ILO BMUN LXVII

In 2019, we live in a world, where not automatically heading to a two-year or four year university is seen as out of the norm.  In the US, there is a strong push for an increase in skilled-labor, leaving many “blue-collar” jobs, many times associated with low skill input,becoming more and more vacant.  The article lists agribusiness, traditional manufacturing, and construction as professions with an increasing demand, yet less and less viable applicants. Because so many of these “blue-collar” jobs are essential parts of maintaining the interdependence of the US economy, many of these industries are turning to automation and other forms of technology to deal with the lack of workers.  However, these businesses do not necessarily have the funds to support and develop the technologies needed to maintain their profits. Companies are also considering relocating due to the lack of “unskilled workers” in a particular area, potentially giving a devastating blow to the local economies.  

Hi everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to clarify a number of things about committee that delegates often ask about before committee begins. However, if anything that I say doesn't explain enough and you want to know more, feel free to comment on this post or message me at ilolxvii@bmun.org. Tech Policy The technology policy for ILO this year will be tech unmod. This means that you should feel free to use your devices during unmoderated caucuses to help you with resolution writing and collaboration as well as double-checking information online. However, if the chairs feel that technology isn't being used productively or is being counter-productive, we reserve the right to outlaw it completely in committee. We don't want to do this because we understand what a useful resource they are for resolution writing, so please don't be distracted by them while in unmod or have them out at any other time. If you are in need of accommodations regarding laptops or mobi

Hi all, I'm sure you all understand how important the issues in our committee are. But in case that isn't already clear, I found a really interesting article about the situation in Nepal. Until recently, the country had a system called the "Kamaiya system", where informal employment often turned into bonded labor that could be carried over between generations. This created an oppressive situation for many economically disadvantaged people, and constituted a system of modern slavery. However, after recent international backlash the country actually abolished the system in 2002, to mixed results. The measures taken by the government don't go deep enough to address the inequality that really created this system and most of the people it affected still aren't self-sufficient. But recently the ILO partnered with UCEP Nepal to create the Bridge Project aimed at training formerly bonded workers with the skills to find new employment and become self sufficient.

Alternative finance refers to forms of finance that differ from the traditional system, particularly regulated banks and capital markets. While there are many different forms of alternative finance, when considering issues of conflict zones, I would like to focus on microfinance. Microfinance, according to Google, is another term for "microcredit" which in turn is defined as " the lending of small amounts of money at low interest to new businesses in the developing world". While assuredly it can be used to introduce technology and vice-versa (Topic A), there is the question of whether or not such forms of financial support can be used to help develop small businesses and grow jobs in conflict affected areas of the world (Topic B). The World Bank (see "Helpful Links" below) is a strong believer that "solid financial infrastructure for small-scale lending can help people weather a crisis or, in other words, support their economic resilience."

Hi all, Hope you're excited for BMUN LXVII!! For the first topic, there are countries and regions that stand out as obvious candidates for development through automation; more wealthy countries. However, I hope that the topic synopsis illustrates that these certainly won't be the only countries affected. One region that will be affected much more than it might appear on the surface is Latin America. One shocking statistic is that a higher proportion of workers in some Latin American countries are actually susceptible to replacement by automation than workers in the United States. Some Latin American countries, like European countries and the United States, have been experiencing stagnant productivity growth and seen populations aging, making them some of the most likely to develop and benefit through automation- if the right systems are in place. I'll leave a link to a great article about this at the bottom of the post. What I really love about this article is that

In many conflict zones, especially those in third world areas, there is an increased number of child soldiers. Many may not realize the true devastation which child soldiers suffer as a result of their forced participation in conflicts.  As you may know, Sudan has recently suffered a crisis, where the newly formed state of South Sudan was created. Many of the soldiers, however, defending the South Sudanese region were in fact children. A pressing issue lies in the unpredictability of the fate of these former soldiers, especially in what may be any future employment possibilities Veterinarians Without Borders are helping to train former child soldiers in animal health practices, so that they can develop ways to financially support their families.  Along with this group, the Security Council Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict has visited areas of South Sudan and expressed desire to develop rehabilitation programs and employment channels for former child soldiers.  These tw