Topic: 2025 – Responsibility of International Organizations
Country: Ecuador
Delegate Name: Rafay Dar
Topic: Responsibility of International Organizations
Country: Ecuador
Delegate: Rafay Dar
School: Forest Hills central high school
International organizations (IOs) are created with the sole purpose of making things better than they were before. However, despite the best intentions of any group of people, things do not always happen the way we want them to. When international organizations overstep their bounds and cause catastrophes, one important question arises: who is responsible for these actions? Often, victims of these catastrophes are silenced by the immunity and independence that these international organizations possess. The issue at hand is becoming more and more apparent, especially in a world with increasing tensions and international turmoil. These international organizations will be forced to expand their scope in order to further their goals in assisting those in need, but if something went awry, there would be no liability in the current system we possess. This is not just the reality that Ecuador faces, but every nation on this planet.
The delegation of Ecuador, acknowledging that there are many significant IOs at work within our nation’s borders, believes that these organizations contribute significantly to help alleviate many of our nation’s problems. However, these organizations have also been shown to sometimes cause harm. The international monetary fund, a United Nations organization, has promoted many extractionist policies within our nation, leading to many environmental and social consequences. These problems are prevalent throughout the globe, and with little liability, there is nothing we can do about international organizations assuming too much responsibility. This is why the delegation of Ecuador believes that the liability of a problematic action from an international organization falls on whoever or whatever exercised “effective control” over the topic at hand, being the body or individual who ordered about the act that caused the incident. This means that the perpetrator of this action would be held responsible for it, being that if something was ordered or supervised by a part of an organization, the liability would fall upon that part of the organization should something happen. However, if it were a United Nations directive, then the liability would fall upon the United Nations.
It is imperative that this framework or something similar should be passed in order to create a way for international organizations to be held accountable for their actions without impeding their intended goals and purposes. With effective control liability, there is a smaller burden on the United Nations itself to try and regulate these international organizations at the cost of their independence. Additionally, this would also allow for more accountability and justice for the victims of these events that could be caused by international organizations. The delegation of Ecuador urges the United Nations to reverse a historic negative trend that has been perpetuated for too long. This plan calls for the establishment of more guidelines for the regulation of international organization liability, as well as a framework for the transparency for victims to seek compensation as a result of the unpunished atrocities that these IOs have committed, intentionally or not.
Works Cited:
https://www.un.org/ola/
https://www.cesr.org/sites/default/files/Rights_Violation_in_the_Ecuadorian_Amazon_The_Human_Consequences_of_Oil_Development_1_1.pdf
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/ecuador
