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SMUNC 2019 – BRICS BACKGROUND GUIDE SMUNC 2019 BRICS BACKGROUND GUIDE

Keshav [Date] [Course title]

BRAZIL

RUSSIA

INDIA

CHINA

&

SOUTH AFRICA

BACKGROUND GUIDE

SMUNC 2019

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Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Letter from the Dias ................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Ghaith Hanbali ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Jordan Winstone .................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Letter from Executive .............................................................................................................................................................. 4

Tebat Kadhem ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Armaan Sahgal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

TOPIC 1: DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Definitions ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Historical Background: ......................................................................................................................................................... 7

Before BRICS: ............................................................................................................................................................ 7

A New Development Era? .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Enters BRICS: The New Development Bank ............................................................................................................... 10

Issues ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Important questions to address in the upcoming conference .......................................................................................... 11

BRICS Activity: .................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Key details on activities from the 2018 BRICS summit: .............................................................................................. 13

Task of the Committee: ..................................................................................................................................................... 13

Extra Research Sources:..................................................................................................................................................... 14

Bibliography: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Topic 2: Nuclear Proliferation ................................................................................................................................................ 19

Definitions: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 19

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Historical background ........................................................................................................................................................ 21

Prior Activity and Perspectives: ......................................................................................................................................... 23

Nuclear Status and Country Approaches ................................................................................................................... 24

A Single Precedent ................................................................................................................................................... 25

Task of the Committee ...................................................................................................................................................... 25

Sources .............................................................................................................................................................................. 26

Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Topic 3: Food Security and Climate Change .......................................................................................................................... 28

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 28

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................... 29

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Letter from the Dias

Ghaith Hanbali

Head of IT and Chair for

BRICS

Jordan Winstone

Co Chair for BRICS

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to this special session of the BRICS General Assembly

(GA) Committee, hosted at the Scarborough Model United Nations Conference

2019. The BRICS committee is a platform amongst countries like Brazil, Russia,

India, China, and South Africa, that are increasingly playing a key role in the

changing global leadership dynamics and provides means to engage cooperation

for a multi-polar, inter-dependent, and complex world.

As members of the BRICS GA, you will have to discuss major issues

that concern the international community, specifically in Southeast Asia like

Nuclear Proliferation, Development Projects, Food Security and Climate Change.

The BRICS committee will cope with major problems affecting the security of

the international community, thus it is extremely important to be well versed with

the three topics, your designated countries foreign policy, and the overall foreign

policy of the different countries, and country Bloc formations. This Background

guide will offer a starting point for your understanding and research, and if you

need a clarification or help do not hesitate to email us at smunc2019@gmail.com.

Furthermore, I’d like to inform you all that we will be following The

Hague International Model United Nations Rules of Procedure for committee

sessions. For those who want to learn more, we will be releasing the Rules of

Procedure on January 11th 2019 on our website www.smunc2019.ca, as well, we

will be hosting a MUN 101 workshop on January 11th from 4PM – 6PM in HL006

at UTSC. We will also be hosting a similar workshop 1 hour before opening

ceremonies (4PM) on January 18th, 2019 in IC130. During the workshop we will

be covering the basic structure of MUN, and going over all important material.

That being said I’d like to introduce myself, my name is Ghaith

Hanbali, I’m a second year student here at UTSC, majoring in political science.

I started participating in MUN conferences in 8th grade, and it has helped me a

lot in improving my public speaking skills. In SMUNC I will be the head of IT

and will be your chair for the BRICS committee. I hope this conference will be

able to help everyone improve their debating skills and give a broader scope on

our day to day politics.

I’d also like to introduce your Co Chair for BRICS, Jordan Winstone.

“Hello, I’m Jordan, I grew up in the GTA my whole life, and I’ve

always been interested in governance; from how we get our snow

plowed, to policy making. So I believe it would only be natural for me to

find interest in International Relations. I’m in my third year at university,

double majoring in Political Studies, and Philosophy, enjoying most

forms of music, as well as being an avid reader. I joined SMUNC so that

I could further develop critical thinking skills such as thinking on my

feet. I also want to be comfortable with speaking to large groups of

people”.

I hope to see you all dressed to impress, and ready to debate on January 18th,

2019!!!

Kind Regards, Ghaith Hanbali

SMUNC 2019 Head of IT and Chair of B

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Letter from Executive

Tebat Kadhem

Secretary General

Armaan Sahgal

Director of General

Assemblies and

Chair of Security

Council

Dear delegates, staff, and friends,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the beautiful suburb of Scarborough,

Ontario on the 18th to the 20th of January 2019, for the First Annual Scarborough Model United

Nations Conference (SMUNC), hosted at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. We

hope to host a conference that is academically rigorous, all while providing an incredible

experience for delegates and staff.

The SMUNC 2019 executive team, and staff are working tirelessly to deliver an

unforgettable conference for all beginner, and experienced delegates. All delegates will be

provided with a platform to debate enriching topics, and will problem solve through diplomatic,

diverse, and challenging issues. Our carefully crafted committees this year are jam-packed with

exciting and innovative topics that will challenge delegates to think outside of the box and find

extensive and comprehensive solutions to international problems. SMUNC 2019 will also be a

platform for delegates to network with peers of different backgrounds and allow for meaningful

connections and discussions amongst delegates. Our socials this year will be held at Rex’s Den

Bar on Friday night, and at Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill after Saturday’s Committee sessions.

It will be an opportunity for delegates to let loose and enjoy themselves!

In an age characterized by growing uncertainties over international trade and

diplomacy, and with the world order in limbo, it is more important now than ever before to

understand the inner workings of the institutions that we are supposed to trust to keep our lights

on. I’d also like to urge our delegates to read the background guides (they will be posted

November 3rd at PM on our website) that have been carefully researched and planned, and to be

prepared to devise solutions to problems that our leaders seem incapable of solving. I am looking

forward to meeting you all in January, as we embark on a journey to lead the world

Yours sincerely, Tebat Kadhem

SMUNC 2019 Secretary General

Dear delegates,

I am a second-year student currently pursuing a double major in Political Science

and International Development Studies and have been involved in Model United Nations

since high school. Over the course of my experience in Model United Nations, I have

participated in over twenty conferences, primarily in China and Singapore. My most

successful experience as a delegate was in 2016 at The Hague International Model United

Nations (THIMUN Hague) in the Netherlands where I drafted a resolution that was passed

in committee, passed in plenary, and sent to the Secretariat of the United Nations.

I grew up in Singapore, Johannesburg, and Shanghai and moved to Toronto for

university in 2017. Having spent much of my childhood traveling and studying at

international schools, the one thing I am the most passionate about is fostering dialogue

between the youth. Be it when I organised Initiative for Peace conferences for Thai and

Burmese students, when I represented the interests of my fellow students as a First Year

Representative on the student union, or when I take part in organizing this year’s

Scarborough Model United Nations Conference.

As Director of General Assemblies, I look forward to facilitating the exchange of

ideas amongst us: the future leaders and decision makers of this planet.

Kind Regards, Armaan Sahgal

Director of General Assemblies and Chair of Security Council

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TOPIC 1: DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Definitions

1. Bretton Woods Conference: “The Bretton Woods Conference, officially known as the United Nations

Monetary and Financial Conference, was a gathering of delegates from 44 nations that met from July 1

to 22, 1944 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. During the conference they agreed upon a series of new

rules for the post-WWII international monetary system. Two major accomplishments of the conference

were the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the International Bank for

Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).”[1]

2. BRICS: “BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa.”[2]

3. Capitalism: “an economic, political, and social system in which property, business, and industry are

privately owned, directed towards making the greatest possible profits for successful organizations and

people.” [3]

4. Development financing: providing funds for development projects, often in the form of investments or

loans.

5. Fortaleza Declaration: a collection of outcomes established at the 4th annual BRICS Summit in

Fortaleza, Brazil, on July 2014, where most notably, the role of which the New Development Bank

(NDB) would play globally was defined.

6. Global South: a term used to refer to developing countries collectively, which has been utilized

throughout international relations since the 1970s.[4]

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7. International Monetary Fund (IMF): “an organization of 189 countries, working to foster global

monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment

and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. Created in 1945, the IMF is

governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make up its near-global membership.”[5]

8. Marshal Plan: formally the European Recovery Program (ERP), it was a “U.S.-sponsored program

designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in order to create

stable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive,” following the events of World War II.

The program operated from 1948 to 1951.[6]

9. NDB: an acronym for the New Development Bank.

10. NDB Procurement Policy: the set of principles set by the NDB which must be satisfied by potential

clients in order to make them applicable for NDB support.

11. Neoliberalism: “ideology and policy model that emphasizes the value of free market competition.

Although there is considerable debate as to the defining features of neoliberal thought and practice, it is

most commonly associated with laissez-faire economics. In particular, neoliberalism is often

characterized in terms of its belief in sustained economic growth as the means to achieve human

progress, its confidence in free markets as the most-efficient allocation of resources, its emphasis on

minimal state intervention in economic and social affairs, and its commitment to the freedom of trade

and capital.”[7]

12. Privatization: the transfer of government assets or services over to the private sector.[8]

13. Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs): “economic policies which countries must follow in order to

qualify for new World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans and help them make debt

repayments on the older debts owed to commercial banks, governments and the World Bank.” [9]

14. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): a.k.a. the Global Goals. SDGs “are a universal call to action

to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. These 17 Goals

build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate

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change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other

priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues

more commonly associated with another.” [10]

15. Sustainable Development: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”[11]

16. Washington Consensus: a set of 10 policy recommendations established by international financial

organizations as universal prescriptions towards development in the Global South. The policies are most

notably prominent in SAPs issued by the IMF and World Bank.

17. World Bank: “an international bank established in 1944 to help member nations reconstruct and

develop, especially by guaranteeing loans: a specialized agency of the United Nations.”[12]

Historical Background:

Before BRICS:

Historically, the United States has had a strong influence on global development. Following WWII,

many development opportunities were exploited by the United States to gain political influence in the Cold

War. From the Marshall Plan onwards, the US emerged as the primary supplier of economic and military aid in

the world, while also becoming a world food regime in the process.

In 1947, President Truman announced key principles by which the US was to follow. Recognized as the

“Truman Doctrine,” its outcome:

1. Aimed at combating spread of communism globally

2. Provided support to newly independent countries and regimes in order to combat Soviet influence

3. Established the Agency for International Development (AID)

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The doctrine profoundly impacted US foreign policy, primarily aiming to maintain its global sphere of

influence. The development policies issued soon after Truman’s speech were utilized as tools to accomplish this

goal. Of the biggest sources of these policies were the institutions developed in Bretton Woods, them being the

International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, as well as the Washington Consensus.

In 1944, 3 years before the Truman Doctrine, representatives of 44 Allied Countries met at Bretton

Woods to determine the shape of the global economy after the war. This led to the formation of the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, as well as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The IMF’s

primary roles were to manage financial crises in developed countries, set up an international monetary system,

and promote proper exchange relations. As for the World Bank, it focused on the reconstruction of Europe after

WWII, and afterwards, extended loans to assist the development of Global South countries. With the

establishment of the Bretton Woods Institutions, the US dollar became the global reserve currency, voting rights

within IMF weighed in favor of the US and Europe, major positions in the World Bank and IMF were assigned

from the US corporate and security establishments (Goldman Sachs, CitiBank, JP Morgan), and the IMF and

World Bank policies facilitated US success in business globally. The United States was shaping regional

economies in a way which allowed them to capitalize international markets.

In 1973, Oil and the Third World Debt Crisis occurred, placing devastating pressure on countries in debt

to the IMF and World Bank due to development financing.

During the crises, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quadrupled their oil prices,

who then invested the surplus petrodollars earned into private banks. These private banks then lent the money to

developing countries in order to finance development, but much of the funds were inadequately utilized. Further

aggravating this chaos, the higher oil prices in the 1980s caused the US to increase interest rates, which caused

commodity prices to decline in an attempt to increase the demand, all of which placed developing nations in

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further debt. As a result of the economic catastrophe, many of the developing countries which received

development finance from the Bretton Woods institutions were forced to default on their debt.

In response to the crises, the World Bank and IMF were able to offer countries debt refinancing with

certain conditions attached, known as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). Designed in Washington as a

part of the “Washington Consensus,” the SAPs’ were acclaimed to help stabilize economies and generate

financial growth. Based off the US’ the historical development success, the conditions called for actions such as

privatization, reducing government spending, removing subsidies on food, increasing taxes, reducing barriers to

trade, tariffs, and opening up markets to investment and competition. However, although this model may have

worked for the United States, its neoliberal approach ignored pivotal differences in history, culture, geography,

and relationships countries have from each other. As a result, although some countries did benefit, much of the

countries which received debt refinancing are significantly worse off as a result, even facing economic

downfall. Hence, the 80s became often referred to as the ‘lost development decade.’ Furthermore, higher

external debt meant that countries spent more paying back debts than developing their own economies. A

number of consequences included:

1. Increase in unemployment, as less services and opportunities were provided by the state;

2. Increased crime;

3. Inflation;

4. Broadening inequalities as a result of vulnerable populations being less capable of recovering from

economic downturn e.g. women and poor.

A New Development Era?

Despite the failures of the Bretton Woods institutions, the 21st century global development has been

looking quite different. Many of the countries which were issued SAPs have deviated from them, finding their

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own path to development which led their own form of economic prosperity e.g. The East Asian Tigers. This,

alongside the economic crisis of 2007/2008 showing inadequacies in the US’ measures, may be argued to

represent failures in the neoliberalism as a universal approach for development. But are we entering a new

development era?

As of now:

- The US is no longer leading the world in economic growth

- The influence of IMF and World Bank is contested worldwide

- The Washington Consensus has been challenged

- We have new actors and new institutions emerging

As a result, the faith in neoliberalism and the West has been undermined. It is quite possible that global

development may now become led by other countries. There may be a new development era as we speak.

Enters BRICS: The New Development Bank

During the 4th BRICS Summit in 2012, leaders of BRICS discussed the possibility of forming a new

bank to assist in infrastructure and sustainable development projects within BRICS nations and the Global

South. As a result, Finance Ministers were tasked with examining the feasibility of this happening, and to report

back in the summit occurring in the following year. Upon examining the results of their efforts, it was

concluded that the plan was to be put through. The 5 leaders of BRICS nations signed the agreement in

Fortaleza, Brazil during the 2014 BRICS summit, establishing the New Development Bank (NDB). The

Fortaleza Declaration emphasized the important role that the NDB would play in providing finance and

economic support for countries across the developing world. The next year, during the Ufa Summit of 2015, the

NDB was formally established as a legal entity, and became fully operational in February 2016. Within the two

years following, the bank’s Board of Directors approved loans which provided over 3.4 billion USD in financial

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aid. This amount was for projects related to transportation, renewable energy initiatives, irrigation, and water

sanitation, as well as numerous other areas.[13]

Issues

With the emergence of new global players driving growth in the world economy, BRICS may be able to

provide a more effective trade system than the Bretton Woods institutions.

In the IMF there is a clear unequal distribution of power, where 61% of the votes are held by 14 countries, and

only the remaining 39% are held by the other 172 countries. Hence, it is clear that imbalanced voting privileges

are predominant. As a result, we arrive at 2 primary questions to be addressed:

Should the New Development Bank replace the IMF and World Bank as a primary financer in the

Global South? If so, what should the NDB’s approach be?

As of now, the New Development Bank offers financial assistance towards numerous projects related to

sustainable development in BRICS nations,[14] in compliance with the NDB Procurement Policy.[15] In

contrast to the Bretton Woods institutions, NDB development loans have been free from structural adjustment

conditionality thus far, and have provided individual freedom to countries in overcoming their own socio-

economic downfall. However, is this the approach the NDB should continue to take?

Important questions to address in the upcoming conference

1. Should the NDB continue with unconditional financing (assuming project compliance with the NDB

Procurement Policy)?

2. If not, what restrictions and requirements should be made obligatory?

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3. Should the NDB extend loans to Global South states outside of BRICS? If so, should this replace the

roles of the IMF and World Bank in the Global South?

BRICS Activity:

During the recent 10th annual BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg this past July, the NDB affirmed its

stance in expanding its role as a trustful partner in development for all BRICS nations in the year to follow,

expanding its help for all members of state to accomplish their development goals.

Through its dynamic investment in the BRICS Summit, the Bank reaffirmed its assurance to grow its job as an

imaginative and solid improvement accomplice to all BRICS nations in the year ahead, expanding its help for

all part countries to accomplish their advancement motivation.

According to chairman K.V. Kamath of the NDB, “thus far, the NDB has approved 23 projects for

about USD 5.7 billion in our member countries. These projects now go beyond the core renewable energy

sectors that we earlier focused on into areas such as rural roads, ecosystem restoration, water supply particularly

in rural areas, irrigation system restructuring, and energy conservation, reflecting our ability to appraise

increasingly complex projects as we continue to move up the learning curve. Almost all of our lending supports

sustainable infrastructure and development.”

Kamath further went to highlight that “by the end of this year [2018], we expect the total approvals to

reach about USD 7.5 billion. In 2019, we are targeting incremental approvals of about USD 7-8 billion,” added

the NDB President.

“We are geared to fund conventional infrastructure as well as to harness transformative technologies in

the service of development. Besides the traditional set of lending products, we will also begin offering non-fund

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based financial products such as guarantees and credit enhancements. We will work at speed, scale, and make a

positive difference, quickly and effectively.”

Key details on activities from the 2018 BRICS summit:

1. A loan was approved for South Africa and for China for the purpose of development shortly prior to

the BRICS Summit.

2. It was established that a loan of 300 mil. USD will be issued without sovereign guarantee to the

Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) in order to support greenhouse gas emission reduction

and development of the energy sector.

3. The NDB announced 300 mil. USD to be lent as a sovereign project loan to the People’s Republic of

China for the propose of supporting Luoyang’s new metro line, potentially reducing traffic and

drastically enhance mobility and efficiency.

4. Confirmation on an agreement with the Federative Republic of Brazil confirmed the opening of a NDB

Americas Regional Office (ARO) to be opened later in 2018, providing greater potential for

involvement in Brazilian projects in the near future,

Task of the Committee:

The task of this committee for the duration of debate is to decide on the extent of NDB’s role in the

Global South development finance, and discuss potential amendments if necessary, to already established

policies and procedures when issuing loans. In doing so, delegates should consider approaches to financing in

terms of conditionality, restrictions, and requirements. Moreover, costs and benefits of each point presented

should be evaluated to form a strong argument towards how financing should be undertaken. It is the desire of

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the committee to set clear boundaries towards what the NDB should and should not do with regards to

development finance, and how it should do it.

Extra Research Sources:

1. "Articles of Agreement." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.ndb.int/data-and-documents/ndb-core-documents/.

2. "List of All Projects." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.ndb.int/projects/list-of-all-projects/.

3. "Minutes." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.ndb.int/data-and-

documents/minutes/.

4. DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ANNUAL REPORT 2017. Report.

Accessed November 27, 2018. https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NDB_AR2017.pdf.

5. New Development Bank. New Development Bank Country Partnership Plan. PDF file. January 21,

2016. https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Country-Partnership-Plan-20160121.pdf

6. New Development Bank. New Development Bank Procurement Policy. PDF file. March 10, 2016.

https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/themes/ndb/pdf/ndb-procurement-policy-20160330.pdf

Bibliography:

1. "About the IMF." IMF. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.imf.org/en/About.

2. "CAPITALISM | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary." Cambridge Dictionary. Accessed

December 30, 2018. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/capitalism.

3. "International Bank for Reconstruction and Development." Dictionary.com. Accessed November 28,

2018. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/international--bank--for--reconstruction--and--development.

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4. "List of All Projects." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.ndb.int/projects/list-of-all-projects/.

5. "New Development Bank Concludes Successful Participation at BRICS Summit 2018 in Johannesburg,

South Africa." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.ndb.int/press_release/new-development-bank-concludes-successful-participation-at-brics-

summit-2018-in-johannesburg-south-africa/.

6. "Sustainable Development Goals." UNDP. Accessed November 28, 2018.

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html.

7. "What Is BRICS?" BRICS 2018. Accessed November 28, 2018. http://www.brics2018.org.za/what-

brics.

8. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Marshall Plan." Encyclopædia Britannica. December 01,

2017. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marshall-Plan.

9. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Privatization." Encyclopædia Britannica. October 03, 2018.

Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/privatization.

10. Dams and The World Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

http://www.whirledbank.org/development/sap.html.

11. New Development Bank. New Development Bank Procurement Policy. PDF file. March 10, 2016.

https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/themes/ndb/pdf/ndb-procurement-policy-20160330.pdf

12. Smith, Nicola. "Neoliberalism." Encyclopædia Britannica. January 03, 2018. Accessed November 28,

2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoliberalism.

13. U.S. Department of State. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://2001-

2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwii/98681.htm.

14. UNDP. FORGING A GLOBAL SOUTH. PDF file. December 19, 2004.

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/china/docs/Publications/UNDP-CH-PR-Publications-UNDay-for-

South-South-Cooperation.pdf

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15. United Nations. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common

Future. PDF file. http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf

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[1] U.S. Department of State. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://2001-

2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/wwii/98681.htm.

[2] "What Is BRICS?" BRICS 2018. Accessed November 28, 2018. http://www.brics2018.org.za/what-brics.

[3] "CAPITALISM | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary." Cambridge Dictionary. Accessed

December 30, 2018. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/capitalism.

[4] UNDP. FORGING A GLOBAL SOUTH. PDF file. December 19, 2004.

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/china/docs/Publications/UNDP-CH-PR-Publications-UNDay-for-South-

South-Cooperation.pdf

[5] "About the IMF." IMF. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.imf.org/en/About.

[6] Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Marshall Plan." Encyclopædia Britannica. December 01, 2017.

Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marshall-Plan.

[7] Smith, Nicola. "Neoliberalism." Encyclopædia Britannica. January 03, 2018. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/neoliberalism.

[8]Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Privatization." Encyclopædia Britannica. October 03, 2018.

Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/privatization.

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[9] Dams and The World Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

http://www.whirledbank.org/development/sap.html.

[10] "Sustainable Development Goals." UNDP. Accessed November 28, 2018.

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html.

[11] United Nations. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common

Future. PDF file. http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf

[12] "International Bank for Reconstruction and Development." Dictionary.com. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/international--bank--for--reconstruction--and--development.

[13] "History." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018. http://www.ndb.int/about-

us/essence/history/.

[14] "List of All Projects." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018.

https://www.ndb.int/projects/list-of-all-projects/.

[15] New Development Bank. New Development Bank Procurement Policy. PDF file. March 10, 2016.

https://www.ndb.int/wp-content/themes/ndb/pdf/ndb-procurement-policy-20160330.pdf

[16] "New Development Bank Concludes Successful Participation at BRICS Summit 2018 in Johannesburg,

South Africa." New Development Bank. Accessed November 28, 2018. https://www.ndb.int/press_release/new-

development-bank-concludes-successful-participation-at-brics-summit-2018-in-johannesburg-south-africa/.

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Topic 2: Nuclear Proliferation

Definitions:

1. civil nuclear power-countries with peaceful nuclear technology; countries who can make nuclear

weapons, but they have chosen not to.

2. Hydrogen Bomb - An explosive weapon of enormous destructive power caused by the fusion of various

hydrogen isotopes.

3. Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) - a guided ballistic missile with a minimum range of 5,500

kilometres primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery.

4. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – The International Atomic Energy Agency is an

international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for

any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

5. Invulnerable second strike (retaliatory) capability - Achieved when each party possesses an invulnerable

second-strike (retaliatory) capability. invulnerable second strike(retaliatory) capability - Nuclear weapons

that cannot be destroyed in a pre-emptive attack, providing the ability to respond to any attack with

a second (retaliatory) strike.

6. Nuclear Cynicism - A way of thought that involves negative associations with nuclear weapons and that the

nuclear weapons we have will lead to the end of mankind.

7. Nuclear Fallout – long-term consequence following large-scale releases of radioactivity into the

environment.

8. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - limited the possession of nuclear weapons (only to the five

states that had them); allowed all other countries to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes

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9. Nuclear triad - a three-pronged military force structure that consists of land-launched nuclear missiles,

nuclear-missile-armed submarines and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles.

10. Nuclear Umbrella – Nuclear umbrella refers to a guarantee by a nuclear weapons state to defend a non-

nuclear allied state.

11. Nuclear Warfare – a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is used to inflict

damage on the enemy.

12. The Manhattan Project - A military project in the US that worked on the first nuclear weapons.

13. Thermonuclear Weapon - A weapon in which very high temperatures are used to bring about the fusion of

atoms such as those of hydrogen isotopes.

14. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) - a useful explosive material that is used as the standard measure of strength of

bombs and other explosives.

15. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) – A weapon of mass destruction is a nuclear, radiological,

chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or

cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere.

Introduction

The topic of nuclear weapons and warfare is an all-important but quite controversial issue in the world

today. Various countries around the world attempt to build nuclear weapons for their own nationalist agendas,

and various others seek to prevent them from carrying out their plans. As pertains to this committee, the BRICS

countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are fast-rising powers and have their own ideas as to

whether North Korea, India, Nigeria, Iran, and Israel should possess nuclear weapons.

The United Nations has sought to eliminate such weapons ever since its establishment. The first resolution

adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1946 established a Commission to deal with problems related to the

discovery of atomic energy among others. The Commission was to make proposals for, inter alia, the control of

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atomic energy to the extent necessary to ensure its use only for peaceful purposes. The resolution also decided

that the Commission should make proposals for "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons

and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction."

A number of multilateral treaties have since been established with the aim of preventing nuclear

proliferation and testing, while promoting progress in nuclear disarmament. These include the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in The Atmosphere,

In Outer Space and Under Water, also known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), and the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which was signed in 1996 but has yet to enter into force.

Historical background

Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth. One can destroy a whole city, potentially

killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term

catastrophic effects. The dangers from such weapons arise from their very existence. Although nuclear

weapons have only been used twice in warfare—in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945—about

14,500 reportedly remain in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to

date. Disarmament is the best protection against such dangers but achieving this goal has been a tremendously

difficult challenge.

Several bilateral and plurilateral treaties and arrangements seek to reduce or eliminate certain categories

of nuclear weapons, to prevent the proliferation of such weapons and their delivery vehicles. These range from

several treaties between the United States of America and Russian Federation as well as various other

initiatives, to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Hague Code of

Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

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The United Nations Secretariat supports efforts aimed at the non-proliferation and total elimination of

nuclear weapons. “Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament” considers nuclear weapons in

the framework of “disarmament to save humanity.” In the agenda, the Secretary-General calls for resuming

dialogue and negotiations for nuclear arms control and disarmament. He also supports extending the norms

against nuclear weapons, and in that regard appeals to States that possess nuclear weapons to affirm that a

nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Finally, the agenda proposes preparing for a world free of

nuclear weapons through a number of risk -reduction measures, including transparency in nuclear-weapon

programmes, further reductions in all types of nuclear weapons, commitments not to introduce new and

destabilizing types of nuclear weapons, including cruise missiles, reciprocal commitments for the non-use of

nuclear weapons and reduction of the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines. To further the agenda,

concrete actions are proposed.

The first country in the world to develop nuclear weapons was the United States in the summer of 1945,

to participate in World War Two. The first test was conducted in the state of New Mexico before being dropped

in Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed more than 70,000 people, and this led to the end of the war

with the concession of Japan.

As time progressed, the U.S. continued to develop its nuclear arsenal, but, in 1954, thousands of

scientists petitioned Dag Hammarskjold, United Nations Secretary-General, saying ““We deem it imperative

that immediate action be taken to effect an international agreement to stop testing of all nuclear weapons.””

China and France followed with testing of their own within the next decade. An international agreement with

over 60 nations was signed in July of 1968 with the goal of terminating and disarming the nuclear arms race that

existed between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period. “The treaty bars nuclear weapons

states from propagating weapons to other states and prohibits states without nuclear weapons to develop or

acquire nuclear arsenal. It permits the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It entered into force in 1970

and was extended indefinitely and unconditionally on May 11, 1995.”

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Following this, India tested out a nuclear instrument under the earth; it made its presence known to the

China, UK, US, France and the Soviet Union. Some years later, towards the end of 1986, the South Pacific

Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone was enforced. In October of 1994, a deal known as the Agreed

Framework was proposed by the US and North Korea to ensure that problems pertaining to the

development of nuclear energy in North Korea would be ended with the termination of the country’s

development of nuclear weapons and the construction of alternative sources of nuclear energy in the form of

newer power amenities and the promise of better relations between themselves and of no nuclear retaliation

from the US to it. Unfortunately, the Agreed Framework was violated by North Korea in 2003. The UN

followed in late 1995 by prohibiting the development and use of nuclear weapons and called for a nuclear-free

world. Later in

December of 1985, the Bangkok Treaty came into force, and through this was the Southeast Asia

Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone created. This was followed with the creation of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free

Zone in the next year.

Prior Activity and Perspectives:

The agenda pursued by the young but influential group of countries known as BRICS (Brazil, Russia,

India, China and South Africa) includes a variety of nuclear and related issues in international affairs. The

strengthened non-proliferation regime, which promotes compliance with the provisions of the Nuclear Non-

Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other agreements in that area, and the resulting progress toward nuclear

disarmament appear an important instrument in leading the BRICS to their self-proclaimed goal of achieving a

“fair and democratic world order”.

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Among BRICS countries, the nuclear issue, in its condensed form, tends to focus more on public safety,

at least this is how it appears from, inter alia, certain provisions of the 2011-2012 BRICS summits, referring to

the “strict adherence to the construction and operation standards of nuclear power stations.” The BRICS do not

have a separate nuclear “negotiations track” (as exists for the finance ministers, etc.). However, significantly,

the very first joint communique by the foreign ministers of what was then four BRIC countries (in

Yekaterinburg, May 2008) touched upon disarmament and non-proliferation as two mutually complementary

areas in international security.

Nuclear Status and Country Approaches

Two BRICS nations, Russia and China, belong to the five official members of the world’s “nuclear

club” and, as such, are NPT signatories. India is one of the four nations that, although not party to the NPT, are

de facto nuclear powers. Brazil and South Africa have signed the NPT as nuclear ‘have-nots,’ but they have

nuclear power or research reactors. Brazil, Russia and South Africa have ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear

Test Ban Treaty (CTBT, 1996). China has signed it but not ratified it, and India, although altogether outside the

CTBT framework, is one of the eight nations whose stance has so far made it impossible for the CTBT to take

effect. Four BRICS countries (all except India) belong to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), set up to

reinforce nuclear export controls. All five BRICS participate in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament and are

engaged in developing, to varying extents, civilian nuclear power projects. Russia has 33 nuclear reactors,

China has 16, India 20, and Brazil and South Africa have 2 nuclear reactors each. These are the status

parameters that underpin the nuclear policies of each of the five BRICS.

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A Single Precedent

As for South Africa, it is the only country that has voluntarily given up its own accumulated nuclear

arsenal. In 1970, it was banned from the IAEA because of apartheid. By way of response, it produced 6-9

uranium explosive devices. However, by the early 1990, when power in the country started to shift to the black

South African majority, these weapons were decommissioned voluntarily.

Brazil secretly had its own “non-peaceful” nuclear project during its military rule (1964–1985), although

it never produced an explosive device. In 1990, the new leadership officially announced they had stopped all

military projects and research in that area. While positively assessing Brazil’s policies vis-à-vis non-

proliferation (similar to South Africa, Brazil is party to the NPT, CTBT and NSG), international observers

continue to believe that potentially, with its considerable technical capacity, the country is in a position to

establish their nuclear arms production within three years.

Task of the Committee

In conclusion, the committee should assess whether it should permit the US from taking on a larger role

in the world than it has already. The US has played a major role in the economic development of Pakistan and

India by placing economic sanctions on them for breaking the CBTB; it has also helped to ignite the whole

international problem of nuclear testing after dropping a large atomic bomb on Hiroshima in WW2.

Currently, the US is working with North Korea to set up another summit to address issues of tension; the

US is also working to oppose Iran’s nuclear building program that may set off further tensions in the Middle

East, especially where Israel, a

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US ally is concerned. Russia, another global superpower headed by the man – Putin - who is alleged to

have instigated the hacking into the US Election of 2016.Perhaps it must also be noted that “The countries share

certain commonalities in their nuclear policies: Adherence (including India outside the NPT) to non-

proliferation, non-diversion to military ends of civilian nuclear materials and dual use technologies; Respect for

all states’ right to have access to “atoms for peace” (alongside non-proliferation), subject to IAEA and NSG

controls; Shared perception of the threats posed by nuclear terrorism and their mitigation; Promotion of non-

nuclear zones over increasingly large regions; [and] Actions to support the non-deployment of arms (including

nuclear weapons) in outer space.”

Some questions that the Committee can consider are: Do states have the right to prevent countries from

developing their nuclear arsenal? How do specific nations’ internal affairs colour the way its nuclear

development is perceived by other actors? Does the end justify the means when it comes to the development of

nuclear weapons?

Sources

1. https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

2. https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/141503.pdf

3. https://www.nonproliferation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/npr_16-3_masters.pdf

Bibliography

1. Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw.

(Ehretiaceae,Boraginales).BiodiversityDataJournal4:E7720. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. (n.d.).

doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

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2. A Brief History of Nuclear Weapons States. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://asiasociety.org/education/brief-history-nuclear-weapons-states

3. Holloway, D. (n.d.). Nuclear weapons and the escalation of the Cold War, 1945–1962. The Cambridge

History of the Cold War, 376-397. doi:10.1017/chol9780521837194.019

4. Notational Velocity, http://notational.net , free nvALT 2, http://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt , free

Simplenote, http://simplenoteapp. Evernote, http://evernote.com. Journal of the Society of Architectural

Historians, 72(2), 272-275. doi:10.1525/jsah.2013.72.2.272

5. Nuclear proliferation and civilian nuclear power: Report of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems

Assessment Program. Volume IX. Reactor and fuel cycle descriptions. (1979). doi:10.2172/5758871

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Topic 3: Food Security and Climate

Change

Introduction

With rising reports and research shedding light on the severity of Climate Change, the BRICS has started

engaging at various platforms with issues that are threatening the global food security. Since 2010, the BRICS

have engaged in comprehensive dialogues to address the problem of climate change and particularly the situation

of Food Security, reason being the rising uncertainty with global climate cycles that are wreaking havoc on

coastal, landlocked, and other regions. Reports indicate that in the next coming decades, countries all over the

world will become highly vulnerable to food security issues because of climate change. Here is a basic picture to

showcase the vulnerability of countries due to climate change on food security by 2050, with closer to red being

highly vulnerable and closer white being least vulnerable.

(Source link: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/food-insecurity-index/)

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As displayed above, Africa, Asia, and areas of Central and South America are threatened with food

security issues that is predicted to get worse as we enter a new decade. With current global hunger index reporting

over 1 billion people burdened with malnutrition and harmful food, this number is expected to touch over 2 billion

by 2050 with the majority being in Africa and Asian countries. BRICS declarations have overall focused on

identifying the area of technology and adaptation to become resilient and become a medium of knowledge

exchange for countries all over the world to combat the issues related to food security due to climate change.

Moreover, the support of agriculture shall be based on Sustainable foundations to ensure high productivity and

low emissions to the environment, to increase investment in research and development, and along with funding

of new adaptation projects in vulnerable regions with the BRICS New Development Bank.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Oct 16th, 2018, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a warning of a potent

combination of hunger, climate change, and man-made conflicts, that are creating a ‘perfect storm’, even as the

UN aims to achieve a Zero Hunger World by 2030 but has highlighted 3 main obstacles towards it aim as: Climate

Change, Conflicts, and Economic Slowdown. On the lines with the WFP mission, the BRICS have themselves

created agricultural ministers’ meetings since 2010 at Moscow. Given the high population base, economic goals,

and sensitivity to climate change, the BRICS have a crucial role when it comes to spearheading a global action

towards climate change to achieve a sustainable food security status. Considering the almost decade long

relationship of BRICS, it started as a group of 4 members called as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China),

eventually having South Africa as its latest member by 2012.

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The first meeting of the BRICs Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development took place at Moscow,

Russian Federation in 2010. The declaration thus focused on broad areas of quadrilateral cooperation in the

agricultural sector, which would give special emphasis to family farming. Furthermore, it was stressed to focus

on close cooperation on exchange of knowledge and technology in the field of agriculture, and further assist

nations at a global level with food security measures. With 43% of world population living in BRICS countries,

areas such as adaptation regarding climate change, resilience measures with crop development, would be studied

and worked upon. Eventually, the 2011 meeting of the Agriculture Ministers in Chengdu, China witnessed a

special emphasis of targeting regions that were highly vulnerable to food security challenges due to climate

change, with particular focus on African countries, as South Africa became the latest member to join the BRICS.

It was stated that the BRICS would assist African countries on increasing the food production capacity especially

for smallholder farmers through technical cooperation, policy dialogue, agricultural technology demonstration

and transfer, personnel training, agriculture infrastructure construction, and food aid.

The idea of food security being directly related to social stability is a turning point in the second

declaration as it emphasizes on the fact that social stability can be strong or weak due to fluctuating prices and

supply of food, which is why the BRICS have further moved towards traditional techniques of farming and

combining it with modern technology to develop high-quality, high-yield, and stress resistant crops, to boost

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water-saving, and promoting environment-friendly techniques such as insistence on Organic farming on a mass

scale. Moreover, all 5 nations hold the view that not only cooperation can help, but regulated cooperation can

further allow to monitor and evaluate the performance of the close cooperation over the years in food security

and climate change initiatives.

A 2017 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations highlights that

social protection continues to gain momentum in BRICS countries with all of them expanding their social

protection systems and have further increased their budgets for food security, which are witnessing a progressive

system and multi-sectoral approach to social protection and nutrition that is involving a variety of stakeholders.

Nonetheless, the report cautions that there are still several challenges in integrating nutrition and social protection.

Furthermore, there is a need to explore and identify the experiences and lessons-learnt of social protection systems

on nutritional outcomes. Lastly, the report asserts on the importance of analysing the institutional and governance

mechanisms that must be in place to ensure a successful implementation of the policies and thus have a positive

nutrition outcome.