Dear Delegates,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Montessori Model United Nations Conference.

The following pages intend to guide you in the research of the topics that will be debated at MMUN 2014 in
committee sessions. Please note this guide only provides the basis for your investigation. It is your
responsibility to find as much information necessary on the topics and how they relate to the country you
represent. Such information should help you write your Position Paper, where you need to cite the references in
the text and finally list all references in the Modern Language Association (MLA} format.

The more information and understanding you acquire on the two topics, the more you will be able to influence
the Resolution writing process through debates [formal and informal caucuses], and the MMUN experience as a
whole. Please feel free to contact us if and when you face challenges in your research or formatting your
Position Papers.
We encourage you to learn all you can about your topics first and then study your country with regard to the
two selected topics. Please remember that both committee members need to be well versed and ready to debate
both topics.

Enjoy researching and writing your Position Papers.

We look forward to seeing you at the Conference!

MMUN Secretariat Team

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UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

Since 1966 UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can
withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for
everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective
and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of
cutting poverty in half by 2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach
these Goals.

Source: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/about_us/

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Extreme Hunger

Topic Background

Approximately 1.3 billion people in developing countries live on less than $1.25 a day or less.1 However,
between the years of 1990 and 2008, efforts to reduce this number have been highly successful and the amount
of people living in poverty has decreased by nearly half, “from 48 to 26 percent.”1 According to United Nations
reports, food prices have begun to rise and has again caused an increase in global poverty.

Extreme hunger and poverty not only affects one’s physical body, it affects one’s access to education, health,
and protection. It is important to note that poverty, food prices, and hunger is all connected. Poverty makes
someone hungry and hunger leads to a state of malnourishment. Million people worldwide live with
malnourishment because of the simple fact that they cannot pay for food or afford the supplies necessary to
raise their own livestock. The problem with poverty and malnourishment is the fact that it stops a developing
countries ability to focus on its economic development.

In developing countries like Ethiopia and Bangladesh, food shortages and diseases hinder the countries internal
development. Due to poor sanitation and the lack of humanitarian relief efforts from the international
community, these countries see a drastic rise in the amount of people starving and living in poverty. In
Bangladesh alone, 45% of the population is below the poverty line while 20% do not have the resources of the
finances to buy food.

Past International Actions

United Nations recognition of world hunger and poverty began when the Universal Declaration on the
Eradication of Hunger and Management was passed in 1974 at the annual World Food Conference. In it,
member states agreed that every man, woman and child has the “inalienable right to be free from hunger and
malnutrition in order to develop fully and maintain their physical and mental faculties.”1 The United Nations
has also passed numerous resolutions in regards to eradicating world hunger. Resolution 50/109 of the World
Summit in 1995 expressively mentions that everyone has the right to be free from hunger and malnutrition.1

More recently, in the year 2000, the United Nations created a set of eight goals that would improve the
international society by 2015 known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Due to the urgency of
malnutrition and poverty, the United Nations has made it its priority when addressing the MDGs. MDG 1 sets
out to try and reduce the amount of people suffering from hunger by 50%.
One NGO trying to help achieve MDG 1 is called The Hunger Project (THP), which helps men and women
overcome poverty by training them in the skills, methods, knowledge, and leadership needed to take self-reliant
actions so they can meet their own basic needs.1

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Several UN organizations have led the forefront in the fight against poverty and hunger.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) along with the World Food Program
(WFP) began to treat malnutrition by targeting children in developing countries. The WFP has implemented
over 70 food distribution centers worldwide and has been successful in providing food to those living in the
most insecure food regions.

Possible Solutions

One possible solution is addressing the availability of resources and funds to continue and strengthen
humanitarian relief programs. The international community must continue to aid those developing countries
with an increasing poverty rate with funds and food resources to foster development within the community. For
example, microfinance programs can be effective in reducing poverty in a developing country. Microfinance
campaigns are programs that provide small loans to individuals living in poverty to help them become
economically self-sufficient. Those receiving these loans can use the funds to purchase resources necessary to
farm their own food or even start a small business.

Another possible solution is the World Food Programme’s School Meal Program initiative. This program has
provided 42 countries worldwide with strategies on how to implement their own Home-Grown School Feeding
Programs, which are ran by individual governments in order to feed children. According to the WFP, it is more
difficult for children to learn without adequate food and nutrition and which 55 million primary school-age
children attending school hungry, education becomes a loss.1 However, with this solution, children are more
likely to attend school because food is secured there. School meals can also break the cycle of hunger, poverty
and child exploitation by providing food in the poorest of areas. The WFP, through this program, has been
successful in providing meals to an average of 22 million children in school with about half of those being girls,
in 70 countries.1

The international community must also work on empowering women. USAID participated in a program that
aimed to reduce malnutrition among more than 2 million of the poorest people in Bangladesh. The program was
called SHOUHARDO, “which means friendship in Bangla” and was used to address women empowerment.
After implementation in 2004, the results in 2010 were stunning.1 The rate of child stunting which is a
measurement of the shortfall in growth due to malnutrition plummeted by 28 percent. According toe USAID,
the empowerment of women played a key role in reducing stunting rates. As women become empowered in
their societies, they are able to negotiate with their husbands on decisions regarding livelihood and income
along with what kind of food to buy.1 Women are also key to improving health and hygiene practices in the
poorest of regions.

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Further Research

Guiding Questions
1. What types of problems does your country deal with regarding malnutrition and poverty?
2. What kind of organizations and programs has your country utilized or participated in regarding the
eradication of malnutrition?
3. How does gender roles contribute to poverty reduction?
4. Does your country actively support the eradication of malnutrition or is it suffering from it?
5. What can you offer to countries suffering from extreme hunger?

Research Sources
• United Nations Website on Hunger: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty.shtml
• World Food Programme: http://www.wfp.org
• Food and Agricultural Organization: http://www.fao.org/home/en/

©Montessori Model United Nations. All rights reserved.

Website: www.montessori-mun.org
Email: info@montessori-mun.org