Dear Delegates,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the twenty-sixth session of the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference. My name is Sachi Sobti, and I am your chair for the International Labour Organization, a specialized committee at this year’s conference. I look forward to a weekend of stimulating debate and innovative solutions, and hope that you share my excitement as well. The success of this committee will really depend on all of you, and I’m hoping that you will bring the necessary passion to bring your research to life.

For a little background on myself, I have been involved in Model United Nations for multiple years, but have really made it my passion over the past two years at UPenn through the International Affairs Association (IAA). As a freshman, I served as an Assistant Secretary-General for UPMUNC, our college conference. This year, I served as the Under-Secretary-General for ECOSOC and Specialized committees during UPMUNC. In terms of academic life at UPenn, I am studying at the Wharton School of Business, but have yet to choose a concentration. I am originally from Bergen County in New Jersey but attended high school in New York. If you have any questions regarding Philadelphia, UPenn, or the IAA, please let me know. I would be happy to answer any questions as you embark on your own collegiate experiences.

Moving on to our committee, the International Labour Organization is a committee that I proposed for ILMUNC, and I was fortunate enough to have it selected by the Secretariat. I proposed the committee for two basic reasons: 1) lack of precedence 2) my keen interest in the material that the committee deals with. I have not recently seen the ILO listed as a committee at conferences, but I think the issues at hand really lay the foundation for many of the larger problems in the world. In addition, I have always had an interest in economics and trade, but to me the heart of it all lies in the humanity of those involved. Since occupation is the main component of many peoples’ lives, ensuring their rights and safety is an issue of extreme importance to me. I hope that you will think carefully and critically about the topics that we have presented to you.

I have no doubt that you will all be able to tackle the issues at hand, and I look forward to seeing the debate. Good luck with all of your research and I look forward to meeting each of you at ILMUNC!

Best wishes,

Sachi Sobti

Chair, International Labour Organization

Ivy League Model United Nations Conference XXVI