Position paper for Peru
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Agriculture development, food security and nutrition |
| Paper text: | |
| There is now an international crisis of nutritional availability and food affordability. Nearly 40% of the world's population is unable to afford a healthy diet, including one in five Peruvians. The UN has long been at the forefront of the fight to feed the world, establishing the Food and Agricultural Organization in 1945, founding the World Food Program in 1963, hosting the World Food Conferences, creating the International Fund for Agricultural Development in 1976, and the Millennium and Sustainable development goals. And yet hunger and poor nutrition persist, thus something must change: Agricultural subsidies must no longer be lavished on the producers of unhealthy, over consumed crops like Corn, Wheat, and Rice. Protectionism and Mercantilism should no longer dominate the global food trade, propping up inefficient, unproductive, and politically connected farmers at the expense of the world's poorest. As the great Peruvian economist, Hernando De Soto, has said legal reforms must ensure that small, politically unconnected, farmers are made secure in their property, providing them with the collateral to secure the necessary loans to expand their productive capacity, and protecting them from the whims of capricious elites and corrupt governments. To achieve this the UN should craft a basic agricultural legal reform package, and then provide assistance in implementing said reforms on request to nations seeking to improve their agricultural sectors, similarly to how technical aid was given during the development decade. Additionally, governments should cooperate with farmers, the private sector, and NGOs to create and spread improved agricultural technologies and practices, as Peru has successfully done with our National Institute for Agricultural Innovation. By cooperating to implement these measures, in all our nations, we can conquer the forces of poor nutrition and hunger, create a dynamic and vibrant global market for our farmers and their products, and vastly improve the health, nutrition, and livelihoods of the global poor. | |
| Committee: | GA Second |
| Topic: | Development cooperation with middle-income countries |
| Paper text: | |
| There is an international crisis of economic development and poverty reduction in middle
income countries (MICs). Nearly 26% of Peru's population lives below the national poverty
line of $5.12 per day, up from 20% before the pandemic. The UN has long been at the
forefront of global development efforts, establishing various programs and goals, including
the Sustainable Development Goals. And yet poverty and economic instability persist, thus
something must change: Development cooperation must no longer focus solely on low-
income countries, neglecting the unique challenges faced by MICs. Economic policies should
no longer prioritize short-term gains at the expense of long-term development and poverty
reduction. In MICs, legal and economic reforms must ensure that the benefits of growth
reach all segments of society, providing opportunities for the poorest to secure better
livelihoods and contribute to economic expansion. While high income countries must further
open their economies to trade from the developing world. Additionally, governments should
cooperate with the private sector, international organizations, and NGOs to create and
implement innovative solutions for sustainable economic growth, especially in developing
fields like Eco-Tourism.
The UN must also combat the disproportionate impact of global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on MICs which has caused the global economy to be left trillions behind in projected GDP and driven up poverty rates around the globe. The UN should create a basic economic reform program, similar to the Washington Consensus, and then, similarly to the technical assistance it has supplied to developing countries in the past, assist in the implementation and tweaking of the reforms to best fit the nation's requesting assistance. Additionally the UN should host a convention on global trade to pressure high-income countries to agree to abolish trade barriers against middle and low income countries. By cooperating to implement these measures in all our nations, we can overcome the forces of economic instability and poverty, create dynamic and resilient economies in MICs, and vastly improve the livelihoods of millions. This approach will not only benefit MICs but contribute to global economic stability and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Rights of indigenous peoples |
| Paper text: | |
| Throughout history, the lives of indigenous populations have changed drastically due to the
conquest of new land by more powerful nations. The world finds itself at a crossroads in
which the rights of all individuals deserve to be protected, especially those of indigenous
peoples. The United Nations has taken steps to promote this cause, with two decades
dedicated to the "World's Indigenous Peoples" in 1994 and 2005, and by also creating the
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2000, an advisory body to ECOSOC. Of equal
importance, the UN has created the Trust Fund for the Second International Decade of the
World's Indigenous Peoples, and funded projects with the goal of improving the lives of
indigenous populations. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(UNDRIP), created in 2007, states that indigenous peoples are equal to all people, and that
they must be protected from discrimination and assimilation, supporting self-determination.
Major world issues such as climate change and a lack of access to healthcare continue to harm the lives of indigenous peoples, coupled with the extinction of indigenous languages. We strongly believe that countries need to recognize indigenous peoples' property rights to the land they live on so that they may continue to live their lives in the manner they see fit. We encourage cooperation between countries and their populations to work together to find acceptable solutions to incorporate modern healthcare into indigenous communities if they so choose, while ensuring that indigenous languages continue to thrive with more inclusion in everyday life. States should also implement programs on a federal level to declare indigenous languages as official, and include them in the areas they are spoken across all aspects of daily lives, as Colombia has done in the 1991 Constitution, with 80% of the population speaking their mother tongue. The creation of national plans that allow local and national governments to incorporate indigenous languages into education, social, and institutional programs are essential for the continuation of indigenous rights. | |
| Committee: | GA Third |
| Topic: | Literacy for life |
| Paper text: | |
| An increased investment in education plays an important role in economic growth and plays
a significant part in breaking the cycle of poverty. Literacy is the foundation for lifelong
learning, human rights, and sustainable development. The United Nations has made
considerable advancements in moving progress forward. Since 1987, literacy has been a key
issue for the UN, with 1990 being declared International Literacy Year, and a focus on the
right to education, social and economic advancement, eliminating illiteracy, and removing
gender-related differences for literacy in adults. Established in 2003, the United Nations
Literacy Decade: Education For All encouraged governments to develop national plans
aligned with the Dakar Framework for Action, by setting realistic goals, and reaffirming their
commitment to achieving global education for all. In current effect, Sustainable Development
Goal 4, established in 2012, focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education
and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
International communities have achieved considerable progress, however, there are still barriers that prevent our goals from being realized. To bridge these gaps, we support increased funding in public higher education to allow young people regardless of economic status, to receive a quality education in their home country. We urge the international community to enhance information literacy programs aligned with UN MIL Week Resolution No. 75/264 to match evolving definitions of literacy, which include new technologies, as access to the Internet and digital training tools is essential in our modern world. In addition, we must adapt literacy programs for diverse linguistic and cultural contexts, particularly for displaced people. We also urge the international community to support widespread initiatives funding and prioritizing girls' education, to bridge educational gaps through community engagement efforts. Promoting girls' education increases their involvement in the workforce, lowers poverty, and facilitates social advancement. We encourage global communities to collaborate and create inclusive policies to ensure access to quality education for all. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment |
| Paper text: | |
| Peru believes that current human rights frameworks can be applied to address
environmental issues and ensure the protection of environmental rights for all individuals
and communities, especially indigenous communities. By redoubling efforts to achieve
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health & Well-being, and SDG 11: Sustainable
Cities & Communities, the global community can continue to make positive progress toward
making a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment a human right. In addition to the
SDGs, Human rights frameworks, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), can be
used to address environmental issues by acknowledging that environmental degradation
directly impacts rights to life, health, water, food, and housing. In Peru, indigenous
communities hold deep ecological knowledge, making them vital stakeholders in
environmental protection. Peru emphasizes the need to safeguard the rights of indigenous
peoples, particularly their rights to land and self-determination, through the application of
frameworks like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Respecting these rights can prevent environmental damage and protect vulnerable
communities from displacement caused by unsustainable development projects.
Peru further recommends building on the successes of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the work of the Human Rights Council, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, and other similar forums by convening another conference to further address these issues and better coordinate the implementation of new goals. Furthermore, Peru has been a leader in the environmental space by capping its emissions, setting a carbon-neutral target date of 2050, and implementing measures to reduce the impact of climate change across ninety different industries, including key sectors like water, health, and agriculture. One issue that has arisen is the role that transnational corporations play, particularly in Latin America and Africa, contributing negatively to the human environment across national boundaries. Through its June 2021 National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), Peru has laid out a plan for responsible business conduct in Latin America. This partnership between the Peruvian government, the business community, international partners like the ILO, and the United Nations allows for clearer communication and the implementation of standards. This model serves as a template that can be replicated in other countries, and Peru will advocate a conference to establish a new international framework based on the aforementioned model. | |
| Committee: | GA Plenary |
| Topic: | Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel |
| Paper text: | |
| With an uptick of conflicts around the globe, such as Israel's invasion of Lebanon, the
Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing civil war in Sudan, there is a
heightened need to address the safety of United Nations (UN) and humanitarian personnel
in conflict and high-risk zones. This concern is not only about protecting the lives of
personnel on the ground but also ensuring that the missions of these organizations can be
carried out effectively. Peru believes in reaffirming the groundwork that has already been
laid through resolutions such as UN General Assembly Resolution 78/118: Safety and
Security of Humanitarian Personnel and Protection of United Nations Personnel, as well as
UN Security Council Resolution 1502 on the protection of UN personnel, associated
personnel, and humanitarian workers in conflict zones. These resolutions provide a strong
foundation to build upon at this conference.
The Republic of Peru is no stranger to humanitarian emergencies. Its geography and climate leads to frequent flooding, landslides, and droughts. Peru also hosts the largest number of Venezuelan asylum-seekers globally, placing a significant strain on domestic resources. These types of humanitarian emergencies are seen not just in Peru but in Member States across the Global South. The United Nations could better support humanitarian workers through increased training and capacity-building by creating a network of trusted local partners, including NGOs and local law enforcement. Partnering with local law enforcement would ensure that emergency response teams (ERTs) are trained in local customs and language, improving communication and building trust between humanitarian personnel and affected communities. Ultimately Peru believes that in high-risk conflict zones where UN Security Forces and EMTs are insufficient such as in the invasion of Lebanon and ongoing conflicts like the war in Ukraine that it is on the United Nations Security Council and Member States to find a diplomatic solution. A secondary issue affecting safety and security is misinformation in humanitarian relief efforts. Peru recommends that Member States commit to additional funding for digital literacy initiatives to help the public identify and counter false information, especially in rural and vulnerable areas. Additionally, Peru encourages experts, NGOs, and UN agencies to collaborate with major social media platforms to monitor, flag, and remove harmful disinformation related to humanitarian efforts. | |
| Committee: | ECOSOC |
| Topic: | Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality |
| Paper text: | |
| In a world facing worsening environmental degradation, economic instability and power
imbalances Peru believes in investing and ensuring inclusiveness and quality as these
are essential for sustainable development. By amplifying the voices of marginalized
communities we can ensure that they receive equitable access to resources and
opportunities.
Peru acknowledges that climate change affects all of us, recognising that its impacts are felt most by vulnerable populations. Peru understands that in order to promote equality we have to invest in incentives that address the climate crisis. In 2023 Peru announced that they were investing 1.06 billion in climate initiatives. While this is a step in the right direction we need to see worldwide commitment to addressing the climate crisis. It is crucial for the United Nations to ensure that the voices most affected by climate change are included in the decision making process. To do this the UN should establish official forms and platforms for marginalized communities to contribute to the decisions that affect them. Peru believes that safeguards are important when member states are providing assistance to empower people so that they avoid the replication of colonial conditions. They can do this through facilitating the transfer of technology to communities that allows for local implementation by those who live there. Rather than focusing on one or two initiatives the focus should be on long term sustainable development where it is needed. This approach will provide consistent funding and resources to communities rather than just one initiative. Peru would encourage ECOSOC to favor strengthening local participation. To actively involve local communities in the decision making process rather than make decisions on their behalf. Peru supports the establishment of official forums for marginalized communities to share their voices. By doing this the United Nations can ensure that the voices that are most affected are the most heard and supported. By getting all UN countries to include the most affected voices we can together complete the 2030 sustainable goals. | |
| Committee: | ECOSOC |
| Topic: | Science, technology and innovation for development |
| Paper text: | |
| Peru has especially more skin in the game in regards to science, technology, and
innovation for development as the country falls into the lower half of countries in their
ability to further these programs. Countries within the UN should join Peru in
collaborating with already existing local and international bodies to help all countries
effectively push for funding to assist in financing the needs of sustainable development.
The UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report indicated that investment in research
and development in other UN allied countries is quite meager. By following this same
model other countries can effectively join Peru in helping to put up safeguards to
prevent the misuse of scientific research and effectively ensure that there is a fair and
equitable access to research and scientific advancement. Safeguards such as
international and local guidelines will help with the misuse of said information as our
knowledge begins to grow on an international level.
Peru acknowledges a comparative lack of skilled human resources with technical education and in turn, the expert patterns reflect a strong emphasis on raw materials. There is no doubt that UNCTAD's review of Stronger Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policies will be of major assistance to all countries. Other countries' support of the development of STI policies that could help overcome some of the current challenges will in turn lead to improved productivity and diversification, higher income levels, and widespread benefits for the population. Peru suggests that member states need to invest in things such as Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) to set up compulsory licenses as well as help facilitate the transfer of technology to countries that need it. Peru is insistent on making research and development a goal however the overbearing use of intellectual property rights makes that increasingly difficult. Countries within the UN should join Peru in adding an emphasis on the prioritization of research for diseases that prevail. | |
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