COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: World Bank
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Directors: Jasmine Lau (jasmine.lau@yale.edu), Connie Leong (connie.leong@yale.edu), and Snigdha Sur (snigdha.sur@yale.edu)
Since its creation in the wake of World War II, the World Bank has emerged as a key figure in the field of international development. According to its website, its 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.” The World Bank addresses a variety of needs, from short-term emergency relief to long-term investments in infrastructure and education.
This year, the World Bank committee at YMUN will tackle two very intricate issues. The first addresses the Global Food Crisis, or the rapid increase in price of staple foods in developing countries worldwide. This issue is particularly pressing because the countries involved already have high hunger and malnutrition rates, and a good solution to the issue will require a mix of immediate assistance and long-term changes in infrastructure.
The second issue addressed by the YMUN World Bank committee will be the new Eco² Cities initiative. This initiative targets the problem of sustainability in rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. The spread and growth of cities, replacing natural landscapes with sprawling metropolises, has often triggered a conflict between the interests of furthering economic growth and of addressing ecological concerns. The Eco² initiative calls for harmony between these two interests, which should not be competing but rather equally necessary. The “economy vs. ecology” mentality is outdated and, as delegates, you will have to find innovative ways of implementing the Eco² philosophy and being leaders in the quest for sustainability.
More information about the World Bank committee, including its topic brief, can be found at: http://ymun.yira.org/ymun/committees/76/
