Position paper for Democratic Republic of the Congo
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures |
| Paper text: | |
| The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) stands in support of international initiatives aimed at promoting disarmament and stopping the spread of weapons, particularly in areas like ours that are prone to war. Armed conflict has weakened peace attempts and prolonged bloodshed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for decades. The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons drives it. To improve weapons control measures, especially through the implementation of the Weapons Trade Treaty (ATT), international collaboration is crucial. We can lessen the flow of illicit weapons into conflict areas by implementing stronger laws governing the global arms trade, with an emphasis on the responsibility of arms suppliers and manufacturers. Additionally, DR Congo demands more international collaboration in disarmament initiatives, especially in the form of technical aid and capacity-building for underdeveloped countries. Many governments in crisis areas lack the infrastructure and resources necessary to track weapons, defend their borders, and stop illegal arms trafficking. These countries must receive ongoing financial and technical assistance from the UN and its Member States to improve their weapons control policies. DR Congo supports stricter international oversight procedures and penalties for nations or individuals that break arms control agreements or aid in the illicit arms trade. DR Congo additionally stresses the necessity of focusing on the financial networks that support illicit arms trafficking and give non-state armed groups additional influence. Dismantling the political and economic systems that support the spread of weapons is part of an extensive plan for disarmament. To lower the likelihood of war recurrence, we also urge attention to be paid to post-conflict disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) initiatives that assist ex- combatants in reintegrating into society. DR Congo is dedicated to international efforts for disarmament and international security since it is a country severely impacted by the destabilizing impacts of illicit weapons. | |
| Committee: | GA First |
| Topic: | Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction |
| Paper text: | |
| The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is dedicated to the global objective of a world free of chemical weapons and fully supports the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). DR Congo, a country that has seen prolonged conflict and instability, is aware of the catastrophic potential of WMDs and strongly opposes the creation, acquisition, or application of chemical weapons. Concerning their indiscriminate, lethal, and long-lasting consequences, chemical weapons represent a special threat to mankind. According to DR Congo, the continuous use of these weapons breaches basic humanitarian norms and endangers global peace and security. We implore the international community to step up efforts to implement the CWC fully and to hold violators of this important agreement responsible. To guarantee the elimination of current chemical weapon stocks, DR Congo promotes close collaboration with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Since developing countries frequently lack the means to safeguard borders and stop the trafficking of chemical weapons, we call on the OPCW and the UN to collaborate in 3 order to offer them financial and technical assistance. To do this, monitoring mechanisms and regular inspections are essential since they guarantee a Member State's compliance and confidence. DR Congo highlights the significance of international cooperation on intelligence-sharing and border control to reduce the possibility that chemical weapons may end up in the hands of non- state actors. In conflict areas where non-state actors can try to take advantage of weapons trafficking, such safeguards might be vital. Additionally, demand that international response capabilities be strengthened, including the availability of medical professionals with the necessary training to react rapidly to chemical accidents. Lastly, DR Congo supports educational initiatives to raise awareness of the dangers of chemical weapons in conflict-affected areas. Increasing awareness among the local populace can help disarmament objectives and improve preventative measures. DR Congo is prepared to collaborate with the international community to eradicate chemical weapons and create a safer world as a dedicated member of the CWC. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Agriculture development, food security and nutrition |
| Paper text: | |
| Agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring global economic stability and sustainable development, particularly for regions reliant on rural economies. Despite efforts to reduce hunger, food insecurity remains a challenge, driven by conflict, economic shocks, climate change, and disruptions in agrifood systems. Rising costs have placed nutritious food out of reach for billions of people, further exacerbating malnutrition rates. Smallholder farmers, who produce most of the food in many regions, remain vulnerable due to limited access to markets, infrastructure, and financial services. The international community has made efforts to address these issues. The World Food Summit and the Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition established goals. Additionally, organizations such as FAO, IFAD, and WFP provide technical assistance and support food security and agriculture. However, progress is uneven, and renewed global cooperation is essential to meet SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030. Climate change is a threat to agriculture, with extreme weather events disrupting harvests and threatening food supplies. To address these challenges, countries must adopt climate-smart agricultural practices that build resilience and sustainability in food systems. Investment in infrastructure such as storage facilities, irrigation systems, and transportation networks is also critical to reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing market access. Promoting regional partnerships and public-private collaboration will facilitate knowledge exchange and improve agricultural outcomes. Targeted programs to empower smallholder farmers and rural women are necessary to ensure equitable access to resources, particularly in developing regions. Strengthening food distribution networks will improve the availability and affordability of nutritious foods, reducing malnutrition rates and building long-term resilience. Achieving food security and sustainable agriculture requires coordinated global action. The international community must increase financial support, adopt inclusive policies, and ensure that no region is left behind in the effort to end hunger and malnutrition for future generations. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Development cooperation with middle-income countries |
| Paper text: | |
| Middle-income countries (MICs) play a role in global economic stability, contributing a significant share to global GDP and having a large proportion of the world's poor. These countries often experience rapid economic growth but remain vulnerable to debt burdens, economic shocks, and environmental challenges. Although development cooperation frameworks have prioritized low-income countries, it is essential to ensure that MICs receive support for sustainable development and avoid the middle-income trap. The UN has emphasized the importance of support through various frameworks, including the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (1978) and the Rabat Declaration (2024). These frameworks encourage South-South cooperation, helping countries share knowledge and technical expertise. The Development in Transition (DiT) approach underscores the importance of continuous support for countries as they move through different stages of development, ensuring that growth is sustainable and inclusive. Debt relief and access to sustainable financing are critical for maintaining economic progress. Initiatives such as the SDG Stimulus Framework aim to unlock long-term investments in infrastructure, education, and health, addressing both immediate recovery needs and long- term goals. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed economic vulnerabilities, highlighting the need for global partnerships and contingency financing to strengthen resilience against future shocks. Additionally, it must enhance economic diversification to reduce dependence on a limited range of industries, such as extractive resources, which are vulnerable to price fluctuations. Promoting regional trade and private sector development can unlock new growth opportunities. Collaboration with international financial institutions and UN bodies is crucial to ensuring that MICs have the tools to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The international community must remain committed to supporting through tailored assistance, debt restructuring programs, and investments in sustainable infrastructure, ensuring that no country is left behind in the pursuit of shared prosperity. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Rights of indigenous peoples |
| Paper text: | |
| The understanding of the rights of Indigenous peoples reflects its unique social, political, and ecological context, which the presence of Indigenous groups has shaped. Despite their deep- rooted cultural and historical ties to the land, indigenous peoples have faced serious marginalization, lack of recognition, and systematic discrimination. Local and international organizations have been crucial in advocating for indigenous rights, in addition, Indigenous leaders themselves have been vocal in the fight for recognition, advocating for inclusion in political processes and international forums on human rights, conservation, and climate change. Governments can encourage language revitalization and support resilience for Indigenous peoples through key actions such as legally recognizing Indigenous languages, officially recognizing them in national policies and educational systems ensuring their protection and promotion. Indigenous peoples continue to face significant discrimination, exclusion, and marginalization, including in their access to health services, education, employment, and political participation. Another key action is the Support for Indigenous Media and Technology; by promoting this, community platforms share knowledge, stories, and news in their native languages. To ensure the rights of Indigenous women and youth, mechanisms must be put in place that respect both cultural frameworks and broader human rights standards, such as legal protections, education and awareness programs, and health and social services access. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development explicitly includes Indigenous peoples, recognizing them as key stakeholders, the agenda focuses on the goals of ending poverty and hunger (SDG 1& 2), Promoting education and healthcare (SDG 4 & 3), Protecting the land environment (SDG 15 & 13). The UN will then ensure the participation of the indigenous peoples in decision making processes, and their vital role in sustainable environmental management. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Literacy for life |
| Paper text: | |
| Education is central to the development process and ensures the peoples potential. Basic education and literacy, play an important role in the accessibility of quality education. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) like other developing countries struggle to achieve full literacy. Literacy development is an essential avenue towards enhancing social and economic development. Education is highlighted in several of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals; however, the most specific goal relates to education. Literacy fosters objectives like gender equality and women empowerment, and eradication of poverty. Adult literacy, especially in cultures that are not well represented, aids in adult learning for employment, finances, and other related aspects of life. The future needs to be made accessible through joint efforts by governments, nongovernmental organizations, and international agencies. Thus, governmental and non-governmental organizations must provide targeted minorities, including women, refugees, and Indigenous people, equal opportunities in education to eliminate similar gaps. This can be done through such provision of flexible learning, community-based education, and provision of educational technologies to hard-to-reach areas. Mobile libraries, radio learning, and e-learning teaching initiatives share the possibilities for extra-school literacy extension. The DRC advocates for endeavors that seek to address the issues of illiteracy by encouraging education provision in two languages, the provision of literacy campaigns in national languages, and the improvement of the trainer trainee programs. Education provides basic and digital literacy skills to young people so that they prepare for a future economy that will depend on knowledge. Education is not a mere ability to read or write it is the ability to harness a tool for social injection, economic appurtenance, and development. Safe Literacy for Life will make sure that people and society can cope with present day global societies. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment |
| Paper text: | |
| The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is situated with one of the world's largest biodiversity and is home to the world's second largest rainforest, the Congo basin. For a country that is rich in many different natural resources, it is significantly impacted by environmental degradation and constant internal and external conflicts. This makes the DRC a vulnerable nation to climate escalation and would greatly benefit from international efforts to combat these environmental issues. For the citizens of the DRC to achieve the right to live in a clean and sustainable environment, there must be strategies that must be implemented so that real significant change cannot be prolonged. These issues are not exclusive to the DRC. These issues can be seen in many other African countries across different regions and the global south. The countries that are most affected by climate change are the countries that lack many basic environmental needs. The countries that are most responsible for creating pollution hotspots and negatively impacting biodiversity have much better environmental living standards. While there have been many efforts in combating worsening climate impacts such as the Paris Agreement, there has not been much significant accountability made on many countries and major corporations for them to take effective action. The impacts of climate change are increasing at alarming rates and this generation is experiencing the negative consequences, so the world has limited time until it's too late for effective action plans to be taken. There needs to be sanctions put in place on countries that are not actively engaging in the reduction of mitigation. It is extremely unfair that millions of vulnerable people experience the consequences of climate change firsthand while countries and major corporations that are contributors to the negative impacts are in hyper wealth accumulation. There cannot be discussions and agreements without effective accountability being maintained by every member state. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel |
| Paper text: | |
| United Nations personnel must be guaranteed safety and security when they are on humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. United Nations personnel put their lives at risk to provide aid to millions of people around the world who are at constant risk of human rights violations, persecution, and deadly conflicts. To maintain these vital missions, there must be significant and immediate action plans implemented so that these United Nations personnel can continue their efforts. Humanitarian workers have become vulnerable to political disinformation that has rapidly spread. This caused the workers to be targeted by governments and armed groups, putting their lives at great risk. The attacks on humanitarian workers have increased in recent years due to them being at the frontlines of aiding individuals experiencing major violence and health risks. Due to these factors, humanitarian workers need to be given more than enough resources to effectively maintain and achieve their missions. If humanitarian workers do not receive immediate action and urgent responses, humanitarian personnel safety and security will significantly continue to deteriorate which will cause a major ripple effect. International law will be much harder to uphold, and human rights violations will grow at alarming rates. There must be significant funding given to human rights workers and every Member State must fully agree to provide guaranteed safety and security to humanitarian personnel of the United Nations. Humanitarian work also needs to be depoliticized because this is one of the reasons workers are susceptible to being easily targeted and causes mistrust which causes a great obstacle in providing emergency relief to vulnerable populations. | |
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