests held between late 2004 to early 2005 against the allegedly corrupt and unfair presidential elections, ultimately leading to a revote being conducted by the Ukrainian Supreme Court. The Treaty of Paris The treaty of Paris was signed between the Russian Federation and the


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Ottoman Empire and its allies in 1856. The treaty concluded the Crimean dispute between the two parties, with the final result being the Russian Federation seizing control of the Crimean Peninsula. One of the most important clauses in the Treaty was the demilitarization of the Black Sea and declaring it as neutral territory, which was a major political and strategic setback for the Russian Federation. However, this treaty has been violated on several occasions by the Russian Federation as well as other bodies. The Donets Region The Donets Region, also known as the Donbass region colloquially, is the site of all major clashes between separatist Ukrainian Rebels and the Ukrainian/Russian military. The name implies a common culturally intertwined Eastern Ukraine and Southern Russia and derives its name from the Donets River which is in close vicinity. Minsk II Protocol The protocol was a joint discussion between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France which was overseen by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It was an attempt to revive the previously failed ceasefire agreement signed in September 2014. The Minsk II protocol led to the agreement of several new packages to alleviate tensions in the Ukrainian Peninsula. 17 December 2013 Ukrainian – Russian action plan A defector, now no longer valid deal in which it was agreed that Russia would buy 15 billion dollar and reduce regular gas supply tariffs for Ukraine by over $100/cubic meters. In exchange, the Kerch Peninsula of Ukraine was to be relinquished to the Russian Navy. This deal was signed by then- President Viktor Yanukovych during heavy unrest and Euromaidan protests in Ukraine. Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement This deal sought to align the judicial and economic policies of Ukraine with those of the European Union by introducing similar reforms. It also opened free trade and promoted socio-economic development in a much more regulated manner than the Ukrainian-Russian plan. The deal was signed by the interim Ukrainian government after the ousting of the then-president Victor Yanukovych who had alternatively chosen to sign a multi-billion dollar deal with the Russian Federation.


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Crimean Status Referendum 2014 A referendum held on March 16, 2014, organized collaboratively by the Crimean and Sevastopol legislative authorities. The referendum offered the voters two choices: Secession from Ukraine and incorporation with the Russian Federation or the restoration of the 1992 Crimean Crimean reintegration into Ukraine. Many argued that this was a rigged referendum mainly due to two reasons: Firstly, both choices were in favor of the Russian Federation as if the 1992 constitution was restored, it gave more power to Crimean legislative bodies, allowing them to secede to Russia in the future. And second, the referendum was held in the presence of Russian troops, which could have resulted in the manipulation of the referendum and hence questions the legitimacy of the referendum itself. Major Parties Involved and Their Views The Russian Federation The Russian Federation has a long history of dispute over the Crimean Peninsula, as outlined in the key issues above, Russia, under the reign of Joseph Stalin, had control over the region for well over three decades. Following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation from the Ottomans in mid- late 19th century, the Treaty of Paris (1856) was signed which clearly stated that the Black Sea were to remain a demilitarized neutral zone, a clause which the Russian Federation violated multiple times, the most recent one being of course, the Crimean Invasion. Russia backs its claim accounting the large Russian Population which resides in Crimea, with a 2001 consensus by the Ukrainian Government showing that over 60% of Crimean Population is Russian. Russia’s continued stealth invasions in the past have raised questions as to why exactly the Russian Federation is willing to destabilize itself and the Crimean Region over this dispute. Experts argue that although a large Russian population constitutes Crimea, Russia’s interests in Crimea are not just out of ethnic ardor. Russia’s ulterior motives consist of strategic importance – both geographical and resource-wise. The Black Sea, touching upon the Crimean Peninsula, shows great potential for oil and gas resources and multi-national energy companies such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Repsol are ready to work with Kiev to utilize these resources.


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Crimea’s energy resources do not end at conventional oil and gas reserves. The region is host to three major solar plants, military ship building yards, hydro-electric plants, two of the biggest nuclear power stations of Europe as well as export ports of strategic geographical locations such as Odessa. It is estimated that the Russian Federation could save well over 20 billion United States Dollars if the South Stream pipeline to Bulgaria is built over Crimean land instead of under the Black Sea. The Crimean Region holds great strategic importance and though the Russian Federation may have faced great economic repercussions due to sanctions from the EU and other western nations, acquiring the Crimean Peninsula may be worth it after all. Ukraine Ukraine stance over the issue has been extremely clear from the beginning. Ukraine denounces the activities of the Russian Federation in the region and upholds Crimea as a part of Ukraine. The Ukrainian military, although cautious in the initial stages of the conflict, have also retaliated to rebel uprisings and bombed several regions such as the Luhansk and the Donetsk region, pledging to exterminate all pro-Russian rebel groups. The Ukrainian Government has been an unstable one and this instability was heightened when President Viktor Yanukovych took office in 2010. His actions such as the repealing of sections of the constitution and increasing his presidential status angered the Ukrainian public and further non- compliance and imprudence by signing the aforementioned Russia-Ukraine loan deal instead of the European Union association agreement finally led to mass protests across Ukraine. These protests finally led to the ousting of Yanukovych’s government with President Petro Poroshenko taking power. Though the Ukrainian population is little compared to the Russian one in Crimea, Ukraine holds the right to its territorial integrity and hence Ukraine’s stance is the more solid and justified one. The United Nations The United Nations strongly condemns all military violence in solving the Crimean Issue, with Secretary General Ban-Ki moon stating "What is important at this time is that they should know there is no military solution in this. There should be a political dialogue for a political solution, that is the more sustainable way,", ‘they’ here referring to Western European bodies, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the NATO and the United States of America. The United Nations has met several times and discussed the Ukrainian Crisis, with both the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council


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passing resolutions on the matter. The United Nations General Assembly, on 27th of March 2014, adopted a resolution on the Territorial Integrity of Ukraine, resolution - A/RES/68/262. This resolution condemned the allegedly corrupt referendum conducted in Crimea and upheld Crimea’s status as a part of Ukraine. The Security Council has met six times over the issue, with matters ranging from Crimea’s territorial identity to the emergency handling of the MH17 crash being discussed. The council has discussed several resolutions and passed two – one over the emergency response to the MH17 crash in Donetsk Oblask, Ukraine on 21 July 2014 (S/RES/2166 (2014)) and the other one being on the endorsement and binding over the Minsk II peace agreement packets signed between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and other intermediary bodies aforementioned in this report. This resolution (S/RES/2202 (2015)) signed on the 17th of February 2015, seeks to “end violence in the Eastern Regions of Ukraine”. The Russian Federation also vetoed resolution S/2014/189 which declared the Crimean Referendum as invalid and reaffirmed Ukraine's “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity”. Russia justified this veto by stating that declaring the Crimean Referendum as invalid was unacceptable and that Crimea’s residents should have the right to determine their ruling body. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) The NATO showed deep concern over the militarization of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation in late 2014 and was keen to accept Ukraine’s initiation so as to back military action and keep a closer eye on the events in Crimea. Following the suspicious aid convoy sent to Eastern Ukraine in August 2014, NATO agreed to even supply aid to Ukrainian refugees and nations hit by war, however this promise was not seen fulfilled. The European Union (EU) The European Union retaliated sharply to Russia’s invasion by imposing several sanctions which target Russia’s banking sector, its military exports as well as transfer of technology between Russia and European Nations. Following President Yanukovych’s decision to sign the Russian loan over the EU associate agreement, bitterness ensued between Russia and the European Union, with European Union placing sanctions so heavy that the Russian Government was on a loan of multiple billion dollars every week to prevent the Russian Economy from crashing. According to sources straight from the EU, one of the most important measures was to deny Russian state-owned banks access to European capital markets. The agreement restricted


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European nationals from buying any kind of debt or equity with a maturity higher than 90 days from any Russian-state owned bank. This was a major setback for Russia as a major chunk of their investors consisted on European nationals. The European Union had also placed a ban on any kind of export/import or any kind of military equipment exchange between the Russian Federation and the European Union. However, this embargo only applied to future deals and hence did not affect the sale of two French Mistral helicopter carrier ships already agreed upon for almost 1.2 billion Euros. Although Russian arms imports from the EU are relatively small, its exports amount to over 3 billion Euros. The United States of America The United States has also been strongly condemned the Russian Federation’s actions with the United States’ president Barack Obama quoted as saying "Further provocations will achieve nothing except to further isolate Russia and diminish its place in the world." The United States also placed a series of sanctions on Russian officials and lawmakers as well as financial sanctions that seek to dismantle Russian influence over Ukraine by crippling its economy. Two of these sanctions include Executive Orders 13660 and 13661 which block the properties of individuals which have “contributed” in the aggravation of the Situation in Ukraine. Experts claimed that at one point, tensions between the Russian Federation and the United States were as high as Cold War times and the fear of the beginning of another Cold War lasted over a long time before the situation was brought slightly more under control following the Minsk Agreements and United Nations’ meetings.


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Timeline Date Event Outcome

01-Dec-91

Ukrainian Parliament declares independencefromtheSovietUnion(UnionofSovietSocialistRepublics) with over 90% of Ukrainianpopulationvotinginfavorofindependenceinanationwidereferendumheldonthesubject.

Ukraine regainsindependence from theSoviet Union and becomesanautonomousbody.

25-Feb-10President Yanukovych wins largelycontroversialPresidentialElections.

Viktor Yanukovych declaredPresidentofUkraine.

21-Nov-13

President Viktor Yanukovych signs a multi-billion dollar loan deal with the RussianFederation over the European UnionAssociationAgreement.

Ukrainian masses angered,protests begin outside theUkrainian Parliament.Experts claim this may becalled the official beginningof the Ukrainian revolutionand the Euromaidanprotests.

Dec-13

Over800,000protestersoccupyKiev’scityhall.The same month, Russian president VladimirPutin buys 15 billion dollar worth debt fromUkraine and agrees to reduce Russian gassuppliestoUkrainebyathird.

Protests get more non-cooperative, Russianinfluence and interest inUkrainian matters seemsmoreapparent.

22-Feb-14

President Yanukovych flees Ukraine to Russiaas protests rise across the nation. The sameday, 73% of the Ukrainian ParliamentimpeachesYanukovychandsetsanewdateforfreshpresidentialelectionsinUkraine.

Yanukovych removed aspresident of Ukraine,howevermaintains that thiswasacoupandcontinuestomake statements in anofficialmanner.

24-28February2014

Russian troops begin entering the Crimearegion, although the number remained underthe agreed 25000 figure, President Vladimir’sPutin’s orders to initiate military drills andimmediatearmamentcameasamajorconcerntotheinternationalcommunity.

First signs of Russia’sinterestinexercisingmilitarypower in Ukrainian eventsbecomeimminent.

01-Mar-14

Russian legislative assembly approves the useof military force in Ukraine; Russia increasesnumberoftroopsinCrimea.

Russia’s actions stronglyopposed by the UnitedStates, Canada and theNorth Atlantic TreatyOrganization(NATO)

Mar-14VariousaltercationsseenbetweenRussianandCrimeantroops/navyvessels.

Further tension is seenbetween Russia and other


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nations. United Statesbegins talks on imposingsanctions.

15-Mar-14

Russia vetoes Security Council resolutionS/2014/189 which declares the upcomingCrimean Referendum as invalid and reaffirmsUkraine's “sovereignty, independence, unityandterritorialintegrity”.

Russian non-cooperationbecomes apparent, thereferendum takes place thefollowingfewdays.

16-18March2014

TheinfamousCrimeanReferendumtakesplacewith over 97% of Crimea apparently voting infavor of secession to the Russian Federation.Followingresults,RussianPresidentPutinsignsa bill which endorses the incorporation ofCrimeaintoRussia.

Several nations andinternational bodiesdenounce the referendum,endorsingitasinvalid.

27-Mar-14

The United Nations General Assembly passesand adopts resolution on the TerritorialIntegrityofUkraine,resolution-A/RES/68/262.

The resolution deems theCrimean Referendum asinvalidandupholdsCrimea’sterritorialintegrity.

07-Jun-14President Petro Poroshenko recognized aspresidentofUkraine.

Russian Federation and ex-president Yanukovychdenouncethisandrefusetoofficially recognizePoroshenkoasPresident.

17-Jul-14

MalaysianCivilianAircraftMH17downedintheDonetskregionofUkraine,allegedlycontrolledby pro-Russian separatists. Perpetrator ofactionnotidentified.

International community inshock, United NationsSecurity Council calls for anemergency meeting on theissue.

21-Jul-14S/RES/2166(2014)passedunanimouslybytheSecurityCouncil.

Resolution seeks to conducta thorough internationalinvestigationof the issue, incompliance withinternational civil aviationguidelines.

22-Aug-14

Russian aid convoys containing emergencysupplies enter Eastern Ukraine, Ukraineendorsesthisasadirectinvasionhoweverdoesnotuseanyforceagainstconvoy.

Ukraine and several othernations call this a directinvasion and doubt Russianintentions in sending aconvoy.

August –September2014

Clashesbetweenpro-Russianrebels,Ukrainianmilitary forces andRussian Forces continue inEasternUkraine.

Citizens of Donbass region,particularlytheLuhanskandDonetsk regions displacedand left without food and


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shelter for several weeksand caught betweenviolence.

05-Sep-14

MinskProtocolsigned inMinsk,BelarusunderthesupervisionoftheOrganizationforSecurityand Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE). Signedbetween the Russian Federation, the DonetskPeople’s Republic and Lugansk People’srepublic.

Calls for an immediateceasefire in the DonbassRegion. However, fails tostopongoingviolence.

11-Feb-15

Joint discussion between Ukraine, Russia,Germany and France which was overseen bytheOrganizationforSecurityandCo-operationin Europe (OSCE). Attempted to revive thepreviously failed protocol. Consists of anagreementofseveralnewpackagestoalleviatetensionsintheUkrainianPeninsula.

Ceasefire called once again,this time works moreeffectively with violence inDonbassatanalltimelow.

17-Feb-15

UN Security Council adopts resolutionS/RES/2202 (2015) endorsing the "Package ofmeasuresfortheimplementationoftheMinskAgreements"toendviolenceineasternregionsofUkraine.

New wave of optimism inresolving the conflict, withincreased cooperation seenfrom the RussianFederation.

Possible Solutions While many countries have denounced the occupation of Crimea by Russia, the European Union and USA. Countries in the European Union have decided to place sanctions against Russia, clearly showing that they are opposed to what is happening in Crimea. USA has been in strong opposition to Russia’s actions. As it stands, this is the first major event that has happened since the breakup of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War that has alerted countries worldwide of a possible war. USA has urged Russia to not carry on with their belligerent activities and urged Ukraine to go about the process constitutionally. Germany has been very vocal about its opposition to Russia and has bluntly asked Russia to carry out peace talks with Ukraine or be ready to face sanctions from the European Union. Russia, on the other hand, don’t seem to be bothered by what they are doing and claim innocence under legally binding treaties they have signed with Ukraine. Putin also believes what is happening in Ukraine is unconstitutional except while referring to the protests that led to the President’s ouster and


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what he believes is the West trying to align their agendas with Ukraine to get an upper hand on Russia. Finally, Ukraine seems to be caught up in all political pressure from both sides and has conceded to make a referendum to decide Crimea’s status. However, while both Russia and the international community have passed their views on the legitimacy of the referendum, the interim Ukrainian government still needs to make a statement on the same. A decisive stance on the issue based on this referendum will pave the way for how this crisis moves ahead. The United Nations Charter gives the Economic and Financial committee the ability to act to protect international peace and security. It is also given the power to force countries to follow its resolutions, both in general under international law, and by using economic sanctions or military action. Further, the UN charter gives discretionary powers to the Committee to make recommendations or take measures if there is a threat to peace in a certain area. This can be done by temporarily severing socio-economic ties between the two regions, and if it gets out of hands, providing armed blockades so that there is no kind of physical contact between the parties involved. USA, UK, and several countries in the NATO alliance and the European Union have come out publicly denouncing Russia’s actions. While several prominent leaders have met with officials from the interim Ukrainian government offering their support, followed by an emergency Security Council meeting on March 1st, not much has been reached in terms of a resolution or a common ground from where to move forward peacefully. The referendum posed to be moved in the very near future seems to be the only legal or non-legal basis on which Ukraine and Russia can make any bilateral talks on the matter. Russia feels that the West is trying to align its agenda with the ongoing crisis in Crimea and is overreacting to Russia trying to protect its interests in its Black Sea base. The Economical and Financial Committee needs to do three things to help solve the crisis:

• Come to an agreement on what should be the status of Crimea;� • Find a solution that both the Ukrainian and Russian governments agree

to; • Find a process by which civilians of neither nationality are threatened; • Form a more binding Treaty that clearly defines the regions of this area

and that shall hold in the future.


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Things got out of hand when the people took matter into their own hands. However, the fact that the people felt the need to take things in their own hands reflects the gravity of how bad the situation is. Civilian lives have already been lost in the hundreds and the movement of Russian troops in Crimea can only bring panic to the minorities. Ukraine need to take a decisive stand in spite of growing pressures from Russia and the international community and either let go off Crimea or find a way to let it be a part of its territory. Either way, talks need to be expedited in order to avoid any more casualties to civilians and potentially, even a war.

Further Research Guiding Questions

• Should Crimea be allowed to join Russia? • Will it be right to deploy UN forces to intervene what could potentially be

a war-like situation developing in Ukraine? • Should an international referendum be moved on the status of Crimea?

Or should the decision lie with the sovereign territory of Ukraine? • Should the movement of Russian troops into Crimea be considered as

an act of aggression?

Research Sources

http://www.ecofin.co.uk/eco/en/home

https://www.cia.gov/index.html

www.bbc.com

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26641217

http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/ga11493.doc.htm


Committee Guide

Topic two: Refugee Movement in the Global Economy Refugee movement is when people run away from danger or problems. There are a lots of causes of refugee movement in the global economy like terrorism, unemployment, contested borders, and destabilising neighbours, inequitable distribution of rights and resources, deprivation of basic needs, mobilisation of support along ethnic lines, severe state repression, state mismanagement and violent conflicts. International law has long made a distinction between refugees, who have crossed a state border and are protected by the 1951 Convention, and the internally displaced, who are not. In terms of their needs and vulnerabilities, however, the effects of their forced displacement may be similar: they face loss of their home, their livelihood, their community. Regardless of whether they have crossed a border or not, they deserve help. And with internally displaced people today outnumbering refugees by nearly two to one, the needs are greater than ever. The United Nations has been taking a more coordinated approach toward easing the plight of the internally displaced. Because of its 60 years of work with tens of millions of refugees worldwide, UNHCR is taking a central role in these efforts. But, as festering displacement situations such as Darfur, Somalia, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo testify, there is still a very long way to go.

Human migration and mobility rights, both within national borders and across international borders, are of critical importance to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN’s post-2015 Development Agenda due to the enormous and often complex effects of human migration on global development. The importance of human migration on development is clear when one considers the number of people worldwide actively participating in international migration: according to a recent UN report, a total of about 1 billion people (1 in 7 of the world’s total population) currently reside outside of their country or region of origin. Of this 1 billion, around 214 million reside outside of their country of origin (international migration), and 740 million reside outside of their region of origin but remain within their country of origin (internal migration). The different types of migration that comprise the above figure of 1 billion total migrants is further analyzed in the 2010 UN Guidance Note for Human Development Report Teams: in addition to regular (i.e. legal, documented) migration within and across countries, there exists a large degree of irregular (i.e. undocumented, illegal, and sometimes involuntary) migration - a phenomenon that has been exacerbated in recent years due to ongoing


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warfare, instability, and poverty in much of the world. Migration is highly relevant to work on the SDGs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda due to a variety of reasons, the first-most being that the causes of migration are closely related to differences in countries’ relative development levels. War and conflict, social and economic instability, and severe income-inequalities and poverty - factors that can be both the result of under-development or the root causes thereof - are amongst the most common push-factors driving people to migrate across regions and national borders. Secondly, international migration can itself have profound impacts on countries’ development, and thus must be considered a key part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. It is important to note that the impacts of migration on countries’ development can be both negative and positive. Among the most pressing negative effects of migration on countries’ development is the phenomenon of “brain drain,” whereby developing countries can lose many of their highly-skilled and highly-educated citizens to migration-destination countries, producing an acute shortage of skilled and educated workers in the home country. On the other hand, migration can also have substantial positive effects on countries’ development:�for instance, migration can enable citizens of developing countries to seek out superior educational opportunities abroad, generating a skilled supply of workers to the migrant’s home countries - provided they can induce these migrants to return to their home countries. Remittances (money sent home) from citizens working abroad can also provide developing countries with an important source of capital, some of which can then be utilized for development programs. Migration can also have positive impacts on the countries receiving net inflows of migrants, as these countries can often benefit from the increased labor supply - especially if these countries are undergoing shrinking or aging populations. The effects of migration are felt very differently by countries with different development levels and in various regions of the world. One country that highlights the possible problems caused by excess emigration - end especially “brain drain” - is Mexico. Although it is difficult to locate exact estimates on the number of citizens lost by Mexico to “brain drain,” a report from Mexico’s National Autonomous University estimated the number of Mexican professionals working in the United States at about 830,000. These professionals represent a relative loss to the Mexican economy in terms of lost human capital and labor resources. However, Mexico also benefits from remittances from its citizens abroad, as it receives approximately 2% of its GDP from foreign remittances. The Mexican government has implemented a variety of programs to help reinvest these remittances into development funds,


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such as the Tres-por-Uno program. On the other hand, the European Union’s member states are typically net receivers of migrants from across the globe. Although they receive and benefit from highly-skilled immigrants, they have recently faced an enormous flow of destitute refugees fleeing the conflicts and poverty in Syria and Northern Africa. Germany is expected to take on over 1 million refugees this year alone - well over 1% of its total population. The effects of these migrants on Germany’s economy and social benefit nets will be profound, and the EU will have to work together to find a humanitarian and sustainable solution to this crisis. The EU is also in a unique position with regard to migration, as its member states are bound by the EU treaties to guarantee full freedom of cross-border movement to its Member States’ citizens, and thus cannot legally prevent the movement of EU nationals provided that they are job-seekers or family members of job-seekers. China, a rapidly developing country, showcases another important consideration in migration and mobility rights: in addition to facing international migration, China has historically enforced a system intended to limit internal mobility: the Hukou system. Although this system has undergone substantial changes in the past, it has been used to help curb runaway urbanization and social-benefit net over-load, but has also deepened inequality between rural and urban Chinese. Systems designed to limit freedom of internal movement are furthermore possibly contrary to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 13 that citizens of a state have the right to freedom of movement and residence within said state. Although the effects of migration on the world’s countries vary widely from region to region and across various development levels, migration in all its forms - internal and international, regular and irregular - remains a rapidly growing phenomenon with far-reaching consequences. Failure to consider the effects of migration on countries’ development could derail or limit progress on the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda; therefore, it must remain at the forefront of discussions on the SDGs and the future of development agendas across the globe.


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Some major issues leading to Refugee Movement in the Global Economy The increasingly protracted nature of many modern conflicts, some of which have dragged on for years or even decades. And as they drag on, so too does the time spent in exile for millions of refugees. In fact, more than half of the refugees for whom the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible today have been in exile for more than five years. There are currently 25 of these so-called ‘protracted situations’ in 21 countries worldwide.

The increasingly dangerous climate in which humanitarian actors must work today, or what UNHCR calls the “shrinking of humanitarian space”. The erosion of the institution of asylum. This is particularly of concern in industrialized countries trying to cope with so-called “mixed movements” in which migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and victims of trafficking travel alongside each other. These groups have different profiles and motivations for moving, and may thus have a very different status under international law. Migrants, especially economic migrants, choose to move in order to improve their lives. Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives or preserve their freedom.

Factors leading to an increase in the rate of Refugee Movement in the Global Economy Socio-political, economic and ecological factors are the main forces driving migration. Rising communal violence world-wide, often as a result of ethnic or religious intolerance, has led to increased levels of migration. Economic disparity between developing and developed economies encourages the movement of skilled labour from the former to the latter. Temporary migration visas allow for an increase in the rate of circular migration. Changes in the ecological environment have the potential to worsen food and water insecurity in various parts of the globe. Limited access to food and water resources may push people to migrate to countries where these resources are more readily available

Socio-Political Factors Social push factors can include ethnic, religious, racial, and cultural persecution. Warfare, or the threat of conflict, is also a major push factor.


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Economic Factors Economic factors relate to the labour standards of a country, its unemployment situation and the overall health of its economy. If economic conditions are not favourable and appear to be at risk of declining further, a greater number of individuals will probably emigrate to one with a better economy. Often this will result in people moving from rural to urban areas while remaining within the confines of their state borders. As the low- and middle-income countries of today continue to develop and the high-income countries experience slower economic growth, migration from the former could decline.

Economic Impact In case of a refugee situation, right from the arrival of refugees, there exists a struggle for resources like land, water, housing, food and medical facilities. Over time, the increased demands of substantial necessities lead to inflationary pressures on prices and depress wages. These demands include education, natural resources, health services, transportation and employment. This increase might burden the host countries leading to reduced quantities of resources and might have implications like balance of payments and undermine structural adjustment initiatives. This can be illustrated by the market disturbance; when there is an increased demand for commodities and food stuff it would lead to an increase in the prices in the market benefitting the local economy, but most importantly not benefitting the poor people again.

It is the host country and authorities concerned who have to inevitably bear the strain of the refugee population, so as to meet the pressing needs of the camps, alleviating the refugee sufferings and ensure the security of the whole community keeping aside their own development tasks. The additional costs for setting up refugee camps have to be incurred by the host nations only.

Host governments expect, at the very least, that the international community will help compensate for the costs incurred in providing asylum for the refugees. No government of a low income country is prepared to contract loans or reallocate its previous development funds to programs designed for, or required because of, large numbers of refugees on their land. A World Bank-sponsored study of uncompensated public expenditures arising from the refugee presence in Malawi recommended an emergency assistance program in 1990-91 of up to $ 25 million. According to a systematic analysis of public expenditures, this was the amount, after deduction of international aid


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provided through UNHCR, invested in refugee related government assistance and administration during the preceding two years. Other refugee hosting countries could cite comparable experiences.

The economic impact of refugees on host areas, however, is not necessarily negative. An economic stimulus may be generated by the presence of refugees and can lead to the opening and development of the host regions. This stimulus takes place, inter alia, through the local purchase of food, non-food items, shelter materials by agencies supplying relief items, disbursements made by aid workers, the assets brought by refugees themselves, as well as employment and income accrued to local population, directly or indirectly, through assistance projects for refugee areas. The presence of refugees also contributes to the creation of employment benefiting the local population, directly or indirectly. Moreover, relevant line departments involved in refugee work as counterparts to UNHCR, both at central and local levels, also benefit from UNHCR assistance aimed at strengthening their coping and management capacities. Such assistance may include equipment supply, capacity building and related training components.

The presence of refugees, as a focus of attention, can also attract development agencies to the host areas. While infrastructure is developed in the initial stage primarily to facilitate the work of host governments, UNHCR and its implementing partners in the refugee affected regions, it can also serve as a catalyst to 'open up' the host region to development efforts that would otherwise never reach these 'marginal' areas.

While it is recognized that there may be some "positive" aspects to the impact of a refugee influx on the economic life of a host country, the large-scale presence of refugees invariably constitutes a heavy burden for receiving countries, particularly LDCs.


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Ecological Factors: Climate Disruption Exacerbates Other Forces The ecological factors that push individuals to migrate, climate change is, arguably, the most serious. Over the next decade, climate change has the potential to intensify the impacts of the social, political and economic push factors. Increasing levels of intolerance, economic disparities between countries as well as the threat of climate change and its associated impacts are all key factors that drive immigration and population movements.

Past approaches to Refugee Movement on the Global Economy At its forty-fourth session in October 1993, the Executive Committee highlighted the importance of addressing prevention, protection, and solutions on a comprehensive regional basis, and encouraged the High Commissioner to consult with States, international organizations, and regional bodies on possibilities for additional measures and initiatives in specific areas with complex problems of coerced population movements.

In accordance with other international agreements, such as the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention and the 1984 Cartagena Declaration recognizes that the refugee notion has been broadened to encompass other people who have fled events that pose a serious threat to their life and liberty. The refugee protection regime is premised on the international community’s recognition of the specific rights and needs of refugees and other people in need of international protection, as well as the obligation of states to refrain from returning them to countries where their life or liberty would be at risk. UNHCR consequently opposes any attempt to put in question the distinctive situation of refugees and other people of concern to the Office, their need for international protection and their right to seek and enjoy asylum in another state.

The internal 1992 Working Group on International Protection identified three indicators of situations appropriate for the adoption of comprehensive approaches to refugee problems and problems of refugees and large-scale displacement. These were:

Ø (a) where an entire region or cluster of countries is affected by a common refugee problem or cause of flight, and where its solution implies a sub-regional or regional approach;


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Ø (b) where major obstacles to asylum and solutions (such as conflict or concentration of military power) are beyond UNHCR’s capacity alone to influence or overcome; and

Ø (c) Where there is a need for UNHCR to serve as a bridge between national, regional and international initiatives to address refugee-related problems.

The right to seek asylum and other fundamental protection principles, including observance of the provisions of the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees and relevant regional instruments, remain essential elements of any comprehensive regional approach.

Movements in Asia

The leading country for origin of refugees is Afghanistan as 2.9 million Afghans live in 71 countries as refugees. Most of them live in Pakistan or Iran. Pakistan has the highest number of refugees in the world quoted to be 1.7 million. Due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the US led 2001 invasion, the refugee crisis has been severe there. Due to the Afghan and Pakistani refugees in several areas, there has been extensive military activity which creates serious political momentum and matters of concern. The partition of Bengal and Punjab during the Indian independence movement resulted in the largest human movement in history causing 7 million Hindus and Sikhs to move to India from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Also approximately 7 million Muslims from India moved to Pakistan. The brutal Civil war in Sri Lanka which lasted from 1983-2009 had compelled thousands of Tamils to flee in search of asylum. These Tamil locals were victim to successive policies of discrimination and intimidation. About 69,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees live in 112 camps in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Movements in Africa

African countries account for 40 % of all IDPs. Conflicts in the Democratic republic of Congo, Sudan and Somalia are crucial factors for the rise in the refugee population. Ever since the 1950s, Africa has been a victim of several civil wars and ethnic strife’s leading to a huge increase in refugee population. African countries have not only been the origin for refugees but also have provided asylum to other displaced people. For instance, the Democratic Republic of Congo gave rise to 462,203 refugees by 2004 and also served as a host country for 199,323 refugees. Most of the refugees are located in Chad, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya who have fled their home towns due to the Sudanese Civil War or the War in Darfur. Roughly two million people died as a


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result of the Sudanese civil war, famine and disease caused by the conflict which lasted from 1983 to 2005 which was between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. It has been estimated that roughly more than 2 million people of Sudanese nationality are seeking refuge in Egypt. These groups have been inflicted to racial discrimination and police violence since the refugee status is highly disputed. The Libyan civil war of 2011 gave rise to 1 million refugees who have fled their country and sought refuge in neighboring countries of Tunisia, Egypt and Chad. Some have also crossed water bodies and reached Europe, these people are often referred to as the ‘Boat People’. The North African country saw the disastrous Libyan civil war fought between the forces loyal to Colonel Muammer Gaddafi and those wanting to oust his government which led to a rebellion spread all across the country. Unsurprisingly, many of the refugees are concentrated from the Middle East and particularly from Iraq and Syria, where due to the advance of the ISIS and the Syrian war many people are now non-native to their homes. A third of the world’s refugees hail from those two nations alone. It has been reported by the Global Peace Index that about 43% of the Syrian population has been displaced.

The civil war began in 2011, after the country’s notorious leader, Bashar Al-Assad, started a violent campaign to combat a series of uprisings — known as the Arab Spring. Chaos further escalated when jihadist Islamic State Militants — commonly referred to as ISIS — took advantage of the unstable nation and entered the country in a bid to create a totalitarian state under an Islamic Caliphate. The militants have vowed to “(take) over the entire world and (behead) every last person that rebels against Allah," according to a document released by the terrorist group in July of this year.

Four years later, the situation inside Syria’s borders is dire. A quarter of the nation’s schools have been destroyed — the conflict has put 2 million Syrian children out of school, according to UNICEF, some for more than four years — and more than half the nation’s hospitals have been destroyed, according to U.N. figures.

Movements in Europe

There has been an unprecedented rise in the numbers of migrants and refugees in Europe due to several reasons. Reaching countries via the sea, there have been 8, 00,000 refugees in Italy and Greece and relatively smaller numbers arriving in Spain and Malta.


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Definitions

While it is good to know the historical importance of migration it is as important to be aware of the most important definitions it comes with and to be able to use them with ease. Therefore, as this will be our main discussion, in order to have some common ground I collected the most important definitions for you:

Human migration: the movement by people from one place to another with the intentions of settling temporarily or permanently in the new location.

Mass migration: the migration of large groups of people from one geographical area to another. Mass migration is distinguished from individual or small scale migration; and also from seasonal migration, which may occur on a regular basis.

Migrant: an active party in migration, including human migration, which includes emigration immigration and internal migration.

Economic migrant: someone who emigrates from one region to another to seek an improvement in living standards because the living conditions or job opportunities in the migrant's own region are not stable. The United Nations uses the termagant worker. The term economic migrant is often confused with the term refugee, however, economic migrants migrate due to economic turmoil, not due to fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity.

Displaced person: is a person who has been forced to leave his or her home or place of habitual residence, a phenomenon known as forced migration.

Internally displaced person: is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee.

Refugee: according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees: is a person who is outside their country of citizenship because they have well-founded grounds for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and is unable to obtain sanctuary from their home country or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country; or in the case of not having a nationality and being outside their country of former habitual residence as a result of such event, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to


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their country of former habitual residence. Such a person may be called an "asylum seeker" until considered with the status of "refugee" by the Contracting State where they formally make a claim for sanctuary or right of asylum. In UN parlance, the definition of the word has been expanded to include descendants of refugees, in the case of two specific groups: Palestinian refugees and Sahrawi refugees. Currently, the UN does not consider refugee status to be hereditary for any other groups.

Refugee law: is the branch of international law which deals with the rights and protection of refugees. (Illegal) Alien: a person who resides within the borders of a country and is not a national of that country.

Asylum/ Right of asylum/ Political asylum: is an ancient juridical concept, under which a person persecuted by their own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country.

Citizenship: is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a member of a country. A person may have multiple citizenships and a person who does not have citizenship of any state is said to be stateless.

Diaspora: a scattered population whose origin lies within a smaller geographic locale. Diaspora can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland.

Human smuggling: the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, in violation of one or more countries' laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents. Internationally, the term is understood as and often used interchangeably with migrant smuggling, which is defined in the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as "...the procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the illegal entry of a person into a state party of which the person is not a national".


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Possible Solutions

Delegates in this committee must carefully consider the often complex linkages between migration and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, as well as the different perspectives held by countries experiencing net inflow or net outflow of regular and irregular migrants.

One key question delegates must answer is: how can developing countries and developed countries partner to ensure that emigrants from developing countries can benefit from educational opportunities abroad? Further, what policies can be implemented to reduce “brain- drain” without impeding on or limiting individuals’ rights of freedom of movement?

Another important question for delegates to consider is: how can countries work to ensure that the economic benefits of migration, such as remittances from abroad, contribute to development programs in the home countries receiving these remittances? And what policies can countries implement to ensure that migration - whether internal or international - assists with economic development while not harming progress towards health and environmental SDGs?

A particularly timely question that delegates should also focus on is: how can countries work together to ensure that migrants fleeing conflict and poverty, such as those fleeing from Syria and Northern Africa into Europe, are treated humanely in the recipient countries? And how can countries work together to fairly distribute the economic and social costs of taking upon large numbers of foreign refugees?

In considering the above questions, delegates should consider the different views and perspectives held by countries on different sides of migration patterns. For instance, Western European countries, the United States of America, and other highly-developed countries tend to be net recipients of migrants, who may “benefit” from other countries’ “brain-drain,” but who also face special challenges with meeting the humanitarian needs of refugees seeking protection within their borders. On the other hand, many Latin American and South- and South-East Asian countries are sources of migrants, and may face significant losses to their economies and societies from the loss of skilled and educated workers to other regions of the world. Many of these however are recipients of remittances, which may form a substantial portion of the total GDP of some of these countries.


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Further Research

• UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs - DESA • International Organization for Migrations - IOM • Global Forum on Migration and Development - GFMD • UN Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Migration Think

Piece • UN Development Programme Guidance Note for Human Development

Report Teams

Research Sources

www.unhcr.org

https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/refugee-crisis-what-europe-can-learn-past

www.cia.gov

Documents

ECOFIN - storage.googleapis.com · exhibit modesty and decorum during committee proceedings. The ... in San Francisco on April 25th, 1945. ECOFIN is unique in that it focused on