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BERMUN 2010 - Combating Illicit Trade: A Civic Responsibility

Dear MUN Directors,
We cordially invite you to attend the nineteenth annual Berlin Model United Nations Conference to be held at the John F. Kennedy School.

This year’s theme is devoted to

Combating Illicit Trade: A Civic Responsibility.

Last year, Illicit Trade – according to the data of Transparency International – amounted to 7 to 10 percent of the world economy. This is a tenfold increase since 1990! The overall worth of trade in, for example, human beings, firearms and military weapons, counterfeit products, narcotics, and endangered species exceeds the GNP of most G-8 economies. Repeatedly press reports remind us of the extent of the multi-faceted phenomenon. At a superficial, perfunctory glance, Illicit Trade might appear to be solely a domestic issue. Under closer examination, however, we soon discover that behind the phenomenon of Illegal Trade, whether it is smuggling migrants or laundering money, the forces of transnational organized crime operate. Consequently, Illicit Trade poses a threat to both national governments and the international community at large. Read more ...