Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ESCAP

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional arm of the UN dedicated to fostering inclusive and sustainable development across a diverse and rapidly evolving region. Bringing together over 50 member states, ESCAP addresses the intersecting economic, social, and environmental challenges that shape life in Asia and the Pacific. At MUNUC 38, delegates will explore how this regional body can respond to the pressures of globalization, climate change, and economic transformation while protecting the rights and dignity of all people. With a focus on regional cooperation, ESCAP will task delegates with negotiating forward-looking solutions to complex, cross-border issues that demand both innovation and empathy.

Topic A: Ethical Labor and Supply Chain Accountability
Asia-Pacific nations serve as vital links in the global supply chain, particularly in the fashion and garment industries. While this position has driven economic growth and created millions of jobs, it has also exposed workers to widespread labor abuses, from wage theft to hazardous working conditions. As the demand for cheap, fast fashion continues to rise, so too does the strain on factory workers and the ecosystems around them. Delegates will examine how supply chains operate across borders, how economic pressures shape labor practices, and how states can engage with multinational corporations and one another to confront these challenges. Questions of regulation, transparency, and responsibility will lie at the heart of this debate, as ESCAP seeks to reconcile economic advancement with ethical labor practices in a globalized world.

Topic B: Climate Displacement and Sinking Nations
The Asia-Pacific region is home to several low-lying island states now facing the existential threat of rising sea levels. As the climate crisis accelerates, countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati confront the possibility of losing not only their homes but their international status, legal recognition, and cultural continuity. With no established framework for addressing the rights of people displaced by environmental collapse, the region stands at the forefront of a legal and humanitarian crisis. Delegates will confront the implications of statelessness, explore the role of regional cooperation in managing displacement, and consider how nations can retain identity and agency even as their territorial boundaries are erased. This topic asks delegates to rethink sovereignty, borders, and belonging in the face of irreversible climate change, raising fundamental questions about what it means to be a nation when the land itself disappears.

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