United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 40-60 delegates
topic: Climate Change in the Pacific Islands
This year, the United Nations Environmental Assembly committee will focus on the effects of climate change for the Pacific Islands. This region, which includes the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels pose a massive risk for loss of life and property in this region, and increasingly frequent hurricanes and tropical storms are battering infrastructure. Time is of the essence to ensure that massive flooding and subsequent evacuations of entire countries do not occur.
COMMITTEE DETAILS
Through this committee, delegates will gain a complete understanding of the effects of climate change on the region, and begin brainstorming policies to protect the approximately 2.3 million residents of the Pacific Islands. In addition, delegates will grapple with how the world should support Pacific islanders displaced by flooding, and begin to develop mass evacuation plans for emergent flooding and storms. Delegates will contend with the unique intersection of environmental policy, politics, and societal organization that occurs in the Pacific Islands.
CHAIR: Bridget Galibois
ABOUT THE CHAIR
Bridget Galibois is a member of the class of 2028 in the School of Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics with a minor in Spanish. She proudly hails from the city of Chicago, where she began her Model UN journey in her first year of high school. She serves as the Director of Marketing and Media for NAIMUN, Georgetown’s MUN conference for high school students, and she has previously staffed Georgetown’s MUN conferences for college, high school, and middle school students.
Aside from Model UN, Bridget writes about Georgetown student life and DC happenings for The Hoya, plans speaker events for the International Relations Club, and assists DC nonprofits with a student-run consulting group, DCivitas. In her free time, she enjoys reading, picnicking with friends on Healy Lawn when the weather permits, and exploring DC.
Bridget is incredibly excited to be your Chair for the United Nations Environment Assembly, and cannot wait to meet everyone at DistrictMUN VI!
CHAIR: Vibha Sanjay
About the chair
Vibha Sanjay is a member of the class of 2028 in the Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in political economy with minors in Spanish and tech, ethics, and society. She is originally from the great garden state of New Jersey, and has lived her whole life in Plainsboro. She also serves as the Director of Philanthropy for NAIMUN, Georgetown’s MUN conference for high schoolers.
Outside of MUN, Vibha works for Teach for America, where she tutors students around the country, and Georgetown Global Consulting, where she supports international NGOs with their administrative needs. She also loves reading science fiction, going to the Smithsonian, and trying DC bagel places with varying degrees of success.
Vibha is so excited to be your chair for the United Nations Environment Assembly, and cannot wait to meet you all in March!