Novice World Trade Organization (WTO)

Committee Profile

The World Trade Organization is the preeminent forum for ensuring the smooth flow of trade across the international community. It aims to improve global living standards by promoting standardized rules meant to build a nation’s trade capacity. Mainly through treaty ratification, the WTO is responsible for mitigating threats to international trade and improving its efficiency. One of the most important provisions of the WTO is that each member state, regardless of economic size or hegemony, deserves the same opportunities for economic growth. Given that fact, delegates should be ready to collaborate with nations with a range of economic capabilities and levels of stability. 

At BruinMUN 2024, the WTO will handle two pressing challenges facing global trade systems. 

Topic A: Combatting Global Piracy in Maritime Chokepoints

Topic B: Analyzing the Potential of Digital Technologies in Improving Global Supply Chains

Topic A: This topic surrounds one of the single largest challenges facing global trade routes in the modern era. Piracy, especially in but not limited to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, costs billions of dollars for consumers and nations alike. Up to this point, the international community needs to act more effectively to prevent the expansion of piracy and appropriately address the current situation. As piracy becomes a more sophisticated practice the longer it goes unchecked, this body must act swiftly to protect trade routes while ensuring the adoption of an effective method to address pirates in international waters. 

Topic B: This topic focuses on the future of global trade systems and supply chain improvements. As the world enters an increasingly digital age, global trade systems must remain up-to-date and outfitted with the most appropriate technology to facilitate the exchange of commerce. In a post-Covid world, supply chain backlog remains a crucial issue preventing trade flow from reaching its maximum potential. Technological advances will play a crucial role in clearing this backlog. It is up to the members of this committee to properly assess the future of supply chain management and build a comprehensive technological framework to ensure easy and equitable access on a global scale.

Chair Letter

Dear Delegates,

My name is Nate Watts, a second year political science major with a minor in history. I am super excited to welcome you to the World Trade Organization for BruinMUN 32! I want to be the first to welcome you to what I hope pans out as a fun and creative committee. 

I was born in Bloomington Indiana (go Hoosiers) but moved to San Diego in 2012 and have lived there since. I play baseball, enjoy lifting, love good house music, and am always down to have fun. I hope I’ll make enough as a lawyer to still have a good time somewhere along the way. 

I’ve been involved in public speaking since my first year of high school when I joined the Carlsbad High speech and debate team. For those of you who do debate I was an Extemp, PF, Congress, and Impromptu kid. I served as president as well as our training director of extemp for two years. I finished my senior year ranked 5th in the nation in US extemp as well as 2nd in the state of California. After high school I was somewhat unsure about MUN but gave it a shot on a whim. I ended up stumbling into one of the warmest communities on campus and could not be happier about making that leap of faith. I joined UCLA MUN last year and staffed crisis committees at BruinMUN 31 as well as our collegiate conference LAMUN. I also compete in GAs on the collegiate circuit. Outside of MUN I am involved in congressional work, Sigma Nu at UCLA, club baseball, and environmental conservation work. 

I am incredibly excited to chair such an important committee that is tasked with tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the global community. I cannot wait to see each and every one of you brainstorm unique solutions in a collaborative and welcoming environment. The WTO is tasked with oversight of commerce globally. I cannot wait to see the ways in which you reshape that globe with your contributions as delegates.

Warmly,

Nate Watts | Chair, WTO | BruinMUN 32

wto@bruinmun.org