Commission for Sustainable Development
TOPIC: Combatting Desertification
Desertification – the erosion and loss of arability of soil – threatens delicate ecosystems around the world and sustains poverty and famine in human settlements. Desertification is caused by both naturally occurring factors, such as drought, and human influence, such as land mismanagement. The problem requires a response at both state and local levels, so that solutions possess adequate resources to be effective while maintaining a sensitivity to micro-level ecosystems and human communities..
Economic and Financial
Topic: Agricultural Subsidies
Agricultural subsidies used by developed nations such as the members of the European Union, United States, and Japan are hampering economic growth in developing countries. All economies are built on the foundation of agriculture, because agricultural products provide two of humanities basic needs, food and clothing. The world cannot expect sustainable economic development in the developing world without allowing them the ability to develop their agriculture industries. There are many actors and causes to consider when addressing the issue of agricultural subsidies and this committee is charged with finding a workable solution to these problems.
Legal
Effects of Climate Change on the Law of the Sea
In its long history, the Northwest Passage has been attractive to states all over the world for its strategic location and for the abundance of undiscovered natural resources. Canada, the United States and Russia, along with numerous other countries in the European Union, have protested the issue of which state has sovereignty to own the passage, as Canada lays claim to it. Global warming has been the determinant to this issue, leading to the Arctic States’ decision to look after their self-interest. The lack of border enforcement has also been important causes. A short-term solution is unlikely; however a long-term solution is necessary in order to ensure no one state’s sovereignty is violated and all countries have equally access to profit from the many benefits the Northwest Passage has to offer..
United Nations Development Programme
Water Rights in the Middle East
The problematic situation with water rights and availability in the Middle East is a hindrance to regional security, as well as further development. Lack of water leads to poverty in some areas, and can adversely affect the economic output of some states. The lack of regional cooperation between states can be seen as a contributing factor to the crisis. Ongoing situations such as the Arab-Israeli conflict complicate the problem even further. As globalization is rapidly occurring across the world, the Middle East faces challenges with adapting and modernizing to global standards. While this phenomenon offers some positive contributions to this developing region, the problems facing the Middle East, such as water scarcity, can likely only be solved with actions by the states in question.
United Nations Environment Programme
Sustainable Water Management
Water is essential for human life, yet freshwater resources are dwindling. There is enough freshwater to sustain everyone, but it is not always accessible or equally distributed geographically and temporally. These limits makes it difficult for states to provide water to their people, prompting conflicts in regions all over the world, ranging from waterborne epidemics to fighting over a shared water source. No state can implement a perfectly sustainable water management system, however, there is a clear gradient between states that are better off than others. The different problems that these states face revolve around access to water and the adequacy of that source, and are further hindered by increasing population, climate change, and political and financial constraints. If current freshwater resources continue to be mismanaged people will become ill, industries will suffer, and life will become increasingly unsustainable.
Security Council
Global Climate Change as an International Security Concern
Climate change poses a threat to security in that it exacerbates pre-existing
problems, creates new strains on the environment, and fosters a climate of instability.
Climate change will affect the world’s resources and how they can be accessed. Changes
in resources such as water, agricultural products, and viable land have serious
implications for health, economics, and politics. Although climate change has already
seriously progressed, there are measures that can be taken to mitigate emissions and
stabilize levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Additionally, there are steps that
can be taken toward adapting to climate change to best handle the consequences that
result. While some international action has been taken thus far, success has been
limited. A comprehensive plan in needed to address the issue of climate change as it
relates to international peace and security.
