Economic and Social Council

Economic and Social Council Background Guide The United Nations largest and most complex subsidiary body is the Economic and Social Council or as it is more commonly referred to, ECOSOC. Established in 1967 along with the amendment to the UN Charter, ECOSOC was the first major council created to work with the global issues not pertaining to security and war. The ECOSOC is the only council that may give consultative status to non-governmental organizations or NGOs. There are three types of consultative status that a NGO can receive, these include: general status, special status, and roster NGOs. General status is gives permission to speak in front of the delegation; special status allows for papers to be given to the delegation; and the Roster NGOs are considered experts on specific topics and are consulted when their expertise could be useful. At the start of the NGO integration process in 1945, there were 41 organizations given consultative status. Today these numbers have grown to 3,900. These NGOs aid the Council in its decision making and are integral to ECOSOC functions. I: International Migration Due to Climate Change Across the globe, natural disasters affect roughly 250 million people annually, contributing to the pervasive issue of population displacement. 1 In the next century, however, climate change will likely exacerbate these environmental events leading to a dramatic increase in human movement within and across state boundaries. 2 Referred to as forced migration, this term describes the movements of refugees and internally displaced people (those displaced by conflicts) as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine, or development projects. 3 This increase in environmental migration, however, will likely contribute to numerous other social, economic, and political issues because it will directly affect population growth, governance, poverty, security, and conflict, making it one of the most critical issues of our time. With predications reaching 50 million environmentally displaced people by the year 2020 4 and 200 million by 2050, 5 there is a growing sense of urgency to discuss and improve the capabilities of the international refugee system to cope with the growing effects of climate change. 6 1 Renaud et al., Control, Adapt or Flee? How to Face Environmental Migration?, 2007, p. 5. 2 IOM, Migration, Climate Change and the Environment: A Complex Nexus, 2008. 3 Forced Migration Online, What is Forced Migration?, 2007. 4 IPCC, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, 2007. 5 MacFarquhar, Refugees Join List of Climate-Change Issues, The New York Times, May 28, 2009 6 IPCC, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, 2007. 1

While it is clear that the issues of climate change and international migration must be addressed, it is also important understand that the international system lacks clear definitions for environmental migrants, refugees and displaced persons. 7 This creates a number of barriers to effectively addressing these issues. Additionally, it is equally important to understand how specific social and geographical factors will contribute to the vulnerability of international migrants in the future. 8 Social inequalities, like gender, race, age and economic status directly affect a person s ability and collective capacity to adapt to environmental issues. 9 Likewise, geographic location can also have this similar effect through economic strength, urbanization, and growth rates. 10 Because of the lack of consistency in the definitions and understandings of climate change as it relates to international migration, the issue falls directly under the mandate of the Economic and Social Council which is responsible for promoting higher standards of living and discussing issues surrounding environmental safety and the protection of migrants and refugees. To understand the effects migration and the subsequent political, economic, and social issues that will arise due to climate change, it is primarily important to understand the dynamics that exist between these various factors. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), climate change refers to a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. 11 This has been observed considerably since the UNFCCC was established in 1992 with rising sea-levels, melting global ice, and increasing global temperatures, which have lead to changing weather patterns and an increasing incidence of climate related migration. 12 While climate change may not be the only factor contributing to increased migration and conflict, it is, however, a threat magnifier, exacerbating pre-existing political, social, economic and environmental problems. 13 This is most apparent and troublesome for developing countries and members of lower socio-economic statuses who individually or collectively do not necessarily have the capacity or resources to effectively manage these growing threats. 14 This is true for individuals across the globe and is particularly evident for individuals, countries, and communities in South East Asia and Africa. In Asia, coastal erosion and flooding are a considerable risk. In South East Asia, nearly a third of the population lives coastal areas that are considered to be at risk for flooding, storm surges and rising sea-levels, 15 7 McAdam, Environmental Migration Governance, 2009, p. 3. 8 Cutter et al., Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards, 2003, p. 243. 9 Cutter et al., Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards, 2003, p. 245. 10 Cutter et al., Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards, 2003, p. 243. 11 UNFCCC, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992, Art. 1.2, p. 3. 12 African Development Forum, Quick Facts on Climate Change, 2010. 13 UN GA, Report of the Secretary-General: Climate Change and its Possible Security Implications, 2009, p. 2, 7. 14 Renaud et al., Control, Adapt or Flee? How to Face Environmental Migration?, 2007, p. 28. 15 Asian Development Bank, Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific, 2009, p. 20 2

especially in areas of Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. 16 Because it is predicted that sea-levels will rise by as much as one meter by the end of the 21 st century, the threat to local populations, agriculture and industrial centers in these areas is increasingly troubling. 17 Africa is also a region that will likely suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change. In North Africa and the Sahel, it is predicted that desertification and extended drought will make many places virtually uninhabitable, leading to their complete abandonment as people relocate simply to survive. 18 It is also predicted that changing weather patterns will further reduce rainfall in Sub Saharan Africa leading to increased water stress and reduced agricultural yields. 19 There is very little doubt that the future of our planet will be defined by the effects of climate change. With a growing global population, rising sea levels, and growing competition over resources like water, fuel, and food, it is predicted that millions of people will be forced to relocate within and across international boundaries at a rate unprecedented in human history. With the predicted one meter increase in sea-levels by the end of the century, many low-lying and coastal countries like Bangladesh, Egypt, Panama, the Netherlands, Vietnam, China, the Maldives and many other island nations will face immense challenges, forcing much of their population to relocate elsewhere within or outside of their borders. 16 of the world s 22 largest cities and seaports are at risk of flooding and inundation. 20 200 million people currently live within 5 meters of sea level, a number that is predicted to double by the end of the century, while drought and changing weather patterns will disrupt agriculture and water supplies leading to the potential for domestic and international violence and conflict. 21 While many of these effects cannot be stopped, insuring a future of significantly increasing rates of environmental migration, the international community must work together to lessen their impact and provide the resources needed to ensure a satisfying and quality of life for those who will be displaced. Questions to consider: How will your country be affected by climate change and the resulting migration? Will your country be a destination for migrants or a country of departure? How can the current refugee and migrant systems be altered to address the growing numbers of environmental migrants? How can the international community cooperate to address the effects of climate change and reduce the need for individuals to migrate? What types of economic, political, and social challenges will environmental migration create? 16 Newland, Climate Chane and Migration Dynamics, 2011, p.4 17 Ibid. 18 4 Renaud et al., Control, Adapt or Flee? How to Face Environmental Migration?, 2007, p. 30. 19 Tearfund, Fleeing the Heat, 2006, p. 9-10. 20 Newland, Climate Change and Migration Dynamics, 2011, p.4 21 World Ocean Review, The Million Dollar Question: How Bad Will It Be?, 2011 3

II: Reducing Poverty among Youth As the Millennium Development Goals set to expire, the eradication of poverty among the young has remained firmly in place at the top of the list. Directly linked to a myriad of other issues including crime, health, development, and general socio-political stability, rising poverty among the young is one of the deepest social and economic problems facing the world today. This is not an issue that governments can solve alone, however; but one that requires considerable global cooperation and commitment. The scope of global youth and youth poverty is truly daunting. According to the United Nations Population Fund, nearly 43% of the global population is under the age of 25 22 while nearly 89% of people aged 14-24 live in developing countries. 23 Additionally, young people are nearly 3 times more likely to be unemployed than those of older generations. 24 According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), global youth unemployment as of 2011, stands at approximately 75 million people; 25 however, unemployment rates alone do not demonstrate the scale of this issue, with 358 million young people more broadly classed as NEET (not in education, employment or training) and young people figure disproportionately among the working poor. 26 This has created the fear of a scarred generation as young people are faced with life-long consequences in terms of lower future wages and distrust of the political and economic system. 27 This unemployment and underemployment of young people has systemic consequences for societies and the world as a whole, however, when combined with unprecedented population growth and unchecked urbanization across much of the developing world, the situation becomes more dyer as many of these young people will face a lack of resources, systematic inequality, disease, and perpetual hunger. 28 According to UN-HABITAT, in Africa alone, the urban population has risen by nearly 600% over the last 35 years, 29 a trend that is expected to escalate across the developing world. As more young people come of working age and migrate to urban centers, they are met with limited opportunities with insufficient infrastructure, housing, and other basic services as well as unequal access to opportunities for education and employment, preventing them from sharing in the prosperity of their cities. 30 Furthermore, these disenfranchised youths who lack the most basic tools needed to lift themselves out of poverty are much more likely to engage in armed violence, public 22 Lignell, Reducing Youth Poverty to Relieve World Poverty, Borgen Magazine, 25 August 2014. 23 Ibid. 24 Ali, Youth Unemployment: A Global Security Challenge, Harvard International Review, 12 September 2014. 25 The Guardian, Global Youth Unemployment: A Ticking Timebomb, The Guardian, 27 March 2013. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 28 Lignell, Reducing Youth Poverty to Relieve World Poverty, Borgen Magazine, 25 August 2014. 29 Ali, Youth Unemployment: A Global Security Challenge, Harvard International Review, 12 September 2014. 30 Ibid. 4

demonstrations, crime, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities. 31 This poses a significant problem for national and global stability. In a world where information can flow rapidly and collective action can be spurred by a single tweet, a growing population of impoverished, disaffected young people could have the potential to create significant problems in much of the world in the years to come. The effects of youth poverty can also be seen in regards to public health. According to the UN inadequate access to education and poverty increase the frequency of pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths that kill at least 70,000 young women annually 32 while in 2008, nearly 40% of all new HIV infections worldwide occurred among people 15-24 years old in developing nations, 33 further trapping individuals in a cycle of poverty. While the number of unemployed youths has risen to nearly 80 million people worldwide over the last few years, many experts have argued that cutting that number in half would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy. 34 There is little argument that young people are some of the most motivated, innovative and hardworking people in global society, making them perhaps one of the greatest natural resources a nation can possess. 35 However, in many developing countries around the world, institutional inequality and a lack of opportunities have left millions of young people trapped in a cycle of poverty, disaffected from society and unable to contribute to the advancement of their communities. Directly linking to issues of disease prevention, education, child mortality, and global peace and security, if left unaddressed, youth poverty has the potential to become one of the most challenging issues for the continued advancement of human kind. Questions to consider: How does youth poverty influence issues like stability, health, and economic development? Why has poverty among youth been so difficult to address in the past? What can the international community do to improve the livelihoods of millions of young people living in poverty? How can the economies of the world create enough jobs to satisfy not only the needs of the current population but those who will enter the work force in the decades to come? 31 Ali, Youth Unemployment: A Global Security Challenge, Harvard International Review, 12 September 2014. 32 Lignell, Reducing Youth Poverty to Relieve World Poverty, Borgen Magazine, 25 August 2014. 33 Ibid. 34 Ibid. 35 Ali, Youth Unemployment: A Global Security Challenge, Harvard International Review, 12 September 2014. 5