The International Monetary Fund lapsed into disorganized discussion after Russia led the delegates to consider corruption as a solution for wealth disparity in West Africa. This led the committee to fall out of order, sparking a ten minute unmoderated discussion, and shenanigans with a flying USB drive interrupting already chaotic conversation.
“How do we fight corruption? With more corruption!” said Russia, loudly pointing out that “the United States does it!” Russia cited the “rigged elections” in the United States as a viable way of bringing wealth into areas that need it. According to Russia’s logic, because the United States found a 10-fold increase in returns after utilizing “corruption” in the form of corporations lobbying for different causes within the government, the wealth disparity within countries in West Africa.
In response to Russia, several nations express concerns about whether this is in the best interest of the countries involved, whether this is a viable solution to the global issue, and whether this is truly the democratic way to go about economic change.
The delegate from the Netherlands reminds fellow committee members that corruption is “a very complicated issue that cannot be solved overnight,” and that corruption is not something that the International Monetary Fund has the power to address. In an effort to calm the debate, the Democratic Peoples of Korea said, “by taking out corruption in these areas, we can help the people.”
During an unmoderated caucus, four blocs of nations try to decide whether corruption is morally correct as a tool to create a better economy, at least for the few. Delegates suggest direct donations of money into the government, saying “that’s the only legal way to do it” and follow such statements with a combination of excited and nervous laughter. The blocs merge to volley questions of where the money will come from, with the delegate from Russia, again taking control of the discussion, even though it is unmoderated, loudly states that they do not need to worry about where the money might come from, which is what separates them from other United Nations committees.