Introduction
The war in Ukraine is a strong polarising event that superficially reinstates the East-West divide we know from the Cold War. Paradoxically, the West’s new-found unity in response to Russia’s aggression does not signal a resurrection of an America-led international order. Rather it is a situation in which many countries, including LEDCs, would have to consider their interests and adapt their policies accordingly. In Europe and America, the prevailing view is that bipolarity is coming back, but with a new face: a world dominated by two blocs led by the US and China. Memories of the cold war likely shape the way that Americans and Europeans view the future. Meanwhile, outside the West, many believe that fragmentation rather than polarisation will mark the next international order. Most experts in major non-Western countries such as China, India, Turkiye, and Russia predict the West will soon be just one global pole among several. The West may still be the strongest party, but it will not be hegemonic. The general view in Russia and China is to expect a form of multipolarity, with a more even distribution of global power among multiple countries. All in all, even though US-China bipolarity is certainly a possible outcome, the future world order will likely be defined either by multipolarity or Chinese (or other non-Western) dominance.
Whichever of these outcomes materialises, the power struggle between the strong players will irrevocably affect countless other countries that are not directly involved. Without aid from the international community, LEDCs will likely suffer the economical consequences of shifting power balances, which would aggravate existing problems in those countries.
The task of the committee is primarily to de-escalate current East-West tensions and pave the way towards a more peaceful and healthy power dynamic in the modern world that protects the countries not directly involved, such as most LEDCs, from collateral damage.