UNDP Forum: Understanding Your Organization

Name: Karim Darwazeh Grade: 11
Organization: UNDP Forum: ECOSOC

SECTION 1: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ORGANIZATION

1. Current President(s)/ Leader(s): Helen Clark

2. Past 3 Presidents/ Leader: Kemal Dervis, Mark Brown, William Draper

3. Year it was established: 1966

4. Organization’s Main Aim/ Mission Statement?

UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. To accomplish the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and encourage global development, UNDP focuses on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, social development, and crisis prevention and recovery. UNDP also encourages the protection of human rights and the

What is your organization’s perspective on the following:

a. The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict:
The UNDP has not done much concerning the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as it is a part of ECOSOC, which concentrates on solving economical and social issues more than actual wars or conflict.

b. The EU economic Crisis:
The UNDP has intervened in the European economic crisis as this is what the organization focuses on. In 2012 it released a report that stated that the global economy will experience a slowdown as the European sovereign debt crisis continues to grow. Issues such as unemployment should be targeted immediately to help lessen the collateral damage.

c. The re-building of Iraq: as previously stated in the document above the UNDP operates on a $5 billion dollar budget and allocates specific lump sums of money for each target. In regards to rebuilding Iraq, the UNDP has helped and aided the whole operation a lot, by sending financial aid, food and water for the people and also medical supplies.

d. The disparities in wealth in the Middle East Region:

Disparities in wealth and power in the Middle East are growing and growing and getting larger everyday. The UNDP cannot do much, but help the ones in need and keep the situation more under control, instead of letting the situation get way out of control until its too late to fix

What are your organization’s top 5 agenda items/ goals it hopes to set, please state them and explain briefly why each is viewed as a priority as your organization?

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Almost 1.2 Billion people live in extreme poverty. About 25% of children under the age of 5 are stunned; which is having inadequate height for their age. It is unacceptable that 162 million young children are still suffering from chronic under nutrition.

2. Reduce Child Mortality: Preventable diseases are the main causes of under-five deaths. By curing these diseases such as diarrhea and decreasing the IMR, these children will one day grow up to be doctors and painters and football players.

3. Achieve Universal Primary Education: Despite impressive strides forward at the start of the decade, progress in reducing the number of children out of school has slackened considerably. An estimated 50 per cent of out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected areas. 781 million adults and 126 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 per cent of them are