Country: Kuwait
Committee: United Nations Development Programme
Topic: Eradication of Poverty
Delegate: Faith Schafer
School: Williamston High School
Poverty is a deadly disease that affects regions and countries all across the world, regardless of their developmental status. Nations that have been around for thousands of years experience poverty just as new, developing nations do. These people living in poverty can lack the basic needs- food, water, shelter, but nations and their more fortunate citizens sit back and so not deal with the issue head-on. Nevertheless, this is no reason why the global community of the United Nations Development Programme should just accept this fact- rather, we should strive all the more valiantly to eradicate it for once and for all.
Many countries see Kuwait on a surface level- they see the wealth of the region and some factual sites state that “poverty is almost non-existent.” Yet, when people truly get to know Kuwait, learn about their people and understand their struggles, hardships and difficulties, they see that there is a level of poverty in Kuwait that the great nation cannot eliminate on its own. Poverty comes in many forms: there are laborers, shepherds who work in harsh desert environments, maids and illegal immigrants. Most of these people who live in poverty are non-citizens so it is difficult for the government of Kuwait to assist these people just as they assist their own citizens. As of right now, only citizens receive state aid, and the government is not willing to extend this to the others who live in Kuwait. Yet poverty must be eradicated- whether it is poverty on the part of the common people of Kuwait, who work in the oil industry but have to pay the high prices of life in their country or the laborers who work long hours with few rewards. As it is, no country is safe from the difficulties of poverty, despite their money, status or economic resources.
Kuwait is willing to play their own part in this eradication of global poverty. Of course, they want to begin within their own country and then extend into the Gulf region, but they do wish to eradicate, or at least reduce poverty and its effects across the world. Kuwait believes that the best way to start is to have the UNDP extend aid first and foremost to non-citizens of the countries in which they currently reside. As of right now, it is tricky for governments to identify, take care of, and guide the non-citizens within their country. This is an issue for governments everywhere, from Kuwait to the United States to countries across Europe. This is why this plan would be best- many non-citizens around the world suffer from poverty and can be overlooked when aid is distributed. If the UNDP takes on this role of supporting non-citizens, it may encourage governments to do the same while allowing the impoverished citizens of a country to receive aid from their nation. This would allow funds to be evenly distributed between people who need it and ensure that no one gets overlooked.
- Faith Schafer
