© 2018 American University Model United Nations Conference All rights reserved. No part of this background guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without express written permission from the American University Model United Nations Conference Secretariat. Please direct all questions to [email protected] Nisaa Chaudhry & Emily Devereaux Chairs Delegates -- My name is Nisaa Chaudhry and I am a first year public health major on the pre-med track here at American. I did Model UN throughout high school and hosted a few high school-level conferences, as well served as part of the conference’s secretariat. I am a D.C. area native, so I love showing my friends around the city and trying new things with them. Outside of class, you can catch me tutoring with D.C. Reads, cheering on the Wizards, or watching re-runs of Scandal. Being a part of Model UN is one of my most cherished high school memories, and I am very excited to take part in AMERIMUNC VI. From my time in Model UN, my biggest takeaway is to recognize the importance of teamwork. Each delegate has the ability to pitch in ideas that can ultimately craft viable solutions, so do not be afraid to say what’s on your mind. Recognizing the importance of teamwork will not only help you become a stronger delegate, but it will also allow you to learn something new. My name is Emily Devereaux and I am a first year international relations major on the pre-med track. I did Model UN throughout high school, and I am also on American’s Model UN team. I love to debate, but I also enjoy getting out into DC and exploring the culture, art, and fun things to do in the city! I spend my (minimal) free time reading or running. My favorite show is Parks and Recreation (my senior year communications teacher told me I am Leslie Knope, what a compliment). I would love to see all the delegates give it their all. From my experience in Model UN, many delegates give up or burn out. While it seems so easy to do so, it is more rewarding to give a genuine effort. I look forward to seeing creative ideas and constructive debate between everyone. Just remember hard work pays off! A genuine effort will bring you very far, not just in this conference but in everything you do! Good luck in your preparations. Feel free to email us with any questions, comments, or concerns! See everyone in February! Best, Emily & Nisaa 01 THE CABINET of THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ABOUT RUSSIA The President of Russia is the directly elected head of state. The President then appoints a Prime Minister, who must be approved by the Cabinet. Both the cabinet and the Prime Minister and President make policy decisions regarding the Russian Federation. Committee at a Glance any means necessary. You may all take In this committee you will be acting separate actions within your own members of President Vladimir Putin’s jurisdiction of your position of power in Cabinet of the Russian Federation. Your this cabinet, and that you should job is to advise the president during behave within the scope of your crisis, and to make decisions on which officials ideology and beliefs. Should actions to take in response to the other you step outside the boundaries of committee’s actions and any other your capabilities, the crisis staff will crises that may occur. This can range alert you and remind you of your limits. from any powers given to the president As a member of the Cabinet of Russia, himself, on any matter that may assist in we wish you luck in leading Russia in solving these problems, as long as they this crisis, and President Putin looks are within the capabilities of the forward to the solutions you produce Russian Federation. Remember to keep with your fellow cabinet members. in mind that the committee’s sole purpose is to advise and recommend Russian-North Korean Relations actions to the president, should the president chose to follow is to the Economic Relations discretion of President Putin, who will Russia has had a strong economic be characterized by the crisis staff. Any interest in North Korea since the decisions made by the president are division of Korea. When Russia was still final. Your goal as a committee is to a member state of the Soviet Union, It’s protect the best interests of the Russian economic support of North Korea Federation and the people of Russia by alongside China’s formed the backbone of the Korean economy. By 02 1990, Russia’s share of North Korea’s on the Korean peninsula are to foreign trade reached an all time high maintain good standing with both the of 53%. Russia was not only involved North and South in order to maintain with trade but also with building North the current mutually beneficial Korea’s heavy industry. Approximately economic relationship between 70 large industrial enterprises were themselves and the two Koreas. built in North Korea with Soviet help by Russia’s economic investment in the 1990. development of the Korean Peninsula, leads to their continued insistence on a When the Soviet Union collapsed peaceful and cooperative relationship however, the new Russian between the two Koreas. Russia’s administration focused its efforts on economic relationship with the two building a new economic relationship Koreas is a key part of their “Turning to with South Korea, and began to neglect the East” strategy as Korea’s position in their previous economic interaction with North East Asia, would be a good the North. This sharp turn in the early jumping off point for Russian economic 90s largely ended bilateral economic involvement in the Asian Pacific Region. relations between the two countries Russia is dedicated to maintaining a until the end of the decade. peaceful relationship between the two Koreas and is strictly opposed to At the turn of the century, Russia military intervention or regime change. decided that bilateral cooperation Russia also promotes the full economic between themselves and the two engagement of North Korea with its Korean states was the most regional counterparts. economically beneficial option for Russian interests. In early 2000, the Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighborly Relations, and Cooperation was signed. This treaty led to renewed economic cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Later in 2001, A second treaty, The Moscow Declaration, was signed which emphasized cooperation in, “reconstruction of enterprises built by joint efforts particularly in electric energy industry” and “the project of creating a railway transport corridor linking the North and the South of the Korean Peninsula with Russia and Europe.” Overall this renewed economic relationship can be described as pragmatic and non ideologically based. This pragmatic approach continues to this day. Russia’s main economic goals 03 THE CABINET of THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 04 In 2012, it was agreed that Russia would forgive 90% of the DPRK’s debts Russia also hopes to implement huge in the region (i.e. continued escalation economic development projects for the of tensions between the DPRK and Korean peninsula that involve the America, Western Sanctions against cooperation of both North and South Russia and North Korea) are driving Korea. The largest and most ambitious more and more cooperation between of these include connecting the North Korea and Russia. trans-Korean Railway and the trans-Siberian Railway, constructing a Another prime example of a growing gas pipeline to South Korea through economic relationship between North North Korea, and supplying Russian Korea and the Russian Federation is electricity to the Korean Peninsula. the settlement of debt that North Korea Because these trilateral projects hinge inherited from its relationship with the on the easing of tensions between the Soviet Union. When Russia tried to North and South, Russia is decidedly renew economic relations with North against the North Korean nuclear Korea, this unpaid debt was one of the program. major obstacles to a new relationship. In 2012, it was agreed that Russia On the Korean side, Kim Jong Un has would forgive 90% of the DPRK’s debts made very clear that he wishes to open and the rest would be paid back over a up trade relations. The DPRK mostly 20 year period. It was also suggested wishes to reduce their reliance on that the money paid back to Russia Chinese trade which as of 2015 made would then be used to fund joint up about 90% of all of their foreign Russian-North Korea projects in trade. This leaves Russia as one of their education, healthcare and energy most likely choices for developing fields. friendly trade relations. Current affairs 05 THE CABINET of THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION In order to bypass Western sanctions North Korea, and South Korea. Because on North Korea that made banking of sanctions placed on North Korea by difficult, Russia and North Korea agreed South Korea, the only option for South to make all bank settlements in rubles Korean companies to invest in the when trading between the two North is through cooperation with countries. In early 2014, the first North Russia. Ultimately, Russia’s dedication Korean bank accounts were opened in to maintaining friendly economic Russian banks, opening up further relations with both North and South options for economic cooperation. In Korea, sets it apart from both the US the same conference, North Korea and China, and could set it up as a presented to the Russian delegation mediator and balancer on the special “economic zones” In these peninsula.