Ecosoc Research Report Booklet

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The Hague International Model United Nations 2011 | 23 – 28 of January 2011
Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Addressing Corruption and Its Effect on Trade and Development
Student Officer: Andrew Mark Macaulay
Position: Deputy President, ECOSOC 2011
Introduction
Corruption is not a new problem. It has been documented as early as 300 B.C. when the Mauryn
Emperor of India, Chandragupta wrote, “It’s just as difficult to detect an official’s dishonesty as it is to
discover how much water is drunk by the swimming fish.” In China, during the 18th century government
officials were paid bonuses if they did not engage in corrupt activities. Corruption is currently at the forefront
of discussions because of its direct effects on the development of the countries involved. Corruption greatly
effects trade and thus the overall development of a nation as it is depended on trade to develop (VOXUE).
The World Bank has dedicated 18.8% of their total lending, the staggering figure of 4.4 billion dollars
for improving governments and projects across the world in countries where corruption is prevalent. “The
Bank has identified corruption as among the greatest obstacles to economic and social development… it is
the greatest obstacle to reducing poverty; it distorts the rule of law, and weakens a nation’s institutional
foundation.” (VOXEU).
It is generally agreed amongst international organizations, countries and companies involved, and
governments that corruption must be minimized in order for a country and its people to develop to their
potential. The aforementioned parties involved understand that strict rules and regulations as well as
punitive repercussions must be enforced to fight corruption. Furthermore they understand that excessive
rules and regulations as well as unreasonable trade barriers serve to be counterproductive and encourage
corrupt practices. Therefore world organizations, country governments and the private business sector need
to work together in order to find a balance that encourages trade and development and discourages
corruption.
Research Report | Page 1 of 95

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Definition of Key Terms
Corruption
There is no comprehensive and universally accepted definition of corruption. The origin of the word
is from the Latin corruptus (spoiled) and corrumpere (to ruin; to break into pieces). The working
definitions presently in vogue are variations of "the misuse of a public or private position for direct or
indirect personal gain".10 Attempts to develop a more precise definition invariably encounter legal,
criminological and, in many countries, political problems. When the negotiations of the United
Nations Convention against Corruption began in 2002, one option under consideration was to avoid
the problem of defining corruption by simply listing a whole series of specific types or acts of
corruption. Many specific forms of corruption are clearly understood as such, and are the subject of
numerous legal and academic definitions. Many are criminal offences, although in some cases
governments consider that a specific form of corruption (such as nepotism) may best be dealt with
by way of regulatory or civil law controls (UNODC).
Grand Corruption
“Grand corruption” is an expression used to describe corruption that pervades the highest levels of
government, engendering major abuses of power. A broad erosion of the rule of law, economic
stability and confidence in good governance quickly follow. Sometimes it is referred to as “state
capture”, which is where external interests illegally distort the highest levels of a political system to
private ends (UNODC).
Petty Corruption
“Petty corruption”, sometimes described as “administrative corruption”, involves the exchange of very
small amounts of money, and the granting of small favors. These, however, can carry considerable
public losses, as with the customs officer who waves through a consignment of high-duty goods
having been bribed a mere $50 or so (UNODC).
Extortion
Whereas bribery involves the use of payments and positive incentives, extortion relies on coercion to
induce cooperation, such as threats of violence or the exposure of sensitive information. As with
other forms of corruption, the loser can be the general public interest, individuals adversely affected
by a corrupt act or decision, or both. In extortion cases, however, there is a very real "victim": the
person who is coerced into submitting to the will of the official. Extortion may be committed by

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government officials but they can also be the victims of it. For example, a person seeking a favour
can extort payment from an official by making threats. Investigators are all too often the subject of
threats to themselves and their families’ safety (UNODC).
Trade
The act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities, at either wholesale or retail, within
a country or between countries: domestic trade; foreign trade (Dictionary.com).
Development
The act or process of developing; growth; progress: child development; economic development
(Dictionary.com).
Government
The political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants
of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.; political
administration: Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society (Dictionary.com).
Poverty
The state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being
poor; indigence (Dictionary.com)
Bribery
Bribery is the act of conferring a benefit in order improperly to influence an action or decision. It can
be initiated by an official who asks for a bribe, or by a person who offers to pay one. Bribery is
probably the most common form of corruption. Definitions or descriptions appear in several
international instruments, in the domestic laws of most countries as well as in academic publications
(UNODC).
Embezzlement, Theft, Fraud
In the context of corruption, embezzlement, theft and fraud all involve stealing by an individual
exploiting his or her position of employment. In the case of embezzlement, property is taken by
someone to whom it has been entrusted (e.g. a pay clerk). Fraud involves the use of false or
misleading information to induce the owner of property to part with it voluntarily. For example, an
official who helps himself to part of a shipment of food aid, but is not responsible for its
administration, would be committing theft; an official who induces an aid agency to oversupply aid by
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misrepresenting the number of people in need of it, would be committing fraud. "Theft", per se, goes
well beyond the scope of any definition of corruption. Using the same example of the relief shipment,
an ordinary bystander who steals aid packages from a truck would be committing theft, but not of a
kind that would fall within commonly accepted definitions of corruption. However, “embezzlement” -
essentially the theft of property by someone to whom it was entrusted - is universally regarded as
falling within corruption definitions wherever it occurs, carrying with it, as it does, a breach of a
fiduciary duty (UNODC).
Pro-active Detection
Pro-active detection takes place where a law enforcement agency initiates an undercover
investigation in order to pursue intelligence it may have received possibly from an anonymous
source, another agency or perhaps from a telephone interception. The principal feature is that this
form of detection is intelligence-based as opposed to being complaint-based (UNODC).
Reactive Detection
Reactive detection takes place where a formal complaint is received by the law enforcement agency.
These may come from the community, from government agencies, local councils or private
companies. They have as their core feature an official complaint (sometimes anonymous) which can
form the basis for investigation by an anti-corruption organization. Where the complaint comes from
a government agency, it may be based on information derived from disclosure and reporting
requirements as well as audits and inspections (UNODC).
Background Information
World concern
Corruption is a concern for all nations in the world. Corruption at some level can be found in every
nation. It is generally perceived that corruption is most prevalent in developing countries and this theory
generally holds true. However, corruption must be attacked and eradicated at all levels in all nations.
Developing nations come to the forefront of world concern as the effects of corruption are greatly magnified.
Trade and development suffer at a greater magnitude due to the undeveloped state of said nations.
Developing countries may in effect have a lesser amount of corruption but because they are developing
there is perceived corruption or the potential for corruption supposed by trade and business partners (ISS).

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Countries affected
The most corrupt nations fall in Africa, portions of the Middle East, Russian Federation and parts of
Asia. South America, Central America, India, and China fall in the middle sectors of corruption while North
America, Europe, and Australia are the least corrupt nations (VOXEU).
Corruption at any level has detrimental effects on both first, second, and third world countries. At
different points in a nations development the perception of exactly what corruption is changes. Corruption is
known to be prevalent in certain industries including; arms trading, oil, precious minerals, diamonds, nuclear
entities, drugs, and in countries that impose high trade tariffs, high taxation, and impediments to trade. It is
also prevalent in countries that have unstable governments and dictatorships. There are some countries
where corruption is considered a part of the people’s culture and tradition.
Corruption and development
Corruption is fundamentally bad to development. Recent reports by the World Bank indicate that only
5% of available investment funds get invested in countries with either excessive corruption or perceived
corruption. In countries that are rife with corruption projects that could enhance infrastructure, education,
health, and the general improvement of the populous cannot be implemented because businesses are
reluctant to provide services as they fear financial loss. Many western countries cannot offer goods and
services to developing nations as western countries are held liable to anti-corruption laws in their own
countries and should they want to compete with less scrupulous investors they could only do so if they
practiced corruption (VOXEU).
Major Countries and Organizations Involved
World Bank
The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around
the world. Our mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help
people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity
and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.
We are not a bank in the common sense; we are made up of two unique development institutions
owned by 187 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and
the International Development Association (IDA).

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Each institution plays a different but collaborative role in advancing the vision of inclusive and
sustainable globalization. The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer
countries, while IDA focuses on the world's poorest countries.
Their work is complemented by that of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral
Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment
Disputes (ICSID).
Together, we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credits and grants to developing countries for a
wide array of purposes that include investments in education, health, public administration, infrastructure,
financial and private sector development, agriculture and environmental and natural resource management.
The World Bank, established in 1944, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. We have more than
10,000 employees in more than 100 offices worldwide.
Innovating from Within
To ensure countries continue to have access to the best global expertise and cutting-edge
knowledge, the World Bank Group is revising its programs to assist the poor, as well as its range of
financing options, to meet pressing development priorities.
Pillars of these efforts include:
Results: Together, we are continuing to sharpen our focus on helping developing countries
deliver measurable results.
Reform: New reforms at the World Bank Group are aimed at improving every aspect of our
work: the way projects are designed (investment lending), how information is made available
(access to information), and how our staffs are deployed to best assist governments and
communities (decentralization) (worldbank.org).
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by
51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among
nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. Due to its unique
international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a
wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 192 Member States to express their views, through the
General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and
committees.
The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for
peacekeeping, peace building, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways

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the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programs) affect our lives and make the
world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable
development, environment and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter terrorism, disarmament and non-
proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women,
governance, economic and social development and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food
production, and more, in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future
generations (UN.org)
International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 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.
The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, facilitates the
balanced growth of international trade, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments
difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction.
Through its economic surveillance, the IMF keeps track of the economic health of its member
countries, alerting them to risks on the horizon and providing policy advice. It also lends to countries in
difficulty, and provides technical assistance and training to help countries improve economic management.
This work is backed by IMF research and statistics (IMF.org).
Timeline of Events
Date Description of event

1999 Also in the United Nations, in 1999, the UN’s Centre for International Crime
Prevention launched the Global Program against Corruption, with the aim of
offering technical support to governments in relation to control of corruption and
their transparency
October, 2003 Under the auspices of the United Nations, the various regional anti-corruption
efforts culminated in the adoption in October of 2003 of the United Nations
Convention against Corruption ("UN Convention").3 it is the first globally negotiated
anti-corruption act.

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September, 2004 The term “passive” bribery generally refers to receiving the bribe, whereas “active”
bribery refers to offering or paying the bribe. See UN Office on Drugs and Crime,
“UN Anti-Corruption Toolkit,” September 2004.
December 2005
Every year, over $1 trillion is paid in bribes around the world, with devastating
consequences. The United Nations Convention against Corruption, which entered
into force on December 14, 2005, is the world's first legally binding international
December, 2005 Every year, over $1 trillion is paid in bribes around the world, with devastating
consequences. The United Nations Convention against Corruption, which entered
into force on December 14, 2005, is the world's first legally binding international
November, 2006 The Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) officially accredited to participate in
the United Nations Conference on Anti-corruption Measures, Good Governance
and Human Rights, in Warsaw, Poland 8–9 November 2006.
February, 2007 As part of this anti-corruption drive Bangladesh signed the United Nations
Convention against Anti-Corruption (UNCAC), in February 2007. UNCAC is
dedicated to prosecuting and punishing any forms of corruption as well as devising
new ways to prevent corruption.
February, 2007 As part of this anti-corruption drive Bangladesh signed the United Nations
Convention against Anti-Corruption (UNCAC), in February 2007. UNCAC is
dedicated to prosecuting and punishing any forms of corruption as well as devising
new ways to prevent corruption.
November, 2008 Venkata joined UNODC in November 2008. He is responsible for program
development in anti-corruption and crime prevention in the region in line with the
United Nations Conventions on Transnational Organized Crime and Anti-
Corruption.
May, 2010 A new initiative launched on 3 May 2010, World Press Freedom Day, by Access
Info Europe, a human rights organization, and TI. The aim is to see how
transparent governments are about their anti-corruption efforts under the anti-
corruption treaties they have negotiated.

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Relevant UN Treaties and Events
One of the landmark developments in the fight against corruption around the world is the United
Nations Convention against Corruption. Negotiations among Member States were concluded in Vienna on
30 September 2003, after two years of deliberation. At the official opening ceremony in Merida, Mexico, in
December 2003, nearly 100 States signed the new instrument, a number indicative of the height of concern
about the problem, and getting the new Convention off to a very promising start. The Convention marks a
major step forward in international cooperation against corruption (UNODC).
Previous Attempts to solve the Issue
International agencies including, the United Nations, as well as concerned nations have both
collectively and independently attempted to combat corruption since the dawn of time. The failure of many
attempts at curbing or irradiating corruption comes from the inability of international agencies and nations to
monitor and enforce regulation. Recently, combating corruption has become easier to monitor and enforce
due to advancements in technology. Paperwork has been standardized due to computerization and
surveillance has become commonplace in many private sector places of business as well as government
offices. Countries easily share information due to easy access through technological advancements.
Extradition between nations had become more commonplace in that helps facilitate consistency when
enforcing anti-corruption laws. Finally, an increase in the education of civil society which had been absent in
the past is broadening global awareness and intolerance for corrupt practices (anticorrupcion.org).
Possible Solutions
Fighting corruption is a war that all nations must participate in. It involves battles and fronts in all
countries and in sectors including government and business. When countries and business work together to
fight corruption and refuse to partake in corrupt activities the level of corruption falls significantly. However, if
even a few players are not on the anti-corruption team, corruption will persist. If bribes are demanded yet
none are paid, eventually the demand will disappear (IBLFRussia).
Corruption needs specific laws and guidelines for both multinationals and governments. A broad
based code of law and ethics that is answerable to international courts of justice is mandatory. Individual
countries need the autonomy to also implement specific anti-corruption acts. It has been noted that
corruption is defined differently and tolerated at different levels in various nations. It is impractical to expect
all nations to adhere to the same corruption laws if they are at different points in their development. The goal
should theoretically be to ultimately reach the highest level of anti-corruption in both business and

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government (IBLFRussia).
International organizations can play an important role in promoting anti- corruption and rewarding
nations that act in non-corrupt ways. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have the power
to withhold aid and development funding to countries that do not abide by the anti-corruption regulations.
Reversely, they have the power to reward countries monetarily; increasing trade, development, and the
general welfare of the populous should they follow the anti-corruption guidelines (IBLFRussia).
Fundamentally, corruption needs to be addressed in educational systems. Educational institutions
have an obligation to include business ethics in their curriculums. In countries where corruption is part of the
nation’s culture, it is even more important to educate at a grass roots level (IBLFRussia).
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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Evaluating the effectiveness of the monitoring of long-term humanitarian
aid following natural disasters
Student Officer: Michelle Denise L. Ferreol
Position: Deputy President
Introduction
As the environment nears its threshold, natural disasters continue to plague some of the world’s
most vulnerable regions. As such, the provision of humanitarian aid has become essential to promote the
well-being of the citizens of these nations, as well as assure that they are protected from any further harm.
In responding to the short-term consequences of such disasters, it has been obvious that the international
community has been quite effective. The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan, for
example, are testaments to this fact. However, what we find is that international interest and concern
diminish as time wears on, and many nations are left, forgotten and weak, in their dilapidated states of
affairs. Therefore, an important issue to address is the long-term effectiveness of the aid that is given. In
doing so, it is vital to acknowledge that more emphasis should be placed on building the capacity of nations
to self-sustain and recuperate from these disasters on their own terms. This avoids any instance of
dependence, and assures that as time moves on, development and the effectiveness of this aid may be
sustained. This Research Report shall outline all the pertinent facts regarding this topic, and hopefully aid in
the creation of an international plan to tackle the monitoring of long-term humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian Aid
According to Global Humanitarian Assistance, humanitarian aid is “the aid and action designed to
save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of
emergencies.” It is more commonly known as the assistance provided to areas that have
experienced conflicts that affect civilians (whether directly or indirectly), often in emergency situations
as well. The purpose of such aid is to prevent further human casualties and suffering, and may be
provided in the form of food and water, medical equipment or supplies, shelter, and manpower or
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personnel. Other priorities of such aid also include catering to those who have been displaced,
preventing the further spread of conflict, supporting relief projects within the nation, and preparing for
rehabilitation and recuperation. According to the United Nations, each state possesses the
responsibility of caring for its citizens in the case of natural disasters or emergencies of the sort.
Hence, humanitarian aid may also refer to the international response that is required of member
states once the consent of the affected nation is gained. It remains impartial, neutral, and respects
the sovereignty of all nations.
Development Assistance
According to Global Humanitarian Assistance, Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a grant or
loan from a government to a country or agency to promote economic development and the
improvement of societal welfare. This is aid given to a nation to reconstruct its damaged
infrastructure or institutions, as well as to rebuild the economy. It is often offered to the nation as
part of a peace accord in the aftermath of a war. Such assistance ensures that the nation is given
the opportunity to develop, instead of receding back into a war-like state. This may include:
reconstructing property and infrastructure, returning to normal security conditions, setting up a
functioning judicial system, economic development, and local training and capacity building.
International and Regional Organizations

These organizations are the most important actors in the provision of humanitarian aid. The United
Nations and its various agencies lead this group of actors, and are funded by member states. The
World Bank and its subsidiary banks also help in the financing of the implemented projects.
Non-Governmental Organizations
These organizations also play a large role in the provision and monitoring of humanitarian aid, and
act as supporters of the UN and its other agencies. The advantage that NGOs have over IGOs is
that they are less constrained or restricted by political systems, and their emancipation from the
government allows them to work in normally unreachable, inaccessible places.
Unilateral Assistance
This type of assistance occurs when nations donate aid directly through their own foreign-aid and
development agencies. This is normally carried out by governments as part of foreign policy and
national interest.

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Multilateral Assistance
This is the type of humanitarian aid given to UN agencies, IGOs or NGOs, and can be spent how
they so choose (as long as it is within their mandate and that they do not abuse it for personal gain).
Unfortunately, this is quite difficult to control.
Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)

This refers to a strategic plan of humanitarian response in a given country or region.
Long-Term Humanitarian Assistance Countries

These are countries that receive a greater than average (11.6% in 2008, but varies from year to
year) of humanitarian and development aid for more than 8 years.
The idea of international aid was first seen in the aftermath of the Second World War, during which
the United States helped Europe recuperate from the war by providing funds. It was further enhanced
during the Cold War, when international aid was used to support allies of the developing world. Soon
afterwards, the goal of aid became to reduce poverty and promote development in recipient nations.
Nations that were deemed most “in need” became more of a priority to receive aid. Thus, it was inevitable
for the international community to become concerned about how effectively this aid was actually working.
The movement to advocate for its effective use began in the 1990s. Thus, countries and organizations
began collaborating and harmonizing their work in order to improve the use of aid. This led to several
summits discussing the effectiveness of aid alone such as the International Conference on Financing for
Development in 2002, the High Level Forum on Harmonization in 2003, the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness in 2005, and the most recent Third High Level Forum in 2008. Since then, critiques of the
impact of aid have become more involved and have gained momentum since the year 20
00. The debate still rages on as to whether or not aid efforts to do can actually do more good than bad.
Australia
The government of Australia is ready to aid nations in times of natural disasters in the form of
supplies, medical or law personnel, transportation, and communication. This is most evident through the
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work of AusAID. It is also a staunch supporter of humanitarian organizations such as the Australian Red
Cross, CARE Australia, and World Vision Australia. It provides funding to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and donates approximately 150,000 tonnes of food aid every year.
After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2005, Australia provided $60 million for emergency relief. It follows the
Humanitarian Action Policy, which not only focuses on humanitarian action, but addresses the root of crises
in the first place. Thus, the government promotes conflict prevention, management and reduction, peace-
building, and post-conflict recovery.
Haiti
An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti early in 2010 at the capital Port-au-Prince. It was the
country’s worst earthquake in over 200 years. Thousands of people died and the area was devastated.
This prompted a major international aid effort. In 100 days, the situation had finally stabilized, and the
international community pledged $10 million in aid to rebuild Haiti’s crippled economy. Several
organizations such as Médicins Sans Frontières, the United Nations World Food Program, Oxfam, Red
Cross, and Care International also mobilized and provided assistance. Despite this, today, Haiti still
struggles to recover from this earthquake.
Indonesia
In 2004, a tsunami originating from the Indian Ocean struck Indonesia. Just a few days ago, the
same occurrence happened again in the Mentawai Island off the west coast of Sumatra, although this time
at a much smaller scale. Both times, the international community has catered to Indonesia’s needs. Today,
USAID reports finally seeing the timely reconstruction of houses that were hit by the tsunami back in 2004.
Learning from the experience, several recovery and preparedness programs have been implemented in the
region as well.
Somalia
Conflict and instability have plagued Somalia for almost 20 years. Worse, it has been plagued by
drought, floods, and epidemics. In 2009, an estimated 3.76 million Somalis were reported to be in need of
humanitarian aid. Because of this, since 2005, the EU has provided a totality of 126 million euros in aid, all
aimed towards healthcare, nutrition, and preparedness responses.
Sudan

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Sudan is one of the nations recognized as in dire need of humanitarian aid, especially in Darfur,
where the situation has been slowly deteriorating. Two million are still living in camps, two million more are
directly affected by the conflict, and several refugees are also present in the country. The scale of needs
and ongoing displacement makes the crisis especially dire. In addition, the removal of 13 NGOs from
Northern Sudan several incapacitated the presence of aid in the region. Basic service delivery, protection
and full-range coverage of needs must be addressed in order for aid to be effective.
In the past five years, about 535 million euros was allocated for Sudan. 71% of this aid went to
Darfur alone. Since 2007, emergency food aid and livelihood assistance improved significantly. The EU,
along with several other commission services, have focused on Sudan particularly following the aftermath of
the expulsion of NGOs.
West Africa
Ten countries ranked at the bottom of 182 countries in the 207 UN Human Development Index are
West African nations. 75% of the population lives in rural areas and depend on agriculture as a means of
living. Not only does the region experience civil conflict, but is prone to sudden natural disasters. The EU
allocated around 51.5 million euros to West African nations at the end of 2009, with a total of 219.6 million
euros since 2005. Assistance given to this area of Africa includes free access to basic health care for
children, establishment of relocation sites allocated by the government, and nutritional projects.
Collaborative for Development Action, Inc. (CDA Collaborative Learning Projects)
CDA Collaborative Learning Projects is a non-profit organization which aims to improve the
effectiveness of the provision of humanitarian assistance, and most especially focus on supporting
sustainable development. It has worked in over 90 countries in partnership with several hundred
international and local organizations, UN agencies, the World Bank, Red Cross, and NGOs as well.
The European Union
The European Union is the world’s largest international humanitarian aid donor and somewhat leads
this international effort.
ECHO Flight

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ECHO Flight acts as a partner for humanitarian agencies in Africa and offers free flights to aid
agencies in the continent. It transports human personnel and relief goods to locations unreachable by other
modes of transport. ECHO Flight has bases in Goma, DR Congo and Nairobi, Kenya. Since 1994, it has
completed 50,000 missions and 200 emergency evacuations, allowing it to react immediately and effectively
to humanitarian disasters in the region.
European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)
According to the European Union, it is ECHO’s task to provide emergency assistance and relief to
victims of natural disasters and armed conflict in nations outside the European Union (EU). Its
responsibilities include supplying goods such as food and medicines in addition to extra services in disaster-
stricken areas. In this, ECHO strives to remain impartial and unbiased with who it aims to help. Every year,
around €700 million is granted towards these endeavors.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD coordinates all the efforts undertaken by the international community in an attempt to
make the provision of aid more effective. Most of this work falls under its Development Assistance
Committee (DAC), which also holds the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness. This is an international forum
open for developing countries to collaborate with multilateral and bilateral donors and improve aid
effectiveness. Under the DAC are several networks that aim to promote the overall effectiveness of aid
throughout the international community. These are the Network on Development Evaluation, Network on
Gender Equality, Network on Environment and Development Cooperation, Network on Poverty Reduction,
Network on Governance and Capacity Development, and Network on Situations of Conflict and Fragility.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

OCHA is an extension of the United Nations Secretariat that is responsible for coordinating
humanitarian actors and agencies to assure a quick and effective response to emergencies. Its prime
mandate is to fortify the coordination among United Nations bodies involved in the provision of assistance to
emergency-struck areas. It also provides a framework by which each actor may abide to assist the entire
response effort. OCHA also takes rein of evaluations (for efficiency, appropriateness, relevance, impact,
etc.), program reviews, research, and studies. Under the OCHA is Emergency Relief Coordinator, whose
job is to ensure consistency among policy developments in different nations and industries, advocacy of
pertinent issues, and the emergency response.

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World Concern on Humanitarian Aid and Development

World Concern is a humanitarian organization whose main goal is to aid impoverished populations
through self-sustainability projects such as micro financing, disaster response, and the development of small
businesses. It currently operates in 23 countries.
Timeline of Events

March, 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico
February, 2003 Higher-Level Forum on Harmonization in Rome, Italy
April, 2003 EC/UN Financial Administrative Framework Agreement
May, 2003 Working Party on Aid Effectiveness is established by the OECD
February, 2004 Marrakech Roundtable on Managing for Development Results
March, 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness
September, 2008 Third Higher-Level Forum in Accra, Ghana
September, 2008 United Nations High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals
November, 2008 Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development
UN General Assembly resolution 46/182, 1991
This is a United Nations resolution that outlined the principles under which humanitarian aid would
be offered and provided: humanity, neutrality, and impartiality.
The EC/UN Financial Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA)
Signed on the 19th of April 2003 by Deputy Secretary General Fréchette and Commissioner Nielson,
this document sets a legal framework between the commission and its subsidiary organizations in the realm
of humanitarian aid. Its basic aim in facilitating aid actions is to monitor specific contribution agreements
and the general conditions of the exchanges occurring.
Monterrey Consensus
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This was created in 2002 at the International Conference on Financing for Development in
Monterrey, Mexico, during which present nations agreed to increase the available funding for nations to
pursue development. However, they also acknowledged that monetary aid was not sufficient. They also
agreed that something needed to be done to ensure that the aid was being used honestly and effectively.
Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness
This declaration outlines the commitments made by 56 partnerships to improve the effectiveness of
aid. It does so by setting forth 12 indicators in an evidence-based approach to track progress. It is rooted in
five main principles: 1) that developing countries must lead and sustain their own development policies and
strategies, 2) that donors must also provide aid that is in direct support of the priorities outlined by the
recipient nation, 3) that donors must work amongst themselves to avoid overlaps and duplication of aid, 4)
that all parties must remain focused on the end results of their transactions and aim to better the methods
by which such aid is used, and 5) that all involved parties practice transparency, especially with the impact
and results of the development aid.
Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue
The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid
In December of 2006, the European Commission kick-started a massive consultation of nations and
relevant organizations on an EU consensus, which addressed the control and monitoring of humanitarian
aid. This succeeded in creating a singular EU stance on these issues. Its outcome was a joint statement
called “The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid,” which was signed by the subsidiary institutions in
December of 2007. It not only lays the principles and policies of the EU towards humanitarian aid, but also
fortifies the ability to assist those in crisis situations.
DIPECHO Program
The DIPECHO program of 1996 is one geared towards disaster preparedness. To date, it has
invested a total of 186.42 million Euros and oversees seven disaster prone regions, focusing specifically in
2008 and 2009 on Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Central America, Southeast Africa, and Southwest Indian
Ocean. DIPECHO’s projects include disaster-preparatory measures, which are prepared by the

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communities themselves, training, awareness-raising, and the improvement of warning systems and
planning.
World Conference for Disaster Reduction (Kobe, Japan in 2005)
Following the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in 2005, this conference celebrated one of the most
vital movements towards the proper coordination of aid. This summit led to the creation of the Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005-2015, a document that pledges a commitment to strengthening the International
System for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
Cholera Inter-Sector Response Strategy
The United Nations, in conjunction with its partners and certain member states, have launched the
Cholera Inter-Sector Response Strategy, calling or around 160 billion dollars in aid to support the
government of Haiti in response to the cholera epidemic.
Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan (EHAP)
This movement was recently launched on November 2, 2010, and it calls for the international
community to provide around 47 million USD in emergency assistance for the victims of recent flooding.
Similar types of frameworks and plans have been set up in Pakistan (called the “Pakistan Response Plan”),
which continues to improve. The same holds true for Somalia and Niger, where the number of people in
need of humanitarian aid is reported to have been decreasing.
Third Higher-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana
The Third Higher-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness was held in Accra, Ghana in September of 2008.
Its goal was to take all that had been discussed and put into motion from the meetings at Rome and Paris,
to report the progress so far, and to accelerate the existing policies and plans. It was also the first of the
three summits that were held in that year that were geared towards speeding up the efforts towards
reaching the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). At this forum, they also aimed to identify the areas
where change was still too slow, and do something to mobilize it. The Forum had previously decided on the
following commitments to enhance the effectiveness of aid:
Strengthening national development strategies and operational frameworks.
Increasing aid alignment with every nation’s priorities.

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Enhancing government accountability for policy development and performance.

Eliminating overlap of efforts and rationalizing donor activities for cost-effectiveness.
Reforming donor policies to be more collaborative and progressive.
Integrating global programs into development agendas.
Enhancing transparency in the hopes of lessening the instances of corruption.
Specifying indicators, timetables and targets for each individual nation.
Monitoring and evaluating implementation of policies and frameworks.
Possible Solutions
FINANCING OF SMALL PROJECTS: Relevant organizations may assist in the financing of projects
aimed to improve post-disaster emergency responses such as the livestock shelters to prevent herd losses
in Peru, training of fire brigades in places at risk of forest fires such as in Indonesia, dissemination of health
information about common diseases like cholera in Malawi, and measures to protect pipe systems against
the effects of volcanic ash such as in Ecuador.
TACKLING THE EFFECT OF RISING FOOD PRICES: Relevant organizations must allocate a
larger amount of their budget to emergency food assistance. With the rising cost of food and nutrition,
additional resources must be harnesses from emergency aid reserves. Projects that tackle this issue must
include the distribution of food rations or packages to distressed populations, refugees, and displaced
persons, the availability of therapeutic treatment, rehabilitation and recovery efforts such as transportation of
food materials, and the restoration of basic livelihoods.
REVIEW OF NEED: An analysis of the victims’ needs, taking into account the socio-economic and
cultural context of the situations, has really helped to improve the compensating mechanisms and support
for economic microsystems. Direct aid must be restricted in order for nations to rebuild their own local
capacity.
REVIEW OF FUNDING: A global summit must be held to review the funding allocated to countries
experiencing humanitarian crises, and a central body must be created to oversee all types of interventions
and donations. This assistance must be provided to nations on a need-based approach. This would include
a “Global Needs Assessment” to analyze the occurrence of a recent crisis (or the likelihood that one will
occur) and the general vulnerability of the population. This would determine the amount of financial and
humanitarian aid that is recommended to be sent to these countries.

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MONITORING AID: To assure that best use is made of public funds, organizations must pursue an
active relationship with their stakeholders. They must also set up several monitoring and coordination
mechanisms. Aid itself should be implemented by a controlled number of humanitarian organizations, given
that they possess the financial and operational capacity to manage them. A commission underneath the
jurisdiction of the government could be set up in each nation, whose tasks are to: 1) track existing
humanitarian operations within the region, 2) organize annual meetings with relevant partners and NGOs,
collect aid from international donors.
FOCUS ON ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: The United Nations acknowledges that for aid to be
effective in lesser developed nations, a focus must be placed on economic infrastructure. Thus, to promote
the effectiveness of aid in the long-term, focus must be placed on targeted investment, productive
development strategies to foster economic growth, and promote regional integration. To enhance this
further, MEDCs should provide greater investment, debt relief, and attempt to practice free and fair trade.
As J.W. Smith says in his book “Economic Democracy: The Political Struggle for the 21st Century”: “Do not
give the needy money. Build them industries instead!”
ABUSE OF HUMANITARIAN AID: At times, humanitarian aid can actually prolong and fuel conflicts
rather than resolve the issue or provide the assistance that is intended. At times, aid leakage may result in
a situation in which a portion of the aid directly goes to the warring factions. Aid may also create incentives
for continuing the war, because local employees are paid large amounts by operating aid agencies. In
addition, aid that is provided largely to only one side of a conflict may fuel tension between the two sides.
An example where all of this has occurred is in Sudan, where civil war has lasted for more than a decade.
To avoid this, donors must be responsible and mindful when they are offering this aid to nations who are in
need. Instead of “donation-dumping,” actors must choose instead to pursue more guiding methods to help a
country recover from its crisis. Such can involve capacity building and training, as well as investments to
power the nation’s economy. Perhaps more stringent methods regarding the monitoring and reporting
regarding the use of given aid must also be imposed.
LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS: Because humanitarian aid or action can take several forms, it is
vital to focus on more than just the short-term operations that nations undertake in dealing with emergency
situations. As such, nations and organizations must look to invest in long-term rehabilitation programs and
relief operations, improving local support systems and services, as well as controlled yet consistent
donations (small in amount but annually). Aid must foster sustainability and self-sufficiency within the
nation.
PROTECTION OF VICTIMS: Humanitarian aid works most effectively when aid agencies and actors

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abide by the rules of humanitarian law. Such laws include the illegality of torture and hostage-taking. These
rules must be strictly enforced, with abusers subject to proper punishment, in order to safeguard the citizens
of the nation experiencing the conflict.
Bibliography
"Background and Mandate." European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. European
Commission, 03 Aug 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/about/what/history_en.htm
Herholdt, Cathy. "World Concern." World Concern's Blog on Humanitarian Aid & Development. World
Concern, 20 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://humanitarian.worldconcern.org/about/
"Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness." AusAID: The Australian Government's overseas aid program .
Commonwealth of Australia, 20 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://www.ausaid.gov.au/default.cfm
"Humanitarian Aid Annual Report 2009." European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection.
European Commission, 26 Apr 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010.
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/media/publications/annual_report/annual_report_2009_en.pdf
"Humanitarian Assistance and Assistance to Refugees." United Nations. United Nations, 20 Nov 2010. Web.
20 Nov 2010. http://www.un.org/ha/general.htm
"OCHA Home." United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. United Nations, 20 Nov
2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://ochaonline.un.org/
Shah, Anup. “Foreign Aid for Development Assistance.” Global Issues, Updated: 25 Apr. 2010. Accessed:
20 Nov. 2010. http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance
Branczik, Amelia. "Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance." Beyond Intractability. University of
Colorado, Feb 2004. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/humanitarian_aid/
Branczik, Amelia. "The Impact of Humanitarian Aid on Conflict Development." ICRC Resource Center.
International Committee of the Red Cross, 30 Jun 1998. Web. 20 Nov 2010.
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http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jpcj.htm
Kelett, Jan. "Impartial Access to Data and Information Relating to Humanitarian Aid." Global Humanitarian
Assistance. Global Humanitarian Assistance, 20 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010.
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/
"The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action ." OECD. Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development, 10 Jan 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/41/34428351.pdf
"International Aid Helped Haiti, But A Lot More Is Needed." Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle, 21 Apr 2010.
Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5485992,00.html
"USAID Seeing Results in Tsunami Reconstruction." USAID For the American People. USAID Asia, 21 Apr
2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia/tsunami/
"The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness." High Level Forum. Asian Development Bank, 03 Mar 2005.
Web. 20 Nov 2010.
http://www.adb.org/media/articles/2005/7033_international_community_aid/paris_declaration.pdf

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Addressing the Criminal Exploitation of Migrant Workers
Student Officer: Anthony Ghosn
Introduction
Recent studies have concluded that due to the paradigm shift in economic function and dynamic
towards globalization, demand for cheap primary, secondary and tertiary labour is becoming more
demanded, especially in MDCs (More Economically Developed Countries). Some economists conclude that
the difficult migration restrictions that countries are setting around their borders is in fact detrimental to the
globalized goal of international development, as it is in fact interfering with the supply-demand of workers in
an economy. There are many factors that affect the global balance of laborers such that migration is
necessary. In the countries of origin (COO), workers that decide to migrate are generally subject to poverty,
harsh conditions, or undesirable political regimes. As economies modernize, certain sectors of the
economies disappear altogether, which results in massive unemployment. This creates a large supply of
desperate workers in poor countries. On the other hand, in developing and developed countries, there is an
enormous demand for unskilled, manual, or agricultural workers, especially because citizens in these
countries tend to specialize in tertiary industries, which leaves a substantial gap in labourers willing/trained
for primary and secondary sectors.
The interaction of the abundant supply and the large demand of and for cheap labourers is primarily
deterred by anti-immigration laws as well as difficulties associated with international travel and work. This
shortage of migrant workers in developing and developed countries, and surplus of willing workers in LDCs
(Lesser economically developed countries), has created an informal market for migrant workers. Workers
are circumventing legal procedure relating to travel so as to acquire jobs in developed countries such as
France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The issue arises from the fact that most of
the migrant workers in fact illegally inhabit MDCs and as such aren’t protected by the labour laws of the
respective countries to which they have migrated. The result of which is the criminal exploitation of migrant
workers. In many MDCs migrant workers that are transported illegally are subject to egregious working
conditions as well as required to work enormous periods of time. Some migrant workers are trafficked into a
country, in which case they are often involved in sex-sector, and some are merely smuggled.
The migrant workers are criminally exploited to extents, which violate their innate human rights, as
well as manipulated and often coerced into work. Not only does this effect the place to which they migrate,

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because of their low-wages they often live in poverty, but it also has tremendous effects on countries that
they leave. For instance, the heavy migration of workers from one country to another often creates an influx
of willing workers in the MDC as well as creating a brain drain in the secondary and tertiary sectors of the
LDC further, plummeting it into poverty.
Migrant Worker
The United Nations defines migrant workers as any worker working outside of his/her country of
origin, or one who travels domestically for seasonal jobs or responsibilities.
Country of Origin
The country from which a migrant worker has left in order to seek employment in new country.
Example: If a man moves from Mexico to the United States, his country of origin would be Mexico.
Trafficking
According to the Palmero Protocols:
"Trafficking in persons" shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of
persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of
deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of
payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the
purpose of exploitation.
Smuggling
According to the Palmero Protocols:
"Smuggling of migrants" shall mean 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 or a permanent resident.

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The reason for which criminal exploitation of migrant workers is so difficult to combat is because of
the mixed incentives that those who are victims of crimes are subject to. They rarely report violations to the
authorities due to the fact that they risk being detained and deported if they do so. Even in instance in which
the illegal migrant worker has been captured, they do not comply with police because they fear
repercussions, either from their “handlers” or from the police themselves. The fear of deportation generally
stems from the fear of returning to the poor or politically unstable conditions associated with their countries
of origin.
Migration of workers has been increasing rapidly with time and globalization. The following graph
depicts the increase in percentage of migrant workers in a country to their entire population.
Graph 1: Percentage of Foreign Population. (Foreign Population/Population)
As the graph indicates, economically developed countries such as France, Greece, Spain, Finland
and the United Kingdom have seen a tremendous increase in the percentage of their population that
consists of foreigners as well as migrant workers. This is due to the aforementioned dynamic in which MDCs
have an enormous or un-proportionate demand for unskilled labourers that is generally satisfied by an influx
of migrant workers.
The main issue with migrant workers is not the transition and permeation of borders, it is their
exploitation and the criminal nature of their travel as well as treatment. Most migrant workers that are
trafficked into a country or even smuggled into a country are subject to inhumane treatment as well as
standards of living. This criminal activity transcends and tends to have many negative effects upon countries
that receive an abundance of migrant workers. First, migrant workers who are trafficked or smuggled
endorse or further empower criminal organizations that charge themselves with the aforementioned tasks.
Second, the non-compliance with domestic standards of labour make it such that the employment of migrant
workers and their subsequent criminal exploitation constitutes an unfair relative competitive advantage with
regards to competing firms. The fact that one firm pays less than minimum wages for its factors of
production means that it has less expense and thus more revenue, where as the complying firm is subject to
a minimum expense thus limiting their total profit. Moreover, the criminal nature of the exploitation of migrant
workers tends to transcend into sex-services as well as drug-related markets. The result is higher crime in
host nations.

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Major Regions and Organizations Involved
Asia
According to research done by the International Labour Association, Thailand is the largest
“receiving” nation in the southeastern Asia. The main sources of the migrant workers are Myanmar, Laos,
and Cambodia. According to the report, labourers tend to work in small shops, factories, domestic
households and agricultural plants. However, the foreign workers are also involved in the sex-industry as
well as gang-related activities. Approximately 80,000 women and children were sent into Thailand and
injected into the sex industry.
In addition to Thailand, India is also a “major receiving country” of migrant workers, who are often
trafficked from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In India there are between seventy and one hundred
thousand Nepalese prostitutes, of which thirty percent of them are minors. Pakistan also receives a
significant amount of farmers, fisher and prostitutes from Bangladesh and India.
Most countries in southeastern Asia contain a lot of trafficking and illicit international movement. Not
only does this movement increase the power and coffers of the criminal organizations, which organize them,
they also have extremely negative effects on the populations of the countries, which they arrive into, such as
increasing crime, and competitively.
Africa
Independently of the fact that there is a large sexual trafficking industry in Africa, according to a
report by the ILO, most of the trafficking is of children for household or domestic work. Countries such as
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote D’ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Togo are the sources of
these children, who are then transported and exploited externally in countries such as South Africa, or
Spain. According to the report there are six primary types of trafficking:
Abduction- where a child is taken from his/her home against the will of the parents and the child, and
subsequently put to work.
Placement- The child is sold by the parents to a third party for a price.
Bonded Labour- Trading children for reimbursement of debt.
Temporary Placement- The child is given to a third party “agent” for a given amount of time and the family
collects wages.
Placement as a Service- Agent moves child, agent collects intermediary benefit wage.
Placement as Embezzlement- the child is handed to a third party, third party severs communication with
family and collects child’s wages.
African migrant workers are also transported to the Middle East to serve as domestic workers as well as
prostitutes.

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North and South America
The United States of America is the country that receives the largest amount of migrant workers, with
approximately 42 million of them. In addition, the US state department claims that between forty-five and
fifty thousand people are trafficked into the US annually. Under-developed or developing nations in South
America serve as a source for these victims. However, South American countries such as Columbia, and
Brazil are also the source of illegal workers who are directed towards Asia, and Western Europe. Most of
these are used as sexual workers rather than domestic servants.
Europe
Eastern European countries serve as a source for the majority of illicit or criminally exploited migrant
workers who are filtered into developed capitals such as Vienna, Brussels and Amsterdam. Most of the
trafficking in this region pertains solely to sexual exploitation. Girls and young boys are sold and transported.
Some women are subject to unbelievable circumstances in which they are required to serve as many of 30
clients in one evening. Criminal organizations that take charge of the trafficking use it as a method to gather
funds through prostitution and bound employment. Interestingly, most of the nations that serve as “sources”
for migrant workers, which are eventually criminally exploited, are countries that are outside of the European
Union, and therefore legal transportation is difficult. Speculation would indicate that the reason for which so
many resorts to being subjected to criminal organizations is because it seems easier and more likely than
legal migration. However, they are often unaware that smuggling generally is transformed into trafficking
once one is brought to the host country, and reliant on the criminal organization.
Relevant UN treaties and Events
The International Migration Convention was ratified in July of 2003, specifying the rights protections
afforded to all migrant workers and their families. The initiative was advocated and initiated by the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In this document it
outlines the basic freedoms, rights and protections that should be afforded to all migrant workers. In
addition to outlining the rights of illegal migrant workers. A/RES/45/158
The Global Forum on Migration and Development is a forum, which consists of member nations of the
UN. The topic of which is addressing new global strategies in order to improve the impact of
migration on development, and development on migration, as well as developing a consistent
international approach to dealing with migration, and the exploitation of migrant workers. It took

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place in July of 2007, and henceforth occurs annually.

A/58/275 is a report by the Secretary General of the United Nations on the status of migrant workers, an
update of resolution 57/218 ratified in 2002 regarding the rights of migrant workers specifies the
particular rights and protections that should be afforded to international migrant workers.
The Palmero Protocols are international agreements that have to do with regulating international criminal
organizations as well as combating basic criminal exploitation of migrant workers. They were ratified
in 2000 in Palmero Italy, and adopted by the United Nations as the Convention against transnational
Organized Crime. They consist of two protocols: the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children as well as the Protocol against the
Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue
Previous attempts at combating the criminal exploitation of migrant workers have been very tentative
so as not to infringe upon specific legal sovereignties that countries hold dear with regards to their penal
systems. Nonetheless, most negotiations have resulted in measures taken by the international community to
further close their borders and render travel more difficult for migrant workers. The United Nations
resolutions that do in fact deal with migrant workers directly do almost nothing in order to combat the socio-
economic effects that migrant workers have on communities. They are generally focused on ensuring the
maintenance and respect for and of the human rights of migrant workers; however, they are primarily
focused on those who fall victim to human trafficking schemes. For the purposes of the Economic and
Social Committee of the United Nations, the UN has not proposed any direct means of effectively reducing
such illegal exploitation.
Possible Solutions
The source of the illegal trafficking and smuggling of people through borders is an inequality in
supply and demand of migrant workers who are willing to work in unskilled job sectors. The reason for which
this has not reached equilibrium is the travel restrictions that have been set by governments to prevent
international permeation, as well as all of the difficulties and complexities related to obtaining work visas etc.
A recent report by the International Labour Organization has suggested that the reason for which there is an
illegal or informal market is simple economics, there is a shortage of workers on one side of the border and
a surplus on the other, therefore, naturally, if the market is being restricted, a black market will emerge.
Thus the ILO suggests the possibility that facilitating international migration for purposes of work would
severely reduce the criminal associations that accompany migrant workers today. The ILO argued that most
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of the migrant workers who are exploited in Europe come from countries in continental Europe but which are
not afforded the free travel rights allowed to members of the EU. Therefore, one school of thought on the
matter is to ease travel restrictions and facilitate border travel for purposes of work, thus eliminating the
need of migrant workers to consult or solicit the services of criminal organizations.
However, this method has several flaws, as it may, for instance, create an enormous brain drain in
certain countries as well as an influx of workers in others. For instance, countries such as Mexico, or
Cambodia, which are centers for migration, would suffer from the loss of a large percentage of the
proletariat, which believe that they could be more successful in the United States or Thailand respectively.
Another school of thought indicates that the only way to ensure the cessation of criminal exploitation
of migrant workers is through “cracking down” upon the immigrations criminal connection, by forcing
companies to comply with rigorous standards of transparency so as to ensure that they are not employing
migrant workers that are affiliated with criminal activities. It also suggests that firms that are criminally
exploiting migrant workers be subject to extremely harsh sanctions and criminal punishment on an
international level.
However, one of the issues with this method is that it may come as a determent to free and legal
migration, as harshening the terms of international border permeation could lead to tentatively with regards
to international expansion of firms. This could severely harm international corporate cooperation as well as
the globalization of industry.
In conclusion, there are two primary approaches to combating the social and economic products of
migrant exploitation, one of which is more progressive and is supported by the ILO, and the other of which is
more conservative. Both approaches may significantly decrease the effects of the criminal exploitation of
migrant workers. Nevertheless, it is important not to forget both the positive and negative economic effects
that could go along with restricting the migration of workers, as well as relaxing restrictions on migration.

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Bibliography
"A/RES/57/218." United Nations. Web. www.iom.int/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/.../A_RES_58_190_en.pdf
"General Assembly." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/migration/ga/index.html>.
"Http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/social-transformations/international-
migration/international-migration-convention/." Social and Human Science. UNESCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/social-transformations/international-
migration/international-migration-convention/
"Human Rights of Migrants - Note by Secretary General." United Nations. Web.

http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/A.58.275.En?Opendocument
"ILO, UN Migrant Conventions - Migration News." Migration Dialogue. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=2964_0_5_0
"MPI Data Hub Graph." Migration Information Source. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/charts/2.1.shtml
"MPI Data Hub Graph." Migration Information Source. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/charts/6.1.shtml

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Cyber-crimes and Identity Theft
Student Officer: Andrew Macaulay
Introduction
Cybercrime and identity theft are important issues in today’s technologically driven world. The private
sector, public sector, and government sector in all nations are at risk for cybercrimes and identity theft.
Cybercrime rears its threat comes in many forms. Examples include internal and external fraud, extortion,
data espionage, data theft, credit card fraud, identity theft and money laundering (ripainternational.co.uk).
The effects of Cybercrime include: the abuse of children through slavery rings and pornography rings,
political terrorism, and spying, as well as financial crimes as computers are used to attempt to extort money
from individuals, governments and businesses. The main difficulty in addressing cybercrime is that it can be
committed from any discrete locations in any nation. The proceeds from cybercrime activity are easily
brought across borders as it is done digitally and avoids traditional border control and immigration.
Furthermore, once moneys are successfully in the hands of criminals it is often difficult to bring money back
due to complicated international repatriation laws. Cybercrime, including identity theft can be fought with
multiple techniques that can facilitate in the suppression of attacks. “These include systems and approaches
that can help to prevent and deter attack, processes to enhance effective investigations, strategies to
increase the prospect of successful prosecutions and measures to fight money laundering and seek
repatriation of the proceeds of Cybercrime” (ripainternational.co.uk).
Cyberspace
Unlike most computer terms, "cyberspace" does not have a standard, objective definition. Instead, it
is used to describe the virtual world of computers. For example, an object in cyberspace refers to a
block of data floating around a computer system or network. With the advent of the Internet,
cyberspace now extends to the global network of computers. So, after sending an e-mail to your
friend, you could say you sent the message to her through cyberspace. However, use this term
sparingly, as it is a popular newbie term and is well overused.
The word "cyberspace" is credited to William Gibson, who used it in his book, Necromancer, written

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in 1984. Gibson defines cyberspace as "a consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of
legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphical
representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system.
Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the non-space of the mind, clusters and
constellations of data" (Techterms.com).
Cybercrime
Cybercrime is criminal activity done using computers and the Internet. This includes anything from
downloading illegal music files to stealing millions of dollars from online bank accounts. Cybercrime
also includes non-monetary offenses, such as creating and distributing viruses on other computers
or posting confidential business information on the Internet.
Perhaps the most prominent form of cybercrime is identity theft, in which criminals use the Internet to
steal personal information from other users. Two of the most common ways this is done is through
phishing and pharming. Both of these methods lure users to fake websites (that appear to be
legitimate), where they are asked to enter personal information. This includes login information, such
as usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account
numbers, and other information criminals can use to "steal" another person's identity. For this
reason, it is smart to always check the URL or Web address of a site to make sure it is legitimate
before entering your personal information.
Because cybercrime covers such a broad scope of criminal activity, the examples above are only a
few of the thousands of crimes that are considered cybercrimes. While computers and the Internet
have made our lives easier in many ways, it is unfortunate that people also use these technologies
to take advantage of others. Therefore, it is smart to protect yourself by using antivirus and spyware
blocking software and being careful where you enter your personal information (Techterms.com).
Identity Theft
The crime of stealing someone's personal, identifying information for the purpose of using that
information fraudulently. Personal, identifying information includes: Social Security Numbers, credit
card and banking account numbers, usernames, passwords, and patient records. Fraudulent uses
for that information can often include: opening new credit accounts, taking out loans in the victim's
name, stealing money from financial accounts, or using available credit.
The crime of identity theft is most often committed by organized crime rings or desperate individuals
with opportunity (about.com).
Cyber Attacks

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An assault against a computer system or network (pcmag.com).

Cyber Security
Measures taken to protect a computer or computer system (as on the Internet) against unauthorized
access or attack (Merriam-webster.com).
Internet
A vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide (usually prec. by the). The
Internet includes commercial, educational, governmental, and other networks, all of which use the
same set of communications protocols (dictionary.com).
Cyber Terrorism
According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, cyber terrorism is any "premeditated,
politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data
which results in violence against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine
agents." (searchsecuritytechtarget.com).
Phishing
Phishing is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data, such as credit card
numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. Phishing is typically carried out using e-
mail (where the communication appears to come from a trusted website) or an instant message,
although phone contact has been used as well (the-cma.org).
Botnet
The word BOTNET is short for the combination of the word robot and network. The term often
applies to groups of computer systems that have had malicious software installed by worms, Trojan
horses or other malicious software that allows the "botnet herder” or botnet's originator to control the
group remotely (Michigan.gov).
Computer Network
Is two or more computers connected so that they can communicate with each other and share
information, software, peripheral devices, and/or processing power (highered.mcgraw-hill.com).
Cloud Computing
A technology used to access services offered on the Internet cloud. Everything an informatics
system has to offer is provided as a service, so users can access these services available on the

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“Internet cloud” without having any previous know-how (or at least not as an expert) on managing
the resources involved (en.masterbase.com).
Data Retention
The maximum period of time that written data can reliably be retrieved from the non-volatile memory
(sandisk.com)
History
The need to regulate cyberspace and protect the users against cybercrimes began with the invention
of computers. The founder and father of the knowledge of computer crime are by many observers
considered to be Donn B. Parker of the United States. Mr. Parker was involved in the research of computer
crime since the early 1970’s. He was also the author of the first basic federal manual for law enforcement in
the United States. This manual, Computer Crime- Criminal Justice Resource Manual became the primary
source of reference for cyber law enforcement outside the United Sates
Stein Schigolberg, a Norwegian attorney and prosecutor as well as Ulrich Sieber, an academic at the
University of Freiburg, assisted on many international organizations including the OECD and the United
Nations. They contributed to early attempts by these organizations to fight against computer crime. Major
nations and international organizations recognized early on that cyberspace was a platform not only for
great things but also for criminal activity. Initiatives by individual nations as well as global organizations have
developed to include the ever changing crimes committed in cyberspace specifically the threat of cyber
terrorism, and example of a global threat as well as the crime of identity theft that targets the individual but
in doing so, erodes states and nations.
Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
OECD brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market
economy from around the world to:

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Support sustainable economic growth

Boost employment
Raise living standards
Maintain financial stability
Assist other countries' economic development
Contribute to growth in world trade
The Organization provides a setting where governments compare policy experiences, seek answers to
common problems, identify good practice and coordinate domestic and international policies
(OECD.org).
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the
global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For 145
years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation
in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world,
established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of
communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate
change and strengthening cyber security (ITU.int).
Timeline of Events
1976 Council of Europe conference on Criminological Aspects of Economic Crime-
The first international initiative on computer crime in Europe.
February 1977 United States Senate operations committee- first comprehensive initiative on
computer crime in the United States, they introduced the Ribikoffbill which
was the first proposal for computer crime legislation specifically targeting the
misuse of computers.
1979 Interpol was the first international organization to address computer crime
and law.
1986 OECD appointed an expert committee to discuss computer related crime in
the need for changes in the Penal Codes pertaining to illegal computer

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related activity.
1989 Counsel of Europe set forth guidelines defining key terms and further defined
existing legislation.
1995 Counsel of Europe adopted recommendations concerning problems of
procedural law connected with Information Technology.
1998 G-8 Group of states agreed upon the following principles; Principles On
Trans-border Access To Stored Computer Data and Principles On Accessing
Data Stored In A Foreign State.
May 2000 Internet Fraud Complaint Center created by National White Collar Crime
Center and FBI, to provide a clearinghouse for complaints about fraud
perpetrated over the Internet.
October 2000 Microsoft acknowledges that a hacker has gained access to its internal
corporate network.
November 2000 The FBI establishes a fake security start-up company in Seattle, then lures
two Russian citizens to U.S. soil on the pretense of offering them jobs and
arrests them. The Russians are accused of stealing credit card information,
attempting to extort money from victims, and defrauding PayPal by using
stolen credit cards to generate cash.
March 2001 The FBI warns that 40 companies in 20 states have been threatened with
extortion by organized hacker groups from Russia and Ukraine. The agency
claims that more than 1 million credit card numbers have been stolen by
exploiting unpatched holes in Microsoft's Windows NT operating system.
May 2001 One year after launching, the Internet Fraud Complaint Center initiates
Operation Cyber loss, in which 90 companies and individuals are charged
with wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and/or intellectual
property right violations
October 2001 Congress passes the USA Patriot Act, which allows the Secret Service to
form Electronic Crimes Task Forces in partnership with other agencies.
These are intended to fight cyber attacks, particularly against
telecommunications and financial services.
April 2002 FBI Director Robert Mueller creates a division to coordinate the agency's
investigations of crimes involving the Internet, computer systems and
networks.
June 2002 Card Cops, an anti-fraud organization launched by former advertising
executive Dan Clements, creates a database where consumers can check

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the numbers of compromised credit cards. According to Internet News, the

site is temporarily overwhelmed, receiving one request per second.
August 2002 Shadowcrew's Web site appears, with forums for information on trafficking in
personal information. "Buyers will find the forums well organized for
purchasing products with the minimum of hassle,'' the site says, according to
a cache retrieved from Google. "Please sign up for the forums ... and help our
community grow."
August 2002 Russian newspapers report that the territorial directorate of the Federal
Security Service in Chelyabinsk has opened a case against FBI Special
Agent Michael Schuler. Schuler helped lure two Russian citizens to Seattle to
arrest them in November, 2000 (see above). He then accessed their
computers, which were in Russia, to collect evidence that they were involved
in Internet fraud. The FSB is quoted as saying the FBI "used hackers'
methods against hackers" and "might also use them on other occasions."
February 2003 Security consultancy iDefense notes increasing activity by a Russian hacker
group known as the Hang-Up Team, which has a new Web site devoted to
administrative tools for attacking U.S. financial institutions.
May 2003 The Department of Justice announces more than 130 arrests in connection
with Operation E-Con, an international effort to fight identity theft, software
piracy, online auction scams and other Internet fraud.
September 2003 Authorities in Alba Julia, Romania, arrest Dan Marius Stefan, accused of
scamming eBay users out of $500,000 through fake e-mails and Web sites.
October 2003 The cybercrime group Dark profits are targeted by the Mimail.C worm, which
is programmed to launch denial-of-service attacks against Dark profits'
domains.
November 2003 Microsoft offers $250,000 each for information leading to the arrest and
conviction of those responsible for unleashing the MSBlast.A worm and Sobig
virus.
November 2003 The Justice Department announces more than 70 indictments and 125
convictions or arrests for phishing, hacking, spamming and other Internet
fraud as part of Operation Cyber Sweep.
March 2004 The Hang-Up Team claims to have collected 5 gigabytes of data captured by
logging the keystrokes of unwary computer users, according to iDefense. The
team may unload stolen passwords and credit card numbers through the
cybercrime site Carder planet.

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June 2004 Ukrainian Roman Vega, a.k.a. Boa, is extradited from Cyprus to Northern
California and pleads not guilty to charges of wire fraud, use of unauthorized
access devices with intent to defraud, and aiding and abetting. He is accused
of operating www.boafactory.com, which buys and sells stolen credit cards
and fake IDs.
July 2004 A new English-language site called Stealthdivision, founded by a member of
Carder planet to promote credit card fraud, has 320 members, according to
iDefense.
August 2004 The Justice Department announces more than 160 investigations into Internet
fraud. One target, Saad (alias Jay R.) Echouafni, became a fugitive after
being indicted for allegedly hiring hackers to launch denial-of-service attacks
against his competitors. The attacks also disrupted web sites for the
Department of Homeland Security and Amazon.com.
October 2004 Secret Service seizes control of the Shadow crew Web site and arrests 28
people in eight states and six countries. They plead not guilty to charges of
conspiracy to defraud the United States. One man, Nicolas Jacobsen, is
charged with hacking into a T-Mobile computer system, exposing confidential
documents the Secret Service had e-mailed to an agent.
December 2004 Microsoft announces Digital PhishNet, collaboration between banks, ISPs
and others to compile data on phishing and share it with law-enforcement
authorities.
January 2005 An attack on a server at Virginia's George Mason University compromises
identification data on 32,000 students and staff. The University is a federally
funded research center for Internet security and houses the Center for Secure
Information Systems.
February 2005 Choice point acknowledges that people posing as legitimate businessmen
accessed 144,778 consumer records, including credit reports and Social
Security numbers. Choice Point says it has notified more than 700 people
that their identity information was compromised.
The above time line is cited from: (Baselinemag.com).
Notes that 1976- 1998 is cited from: (Cybercrimelaw.net).

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The global initiative to combat cybercrimes and protect cyberspace is an ongoing issue. The nature
of the IT industry dictates that technology grows and changes on a daily basis. Actions put in to place to
combat cybercrimes are hacked and mastered by criminals at an alarming rate. Laws and protocols that
specifically combatted specific crimes have had to be updated as clever criminals invent new crimes. The
original initiatives, laws, and protocols put in to place in the early years are still in place today only they have
been continually updated, modernized, and added to as necessary.
Possible Solutions
The key to fighting cybercrime and ensuring cyberspace is safe for users are international
cooperation and consistent laws as well as strong enforcement. Cyberspace is considered to be one of the
fifth common spaces for all mankind after land, sea, air, and Outer space. There is a great need to
coordinate efforts globally to ensure this space is not only safe but an area which can lead to the economic
and social growth of nations and their individuals (UNODC).
New approaches to addressing the issues of cybercrime and identity theft need to be taken. These
measures should extend beyond the boundaries of penal procedures and law enforcement and should
include companies that specialize in the prevention of cyber-attacks. These companies would create
strategies to “protect the innovation and wealth-creating potential and opportunities of information and
computing technologies, including early warning and response mechanisms in case of cyber-attacks,”
(crime-research.org). These strategies should reach out to all countries that are in need of assistance and
they should facilitate undeveloped countries to protect their nation against these digital attacks.
The cooperation of countries should be refined and developed further at all levels. This is because the unity
of these nations would provide a stronger foundation for the prevention of cyber-attacks. With the improved
cooperation among countries, governments can focus on ensuring the “functioning and protection of
cyberspace so that it is not abused or exploited by criminals or terrorists.” (crime-research.org).
Another aspect of this solution would be for all countries involved to redefine their criminal laws. This would
be done in order to address and educate people the nature of cybercrimes and their severity. “Such
updating should also include procedural laws (for tracing communications, for example) and laws,
agreements or arrangements on mutual legal assistance (for rapid preservation of data, for example). In
determining the strength of new legislation, States should be encouraged to be inspired by the provisions of
the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime,” (crime-research.org).
The digital divide in today’s world is very large and the gap is widening every day. This divide is
hampering the public from knowing the severity and extent of what can actually be done by computers and

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modern technology therefore, governments and NGO’s should work together in order to close this
perpetually widening gap. The governments and NGO’s would also be responsible for making sure that the
appropriate countermeasures are in place in case of a cybercrime/cyber-attack/identity theft.
The final aspect of this solution is to research the issue. Government, businesses, and the general
public need to be aware of the issues of cybercrime and identity theft in order to facilitate in case of an
outbreak or attack. It is also vital to set-up research laboratories to gather scientific data on these relevant
issues and that these labs share their findings with other countries in order to build a vast database that will
assist if there is an attack. I rewrote the whole solution and I embedded some quotes and cited them
accordingly. The first paragraph is not copied it is just information that I got from that particular source
*Please see http://www.crime-research.org/news/13.05.2005/1225/%3E/ for more information as it outlines
more solutions.
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http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci771061,00.html

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Increasing international cooperation to eliminate human trafficking
Student Officer: Michelle Denise L. Ferreol
Introduction
Human Trafficking is considered by the United Nations as a form of modern-day slavery which
affects millions of people around the world. In dealing with the issue, it has become essential to deal both
with potential victims and those who actually engage in procuring services from these trafficked persons.
Most of these victims are women and young girls who are sexually exploited, while men are often forced to
labor in very dangerous conditions for little or next to no pay. The International Labor Organization (ILO)
has reported that 2.4 million people are victims of human trafficking per year. Over the years, the practice
has also developed into a form of organized crime, mainly used for profit. Human trafficking ranks third in
means of illegal revenue under arms trade and drug trafficking. As such, international cooperation with
enforcement agencies and organizations is vital for dealing with such kinds of transnational crime. The only
way this can be achieved is by establishing multilateral or global initiatives which involve all concerned
parties. This research report will deal exactly with how this international cooperation can be achieved to
tackle the problem of human trafficking more effectively.
Human Trafficking
According to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women
and Children, which acts as a supplement to the United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime, human trafficking is defined as: “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring
or receipt of persons, by means of threat or the use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction,
fraud, deception, the abuse of power, or giving or receiving payments and benefits for the purpose of
exploitation.” Exploitation was said to include sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery,
or any other practices similar to such. According to this same convention, trafficking is a crime in
international law and violates these basic human rights: right to life, liberty and security pf person,
right to live without slavery or servitude, right to physical and mental integrity, right to work, free
choice of employment, and to just and favorable conditions of work, right to social security, and many
others.

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Source Nation
The nation from which the trafficked persons hail from.
Recipient Nation
The nation that receives the trafficked persons after you sent them.
Transit Nation
The nation through which a trafficking heist is passing through without the direct and legal
acknowledge of the government.
Extradition
This is the process by which a nation surrenders an accused or convicted person in one state or
country to another (usually under the provisions of a statue or treaty).
Repatriation
This is the process by which a person is returned to his country of origin, sometimes against his own
will.
Integration
This is the process of incorporating a racial or religious group, or an individual who has somewhat
been ostracized or has undergone a traumatic experience, back into a community or into society at
large.
Bonded Labor
This occurs when victims’ labor is demanded in order to repay a loan or a service, usually in cases
where no specific guidelines or contracts have been filed. Thus, in order to pay back their debt,
victims are forced to undergo intense labor that is usually greater than the original amount of money
that needs to be repaid.
Forced Labor
This occurs when a victim is forced to work against his or her own will, oftentimes with threats of
violence or punishment. Forced labor entails that freedom is restricted, and that these victims are
“owned” by the people who are making them work. This type of labor has generated $31 billion over
the course of its use.

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Sex Trafficking
This occurs when traffickers force their victims to go into prostitution or to work in the sex industry,
also for monetary gain. Usually, this type of trafficking involves international agents and brokers who
actually arrange for the placement of women in these sex industries in different countries.
Child Labor
This occurs when children are made to do work beyond their capabilities, with numerous
consequences to their physical, mental, emotional and social health. More importantly, this impedes
the child’s ability to get a decent education. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that
there are around 246 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 that are currently being
exploited.
The history of human trafficking and slavery dates back to ancient times, when it is said that the rich
and affluent kept people as slaves for pleasure or manual labor. Just 400 years ago, Africans were
transported across the Atlantic and exported to act as slaves as well. In 1807, the British parliament
forbade the slave trade and in 1833, slavery was finally abolished from British colonies in the New World.
This then led to the international problem of sex trafficking, with women and children being transported and
sold as sex slaves to wealthy owners. By the time the Second World War had ended, prostitution
henceforth became a criminal offense in the United States. This acted as a catalyst for others nations to
pay greater heed to human trafficking, assuming a more local and global outlook on the issue. In the 1980s,
countries began their renewed efforts to combat trafficking. Efforts were made to regulate sex tourism in
Southeast Asia, as well as prevent the transport of persons from North Africa to Western Europe. Today,
the international community remains vigilant and strong in its fight against human trafficking, but seeking a
complete and comprehensive solution is still in the air.
SOURCES: China, Nigeria, Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine

DESTINATIONS: Thailand, Japan, Israel, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy Turkey and the U.S.A.

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Example of a Source Nation: China
The People’s Republic of China experiences a large amount of internal trafficking. As per the normal
methods, many Chinese are recruited under false pretenses of employment, and are later forced into
prostitution or other harmful forms of labor. Estimated numbers of trafficking victims range from 10,000 to
20,000 annually. The reason for such spike in trafficking, it is said, is due to the rapid economic
development, which leaves a large amount of surplus workers in rural areas. China also acts as a transit
country for trafficked persons headed towards Thailand and Malaysia. China has already been accused of
failing to abide by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and its minimum standards. Under Article 244 of
the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, human trafficking has not been criminalized, though
forced prostitution and abduction result in severe punishment.
Example of a Destination Nation: Japan
Traffickers in Japan are suspected to be part of organized crime syndicates, specifically, the Yakuza.
Most victims are coerced into commercial sexual exploitation in strip clubs, sex shops, escort services, etc.
Drugs are sometimes used to subdue victims as well. Like China, Japan was placed on the 2007 U.S.
Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for not being able to comply or make significant efforts
to reduce human trafficking in the nation.
The United States of America
Approximately 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked to the U.S. annually. The U.S., however,
remains strong and vigilant in its fight against human trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000 allows the government to intensify criminal penalties, protect victims with benefits and services, and
many other legal measures. Internationally, the U.S. is also a major leader in several anti-trafficking and
development programs. Some of these include the creation of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking
under the jurisdiction of the G/TIP Office. Other than being able to provide or harness millions of dollars in
grants, all to be used to combat trafficking, the U.S. also works to spread information on the dangers of the
crime, strengthen NGOs capacity to protect victims, and open economic opportunities to those most at risk
of being involved in the phenomenon. Paying special focus on legislative measures, it has also cultivated
training for law enforcement officials, in order to assure more effective and proper prosecution of know
perpetrators.

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International Labor Organization (ILO)
The ILO addresses the issue at hand from a very different perspective, that of the labor market.
Thus, it has observed the underlying causes of trafficking, such as poverty, unsecure employment, and
flawed labor migration systems. Its responses therefore involve engaging labor market institutions,
inspectors, and ministries. It also recognizes that international cooperation is essential to address the issue,
and that national, regional and global levels must be tapped by promoting bilateral, regional, and multilateral
cooperation. Under its mandate, the ILO has also passed several conventions such as the Forced Labor
Convention of 1930, the Migrant Works Convention of 1975, and the Worst Forms of Child Labor
Convention of 1999.
International Organization on Migration (IOM)
In 2009, the IOM’s International Dialogue on Migration had the overall theme of “Human Rights and
Migration: Working Together for Safe, Dignified and Secure Migration.” It provided a forum for member and
observer nations to share experiences and their points of view on how to create solutions for better
international cooperation on the issue at hand. Overall, the IOM’s main roles in this issue include bringing
together governments and partners to evaluate the effectiveness of the current mechanisms that are in
place, as well as exchange new ideas for discussion on how to better protect the victims of human
trafficking. It also works to document and report on Counter-Trafficking Activities that occur throughout the
year.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Under the OSCE, the Office of the Special Representative for Combating the Traffic of Human
Beings coordinates most of its actions against human trafficking. In 2003, it established an anti-trafficking
mechanism which raised public awareness and motivated governments to pursue methods towards tackling
it effectively. The OSCE also has special representatives who aim to train officials in law enforcement and
promote policies to weed out corruption and organized crime.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
The UNODC is the branch of the United Nations, established in 1997, whose job is to fight
international crime and terrorism. The three pillars of the UNODC work program include: 1) technical
cooperation for on-site projects to give member states a better chance of combating illicit drugs, crime and

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terrorism, 2) research to increase knowledge and understanding, 3) encouragement to states to sign and
ratify relevant international treaties.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most vulnerable regions for human trafficking due to its rapidly
increasing population, growing urbanization, and rampant poverty. Because women aged 10-35 are usually
impoverished, uneducated, and from minority or refugee groups, this region is especially prone to the crime.
UNESCAP supports the combatting of human trafficking, reducing illegal immigration and coerced labor,
and capacity building and empowerment of women.
United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT)
UN.GIFT was conceived since, in the long-term, it was obvious that it would promote greater
agreements. It also has partnerships with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the UNFPA (UN
Population Fund), UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women, UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund) and IMO
(International Organization for Migration).
Women Leaders’ Council
The Women Leaders’ Council (WLC) was established as a component of the United Nations Global
Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT). It recognizes that women leaders are essential in assisting
governments and society in general to become staunch proponents for the fight against human trafficking.
Timeline of Events

February, 2008 UN.GIFT Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking was held to help foster
cooperation and encourage new and revolutionary partnerships. Around
1,600 were gathered from over 130 countries in the world.
February, 2009 UNODC publishes the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.
January, 2010 Vienna launces International Framework for Action to Implement the
Trafficking in Persons Protocol (Second Meeting of the Working Group on
Trafficking Persons).
April, 2010 12th United Nations Crime Congress pays special attention to migrant

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smuggling and human trafficking.

July, 2010 UN General Assembly Adopts Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking
Persons, Reaffirming Commitment on Protecting Victims, Prosecuting
Perpetrators.
September, 2010 United Nations launches a Global Plan of Action against human trafficking.
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2003)

This convention is seen as a major leap forward in the international community’s fight against
translational organized crime. Upon its ratification, states pledge to create criminal offences with organized
crime, adopt frameworks for law enforcement and assistance, and promote training and technical
improvements. Most importantly, it is the first document to define human trafficking, and compels nations to
criminalize this act. Several member states, however, have yet to ratify this protocol.
United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons (2000)
This document, adopted by the United Nations in Palermo, Italy, calls upon countries to acknowledge
that the human rights of these trafficking victims must be protected, and proposes measures by which their
physical, psychological and social health may be looked after once rescued from trafficking. It also calls for
the appropriate housing, counseling, medical treatment and vocational training in order to ease reintegration
back into society. This protocol entered into force on December 25, 2003, and to date, it has been signed
by 117 countries and 137 parties.
United Nations’ Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
This document was created by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienne International
Center in 2007. It focuses majorly on the vulnerability of victims of trafficking, the impact of this industry,
and the action we must take to end trafficking. It also set the precedent for the Stocktaking Conference
against Human Trafficking in Vienne on November 27-29, 2007. Other than setting a series of follow-up
measures, the special purpose set by the initiative was to create a plan of action and financial resources to
stop trafficking crimes.
Other Relevant United Nations Resolutions and Protocols:

• Convention on the Rights of the Child, GA Resolution 44/25, November 20, 1989
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, December 18,

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1979
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child
Prostitution and Child Pornography, GA Resolution A/RES/54/263, May 25, 2000
• Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, No. 182, June 17, 1999
• Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 16.V.2005
United Nations Global Plan of Action against Human Trafficking
This plan integrates the fight against human trafficking into the greater programs of the United
Nations, in order to enhance development and fortify security worldwide. It also calls for a voluntary trust
fund for victims of this crime.
United Nations Global TV Campaign on Human Trafficking
The United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODC) began this campaign in
order to warn potential victims about the dangers of trafficking and how they may be manipulated into
participating in the crime. It plays upon the idea that the media is very accessible and very influential, and it
set the standard for other methods of awareness raising.
Asian Regional Initiatve Against Trafficking (ARIAT)
Through this initiative, participants pledged cooperation and partnership among their governments,
NGOs, and other international organizations, to combat the problem of human trafficking. Countries were
encouraged to build regional cooperation networks and use the internet as a means to spread awareness.
From this, www.humantrafficking.org was created and implemented by the Academy for Educational
Development (AED).
Amnesty International’s “Stop Violence Against Women” Campaign
This campaign acknowledges the issue of human trafficking in its several forms, and aims to
communicate it as a major concern. It advocates the passing of legal measures to hold perpetrators
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accountable, as well as encourages nations to ratify the various conventions and protocols already in
existence.
The Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking
In this campaign, by wearing a blue heart, awareness can be raised regarding the crime of human
trafficking, and many can join in the cause to fight against it. It also symbolizes the United Nations’
commitment to fighting this crime. The campaign takes specific advantage of social networking, as it
implores individuals to change their Facebook profile picture to a blue heart or to post a photo of a Blue
Heart to their web blogs.
European G6 Initiative against Human Trafficking
This initiative involves six European nations (namely Ireland, the UK, Poland, Italy, The Netherlands
and Spain), and is also supported by Interpol, Europol and Eurojust. It aims to assure that these states
become less conducive atmospheres for the trafficking of persons. It has four main sectors of activity,
namely the Intelligence Strand, the Enforcement Strand, the Victims Strand, and the Awareness Raising
Strand, rightly tackling all the portions of the issue.
Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking
This was a forum held by the UN.GIFT on February 13-15 2008, and it helped raise awareness and
promote cooperation among the states that attended. In addition, it gave these nations and organizations
an outlet by which to create new partnerships. It gathered over 1,600 participants from 130 countries from
the entire world.
Possible Solutions
PREVENTION: In 1999, Family Health International reported that a large number of programs in
Asia had begun educating the public on the causes of human trafficking. Most nations have already begun
to implement laws that pose greater punishments on customers as well as sellers. However, enforcement
must be made even more stringent. Public advertising must similarly be used as a medium by which to
inform women of the methods that criminal groups use to force and traffic women, the risks that are involved
with it, what women can do to protect themselves, and how they can seek help as well. This may be in the

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form of commercials, public service announcements, or printed materials which may be distributed to
women.
PROTECTION: It is recommended that each nation create their own Task Force on the Protection of
Woman Against Exploitation and Abuse, as well as a Task Force on Child Protection. Such groups have
already been created in the Philippines, where they have been designated to acknowledge causes of abuse
committed against children and women. Laws such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 in the
United States must also be incorporated into every nation’s legal framework. This would enhance
punishments on abusers, as well as provide compensatory benefits for victims. Institutions such as shelters
and self-support centers must also be put in place to protect the identity ot these victims.
PROSECUTION: The Center for International Crime Prevention and the United Nations Inter-
regional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) may be mobilized to train law enforcers and
prosecutors in this realm. Laws may be passed that not only underline previous legal arrangements, but
also bring more stringent criminal penalties to abusers. To achieve this on a global scale, technical
cooperation is needed amongst nations. Source, transit and destination countries should support one
another in judiciary activities.
REINTEGRATION: Governments must create support shelters, education, job training and
placement, and financial assistance to women and children who have been victims of trafficking. As most of
these victims experience severe psychological trauma and stress, it is vital to assist victims in resettling and
starting anew after freed from the chains of trafficking. Governments, international donors and NGOs can
work to make this happen. Governments can enhance this further by allocating a specific portion of their
budget to recompense for victims of abuse such as these.
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: As the importance of international cooperation when
attempting to tackle human trafficking cannot be stressed strongly enough, it is vital that international
organizations and bodies most relevant to the issue are given a larger role and greater attention on the
international stage. States must submit to the initiatives and projects started by the United Nations, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), and the European Union.
CONVENTIONS: Human trafficking is said to have spread due to easier travel and more lenient
cross-border regulations, as well as the use of the internet. In addition, though international cooperation is
evident, such collaboration only includes certain portions of the problem such as women trade, forced labor,
and prostitution. To tackle the issue in its entirely, more comprehensive conventions are needed that
underline ways to cut off the travel that these traffickers undergo, as well as place more stringent criminal
prosecution for perpetrators.
COOPERATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT: Nations must strive to hire liaison officers who would be
in charge of facilitating cooperation with both the host and source nations’ enforcement officers for the sake

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of criminal investigations. Bilateral and multilateral agreements must also be reached regarding the
exchange of law enforcement information (such as victim information and criminal assets). Nations must
also cooperate with existing law enforcement structures such as the International Criminal Police
Organization (INTERPOL) and others of the sort. Such coordination between nations would make the
following measures possible: Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance, Transfer of Criminal Proceedings,
Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and Joint Investigations.
EXTRADITION: Since there is no set international law or obligation to extradite, perhaps one should
be made, especially since nations are quickly recognizing that they must extradite for prosecution to be
possible. If this were to be achieved, the following must be present to assure consistency across nations: 1)
a legal basis for extradition, settled through multilateral treaties, 2) sufficient evidence for the supposed
crime, 3) dual criminality (that the deed committed is punishable under the legal frameworks of all involved
parties), 4) specificity of offences and punishment to be carried out.
TRANSPARENCY: The open sharing of information is essential to the proper process of trafficking
investigations. Bilateral and multilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) are recommended to
ensure the information shall be outlined properly, shared, and used according to standard protocol.
Bibliography
• "Recent Updates." humantrafficking.org A Web Resource for Combating Human
Trafficking in the East Asia Pacific Region. Academy for Educational Development, 15 Jun 2010.
Web. 20 Nov 2010. < http://www.humantrafficking.org/ >
• "What is Human Trafficking?." UN.GIFT Global Initiatve to Fight Human Trafficking.

Unied Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 21 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. <
http://www.ungift.org/ungift/en/humantrafficking/index.html >
• "Human Trafficking." Amnesty International USA. Amnesty International USA, 21 Nov

2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. < http://www.amnestyusa.org/violence-against-women/end-human-
trafficking/page.do?id=1108428 >
• "BBC News Special Reports." UN Highlights Human Trafficking. BBC, 26 Mar 2007.
Web. 20 Nov 2010. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6497799.stm >

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• "United Nations ESCAP." Gender and Human Trafficking. United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 21 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. <
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2010. < http://www.blueblindfold.gov.ie/website/bbf/bbfweb.nsf/page/whatisbeingdone-
internationalco-operation-en >
• Aleinikoff, Alexander. "Trafficking in Women: International Cooperation." Carnegie

Endowment for International Peace. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 29 Sep 1997.
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>
• "Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings."

Council of Europe. Council of Europe, 2005. Web. 20 Nov 2010. <
http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/197.htm >
• "United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime." Anti-Human Trafficking Manual for
Criminal Justice Practitioners. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2009. Web. 20 Nov 2010.
< http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/TIP_module6_Ebook.pdf >
• "History of Human Trafficking and Slavery." Free Legal Advice Help. Free Legal
Advice Help, 13 Nov 2010. Web. 20 Nov 2010. < http://www.freelegaladvicehelp.com/criminal-
lawyer/trafficking/History-Of-Human-Trafficking-And-Slavery.html >
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Rights (2009)." International Organization for Migration. International Organization on Migration, 10
Jul 2009. Web. 20 Nov 2010. < http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/ensuring-protection-of-human-rights >
• "Trafficking in Persons." International Labor Organization. International Labor

Organization, 01 May 2009. Web. 20 Nov 2010. <
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/migrant/areas/trafficking.htm >

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Measures to prevent criminal disregard of the environmental and labor
regulations
Student Officer: Haldun ANIL
Position: President of ECOSOC
Introduction
In today's increasingly competitive economic climate, companies have begun to disregard domestic
and international law regarding the environment as well as workers' safety and rights. Largely due to the
recent economic crisis wherein a significant number of multinational businesses were forced into
bankruptcy, a significant number of the remaining companies which wish to secure their assets and future
profits have turned to criminal disregard of many safety regulations.
It is thus of vital importance that measures be taken in order to make sure that such companies cease their
unlawful operations and meet international standards as set forth by member states, involved organizations
and domestic as well as international law. The importance of such measures will be thoroughly discussed in
the following sections of this report, along with solutions that have and can be taken. For the purpose of this
report, please note that criminal disregard of environmental and labor regulations, while separate issues,
must be considered as a whole; as such, they will be discussed conjointly for the remainder of this report.
Environmental crime
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) defines environmental crime in 5 different categories,
of which the 3 most relevant to this issue are defined below:
"Illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances in contravention to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on

Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer";
"Dumping and illegal transport of various kinds of hazardous waste in contravention of the 1989
Basel Convention on the Control of Tran boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Other
Wastes and their Disposal";
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"Illegal logging and trade in timber when timber is harvested, transported, bought or sold in violation
of national laws (There are currently no binding international controls on the international timber
trade with the exception of endangered species, which is covered by CITES)".
Labor law
The International Labor Organization (ILO), an organ of the United Nations, notes the following: "The
right to decent working conditions can be considered a fundamental human right." In light of the
aforementioned information, labor law can be defined as the following: "Any and all laws that apply
and aim to improve working conditions and punish employers who force their laborers to work under
inhumane conditions."
Labor inspection
As defined by the ILO, labor inspection is defined as a means of making sure that employees
working within a company are subject to humane working conditions. The ILO defines those who are
charged with inspecting workplaces as the following: "Labor inspectorates are the state authorities
for many work-related activities such as health and safety, social dialogue, legislation, market-control
mechanisms, working conditions, the fight against illegal work, HIV/AIDS or child labor, etc."
As explained in the paragraphs above, the contemporary economic climate has lead to many
companies' increasing disregard for environmental and labor regulations designed to secure our planet, its
ecosystem and inhabitants, and workers' day-to-day working conditions, respectively. It is important to note
that companies must abide by any such regulations since their sole and primary purpose is to protect
everyone's common interest. Unfortunately, as companies get richer and richer, their disregard for the
environment and human life increases proportionately. This is why stronger regulation enforcement and
more effective punishment methods are necessary if we are to solve this problem.
In order to be able to further analyze both facets of this issue, we will be looking at them separately so as to
understand the individual situations that contribute to both issues.
Criminal disregard for the environment

As defined in the Key Terms section, there are 5 main categories of environmental crime, 3 of which
will be further explained in this report. The 3 categories that will be discussed are mostly due to disregard for
international safety regulations; for example, excessive logging contributes to deforestation, which
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contributes immensely to the Greenhouse Effect thereby threatens global biodiversity, biological equilibrium
and environmental stability.
Unfortunately, these crimes are seen as "victimless" crimes as they do not directly harm the general
population. This perception is, however, false as such crimes affect global ecological balance and threaten
to destabilize our environment; affecting all of society in the process. As explained in the introduction section
of this report, environmental crime is a very lucrative criminal enterprise as it generates unfathomable profits
each year and is further facilitated by international and domestic agreements and treaties. Conversely, the
development of environmental enforcement agencies is struggling to keep pace with illegal companies'
growth; they are also largely ineffective due to jurisdiction issues which occur during the process of
environmental criminal activity.
One other reason for the persistence of environmental crime is its profitability; with the large amount of
money generated from illegal activities such as cross-border logging, companies that partake in such
activities gain an indisputable amount of leverage on politics, which in turn facilitate their activities.
In order to counteract environmental crime, it is vital for the international community to realize the risk that
these activities pose on the environment and take appropriate action to reduce it.
The illicit trade and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS)

The ozone layer, a field of Oxygen ions high up on the atmosphere, protects all life on earth from the
extremely harmful ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. The thinning of this layer directly results in
an increase of harmful rays absorbed by the surface of the earth; this not only causes a gradual
increase of global temperature levels but potentially threatens all life on earth as UV rays have
frequencies which enable them to alter genetic coding whereby resulting in skin cancer, cataracts
and other diseases. The thinning of this layer is directly caused by the use of artificially-created ODS,
which, when released into the air, reach the stratosphere and destroy ozone (O3) molecules. The
most widely used chemicals that destroy the ozone layer are released from the use of appliances
such as refrigerators, fire suppressants and aerosol cans.
In 1987, thanks to increasing global concern about the issue, the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed and ratified by 189 nations. The protocol, which will be
discussed further in the Relevant UN Treaties and Events section, is a legally binding protocol which
aims to reduce and completely phase out all forms of ODS. As with all restrictions, however, the
Protocol, while very successful, has led to an emergence of illegal trade of ODS. The smuggling of
ODS is especially prevalent in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs). Several methods
of smuggling ODS are:
False labels on documents, boxes and merchandise;

The use and transportation of counterfeit merchandise.
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The trade of such illegal products as chlorofluorocarbons is fostered by high demand as they are a
cheap source of appliance parts, personal hygiene merchandises, etc. As long as the prices for better, more
environmentally products remain as high as they currently are, it will be very difficult for these products to be
completely phased out, even through legal means. Therefore, in addition to strengthening enforcement of
treaties such as the Montreal Protocol, economic incentive must also be given to LEDCs which are the
prime consumers and targets of this illicit market.
Illegal dumping of hazardous waste

Illegal dumping of hazardous waste is an issue which causes great damage to a community; be it
human or animal. By definition, illegal dumping is the disposal of any type of material in a site that is
not deemed suitable for disposal of waste. This definition, however, is a very broad version of the
more specific versions which are suited to every country's needs; while some classify illegal dumping
as dumping of industrial waste, others may even view throwing garbage on the ground as such. Just
as the definition, the penalties associated with illegal dumping of waste also varies by country;
possible penalties vary from fines to community service and even to incarceration.
Transboundary dumping of hazardous waste is the export of the former from developed to
developing countries. The emergence of this field owes its existence to the fact that proper
management of such products is very costly as it requires the creation of facilities designed to purify
and/or treat these products so as to render them neutral to the environment. As such, to avoid such
costs, companies instead turn to another solution; dumping their waste in other countries for a price
that is significantly lesser than that required to maintain adequate disposal facilities.
A popular place that has become more and more preferred by an increasing number of governments
is the sub-Saharan African area. There are 4 main contributing reasons for the selection of this
particular area for waste dumping; firstly, as these countries' economic situations are dismal,
developed countries can offer them their waste in exchange for remuneration; secondly, as these
countries do not have regulations to deal with hazardous waste management, the dumping of such
hardly constitutes any real crime. Thirdly, a high level of corruption in most African countries enables
them to be easily manipulated by big time corporations wishing to dump their waste illicitly. Finally,
as these countries are underdeveloped, they lack the technical know-how required to identify
whether a given waste is hazardous or not.
The biggest problem with trying to prevent illegal dumping, however, is that even though many
treaties such as the 1989 Basel Convention propose feasible and effective solutions, the destination
countries are the ones that are blind to the risks posed by improper dumping of hazardous waste.
While countries and corporations that cross boundaries in order to get to such willing destination
countries, aware of the danger that it may pose to the society living there, destination countries may
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not be as knowledgeable about the risks. We must also take into account key documents such as the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which contradicts the Basel Convention and
effectively renders it redundant. Thus, it is very important to note that while making multilateral
agreements, member states must take into account special conditions that may be present and make
exceptions accordingly.
Illegal logging and timber harvesting

While illegal logging and timber harvesting is generally regarded as a phenomenon that only involves
the illicit harvesting of forests, it is important to acknowledge that it also includes illegal acquisition of
rights, tax infringements, illegal transportation, corruption, bribery, violence and even murder as a
part of a series of organized crimes run by cross-national syndicates. Fueled by the high demand for
cheap timber, this medium of organized crime is deeply rooted in many rainforest regions such as
the Amazon, East Asia, etc.
Illegal logging not only affects the immediate surroundings of where timber harvesting occurred, but
also the global ecosystem as a whole as it is one of the most direct causes of the greenhouse effect,
and thus climate change. In addition, illegal timber harvesting costs forest-depending countries
approximately US $15 billion/year, according to a case study conducted by the EIA.
A dire example of illegal logging is Indonesia, where the situation has gotten so horrible that
according to the aforementioned EIA report, the illegal export of timber from the country costs its
government a whopping US $4 billion/year; roughly 5 times Indonesia's annual Health Budget. The
scale at which this deforestation has progressed has left most of Indonesia in a barren state, with a
large portion of the forests irreparably damaged. It is vital that before deforestation destroys all of
Indonesia's ecosystem as a whole, appropriate measures with strict punishment guidelines be made
in order to deter illegal timber harvesters from doing so.
Recently, however, several signs have shown that consumer markets are realizing the fact that high
demand is exactly what fuels illegal logging. As a result, a 2008 U.S. law has banned the import and
sale of illegally-obtained timber products and has given authorities the right with which to seize such
products.
Criminal disregard for the labor regulations
As defined in the beginning of this report, labor law is a law or a set of laws which aim(s) to meet
humane standards in the work place. Labor laws vary immensely from state to state; however, it is possible
to deduce two general sub-categories that cover individuals and collective workers, respectively. Individual
labor laws generally concern contracts, minimum wages, average working times, health and safety
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regulations, the prevention of discriminatory practices within the workplace, unjust dismissals and child
labor. Collective bargaining laws, on the other hand, are geared toward a large number of employees and
mainly concerns unions and the right to go on strikes.
In many LEDCs, labor regulations are clearly ignored largely due to the non existence of clear and
concise labor regulations and laws which aim to protect the integrity and living conditions of workers. As
such, criminal disregard for labor regulations is more prevalent in such countries than in developed
countries. Another problem that renders this issue even more inextricable is that most companies
headquartered in developed countries use LEDCs' workforces in order to cut down on worker wages, as
these countries generally have much less stringent guidelines on minimum wage - or don't have any at all -;
as a result, the people behind these types of organizations are technically not guilty of committing any
crimes as they don't commit crimes in their own countries and the crimes committed aren't regarded as such
in the countries where their workers work under inhumane conditions. This constitutes a moral and legal
gray area caused by overlapping and contradictory jurisdiction issues whereby many companies are able to
evade labor regulations with no harm done to their assets or profits.
Individual labor laws

While generally respected in developed countries, LEDCs still continue to struggle with the proper
Implementation of individual labor laws designed to provide individuals with humane working
conditions, appropriate working times and adequate wages. A very pertinent example of the violation
of such laws is the recently published Foxconn article, which clearly shows the depth and magnitude
of labor law violations in one of the biggest factories in China. According to the article, a Chinese
news site sent one of its reporters on a 28-day undercover mission in one of Foxconn's factories,
notoriously known for record-high numbers of suicides associated with appalling working conditions.
The article also explains that the cause of these suicide attempts is over-legal-limit overtime hours
taken by employees due to an abnormally low monthly minimum wage (US $132). It is worth noting
however, that the article also states that since it was published, the Foxconn facilities have been
upgraded with stress relief rooms, counseling classes, etc. designed to boost workers' moods.
Collective bargaining laws

Most collective bargaining laws were obtained in the beginning of the 20th century and have
lived on ever since. Thanks to them, workers are able to unionize and go on strikes when
they feel that they are treated unfairly in the workplace. Striking, therefore, has become the
most important weapon in the workers' arsenal, enabling them to have leverage which allows
them to even out the playing field between them and their employers to a certain extent. Of

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course, once again, the problem with LEDCs, especially those with enormous populations
such as China and India, is that these workers are considered to be "a dime a dozen" by their
employers and are threatened with rapid replacement. Struggling to keep their jobs and make
a living with what little money they earn from their minimum wage jobs, these workers are
deprived of their most basic rights and are continuously subjected to inhumane working
conditions which they endure for fear of even worse living conditions. In order for these
workers to live the life that every citizen of a developed country takes for granted, substantial
and profound reforms must be made with the help of the international community, relevant
NGOs such as the ILO and related governments. Only then will employers stop their
borderline criminal disregard for these people's lives and start improving their working
conditions.
Child labor issues

One of the most prevalent contemporary issues is the one that regards child labor. Child labor is
defined as the voluntary or forceful work of people who are legally considered as children. While
most developed countries have laws which regard child labor as exploitative and severely penalize
all those who partake in child labor, the problem is still deeply-rooted in many LEDCs. The main
threat that child labor poses on children is that it hampers their psychological and emotional growth.
While, according to a study conducted by the World Bank, child labor has been reduced from 25% to
10% between 1960 and 2003, UNICEF estimates that approximately 158 million children from all
around the globe are subjected to child labor. In countries where this issue remains a problem, the
people who make children work have complete disregard for their growth; a problem which must be
rectified as quickly and effectively as possible.
EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency)
Dedicated to exposing environmental crime all around the world, the Environmental Investigation
Agency - or EIA, for short - has prepared a comprehensive case study exposing several environmental
crimes in 2008. The EIA is deeply committed to conducting thorough investigations in areas where
environmental crimes are presumed to occur.
ILO (International Labor Organization)

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The International Labor Organization, or ILO, is a specialized agency that operates within the United
Nations' framework. With its primary focus on promoting decent working conditions for all, the ILO
cooperates with member states, employers and work forces around the globe so as to review and try to
improve work conditions, especially in LEDCs where criminal disregard for labor laws protecting the
fundamental rights of workers are more easily and often takes place.
United States of America
The United States of America is one of the preeminent countries of the developed world which has
focused more and more of its attention on supporting the implementation of environmental and labor laws
and regulations. Case in point: the 2008 amendment of the Lacey Act, as discussed in the previous
sections. The USA is also one of the first countries to adequately implement labor laws which support and
protect the work force.
Indonesia
Devastated by excessive and illegal logging practices, Indonesia, a country with a very vibrant fauna
and flora, faces irreparable deforestation and environmental destruction. One of the most contemporary
examples of illicit timber harvesting currently takes place in Indonesia and threatens to completely eradicate
the regions ecosystem, and its economy along with it; we must be conscious to the fact that the amount of
deforestation that this region currently faces also takes an enormous toll on its economy, whereby
generating losses of up to US $15 billion/year, according to a case study by the EIA. Recently, however,
Indonesia's government has taken effective steps to reduce illegal timber harvesting, thus providing a very
good example of how political will, if existent, can stop criminal disregard for the environment.
Laos
One of the neighboring countries of Indonesia, Laos has recently been designated as the new target
for timber harvesting as increased law enforcement on the Indonesian side has forced criminals to find new
regions with less regulation on timber harvesting. Before illegal logging takes its toll on Laos just as it did in
Indonesia, appropriate action must be taken by the Laotian government; initiative has already been taken to
straighten this issue as log exports from Laos have been banned.

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China
The People's Republic of China, the most populated sovereign country in the world with an estimated
population of 1, 340,000,000, according to recent population counts, faces a severe problem of criminal
disregard for labor laws. With booming industry accompanied by fast paced urbanization, China now suffers
from a major problem that is complete disregard for working conditions. Since the population of China is
extremely high, the workforce is considered easily replaceable and dispensable. While labor contract laws
do, in fact, exist in China, most of them are ignored because a significant number of companies that own
factories in Mainland China are based in developed nations, which is where jurisdiction issues begin to
appear; as major companies which own Chinese factories and employ Chinese citizens are technically
located outside Chinese jurisdiction, they are able to get away with inhumane working conditions which exist
in Chinese factories. A very good example of this situation has been given in the previous section. As much
an economic issue as a jurisdiction one, disregard for labor regulations has lead to many workers being
impoverished under excessively low minimum wages that do not even begin to satisfy the needs of a
standard household. This is why substantial economic reform regarding worker remuneration must be made
to increase the workers' lives to a humane condition.
India
Similar to China, India also has a big population and is dependent on foreign companies. Indian
workers are also subjected to terrible working conditions and inhumanely low minimum wages that barely let
them find food and adequate shelter, among other basic human necessities. Stronger labor laws and the
enforcement thereof is required in this region so that the workforce is not exploited. Economic and social
reform addressing the living conditions of the workforce is also urgently needed in this member state.
Timeline of Events

April 27, 1825 First strike
March 1842 Labor unions are legalized for the first time in Massachusetts
September 5, 1878 First Labor Day organized in Boston
La Confédération Générale du Travail was formed in France; oldest
1895
confederation still in existence

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1974 An experiment reveals that cluorofluorocarbons destroy the ozone

US Food and Drug Administration starts phasing out aerosol as a destroyer of
1976
ozone
1980 The European Community agrees cut back on ozone by 30%
1987 The Montreal Protocol is signed and ratified
1988 DuPont, the world's then-largest CFC producer announces a phase-out plan
The London Amendment to the Montreal Protocol proposes total phase out of
1990
CFCs
Despite previous CFC phase-out plans, the hole in the ozone layer over
2006
Antarctica is the largest recorded
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1988

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 16 September 1987
Basel Convention on the Control of Tran boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal, 22 March 1989
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, 16 September 1998 (A/49/729/Add.6)
As seen in the above resolutions and treaties, there have been several attempts to solve criminal
disregard for environmental regulations; however, as labor laws vary from country to country, there haven't
been any significant international breakthroughs to solve illegal labor operations. One by one, however,
most developed countries have implemented laws and regulations which protect their citizens' and workers'
rights. This, however, is not the case with many LEDCs whose workers are not as protected by labor laws
and thus are subject to exploitation, especially by foreign companies. The jurisdiction clash that ensues from
foreign privately-owned companies' owning factories, etc. in other countries creates a legal gray area which
allows many companies to continue their illicit operations without the slightest bit of damage done to them.
In the end, the people that suffer are, once again, the workers who are paid very little amounts of money for
the many hours of work they put in and are thus forced to live in inhumane conditions. Unfortunately, no
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international agreement currently exists to rectify this situation.
Possible Solutions
In order to resolve this situation and put an end to criminal disregard for environmental and labor
regulations, there are several steps that can, and some that must, be taken. Some of them are given below:
First, we must tackle the issue that is disregard for environmental regulation. The illegal transboundary
dumping of hazardous waste is one issue that is continuously ignored by most countries, especially
destination countries in the popular sub-Saharan Africa region. Appropriate measures must be taken by the
international community and especially non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations such as
Greenpeace, EIA, UNEP, etc. in order to prevent environmental catastrophe caused by transboundary
dumping. Multilateral treaties, agreements, declarations and/or resolutions could be drawn up in order
influence the member states of this region as well as transit states between the destination and the
departure to take appropriate legal action to stop this. While it is true that there are countries that
economically depend on the dumping and storage of hazardous waste, incentive can be provided to these
countries to develop and establish refinement facilities that would neutralize the negative effects of these
wastes. Economic stimulus packages is one way of helping this issue.
Illegal logging must also be prevented as this costs countries huge sums of money every year. As
the only people that benefit from illegal timber harvesting are the criminals behind such schemes, the
countries which lose their forests are severely affected. Once again, regulation strengthening is essential for
these countries if they are to end all criminal timber harvesting.
ODS must also be eliminated from production and circulation. Surveillance for counterfeit products
must be top priority, especially on products which are known to be substituted for real ones. This
surveillance should especially be very thorough in customs, above all other locations. Also, the use, trade
and sale of such products should be punishable by international law; in such cases, the ICJ should be called
upon in order to deliver final judgment upon countries which knowingly ignore regulation regarding the trade
of ODS. Such materials should also be banned and phased-out in all member states as soon as possible.
Finally, labor regulations must be reviewed in all member states, with special focus on LEDCs, so as
to make sure that humane working conditions are enforced in every state. This can be done with the help of
a special commission operating under the UN framework with delegates from all the member nations so that
the assessments can be done justly and transparently. An international guideline for labor laws must also be
created to secure the rights of workers around the globe. The primary objective of such a guideline should
be the equal and fair distribution of minimum wage which will allow workers to remain above a certain
poverty line, which will be decided according to the country in question.

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Bibliography
Cole, Joseph E. "Environmental Criminal Liability: What Federal Officials Know Can Hurt Them - or
Should Know | Air Force Law Review | Find Articles at BNET." BNET | News Articles, Magazine
Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. 2004. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m6007/is_54/ai_117325772/
Environmental Investigation Agency. Environmental Crime: A Threat to Our Future. Rep. London:
Emmerson, 2008. Print.
  <http://www.unodc.org/documents/NGO/EIA_Ecocrime_report_0908_final_draft_low.pdf>.
Ibitayo, Olurominiyi. "Transboundary Dumping of Hazardous Waste." Encyclopedia of Earth. 26 Aug.
2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Transboundary_dumping_of_hazardous_waste
Lai, By Richard. "Undercover Chinese Reporter Exposes Foxconn Working Conditions (update: Full
English Translation)." Engadget. 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/19/undercover-chinese-reporter-exposes-foxconn-working-
conditions/
"The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer." United Nations Environment
Programme. 16 Sept. 1987. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
http://ozone.unep.org/Publications/MP_Handbook/Section_1.1_The_Montreal_Protocol/
UNEP. "Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal." 22 Mar. 1989. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. http://www.basel.int/text/17Jun2010-conv-e.pdf
http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/Illegal-Dumping.htm
http://www.interpol.int/Public/EnvironmentalCrime/Default.asp
http://www.crowell.com/PracticeAreas/Page.aspx?id=61&cid=258
http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/collective-bargaining/
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
http://en.cnci.gov.cn/Law/LawDetails.aspx?ID=6079&p=1
http://www.earthportal.org/?p=129

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Achieving the three targets of MDG1, "To reduce poverty by 2015"
Position: President
Introduction
Ambitious and with the best interest of humanity at their core, the 8 Millennium Development Goals
are international goals that all 192 United Nations member states and many more organizations have
agreed to meet by the year 2015. The general concept of these goals is the betterment of human life
through eradicating poverty and hunger, raising health levels and mutual understanding, establishing gender
equality, fighting epidemics such as AIDS, and much more. While all of these goals, if achieved, will provide
humanity with fundamental developments and help it evolve into a more civilized and modern creature, the
first Millennium Development Goal (hereby referred to as MDG1) is the most fundamental: "Eradicate
Extreme Poverty and Hunger."
The MDG1 has three main targets which it aims to achieve by 2015. They are as follows:
"Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day;"
"Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people;"
"Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger."
As previously stated, the MDG1 is a very ambitious goal that aims to change and ameliorate
humanity and the human condition from the inside out. It has been 20 years since the term "MDG" was
coined, and since then, a lot of improvements have been made to ensure that we meet our deadline: 2015.
We have made significant progress since 1990, but in order to meet the targets that was set out to achieve,
a lot of improvements are still needed.
International poverty line

The international poverty line, as explained in the Millennium Development Goals, is set at $1.25 a
day. This means that those under this line earn less than the aforementioned monetary amount and
are considered to be "extremely impoverished."
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Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

According to the official MDG website, the Millennium Development Goals are as follows: "The eight
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) form a blueprint agreed to by all the world's countries and all
the world's leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet
the needs of the world's poorest."
As stated in the introduction section of this report, a significant number of very important
achievements have been made since 1990 in the quest to make the MDG1 a reality. The MDG1 fact sheet,
which can be found on MDG's website, gives us quick insight into the what has been done for the first goal.
Some quick facts given are as follows: "The number of people living under the international poverty line of
$1.25 a day declined from 1.8 billion to 1.4 billion between 1990 and 2005," and "The proportion of people
living in extreme poverty in developing regions dropped from 46 per cent to 27 per cent - on track to meet
the target globally." However, due to the recent economic crisis caused by the real estate bubble,
approximately 64 million people in have been pushed into extreme poverty in 2010 alone. Thus, when
assessing the current situation, we must keep in mind that we are not seeing improvements exclusively, that
there are also negative developments which we must also keep in check to fully realize the MDG1 by 2015.
Target 1a: "Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a
day"
As much as most of us hate to admit it, the sad truth is that money is essential to a good quality of
life. In order to live the life that we all deserve, we must all have access to monetary resources; be it limited
or virtually limitless, we all need money to survive. And this necessity for survival shouldn't be a luxury for
any of the more than 6 billion people living on earth. That is why the first target of MDG1 is the most
fundamental of them all, by reducing worldwide poverty and saving people from the extreme poverty line,
humanity can achieve faster and more stable economic growth with less competition, higher profit margins
and superior production efficiency.
According to the fact sheet published by UNDP, the world is doing well to meet the first MDG1 target
as overall poverty rates fell from 46% in 1990 to 27% in 2005 in LEDCs. This, coupled with stable growth in
developed countries, means that we have managed to come a very long way in trying to increase the
collective income of the world population. Unfortunately, the World Bank estimates that even by 2015, about
920 million people will still be living under the international poverty line.
East Asia has also been one of the most exemplary regions in working towards the first target as the overall

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poverty rate of the region has fallen from a startling 60% to a more manageable 20%; the most populated
country in the world, the People's Republic of China, has accomplished a seemingly impossible feat and
managed to drop its poverty rates to record lows and is expected to have a poverty rate of merely 5% by
2015. Contrarily, however, little progress has been made in the sub-Saharan Africa region where the
poverty rate has declined insignificantly and is not expected to go below 50% by 2015. Examples of this
situation are Namibia, Congo, Madagascar and Tanzania whose percentage of population that earn less
than $1.25 a day (international poverty line) are estimated at 49.1%, 54.1%, 67.8% and 88.5%, respectively.
While assessing the situation of overall world poverty, we must also take into account the recent economic
crisis which has worsened the situation of many member states of the United Nations, whereby increasing
the projected poverty rates in 2015 slightly above what was originally planned. Nevertheless, appropriate
measures to prevent augmented decline due to this crisis must be taken as quickly as possible so that
progress made in the last 20 years is not obliterated.
While assessing the things that must be accomplished by 2015, however, we must also recognize
the number of breakthroughs that have been made; for example, the World Bank estimates that 27% fewer
people will be living in extreme poverty in 2015 in comparison to 1990. While this doesn't fully meet the goal
of cutting the number of people enduring extreme poverty in half, it does tell us that collaborative work
carried out by member states and non-governmental organizations is very effective in trying to rid the world
of poverty. Thus, one of the solutions to eradicate poverty presents itself with practical evidence: multilateral
cooperation amongst member states, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations.
Target 1b: "Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and
young people"
Unlike the two other targets of the MDG1, the second target was added to the goal in 2005 because
of two main reasons: employment and decent work are fundamental rights that need to be obtained just as
any other ones, they are not automatically gained with growth; decent work pushes people to make
something of their lives. According to a report published by the International Labor Organization (ILO), there
are 4 indicators for this target. They are as follows: labor productivity (measured according to GDP/person),
employment-to-population ratio, rate of people living under the international poverty line and rate of
contributing family workers in total employment.
This target, while already very important in its conception, has gained in importance after the
economic fallout created by the worldwide crisis of 2008. Supported by the fact that millions of jobs were lost
as a result of the aforementioned crisis, this target is pivotal for the success of the MDG1 as without
employment and decent work, mankind cannot hope to progress into a more equal and just society. The
most fervent supporter of this cause, the ILO, has helped many member states to improve their national

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situations by improving jobs and creating decent work for those without it.
After the economic crisis, in an effort to generate employment, create jobs and foster stable, profitable and
progressive globalization, the Global Jobs Pact was adopted by the ILO in June 2009. The Pact calls upon
all member states which have ratified it to give priority to the creation of jobs in order to minimize the
devastating effects of the financial crisis. The main purpose of the Pact is to promote jobs and protect
national workforces by increasing the capacity of national social protection frameworks and respecting labor
laws while also responding to the needs of the real-time economy. The reason behind the creation of the
Pact is the goal to reduce the threat that the aftermath of the financial crisis poses on the accomplishment of
the MDGs by 2015; thus, the Pact has been written up in an effort to facilitate and speed up recovery after
the financial crisis.
A good example of the implementation of this target is the national reform that Liberia initiated after
the civil war. Despite the fact that the devastated population is in an impoverished state with the mass
population living below the international poverty line, the ILO has facilitated a project which aimed to
increase women's employment and promote the establishment of companies with female owners all the
while training them in management and allowing them access to credit to start their own businesses. The
project run by the ILO also aimed to train women workers and teach them various useful skills from which
they may benefit in the workplace. As a final result, the project facilitated the establishment of the National
Gender Network of Liberia. It is worth noting that the local government played a big role in allowing the ILO
to help rebuild the country from its ruins.
Another example regarding the employment of youth has also been carried out by the ILO in Mali.
With intense promotion from the Mali government along with US $27 million allocation of funds, the youth of
the region underwent intensive training and skills workshops. As a direct result of this project which also
involved business creation schemes, several thousand jobs were created.
Target 1c: "Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger"
Just as, if not more important than, than target 1a, the need to eradicate hunger in the world is
paramount. More than anything else, the right to clean and healthy food is a fundamental right of which no
human can ever be deprived. Sadly, this is not the case with LEDCs where food is scarce and chronic
hunger is very difficult to combat. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, an
estimated 925 million people suffer from chronic hunger this year alone and progress in decreasing this
figure has been stalling since the beginning of the new millennium.
The report entitled "Eradicating Hunger" by the FAO is one of the most preeminent reports which
expose the major problem that is hunger around the globe. According to the report, great progress has been
made in increasing global food production in the second half of the last century; while world's population has

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doubled, average food consumption per capita has also increased, showing everyone that significant
achievement has been made in eradicating global hunger. However, even with this big rate of success,
about 1 billion of world's population remains undernourished with no significant changes taking place. The
two regions where undernourishment and hunger are prevalent are sub-Saharan Africa and Asia; regions
which have the largest distribution of LEDCs in the world.
According to the report, the significant portion of global food production comes from small-scale
farmers and it is reliance on their production which will help lower global hunger levels. Although such
farmers are especially present in much of China and India, millions of people still remain impoverished and
undernourished due to large financial gaps between the upper and lower class people. In light of this
contradiction, one must thus assume that the steps and measures currently being taken to eradicate hunger
are either insufficient, inadequately applied or not the appropriate ones for this task.
One important connection that is made in the report refers to the liaison inherent among poverty
reduction and hunger. It is some governments' belief that reducing poverty will also contribute to the
consequential reduction of hunger; however, this assumption is more true when its reversed: reducing
hunger contributes to higher morale and therefore stronger economic growth and, as a result, faster poverty
reduction. According to an example given in the report, Nobel prize-winning economist Robert William Fogel
concluded that, after having examined British economic growth between 1800 and 1980, improved dietary
practices accounted for 50% of total economic growth.
UNDP (United Nations Development Program)
The organization behind the Millennium Development Goals, the UNDP supervises the
implementation of all of the MDGs and tries to meet the deadline of 2015. The UNDP is the primary organ in
charge of all the operations that directly, or indirectly, aim to fulfill the MDGs.
World Bank
The World Bank is primarily concerned with reducing global poverty, and thus aims to provide
LEDCs with loans and economic aid packages designed to help them flourish and develop. The
organization employs poverty reduction strategies designed specifically for each country that it serves and
provides adequate funding for all LEDCs that need monetary support to rebuild their economies. The World
Bank is primarily concerned with the fulfillment of target 1a of the MDG1.

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ILO (International Labor Organization)
The ILO is the main UN organ behind consistent achievements made towards the accomplishment of
target 1b thanks to its broad area of work, extensive experience with rebuilding workplaces and thorough
involvement in the betterment of work conditions around the globe as well as providing employment for all.
As a result, the ILO has become the go-to organization for work related issues and concerns. As clearly
shown by the above examples, as well as others which can be reached by clicking on the ILO link at the
bottom of this page, the ILO employs effective methods to promote employment and increase overall job
quality around the world.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)
With its comprehensive report on the current status of hunger around the globe and ways of
eradicating it, the FAO is by far the most invested in putting an end to worldwide hunger, malnutrition and
undernourishment issues. According to the FAO report, the most effective method of ending hunger would
be by increasing productivity among small-scale farmers; investing in smallholders is thus highly
recommended.
WFP (World Food Program)
The WFP, in cooperation with the FAO, is focused primarily on ending hunger and undernourishment
around the world. The WFP complements the work of the FAO by providing food and clean water to areas
where hunger is prevalent.
ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean)
The ECLAC is primarily concerned with ending poverty in the Latin American and Caribbean region
as this part of the world is severely affected by drug trade, violent crimes, etc. as a result of their LEDC
status. Ending poverty in the region, however, is a challenge as most of these countries do not have the
financial backing they'd need for such an operation. El Salvador is a good example of this situation as
according to a report published by the ECLAC as it still needs about 50 years to halve its current extreme
poverty rate of 15% of the entire population.

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Timeline of Events
1992 International Conference on Nutrition, Rome
25 June 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna
17 November 1996 World Food Summit, Rome
8 September 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration is signed
13 June 2002 World Food Summit +5, Rome
2005 2005 World Summit, New York
2010 Summit on the Millennium Development Goals + 10-year review
United Nations Millennium Declaration, 18 September 2000 (A/RES/55/2)

UN High-Level Event on MDGs, 25 September 2008
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals + 10-year review, 20-22 September 2010
Many of the previous attempts to solve this issue have been explained in the General Overview
section. However, some other examples that have worked are as follows:
The use of subsidy programs has done wonders in Malawi as the government has been helping the
agriculture business since 2005 by providing farmers with fertilizers and seeds, whereby increasing
productivity and net exports. A similar fertilizer subsidy program has also been employed, and was very
successful, in Ghana where the overall food production saw an increase of 40%.
Modern finance plans to innovate Nigeria and Bangladesh's agricultural industry were recently
employed by the two governments, whereby allocating interest-free loans to poor farmers to allow them to
obtain the seeds, fertilizers, etc. they would need to build their farms and asking them to repay the loans
only after a successful harvest. Agricultural research programs in Viet Nam effectively more than halved the
percentage of the population malnourished and suffering from hunger.
In addition to attempts that have worked however, we must also note the occurrence of plans that

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failed to work, that weren't either as comprehensive or as effective as originally believed to be. One of the
best examples to this is the following:
An important number of LEDCs originally believed that eradicating hunger would be automatic if they
fixed the poverty problem first. This conjecture, however, was proven to be wholly wrong as even though
some countries were trying desperately to decrease the amount of their population living in extreme poverty
and seeing some successes, they failed to observe much, if any, change in the overall hunger levels of their
population. As such, it soon became apparent that making people richer wasn't automatically going to solve
the hunger issue, but rather it was through solving hunger that people would regain the motivation to work,
to aspire for decent jobs and employment, and to eradicate the problem that is poverty. This is why member
states should employ holistic approaches when fixing hunger and poverty.
Possible Solutions
There are a variety of solutions to achieving the first Millennium Development Goal and its targets by
2015. It is, however, very important to first adapt these solutions to fit individual countries' needs so as to be
able to form a much more effective and comprehensive strategy that can tackle and quickly fix this problem
to the best of the countries', and their citizens', abilities.
The World Bank proposes the following ways to reduce poverty and hunger:
Increasing the number and prevalence of investments in agriculture,
Creating jobs for everyone,
Developing social security frameworks around the globe in order to provide equal and humane
working conditions to all,
Expanding programs that aim to fix the malnourishment problem, especially of children under two
years of age.
Integrating the accomplishment of the MDGs into national policies could provide the much-needed
incentive to countries that are unwilling or intimidated by the idea of halving worldwide poverty and
hunger by 2015.
As stressed in the Global Jobs Pact of 2009, there needs to be a renewed commitment from
countries in trying to increase employment and decent work. Increasing the overall quality of jobs, social
protection, and the enforcement of rights is paramount to the accomplishment of such a goal. The
aforementioned should therefore be prioritized in and after the creation of jobs so that everyone can have a
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fair chance to live in humane conditions.

We can also try to improve the productivity of small-scale farmers, the root solution to solving hunger
around the globe. First, as small-scale farmers grow to be more prosperous, aided by subsidy programs
from their respective governments, given seeds, fertilizers or other agricultural products by NGOs such as
the World Food Program or trained by the Food and Agriculture Organization in good farming practices,
these individuals could then invest in their own micro-communities and start the flow of money within their
community. This could be an effective way of putting an end to these communities' insecurity towards global
markets and helping them reduce poverty and hunger at the same time. The advantages of such an
undertaking are that it costs relatively little in comparison to plans which aim to develop the entire country at
once and that infrastructure improvements aren't needed as much. While increasing the production of food,
however, we must also keep in mind that we aren't faced with one but with two problems regarding food
insecurity: availability and nutritional quality. One must, therefore, keep in mind that any strategy aiming to
increase food production capacities must also increase the overall quality and nutritional value of the food
produced, so that the plan can truly be effective.
Another way of eradicating hunger could be through the creation of safety nets aiming to secure
potential food shortages that may occur erratically. This can be done in most developed countries with
relative ease, as these countries have the necessary framework and infrastructure already in place. The
case is quite different for LEDCs, however, as most of these governments view such programs as extremely
expensive. While seemingly costly, the establishment of safety nets can gradually decrease the hunger
levels of a country, if properly used.
In order to eradicate hunger and poverty at the same time, especially in LEDCs, the best course of
action would be by encouraging unemployed persons, and those who lack the means to find employment, to
focus on the agricultural sector. In this manner, smallholder farmers, the world's most significant food
production source would be given the importance and the incentive that they currently require. As an
eventual result, this could allow employment to rise, poverty to decline and hunger and malnourishment to
be eradicated. In order for such a mission to be realized, however, there needs to be strong backing from
the local authorities and governments; subsidy programs aiming for the distribution of agricultural products
could be very useful in this case. Relevant NGOs such as FAO, WFP and others can contribute to this by
training would-be farmers, providing them with seeds, etc.
Bibliography
Actionaid. "Time Is Running out to Meet MDG1." Actionaid. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
http://www.actionaid.org/main.aspx?PageID=1449

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Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Meeting the Millennium Poverty
Reduction Targets in Latin America and the Caribbean." United Nations Development Programme.
Dec. 2002. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. http://www.undp.org/latinamerica/docs/MDGs-libro70.pdf
Food and Agriculture Organization. "Eradicating Hunger: Moving from Pilot Projects to National
Programmes." Food and Agriculture Ogranization. Sept. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
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Shah, Anup. "Poverty Facts and Stats." Global Issues. 20 Sept. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats>.
"Timeline of Major Conferences and Summits Since 1990 in Relation with MDGs." CIBJO. 23 Sept.
2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. http://www.cibjo.org/download/unitar/Timeline%20of%20MDGs%20-
%20Hanifa%20Mezoui%20(CIBJO-UNITAR%20presentation).pdf
Ulshoefer, Petra, and Alena Nesporova. "MDG1; Target 1b Achieve Full and Productive Employment
and Decent Work for All, including Women and Young People: Achievements and Challenges in
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Nov. 2010. http://www.unece.org/commission/MDGs/Regional_Consultation_17March2010/MDG1-
02-ILO_Ulshoefer%20&%20Nesporova.pdf
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Development Programme. 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2010.
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Asia." End Poverty 2015. Web.
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Democracy. 18 Sept. 2000. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. http://www.undemocracy.com/A-RES-55-2.pdf
http://www.wfp.org/operations
http://www.ilo.org/global/Themes/millennium-development-goals/lang--en/WCMS_144752/index.htm

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http://www.ilo.org/jobspact/about/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/lang--en/index.htm
http://data.worldbank.org/topic/poverty
http://www.worldbank.org/mdgs/poverty_hunger.html
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Measures to promote economic participation by women in LEDCs
Student Officer: Anthony Ghosn
Introduction
The status of women in developing countries has long been an issue that has required international
intervention as a result of domestic and cultural negligence. Today, women in LDC’s are suffering from
socio-economic discrimination, in that they are not being afforded the same privileges that men are in their
respective societies. Poverty, and lack of domestic infrastructure are main reasons for which women are
over-looked in these societies. The majority of the world’s population under the lines of poverty are women,
especially in LDCs. Not only does this mistreatment of women, and disregard for their UNDHR right to
equality and freedom harm them, it is also an indication that measures must be implemented to change the
way in which women are regarded as well as treated in LDCs. Global political leadership is required to
spearhead the effort of empowering women internationally, and eliminating discrimination as well as
domestic neglect.
There are several causes of the mistreatment of women, all of which must be addressed in order to
cultivate a complete and efficient resolution. One of the primary causes of discrimination is economic status,
that for several reasons women who live in a state of poverty are more likely to suffer than those in MDCs.
The second cause is the lack of education that reaches the people in these effected areas, this is usually
due to lack of infrastructure. And lastly societal norms in most of the effected areas dictate that women are
inferior to men, which has transcended into all aspects of society, women are less represented in
government, women are disregarded economically, and their education is dismissed in light of the education
of their respective males. Women must be educated so as to empower them as; today they are restricted to
dependence upon their male counterparts. All of the economic and social aspects of society that lead
towards the discrimination of women are reliant on the inferiority of women, which is a concept that has
risen from the lack of education that both men and women receive.

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Economic Situation
In Lesser-Economically developed countries, the skills that women possess are generally delegated
to medial house-hold work while the men are supposed to work and bring in the income. However, most
women today have begun finding alternative sources of revenue, such as cultivating agricultural goods, and
selling them at local markets. Nonetheless, this concept of quasi self-sufficiency has yet to properly emerge,
and this is due to several factors. One of which is the lack of education regarding sales strategies as well as
harvesting techniques. Due to the lack of an educational infrastructure in most effected LDCs, women meet
a lot of difficulty in trying to start their own “businesses”. For instance, they are unprepared for shifts in
seasons that prevent travel as well as destroy their crop. Because it is so difficult for women to sustain
themselves, they are heavily reliant on their husbands for income, and generally remain in their households
taking care of children.
Lack of infrastructure
The lack of fundamental infrastructure in LDCs makes it such that women are unable to obtain
knowledge regarding their welfare. For example, women are unable to consult a doctor regarding birth-
control or family planning, as well as in order to check themselves for basic diseases. The fact that they are
unable to control the amount of offspring they produce, primarily due to their unfamiliarity with contraception,
results in women being restricted to the duties associated with the cultivation of large family’s with over five
children. These duties limit the their ability to cultivate side-businesses and often consume a great
percentage of the families income, making it extremely difficult for the family to escape their respective
situations. In addition, the lack of structural infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, tunnels etc. make it such
that women must travel for extended periods of time in order to reach large towns or cities in which they can
obtain basic medical attention. And due to their busy days taking care of their family, and the lack of night
hours at hospitals and clinics, women are often simply unable to access these services altogether.
The lack of basic and structural infrastructure has many negative externalities, not limited to those
mentioned above. The reason for which governments don’t invest in public infrastructure is because of a
severe lack of funding, and this could be attributed to the large amounts of informal markets in LDCs.
Women who cultivate farms, and sell their goods in villages generally do so without declaring any income to
the government. The result is that governments are underfunded. The lack of infrastructure also makes it
very difficult and increasingly rare that information transcends and is communicated to people living in rural
villages or towns.

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Education
Due to various social norms in most LDCs women are left uneducated by families. In most cases
women are married to other families and move into the home of their spouse, whereas the men stay in the
household with the parents. The result is that parents educate their son only because they know that his
education will benefit them financially, where as the education of their daughter will not aid them due to
marriage norms. The lack of education for women has several social and economic effects. Socially, women
are regarded as single-purposed due to their lack of skills that lie outside the realm of motherhood. Since
families rely predominantly on the husband, women are mistreated by their spouses because of their lack of
economic contribution. The overarching result of their lack of education not only puts them at a
disadvantage with regards to properly having the opportunity to succeed in society, but also breeds a
common notion of disrespect and lack of value of women in society.
The reason for which parents rarely send the females to school is also because of the expenses
associated with education. Often relevant facilities are far away from town, and parents decide that it would
be more beneficial for the family if the women worked in the village, bringing in money, than get educations.
This fact that education seems to yield intangible and far-off benefits, where as farming and harvesting
generally bring more direct benefit to family, lead most families to drop the idea of education for their
daughters and put them to work. In addition to the loss of revenue associated with losing one “worker” to
education comes the costs of schools. Due to the extreme poverty in most effected countries, the
opportunity cost of education could be a meal for the family.
However, the lack of education does not only pertain to the lack of the ability to cultivate intellectual
or manual skills, it also transcends into basic education regarding health and sanitation, the lack of which
have evident effects on society.
In conclusion the lack of an infrastructure, or the basic knowledge which inspires a value for
education make it such that most women are not able to receive educations. The results of this are
tremendous, and the fact that they are being overlooked is clearly evident when one considers that two
thirds of illiterate adults are women. As a result of their lack of education women become uncompetitive
economically, which sparks their fundamental undervaluation. Women are unable to be financially
independent, and as such are reliant on men, the reliance makes it such that independently of the difficulty
of a relationship, they have no other options and are forced to subject themselves to dependence. The
dynamic of men making the money and women not, has transcended into basic social values which
ultimately results in the lack of respect for women on behalf of society.

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Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, other national issues such as terrorism and extremism have largely overshadowed
the plight of women. Nonetheless, Afghanistan is considered one of the worst countries for women to live in.
The average life expectancy of a women is 45 years of age, and over 50% of women marry before the age
of 16. The lack of medical care makes it such that approximately 48 women die in childbirth a day. All of
these factors stem from a lack of education and respect for women in afghani society. Often women are so
dependent on their spouses, that in situations where they find themselves widowed, they resort to
prostitution. In Afghanistan there are over one million homeless widows, most of which have prostituted
themselves at certain junctures.
UN Women
The United Nations has created, in the past, many organizations that were in charge of insuring the
progressive inclusion and equality of women into society. There were four major organizations that were in
charge of the aforementioned efforts. The first of which was the Division for the advancement of women
(DAW) which was in charge of implementing policies in member nations in which women were neglected.
The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) was an
organization which was in charge of legitimately setting up training institutions and facilities which were
accessible to women, so as to train and educate them. The Office of the special adviser on Gender Issues
and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) was also in charge of influencing global policy regarding women, as
well as researching the global status of women and determining whether their situations were improving.
And finally, the United Nations development fund for women (UNIFEM) is a sub-organization of the United
Nations that funds programs dedicated to furthering women’s rights and obtaining gender equality. All of the
aforementioned organizations have culminated under the auspices of the recently formed UN Women
Organization, or the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
UN Women is an executive board that will consist of 10 countries from Africa, 10 from asia, 4 from
Eastern Europe, 6 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 5 from Western Europe and 6 from contributing
countries. This organization has only recently been created as a result of a resolution passed unanimously
in the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) on the 2nd of July 2010. The mission of this organization is
to ensure Gender equality and the empowerment of women. The official goals of UN women are to Support
inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their creation of policies,
global standards and norms.

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- Help Member states to implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and
financial support to those countries that request it and to forge effective partnerships with civil society.
- Hold UN System accountable for its own commitments on gender equality, including regular monitoring of
system-wide progress.
This organization could be used and heavily aid any and all measures taken in a resolution as it has
as its primary and overarching goal to ensure that the question of “women in LDCs” is addressed.
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a branch dedicated to the empowerment
of women, which was set up in 1987. Its goal is to advice, support and facilitate gender equality policy,
dialogue and practice, as well as promote overall empowerment of women.
Timeline of Events
1979 The ECOSOC committee adopts the “convention on the Elimination of All forms
of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which is considered the International
Bill of rights for women. This document not only defines the discrimination of
women, it also sets an agenda for national action to end said discrimination.
1980 World conference on Women held in Copenhaagen. The result was a new
Proggramme of Action which called for “stronger national measures to ensure
women’s ownership and control of property, as well as improvements in
women’s rights with respect to inheritance, child custody and loss of nationality”
1985 At the Nairobi Conference on Women, UNIFEM was officially created as the
largest United Nations organization directed solely towards the improvement of
the global status of women.
1995 Beijing conference introduces the idea that in order to properly empower women,
the focus must be shifted to gender roles in society, and as such the entire
gender-based dynamic of society needs to be re-evaluated. As well as confirms
that women’s rights fall under fundamental human rights and as such should be
treated as an issue of universal proportions.
September, 2000 Millennium goal is set to Improve Maternal Health as well as promote gender
equality and empower women
October, 2000 First UN resolution regarding the legitimate neglect of women is passed in the
Security Council. Known as SCR1325.

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2nd July 2010 UN Women is organized as the culmination of several other organizations
targeting the improvement of the situation of women globally. This organization
represents a significant “step up” in attention that the UN will apply towards the
empowerment of women internationally.
UNSCR1325 was the first United Nations resolution concerning the lack of equality of women and
men globally. Its key measures were to increase participation and representation of women at all levels of
decision making as well as to implement certain measures to increase gender training in UN peace support
operations. It was drafted and accepted in October of 2000.
UNSCR1820 includes measures that require the Secretary-General to report upon the
implementation of strategy to protect women and girls in effected countries. This resolution was passed on
June 19th, 2008.
Un Millennium Goal 3, “Promote Gender equality and empower women”. Has the goal of increasing
ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education, share of women in wage employment in
the non-agricultural sector, and increase the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
around the world. The UN set these goals in 2000.
The United Nations has taken several measures to combat the global inequality of women. However,
it has only come to the forefront of international questions after it was defined as one of the millennium
goals. The United Nations has previously implemented many measures to solve this issue however most of
them were restricted to delegating the further investigation into the rights of women to other organizations.
For example, the creation of the aforementioned organizations such as DAW or UNFEM, which now
culminate in UN women. This organization doesn't draft clear resolutions, so it is complicated to analyze
what exactly has been done.

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Possible Solutions
The issue of empowering women is one which must be addressed through several different
measures, each of which must correspond to the individual root problems. One of the most efficient ways of
tackling would be to directly address the lack of a structural infrastructure which would aid women in being
able to access any other of the measures taken to help them. Therefore, in a resolution concerning the
empowerment of women, especially in LDCs or areas with very little of the aforementioned infrastructure, it
would be necessary to implement a clause regarding the development of an educational infrastructure or
method by which women in rural or urban areas of LDCs can access any and all of the other measures that
delegates will be implementing into their resolution. It is necessary to keep in mind that most of the problem
does not lie in the lack of effort or programs to empower women, it in fact lies in the lack of accessibility and
knowledge regarding these programs.
Women are largely neglected due to their economic dependence on men, therefore it would be
necessary to include provisions which would offer women alternative sources of income, such as
educational courses on agricultural cultivation, or even basic services that do not necessarily require an
education. In the resolution, delegates must include at least one provision to improve the domestic
education of women, through measures such as but no limited to providing classes or courses regarding the
cultivation of agriculture. Instead of having these classes be taught at conventional schools or universities,
they can be taught by traveling instructors so as to ensure that this knowledge arrives in the rural areas of
LDCs where women are treated the poorest.
In addition, women are severely underrepresented in government, and delegates should ensure that
they include measures to increase the amount of female voters, or female politicians in individual legislative
bodies. This could be done through requesting that governments of member states hold more transparent
elections in which women are encouraged to vote, because often societies frown upon the concept of
women voting. Such measures could include government-subsidized transportation to voting areas, or more
widespread voting stations so as to ensure that voting is not a task.
Education must also be provided to the general population regarding values such as the equality of
women. Most of the neglect of women stems from a societal, or fundamental lack of respect for women due
to social norms that have been carried on from previous generations. In order to change these
preconceptions delegates must define measures to educate citizens on the potential that women can bring
to a country, as well as the progressive belief in the contribution that women can make to society.
In conclusion, it is crucial to consider that the fundamental reasons for which women are
discriminated against is because they are uneducated, and as such they depend on men for their wellbeing.

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The best way to break the vicious trend of female disadvantage is to educate women properly, and fill the
gap in education of women and men so as to increase their financial independence and eventually their
representation in government and in society.
Bibliography
"WomenWatch: Directory of UN Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women."Welcome to
the United Nations: It's Your World. Web. 10 Nov. 2010.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/directory/women_and_armed_conflict_3005.htm
"Goal 3." UNDP | United Nations Development Programme. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.
http://www.undp.org/mdg/goal3.shtml
Coincidence, By Propitious. "Security Council Resolution 1820 - General Women, Peace and Security -
Themes - PeaceWomen." PeaceWomen - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Web. 11
Nov. 2010. http://www.peacewomen.org/themes_theme.php?id=16&subtheme=true
"Security Council Resolution 1325 - General Women, Peace and Security - Themes -
PeaceWomen." PeaceWomen - Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Web. 10 Nov.
2010. http://www.peacewomen.org/themes_theme.php?id=15&subtheme=true
Ward, Olivia. "Ten Worst Countries for Women." The Star. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/326354
"Women in Developing Countries." Scribd. Web. 11 Nov. 2010.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92460/Women-in-Developing-Countries
(MOST INFORMATIVE)

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Forum: ECOSOC
Issue: Fostering an understanding of the impact of "White-Collar" crime upon
individual and society
Position: President of ECOSOC
Introduction
White-collar crime, as it is defined in the following section, is "a crime committed by a person of
respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation", according to Edwin Sutherland. White-
collar crime is mostly characterized by opportunity; it is most likely to be committed by people in executive
positions within their companies as they usually have a higher chance of accessing information with which
such crimes may be committed.
The creation of the term is closely related to the economic and social paradigm of the era in which it
was coined; in a society having recently recovered from the Great Depression, most of the people felt that
they should somehow secure their assets. The best way to many who felt that they weren't paid what they
deserved was by engaging in white-collar crime.
Contrarily to most criminals coming from poorer backgrounds, though, white-collar criminals
constitute a much smaller portion of those committed to prison. The fact that these people usually have
enormous financial and social leverage thanks to their already respectable positions renders catching them
an even more difficult and elusive task. It is worth noting, however, that the crimes that these people are
committed are just as, if not more, victimizing as those committed by poorer, "blue-collar criminals", as they
have the potential the wreak havoc on many businesses, families and communities by stripping them of their
monetary assets.
In order to solve the problem that is "white-collar crime", the first task must be to generate awareness
among society that white-collar crime is in no way victimless, that it is very destructive and just as illegal as
more typical and "obvious" crimes, such as burglary, grand theft auto, embezzlement, etc. We must also
develop stricter enforcement methods so as to ensure that white-collar crime is kept to a minimum and that
if not, regardless of the status and influence of the persons having committed the crime, they will be
punished accordingly.

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White-collar crime
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the term "White-Collar crime" can be resumed
using the following words: "lying, cheating, and stealing." White collar crime is committed by
businesses, enterprises and government professionals in an attempt to earn something, usually big
amounts of money, by scamming others. The FBI classifies White Collar crime as victimizing as it
has the power and reach to destroy people's lives by literally stealing their savings, investments,
equity, etc. The term is believed to have been coined by Edwin H. Sutherland in his book entitled
"White Collar Crime: The Uncut Version" in 1939.
Blue-collar crime
The opposite of white-collar crime, blue-collar crime is usually much simpler and typically committed
by poorer people. It is much less organized, complex and devastating than a white-collar crime
whose reach can affect millions of peoples' lives.
As previously stated, white-collar crime follows its roots back to the first half of the 20th century when
a struggling and weak United States trying to cope with the Great Depression was in one of its poorest times
to date. The development of white-collar crime was thus begun thanks to an increasingly power- and
money-hungry population desperately struggling to get more affluent, more powerful and more respected.
This type of crime was created therefore not by poor people coming from underprivileged backgrounds and
impoverished households, but instead from rich and powerful people of high social status and education. At
first misunderstood even by Sutherland himself, the term refutes the age-old idea that crime is only
committed by those living in poverty; it can also be, and is, committed by those in respectable positions. It is
thus very important to realize that white-collar crime is a crime of opportunity, not of desperation.
The opportunistic nature of these crimes also redefines a whole new set of rules completely distinct from
those relating to blue-collar crime: in the latter, the criminals are poor and do not have access to a sufficient
quantity of resources that would allow them to continue their lives normally, whereas in the former, the
culprits are well-educated, intelligent and have significant power and influence. As a result, white-collar
crime becomes a crime fueled by egoism and selfishness, rather than a desperate need of self-preservation.
In addition, white-collar crimes are facilitated by the mere fact that these people are respected and affluent
enough to have unlimited access to vast amounts of money. This also makes them very difficult to detect by

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most people who have limited or no access to these same resources readily available to possible white-
collar criminals.
We must keep in mind that social status is very much a cause of the occurrence of any crime
committed, be it white-collar or blue-collar. For the sake of this report, social causes that push white-collar
executives to commit such crimes can be explained by an inequality in wealth and power inherent in every
capitalist society. As detailed by Braithwaite, such an inequality "is relevant to the explanation of both crime
in the streets and crime in the suites," and that "crimes of wealth are motivated by greed and are enabled by
goods for exchange." Braithwaite goes further to indicate that inequality in societies leads to a chasm of
social and economic separation; whereby filling those who are powerless with more and more feelings of
inadequacy and leading those who are affluent to believe that they can legitimately exploit the former.
Another cause of white-collar crime can be given as a fear of losing the power and wealth accumulated over
time by - usually - legal means. A significant portion of white-collar criminals turn to illicit activities when they
feel threatened of losing their social statuses, wealth and power. This is another contributing factor which
must be taken into account as it proves that such crimes are not only the result of greed, but of a desire to
preserve that which already exists - by whatever means necessary -.
A distinct model created by Diane Vaughan argues that there is a "macro-micro connection" between
companies and individuals and proposes 3 components that lead to white-collar criminality:
The over-competitive environment imposed upon companies and individuals working within them as
part of the capitalist system based on inequity and greed;
The structure and overall organization of the company within which such crimes are planned to take
place;
Regulations aimed at the prevention of white-collar crime such as fraud, embezzlement, etc.
According to the aforementioned components, we might better understand how and why people that
engage in white-collar criminality do so. From a causative stand point, this is very useful as it would provide
policy making and law enforcement with a better base from which to start. By understanding what
contributed to white-collar crime, we may also devise new and more effective strategies meant to tackle
them.
Below, some of the major threats posed by white-collar crimes and their types will be discussed and
relevant examples will be given accordingly. The first can be Bankruptcy Fraud, in which case a company
conceals, falsifies or introduces evidence regarding its bankruptcy status. This practice is most commonly
employed when debtors try to avoid paying their debts in full. Recently, as the stigma attached to filing for
bankruptcy diminished, more and more companies began filing an increasing number of bankruptcies. Thus,
when taking bankruptcy cases into consideration, courts must carefully examine the integrity and the

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existence of all applicable forms and applications that may have been made for the same companies
elsewhere, so as to avoid providing aid to such fraudulent filings.
Corporate fraud is another example of white-collar crimes wherein a corporation willingly misfiles
financial information in order to obtain more money from investors, avoid taxes, increase revenues by
inflating stock prices, etc. As in such cases, the reported finances of companies turn out to be fake, the
economy and the investors are dealt a severe blow and possibly deterred from further financial activity. This
constitutes a significant problem as it threatens to destabilize national and global markets by reducing
overall confidence and market value; therefore, having the potential to end in an eventual economic crisis
such as the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007. A recent example of corporate fraud is the Credit Suisse
indictment of 2008. In 2006, ST Microelectronics of Switzerland invested USD $400 million in Credit Suisse
in supposed securities which were made to seem as if they were backed by student loans. When it was
discovered that the investment was actually backed by subprime loans, the two managers of Credit Suisse
were indicted for securities fraud charges.
Other fraud types such as Health Care fraud, Insurance fraud, and Mortgage fraud are also among
the many white-collar crimes that threaten society and economy today. In order to completely be rid of such
serious criminal activities that imbalance the economy, we must raise awareness to an extent with which
individuals, as well as society as a whole, can say no to any future cases of white-collar crime and try to
eliminate them by preventing unjust influence over judiciary systems as well as bribery and coercion.
Accounting education is another possible remedy to white-collar crime that is often overlooked because
most people feel it's too indirect to adequately treat the problem in question. On the contrary, however: good
accounting in accordance with applicable laws and regulations could be a very important factor in reducing
exploitation and internal fraud within companies. Auditing is also an important factor in decreasing the
prevalence of internal fraud. In order to decrease the latter, other people than the CEO and the CFO must
also be in charge of at least several parts of the financial equation so as to increase accountability,
transparency and corporate responsibility. Yearly audits should also preferably be replaced by year-round
audits which would more easily and efficiently serve the companies in which they would be positioned.
In many, if not all cases, companies should use accountants, auditors and especially bankers that
are not directly affiliated to other companies. Failure to comply with such a task would lead to the eventual
fraud that biased shareholders may be tempted to take part in. This is especially true with private Wall
Street bankers and brokerage firms whose primary aim is to make money; by whatever means necessary.
We must quickly comprehend that such an attitude is not only ineffective but potentially threatening and
dangerous. As such, all such outside people must be completely independent from the company(ies) in
question.

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United States of America
The United States of America, after the Great Depression, is the foremost country which has
consistently had to deal with the white-collar crime issue. Home to many international corporations, and
arguably the richest and most influential in the world, it is no surprise that such illicit activities are tried over
and over by corporations and those who run them. In an effort to thwart these crimes, however, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation has been charged with investigating possible white-collar crimes and helping their
indictment by providing courts nationwide with the proper evidence.
South Africa
According to several surveys conducted in South Africa, more than three fourths of all South African
companies are afflicted by white-collar crime every year. South Africa has employed several methods of
reducing the prevalence of such crimes in the country; however, it is important that the country continue its
efforts to reduce white-collar crime, as they are even more devastating to a developing economy than it is to
a well-developed economy as it significantly stagnates growth.
INTERPOL
The INTERPOL, one of the most important international law enforcement agencies, has been trying
to eliminate white-collar crimes around the world. It is very important for the international community that the
INTERPOL continue and increase its activities concerning white-collar criminality around the world. The
INTERPOL could also create a special task force designed specifically to combat white-collar crimes jointly
with national agencies such as the FBI. It can also be called upon by member states to provide expertise
regarding white-collar crimes, their causes, consequences and solutions.
There have been no significant attempts from the United Nations to organize an internationally
acknowledged effort against white-collar crimes. It is advisable that (an) appropriate resolution(s) be agreed
upon by the member states in order to start an international and collaborative effort to reduce the impact of
such crimes on economy. In addressing this issue, it is important to keep in mind that white-collar crime not

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only affects countries' national economies - which may be considered micro-economies in relation to the
global economy - but also affects every other country's economy indirectly.
Raising awareness on this topic should also have priority as it still remains largely unknown to society. As
with any major issue, public awareness is key to solving the problem.
Countries facing this problem have acted individually and, for the most part, have had varying rates
of success depending on the scale and magnitude of the issue. It is important that appropriate measures
quickly be taken to reduce and prevent white-collar crime as much as possible. As stated above, however,
international attempts to solve this problem are virtually non-existent as the problem primarily exists in
developed countries, which have the resources to appropriately deal with such issues relatively quickly and
efficiently; whereas, if the problem was more prevalent in LEDCs, it would've made their job a lot more
difficult due to a significant lack of resources. South Africa is one such example which isn't fully developed
but which, nonetheless, faces the white-collar crime problem. In such cases, intervention by agencies such
as the INTERPOL may prove very useful in preventing further fraudulent activities from taking place.
One federal law that was very effective in the United States ever since its conception is the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The act, which led the complete reform of public company accounting
systems, has been very well regarded and efficient in trying to eliminate white-collar crimes. It is still
proposed, however, that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act be amended in order to increase its effectiveness by
introducing new and improved accounting and auditing laws which would potentially be more effective in
combating fraud.
Possible Solutions
Possible solutions to rectify this issue are already more or less implemented in most societies facing
this issue. It is still very important, however, to ensure the full and correct implementation of all such
solutions in national policies in order to make sure that they work efficiently and effectively.
The first step in trying to solve white-collar crime is implementing measures to prevent its apparition. To
prevent such crimes, internal policies must be strengthened and carefully applied. They must also be
reviewed by outside auditors so as to ensure objective and unbiased auditing. If such internal controls are
correctly applied, those who would normally have unrestricted access to company assets would not be able
to commit crimes without leaving a trace of their handiwork.
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Afterwards, the accounting profession and its training as a whole must be addressed thoroughly and
comprehensively. Those studying to be accountants should be well educated, well trained and work
independently. If accountants are to be independent, they will follow state/federal/national legislations with
much less intervention by companies willing to buy them out. The primary step in achieving this goal is to
implement reforms in accountant education.
Despite preventative efforts aimed at reducing white-collar crime before it ever occurs, it is
expectable that it will occur nonetheless. If and when it does, law enforcement agencies must be prepared
and ready to handle the task of prosecuting criminals appropriately. More aggressive prosecution for white-
collar criminals is one way of deterring such criminal activity. Also, showing them that their actions will not
go unpunished regardless of their influence, social status, or financial power, is a sure way of showing them
that they cannot exploit their way out of unlawful activity.
A final step to solve the problem is by ensuring accountability for those convicted of committing
white-collar crimes. As outlined in the paragraph above, white-collar criminals must be held fully
accountable for their crimes and sentenced accordingly. In most cases, monetary punishments are not
deterrent enough for white-collar criminals, who are already very rich as it is. Appropriate punishment would
then be time in prison, possibly without parole, if the indictment is serious enough. Court ordered seizure of
all assets could be another way of going by this. It is important that member states implement such laws and
regulations in their own systems in order to reduce the prevalence of white-collar crimes.
We must also keep in mind, that in order to prevent and accurately punish white-collar felons, public
awareness must be made in the individual level. This can be achieved by way of pamphlets, large-scale
media events, TV and radio broadcasts, online ads and articles, etc. An understanding of how white collar
crime works is essential if we are to overcome this problem. Mandatory classes can also be taught to
university Economics and Finance students so that they can be more aware of the importance of this
problem. When individuals truly comprehend the significant problem that is white-collar crime and its
impacts on society, the economy and people's lives, we will be closer to remedying it and eliminating it for
good.

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Bibliography
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Financial Crimes Report 2009: Corporate Fraud Cases." Federal
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rd th

The Hague International Model United Nations 2011 | 23 – 28 of January 2011

Issue: Addressing Corruption and Its Effect on Trade and Development

Student Officer: Andrew Mark Macaulay

Position: Deputy President, ECOSOC 2011

Research Report | Page 1 of 95

Definition of Key Terms

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Embezzlement, Theft, Fraud

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Corruption and development

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

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Innovating from Within

Pillars of these efforts include:

Research Report | Page 6 of 95

International Monetary Fund

Date Description of event

Research Report | Page 7 of 95

Research Report | Page 8 of 95

Relevant UN Treaties and Events

Previous Attempts to solve the Issue

Research Report | Page 9 of 95

"About Us." World Bank Group. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

"Development | Define Development at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and

Google. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.

"Government | Define Government at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and

"Corruption and Development." Corruption and Development. ISS. Web.

Research Report | Page 11 of 95

Definition of Key Terms

International and Regional Organizations

Research Report | Page 13 of 95

Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)

Long-Term Humanitarian Assistance Countries

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

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Collaborative for Development Action, Inc. (CDA Collaborative Learning Projects)

The European Union

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European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

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World Concern on Humanitarian Aid and Development

Date Description of event

Relevant UN Treaties and Events

UN General Assembly resolution 46/182, 1991

The EC/UN Financial Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA)

Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness

Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue

The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid

Research Report | Page 19 of 95

World Conference for Disaster Reduction (Kobe, Japan in 2005)

Cholera Inter-Sector Response Strategy

Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan (EHAP)

Third Higher-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana

Research Report | Page 20 of 95

Enhancing government accountability for policy development and performance.

Research Report | Page 21 of 95

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Research Report | Page 25 of 95