"So long, UNDP..."
This year's conference has had to face a number of challenges that we have sought to overcome. This has pushed us to make of the hardest yet one of the best decisions we have so far taken. In the eve of the financial crisis, quite a number of delegations have cancelled their participation to BRIMUN as they were dependent on private funding from a set of sponsors. We regret that the participation of these delegations to BRIMUN has had an effect in the conference at large and has left us with a small number of delegates in two of our most precious committees. These are the UNDP and the NATO. It would be unfair and counter-productive to you if you were in an under-represented committee wherein a diverse set of nations are simply not present. This would not only jeopardize the debates but also prevent you from being in a larger and more interesting committee. For these reasons we have decided to transfer all members from the UNDP to the NATO as we are sure this will greatly optimize the conference as a whole.
In this sense, BRIMUN has given the chance to its UNDP delegates to represent a member state of NATO as this will surely result in a much more interesting and exciting conference for all.
With nothing else to add, we look forward to seeing you next week!
Best regards,
Elena Isac,
Director of Admissions
United Nations Development Programme
The UNDP Executive Board
One of the central mandates of the United Nations is the promotion of development and socio-economic progress. Improving the life-conditions of people everywhere and eradicating poverty are necessary steps in creating conditions for peace. With this respect, the UNDP is a developing organization that facilitates the achievement of such aims by contributing as the UN's largest provider of grants for human development; it therefore ensures the most effective use of UN and international aid resources. Recently, the overarching goals of the UNDP have been more concretely defined through the Millennium Development Goals.
The UNDP reports directly to the United Nations General Assembly and to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The UNDP's Executive Board consists of 36 state members with a given formulae for regional representation and are chosen on a rotating basis. The Board provides inter-governmental support and supervises the activities of the UNDP ensuring that the organization remains responsive to the evolving needs of programme countries.
The activities of the UNDP are encompassed by five different focus areas. These include poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, environment and energy, HIV/AIDS and democratic governance. This is particularly interesting to the democratic theme of the conference as the organization emphasises the need of nations to develop institutions and processes that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor. UNDP's efforts are focused in promoting participation, accountability and effectiveness at all levels. As the World Leaders at the 2005 World Summit stated "we acknowledge that good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels are essential for sustained economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger".
Resources:
- UNDP's Official Website: www.undp.org
- UNDP for Beginners (PDF): www.sas.undp.org/documents/UNDP_for_beginners.pdf
- UNDP News Focus: http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/
- UN Millenium Development Goals: http://www.undp.org/mdg/