By Apsa Shrestha & Dolker Gurung, Chief Reporters of ECOSOC for TES News

10 September 2024

On September 9th, a crisis emerged in the second half of the session, focusing on the challenge of reducing carbon emissions amid a global push for a green economy. Wealthy countries had largely neglected this issue, significantly affecting developing nations that rely on fossil fuels for their economic development. This led to a heated debate among the delegates.

The delegates from Ukraine (Kareen Neupane), France (Sonam Dorje Sherpa), and the USA (Sujan Subedi) collectively accused the delegate of Russia (Kabya Adhikari) of being the mastermind behind the crisis, despite Russia not being formally included in the discussion. In defense of Russia, the delegate of Saudi Arabia asserted that they were responsible for the signatures on the agreement. However, the Ukrainian delegate alleged that the audio evidence and signatures were falsified and that Saudi Arabia was attempting to manipulate the US and EU.

The French delegate (Sonam Dorje Sherpa) supported Ukraine's accusation, claiming that “Saudi Arabia had forged the audio and signatures to appear as a hero and sway developing countries to align with Russia, its ally.”

The delegate of France (Sonam Dorje Sherpa) contributed to the debate by pointing out that the audio evidence was implausible due to the limitations of radio signal travel, which could not cover the distance between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The intense debate concluded with all delegates agreeing to seek peace within the chamber and work towards a resolution.

The dais panels escorted the delegates to their respective chambers on the second day of the MUN 2024 final session. The committee started with the General Speakers’ List (GSL), beginning with the delegate of Sri Lanka (Suditi Baniya), with prior approval from the dais. The delegates in the GSL addressed income inequality, poverty, and corruption.

Various delegates took the floor and discussed their governments' issues and policies related to income inequality, including their countries' problems concerning economic difficulties.

In the meantime, the delegate of Russia (Kabya Adhikari) brought up the topic of the "Influence of the Effects of Globalization on Income Inequality" during a moderated caucus. The committee soon became tense as a result of Russia's allegations against the Western regions.

Russia (Kabya Adhikari) declared, "Many nations have profited from globalization and manipulated the situation. Globalization has caused a number of issues and pushed numerous nations to increase their income disparities."

The delegate of Mexico (Prithu Devkota) was suspected of manipulating the circumstances to their benefit. Defending its position, the delegate of Mexico (Prithu Devkota) stated, "Mexico has undoubtedly benefited, but they haven't caused the economic downturn of other nations."

Furthermore, the delegate of the USA (Sujan Subedi) stated that Russia was highlighting that the US and Japan were the ones exploiting their power and imposing numerous sanctions on other nations.

“Argentina was not the only country affected by COVID-19. It was a global pandemic. Argentina is not recovering. Is the Argentinian government capable?" stated the Delegate of Bangladesh (Unish Uprety), receiving a notable point.

The delegate of Colombia (Subeg Pandey) added, "Development isn't a fast process; it requires a lot of time. How does Argentina expect Colombia to develop in a year with our financial and economic conditions?"

The committee concluded its heated discussion and moved to an unmoderated caucus, where the delegates engaged in informal discussions and negotiations. This approach was intended to ensure that all perspectives were considered while maintaining a friendly and collaborative atmosphere, fostering a positive and calm setting for further discussions.