Guest Speech - Dr. Bornemann

On Thursday, 5th June, the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) gathered at the Neues Gymnasium Oldenburg and listened to a speech from guest speaker Dr. Katrin Bornemann, who is part of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, BMZ). Even though she was born in 1979 in Wilhelmshaven, she grew up in Saudi Arabia. She pursued her studies in political science and literature at the “Universitat de Barcelona”, and at the Gabriel René Moreno University in Bolivia. In 2005, she completed her degree in Language, Business and Cultural Studies at the University of Passau. Her educational journey continued at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Goldsmiths College in London and the British Film Institute, where she focused on genre and reception theory.

In spring 2009, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is a terminal degree representing the highest level of academic achievement in a particular field, in Media Studies with a study titled “Carnival of Affects” in political science at the LMU.

Dr. Bornemann began her contribution by explaining what the United Nations (UN) are and why the organisation is important in addressing worldwide challenges. In her speech, she refers to the committee’s topic: “Strengthening International Cooperation to Deal with Migration due to Poverty and Inequality”. She put her main focus on the role of the United Nations, especially in relation to global migration.

Thereafter, she explained that the UN to solve problems early before they grow into major migration issues. A striking quote from her speech was: “We are the first ones to come and the last ones to leave,” showing the UN’s long-term commitment in areas affected by conflict, poverty, or climate change.

She also spoke about Agenda 2030, which includes 23 goals to improve global living conditions. These goals are closely linked to the reasons why people migrate, such as hunger, war, lack of education, or climate disasters.

The committee seemed very interested in Dr. Bornemann’s contribution and the delegates had many questions for her. She highlighted the importance of making the UN “fit for the future,” so the organisation can continue to support people in need and tackle the root causes of migration with sustainable solutions.

At the end of her speech, she stated how important an event such as OLMUN is for the future and mentioned how proud she is of the young people engaging in it.

She concluded with a powerful sentence that left a lasting impression on us: “It´s about diplomacy and we‘re in a time where we need more UN, than less UN“.

by Lotta Juretzka and Helene Kleyensteiber