Chair Report

Economic & Social Council

Committee: Economic and Social Council
Issue: Mitigating the Impacts of HIV/AIDS on Economic Development
Name: Vedika Vishweshwar
Position: Chair

Introduction:
Sporadic cases of HIV/AIDS were documented throughout the early 1970s, but this escalated
into a pandemic in the 1980s, infecting between 100,000 to 300,000 people in the span of only
three years. Since then, HIV has claimed over 70 million cases and 35 million deaths, an
estimated 0.8% of adults aged between 15-49 years old are currently affected. However, the
HIV burden is not distributed uniformly across geographies -- 70% of HIV cases are located in
Africa and 44% in just 12 African countries.

This pandemic has consequently posed enormous developmental challenges for affected
economies, especially for LEDCs, which lack the resources to adequately prevent and combat
the disease. HIV outbreaks have far-reaching consequences for various sectors of national
economies including the macro-economy, the rural economy, and agricultural production.
Mitigating the economic impacts of HIV/AIDS will not only include managing costs the explicit
costs of the disease - eg. establishment of treatment facilities - but also the implicit costs which
influence a nations factors of production.

Definition of Key Terms:

Term Definition

HIV/AIDS HIV is a virus that gradually breaks down an

individuals immune system, making it
increasingly difficult for them to fend off
diseases and infections. AIDS pertains to the
symptoms that occur in the final stages of an
HIV infection.

Pandemic A worldwide spread of a new disease.

 Epidemic Widespread occurrence of an infectious
disease in a community at a particular time.

Combination Prevention Services Reducing the transmission of HIV through a

combination of behavioural, biological, and
structural interventions that meet the needs of
the population.

GDP Per Capita An economic measure of output that divides

national gross domestic product (GDP) by the
population.

Antiretroviral Therapy Medicines that reduce the rate at which the

HIV multiplies in the body. This medicine
does not kill the virus, but only halts its
growth.

Background Information
Explicit Costs:
Costs of national healthcare
Treating HIV/AIDS is not cheap: Antiretroviral therapy can cost between $10,000 -
$20,000 per individual, and provision to all affected individuals can be well out of reach
for LEDC government budgets. Even if this medicine isnt provided, studies from
Zimbabwe have shown that HIV patients admitted to public hospitals have longer
average lengths of stay, and higher average costs due to greater usage of laboratory
tests and x-rays. Ultimately, HIV is capable of draining resources from the public health
resources at an alarming rate, which can be intensified if nations are unprepared and
unequipped for epidemics. Governments need to implement innovative strategies to
ensure that public health services do not collapse in light of the burdens of HIV/AIDS.
Exacerbation of Poverty:
According to UNAIDS, households affected by HIV are more likely to fall into and
remain in poverty. The costs of illness and death disproportionately implicate
low-income families and those living in rural areas, significantly decreasing the material
living standards of family members. When earners are unable to work, it stems
household income flow, but expenditures rise as families expend savings on medical
care. In order to finance this, assets are sold and affected family members lose their
ability to perform physical labour. This latter asset could be the only one that very poor
families possess in rural and informal economies, crippling of which could result in
long-term unemployment. This consequence is particularly pertinent to Africa, as more
than two-thirds of the 25 most-affected African countries live in rural areas, and impacts
industries that require high levels of manual labour eg. agriculture, transport, mining.

Implicit Costs:
Slow/Reversed Growth in Labour Supply
Unsurprisingly, the sustained presence of HIV/AIDS takes a substantial toll on the
labour force of a nation. Governmental and UN studies have repeatedly shown that
HIV/AIDS increases both the morbidity of labourers, often resulting in a loss of key
skills. Increased employee absenteeism not only compromises the families of the
employees, but businesses as well. A loss of skills and knowledge makes it more
difficult to replace employees, reducing both the revenues and profits of companies.
This hampers the overall survival of companies in the economy, and create a subdued
domestic investment environment, as investor confidence will be negatively impacted.
Disproportionate Burden of HIV/AIDS on Women
HIV/AIDS is globally the leading killer of women of a reproductive age, and a
combination of factors such as social stigma, gender norms, and human rights
violations have long rendered women and girls much more vulnerable to the disease.
This prevents them from accessing adequate healthcare services, and ultimately limits
equal access to employment, education, and credit, among other sociological rights
such as decision making. However, according to the Beijing Platform for Action, even in
cases where legal equality exists, discriminatory social values perpetuate unequal
norms. This shows that a solution to this deep-rooted problem will require more than
simply legal reform.

GDP Per Capita

Various economic models have evaluated the impacts of HIV/AIDS on GDP per capita,
and have essentially come to the conclusion that the disease has a surprisingly small,
negative impact on this metric. This is because the decrease in productive resources is
also countered by the reduced population. However, these models do predict that GDP
growth is ultimately slower in the long-run due to slower population growth.

Solutions (Past and Possible):

The most comprehensive UN solution on the issue is the UNAIDS 2016-2021 Strategy:
On the Fast-Track to End Aids. This document ultimately aims to fulfill the UN
Sustainable Development goal to end the AIDS epidemic, and emphasizes the urgency
of taking immediate action. Specifically regarding economic development, this
document aims to reach $30bn of financial investment in low and middle-income
countries, bolstered by a rise of public expenditure towards the issue. It urges the
implementation of financial sustainability transition plans and the scaling-up of networks
that deliver resources to citizens at risk of HIV. Furthermore, it also aims to implement
more direct preventative measures such as expanding combination prevention services
to over 90% of affected populations.

Recently, individual countries have also made commendable commitments to mitigating

the impacts of the disease. For example, since gaining independence, South Sudan has
taken comprehensive steps such as developing multi-sectoral institutions and facilities
to provide healthcare to citizens. Furthermore, it aims to tailor its response to its core
demographic: citizens under the age of 30.

Similarly, in India, police forces are proving surprisingly effective in implementing

interventions directed towards high-risk populations. Police forces have introduced
prison-based initiatives for injecting drug users, as well as community-based initiatives
that offer skills training and education services to the children of sex-workers. India
offers an inspiring example of how police leadership can create a measurable social
development impact.
Looking ahead, UNAID hopes to implement solutions that minimize the discrimination
encountered by victims. This would include gender-oriented HIV programs that aim to
empower women, as well as workforce-oriented programs that reduce discrimination
and protect the labour rights of affected workers.

Resources for further reading:

1. Progress Report on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council (1983)
2. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (1995)
3. United Nations Millennium Development Goals (2000)
4. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2015)
5. UNAIDS Strategy: On the Fast-Track to End Aids (2016)

Bibliography
https://www.avert.org/
https://aidsfree.usaid.gov/resources/pkb/combination/overview-combinatio
n-prevention
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2013/octobe
r/20131002southsudan
http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ad696e/ad696e05.htm
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@ilo_aids/
documents/publication/wcms_120468.pdf
Committee: ECOSOC
Issue: Ensuring compliance with nondiscrimination and non-coercion standards in
labour markets.
Name: Jhujhar Sarna
Position: Chair

Introduction:
For labor markets around the world it is essential to have set standards in order to
ensure consistency, where each individual is granted equal opportunities. Labor market
discrimination is described to be whenever employers, employees, or customers are
disadvantaged, for example, due to their race, gender, financial or criminal background.
These problems have social implications and a stream of effects specific to each
individual labor market. At the global level, the employment gender gap has closed by
only 0.6 percentage points since 1995, the employment to population ratio is 46% for
women and 72 % for men in 2015.

Definition of Key Terms:

Term Definition (source)

Non- Discrimination Fair, justified, unprejudiced treatment of

different categories of people

Non- Coercion Not using force, threats, or intimidation to

obtain compliance

Labor Markets The availability of employment, in terms

of each country's supply and demand

Gender Gap in terms of Employment When pay or income is based on the

gender of a person
 Labor Market Discrimination
Discrimination occurs when there are
different earnings and employment
opportunities across equally skilled
workers employed in the same job
because of workers race, gender,
national origin, sexual orientation, age,
religion

Profits A financial gain, the difference between

the amount earned and the amount spent
in buying or producing something

Wages/Income A fixed regular payment earned for work

or services, provided by the employer

Background Information
Different Forms of Discrimination in Labor Force

Race:
In order to ensure fair set standards for employees in labor markets, the race of a
laborer should be a negligible factor in determining the income or the level of success of
a worker. Almost all governments around the world have prohibited their to be any
discrimination in employment based on race; however, social stigma and judgements
may be a prevalent factor in determining the employment and success rate of certain
races. This is a form of discrimination which could use a more unified and updated effort
in creating solutions.
Gender:
One apparent form of discrimination has been the gender imbalance in the work force.
This is a problem for the majority of member states as on average women earn 77
percent less than men. There may be work related explanations to this discrepancy, but
undeniably discrimination has played a role in creating such a large difference in the
level of opportunities for women. Additionally, women on average work longer hours
with a combination of paid and unpaid household work, taking these figures into account
it seems unjustified for there to on average be such a disparity in pay and opportunities
for equally qualified people. Due to this injustice it was the theme of the International
Women's Day of 2016 to get equal and to be on the same level economically (within
labour markets) as men by 2030.
Financial Background:
The economic and financial background of a person should not be a limitation or be
considered as a shortcoming in the amount of opportunities offered to them. Having
knowledge of someones background may result in employers or consumers to make
unjustified judgements of their capabilities, and leads them to wrongly form prejudiced
opinions. This is another component that must be targeted when looking at ensuring
compliance with equitable standards.
Criminal Background:
Countries may differ in what they think to be applicable or justified as per the jobs
allowed for people with criminal records, there may even be specific regulations
depending on the degree of the crime differing from each member state. The UN
however encourages there to be equal yet fair opportunities for those with such records
and allows each nation to decide what that would mean per each country, with such a
platform the UN has had a history to have a more suggestive stance regarding this
issue.

Solutions (Past and Possible):

In the past the UN (Ecosoc) have asked governments to make it a priority to implement
the International Labor conventions right to work, and elimination of compulsory labor,
child labor, and discrimination with respect to employment and occupation. Specifically
to implement the aim of the convention concerning the employment of women,
migrants, disabled people, and indigenous people. There has also been pleas from the
UN to promote a labor market which is open, inclusive, and accessible to all, specifically
mentioning support towards older people. Refer to ECOSOC Resolution 2008/18.

Resources for further reading:

1. ECOSOC Statement (Violence against women) (2008)

2. ESCWA (Economic social commision for western asia, integration segment)
(2015)
3. Gender and Racial Discrimination (2000)
4. ECOSOC Pas Resolution (2008)

Bibliography
http://www.massey.ac.nz/~hengelbr/08 Borjas Ch 10.pdf
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3731.html
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53383#.WduGwWXYpE4
Committee: Economic and Social Council
Issue: The question of the use of unilateral economic measures as a means of political
and economic coercion against developing countries.
Name: Vedika Vishweshwar and Jhujhar Sarna
Position: Chairs

Introduction:
Unilateral economic measures are used as a form of coercion in foreign policy in order
to influence a nations policies in favour of the enforcer. These measures can take the
form of targeted sanctions (eg. asset freezing), the halting of free trade, travel bans, and
an interruption of investment flows. The unequal development of economies across the
globe empowers larger economies to influence the actions of smaller economies,
leaving less developed economies extremely vulnerable. Furthermore, these sanctions
often infringe upon the human rights of the civilian population in the targeted country,
and are consequently strongly condoned by entities such as the Human Rights Council.
These sanctions particularly impact countries in West Asia, where prospects of both
national as well as regional economic growth injured due to the magnitude of the
sanctions.

Definition of Key Terms:

Term Definition

Unilateral Economic Measures Refers to measures taken by one state to

compel a change of policy in another state.
Unilateralism essentially refers to a lack of
cooperation/collaboration between entities.

Free Trade International trade left to its natural course

without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
 Targeted Sanctions These sanctions focus on certain individuals
and groups, rather than the countrys
economy as a whole.

Embargo An official ban or other commercial activity

with a particular country.

Multilateral Anything that is agreed upon or participated

in by three or more parties (usually
governments of various nations). Examples of
multilateral institutions include the UN, NATO,
APEC etc...

Tariff Escalation Higher import duties on semi-processed

products than on raw materials, and
higher still on finished products. This
practice protects domestic processing
industries and discourages the
development of processing activity in the
countries where raw materials originate.

Background Information:
Purpose of Sanctions
Economic Sanctions can only be imposed by the UN Security Council, the ECOSOC
can recommend them to do so. Essentially sanctions are a form of foreign policy, or a
type of economic pressure, which could be in the form of trade barriers, tariffs, and
restrictions of financial transactions; however, their purpose may not only be limited to
economic reasons, but also due to political, military, or social issues.

Unilateral Sanctions on Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development Policies

( not sure of the examples here )
UN Policies with Iraq
The UN security council had imposed heavy sanctions against Iraq in 1990, after their
invasion into Kuwait. After the violence the UN decided on keeping such sanctions to
press for and leverage for Iraqi disarmament and other political goals. As time
progressed such sanctions stayed in place as the US and the U.K. were in agreement
that until Hussein would be in the head of regime there would be no removal of
sanctions. In 2003 when the US had helped remove the Iraqi (Hussein) government,
they requested the UN to lift the sanctions that were in place. By doing this the US
would also gain authority over the Iraqi oil sales and oil industries. This is one example
of how such economic measures can be used for political or social gain, or in order to in
place pressure towards a specific country or group.

US Embargoes on Cuba
Another historical example of economic measures as means of political and economic
coercion is between the US and Cuba. President John F. Kennedy of the US imposed a
permanent embargo on Cuba in 1962. This resulted in Cuba, a country that heavily
relied on US imports, to slow down in terms of economic growth with the lack of trade. A
lot of such restrictions were recently lifted by President Barack Obama of the US
including the free travel ban; however, the permanent embargo is still in place.
Although, this is based on political events specifically between two countries it is a
useful example when trying to explore the usage and implications of economic
measures such as sanctions.

Unilateral Sanctions imposed in Syria

The US and the EU have imposed sanctions on Syria due to the actions of the current
regime under Bashar Al Assad. They can be described as the most complicated and far
reaching sanctions to ever be in place. Currently the entire economy of Syria is being
disseminated, a key factor resulting in a humanitarian crisis. In specific, the EU
sanctions deal more with prohibitions on commercial dealings, banking dealings, and
exports of dual use items. The USs sanctions are more severe including a blanket
ban on exports to Syria and all financial dealings. All in all, they have caused much
suffering to civilians even preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. This is a current
example of unilateral economic measures used by the UN and individual members
states to politically and economically coerce another nation.

Solutions (Past and Possible):

The Security Council resolution (1699) entails that the UN will support efforts with
Interpol to to provide committees and specific member states the resources to assist in
implementing the freezing of assets, travel bans, and arms embargoes. Embargoes and
sanctions are economic tools that have constantly been used by the UN, when deemed
appropriate and justified. However, there must be forms of control so as to protect
developing nations which may be put in a disadvantaged situation. An example of this
can be seen through tariff escalation, as developed nations place tariffs on
manufactured goods from developing nations discouraging them to ever broaden their
own manufacturing market, lessing their potential for economic growth, this is a specific
limitation of the WTO (world trade organization).

However, the Human Rights Council Resolution (27/21) on Human Rights and Coercive
Measures reprimands all the use of unilateral economic measures on the grounds that it
obstructs the right of nations to freely determine their own economic, political, and
cultural development without external intervention. It reaffirms that essential goods such
as food and medicine should not be deprived from the population, and organizes a
biannual panel discussion to further discuss the progress of the issue. This resolution
appoints a Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures
to gather all relevant information related to the issue and submit annual reports to the
commission. The role of the Special Rapporteur is unique in that they solely focus on
monitoring developments on this issue, helping to bring about a deep-rooted and holistic
understanding to the Human Rights Council and equipping them to take effective and
informed action.

Resources for further reading:

1. Security Council Resolution 1699 (2006)
2. Unilateral Economic Measures as a Means of Economic and Political Coercion
Against Developing Countries (2013)
3. Unilateral Economic Measures as a Means of Political and Economic Coercion
Against Developing Countries: Report of the Secretary-General (2015)
4. Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impacts of Unilateral Coercive Measures on
the Enjoyment of Human Rights (2015)

Bibliography
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Seminars/Pages/WorkshopCoercive
Measures.aspx
https://www.wto.org
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1891359,00.html
https://www.globalpolicy.org/previous-issues-and-debate-on-iraq/sanctions
-against-iraq.html
https://cuba-embargo.procon.org
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-syrian-war-us-eu-sanctions-bas
har-al-assad-patrick-cockburn-a7350751.html