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UN Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC)

1. Assuring and Fostering Reconstruction and

Sustainable Development in Post-Conflict Areas

Change the World Model United Nations

NYC 2019

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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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