SPECPOL - World Model United Nations

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After the discovery of gold there in the late nineteenth century, the Witwatersrand in South Africa became a target for British miners and speculators. work in the mines, settling for low wages and unsafe conditions that went unnoticed or ignored by the government for many years. 98 The British South Africa Company became particularly important in the following years. After receiving its royal charter in 1889, the company was allowed to purchase large amounts of land at a reduced price owing to the support of the British Crown. 99 It began investing in mines across South Africa and Rhodesia, building a network of highly profitable ventures that, owing to the tight control it was afforded over the region, was more efficient than competing mines elsewhere in the world. Though the company became especially famous for Cecil Rhodes’s diamond monopoly, it enjoyed success in most ventures. With this acquisition of land, it also began serving other roles, such as constructing rail lines between mines and developing the infrastructure of the region, a task normally left strictly to the government. 100 the increasingly complex scene of racial politics soon found their way into the mining industry during the Rand Rebellion of 1922, during which white mine workers protested and revolted against the mining companies after falling gold prices had caused a decrease in wages. The companies responded by hiring black mine workers, who were willing to work for lower pay, but this only further incensed the rebels. 101 The revolt was eventually put to rest by the state military, and the government passed laws favoring white workers in the future. the British South Africa Company lost its charter in 1923 and eventually dissolved after being forced to sell its mineral rights in Rhodesia to the new Zambian government. The remnants of the company were merged with several others to become Charter 34 Melbourne Host Directorate PTY LTD | Office of Media and Design
Consolidated Ltd, a subsidiary of the current company Anglo American. 102 Today, mining corporations still play a significant role in South African politics and society. South Africa still holds some of the world’s largest diamond and gold reserves, and continues to produce large amounts of these and other minerals. 103 South African mining policy continues to undergo changes, and, though currently it is still firmly entrenched in the private sector, there have been talks of nationalization. Recent reforms affording more rights to mining unions and workers have resulted in controversy, as mining strikes and revolts have become costly. Certain corporations, such as Anglo American plc, have expressed concerns over these new reforms and inconsistent government policy, saying that companies are becoming more cautious and less likely to invest in speculation and mine development. 104 this comes at the same time as miners are demanding more protections and better The entrance to the Las Cristinas gold mine, which has been the subject of recent talks by the Venezuelan and Chinese governments about its future development. pay, forcing the government to try and find a way to rectifying these two important but competing interests. Venezuela and Nationalization While South Africa attempted to balance the private and public interests, Venezuela has taken a very different approach. The country’s mining history dates back to the days of Spanish colonization, during which time conquistadors began mining for gold to send back to Spain. The colonizers did little to expand the mining industry beyond the search for gold, silver, and other precious metals. Because Venezuela is typically characterized by its large oil reserves, the mining industry received little attention for many years, allowing a sizeable private sector to arise, particularly in coal and iron. However, Venezuelan gold production remains in the international spotlight owing to recent developments in the national gold mining policy. President Hugo Chavez nationalized the gold mining 35 Melbourne Host Directorate PTY LTD | Office of Media and Design
Page 1 and 2: Special Political and Decolonizatio
Page 3 and 4: Letters Melbourne Host Directorate
Page 5 and 6: Letter from the Under-Secretary-Gen
Page 7 and 8: Introduction SPeCPOL is one of the
Page 9 and 10: Similarly, the ability of the Unite
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Page 13 and 14: the region’s leaders in economic
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Page 17 and 18: The Philippines Overseas Employment
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Page 23 and 24: in the Philippines and abroad that
Page 25 and 26: limited influence. They are restric
Page 27 and 28: country seeking to sell the mining
Page 29 and 30: Africa is one of the most resource-
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Page 33: BHP Billiton is the world’s large
Page 37 and 38: egan mining coal in 1922 near the p
Page 39 and 40: to address how the united Nations m
Page 41 and 42: China has emerged as the world’s
Page 43 and 44: elations, and poverty reduction are
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Page 49 and 50: 42 issues, policies” Ibid. 43 “
Page 51: PARTNERS Supported by Australian Ai

SPECPOL - World Model United Nations

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