Committee:
I.
Committee: UNDP
Topic: Response and Recovery to Natural Disasters
Position Papers are due January 9th to qualify for a research award
All Position Papers due by January 13th at 11:59pm
Position Papers are due to the committee email
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Background of Topic
Natural Disasters have occurred since the beginning of time, since the beginning of human
existence. There are multitudes of natural disasters throughout the world and when the occur they
have the power to change the land, climate, and the people. Natural disasters are responsible for
killing millions of people through the world in various places. In modern day, however, human
beings have learned ways in which to deal with these disasters in order to prevent the ruining of
their society and the destruction of their people. The United Nations saw natural disasters as in
issue of importance and decided to take steps into reducing the terrible effects of them on society.
Every place around the world is in danger of being inflicted with a natural disaster at any time. Some
places are more likely to be in danger of earthquakes, for example, while some might be more
inflicted by tsunamis. Children, men, women, families from all different races and countries are
directly inflicted by natural disasters. The UN has also gotten involved in order to alleviate the
damage inflicted by these various natural disasters.
Natural disasters are a problem to the world because of the amount of damage they inflict on our
society. Health, education, shelter, hygiene, and nutrition are all factors of life that are threatened
by the doom of natural disasters. The millions of people that die from them pose population threats
to many places as well. The UN is involved because it feels that it has the power to make a
difference by aiding people who are affected by natural disasters and providing the money, tools,
and people needed in order to rebuild their society and recover from the disaster.
II.
United Nations Involvement
The United Nations first got involved in 1994 in the Human Development Program. The main part of
this program was the right to “human security” as well as “environmental security.” Both of these
ideas had a very human centered focus and were driven by the need to provide humanitarian
assistance and assistance from natural disasters.
The United Nations Developing Program is the committee that is most involved in the issue and aid
of and for national disasters. Many other humanitarian national government organizations are also
involved in helping people recover from the destruction of natural disasters.
There are many resolutions that have been passed in order to aid the issues involving natural
disasters. In the 1994 Human Development Program the idea of stabilizing human security came up
and then in 2001the Commission on Human Security was established that protected individual
humane rights versus military or economic sanctions. Moreover, the Hyogo Framework for Action
2005-2015 was also set up as a strategy for disaster risk reduction.
III.
Bloc Positions
Asian Bloc- Asian countries, such as Japan, have been heavily affected by the destruction of natural
disasters. They have acquired economic help from various countries to facilitate their recovery
period.
North American Bloc- North America has been affected by natural disasters but because of its strong
economic system it has been able to cope and manage in a fairly efficient manner.
European Bloc- The European Union has been the main aid to this bloc when faced with a natural
disaster
Latin American Bloc- Disasters such as flooding have hit this region and their weak economic system
asks for the aid of the United States when faced with economic problems from natural disasters.
African Bloc- This bloc has been affected by natural disasters and many first world countries as well
as the UN have aided them but they were never really fully supplied in order to recover efficiently
from a natural disaster.
IV.
Possible Solutions
Population growth, land shortages, poverty, and the constant changing of our environment leads to
more people living in areas that are fare more likely to come into contact with natural disasters. We
do not have the power to control or prevent the disaster from occurring but we can surely keep
ourselves more prepared for the disaster in order to limit the intensity of the destruction to the best
of our abilities. Tightening human security would allow the UN to focus primarily on the
vulnerabilities of human beings. This would reduce the consequences of the natural disasters for
human wellbeing. Furthermore, by having the UN focus more on reducing the effects on natural
disasters versus human caused disasters would allow for a much more effective way for people to
recover from destruction.
V.
Guiding Questions
1. Has your country ever been affected by a natural disaster? If so, how did this affect your
country?
2. Does your country support or provide any aid to people within your country to help them
recover from a natural disaster?
3. Does your country provide or support other areas outside of your country’s borders during
natural disasters?
4. Has any other country ever aid your country during a natural disaster?