Department of International Relations Hosts the Twentieth Annual Model United Nations

The Department of International Relations hosted the Twentieth Annual Model United Nations Conference on Wednesday, November 21st. Twenty-five SNU students acting as national delegates to the United Nations convened at the University Cultural Center under the agenda “Trade and Development”.

This year’s Model United Nations Conference discussed issues of trade and development in the developing countries. More specifically, the agenda dealt with ensuring market access and capacity-building for such nations.
According to the conference, in a Post-Cold War era, the importance of multilateral cooperation is growing in world politics. In order to guarantee worldwide cooperation, the United Nations has recognized the need for balanced economic development by reducing the disparity between the developed and developing nations. Accordingly, it has established the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) with the goal to"maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis”.
Unfortunately, despite the efforts of UNCTAD, the problem of global economic imbalance remains. The Twentieth Annual Model United Nations Conference at SNU readdressed this issue and reiterated the need for improvements in the accessibility of the markets of developed countries, and the importance of capacity-building in developing countries. To implement such goals, the Twentieth Annual Model United Nations Conference has, in its resolution, (1) recognized trade as an essential means to long-term development for developing countries; (2) urged nations to dismantle all trade barriers; (3) acknowledged the importance of south-south trade; (4) recognized the need for capacity-building in developing countries; and (5) stressed the necessity of a governing and assessing organization to ensure the effective implementation of various support measures to the developing countries.

Upon the conclusion of the conference with the words “think globally, act locally”, the spectators responded with a big round of applause, recognizing the successful resolution and the hard work the participants put forth throughout the past 6 months. Professor Ok-yeon Yi, currently teaching in the Department of International Relations, has commented that “although this year’s agenda entailed a complicated issue comprising both international politics and economy, the participants have effectively integrated the contents and led the conference to a pertinent conclusion without forgetting to add entertainment as part of their performance.”

The Annual Model United Nations, hosted by the Department of International Relations, is an academic theatrical performance prepared mostly by first- and second-year students with interest in the United Nations. Over the course of twenty years, the Model United Nations Conference, first held on November 4, 1988, has tackled various issues such as nuclear non-proliferation, world peace, global warming, and human rights.

By Kim, Jeong Tae
Nov. 26, 2007
PR Office