WORLD REGIONS

COUNTRIES:
Argentina

Cuba

Haiti

India

Lebanon

Puerto Rico

Uzbekistan

Venezuela

Yemen

MEMBERS:
Anne Glomar

Eunice Manallo

Jannrein Reymundo

Reynald Ramirez

Royce Rey

SECTION:
BSIT 1.1C
 CUBA
Official Language: Spanish

Population (2018): 11.21 million

Current President: Miguel Díaz-Canel

Capital: Havana

Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cub
a as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is locate
d in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Atlan
tic Ocean meet. Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include
Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. The area of the Republic of Cuba is 110,860
square kilometers (42,800 sq mi) (109,884 square kilometers (42,426 sq mi) wit
hout the territorial waters).

ECONOMIC POLICY OF CUBA

The Cuban state claims to adhere to socialist principles in organizing its largely
state-controlled planned economy. Most of the means of production are owned a
nd run by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state.
Recent years have seen a trend toward more private sector employment. By 20
06, public sector employment was 78% and private sector by 22%.

FOREIGN POLICY OF CUBA

Cuba's foreign policy has been fluid throughout history depending on world event
s and other variables, including relations with the United States. Without massive
Soviet subsidies and its primary trading partner, Cuba became increasingly isola
ted in the late 1980s and early 1990s after the fall of the USSR and the end of
the Cold War, but Cuba opened up more with the rest of the world again startin
g in the late 1990s when they have since entered bilateral co-operation with sev
eral South American countries, most notably Venezuela and Bolivia beginning in
the late 1990s, especially after the Venezuela election of Hugo Chávez in 1999,
who became a staunch ally of Castro's Cuba.

SUMMARY

Cuba is a country located in Northern Carribean, led by Miguel Díaz-Canel. Its e

conomy type is planned economy, in which the government controls and regulat
es production, distribution, prices, etc. Cuba's capital is Havana, and its main tra
ding partner since the late 1990s is Venezuela and Bolivia.
 INDIA
India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety a
nd rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress since
its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and
is now one of the top industrialized countries in the world and one of the few na
tions to have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of the peo
ple. It covers an area of 32, 87,263 sq. km (1,269,346 sq mi), extending from th
e snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As th
e 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, mark
ed off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geogr
aphical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southw
ards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the
Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. India and Indian ci
vilization have played a major part in human development, world history and inte
rnational relations. With roughly 1.2 billion people, India is the world’s largest de
mocracy and second largest country by population. Modern humans arrived on th
e Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago. Their long occu
pation, initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers, has made the re
gion highly diverse, second only to Africa in human genetic diversity.

FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA

The Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA), also known as the Foreign Ministr
y, is the government agency responsible for the conduct of foreign relations of In
dia. With the world's fifth largest military expenditure, second largest and most val
orous armed force, fifth largest economy by nominal rates and third largest econo
my in terms of purchasing power parity, India is a regional power, a nuclear powe
r, a nascent global power and a potential superpower. India has a growing intern
ational influence and a prominent voice in global affairs. India was one of the fo
unding members of several international organizations which is the United Nation
s, the Asian Development Bank, New Development BRICS Bank, G-20 and the fo
under of the Non-Aligned Movement.

India has also played an important and influential role in other international orga
nizations like East Asia Summit, World Trade Organization, International Monetar
y Fund (IMF), G8+5 and IBSA Dialogue Forum. India is also a member of the Asi
an Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. R
egionally, India is a part of SAARC and BIMSTEC. India has taken part in severa
l UN peacekeeping missions and in 2007; it was the second-largest troop contrib
utor to the United Nations. India is currently seeking a permanent seat in the UN
Security Council, along with the other G4 nations. India wields enormous influen
ce in global affairs and can be classified as an emerging superpower.

ECONOMIC POLICY OF INDIA

India economic policies, initiated in 1991 with the goal of making the economy
more market- and service-oriented, and expanding the role of private and foreign
investment. Most of these changes were made as part of the conditions laid out
by the World Bank and the IMF as a condition for a $500 million bail out to the
Indian government in December 1991. Specific changes include a reduction in im
port tariffs, deregulation of markets, reduction of taxes, and greater foreign invest
ment. Liberalizations have been credited by its proponents for the high economic
growth recorded by the country in the 1990s and 2000s. Its opponents have bl
amed it for increased inequality and economic degradation. The overall direction
of liberalization has since remained the same, irrespective of the ruling party, alt
hough no party has yet solved a variety of politically difficult issues, such as libe
ralizing labor laws and reducing agricultural subsidies. There exists a lively debat
e in India as to whether the economic reforms were sustainable and beneficial t
o the people of India as a whole. Indian government coalitions have been advis
ed by the IMF and World Bank to continue liberalization. Before 2015, India gre
w at a slower pace than China, which had been liberalizing since 1978.

SUMMARY

India is the 7th largest country in the world; India stands apart from the rest of
Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea. India region now is highly di
verse, second to Africa in human genetic diversity. India has many connections t
o several international organizations which is the united nation (US), The Asian
Development Bank and etc. India influences international organizations through t
heir good ideas. Many things happen to the country India because of the conne
ctions into other countries or organizations that’s why many changes happens to
this country for the better.

HAITI
Haiti became the world's first black-led republic and the first independent Caribb
ean state when it threw off French colonial control and slavery in the early 19th
century. But independence came at a crippling cost. It had to pay reparations to
France, which demanded compensation for former slave owners. The 19th centu
ry "independence debt" was not paid off until 1947. There have been recent call
s for France to repay the money. Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural dis
asters in recent decades have left it as the poorest nation in the Americas. An e
arthquake in 2010 killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damag
e to infrastructure and the economy. A UN peacekeeping force was put in place
in 2004 to help stabilize the country, and only withdrew in 2017. Jovenel Moise
was sworn in as president in February 2017. His inauguration ended a protracte
d electoral crisis that began in October 2015, when elections were annulled over
allegations of fraud. Mr Moise was finally declared the winner of the November
2016 presidential elections by an electoral tribunal in January 2017. A business
man and the chosen successor of former President Michel Martelly, Mr Moise ha
d never held political office before. Radio is Haiti's leading news medium and th
ere hundreds of local, privately-owned stations. The media reflect a range of vie
ws but the work of journalists is hampered by threats and violence, press watch
dogs say. Around 19% of Haitians were online by 2019.

FOREIGN POLICY OF HAITI

Haiti is one of the original members of the UN and participates in many o

f its specialized agencies. The country maintains diplomatic relations with most
European and Latin American countries, although most do not maintain embassi
es in Haiti. To help his country emerge from poverty and become a player in th
e global market, Aristide must attempt to make amends with donor countries, whi
ch include Canada, France, Germany, and Japan, as well as the United States.
These are also the countries that would be likely sources of foreign economic in
vestment. In 1998, Haitians, already the poorest people in the Americas, saw th
eir economy suffer from the forces of nature, as well as their own politicians. A
hurricane devastated the economy, damaged rice crops, and left hundreds dead.
Political instability has caused most investors such as the United States to only
offer the most basic humanitarian aid, the funds for which are often received by
agencies outside the government. Drug-running has grown considerably. Since 1
999, Haitian police have been attempting to close down a network that carries d
rugs from Colombia through Haiti to the United States and other destinations. Si
x of the police themselves were detained on suspicion of theft. They were believ
ed to have stolen the majority of a haul of cocaine that was discovered in a boa
t headed for Miami. U.S. government officials estimate 20% of drugs now reachi
ng the United States pass through Haiti. The police of Haiti decided to intensify
the fight on drug trafficking as a means of lowering crime in general, but the co
untry still remains a trafficking hub.

ECONOMIC POLICY OF HAITI

Haiti is a free market economy with low labor costs and tariff-free access to the
US for many of its exports. Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agricultural s
ector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, which remains vulnerable to dama
ge from frequent natural disasters. Haiti has an agricultural economy. Over half o
f the world's vetiver oil (an essential oil used in high-end perfumes) comes from
Haiti, and bananas, cocoa, and mangoes are important export crops. Haiti has al
so moved to expand to higher-end manufacturing, producing Android-based table
ts and current sensors and transformers.

SUMMARY

Haiti is in the western country between the Caribbean Sea and the Nor
th Atlantic Ocean and a tropical country. Haiti is a free market economy and ha
s agricultural economy. The culture of Haiti is an eclectic mix of African, Taino an
d European elements due to the French colonization of Saint Domingue and its l
arge and diverse enslaved African population, as is evidenced in the Haitian lang
uage, music, and religion. Haiti is a mountainous country and tropical country. A
nd the language there is French and Creole. Haiti is an indian name means ‘’L
and of mountains‘’. The president of Haiti is elected every 5 years. Haiti is the p
oorest country in the western hemisphere.

LEBANON
Lebanon is a country in Western Asia; bordered by Syria to the north and east a
nd Israel to the south, while Cyprus is west across the Mediterranean Sea. Leban
on's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterl
and facilitated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic d
iversity. At just 10,452 km2 (4,036 sq. mi.), it is the smallest recognized sovereign
state on the mainland continent Lebanon was the home of the Canaanites/Phoe
nicians and their kingdoms, a maritime culture that flourished for over a thousand
years (c. 1550–539 BC). In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roma
n Empire, and eventually became one of the Empire's leading centers of Christia
nity. Despite its small size, the country has developed a well-known culture and h
as been highly influential in the Arab world, powered by its large Diaspora. Befor
e the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the country experienced a period of relati
ve calm and renowned prosperity, driven by tourism, agriculture, commerce, and
banking. Because of its financial power and diversity in its heyday, Lebanon was
referred to as the "Switzerland of the East" during the 1960s. Lebanon has the
7th highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita in the Arab world afte
r the oil-rich economies of the Persian Gulf. Lebanon has been a member of th
e United Nations since its founding in 1945 as well as of the Arab League (1945)
, the Non-Aligned Movement (1961), Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (196
9) and the Organization (1973).

FOREIGN POLICY OF LEBANON

Lebanon's foreign policy had been heavily influenced by Syria. The framework fo
r relations was first codified in May 1991, when Lebanon and Syria signed a tre
aty of mutual cooperation. This treaty came out of the Tail Agreement, which stip
ulated that "Lebanon is linked to Syria by distinctive ties deriving strength from k
inship, history, and common interests." The Lebanese-Syria treaty calls for "coor
dination and cooperation between the two countries" that would serve the "intere
sts of the two countries within the framework of sovereignty and independence o
f each." Numerous agreements on political, economic, security and judicial affairs
have followed over the years. After Syria's military withdrawal in 2005, Lebanon'
s foreign policy charted a more independent course. Although its current govern
ment's policy can be considered Western-leaning if not pro-Western, the political
opposition led by Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement advocate a foreign
policy more in line with that of Iran and Syria.

ECONOMY POLICY OF LEBANON

 Lebanon is the third-highest indebted country in the world in terms of the rat
io of debt-to-GDP. As a consequence, interest payments consumed 48% of dom
estic government revenues in 2016, thus limiting the government’s ability to mak
e needed investments in infrastructure and other public goods. The Lebanese ec
onomy is service-oriented. Lebanon has a strong tradition of laissez-faire, with th
e country's constitution stating that 'the economic system is free and ensures priv
ate initiative and the right to private property'. The major economic sectors inclu
de metal products, banking, agriculture, chemicals, and transport equipment. Mai
n growth sectors include banking and tourism. There are no restrictions on foreig
n exchange or capital movement. Lebanon’s Constitution in 1989 states that the
economic system is free and ensures private initiative and the right of private pr
operty. And the website of the Lebanese presidency adds. Lebanon has a free ec
onomy system that guarantees entrepreneurship and private property. It is led by
a private sector that plays a major role in the different economic fields, especial
ly the services sector and the financial and banking sector, which represent 70 p
ercent of Lebanon’s national income. For many areas of Lebanon, there is a ‘bef
ore’ and ‘after’ the Civil War (1975-1990) in the economic field. During the first d
ecade of the Civil War, the Lebanese economy proved remarkably resilient. Eve
ntually, however, the Lebanese pound plummeted as a result both of the destruc
tion of the infrastructure and government policy.

SUMMARY
Lebanon is a country in Western Asia bordered by Syria to the north and ea
st and Israel to the south, In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roma
n Empire, despite its small size; the country has developed a well-known cultur
e and has been highly influential in the Arab world, powered by its large Diaspor
a. Lebanon's foreign policy had been heavily influenced by Syria. The Lebanese-
Syria treaty calls for "coordination and cooperation between the two countries". L
ebanon is the third-highest indebted country in the world in terms of the ratio of
debt-to-GDP. The Lebanese economy is service-oriented and lastly; in Lebanon,
there are no restrictions on foreign exchange or capital movement.

VENEZUELA
Official Language: Spanish

Population (2017): 31.98 million

Current President: Nicolás Maduro

Ex-President: Hugo Chávez

Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country of striking

natural beauty, and one of the most highly-urbanised countries in Latin America
. It has some of the world's largest proven oil deposits as well as huge quantitie
s of coal, iron ore, bauxite and gold. Yet many Venezuelans live in poverty, ofte
n in shanty towns, some of which sprawl over the hillsides around the capital C
aracas. It has a territorial extension of 916,445 km2 (353,841 sq mi).

ECONOMIC POLICY OF VENEZUELA

Venezuela has a mixed economy dominated by the petroleum sector, which acc
ounts for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of exports, and more than half of
government revenues. Per capita GDP for 2016 was estimated to be US$15,100
, ranking 109th in the world. Venezuela has the least expensive petrol in the worl
d because the consumer price of petrol is heavily subsidized.

FOREIGN POLICY OF VENEZEULA

The foreign relations of Venezuela since the early twentieth century had been
particularly strong with the United States. However, with the election of Hugo Ch
ávez as President of Venezuela in 1998, the foreign policy differed substantially
from that of previous Venezuelan governments. Hugo Chávez refocused Venezu
elan foreign policy on Latin American economic and social integration by enactin
g bilateral trade and reciprocal aid agreements, including his so-called "oil diplo
macy". Chávez stated that Venezuela has "a strong oil card to play on the geop
olitical stage ... It is a card that we are going to play with toughness against the
toughest country in the world, the United States.”

SUMMARY

Venezuela is one of the most beautiful and urbanised country in America. It has
some of the world's largest proven oil deposits as well as huge quantities of coa
l, iron ore, bauxite and gold, but still poverty exists in this nation. Venezuela's e
conomic system is mixed economy, where both market forces and government d
ecisions determine which goods and services are produced and how they are di
stributed.
 YEMEN

Officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country at the southern end of the Arabi
an Peninsula in Western Asia. It is the second-largest Arabsovereign state in the
peninsula, occupying 527,970 square kilometres (203,850 square miles). The co
astline stretches for about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles). It is bordered by Saud
i Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, the Gulf of Aden and Guardafui
Channel to the south, and the Arabian Sea and Oman to the east. Yemen's terri
tory encompasses more than 200 islands, including Socotra, one of the largest i
slands in the Middle East.
FOREIGN POLICY OF YEMEN
The foreign relations of Yemen are the relationships and policies that Yemen mai
ntains with other countries. It is a member of the United Nations, the Arab Leagu
e, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Yemen participates in the nonalig
ned movement. The Republic of Yemen accepted responsibility for all treaties an
d debts of its predecessors, the YAR and the PDRY. Additionally, Yemen has a
cceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has stressed the need to ren
der the Middle East region free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destructi
on.
The Persian Gulf crisis dramatically affected Yemen's foreign relations. As a mem
ber of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 1990 and 1991, Yemen abstained on
a number of UNSC resolutions concerning Iraq and Kuwait and voted against the
"use of force resolution". Western and Persian Gulf Arab states reacted by curt
ailing or cancelling aid programs and diplomatic contacts. At least 850,000 Yeme
nis returned from Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf.
ECONOMIC POLICY OF YEMEN
At the time of unification, South Yemen and North Yemen had vastly different but
equally struggling underdeveloped economic systems. Since unification, the econ
omy has been forced to sustain the consequences of Yemen's support for Iraq d
uring the 1990–91 Persian Gulf War: Saudi Arabia expelled almost 1 million Yem
eni workers, and both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait significantly reduced economic ai
d to Yemen. The war further drained Yemen's economy. As a consequence, for t
he past 24 years Yemen has relied heavily on aid from multilateral agencies to
sustain its economy. In return, it has pledged to implement significant economic
reforms. In 1997 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved two programs t
o increase Yemen's credit significantly: the enhanced structural adjustment facilit
y (now known as the poverty reduction and growth facility, or PRGF) and the ex
tended funding facility (EFF). In the ensuing years, Yemen's government attempt
ed to implement recommended reforms—reducing the civil service payroll, elimin
ating diesel and other subsidies, lowering defense spending, introducing a gener
al sales tax, and privatizing state-run industries. However, limited progress led th
e IMF to suspend funding between 1999 and 2001.
SUMMARY
Despite its ancient roots as the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, t
he modern Republic of Yemen is a relatively new state. It was created after co
mmunist South Yemen merged with North Yemen in 1990, following years of stri
fe, but tensions have never been far below the surface. A fresh wave of protest
s in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, forced Pr
esident Ali Abdallah Saleh to resign. In the ensuing turmoil, the Houthis seized
much of the north and west of the country, while Saudi-led forces intervened to
support the internationally-recognised government based in the south.
 UZBEKISTAN

Is a landlocked country in Central Asia. The sovereign state is a secular, uni

tary constitutional republic, comprising 12 provinces, one autonomous republic, a
nd a capital city. Uzbekistan is bordered by five landlocked countries: Kazakhsta
n to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanista
n to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Along with Liechtenstein, it is
one of the world's only two doubly landlocked countries.
Uzbekistan has a diverse cultural heritage due to its storied history and strategic
location. Its first major official language is Uzbek, a Turkic language written in t
he Latin alphabet and spoken natively by approximately 85% of the population. F
or 2013, Russian has widespread use as an inter-ethnic communication language
. Uzbeks constitute 81% of the population, followed by Russians (5.4%), Tajiks (4.
0%), Kazakhs (3.0%), and others (6.5%). Muslims constitute 79% of the populatio
n while 5% of the population follow Russian Orthodox Christianity, and 16% of th
e population follow other religions or are non-religious. A majority of Uzbeks ar
e non-denominational Muslims. Uzbekistan is a member of the CIS, OSCE, UN, a
nd the SCO. While officially a democratic republic, by 2008 non-governmental hu
man rights organizations defined Uzbekistan as "an authoritarian state with limite
d civil rights".
ECONOMIC POLICY OF UZBEKISTAN
Since gaining independence, the Government of Uzbekistan has stated that it is
committed to a gradual transition to a market-based economy. The progress with
economic policy reforms has been a cautious one, but cumulatively Uzbekistan h
as shown respectable achievements. Its restrictive trade regime and generally int
erventionist policies continue to have a negative effect on the economy. Substan
tial structural reform is needed, particularly in these areas: improving the investm
ent climate for foreign investors, strengthening the banking system, and freeing t
he agricultural sector from state control. Remaining restrictions on currency conv
ersion capacity and other government measures to control economic activity, incl
uding the implementation of severe import restrictions and sporadic closures of
Uzbekistan's borders with neighbouring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan ha
ve led international lending organizations to suspend or scale back credits.
Working closely with the IMF, the government has made considerable progress i
n reducing inflation and the budget deficit. The national currency was made conv
ertible in 2003 as part of the IMF-engineered stabilization program, although som
e administrative restrictions remain. The agriculture and manufacturing industries
contribute equally to the economy, each accounting for about one-quarter of the
GDP. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of cotton, although the import
ance of this commodity has declined significantly since the country achieved ind
ependence. Uzbekistan is also a big producer of gold, with the largest open-pit g
old mine in the world. The country has substantial deposits of Silver, strategic m
inerals, gas, and oil.
SUMMARY
The land that is now Uzbekistan was once at the heart of the ancient Silk Road
trade route connecting China with the Middle East and Rome.
The country spent most of the past 200 years as part of the Russian Empire, a
nd then of the Soviet Union, before emerging as an independent state when So
viet rule ended in 1991.
Under authoritarian President Islam Karimov, who ruled from 1989 until his death
in 2016, Uzbekistan was reliant on exports of cotton, gas and gold to maintain i
ts rigid, state-controlled economy. President Karimov's successor, Shavkat Mirziy
oyev, has made efforts to break Uzbekistan out of its international isolation