• The question of the regulation on Digital Currencies

• The question of commodity dependency and export marginalization

• The question of conditionality of debt relief for developing nations

Counsellor (Commercial and Economic Affairs) & Senior Trade Commissioner

Albert J. Lee is Counsellor (Commercial and Economic Affairs) and Senior Trade Commissioner of the Embassy of Canada in Hanoi, Vietnam. He leads a dynamic team of Trade Commissioners in various key sectors of interest for Canada in Vietnam doing business development, investment attraction, science and technology innovation, and trade policy.

Previous to coming to Vietnam, Mr. Lee was Consul and Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Consulate General in Shanghai, China, and was responsible for trade and commercial activities in agriculture and trade policy issues. Before this, he was Deputy Director at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa, Canada, working in the Greater China division where he was responsible for Canada-China trade policy issues.

Prior to this, he was Counsellor and Senior Trade Commissioner in the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, leading a team covering sectors in aerospace, automotive, advanced manufacturing, ICT, and innovation.  And, preceding this, he was posted to Shanghai and responsible for investment and financial sectors, and prior to this, he was in Taipei at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei working on trade promotion in ICT and creative industries.

Mr. Lee taught in Canada and worked in finance to joining the Canadian Foreign Service.

In addition to Mandarin, he also is fluent in Japanese and Korean, and speaks both French and English.

For the March 2024 conference, I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Borowik, who is an IB Economics teacher and a second-time UNISMUN mentor. Mr. Borowik had been involved in MUN during his high school years as a delegate of Tajikistan, and participated in a regional conference hosted by an university. 

​

When asked about his topic of interest, he expressed how he is interested in “improving people’s lives” in general. In relations to the committee, he said this would be economical development of the country and improving the standards of living of the people. 

​

Before we moved into the topics, we had a short discussion about the role of political factors in economic trade. He mentioned the presence of natural gas trade in Europe with Russia, despite the extreme difference in their political views. This showed the significance of ‘finance’ in the real-world, providing me a deeper understanding of responsible use of financial capital in addressing contemporary issues around the world. 

​

Our discussion was mostly focused on unpacking the topics of GA2. Mr. Borowik provided me great guidance on my approach to topic 2 of the committee: “The question of commodity dependence and export marginalization”. He specifically mentioned the trend of how commodity dependent countries are mostly less economically developed, and thoroughly explained the vulnerability they face. 

​

To wrap up, we reconnected back to the political aspect of the country affecting the efficiency of possible resolutions. Mr. Borowik provided an example with a dictatorship country, where allocating more global fund on those countries would not effective address issues such as improved standards of living. 

Our committee’s second mentor is Ms. Kimber, our Secondary Technology and Innovation coach. Her first experience with MUN was through a friend who was an MUN mentor a few years ago. With this exposure, when she moved to her current occupation at UNIS Hanoi and had an opportunity to be a part of our MUN community, she has been involved in the program through ways such as advising the UNISMUN Technology Department.

When inquired about her topic of interest, Ms. Kimber expressed her passion for equity and digital accessibility in particular. She highlighted the duplicity of technology in our society, able to deepen a lot of divides but also allow us to build bridges. Looking at our March 2024 Conference theme, “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?”, Ms. Kimber expressed how “multilateral diplomacy becomes even more important when we look at the availability of resources between different cultures and different countries.” 

During our discussion about the topics for this committee, Ms. Kimber mentioned a short anecdote during the recent conference that was hosted at UNIS. She shared parts of the speech from the keynote speaker, who mentioned how oftentimes we look externally for development opportunities despite how education for both international and local students in Vietnam provides a resolution towards the sustainable growth of the country. This is strongly connected to the second topic of commodity dependence and export marginalization, as despite external supports such as international funding and humanitarian aid, internal development of education and manufacturing sectors must be considered for the sustainable economic development of the less economically developed countries (LEDCs).

To wrap up our meeting, when asked about suggestions for contemporary issues that may be addressed in future conferences, she expressed her concerns regarding the rapid integration of AI, including education, when AI is “fundamentally built on unrecognized works of the masses, and is also deeply inherently biased.” This provided me an opportunity to reflect on my personal use of AI as a resource, considering it as a reliable resource due to its access to all information online.

Thank you Mr. Borowik and Ms. Kimber for your time and support to the GA2 committee!

Honorable directors, fellow chairs, distinguished delegates, and most esteemed guests,

​

My name is Se In Lee, a junior at the United Nations International School in Hanoi, and I am very honored to serve as the Head Chair for the General Assembly 2 (Economic and Financial Committee) in the upcoming UNISMUN March 2024 conference. 

Having been a part of the MUN community for the past four years, I have had the great pleasure of growing in this inclusive community since 8th grade. This personal journey has motivated me to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone to voice their opinions, thereby encouraging meaningful discussions.

​

The theme of this UNISMUN march conference is “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?”. This theme emphasizes the different issues derived from the rapidly changing society and calls for diplomatic cooperation between member nations to overcome these challenges. Therefore, the theme holds great significance as it effectively addresses rising and prolonged issues in our global community.

​

This theme strongly correlates with the issues of the Economic and Financial Committee, as listed below:

 The question of the regulation of Digital Currencies,

 The question of commodity dependency and export marginalization,

 The question of conditionality of debt relief for developing countries,

​

These questions effectively tackle various areas of economic issues present in our society today, allowing in-depth debate with an economic lens to ultimately search for solutions towards ambiguous issues of security, peace, and equality. The diversity in questions also allows an interdisciplinary approach of merging with other committees, opening opportunities to gain new insights and perspectives as well.

​

With that said, I strongly believe that this conference will provide opportunities for growth in both MUN skills and as a person, and I am truly delighted to build new relationships and lasting memories together. See you in March!

Greetings fellow chairs, distinguished delegates, and honorable guests,

My name is HyoJung (Daniel) Yoon, and I am a senior student at Singapore International School at Gamuda Gardens. I will be the deputy chair of General Assembly 2 in this UNISMUN March conference 2024. This is going to be my 5th conference and my last conference at UNISMUN. 

Our committee General Assembly 2 will be focusing on 3 topics:

The question of the regulation of Digital Currencies.

The question of commodity dependency and export marginalization.

The question of conditionality of debt relief for developing countries.

These all refer to the theme of “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?” As a committee that explores issues of economic growth and development, these topics provide an economic and financial perspective on the rapid societal changes in economies. 

​

The first topic will regard the regulation of digital currencies, a burning issue ever since it gained popularity. This topic expects delegates to be aware of security risks, volatility, lack of transparency, and regulation of digital currencies. Moreover, the knowledge of diversity, accessibility, and convenient transaction of money that digital currencies can provide would benefit delegates to understand the need for regulation.

​

The second topic focuses on the issue that arises when developing nations are heavily dependent on primary commodities such as oil. When a nation’s basic export good is a single primary commodity, the nation’s national trade will rely on the commodity. The fall in demand for that commodity will greatly damage the economy. 

​

The third topic of debt relief deals with the issues of cancellation of debt for nations that are experiencing economic growth, to enhance their sustainable development. Delegates will be expected to grasp the concept of debt relief, and occasions of why such a decision will benefit nations’ growth and consequences of it.

​

I am honored to serve you as a deputy chair and finish my long UNISMUN journey that I started in 9th grade as a delegate. I look forward to seeing everyone in March!

Fellow chairs, honorable guests, and distinguished delegates, 

My name is Zoe Chang, a freshman at Seoul International School, and I’m honored to serve as the procedural chair for the upcoming March conference. This is my first conference serving as a chair, and my 3rd year being part of the MUN community. 

This conference’s theme, “How can we use multilateral diplomacy to surmount the challenges of rapid societal change?” addresses the necessity of collaboration between nations to overcome the challenges faced in our fast-paced world. Although the challenges differ in their respective field, they inevitably require various perspectives to be considered in creating a solution, as we are all part of a globalized society. 

The GA2 committee specifically focuses on issues regarding financial and economical development through communication and the use of technology. In the March conference, GA2 addresses 3 critical issues: the regulation on digital currencies, commodity dependency and export marginalization, and finally, the conditionality of debt relief for developing nations. These issues have a prevalent impact on not only national but global economy, requiring the diplomatic collaboration among delegates to strive to seek solutions for the issue. 

It is truly an honor to serve as your chair, and I look forward to seeing your fruitful debates to tackle the most pressing issues in the status quo, and strive to truly make a difference in this world. See you in March!