Committee: Special Political and Decolonization Committee

Agenda: Regulating Rare Earth Mineral Trade

Sponsors: The United States of America

Signatories: The United Mexican State, The Federal Republic of Nigeria, The Federal Republic of
Germany, Republic of Indonesia, Kingdom of Norway, United States of America, United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of India, Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom Bhutan, Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, Kingdom of Denmark, Swiss Confederation, People’s Republic of Bangladesh,
Republic of Philippines,Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of France, Republic of Korea,

The Special Political and Decolonization Committee,

Reaffirming the principles and purposes of the UN charter

Realizes the hazardous impacts of overexploitation of rare earth minerals

Concerned by the fact that China single handedly produces more than 70% of the global rare earth
mineral supply and this is motivated by profit maximizing factors, and for influencing the geopolitical
situation and dominating the contemporary world order.

Having examined the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Article VIII

Recognising the fact that the article currently covers may well be less important than what it excludes.

Recognising the fact that the behavior of dominant suppliers which often remain does not fall within its
scope.

Emphasizing the fact that a variety of exemptions have weakened Article VIII in key areas.

1. Calls upon all member states to implement measures to help curb the monopoly of a single
country on the global supply of REE, to ensure greater transparency on their origins,
2. Requests all the member states to work through guaranteeing that all countries who desire to have
strategic metals have access to them,

3. Proposes to implement a regulatory body under the United Nations and use the World Trade
Organization in order to enforce fair trade and to uphold high standards for these strategic metals,

4. Proposes to create a specialized agency under the UN to directly oversee the social, political,
economical, and environmental implications of the strategic mineral trade,

5. Requests all countries to commit to buying a specific percentage of rare earth minerals from
domestic producers so as to protect them against foreign competition,

6. Calls upon all countries to come forward to form consumer's associations to keep a check on
government's market policies,

7. Requests all member states Government that it should Nationalize the business, in which
monopoly exists and which the society is not willing to tolerate,

8. Strengthening the current international trade body, the WTO and/or creating a separate
commodity exchange of strategic minerals;

9. Recommends member states to take action to ensure that developing nations have access to
strategic minerals.

10. Expedite the dispute settlement process and consequently the process of dealing with
complications of the REE trade, the WTO would need to restructure so that decisions can be
made faster and more inclusive of developing nations.

11. In order to expedite the dispute settlement process and consequently the process of dealing with
complications of the REE trade, the WTO would need to restructure so that decisions can be
made faster and more inclusive of developing nations.

12. Endorses to strengthen Article VIII to deal with certain generic problems rather than to rely on
developing regulatory disciplines.

13. proposes the creation of agendas for panel meetings, so as to provide parties in advance with a
proposed agenda or structure for the meeting, and the institution of time limits on oral
presentations .
14. Request the government to pass laws and regulations making it mandatory for mining companies
to give safety insurance to workers and people around the mining area .