Dear Delegates, Faculty, and Guests,

On behalf of the Institute for International & Domestic Affairs and the Conference Staff, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the nineteenth annual Rutgers Model United Nations.

At RUMUN 2010, participating delegates will explore sustainable recovery in the aftermath of the global financial recession. In the latter half of the decade, lack of effective government policy, incorrect pricing of risk, and predatory lending all contributed to the drastic economic downturn in 2009. The recession resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions and downturns in stock markets around the world. In many places, housing and job markets also suffered. Governments responded with unprecedented stimulus packages, industry bailouts, and monetary policy reform. As a result of their efforts, the worst of the recession has passed, but for many countries recovery is uneven and conditions for sustained growth remain fragile. Unemployment rates remain high worldwide, private consumption and investment remain sluggish, and many households are still under financial strain.

Over the course of the weekend, I challenge you to incorporate the lessons the global community has learned from the recession into your existing worldview. Keep in mind how interlinked states have become and how a catastrophic event like the sub-prime lending crisis in the United States can have ripple effects in many other economies. Growth in developing nations and emerging economies is still highly dependent upon movements in international trade, commodity prices, and capital flows. In the wake of the global recession, Jamaica, Latvia, and Venezuela all faced stagflation, meaning both unemployment and prices were high. And because all three had substantial government debt, they could not afford the same comprehensive fiscal stimulus plans that China, France, and Russia adopted. The IMF and World Bank were created to provide loans to countries struggling with economic instability but certainly did not have the resources to rescue every country from recession. And so, I challenge you to assess the international framework in place during the recession and how it can be improved to better address the needs of our increasingly globalized world.

In determining how to improve and fix our international system, you must also address the issues that were created or exacerbated by the global recession. Food security, post-disaster healthcare relief, access to education, and youth labor are all in desperate need of reform. The committees at the conference are charged with the task of providing innovative and viable solutions that could realistically be implemented by state governments. In developing those solutions, I am confident that you will begin to develop the communication and thinking skills necessary for you to become model students, global citizens, and effective leaders. It is also my sincere hope that RUMUN 2010 inspires you to give back to your local communities and to actively pursue your passions no matter how difficult it may seem.

Sincerely,Audi Syarief

Secretary-General

Mission Statement

The mission of Rutgers Model United Nations 2010 is to develop student’s understanding of the political, social, and economic issues connected to the recent global economic recession. This understanding is necessary to develop realistic and sustainable reform to the current international system. Now, more than ever, the world is in need of global rules and institutions that are more effective, transparent, and accountable.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, most nations struggled with lower exports, higher cost of credit, and reduced foreign aid. In the present day, they struggle with high unemployment and poverty levels. In the near future, they will have to address the substantial public debt built up from recovery efforts. In many ways, the recession has truly reshaped the priorities and actions of the global community. As a result, the students will also have to analyze their committee topics in this new global framework. Students should strive to develop creative and practical solutions that do not further jeopardize the financial stability of their nations.

As state diplomats, delegates are faced with unique situations, policies, and constituencies. At the conference, they will have to work together to find common ground and compromise. Ultimately the delegates will need to mobilize the entire United Nations network in a broad and coordinated way in order to truly put the world on a path to sustainable recovery.

By actively participating in the simulation, students will develop their analytical and communication skills as professionals, students, and leaders. The lessons they learn at the conference will carry over to schoolwork, jobs, and beyond. Long after the conference, they will retain the political awareness and activism they exhibited at RUMUN 2010.

Montes, Manuel F.

Title: Chief of Policy Analysis Development, Financing for the Development Office, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Topics: Economic Development, Financing for Development, Poverty, and Asia

Mr. Manuel F. Montes (“Butch”) is a Chief for Policy Analysis and Development at the Branch of Financing for the Development Office of UNDESA. Immediately before this, he was Regional Programme Coordinator, Asia Pacific Trade and Investment Initiative, UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka, an initiative that sought to assist developing countries incorporate poverty reduction objectives in their trade policies and negotiations. His previous posts include: Programme Officer for International Economic Policy at the Ford Foundation in New York, 1999-2005; Senior Fellow and Coordinator for economics studies at the East-West Centre in Honolulu, 1989-1999; and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of The Philippines, 1981-1989. His most recent publication is “Poverty and Well-Being in Asia During the Transition” (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2003).

Audi Syarief is a Rutgers Senior majoring in Political Science and Psychology. He has been active in IDIA since his freshman year. In the past, he has served as Secretary-General for PhilMUN ’09 and Director for RMC ’08, RMC ’09, RMC ’10, and RUMUN ’09. Audi also works as a clerk for the Law Office of Jay Weinberg, as an EMT for the North Brunswick Rescue Squad, and as a Resident Assistant in his apartment building. After the conference, he hopes to dedicate more time to volunteering and Tae-Kwon-Do. After graduation, Audi plans to attend law school. He would like to thank Adam, Dina, Murphy, Trisha, and his parents for their unconditional support. He also owes Stuart and Jason a great deal of gratitude for going above and beyond as co-conference managers.

Jason DaCruz is a School of Arts and Sciences Senior majoring in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Mathematics. After taking his first economics class at Rutgers, Jason quickly decided his field of study and eventual career path should be in the world of markets and business.  He is so happy to be part of a conference with an economics theme and hopes that it will encourage students become interest in the field.  If you find him, ask him a question about current market conditions! He would like to thank Audi Syarief, for picking such an interesting theme and putting so much effort into RUMUN 2010 and the rest of the staff for all their hard work over the past year.  He would also like to thank Adam Gold for being such an inspiration during conference preparation, Anthony McMichael for assisting schools with registration, and Michael Hinchcliffe for making the whole affair possible.  Lastly, Jason would like to thank all of the advisors and each delegate at RUMUN 2010 for making the conference such a great success.

Stuart Carroll is a Rutgers School of Arts & Sciences junior majoring in Political Science. He has been involved in Model UN since he was a freshman in high school, attending four RUMUN conferences as a delegate. Since joining IDIA as a staff member, Stuart has been a director and assistant director in five different committees with topics ranging from historical events including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Korean War, to contemporary issues such as water rights in the Middle East. In the future, he plans on attending graduate school as well as studying abroad during the coming summer. Stuart would like to thank his three sisters for being his greatest role models, Adam Gold for his unwavering guidance, his friends who have kept him sane for the past seven months, and his parents Lorna and Kevin, who have always given him nothing short of all the love and support he could ever ask for.