Topic: Promoting Ecologically Sound Development Strategies
Country: Belgium
Delegate Name: Hailey Marshall
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Belgium position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
Maintaining proper biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are crucial for sustaining proper human well-being. Factors such as over-consumption, demographic changes, and use of technology that can harm the environment, mixed with climate change, are causing issues that are damaging the planet. To try and help suppress these issues, the United Nations met in Stockholm in 1972. In Stockholm, they passed a series of regulations that are known today as the Declaration of the Human Environment. Since the regulations have been passed, the UNDP has taken the responsibility of helping countries manage their biodiversity and ecosystem while also helping to address the poverty and inequality of the country. In Belgium, they take the environment seriously and are thankful that the Global Environment Facility is taking the actions that they are. Belgium has one of Europe’s highest waste recycling rates and in the Flemish region of Belgium, almost 75% of the residential waste produced there is recycled and reused.
Belgium recognizes that managing fragile ecosystems and sustaining natural resources is important for maintaining the success of our country. Because of Belgium’s high population density, their environment is affected by industrialization of the country. The UN itself hasn’t done anything to help our country combat the issues but Belgium has partnered with many organizations that help us. In order to help combat issues that face the environment, Belgium has had active involvement in the Global Environment Facility (an organization that works with partners to tackle top environment issues) in the council as well attending Conferences of the Parties at various conventions. Being involved with the GEF, Belgium wanted to tackle the issues of chemical and waste, international waters, desertification, biodiversity, and climate change not only in the country but worldwide as well. Because the GEF is a global organization and works internationally, Belgium has been able to be involved with the bigger picture with the whole world and not just focused on their own country. With help of the Global Environment Facility, Belgium already has plans for a 2030 Sustainable Development agenda. Since Belgium is involved with GEF and other organizations such as Environmental Resource Management (ERM), the country has the resources to help other countries with their efforts to help the environment.
Belgium continues to tackle issues of combating deforestation, promoting sustainable agriculture, and finally conserving biological diversity is important for the health of Belgium. Belgium has faced environment issues in the past but because of government efforts and partnering with different organizations, the country’s environmental state has been gradually improving. In fact, Belgium has been ranked one of the top ten countries when it comes to environmental protection efforts. Belgium thinks the UN should become involved with organizations such as GEF and ERM to not only improve on their environment, but the environment of Europe.
