Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Welcome to the Committee Page for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries! Here, you can find details on the committee and the students who are chairing it, download the background guide, and learn about suggested primary source reading for the committee. Check the page regularly for committee updates.
Chair Contact Information
Chair: Anoushka VaswaniVice Chair: Ruchika Sangani
Crisis Director: Carolina Martes
Contact Email: opec@cmunce.org
Recent Updates
[November 15, 2008]: The Background guide has been posted.
[May 2008]: Welcome to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries webpage. Keep your eyes peeled to this site in the coming month for updates.
Committee Description
The committee takes place in September 2009. Everyday more than 82 billion barrels of oil are consumed globally. The continuing growth of India and China has placed high demands on oil. In light of this information, rumors of terrorist activity within Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, are particularly unsettling. Many Western nations are particularly dependent on Saudi Arabia's oil supply and any threat to the region would result in a harsh price increases. Because of the growing uncertainty in the region, OPEC leaders are also debating whether to cut oil production this year, raising the global oil prices yet again.
The delegates must decide how to mitigate this situation. Is diplomacy the answer or are more forceful measures required? Is there a way of preventing potential terrorist activity in Saudi Arabia OPEC nations must first decide on how they will proceed in this precarious period, knowing that any choice they make will have tremendous political consequences. Secondly, this committee will tackle the consequences of elevated oil prices. High oil prices have raised the prices of all commodities ranging from metals to agriculture to other raw materials. Vulnerable developing countries have been hit particularly hard. What kind of responsibility do OPEC and the developed world have toward these nations? What kind of actions should be taken to reduce the consequences of high oil prices Delegates, the future of the world's economy is at stake and it is up to you to think of a solution to this alarming oil crisis.
Background Guide
Recommended Resources and Documents