Change the World

Model United Nations

NYC 2019

UN Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC)

1. Assuring and Fostering Reconstruction and

Sustainable Development in Post-Conflict Areas

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 Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….... 4
Statement of the Issue …………………………………………………………………………… 5
History of Conflict ………………………………………………………………………………. 6
- Causes of Conflict ……………………………………………………………………... 7
Relevant International Action …………………………………………………………………… 7
Possible Solutions ……………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Definition of Key-Terms ………………………………………………………………………. 10
Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………… 12

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Introduction

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was founded in 1945 as one of the six main
committees of the United Nations. They began with the goal of finding innovative and ingenious
ways of providing sustainable development to third world countries. Most importantly, ECOSOC
focuses on the three aspects of sustainable development which include the economic, social, and
environmental factors that surround global issues such as poverty. In particular, ECOSOC is
dedicated to the advancement of standards of living, employment, as well as socioeconomic
growth. By highlighting these three factors, ECOSOC promotes consensus on effective policies
and efforts that make elemental connections across all three.

There are 54 members of the Economic and Social Council, elected by the General Assembly for
overlapping three-year terms, based on geographical representations.

1. Fourteen seats for African States:

Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana,
Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

2. Eleven seats for Asian States:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Pakistan,
Republic of Korea, Viet Nam.

3. Six seats for Eastern European States:

Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia.

4. Ten seats for Latin American and Caribbean States:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama,
Peru, Trinidad and Tobago.

5. Thirteen seats for Western European and other States:

Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of
America.2

One of the many recent issues that ECOSOC has addressed involves Africa’s development. In
April of 2018, ECOSOC adopted a resolution to improve the development of Africa. This
resolution includes acknowledging causes for many of Africa’s obstacles. One key factor that
inhibits Africa’s development is the lack of safe and clean drinking water, which contributes to
diseases, especially in poverty-stricken areas. Another important consideration is the “impact of
the lack of sanitation on people’s health” and how this restrains efforts to reduce poverty. In
recognizing and identifying some of many pressing issues, ECOSOC makes significant decisions
in order to aid in the progression of Africa’s development. For example, ECOSOC encourages
African countries to allow their citizens to be at the center of governmental decisions such as

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investment in health, education, and social reinforcement. This allows for the opportunity to give
special consideration to universal access to social security. ECOSOC recognizes that social
stability can, therefore, provide the foundation to address issues such as poverty and obtain
desirable outcomes. Ultimately, ECOSOC actively makes efforts to address the underlying
constituents that present a great burden on Africa’s social and economic development.

Currently ECOSOC is focused on fostering reconstruction and sustainable development in post-

conflict areas. ECOSOC’s recent resolution is related to this because its focal point is providing
resolutions that aid in the development of countries whose previous conflicts damaged its social
and economic foundations. Once again, the objective is to identify the fundamental origins of
underdevelopment.

Statement of the Issue

One of the several issues this committee is addressing is the assuring and fostering
reconstruction and sustainable development in post conflict areas. This spans to nations that have
experienced violence, acts of terrorism that cause loss of life as well as forced displacement of
families, economic collapse, poverty, and lack of lifesaving resources.

Armed conflict and acts of terrorism

causes significant decrease of the
country’s Gross Domestic Product
Several studies have depicted this
through careful assessment and
calculation of the actual growth of the
country’s economy and comparing
these results with what is likely to
occur in the absence of conflict. The
results found that in over 23 African
countries, armed conflicts have caused
a severe loss of GDP averaging about
$18 billion USD per year. Many other
studies have had similar results. One
study found that GDP per capita of 14
countries declined on average of 3.3%
after experiencing civil war.
Sources: World Bank, 2007a and Heston, Summers
and Aten, 2006.

After the occurrence of a conflict, one of the many negative outcomes that greatly impact the
development of a country is the structural changes and decline in the economy. In order for a
country to recover after a conflict, it must have been in a stable pre-conflict developmental state;

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otherwise, it would lose its resources and money which would lead to an economic collapse. As
the economic status of a country diminishes after a conflict, informal activities that are beyond
the realm of government taxation and regulation begin to rise substantially. Such informal
activity include lower employment rate, which affects people’s livelihood and lead some people
to rely on other means, such as drug production, trade, smuggling, and theft, to sustain
themselves and their family. This decline in employment rate can have a severely negative
impact on a country through a variety of mechanism such as disrupted markets, lower levels of
public expenditure, and a reduction in essential supplies of imports for productive activities.
These outcomes can severely impact a countries development and in turn reduce the financial
status and rate at which a country recovers post a conflict.

History of Conflict

After World War I, the war that left many countries socially and economically devastated, the
League of Nations was created. Although it took several years and severe changes, the League
eventually became what we now know as the United Nations. Despite its creation, war and
conflict sill continued in the world justified by controversial issues ranging from poverty and
inequality to politics and oppression. Since World War I, there have been hundreds of wars
fought between different countries and many times within countries. The deaths of wars in only
the twentieth century has been at least 108 million people, and just as many injured and
displaced peoples.

For a brief period of time after each major war, reconstruction and aid were given to many
countries involved, even before the creation of ECOSOC. However, each time another conflict
arose it stalled in helping the displacement and damages due to war. Often times, such as around
the era of the Cold War, these new issues arose from tensions between the governments of
different countries and past situations pertaining to social situations. In the case of the Cold War,
which many hoped was a time for warring countries to work together in innovation and science,
powerful countries such as the United States and Russia were not able to cooperate and caused
other countries that worked alongside these two powerful nations to begin their own battles.

Moving on from the Cold War and its time period, many of the conflicts seen throughout history
and the present are not just major wars between large countries; “A number of countries have
experienced intercommunal violence, genocide, coups and high levels of organized crime. Many
factors, often specific to individual countries, are responsible for these conflicts” such as the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict or the Rohingya epidemic. These issues started because of underlying
problems between different groups of people. In these two conflicts their problems started off
with the displacement of their homes and feelings of oppression; however, that was combined
with other factors that led to the damages we see today.

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Causes of Conflict

The conflicts in each country, both small scale, and large-scale, were brought upon by pre-
existing conditions. One issue that is often a major component in conflicts is poverty. Although it
is not a factor that leads directly to war it can worsen a state when social inequality and weak
governance is a contribution. “With economic stagnation or decline, and worsening state
services, the social contract breaks down, and violence results. Hence high and rising levels of
poverty and a decline in state services would be expected to cause conflict.” Impoverishment
does not just entail having a low income for a family to sustain life, but it also means that a
country and its people are not able to stay educated or employed which leads to an inability to
progress as a state. Since 1989 half of the countries within the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) that experienced conflict were
impoverished, with most of the citizens in these countries ranked as poor; subsequently, their
levels of literacy, education enrollment, health standards and life expectancy were lower than
those of higher income countries. Ultimately, rising levels of poverty lead to worsening state and
social services which then resulted in conflict.

Relevant International Action

The UN has several agendas for sustainable development goals from the past several years they
explain different plans of actions members of the UN can take to assure in new ideas and
innovations to help conflicted countries.

Agenda 21:
This is known as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development which was developed by
more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992. The agenda is “a
comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the
United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts
on the environment.” To make sure that the goals of the agenda was being met the Commission
on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992. In 1997 a five year review
would be made at the Earth Summit progress based on the agenda.

Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda was created to unify nations so they would come together and take steps to
eradicate poverty as it is recognized to be a detriment in the development of many societies. The
agenda has five critical points of importance (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership),

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and several goals and actions that would be implemented over 15 years to bring about prosperity
in a national and global level.

Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for
Development:
This agenda, created in 2015, focused on the ability to finance reconstruction efforts discussed in
the 2030 Agenda. This agenda recognizes the underdevelopment and issues of post conflict
zones and developing countries. It refers to the possible ways of financing within each country
and how members of the UN are able to aid in the development.

A Conflict Sensitive Methodology is being tested and implemented in three pilot countries:
Liberia from Africa, Lebanon from West Asia, and Zimbabwe from Southern Africa.
Anticipated activities in the pilot countries:
1. Hold national intervention such as working group meetings with the national planners,
stakeholder consultations or other strategically targeted activities to brainstorm ways to
integrate sustainable development principles into national development strategies as part
of peacebuilding.
2. Conduct a training workshop focused at applying conflict-sensitive methodologies and
NSDS guidelines to develop National Sustainable Development Strategies.
3. Participate in a regional meeting to facilitate networking, demonstrate the national
experience and sensitize neighbouring and regional countries to further incorporate
sustainable development principles into their development planning.

Possible Solutions

Post-Conflict Objectives

Post-conflict strategies should focus on institutional changes and policies that promote
“reconciliation, reconstruction, and reduction in absolute poverty and income insecurity.” The
first step is reconciliation of “warring factions,” in which peace and an attempt to cooperate is
needed to set up a foundation for reconstruction to occur. Within these, four steps areas must be
addressed.

First, in conflict, internal conflicts cause harm to any party involved and while the conflict may
reach a climax or an end, the resentments and animosities felt before and during the conflict are
not likely to disappear overnight. Therefore, a Government should be prepared to address these
animosities by “[outlawing] discrimination and threats against any group and will use - and be
seen to use - the law enforcing agencies to implement the new laws.” This, along with
governmental reforms that [encourage/promote] participation and input by the residents of the

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country, should [encourage/promote] peace and balance between any afflicted parties and allow
for reconstruction and sustainability to occur.

Second, and [in consideration] of the previous area of concern, internal order and security, as
weakened and lost during conflict, need to be reestablished and reinforced. To do this, power in
Government roles must be reestablished, while these bodies also gain and protect the trust of the
afflicted parties in the conflict. Third, the population of a nation is undoubtedly affected by
conflict. “Highly qualified and skilled people,” particularly in positions of power are generally
targeted during these conflicts and become casualties. Many who survive, particularly younger
individuals, tend to emigrate or flee the country during and post-conflict for “higher living
standards and better working conditions in the world's most advanced economies.” Of those that
remain in the area and have survived the conflict, many come out with physical and mental
disabilities. Therefore, because of these afflicted populations and depleted number, “no post-
conflict country can… afford discrimination of any kid that prevents the most productive
employment of all those who are able to contribute to the reconstruction and development
process.”

The fourth and final area of focus in an attempt towards reconciliation is that “it is important to
rebuild, and where necessary, create new State institutions.” As mentioned in the previous goals,
because of a lack of members or functioning systems, new State institutions and reforms of
already implemented bodies need to be created that provide new institutional framework which
address any causes that arose before, during, or because of the conflict at hand, such as poverty,
social divisions, oppression, and war.

After the steps are taken to ensure reconciliation within the State, and at times during this time,
reconstruction can begin. The main areas of focus in reconstruction are providing State citizens
with the basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing, and medical services. One of the biggest causes
behind the lack of these resources is damage to buildings during conflicts, buildings that include
residential edifices, infrastructure and productive assets in agriculture, and hospitals and medical
centers. In order and in addition to addressing these issues, economic stability must be a priority
for post-conflict States. To ensure economic development and reduce poverty levels, the
countries should “adopt the goals that are consistent with the objective of
improving economic welfare in general.”3

The main project objectives are to:

● Increase the capacity to utilize sustainable development principles in policy-making in

countries emerging from conflict by creating guidelines for conflict-sensitive NSDS and
testing them in pilot/selected countries; and

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 ● Produce methodologies (scalable toolkit) that explain and illustrate ways to integrate
sustainable development principles into national development strategies as part of
peacebuilding processes.
● Create regional awareness, build capacity and facilitate networking regionally, with the
intention of sensitizing countries to incorporate sustainable development principles into
their own development planning.

Conclusion

To conclude the main goal of the Economic and Social Council in regards to post-conflict areas
is to foster economic, environmental, and social development. Each nation, whether they have
been impacted by war or natural disaster are urged to focus on the ailment of their countries and
follow previous agendas to find solutions that would aid in the reconstruction of the country
economically as well as socially and environmentally. Internationally, members of the UN are
urged to work within their committees and with each other to find long lasting solutions to these
issues as well as ways to implement these solutions. Furthermore, acknowledging and
eradicating the underlying issues that bring about conflict, such as poverty, is a fundamental part
of reconstruction.

Definition of Key-Terms

Human rights
The term refers to rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, place of
residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all
equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated,
interdependent and indivisible

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

An NGO is a non-profit, voluntary group of citizens, which is organized on a local, national or
international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a
variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to governments, and are
organized on specific issues, such as human rights, environment or health.

Economic development
The term refers to the process during which low-income national economies are transformed. It
describes a change in a country’s economy, involving qualitative as well as quantitative
improvements. The theory of economic development is of critical importance to developing
countries, and it is a vital issue since the 2nd World War.

Economic Growth

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 It is a common phenomenon that economic growth is confused with economic development.
Economic growth is an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services
measured in dollars. Indeed, economic growth is measured in terms of gross national product
(GNP) or gross domestic product (GDP).

Peace building
According to the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office: “Peacebuilding has covered a
multidimensional exercise and tasks ranging from the disarming of warring factions to the
rebuilding of political, economic, judicial and civil society institutions. [...] Peacebuilding
involves a range of measures targeted to reduce the risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict by
strengthening national capacities at all levels for conflict management, and to lay the foundations
for sustainable peace and development. Peacebuilding strategies must be coherent and tailored to
specific needs of the country concerned, based on national ownership, and should comprise a
carefully prioritized, sequenced, and therefore relatively narrow set of activities aimed at
achieving the above objectives.”

Post-conflict
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for Research
on Peace and Development (CRPD), conflicts can recur after a short period of peace or even
when conflict seems to have ended. Post-conflict countries' progress is based on a range of
‘peace-building milestones’. The most important peace-building milestones are: easing hostilities
and violence, signing of peace agreements, demobilization, disarmament and reintegration,
return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), establishing the foundations for a
functioning state, initiating reconciliation and societal integration and commencing economic
recovery.

Post-conflict recovery
According to the Centre for Research on Peace and Development (CRPD), post- conflict
recovery includes achieving a broad socio-economic well-being, including restoring citizen and
societal security, ensuring food security, restoring shelter, public health and educational systems,
as well as reconstructing the physical infrastructure, generating employment, opening markets,
re-establishing prudential systems for banking and financial institutions

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