Conference Preparation

Research Guidelines:
In order to have a comprehensive view of the problem, it is important that delegates research for relevant information through a variety of sources. It is recommended that delegates refer to: I. UN Document Index: This index for all UN documents comes in three different versions: UNDI (1950-1973), UNDEX (1970-1978), and UNDOC (1979-present). Depending on which of the three you are using, you will find a subject index, a country index, and an alphanumeric list of all documents published (this is useful because each committee has its own unique alphanumeric prefix and thus you can find all the documents put out by a committee during a certain year regardless of the specific topic). You can refer to http://unbisnet.un.org/ and http://documents.un.org/default.asp. II. UN Resolutions: This series is both valuable and very easy to use. The index is cumulative from 1946, which means that you need only check the most current index to find all the resolutions on your topic that the UN has ever passed. The resolution voting records are useful to see where your nation and other nations stood on the issues. III. Other UN Sources: The websites of the member states missions in the UN. IV. People: An often neglected source, people can aid you greatly in your research. Some people to keep in mind are: fellow delegates, faculty advisors, and your committees Chairs. Not only can these people help delegates find what they are looking for, but they may also recommend new sources that they had not considered. V. Any other relevant sources: Academic journals, websites, etc. that provide information that are not necessarily written from an UN perspective, but nevertheless provide important information for delegate's understanding of the topic.

Position Papers:
Once having completed the preliminary research, delegates are ready to write their position paper. Each position paper has three basic parts:

I.

The first part should be statement of the problem. In this section, you will outline with the perspective of your country what the main elements of the problem are and what you perceive to be the roots of those elements.

II. The second part of the position paper should include previous actions taken by your country with respect to your topic area. Has there been a particular strategy to tackle this challenge? Have they been successful? What stance has your nation taken in relation to this topic? III. The final part of the position paper should be a statement of your current position on the topic. What possible solution to your see for the problem at hand? What are some outcomes that your country would not agree with in any situation? What are some outcomes that you would push for vehemently? The position paper should be sufficiently clear for the reader to understand what stand you will take on the issue at the conference. Position Papers should roughly adhere to the following form, with the Country, the Committee, and the Topic included at the top. Please limit each topic area to one single spaced typed page. A sample position paper can be found on the next page.

Sample of a Position Paper

UNDP/Position Paper/ Russian Federation Committee: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Topic: Effective Advocacy, Monitoring and Partnerships for Sustainable Urbanization Country: Russian Federation Urbanization stands at the forefront of all development concerns nationally and globally. At present, half of the worlds population lives in urban cities with the other half becoming increasingly dependent upon cities for economic, social and political progress. In Russia, the urban population accounts for 75% of the total population. The economic downturn and the ever increasing threat of climate change highlights the urgency for all nations and respective governments to take up full responsibility to strive for better, smarter and more sustainable towns and cities, to fulfill their roles in guiding urban development. The challenge is to integrate economic, social, and environmental policies to make cities economically more competitive, socially more inclusive and gender responsive, and ecologically more sustainable, to create and develop holistic, inclusive and sustainable communities. With the Biennial Programme of Cooperation with UN- HABITAT, The Russian Federation, has in the past participated, and is still continuing her participation in numerous projects with regional and international cooperation, with local projects in different cities being recognized as best practices, cities namely Yaroslav, Bugulma, Grozny and Stavropol. Under the umbrella of effective advocacy, monitoring and partnerships, with respect to UN Habitat as a facilitator and the Medium Term Strategic and Institution Plan 2009-13 as a road map, the Russian Federation points to concrete strategic measures for urban poverty reduction and sustainable urbanization. Urban planning and infrastructures are the core foundations of every city. Urban planning and reinforces infrastructure good urban planning that reflects the true priorities of community groups facilitates efficient infrastructure provisions. The Russian Federation asks member states to take initiative to develop up-to-date urban plans and infrastructure, to steer growth into sustainable directions, by consultation of professional partner planners whose expertise is often disregarded and undermined even in developed cities currently due to interests of urban developers. When tackling a problem that concerns every nation, ever city, developed or developing, partnerships evermore crucial. The Russian Federation strongly supports and encourages the holding of forums for knowledge sharing, such as the World Urban Forum, which provides a platform for the sharing of expertise, knowledge, understanding and best practices or show-case solutions. Systematic exchange and transfer of knowledge is also integral; the Russian Federation encourages member states to contribute to knowledge management systems such as the UN Habitats Best Practices Database, which will supply the demand for best practice expertise for the whole international community. Locally, community based and public-private partnerships should also be in place to scale up interventions and leverage resources.
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Cities consume up to 75% of all energy and contribute to an equally substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The Russian Federation encourages UN Habitat, to cooperate with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in issues related to cities and climate change, in particular directing efforts to address the vulnerability of cities to climate change by providing technical assistance to cities on local action for the mitigation of urban based greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change, such as building affordable energy efficient homes and generating new green jobs which will in the process benefit the community socially as well.

Gender equality and womens rights and empowerment are pivotal components of sustainable urbanization. The country urges member states to recognize womens rights at household and community levels, their rights to actively participate in the political, economic, social and cultural life of a city. The Russian Federation suggests to increase gender equality programmes in the area of housing and urban development and to establish land access trusts as intermediary organizations between low income womens housing cooperatives and financial institutions for raising access to housing finance and acquisition of land and housing. Information Communication Technologies (ICT) should also be further adopted as a platform for socioeconomic development, for bridging the gap between rich and poor, for increasing employment opportunities as well as a means to bridge the digital divide. Such outcomes can be achieved with the provision of physical infrastructure computer and other devices, and human infrastructure skills, education and training. Last but not least, by prioritizing national urban planning strategies with the participation of all stakeholders, by promoting equal access for people living in slums to public services, including health, education, transport, energy, water and sanitation, and adequate shelter, slum populations can be reduced, lives of slum-dwellers can be improved, cities can be made more sustainable. By this, we are one more step closer to fulfilling the goal contained in United Nations Millennium Declaration of achieving a significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers by 2020.