Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, referred to as ASEAN, aims to
promote peace and stability, reinforce economic growth and integration, and support the
development of their member states in all aspects, including tackling cultural, social, and
governance issues. In recent years, member states have faced a variety of challenges with the
development of new technologies, global health crises, and a spotlight on issues concerning
human rights within the region. Thus, ASEAN has taken steps to address these matters as they
arise, and delegates will be tackling two of the more pressing economic issues the association
faces today.
 

In this committee, delegates will be faced with a wide range of issues discussing both planes of
the economic world: physical and meta. Topic A will focus on cybercrime and illicit online
gambling, an issue that has grown in severity over the past couple years, specifically since the
COVID-19 pandemic. The exponential growth of the ASEAN bloc’s involvement in e-commerce
has seen a concurrent rise in cybercrime, such as ransomware attacks, phishing, online fraud, and
identity theft, which has all amounted to a significant economic loss that will continue to grow if
not addressed. Furthermore, augmented levels of illicit online gambling have become a much
larger issue; during the COVID-19 pandemic casinos and legal gambling outlets had closed,
causing an increased demand for black market online gambling.
 

The committee’s second topic will focus on genetically modified crops and their economic,
environmental, and cultural impacts within the region. The conversation around GMOs is quite
skewed within ASEAN with valid arguments both for and against their development and use. For
example, GMOs significantly increase agricultural productivity, producing large yields and
reducing losses from disease and crop-killing pests. However on the flip side, there are serious
environmental, health, and safety concerns relating to their usage across the region and
internationally.