The Importance of the Environmental Commission

This year, the Iberian Model United Nations (IMUN) has added a new commission. The Environmental Commission (EVC) aims to focus on environmental issues. This year, the conference is focusing on the theme “United for a better legacy”. EVC implements this theme as it focuses on agenda issues specifically aiming to protect and conserve our planet.  

To understand the importance of EVC, delegates with different perspectives were chosen to be interviewed, specifically the delegations of Cambodia, Russia, and Ukraine. The answers cover why the delegates believe the addition of EVC is important to this year’s conference, along with the priorities of their nation regarding the agenda issues.  

The interviews began by approaching the general view of the delegations by asking the question “Why does your delegation believe EVC is important?” Delegates gave a variety of answers. Cambodia emphasized the belief that it is important for new generations to lead these conferences as they are the ones building the better legacy. The delegate placed a strong emphasis on fixing problems that the past generation caused and finding solutions against human-caused environmental degradation. On the other hand, the delegate of Russia stated that the nation does not engage in the act of greenwashing. However, during the interview, the delegation mentioned that it does focus on remediating the effects that their actions have on the environment. With an extreme emphasis on the protection of endangered species, the with for example, the Siberian Tiger, to protect biodiversity. The delegate of Ukraine highly stressed the importance of the EVC as it has recently risen to the 9th nation with the most air pollution. However, since it is a smaller nation and because of all the current events occurring in Ukraine, it has been unable to take the necessary measures.  

The second question asked, “Based on the agenda issues, which is your delegation’s main priority and why?” All delegates also gave varying views, as each focused on a different specific issue. The delegate of Cambodia focused their answer on the conservation of areas with high biodiversity. They explained that since Cambodia is a less economically developed country (LEDC), they put a greater emphasis on conserving areas as it would attract tourists and build a more enforced economic framework. However, it would still be an issue as corruption is deeply embedded within the government. The delegate of Ukraine stated that Ukraine is focusing on regulating pollution within private businesses, as a lot of its pollution comes from industries. By focusing on this issue first, it would allow Ukraine to focus on other environmental impacts in the future.  

Overall, the United Nations (UN) has recognized the importance of the addition of the EVC as it allows for more focused discussions on a critical issue that is impacting the environment and everyday life.