Topic: Impact of War on Agriculture
Country: Cameroon
Delegate Name: Mike Ruggles
School: Traverse City West High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Cameroon position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
The impact of war on the agriculture has greatly affected the world and countries surrounding Cameroon. Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. Application of weapons, the destruction of structures and oil fields, fires, military transport movements and chemical spraying are all examples of the destroying impact war may have on the environment. Air, water and soil are polluted, man and animal are killed, and numerous health affects occur among those still living. Many civilian lives have been taken from past wars and wars of today.
The impact of war has even gone as far as making it harder to produce food. Villages have been ruined and many civilians are now homeless. For example, in the Darfur region of Sudan, farmers have been driven off their land violently. This causes two main problems. One, there is now less food being produced and two, the farmers being driven off their land are now homeless and starving. Many farmlands are covered with land mines and other violent objects from past wars and current wars. This can make farmlands unusable for many years even after a war has ended. Some farmlands have even been burned, polluted and purposely poisoned. Conflict may even stop the needed transportation of food from farms that haven't yet been destroyed. Conflict also causes famine. Many schools have been targeted in war too. It is very unsafe for children. There is nothing good about war and it needs to end.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon sais this issue is only getting worse and he will use all legal means to end as much violence as he can. Cameroon will need more help though. Cameroon's policies are against war and Cameroon is very committed to the war on corruption and conflict. Cameroon and Africa Action calls on the U.S. to do everything necessary to secure the rapid deployment of the complete peacekeeping operation authorized by United Nation Security Council Resolution 1769 to protect civilians and humanitarian efforts. This must be coupled with new diplomatic efforts. The U.S. and the international community must pursue both these strategies as part of a comprehensive approach to nationwide peace. This will require increased diplomatic engagement to support the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the North-South civil war in Sudan. Overall, Cameroon knows that nobody can change the wars of the past and the impact it has had on the agriculture but people can help to eliminate the wars and conflicts of today in order to save the agriculture.
In the 62nd session with the General Assembly, Cameroon strongly supported resolution A/RES/62/275. This resolution was for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Cameroon believes this resolution could greatly help Africa. Cameroon also supports the resolution A/RES/63/23 which is for the promoting of development through the reduction and prevention of armed violence.
Cameroon also supports the UN Trust Fund in support of actions to eliminate violence against women. Cameroon also shows its support for the United Nations Security Council which approved "United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706"; Resolution 1706 which called for a new 20,600-troop UN "Peacekeeping" peacekeeping force called UNAMID to supplant or supplement a poorly funded and ill-equipped 7,000-troop "African Union Mission in Sudan" Mission in Sudan peacekeeping force. Cameroon feels that Africa needs more UN actions just like the actions stated above.
To address this issue, Cameroon feels the need to urge governments to fight domestic violence. Once a government has achieved this goal, it would be right to help other suffering regions and nations to achieve this same goal. In the committees resolution, Cameroon would like to see a drastic decrease in violence in and around cities and also a decrease in violence hurting the agriculture of Africa.
Cameroon calls upon developed nations around the world to help out with a decrease in global violence. Cameroon would not only like to eliminate violence in Africa, but the rest of the world also. Our agriculture needs to be saved and war needs to end.
