The Inter-American Development Bank, 2008
APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 55 double DELEGATIONS
Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, the global economy entered its most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression. Although the crisis originated in the United States, its effects rapidly spread across the international economy, sharply contracting trade, reducing production, and destabilizing financial markets worldwide. Governments across Latin America were placed under strain by failing exports, declining foreign investment, and mounting fiscal pressures. As the region’s leading development finance institution, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) played a central role in mitigating the crisis’s effects through emergency lending, accelerated loan disbursement, and regional economic coordination. Set during the height of the financial crisis, this committee will challenge delegates to develop strategies for economies — balancing short-term recovery with long-term resilience and development.
Topic A will address the growing tension between protectionism and free trade during periods of economic crisis. As governments face collapsing industries and rising unemployment, delegates must evaluate whether measures such as tariffs, subsidies, and import restrictions can protect domestic economies without undermining regional cooperation and the broader global trading system. Discussion will also focus on the role of the IDB in maintaining trade stability and supporting economic recovery across Latin America.
Topic B will examine the structural vulnerabilities of resource-based economies in the 21st century. The financial crisis exposed the dependence of many Latin American states on commodity exports and external demand, leaving them highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets. Delegates will explore strategies for strengthening long-term economic resilience through industrial diversification, financial regulation, and macroeconomic planning.
Chairs: Emma hu & Annabelle Kim
TOPICS
Topic A: Protectionism and Free Trade in Responding to Economic Crisis
Topic B: Industrial and Macroeconomic Policy for Resource-Based Economies
about the chairs
Annabelle Kim is a Public Policy and Economics major in the College of Arts and Sciences, class of 2027. She calls the San Francisco Bay Area home–Pleasanton, CA to be specific. At Georgetown, Annabelle is involved in the Student Advocacy Office, the Georgetown International Relations Association, and GU Eating Society. She regularly volunteers with (read: is bullied by) preschool children. When not staring at a small or medium screen, Annabelle occupies her time by paying a lot for artisan coffee. In her next life, she would like to be reincarnated as a street cat. Annabelle said she would quit MUN after her senior year of high school, and has since served as USG of Non-Traditionals for NCSC LII, as a Chair for NAIMUN LXII, and a chair at GIRA Ethiopia.
