Topic: Promoting Sustainable Industry in the Developing World
Country: Romania
Delegate Name: Rachel Hartman
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Romania position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
Despite best efforts by some individuals, organizations, and nations, the gap between rich and poor in our world has grown. In order to counter this downward spiral into poverty, many developing nations have begun to industrialize, developing new industries and creating jobs. However, many of these developing countries are unable to both industrialize and make those new factories and plants environmentally friendly. This lack of environmental standards could cause more harm to the environment and greater amounts of pollution in the near future.
In the 20th century, many countries that are now highly industrialized were creating industries that began the pollution of the air and water, depletion of natural resources, and destruction of habitats. Today, developing countries are retracing those steps and have begun to industrialize, some causing harm to the environment along the way. Romania acknowledges this problem, but we argue that to simply limit further industrialization is an impractical solution. Limiting industrialization will stunt the growth of the economies of many nations who desperately need it. Industrialization helps reduce poverty levels and therefore create a middle class, introducing millions of people to goods and comforts that were unattainable in a non-industrialized economy. Industrialization can benefit nations and their people in many ways, and to limit it would be a mistake on the part of the global community.
These developing nations, regardless of the effects their industrialization may have on the environment, should not be prohibited from trying to improve their country. It is hardly fair to expect citizens of certain countries to continue to live in poverty or maintain a traditional, rural way of life while others are able to access new technology and better their lives. Romania strongly suggests that developed countries who have created technology to make industry environmentally friendly share this technology with developing countries. This will create a global exchange of information and will help developing nations create environmentally friendly industries.
Romania urges the United Nations to create a framework by which a helping hand will be extending to these developing nations. Using agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and implementing a tiered system to environmental standards could base these standards on each country’s economic situation. If standards are made to be unattainable to most developing countries, then there is a slim possibility of those standards being enforced around the world. However, if standards are determined for each country specifically, then developing nations will have a much better chance of industrializing their countries and successfully entering the global market.
