Committee: UNDP Topic: POST-2015 POVERTY REDUCTION AGENDA Country: Brazil Delegates name: Tran Thu Trang

Under the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) of the United Nations (UN), Brazil committed

to promoting economic growth with advanced social justice in order to end extreme poverty.

Owing to government policy, Brazil has achieved its own Millennium Development Goal to

decrease extreme poverty of 2007 to of the level experienced in 1990 (25.6%).1 However, there

are still thes existence of failures in social programmes, human right inequality in farming land

possession and unsustainable agriculture.

As poverty and inequality reduction is the priority to the Government of Brazil, a great number of

social programmes have been launched and their achievements have seen as an example for the

other developing countries in the similar problems. In an attempt to tackle poverty, Brazil realized

the important role of cash transfer measure, which targeted at poor families (Conditional Cash

Transfers). CCTs strategy was implemented in series of programs including Bolsa Famlia (one of

3 main pillar of Fome Zero). This program provides direct monetary benefits to poor families, in

exchange for children attending school, regular medical checkups, and other incentives to

promote the educative, nutritional, health, and social development of families, and particularly of

children. 2 After 10 years being launched, Bolsa Famlia has seen a great achievement in

improving living conditions of people live in poverty, benefitting 12.8 million families in 2011

and lifting 12.2 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2008.3

However, Bolsa Famlia still faces challenge with the quality of social services in several

communities when children receive the monetary benefit low-quality schools and healthcare. In

addition, despite the fact that the Fome Zero program which strengthens small-scale and family-

based agriculture boosted the average family farm income by 33% against an average overall rise

of just 13%, there is an existence of its social impact and environmental sustainability. Natural

resources are exploited irresponsibly. More internal territorial disputes between landless peasants

and landowners happened as just 3% of the population owns more than 2/3 of land and more than

50% of farmland lies unused.4 Brazil would suggest the agrarian reform in which everyone is

allowed to own the same area of farming land. Tax of farming land should be imposed on

1 http://pressroom.ipc-undp.org/brazilian-president-dilma-rousseff-emphasizes-poverty-reduction-in-her-opening-speech-at-the-un-general-assembly/ 2 http://www.oikodrom.org/images/doku/cfenglish.pdf 3 http://brazil.usembassy.gov/releases3/brazil-s-achievements-in-significantly-reducing-poverty-will-be-featured-in-during-the-un-general-assembly3.html 4 http://www.wdm.org.uk/food-and-hunger/brazils-zero-hunger-programme-working

landowners who currently possess or wish to get larger piece of farming land. The government of

Brazil will use this tax to improve the quality of social services in both training and facilities.

Lastly, Brazil would deeply appreciate to receive the support of international organizations and

consultant from experts in sustainable agriculture field.

THE END

Position paper Name of council : UNDP Country: Brazil Delegates name: Trinh Mai Anh Topic: Disaster relief Even though it is currently possible to predict most natural disasters and minimize their

consequences, major social impacts still have been seen over recent decades. Disasters such as

earthquakes (Haiti 2010), tornadoes, tsunami, hurricanes, heat waves, mudslides and floods result

in economic depression, public health crisis and loss of human life. UNDP is responsible for

developing the capacity of governments in over 60 countries to respond to disasters and mitigate

the risk they pose through guiding policy, training communities and first responders, integrating

disaster risk reduction strategies into national development plans.

UNDP has succeeded in minimizing environmental threats to human well-being from the

environmental causes and consequences of conflicts and disasters. UNDP spends an average of

over US$ 150 million annually to increase resilience to natural hazards.

One of the best way to face up with natural hazards is disaster preparedness, which reduces the

risk of loss lives and injuries and increases a capacity for coping when hazard occurs.

Moreover, countries should build their capacity to integrate environmental considerations into

development plans and strategies, establish effective partnerships, secure resources, and

implement programmes to support people to survive through disasters.

Brazil has long been a supporter of disaster risk reduction and a contributor to the UN Trust Fund

for Disaster Reduction, which was set up in 2000 to finance UNISDR through voluntary

contributions. Its government has also been an active advocate for risk reduction, with particular

emphasis on education.

In Brazil, the disaster management plan is known as the National Civil Defense System

(SINDEC). Coordination of SINDEC falls to the National Secretariat of Civil Defense (SEDEC),

which is connected to a branch of the Ministry of National Integration. SEDEC bears

responsibility for coordinating disaster management across all levels in Brazil. The Brazilian

government has agreed to open a Centre of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction to improve

the countrys disaster readiness. One of the Centres main tasks is to support Brazils efforts to

strengthen disaster risk reduction and to support policies for disaster risk reduction through a

mechanism called the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in close collaboration with

the National Secretariat of Civil Defense and other state entities.

Source: http://www.unisdr.org/archive/24792