Head Chair: Hayden Hewett-Abbott Vice Chair: Ali Ardehali Moderator: Max Barkorous
Position papers will be due on February 5th, 2021. The position paper format, and all other important conference documents, can be found on our conference website, http://lhhsconference.weebly.com/. Email all position papers to our committee email:[email protected]. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns!
What’s up delegates! My name is Hayden Hewett-Abbott (Middle) and I am your Head-Chair. I have been in MUN for 4 years and I am a senior at LHHS. For a little about myself I like to skate, chill with the boys, and I am a tier three Pokimane sub. I’m super excited to be helping you out for this committee.
Greetings delegates! My name is Ali Ardehali (Right) and I will be your Vice-Chair this year for our MUN Committee. As of now I am a junior at Laguna Hills. I have currently been enrolled in M.U.N for three years although some other activities I enjoy are practicing piano and soccer. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you this coming conference!
Hey, delegates! My name is Max Barkouras (Left), I am currently a Sophomore at Laguna Hills and this is my 2nd year in MUN! Outside of MUN, I play football and volleyball for my school and love to participate in random fun after school activities!
Topic: Addressing the environmental sovereignty and rights of nations.
Background In June of 1972 the United Nations developed a global and universal program known as the UNEP. The UNEP was designed to help countries maintain strong environmental standards and ensure their current policies are accomplishing what they should be. It focuses on nations that are in the process of developing; however, they strive to help everyone they can. A main facet of the UNEP is the safe keeping of environmental rights. Environmental rights are a combination of the global human rights and the peacekeeping of the world environment. The environmental rights are aimed at mixing substantive and procedural rights, such as the access to clean water, with adding the main goals of the UNEP to further help those in need. This gives all nations the help and support they deserve to work toward positive environmental changes and prevents all sovereign nations from being hurt by the environment. The main issues being faced at the moment consist of pollution, climate change, and waste and are hurting the world no matter what country you’re in. For example, pollution attributes 9% of deaths globally. In November of 2016, the UN passed the Paris Climate Agreement which further worked to end the crushing issue of global warming. The UNEP and the use of environmental rights have been used many times in the past and have been proven to be effective throughout the world. They are working around the globe to ensure environmental success everywhere and give all sovereign nations the help and resources they deserve. The UNEP and the environmental rights are designed to help countries resolve and solve all global issues one step at a time.
UN Involvement In 1972, The U.N created the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), in order to help further resolve environmental issues mostly in developing countries as well as correlating environmental projects. A significant achievement that UNEP made was the 1987 Montreal Protocol. The protocol led to an international agreement on helping protect the stratospheric ozone layer of the Earth. It was very successful as it became known as one of the first treaties to have received universal ratification from every country worldwide. The protocol also helped speed the recovery of the ozone layer potentially saving hundreds of millions from harmful risks such as skin cancer, cataracts, etc… Besides UNEP the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has also made efforts to solve these environmental issues. One example can be shown from the Paris Climate Agreement. This was a global agreement formed in 2016 in efforts to face the threat of climate change. Although the agreement was widely accepted among all the members of the UNFCCC, disagreements were emerging as countries were failing to meet their carbon emission reduction goals for 2030. This has resulted in the U.S pulling out of the Agreement in protest. Although the U.N has made big steps in eliminating environmental issues, there is still much to be done if we are to achieve total Environmental sovereignty internationally.
Bloc Positions Western Bloc: At the forefront of environmental technology, and having the funds to make it happen, the western bloc has a lot of power when it comes to respecting other countries’ environmental sovereignty. The western bloc also has the funds to help other countries move to a more sustainable and eco-friendly economy to help protect world wide environmental sovereignty. Keeping this in mind, the western bloc is also guilty of many environmentally taxing measures. As a large example, the United States of America alone contributed to 15%+ of the world’s total carbon emissions, making the air quality go down and climate change a more immediate problem. Overall, the western bloc has a lot of power with its technology and efficiency, however, it is one of the lead contributors to ecological disruption.
Latin Bloc: Latin America is home to some of the most vast and lush plant life in the world, however, in recent years, the frigidity of this ecosystem has come to fruition with constant fires and pollutanting done to it by its countries. Over 78 million acres of rainforest are lost every year. Latin American wants and needs to protect its environmental sovereignty as many of its cities suffer as some of the most air polluted cities and its agriculturally rich land is being desterified by over cultivation. Overall, the latin bloc has a lot to lose with keeping its environmental sovereignty and needs to take action against the constantly increasing severity of environmental disasters.
African Bloc: Africa as a whole is home to some of the most iconic species in the world and has the greatest biodiversity in the world. Africa’s economy needs environmental sovereignty to be respected as it relies so heavily on it. However, due to poaching and poor waste management, many ecosystems are suffering throughout Africa. Neighbors in Africa are causing chain reactions of environmental disasters that are leading to worse effects on the economy and, more importantly, the ecosystem as a whole. Africa also struggles with transnational corporations and other countries impeding on the natural resources in the country, both in the past and now. With the rising threat of climate change and the fact the lower economically stable and accomplished countries are disproportionately affected by climate change, Africa is stressing the importance of environmental sovereignty and keeping other blocs held accountable.
Asian Bloc: With a rapidly increasing population and rapidly increasing technological advancements, the Asian bloc has seen massive disregard of environmental sovereignty, yet has many opportunities at its disposal. These environmental problems include massive water pollution, the worst air quality on average in the world, and housing some of the biggest contributors to climate change. If Asian countries keep at this trajectory, the environmental effects will be felt worldwide, violating all environmental sovereignty. As previously mentioned, however, with the rising economy of China and India and the stable economies of Japan and South Korea, there is much to be done to limit each country's environmental footprint as it pertains to other countries.
Question to Consider:
To what extent are the environmental actions of countries affecting neighboring countries and even the world?
What role does the international community have in combating the impeachment of a nation’s environmental sovereignty?
How has the UN approached the topic of environmental sovereignty in the past?
Are there areas of conflicting environmental sovereignty around the world?
What are some things the international community can do to help stop world wide environmental problems?
Sources:
“Eastern Region | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Formerly Known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).” Noaa.Gov, 2015, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/rcsd/eastern. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.
Environment, UN. “What Are Environmental Rights?” UNEP - UN Environment Programme, 2018, www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/environmental-rights-and-governance/what-we-do/advancing-environmental-rights/what#:~:text=Environmental%20rights%20means%20any%20proclamation,conditions%20of%20a%20specified%20quality.&text=This%20relationship%20is%20increasingly%20recognised,enshrined%20in%20over%20100%20constitutions. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.
Nikolau, Lisa. “4 Environmental Rights Issues to Follow in Latin America - Humanosphere.” Humanosphere, 30 Sept. 2016, www.humanosphere.org/environment/2016/09/4-environmental-rights-issues-follow-latin-america/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.
“Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources, General Assembly Resolution 1803 (XVII) - Main Page.” Un.org, 2020, legal.un.org/avl/ha/ga_1803/ga_1803.html. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.
“Population and Environmental Challenges in Asia.” East-West Center | Www.Eastwestcenter.org, 31 Dec. 2002, www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/population-and-environmental-challenges-asia#:~:text=Population%20growth%20and%20economic%20development,global%20warming%20and%20climate%20change. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.
Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “Air Pollution.” Our World in Data, 2017, ourworldindata.org/air-pollution. Accessed 5 Dec. 2020.