Table of contents

Letter from the Secretary General 3

Letter from the Committee Director 4

Introduction to the Committee 5

Introduction to the topic 6

History of the Topic 7

Current situation 9

Past actions 16

Case Studies 17

Questions A Resolution Must Answer (QARMAs) 18

Position paper requirements 19

Bibliography 20

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Letter from the Secretary General

Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors,

It is of my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to Newton College Model United Nations
2022. My name is Arnav Sahoo, and I am truly grateful for having the opportunity to be the
acting secretary-general of this conference.

I started my MUN career in 2016, by pure accident. I had missed the bus at 3pm and had to
wait till 5pm for it to come back to the school. After wandering around the school for a
lengthy half an hour, a teacher found me and executed an improvised yet convincing pitch so
that I join the school’s MUN club. My naive 11 year old self just went with the flow, later to
realise that the next 6 years would be a wholly different story than what I had imagined.

At my first conference, I was an observer just to take things easy. As the name of the role
implies, I simply observed delegates in different committees. However, the amount of
knowledge I acquired as an observer is nothing compared to what I learned on my first
conference as a delegate. It is fair to say that my first conference as a delegate made me more
passionate about MUN: as nerdy as it sounds, the fact that I could get repeated opportunities
to meet people from different schools and discuss important issues would bring me joy.

MUN has also allowed me to live unforgettable moments. For instance, in 8th grade, I went
to a conference as a double delegate with my best friend and achieved my first Best Delegate
award. In Form III (the equivalent of 9th grade), we became part of the secretariat of the
then-Secretary General. Even today, we see him as a mentor and a friend.

I won’t talk about myself anymore as I could be on the brink of doxing myself. I cannot stress
this enough but this conference is for you, delegates and faculty advisors alike. All of our
organisers have invested their time and effort since November, sacrificing many hours off
their summer break to make this conference a great experience for all.

This may be the first conference for some delegates, and for others it could be the 100th.
However, I congratulate each and every delegate for taking this challenge and wish that you
learn about yourselves as delegates. Also, do not forget to socialise! You may even make
friends along the way. On behalf of all the organisers, we hope you have a great NewMUN
2022!

Yours in diplomacy,
Arnav Sahoo
Secretary-General of NewMUN 2022
2012240@newton.pe

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Letter from the Committee Director

Dear Delegates,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee of

NewMUN 2022! My name is Isabella Carranza and I am currently in Form VI. Although
school and MUN take most of my time, when I´m free I enjoy swimming, playing the violin,
watching romantic comedies and going out with my friends.

I joined MUN in 2018. My school was recruiting pagers for their conference and I wanted to
explore the club, so I volunteered. During those 2 days of passing notes, listening to speeches
and learning a lot, I came to the realisation that MUN was definitely for me. I started training,
going to conferences, and falling more in love with it every day. Now, three and a half years,
20 national conferences and a Harvard MUN later, I can say that I have grown in so many
ways.

MUN brought me so many academic benefits. I can think of and write different solutions
correctly, taking into consideration every consequence. I can write a speech in under a
minute, and deliver it with just a post-it note in hand, and without shaking, or sweating
infinitely. Delegates, I know sometimes this can be stressful. The reading, the investigating,
the preparation is intense, but the reward is so much bigger. I hope someday you’ll be in my
place, writing a letter to your own committee, remembering your first conferences as time
and energy consuming, but totally worth it.

Not only did I improve as a delegate, but also as a person. I’ve made spectacular friends, who
I still talk to regularly, great memories in and out of the committees, visited a new city and
achieved goals I thought were impossible before.

Now, regarding the debate itself, I am expecting reasonable and viable solutions, with a topic
as complex as this one. We ourselves live in a developing country that clearly shows medical
disparities, therefore, we are familiar with the causes and consequences of it. I hope we will
be able to debate and propose solutions in order to create a real change, while keeping an
open and realistic mind. It is important to remind you that there will be no tolerance for
discriminatory behaviour. I wish for a diplomatic and mindful debate, effective solutions and
hopefully a great time for all of us.

I hope you and your families are well.

Best Regards,
Isabella Carranza
Director of SOCHUM
2008179@newton.pe

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Introduction to the Committee

The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM), also known as the third
Committee of the General Assembly was founded in 1947 at the inception of the UNGA.

It focuses on the social affairs of the world. All 193 members of the UN are participants, and
therefore, SOCHUM can discuss and make recommendations on almost any issue within
their jurisdiction, since it represents the majority of the world.

This committee discusses the treatment and rights of the vulnerable, including but not limited
to the defence of children, the empowerment and improvement of opportunities for women,
the treatment and survival of indigenous people and the elimination of racism, all towards a
more equal society. The committee’s jurisdiction extends beyond these groups to populations
needing social assistance including children, elders, people with disabilities, and incarcerated
persons.

SOCHUM’s commitment to establishing human rights led to the establishment of the UN

Human Rights Council in 2006. As of 2014, this committee had over fifty outreach programs
that address specific geographic and cultural issues across the world. Considered one of the
most effective outreaches of this committee, the special rapporteurs include on-the-ground
assistance for developing areas, programs for technological advancement and infrastructure,
as well as the collection of independent, non-United Nations human rights inquiries.

The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee is a resolution-based committee.

Historically, it has produced many fundamental documents including the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights, created after WWII. This document has served as a reference
for further legal implementation worldwide. It serves as a tremendous example of the lasting
power this committee can have on wide-ranging vulnerable populations throughout the world.

Recently, this committee has affected change on the issue of female genital mutilation by
calling for its end, providing support programs for its victims and recommending
punishments for those inflicting it. It has also recommended the recognition of Palestine as an
observer to the UN, but without any voting privileges of the General Assembly.

During the 2014 session, SOCHUM discussed over 60 draft resolutions of which a majority
were on human rights issues. Of these resolutions, three discussed country-specific human
rights concerns. This committee is considering a multitude of draft resolutions. Those related
to women include the elimination of violence against women as well as the trafficking of
women and girls. With regards to the wellbeing of children, there are draft resolutions on
children’s rights, bullying and violence against children, migrant children, and child
marriage. SOCHUM also discusses topics related to criminal justice, such as the issue of
disappeared persons, executions, the death penalty, and minimum treatment rules for
prisoners. Topics related to crime prevention include a general discussion on future crime

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prevention and laws. Lastly, the committee has encouraged discussions on the treatment of
refugees, focusing on general human rights and human rights in a global world.

Introduction to the topic

In 2000, the United Nations set forth the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- eight
goals, committed to by all 191 United Nations member states at the time, as well as 22
international organisations, that aimed to solve humankind’s most persistent challenges. The
goals ranged from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. Three of
those goals were focused on healthcare: reducing child mortality, improving maternal health,
and stemming the spread of “HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases”. The goals were
ambitions, and despite significant progress, none of these three goals were fully met by 2015.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is defined as “ensuring that all people have access to
needed health services (including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, and
palliation) of sufficient quality to be effective while also ensuring that the use of these
services does not expose the user to financial hardship”. When the 17 sustainable
development goals were adopted in January 2016, achieving Universal Health Coverage
became an aim. It is now 2022 and this target is far from being achieved.

In theory, public healthcare services and centres are responsible for the health of all members
of society. Developed countries, on one hand, have effective and well organised systems that
are able to deliver quality services to its population. However, in developing countries, the
healthcare sector is highly underfunded, not well designed and disorganised, making it
ineffective and unable to deliver quality services. Deficiencies caused by this include a lack
of medical resources, shortages of trained personnel, and high ratios of patients to personnel
and beds. In Sahel, for instance, the funding issue is worsening, as governments are

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re-allocating funds for healthcare to public security. Other examples include most countries in
Sub-Saharan Africa. These countries, on top of having a deficient health system, already have
a burden of other infectious diseases like HIV/AID, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, creating a
greater medical deficiency.

Because of this, private practice is more common in developing countries. Although these
services tend to have higher quality, these are only provided to the people who can pay for
them, which isn’t everyone. As a result, some people in developing countries can't access
health care services due to high costs and do not get the medical attention they need,
worsening their medical condition. Others are forced into poverty because they have to pay a
large price for health care services. According to Lancet Global Health, “expenses are high
enough to push them into extreme poverty, forcing them to survive on just $1.90 or less a
day.” (World Bank Group).

History of the Topic

Attempts at correcting the remarkably unbalanced state of public health amongst the
developed and developing world have been implemented for decades. Though progress has
definitely been made, the results are not evenly spread out and at the dawn of the current
global pandemic, any progress made has been not only halted but largely deteriorated as a
result of the misallocation of resources, political instability, and poverty that resulted in many
nations’ response to the health crisis.

The Millenium Development Goals are a useful indicator and example of how progress on
one side of the balance does not yield an equally proportionate change on the other side.
Moreover, understanding the reasons behind its moderate success and the underlying factors
that limited their completion is a pivotal step towards averting past mistakes. Established in
2000, the MDGs were universal objectives that aimed to tackle widespread concerns to the
international community by 2015, like illiteracy, hunger, poverty, gender inequality and
environmental pollution. Additional objectives, and those of which we recommend delegates
to delve upon further during debate, are combating diseases like HIV and Malaria, reducing
child mortality and improving maternal health. (WHO)

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 Figure 1: Millenium Development Goals, “WERE THE MDGS SUCCESSFUL?.”, 2015,
http://untribune.com/were-the-mdgs-successful/

For instance, although the attempt at mitigating viral diseases showcased remarkable
progress, significant gaps underpinned by geographic and economic factors hindered its
success. On one hand, between 2000 and 2013, New HIV infections declined by 14% and
AIDS-related deaths had a 35% decline between 2005 and 2013 according to the MDG
Report (45). Nonetheless, not only did the number of deaths not decrease amongst
adolescents between the ages of 10-19, likely due to diminished access to “testing and
treatment for this age group” (45), but poor education in developing nations has catalyzed
unsafe sexual behaviour as illustrated in the graph below.

Figure 2: Graph obtained from MDG report, showcasing low knowledge of HIV and
prevention methods among young individuals (45)

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In addition, statistics illustrated an 18% and 23% disparity in knowledge in the poorest and
richest households and a 13% and 14% disparity in knowledge between those in rural and
urban areas for young women and men respectively (45).

Similarly, with over 17.7 million children having lost one or both parents due to AIDS-related
causes in 2013 (46), we can observe a mere glimpse of the externalities of being unable to
mitigate viral diseases. Because young children will now lack their parent’s economic
contribution to fulfill basic necessities, hunger and even more diseases will develop which
pave the way to more serious concerns. Poverty is exacerbated thus diminishing citizens’ life
expectancy, thereafter leading to a less economically productive population and henceforth
higher rates of unemployment, which eventually hinders the nation’s economic productivity
and traps itself in an even worse cycle of poverty.

Another concern is coverage, especially given that it significantly varies due to underlying
problems in data collection and discrimination. With a 61% of sub-Saharan African countries
lacking adequate data to monitor poverty trends and widespread poor civil registration
systems, large gaps in data might not only lead hundreds of people to remain invisible (11),
thereby hindering the accuracy of statistics reporting progress, but also undermines the actual
urgency of the problem which misleads governments’ policy-decisions. This affects the
solution’s coverage, leaving behind children, adolescents and high-risk groups “such as sex
workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men” (47).

The problem is that, even though the topic is closely related to the management of the health
sector, the state of public health in a nation relies on much more than medical resource
availability as it is interwoven in the country's sociopolitical, environmental, and economic
state. Thus, delegates are heavily encouraged to bring about holistic solutions that consider
the inherently multifaceted nature of addressing health disparities which hints at the many
factors that differentiate developing and developed nations. It is important to remember that
these solutions must stay within the committee scope, so cooperation between international
instruments and organs are imperative in the eventual resolution of the problem.

Current situation

Technological and economical

The social determinants of health (SDH) are non-medical factors that influence the health
outcome for an individual. These factors shape an individuals’ conditions and create medical
disparities. One of them is socioeconomic status.

As it has been established, people in developing and poorer countries currently have less
access to healthcare services than people in developed countries. On top of that, within
developing countries, people of lower socioeconomic status have even less access to these

9
services. This happens because the scarcity of public funding to healthcare makes every user,
including those who can’t afford it, pay. This creates a health barrier, as people who can’t
afford these services, either don’t receive the medical attention they need or are forced into
poverty. In fact, developing countries usually have a lower life expectancy (as shown in the
graph below from ‘Statista’) and/or have a poorer quality of life as a result of this. For
example, in 2021, Germany, a developed country, had a life expectancy of 81.57 years, while
in India, a developing country, it was 70.42 years.

In some developing countries, public funding goes to services more frequently used by the
higher socioeconomic classes, and not for the ones used by the lower classes. This inequitable
funding leads to the same consequences explained above. An example of this is Uganda.
Uganda’s health system has been criticised for being highly inequitable as it economically
benefits the wealthy, creates geographical barriers and discriminates. Because of these
economic restraints and limited access to healthcare, many Ugandans have to rely on
traditional and communal treatment methods.

Another factor that creates a health barrier is lack of transportation. Transport is an essential
component for accessible healthcare. It brings patients from their home to health facilities.
Nevertheless, in developing countries poor road infrastructure, scarcity of public transport
and deficient road networks make physical access to healthcare difficult (as shown in the map
below). Especially for people in rural areas. This does not only affect the access to healthcare,
but essentially, also the health outcome of people. Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have
a high maternal mortality, primarily because of the challenging physical access to maternal
facilities from rural areas.

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Moreover, very often, developing countries offer a resource low setting, where physicians do
not have the necessary technology to diagnose and treat patients. Without the necessary tools,
workers are forced to make assumptions based on symptoms. This is considered an imperfect
method that can affect the health outcome of the patient if not treated as it needs to.

Another problem is the insufficient quantity of functioning technological medical devices.

The World Health Organisation revealed that “70% of medical devices designed for use in the
developed world, don’t work when they reach the developing world” (Malkin). This creates a
barrier to the delivery of health services. Technology needed for hospitals coming from
developed countries (designed by developed countries or donated by developed countries)
does not work in developing countries because it does not take into consideration the
landscape in these countries. This includes: Lack of reliable power and water, poor
infrastructure, lack of trained staff, lack of spare parts for reparation and lack of components
needed for the technology to function (for example, consumables).

On the other hand, technology can be used to improve quality and accessibility to healthcare
services in developing countries. Developing countries offer a unique setting to healthcare
that helps induce innovation. For example, in Rwanda, patients call medical centres and
receive help from an operator with basic clinical training that has support from an IA decision
making system. The operator recommends basic treatments, and if it is an emergency, will
immediately direct the patient to a physical facility. Another example explained by an article
from The Financial Times is the diagnosis via a community health worker, who shares via an
electronic medium the symptoms and readings of the patient with a doctor. Then, IA or the
doctor can make the diagnosis and medication can be dispersed locally by the worker. In the
long term this creates an electronic record system, with real-time data and medical histories.

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Sociopolitical

A nation's political stability is a useful indicator to the prosperity of the healthcare system.
Amidst conflict, the government will be highly concerned with the way in which they
approach the dispute, and generally, depending on the range and stakeholders involved in the
conflict, military investments will greatly increase, thereby diminishing the funds available to
support a sustainable health system. Bombings and terrorist attacks to hospitals and schools,
destruction of water supply and sanitation facilities, and increased civil unrest might lead to
psychological and physical repercussions that the healthcare system might not be able to
properly cope with.

Israel and Palestine

Israel and Palestine are both located in the east of the Mediterranean sea. While Israel counts
with a majority Jewish population, Palestinians are mostly Arab and Muslim. It is important
to note that “Palestinians, the Arab population that hails from the land Israel controls, refer to
the territory as Palestine and want to establish a state by that name on all or part of the same
land” (Beauchamp). Both are currently involved in a deep-rooted territorial and ideological
dispute between two self-determination movements—Zionism and Palestinian
nationalism—that claim the same territory.

Resource management is regarded as a pivotal factor to the future of Israeli-Palestinian

relations as it plays a significant role in the establishment of mechanisms, and in the extent to
which the international community may consider Israeli’s actions against international
humanitarian law. This is because the state controls and limits travel, food, water, electricity,
gas, construction materials, and other necessities bringing great hardship for Palestinians.

After the Six-Day War, the Palestinian water system was integrated into the Israeli system
through military orders whilst Mekorot, the national water company of Israel, gained
significant administrative influence in the region, leading to Israeli control over water
resources and systems (Koek). The Oslo I Accord endorsed Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in
the management of water resources, whilst the Oslo II accord recognized Palestine’s right to
water. Nevertheless, many argue that they did not lead to greater Palestinian access to water
but “formalized an existing discriminatory arrangement” and that it “resulted in a lack of
water for Palestinians versus plentiful supply for those living in Israel and Israeli
settlements.” (Koek) This has sparked claims about an unequal and unfair water arrangement,
enhanced by institutional arrangements, and the design and structure of the West Bank’s
water supply network (Selby 127).

Cross-border trade arrangements that favored Israel and laws that appear to restrict
Palestinian infrastructural development are considered a way for the state to maintain control
over Palestine and further enhance its resource dependency. As of 2013, “more than half a
million Israeli settlers in the West Bank consume approximately six times more water than

12
the Palestinian population of 2.6 million.” (Koek) The graph below illustrates the latest
information about this problem.

Palestinians are forced to buy water from Mekorot at a higher price than what Israelis in
settlements pay, contributing to the circle of poverty Palestinians are now facing, one that has
reduced the quality of life and exacerbated the lack of sanitation facilities and food
production. As a result, Palestinians are exposed to cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A,
typhoid, and polio.

The water problem is but a mere glimpse of the widespread problems faced by civilians in
regards to health disparities. The Gaza Strip (one of the disputed territories), has had a
volatile relationship with the current pandemic. Initially, thanks to the mandatory quarantine
rapidly imposed on travellers and the restricted movement both to enter and exit Gaza
restricted due to the blockade, the spread of Covid was steady. It is important to highlight that
the blockade was imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas, a militant organization, took
control of Gaza, justifying that it was “needed to keep Hamas (...) from rearming” (AP News)
However, once cases started to rise in Refugee camps and catalyzed due to the high
population density in the region, the pandemic shed light to the instability and fragility of the
Healthcare services in Gaza. The blockade that initially assisted in halting the spread,
constrained Paletsinian efforts to deal with the pandemic as it restricted the entry of “essential
materials needed for the health sectors such as equipment and medications'' (Abuzerr, et al),
pushing about 1200 patients with severe diseases like cancer to leave the Gaza Strip for
treatment as of February 2019 (WHO). Of course, this poses a range of problems for the
family who might not only lack resources to leave, but it is a process that might take months,
risking the worsening of the condition and more expensive treatment.

On another hand, Israel has been applauded by many for its effective vaccination coverage,
which, though impressive, coats what many call institutionalized discrimination as the
aforementioned support is majorly tailored to Israeli citizens and “excludes the nearly 5
million Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip” (Press Release, Amnesty

13
International). A majority believes that the responsibility to distribute this vaccines lies on
Israel because the “Palestinian Authorities in the West Bank and defacto Hamas
administration in the Gaza Strip cannot independently fund [and distribute] vaccines”, which
makes them rely on cooperation programs like COVAX that might not completely fulfill the
need for vaccines in the population. Moreover, as per article 56 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, Israel has the supposed obligation, as an Occupying Power, of “ensuring and
maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, the medical and hospital
establishments and services, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory”.

Furthermore, ever changing tension between states has posed a serious life threat to
volunteers, physicians and health facilities. For instance, in 2014, the Al-Rahma Association
for the Disabled was attacked by a missile, and the Al-Shifa hospital was struck by an aerial
attack (Al-Haq). On May 16th, 2021, “Israeli airstrikes killed at least 42 people, including 10
children,” and damaged the infrastructure and equipment of a Doctors Without Borders
trauma and burns care clinic, which was eventually forced to close (Press Release, Doctors
Without Borders). Attacks occur as Isreli forces often believe that ambulances or institutions
shelter wanted individuals or store ammunition, which are still disputed allegations that have
been condemned by the Red Crescent and continued to be contradicted by international law.
Either way, paired with the pre-existing poor medical conditions and management of health
services in occupied territories, and in the face of the pandemic, sudden attacks to health
facilities, medical personnel, and equipment, only worsen current medical disparities and
catalyze tensions.

In these scenarios, how could we as a committee work in a way that will not enhance the
current polarisation between Israelis and Palestinians? How could we deal with the
institutional voids currently present in the territory to attempt and stabilize the health effects
of this territorial dispute? Would negotiation take place, under what conditions? As tensions
rise, humanitarian efforts and international intervention has to be dealt with delicacy and
diplomacy to avoid escalating tensions whilst ensuring the population’s wellbeing.

We encourage delegates to not only thoroughly debate humanitarian assistance in this

territory but to expand and explore the implication of this problem in different parts of the
world. Analyze the underlying factors that have led to the present disparities and those that
must be considered when debating solutions and examine the externalities that must be
avoided. In addition, we encourage delegates to evaluate each of their sources because, given
the controversial nature of the conflict and many others, authors have a biased perspective on
the issue. Failing to do so might undermine delegates’ arguments and will become a valuable
indicator of their research skills.

COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unequal burden on healthcare of countries. In

low-income countries, the pre-existing scarcity of healthcare resources and trained
professionals made it harder to battle the disease. According to the United Nations, “there are

14
only an average of 113 hospital beds per 100,000 in developing countries which is 80% lower
than the number in developed countries” (Alhalaseh et al.). Overall, developing countries
struggled to access COVID-19 testing, and thus control the disease. The following map from
‘FIND’ shows the number of tests per 100k population in each country. It can be seen how
low-middle income countries had lower tests, reflecting the medical deficiency in these
countries compared to developed countries.

In addition, the pandemic has exacerbated the existing medical disparities in developing
countries. For instance, the scarcity of ICU beds is 0.1–2.5 per 100,000, compared to 5–30
beds per 100,000 in developed countries. However, the quantity is not a disparity alone, as
the distribution between public and private services is also unequal. The private sector has
more quality resources available, and only a minority of the population can access it.

On the other hand, decentralised healthcare services working at the level of states or
municipalities (public) have become more fragmented, more constrained and have not
responded in a coordinated manner to the crisis because of the even greater underinvestment.
The pandemic has clearly proven that developing countries need “transformation and
investment in health systems to ensure preparedness for exter- nal threats, while
simultaneously maintaining universal access to health and universal health coverage”
(Iris.Paho.Org).

Despite this, the pandemic has also evidenced the important role mHealth can play in
eradicating the medical disparities in developing countries. mHealth is the “general term for
the use of mobile phones and other wireless technology in medical care” (Holman). During
the pandemic, several places had to enter strict quarantine measures, and thus, were not able
to offer direct medical attention. As a result, there has been a drastic increase in the use of

15
mHealth. Since it is cost effective, this alternative solves the financial constraints in
developing countries which creates disparities. Another advantage is that it can be accessed
by people in remote areas at any time. Its potential also fills the shortage of healthcare
workers and funding in developing countries.

This technology is still in its early stages, however, it has already become widespread and
transformed healthcare systems all over the world. For example, a study by Vodafone and the
United Nations has revealed that there are 51 Health programs that are already operating in
26 developing countries. Unfortunately, developing countries also face many challenges in
order to adopt this novelty. Firstly, not everyone can access mHealth devices (such as mobile
phones, laptops, computers). Secondly, healthcare workers must have the required
technological skills to conduct this type of medical attention. But, the low education and
literacy skills in these countries does not permit this. Lastly, access to a stable internet
connection is not widespread nor available in some areas.

Past actions

The United Nations has always been involved in spreading and promoting healthcare
worldwide through the World Health Organisation (WHO). This international body,
established in 1948, leads global health matters, provides standards and equitable access to
essential healthcare services and support for countries. There are 2 initiatives relevant to the
topic:

1. The Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All: A program
launched in 2019 that involves 13 development agencies (Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance;
the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents; the
International Labour Organisation; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis

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 and Malaria; the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; United Nations
Development Fund; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations
Children’s Fund; Unitaid; United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women; the World Bank Group; World Food Programme and the
World Health Organisation) to collaboratively help countries work towards the
Sustainable Development Goals related to healthcare. This plan includes 7 specific
actions to each agency to be implemented globally. The actions include: primary
health care, sustainable financing for health, community and civil society
engagement, determinants of health, innovative programming in fragile and
vulnerable settings and for disease outbreak responses, research and development, and
data and digital health.

2. Health Resources and Services Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS): A

digital platform that monitors and provides information on health resources, basic
amenities, infrastructural damage of health centres and external support (physicians).
Through this, it can be known what's needed, in order to achieve the SDG and provide
UHC. Currently, the platform is functioning in Burkina Faso, Chad, Gaziantep, Mali,
Nigeria, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria and Yemen.

Case Studies

WHO Case Study Bolivia: Reduced number of people suffering financial hardship
6% of Bolivia’s households suffer financial hardship because of health expenditures and lack
insurance coverage. In 2019, the Bolivian government designed and implemented the Single
Health System model (universal health coverage model) to address this inequity. In this,
WHO led the creation of the policies and promoted communication between organisations,
communities, and the government.

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WHO Case Study Malawi: Improved access to quality essential health services
Due to resource limitations, Malawi, with collaboration of WHO implemented approaches to
ameliorate child health in the country. This approach includes: Mass drug administration and
implementation of Malaria vaccines in childhood vaccination plans.

To continue the efforts and objectives set forth with the Millenium Development Goals, the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was established in 2015. This new framework of
action consists of 17 goals which build upon the flaws of the previous agenda to consolidate a
more inclusive and sustainable international community. Goal 3 ‘Good Health and
Wellbeing’ states: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. Among
many issues, this goal targets to improve access to key health care services in order to reduce
medical disparities and sets forth the goal of achieving Universal health coverage in target
3.8. The WHO Alma-Ata Declaration stipulates the principles under which primary health
care should be provided, such as emphasising that it should be “sustained by integrated,
functional mutually supportive referral systems” (Article 7, clause 6) and that it should
heavily involve the nation’s professionals and suitably trained individuals to “respond to the
expressed health needs of the community” (Clause 7).

Similarly, as showcased by the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health
(2001), which gave developing nations more flexibility in regards to matters of Intellectual
Property Rights when dealing with affordable essential medications and technology,
international law and trade are useful mechanisms to catalyze the mobilisation of financial
and human resources to support developing nations. As stipulated by clause 7, developed
countries should “provide incentives to their enterprises and institutions to promote and
encourage technology transfer to least developed country members”, which may enhance
nations’ resilience to immediate healthcare emergencies (WTO). What delegates must also
take into consideration is how to ensure that this assistance does not generate a dependency
that might make developing nations reliant on the donor countries’ economic state for
stability.

Questions A Resolution Must Answer (QARMAs)

We strongly recommend delegates consider the following list of QARMAS when discussing
the topic to ensure fruitful debate. These should be addressed through plausible and
well-structured proposals, and serve as a general framework for discussion.

1. What are the biggest obstacles to improving medical conditions in less developed
areas and countries?
2. What should the role of more developed countries be with regards to the improvement
of healthcare in less developed nations?
3. Given the inherently multifaceted nature of the problem, and taking into consideration
the committee's scope, how can we work with other international instruments and
regional organizations to ensure a holistic and long-lasting solution to the problem?

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 4. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, how can nations learn from the situation and
work together to develop healthcare plans to be used in future global emergencies?
5. How can the SOCHUM committee deal with inaccurate data and lack of coverage
resulting from poor civil registration systems in developing nations?
6. How will nations ensure that all initiatives are adaptive and do not compromise
developing nations’ sovereignty, especially considering that Western procedures may
not be accepted in certain parts of the world?

Position paper requirements

A position paper is a document that outlines the position of a nation in the committee. We
encourage delegates to adhere to the following format:

● Font: Times New Roman 11 pts.

● Line Spacing: 1.15.
● Margins: 1-inch from all extremities.
● Pages: 1-page max. (excluding bibliography)
● Bibliography format: MLA9
● If a citation machine is used, please cite it.

We expect delegates to include the name of the delegate, educational institute, country,
committee and topic in the respective order. Additionally, quotes, flags, and borders within
position papers will be accepted. We highly discourage watermarks in the background to
avoid readability issues. Any position paper that does not include a bibliography will be
instantly considered as plagiarised work and will be ruled out, meaning that the delegate will
not be eligible for an award.

We highly recommend delivering position papers as a PDF file to avoid any compatibility
issues when opening documents. It is required that delegates submit their position papers to
be eligible for an award.

For more information about position papers, please refer to the Delegate Guide.

Position papers are to be delivered before 11:59pm on the 29th of April, 2022, to the
following email: 2008179@newton.pe.

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