Download Economic and Financial

ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL
COMMITTEE
2017 TOPICS
Combating Sex Tourism
Currency Manipulation
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Combating Sex Tourism
Why this is important?
Sex trafficking of children is an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of children across
the globe. This issue needs to be addressed because these children are being used against
their will, often times under the influence, without the ability to defend themselves. We, as
the United Nations, are obligated to defend human rights, especially when those being violated are helpless.
Background:
Children around the world are trafficked for all different reasons, including a very large issue; being trafficked for sexual reasons. Children are the least protected, without the
means to defend themselves, and for those children of color, it is even worse. Each member
state in the committee should be aware of the process and punishments for those that find
trafficking children.
Because these children are often trafficked for many reasons, there needs to be a developed system to track traffickers and catch them before they can send the children out of
the country. Any form of crisis in their home country can also exacerbate these issues.
With the conflicts occurring in Syria and Aleppo, there are even more children who are at
stake to be trafficked, taken advantage of, or killed.
Issues to be addressed in a resolution:
1. What is the best way for the United Nations to remind countries of their obligations
to all people via the UN Charter Agreement?
2. What criteria will the United Nations use to classify a person or group that is trafficking children for any reason?
3. What non-governmental, regional, or human rights organizations can the United Nations partner with to raise awareness about the sex trafficking and general trafficking of children?
4. Should the United Nations recognize any specific cases that may need immediate
action to protect children from being trafficked?
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Resources:
Sex Trafficking: Lifelong Struggle of Exploited Children
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33710224
The Forgotten Children: Investigating Sex-trafficking in America
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-forgotten-children-investigating-sex-trafficking-inamerica/
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com/CSTT
Child Trafficking News Hub
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/child-sex-trafficking
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
https://www.unicef.org/
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Currency Manipulation
Why this is important?
Currency manipulation, also sometimes referred to as currency intervention, is the process
of a government or central bank buying/selling foreign currency in exchange for their own.
This is often used as a way to manipulate the exchange rate. This also tends to strengthen
a State’s currency.
Background:
In 1944, the United Nations Monetary and Financial conference was held in Bretton
Woods, New Hampshire. This conference sought to rebuild the world’s economic systems
after World War II, and had a few key results. To start with, States were obligated to develop a monetary policy that maintained the current exchange rates. To accomplish this,
currencies were tied to gold, and the US dollar. The conference also established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). These two organizations are now part of the World Bank Group. In 1971, the
United States, gold was no longer backing currency, and so the US dollar became the world
reserve currency. Presently, there are multiple reserve currencies, the bulk of which being
the US dollar at 64%, followed by the Euro at 20%.
Issues to be addressed in a resolution:
1. Should the United Nations adopt an official stance on currency manipulation? If so,
what should their response be to the issue?
2. Does the United Nations support the idea of backing currency with something of
physical value, as was the case when the US dollar was backed by gold?
3. Should the United Nations host another conference similar to Bretton Woods in order to revisit any of the current standards surrounding world currencies?
4. Does the United Nations have a stance on the world reserve currency and its tendency to be monopolized by a select few large currencies?
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Resources:
The World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/en/about
Information about the Bretton Woods Conference
https://www.britannica.com/event/Bretton-Woods-Conference
International Monetary Fund
http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm
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