Rome Model United Nations 2013

Lecture on The Position Papers

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A PP is an essay detailing your countrys policies on the topic being discussed in your committee

The Rome Model United Nations Conference requires that each delegation will send PP by March 1st, 2013 to position_paper@romemun.org

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU HAVE TO PREPARE ONE POSITION PAPER PER COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF TWO PARAGRAPHS: THE 1ST ONE ON TOPIC A AND THE 2ND ONE ON TOPIC B

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It is the first document written by each delegation, your presentation card It helps you organize your ideas and share them with the rest of the committee It can be used to prepare your speeches It synthesizes the political position of the assigned Country on agenda topics

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Which is the focus of each of the topic? Why are these issues important internationally? And for your County? If this issue has been addressed previously by the committee, why does it remain unresolved? What are the most important resolutions on each topic? Is your Country a signatory? What actions have various international bodies taken in the past regarding these issues? What actions are being taken, or what committees exist to address them? What should be done from the perspective of your state to solve the issue?

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Read the Committee Background Guide and use the extensive bibliography published for each topic Start individual research on agenda topics as well as on your countrys position Collect and save all important documents in a folder: official documents, statements, Resolutions, Declarations, Speechees of Head of State, Ministries, Ambassadors, etc.; Share your ideas with your colleague Synthesize your countrys policies on topic A and topic B

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INTRODUCTION PROBLEM ANALYSIS SOLUTIONS AND PROPOSALS

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Historical excursus (in brief)

Focus on topic

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Political relevance of the topic Actions taken in the past by your country or by UN agencies and committees Statements of political representatives of your country (Head of State, Ministries) Reference to previous agreements to implement or to modify

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Possible solutions Strategies, proposals and actions to be taken Proposing at least one resolution, recommendation or declaration of principles Cooperation with regional or international organizations

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Brief introduction of country and history concerning the topic and committee How the issue affects your country; Countrys policies and justifications Quotes from your countrys leaders about the issue; Statistics Actions taken by your government Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified UN actions that your country supported or opposed What your country believes should be done to address the issue What your country would like to accomplish in the committees resolution How the positions of other countries affect your countrys position

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Length must not exceed two single-spaced pages Font must be Times New Roman size 10 pt or 12 pt Your country name clearly labeled on the first page Each agenda topic should be clearly labeled National symbols (headers, flags, etc.) are inappropriate PLEASE TITLE EACH E-MAIL/DOCUMENT WITH THE NAME OF THE COMMITTEE, AND ASSIGNED COUNTRY (Example: GA 1_NAMIBIA or SC_GABON)

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Delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina

POSITION PAPER EXAMPLE

Rome Model United Nations 2012

2/19/2013

Position Paper for General Assembly Plenary The Topics before the General Assembly Plenary are: Eradicating Rural Poverty in Developing Countries Through Community-Driven Development, The World Food Security and The Concept of Sustainability Beyond the Classical Definition. Cultures-Cities-Means of Communication. I. Eradicating Rural Poverty in Developing Countries Through Community Driven Development. 1992-1995 war in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) transformed it in a poor country. The economy has never turned to the pre-war level: the country is now one of the poorest in Europe, about 19.5% of the population is under poverty line and a further 30% is at risk. Rural people, during the war, fled from rural area to urban area, but at the end of the conflict they came back to their countryside and at present about half of the population lives in rural area: according to statistics [source: IFAD], 19.9% of rural population is poor. The lack of arable land (just 20% of the whole land area) and the shortage of basic services as safe drinking water cause an economic revival slowdown and they could lead to another exodus to cities, as well as the lack of adequate infrastructures. Our government has been active in fighting rural poverty since 2001, when parliament approved the first countrywide economic strategy. The final paper was adopted in February 2004, with the intention to reduce poverty levels by 20% by 2007 and to work towards accelerating integration into the EU. With this PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) Bosnia Herzegovina scheduled specific goals for the agricultural sector supporting development and creating more job opportunities in rural areas, in particular in the farming sector trying. The final goal was to reduce international aids and create the condition for an independent economic development. In fact, after the Dayton Agreement (that ratified BiH independence), United Nation and other organizations started aids for people in after-war areas. IFAD recognized the uniqueness of the situation in Bosnia and the complexity of rural poor peoples needs. Its assistance to our country has focused on supporting smallholder livestock production, which is the mainstay of the rural economy. The first project, started in 1996, was called Farm Reconstruction Project - Re-stocking Activities and the second, a year later, supported Small Farm Reconstruction: these first two interventions were just a response to the need for emergency assistance. The other three projects are Livestock and Rural Finance Development Project (started in 2001 and completed), Rural Enterprise Enhancement Project (2006-in progress), Rural Livelihoods Development Project (2008-in progress). These interventions are aligned with IFAD strategy in BiH, which is to provide long-term support for rural enterprises and help boost agricultural productivity especially in this moment of transition between the war and the Union access. International Development Association (IDA World Bank institution) in partnership with entity governments and local communities financed two different CDPs (Community Development Projects) in 2001 and 2002. The first one provides a funding for 481 subprojects that supports the poorest municipalities in the country with the construction of water sewerage system, local roads, schools and other infrastructures. Local mayors, as the key value-added of the project, point to the transparency in financial decisions and citizen participation. The project was successful, more than 1,5 million of people were reached and helped. After that IDA decided to give to the local government an additional financing in 2007 extending the project up to 2009. The second CDP, launched in 2002, has a similar aim and it also received another financing in 2007: at the end, 400 sub projects (250 in the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina and 150 in Republika Sprska) were activated. One last project was supported by IDA in the field of Community Driven Development: the Bosnia and Herzegovina Local Initiatives Project, which ended in 2005, operating in a post-conflict situation, created almost 200.000 jobs through the provision of microcredit services. Within five years, the micro-credit organizations contracted under the project were able to quadruple their active clients to about 100.000, reduce their interest rate by half, and reduce their portfolio at risk to 1 percent. The Government of Bosnia Herzegovina shares World Banks strategy, and appreciates its pivotal role in providing the country with necessary financing and technical assistance. The positive impact of the Banks involvement in post conflict society like Bosnia and Herzegovina is noticeable in all areas and sectors. Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a good case where cocoordinated donor assistance, together with building local capacities of the post conflict society, could improve situation economically (as the success of bank privatization) and politically. Very important for communities are, in the end, the interventions of local project, as Mozaik: ideated in 2000 by Zoran Pulijic, these are a group of project to support local communities ()

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INTERNAL COHERENCE

EXTERNAL COHERENCE

Logical evolvment of the paper from the problem to the solutions

In line with the real policy of the represented Country

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The RomeMUN staff

Your committee colleagues

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1. Keep it simple 2. Make it official 3. Get organized 4. Highlight your proposal, facts and statistics 5. Read and reread 6. Practice! Practice!

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Overall quality of writing, proper style, grammar, etc. Citation of relevant resolutions/documents General Consistency with bloc/geopolitical constraints Consistency with the constraints of the United Nations Analysis of issue, rather than reiteration of the Committee Background Guide Received by March 1st (.doc or .pdf) All position papers are due by the 1st of March by email to position_paper@romemun.org, any late papers will not be considered for an award.

PP often identify which delegates are best prepared for the Conference and are most likely to take a strong leadership role in committee sessions

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