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Special Thanks to. Group Programmes Unit, United Nations Department of Global Communications AND Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea to the United Nations New York Office, USA

HOPE TO THE FUTURE ASSOCIATION

CSO Representative at the United Nations Department of Global Communications Web: www.hopetofuture.org I Address: 4F, Bongeunsa-ro 176, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea Tel: +82-2-6952-1616 I Email: outreach@hopetofuture.org

Writer and Editor in-Chief Jung A Chelsea PYUN I Program Manager Hyeongkyung HA I Program Officer

Assistant Editors Taeho Lee I Program Assistant Hoyoung Kim I Program Assistant

17th Training Program on the United Nations

Program Information 5 Program Introduction 5 Program Theme 7 Program Curriculum 9 Participant Information 13 Participants List 13 Staff List 16 Speakers List 18

Team Presentation on the UN and the SDGs 24 Korea and the UN I Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea to the United Nations 24 Sustainable Cities and Development I United Nations Habitat 39 Global Polio Eradication and the SDGs I UNICEF 59 Development Cooperation I UNDP 80 Green Economy and Sustainable Development I GGGI 98 Peace and Disarmament I UNODA 107 SDGs Goal 1: No Poverty I UNDESA 128 UN Briefings Photo Gallery 146 Individual Report 157 Organizations 281 Host 281 Sponsors 282 Cooperation Organization 282

The 17th Training Program on the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION ‘Training Program on the United Nations’ is a pedagogical training program customized and developed for Korean youth to provide intensive training on the works on the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals. Hosted by Hope to the Future Association, UN DGC associated NGO, the program mainly focuses on the global matters dealt by the UN organizations and the member states. Having UN high officers and experts with direct experience in the international organization as the main speakers, the program aims to promote a better understanding of the global issues and develop multi-perspective on the UN. The training also provides direct networking opportunities with UN officials, NGO representatives, and UN ambassadors. Particularly, the 2021 Training Program provides an opportunity to examine how well the United Nations carries out its stated aims to maintain international peace and security, protect human rights, deliver humanitarian aid, promote sustainable development, and uphold international law. In addition, students learn about not only the United Nations but also South Korea’s relationship with the United Nations as they build professional knowledge on pending issues of the international society. This year’s program had invited UN speakers from around the globe including Korea, the US, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Sudan, and so on. The 17th UN Training Program was organized from 3 August to 7 August 2021 and had 37 Korean youth representatives. The program was led by 5 HFA staff and 7 university student mentors Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the program was virtually organized via an online platform.

2021 Summer Program Outline Host

 Hope to the Future Association

Title

 The 17th Training Program on the United Nations and the SDGs

Date

 3 Aug. (Tue.) ~ 7 Aug. (Sat.), 2021 (KST)

Venue Language

 Online Platform ZOOM  English  Keynote Speech by UN high officials  Keynote Briefings by UN Ambassadors  UN Staff Lecture (UN Headquarters)

Program

 UN Career Development Session  Team Presentations on the 2030 Agendas  Youth Declaration on the SDGs  Debate and discussions (pros and cons) on the UN Agendas  Student participants: 37 people

Participant Information

 Youth staff: 7 people  HFA staff: 6 people

Theme



PROGRAM THEME

Reference: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment

“On September 25th 2015, the UN Member States adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.”

The SDGs, build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. The new Goals are unique in that they call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and addresses a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for the achievement of the 17 Goals. Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review of the progress made in implementing the Goals, which will require quality, accessible and timely data collection.

Program Main Focus Goal 1: No Poverty End poverty in all its forms everywhere. https://www.globalgoals.org/1-no-poverty

Goal 2: Zero Hunger End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. www.globalgoals.org/2-zero-hunger

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. https://www.globalgoals.org/3-good-health-and-well-being

Goal 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. www.globalgoals.org/8-decent-work-and-economic-growth

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communicates Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. www.globalgoals.org/11-sustainable-cities-and-communities

Goal 13: Climate Action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy. www.globalgoals.org/13-climate-action

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. www.globalgoals.org/16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. https://www.globalgoals.org/17-partnerships-for-the-goals

PROGRAM CURRICULUM Day 1 Opening Ceremony

August 3 (Tues.) Welcome Remarks Jin-Hoan Choung | President of Hope to the Future Association (HFA) Maher Nasser | Director of the Outreach Division, UNDGC The Role of Korean Youth and the United Nations

Keynote Briefing

Ambassador Tae-Yul Cho Former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Former Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (UN PBC)

Seoul, South Korea

Special Session: UNHQ Tour

Asia and the Pacific from the Perspectives of the United Nations Group Programmes Unit, United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC)

New York, USA

UN Briefing

SDGs Goal 2: Zero Hunger Eleonora Cordella Communications, Advocacy and Marketing Divisions, Community Manager, World Food Programme (WFP) Headquarters

Rome, Italy

UN Briefing

Governance and Development Cooperation Yasemin Derebasi Research Consultant, United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) Seoul Policy Centre

Seoul, South Korea

Special Session: MUN

International Model United Nations and the SDGs Monique Nikolov Secretary-General, Yale Model UN XLVIII

New York, USA

Special Session: HFA

Guide to the Training Program on the United Nations and the SDGs (HFA Session) Jung A Pyun, Hyeongkyung Ha Education Department, Hope to the Future Association

Seoul, South Korea

Day 2 Keynote Briefing

UN Briefing

NGO Briefing Special Session: UN Career Special Session: Climate

Day 3

August 4 (Wed.) Work as a Diplomat and the SDGs Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine Former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations

Maryland, USA

SDGs Goal 1: No Poverty Donald Lee Former Chief of Social Perspective on Development Branch, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

New York, USA

Green Economy, Sustainable Development and Korea Gulshan Vashistha Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Seoul, South Korea

United Nations Career Development Minsoo Kim Human Resources Department, World Food Programme (WFP)

Seoul, South Korea

Democracy, Peace and Development on Climate Bernhard Seliger Representative of Hanns Seidel Stiftung

Seoul, South Korea

August 5 (Thur.)

UN Briefing

SDGs Goal 13: Climate Action Esra Sergi Bertani Communications and Public Mobilisation Officer, Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations

New York, USA

Keynote Briefing

South Africa and the United Nations Ambassador Chull-Joo Park Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa

Pretoria, South Africa

UN Briefing

Sustainable Cities and UN-Habitat Luis Á ngel Flores I Nayoung Lee Urban Development Specialist, United Nations Habitat Visual Communications Analyst, United Nations Habitat

Mexico City, Mexico

UN Briefing

Global Youth Development Jayathma Wickramanayake Office of Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, United Nations

New York, USA

Covid-19 Pandemic and Green Plastic Eun-Ju Ryu CBDO, Access Bio Inc. Former, Global Marketing Director, Pfizer

New Jersey, USA

Special Session: Pandemic

Day 4

August 6 (Fri.)

UN Briefing

Global Polio Eradication and the SDGs Ikuko Yamaguchi Senior Advisor, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy, United Nations Children’s Fund

UN Briefing

Disarmament and the Sustainable Development Goals Einas O.A. Mohammed Political Affairs Officer, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) Africa Regional Coordinator on UNSCR 1540

Khartoum, Sudan

UN Briefing

United Nations Publications Projects and the Youth Antje Kristin Watermann Associate Marketing Officer, UN Publications, UNDGC

New York, USA

Tokyo, Japan

NGO Briefing

Latin America, Green Economy, and Sustainable Development Chanho Park Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Mexico City, Mexico

Special Session: Diplomacy

Korea’s Public Diplomacy Kadir Jun Ayhan Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University

Seoul, South Korea

Special Session: Ivy League

Discussion with Current Students from Ivy Leagues Jiyeon Kwon, Columbia University Sumin Kim, University of Pennsylvania

Seoul, South Korea

Day 5 SDGs Presentation

Closing

August 7 (Sat.) Final Presentation on the Sustainable Development Goals Team Presentation and Group Discussion

Closing Address: Award Ceremony and Certificate of Completion Ambassador Chang-Beom Cho President of United Nations Associations Republic of Korea Former, Deputy Foreign Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations, Korean Foreign Ministry Ambassador to the UN Jin-Hoan Choung President and Head Director, Hope to the Future Association

Seoul, South Korea

Participant / Youth Staff List 37 Students 9 Staff

PARTICIPANTS LIST

KYUNGMIN KWON

HAELYNN KIM

Cheongshim International Academy

Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul

YURI HWANG Fay School

JUNGBIN CHA

RACHEL KIM Cranbrook School

HEEJAE JEONG Skysam International Christian School

ILJO YOO Daewon International Middle School

SEOYEON CHOI

GRACE EUNBIN KIM

Korea International School, Jeju

Seoul Foreign School

SOWON YUN

SEORIM LEE

YESEUNG LEE

Younghoon International Middle School

Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul

Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies

YOONSOO KANG

SAEBOM KUK

Changdeok Girl's Middle School

Homeschool

DONGHYUN HAN Seoul International School

SU LEE Linden Hall

MINSEO KIM Daewon International Middle School

SOYEON CHIN Daewon Foreign Language High School

JIHYEON SUNG Chadwick International

SANHEE KIM Myungduk Foreign Language High School

SUNGJUN CHOI Shema Christian School

MINCHEI KIM

SEOKHYUN BAEK

YOONYOUNG SON

Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies

Gyeonggi Suwon International School

Cheongshim International Academy

MINJU KIM

YOUNGSEO NAH

St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju

Singapore International School

SEONGGWANG CHAE Skysam International Christian School

HANNA CHO St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju

JUHONG MIN Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies

HYEWON CHO CheongShim International Academy

DOKYUNG OH

JIYU HONG

DAKYUM LEE

Saint James School

Seoul International School

Fayston Preparatory School

JISU PARK North London Collegiate School, Jeju

JIAN KANG Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul

DAYOUNG LEE Branksome Hall Asia

JUA LEE Fayston Preparatory School

YOUTH STAFF LIST

YOON GEON

NAYEON KIM

BOKYOUNG KWON

Konkuk University

Hanyang University

Kyung Hee University

YOUHA LEE

IN YEOL YEO

YEWON JEONG

Ewha Womans University

Harvard College

Keimyung University

TAEEUN KIM

HOYOUNG KIM

TAEHO LEE

Hanyang University

HFA Program Assistant

SPEAKERS LIST Korea, Youth, and the United Nations Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Tae-Yul Cho Former, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

overseas.mofa.go.kr/unko/index.do

South Africa and the United Nations The Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa Chull-Joo Park Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the South Africa

overseas.mofa.go.kr/zako/index.do

South Africa and the United Nations Permanent Mission of Grenada to the United Nations Denis Godwin Antoine Former, Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations

www.un.int/grenada/

Korea's Public Diplomacy Ewha Womans University, Graduate School of International Studies Kadir Jun Ayhan Assistant Professor

www.ewha.ac.kr/ewhaen/index. do

SDGs Goal 2: Zero Hunger and the SDGs World Food Programme (WFP) Headquarters in Rome

www.wfp.org/

Eleonora Cordella Communications, Advocacy and Marketing Divisions, Community Manager

SDGs Goal 1: No Poverty United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

www.un.org/en/desa

Donald Lee Former, Chief of the Social Perspective on Development Branch in the Division for Social Policy and Development

Global Polio Eradication and the SDGs

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ikuko Yamaguchi Senior Advisor, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy www.unicef.org/

Disarmament and the Sustainable Development Goals

UNODA (UN Office for Disarmament Affairs)

www.un.org/disarmament/

Einas O.A. Mohammed Political Affairs Officer (UNODA Africa Regional Coordinator on UNSCR 1540)

Latin America, Green Economy, and Sustainable Development

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Chanho Park Global Green Growth Institute Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean https://gggi.org/

Covid-19 Pandemic and Green Plastic

Pfizer

www.pfizer.com/

Eun-Ju Ryu CBDO at Access Bio Inc., Former Global Marketing Director

SDGs Goal 13: Climate Action

Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General

www.un.org/en

Esra Sergi Bertani Communications and Public Mobilisation Officer

Governance and Development Cooperation United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Seoul Policy Centre

www.undp.org/

Yasemin Derebasi Research Consultant

Works of the Publications Team at the United Nations

UNDGC (UN Department of Global Communications)

Antje Kristin Watermann www.un.org/en/department-

Associate Marketing Officer, UN Publications

global-communications

United Nations Career Development World Food Programme (WFP) Seoul Office

Minsoo Kim www.wfp.org/

Human Resources Department

SDGs Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and UN-Habitat United Nations Habitat

Luis Á ngel Flores Urban Development Specialist https://unhabitat.org/

Nayoung Lee Visual Communications Analyst

Democracy, Peace and Development on Climate

Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea

Bernhard Seliger Representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea https://korea.hss.de/ko/

Green Economy, Sustainable Development and Korea

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Gulshan Vashistha Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Headquarters in Seoul https://gggi.org/

Asia and the Pacific from the perspectives of the United Nations

UNDGC (UN Department of Global Communications) Group Programmes Unit, UN DGC www.un.org/en/departmentglobal-communications

Global Youth Development

Office of Secretary General's Envoy on Youth

Jayathma Wickramanayake www.un.org/youthenvoy/

International Model United Nations

Yale University Model United Nations Secretariat Monique Nikolov Secretary-General of YMUN XLVIII

-Table of Contents1.

History of Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations a. Basic information b. SDG 17 and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations c. Recent activities

Introduction to Ambassador Cho and his lecture

The role of Korean youth

Q & A Sessions

Reference

History of Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations The Republic of Korea (ROK) was supported by the United Nations, having a special relationship since the establishment of the government. The Korean War was the most significant time of receiving aid, and now, ROK has been playing a significant role in helping other countries. Before the Korean War happened, in 1947, the United Nations established the UN Temporary Commission on Korea to form the Korean government. Right after the Korean War erupted, the United Nations Command was dispatched for the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. This was the only time the UN sent troops to impose military measures. Even Though there is no official designation for 'United Nations forces,' the Korean War was a one-of-akind situation where the troops flew the UN flag. After the resolutions approved the foundation of UNC, the designation of the American commander, and the use of the United Nations flag, the commander-in-chief officially headed the chain of command to the Security Council and the United Nations Secretary-General. According to a UN resolution, the United Nations' military intervention began as soon as the war broke out. Military participation by UN member states began in earnest, with US forces leading the way. Around 38000 UN forces perished during the battle, with 103000 people injured and 10,000 people being taken prisoner or missing. Trigve Lie, the Secretary-General, on the other hand, requested the members' support for Resolution 83. As a result, several countries offered various commitments, ranging from political and military support to food and pharmaceutical provision. The United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea was established after the fighting stopped. As the North and South agreed to a cease-fire, the United Nations contributed to economic growth through the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency. UNKRA aided by implementing projects in business, mining, agriculture, education, housing, and medicine, with a total value of $924 million in current currency.

The United Nations Development Program's Seoul Center was a significant influence in society and business development. Since the early 1980s, the Republic of Korea has not received support for rapid growth, and the office's disbandment signified Korea's transition from a beneficiary to a provider country. Furthermore, since 1986, when complementary economic cooperation between developing countries was required globally, our country has provided financial assistance to developing countries by establishing cooperative funds and trust funds for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. On September 17, 1991, during the 46th United Nations General Assembly, South Korea and North Korea finally joined the UN. Korea was elected to a nonexecutive member of the Security Council in the non-permanent elections held on November 8, 1995, alongside Egypt, GuineaBissau, Poland, and Chile for the 1996-97 term. Korea made a positive contribution to the Security Council's debates on significant international disputes during our term in office. South Korea led to the approval of the relevant chairman's statement, which had a vital role in raising international concerns after the Cold War, particularly in May 1997 as the chairman of the Security Council. In the lack of diplomatic relations between the two Koreas, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations was primarily used as a channel for conversation, with negotiations between the two foreign ministers taking place through the UN envoy in 2000 and 2004. In 2010, the representatives of the two Koreas argued over the Cheonan Navy Ship. In addition, the UN General Assembly elected Ban Ki-moon as the UN's eighth Secretary-General on October 13, 2006, following Security Council Resolution (1715), and the UN General Assembly unanimously supported his re-election vote on June 21, 2011. After the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon is the second Asian to be elected. In the 2013–14 non-permanent Security Council elections held on October 19, 2012, Korea was elected as a non-permanent member alongside Australia, Luxembourg, Argentina, and Rwanda. The Republic of Korea has twice been admitted to the Security Council as a non-permanent member, and has collaborated with the United Nations to achieve international peace.

South Korea also contributed $47.92 million to UN peacekeeping missions in 2010, ranking 11th out of 192 member states and contributing for 2.26 percent of the total contribution. As the world's 11th most significant financial contributor, the government strengthens its position in the UN's financial and human resources management sectors. As a result, the number of Koreans attending the United Nations has increased, and the International Organizations Personnel Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assisting Koreans attending the UN with the UN delegation. In addition, since 2008, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations has sponsored "International Organization Entry Briefing" annually with the United Nations Secretariat to encourage more interest in and advancement of the United Nations by South Korean residents. Korean personnel currently employed at the United Nations taught recruitment policies and procedures about the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The government of the Republic of Korea is making various attempts to place our citizens in various worldwide organizational offices to secure our growing international influence and prestige in proportion to our economy's size. Various UN national, regional, and small regional offices and international organizations are based in Korea. They are responsible for a wide range of policy concerns, competency development training, and business planning. There are 14 United Nations offices and international organizations in Seoul, eight in Songdo, Incheon, and one each in Gyeonggi Province, Busan, and Jeju Island. Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations - basic information Essential Introduction The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the United Nations(UN) is located in Manhattan, New York City, the US. The Mission was established in November 1951 as an observer Mission. In 1991, South Korea finally became the 161st member nation. Hyun Cho, the present ambassador, is enacting policies that are related to six dominant issues. The Mission works to make ROK outstanding in many different fields. According to the ambassador’s greeting, the Mission contributes to world peace and triumph based on the accumulated multilateral competence.

Six Major Issues The policies of Ambassador Hyun Cho are connected to six major issues. The ambassador and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations make and follow the policies based on these six major issues. The issues are ‘UN budget and human resources management,’ ‘International law,’ ‘Human rights and humanitarian Assistance,’ ‘Development and climate change,’ ‘Disarmament and non-proliferation,’ and ‘International peace and security.’ The three major issues that this report is introducing are ‘UN budget and human resources management,’ ‘International law,’ and ‘Human rights and humanitarian Assistance.’ UN budget and human resources management The Mission allocates human resources to participate in the assigned work and support adequate financial resources to the UN as the 11th largest contributor. The ROK also strives to make sure the financial resources are used by the Secretariat under the strict budgetary discipline. Furthermore, the ROK tries to improve the UN’s efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency. In addition, the ROK focuses on developing human resources management policies about the recruitment process, managed mobility, and performance management. The Mission advocates administrative reform, including introducing Umoja(enterprise resources management system) to increase the efficiency of UN work. It believes that the UN needs to transform into a flexible organization that can respond actively and promptly to the uncertainty of the international economy, such as drastic climate change. International law The ROK has contributed to the effort to reinforce the rule of law and impunity for perpetrators of heinous crimes by letting Korean human resources to international judicial mechanisms. The ROK has participated in the discussion about the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly on agendas, including Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, Criminal Accountability of United Nations Officials and Experts on Mission, and United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law. International law includes many laws, such as Law of the Sea, International Law Overview, Rules on Commercial Transactions, and so on. International law Example 1 - Law of the Sea UNCLOS (The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) was adopted in 1982. On May 24, 2021, there were members of 168 States Parties in the organization (UNCLOS). UNCLOS is functioning as the legal framework for oceans and seas management. The ROK supports UNCLOS’s universality and ensures all members respect and implement the organization.

International law Example 2 - International Law Commission (ILC) The International Law Commission that the UN General Assembly established in 1947 to promote the progressive international law development and its codification has participated in the international law portion by coming up with drafts of major international agreements, including the ‘Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties,’ and ‘Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.’ Human Rights The ROK considers international human rights protection and improvement as one of the main topics. The ROK is participating in the global effort to improve and protect human rights all over the world. The ROK is attending the discussion and activities about human rights problems in the United Nations as the state party of seven major international human rights conventions, including the ‘United Nations Human Rights Council,’ and the ‘Commission on the Status of Women and the Executive Board of UN Women.’ The ROK also participates in discussing the human rights protection and development of Socially Disadvantaged Classes, such as disorders, women, and girls. Furthermore, the ROK engages in countryspecific human rights issues at the United Nations General Assembly and the Universal Periodic Review. Humanitarian Assistance Humanitarian Assistance is the activity of the international community to protect the life and fundamental rights of people who are in danger of natural disasters, conflicts, diseases, and so on. The ROK government supports the effort of the international community on humanitarian assistance based on humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

Sustainable Development Goals 17 SDG 17 stands for ‘Partnerships for the goals.’ SDG 17 is one of the central SDGs that the Mission works and tries to achieve. To strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development is the principal statement of SDG 17. SDG 17 infographic is useful to figure out what activities and results are related to SDG 17. According to the infographic, $540 billion was gathered for low and middle-income countries in 2020, only 1.6% below the year 2019. Another example is that the Net ODA reached $161 billion, 0.32% of the donor countries’ gross national income. ODA stands for Official Development Assistance. Official development assistance is defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as government support that promotes and aims explicitly at economic development and welfare in developing countries. Nevertheless, Net ODA still needs to achieve 0.7% of the donors' GNI. On the other hand, electronic device provision requires more support. 3.7 billion People still do not have access to online, although the

Covid-19 pandemic crisis requires people to have electronic devices such as computers that support online network services. Also, 63% of low and middle-income countries need more financial support for data and statistics to face the Covid-19 pandemic challenge.

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations - Recent activities The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations represents our country to the international community in various ways. In that sense, let’s talk about what kind of activities the agency has been doing recently. First, it is about Vice Ambassador Oh Hyun-joo attending a high-level U.N water conference. Deputy Ambassador Oh Hyun-joo attended the U.N High Level Water Conference on Monday to present issues and related examples that the international community should pay attention to in order to implement SDG 6. Ambassador Oh talked about 4 issues. First, the importance of water and hygiene to overcome coronavirus and prevent future infectious diseases. Second, the role of an integrated water management system. Third, the importance of water in health, economic development, environmental protection, etc. Fourth, he emphasized the importance of development cooperation to improve water resource management and water supply capability in developing countries and introduced that Korea is working to decarbonize and digitize the domestic water resource management system under the banner of the Korean version of the Green New Deal. Second, the U.N Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a plenary meeting at the U.N headquarters in New York City on Thursday and appointed Park Soonae, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration to Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), and Lee Young-Joo, a member of the International Taxation Cooperation Committee on Taxation to Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, from 2021-2025. It is the first time that two Korean women have entered the expert committee, which plays an important role in the U.N’s decision-making process at the same time. Professor Park has contributed to the nation’s administrative development by being elected as the first female academic chairman in the history of the Korea Administrative Association in 1965, serving as a regulatory reform committee, a national standards review committee, a management evaluation team leader, a public management committee, and a local development committee. Professor Park will serve as a member of the 6th Committee of Public Administration and Governance, strengthening the capabilities of public administration and innovation in member countries, reviewing U.N. public administration and e-government evaluation in the face of global governance innovation. Lee

Young-joo is a tax expert who has worked at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance for about 20 years in tax policies, international tax, value-added tax and income tax confectionery, and has experience in international tax cooperation, including working at the OECD Finance Committee. As multinational companies' activities expand to the digital sector, Lee will serve as a member of the 5th International Committee on Tax Cooperation (25 members), provide a framework for strengthening tax cooperation, provide guidance, and strengthen tax capabilities and recommend technical support. The U.N. expert committee is expected to contribute to strengthening Korea's global status and spreading of excellent cases in the public administration and taxation sectors, and the U.N. delegation plans to actively support our professional and competent personnel to enter the U.N. committee.

The third activity to talk about is different from the first or second activity. This is because it is a representative activity of Korean culture, the Korean Wave. The reason for this was to find out that the Republic of Korea's delegation to the U.N. is trying not only to promote Korea's political and economic activities but also to promote its culture. Permanent Mission held a free online screening of the 5.22 film “미나리” for more than 1,000 employees of U.N agencies and organizations, including the U.N Secretariat in New York, the U.N Member States and the U.N International School. The screening is designed to enhance understanding and solidarity among Koreans, including Koreans in the U.S., and even more Asians, especially at a time when antiAsian sentiment and hate crimes have been increasing in the U.S. since the coronavirus outbreak spread worldwide. May is also the month of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and the Pacific Islands heritage declared by U.S. President Joe Biden. Introduction to Ambassador Cho and his lecture For an introduction to Ambassador Cho, his name is 조태열(1955/11/10~) and is currently the Diplomat of Korea, Minister of trade and negotiation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trade, and Negotiation Ambassador to Spain. Ambassador Cho also had accomplished many achievements related to the United Nations. From January 2019, he is currently the Chairman of the Executive Board of the UN Development Program, the United Nations Population Fund, and the United Nations Project Procurement Organization. Based on ambassador Cho’s personal experience, people are not confident to introduce Korea as a well-developed country, which means Korea is not a developed country nor a developing country, but somewhere between those two. He also pointed out that we have to look into all the issues in the global agenda vertically and horizontally. We have to reallocate resources, continue to strengthen globalism, and nationalism. In the UN system, we have to play an important role as a significant player to strengthen the role of the UN.

The Role of Korean Youth V. How can we, the youth of the Republic of Korea, contribute to the UN and the world? The first step for the youth of the ROK to contribute to the world is to appreciate the people who helped us. When we realize the grace we have received, we will feel the responsibility to help those who are in need. There are lots of people suffering from hunger, war, and lack of natural resources. We hope all of the youth of the Republic of Korea can become global players who can help other people. To do so, we need to change our mindset. If we have studied only for our comfortable life, from now on, let us change our mind and look to the world, and pay attention to those who are in need. The reason why we can live in a free society is because of the sacrifices of many people from all over the world. In the Korean War, even from the ages between 17~19, joined the War to protect our freedom. We firmly believe that it is time to remember and reward what we have gotten from the world and the UN. A. ‘Remember and Reward Campaign’ In order to make this world better, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Ambassador Cho suggested that we think about what we as students could do. Our team came up with an idea, ‘RRC’, which stands for the Remember and Reward Campaign. Now, we will propose three specific agendas for the campaign. a. ‘Read and Watch’ The first project is ‘Read and Watch.’ Through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, we can raise awareness about United Nations veterans of the Korean War, so that people can recognize and remember them. We personally have made an Instagram account for the RRC. The account’s name is ‘Remembering the Veterans'. What we aim for with this account is for audiences to gain knowledge about our lesser-known heroes. My team will post stories about these heroes and make short clips of their interview. b. ‘Write and Give’ Secondly, ‘Write and Give.’ We can conduct projects such as a campaign to send appreciation letters and small gifts to the UN veterans or their families. We will deliver these items through the embassies. Also, we will cooperate with major companies like LOTTE and SK. In these companies, there are community outreach departments where they deal in social projects such as charity and scholarships. To send letters and packages to UN veterans all over the world, we need money both to purchase the gifts and pay for transit. The companies can provide the shipping fees and donate gifts like their company products. RRC is an impactful project since adolescents initiate and conduct all the projects, and this campaign will be

spread quickly within teenagers through networks among schools. We hope that every student in Korea will participate in this project.

‘Turn Toward Busan’

Lastly, ‘Turn toward Busan.’ Most people in Korea recognize November 11th as a day when couples give each other Pepero, a cookie that looks like a stick. However, it is International Memorial Day for the United Nations Veterans. Every November 11th at 11 am, people from twenty-one combatant nations bow to Busan for a minute, where the only UN army cemetery is located. This campaign was originally suggested in 2007 by Vincent Courtenay, one of the Canadian veterans. Sadly, only a few people know about this campaign. Through the Remember and Reward Campaign, we would also want to spread awareness and promote the Turn Towards Busan campaign widely. We will announce this day in three ways. First of all, we will promote the song ‘Don’t ever forget’, written by the musical artist Harim and citizens of Korea to commemorate Korean War veterans. Second, we will let people know the meaning of the Turn Toward Busan logo marked on Pepero through Instagram and short clips. Third, we will collaborate with the LOTTE baseball team, the hometown baseball team of Busan. For instance, players can wear uniforms designed to commemorate the Turn Toward Busan, and they can also spend time in a silent tribute to UN veterans.

Q & A session Q 1: People say that the connection between Korea and the United Nations over the past 30 years showed the importance and the value of the United Nations. Could you mention a few achievements or accomplishments Korea did in the UN that led to have such value? A: On June 25th, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea by crossing over the 38th parallel with the support of the Soviet Union. The United States immediately pressed for the United Nations to act. On June 25th and June 27th, the United Nations passed directives urging for a ceasefire and for all member nations to provide assistance to the South Koreans. The UN Security Council was able to pass these measures because the Soviet Union had recently boycotted the Security Council and chose not to participate. President Harry S Truman did not press for a Congressional declaration of war. Instead, he classified the Korean conflict as UN led “police action,” operating under the authority of the Security Council.

Q2: In my opinion, the main problem of Korean society is the current education system in which memorization is the primary way of learning. How can we change our education system into a more student-based active one? A: Unfortunately, even if we begin to change our education system right away from memorization-based education to creativity-based learning mechanisms, it will take a lot of time to implement the new system. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to change by themselves. For example, students have to ask themselves “Why?” when they encounter new information rather than passively accepting it. Moreover, students have to practice strategic thinking, so that they can see the essence of the problem and suggest an alternative in an unpredictable society. Q3: What kind of measures were done by the UN to improve the lives of North Koreans? A: Resolution 2371 was adopted unanimously by the Security Council on August 5, 2017 in response to North Korea's two ICBM tests in July. The United States claimed the new sanctions would prevent North Korea from earning over $1 billion each year, although some experts expressed doubt.

General Reference https://overseas.mofa.go.kr https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/official-developmentassistance.htm https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17

Image Reference https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17 http://iilss.net/the-summary-of-unclos-in-shorttablepdfjpg/ https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headquarters_of_the_United_Nations https://theme.archives.go.kr/next/unKorea/toBenefactor.do https://www.mois.go.kr/frt/bbs/type010/commonSelectBoardArticle.do?bbsId=BBSMSTR_000000000008&nttId=60097 https://theme.archives.go.kr//next/unKorea/organizationActivity.do https://un-rok.org/ko/ https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20171024027017 https://news.joins.com/article/20221181 http://theme.archives.go.kr/next/unKorea/viewMain.do https://english.busan.go.kr/bsnews01/1409900 https://news.joins.com/article/20221181 http://theme.archives.go.kr/next/unKorea/viewMain.do https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?news_id=N1005853216 https://www.pressian.com/pages/articles/2020111112395636594 https://m.segye.com/view/20150421003937 https://www.msnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=146271 https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20201109003200325

Table of Contents 1. 2. 3. 4.

Introduction UN-Habitat & Sustainable Development Goal 11 Topics that UN-Habitat covers Sustainability for Human a. Introduction to Slums b. Definition of slum c. Challenges faced by slum dwellers d. Solutions of different aspects and how they can improve lives in slum e. Key points of the slum upgrading f. Participatory Slum Upgrading Program and its effort g. Ways to be involved 5. Sustainability for Environment a. Defining climate change cities b. Effects of cities on climate change & Effects of climate on cities c. Past UN & multilateral agreements d. CRPP program #1 in Cambodia e. CRPP program #2 in Fiji f. CRPP program in Cancun & SNG, Mexico g. Short Conclusions from the environmental perspective 6. Evaluation of the two topics 7. Youth engagement

Seoyeon Choi 1. Introduction Imagine severe storms swirl all over the country and it eats up all the houses and buildings. Your house is covered up with water and you won’t be able to go back to your house again. In 2018, there was a tropical storm Son-Tinh in Cambodia and it caused massive damage all over the country. The water level rose up to 11.5 meters in some places and more than 200 houses were submerged under the water. However, two years later, their houses and community were able to be restored totally and those became more sustainable and resilient so that they were able to prevent another flood or natural disaster in the future. As you may expect, there was lots of external help for those residents, and one of the most important help was from UN-Habitat. 2. UN-Habitat & Sustainable Development Goal 11 As explained before from the example, UN-Habitat is trying to make a better habitat for people. To explain more, UN-Habitat, also known as United Nations Human Settlement Programme has the ultimate goal of making a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world. The word “habitat” from its name might only mean the physical space you live in, but UN-Habitat is trying to consider every component that might affect people’s lives both physically, or psychologically. The plan might be big as city or community size, or it might be small as one person’s mindset. Furthermore, since it is trying to develop

the quality of people’s lives, or even more, a quality of community, Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Sustainable cities and communities” are closely related to the UN-Habitat’s objective. Specifically, under goal 11, there are some targets that can directly conjunct with UN-Habitat’s actions. For example, to explain a few targets that are relevant to the program held in Cambodia, 11-1, safe and affordable housing, 11-3, inclusive and sustainable urbanization, and 11-5, reducing the adverse effects of natural disasters. Despite the huge impact the flood and storm made, UN-Habitat tried to make safe housings in a short period of time and those fast recovery from the crisis was able to escalate the recovery of the community. Even more, by analyzing the environment and the characteristics of the community, UN-Habitat made its own solution for Cambodia to prevent another storm or natural disasters.

3. Topics that UN-Habitat covers As it was mentioned, UN-Habitat offers help in diverse perspectives for different communities. Like in Cambodia, it might plan community recovery by building houses and setting up facilities. However, it might also plan programs to reduce inequalities between men and women in the community. These are some of the topics introduced in UN-Habitat website: Climate Change, Disability, Economy and Finance, Energy, Gender, Governance and Decentralisation, Housing, Human Rights, Legislation, Metropolitan Migration, Mobility and Transport, Regeneration, Rehabilitation, Resilience and Risk Reduction, Slum Upgrading, Urban Health, Urban Policy, Urban-Rural Linkages, Voluntary Local Reviews, Waste Management, Water and Sanitation, and Youth and Livelihoods. Then as our group observed the actions taken for each topic, we were able to classify the topics into two divisions, which are topics for people’s sustainability and environment’s sustainability. Furthermore, to give insights of a variety of topics that UN-Habitat covers, we chose to explain one topic from each division.

4. Sustainability for Human

Jungbin Cha

4-A) Introduction to Slums Gordon Parks, a photographer working for the Life magazine, arrived in Brazil in 1961 to document the hardships of the impoverished. And he met a twelve year old boy named Flavio in the Catacumba favela, a slum on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Meeting Flavio made Gordon Parks say that “Poverty is the most savage of all human afflictions.” Flavio was taking care of eight younger siblings, working from day to night, and suffering from life-threatening asthma. Flavio’s condition was heartbreaking beyond imagination. But the more dismal thing than Flavio himself is the fact that there are millions more Flavios in our world today: 400,000 in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, in South Africa. 700,000 in Kibera, Nairobi, in Kenya. 1,000,000 in Dharavi in Mumbai, India 2,400,000 in Orangi Town in Karachi, in Pakistan.

60% of the global population will live in cities by 2030. Two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. Such high rates of urbanization in the context of stagnating economies, poor planning and governance have led to proliferation of slums or informal settlements in major cities. Some more statistics are: ● ● ● ● ●

In our world, one in eight people live in slums. (Slum Almanac, 2015-2016) In total, around a billion people live in slum conditions today. (Slum Almanac, 2015-2016) 60% of the global population will live in cities by 2030, with 90% of urban growth in coming decades likely to occur in low- and middle-income countries (Indicator 11.1.1. Training Module) Additional three billion people will be living in cities by 2050, increasing the urban share of the world’s population to two-thirds. (Indicator 11.1.1. Training Module) 95% of the growth in urban areas in the next two decades will occur in cities, making them home to more than 4 billion people, and translating to about 80% of future urban population. (Indicator 11.1.1. Training Module)

4-B) Definition of slum Sustainable development goal 11’s target 11.1. is, “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.” So in our presentation about UNHabitat, we want to talk about the challenges that people in slums face and the solutions to this problem. But what exactly is a slum? UN-Habitat defines a “slum” household as lacking one or more of the following indicators. ●

Number 1, durable housing structure. ○ A durable housing structure refers to a house that is built on a non-hazardous location and has a permanent and adequate structure able to protect its inhabitants from the extremes of climatic conditions such as rain, heat, cold, and humanity. ○ Houses in slums are mostly made of transitory corrugated iron sheets, sacks, wood and are located on or near toxic waste, steep slope, or dangerously in the way of transport lines

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Number 2, access to clean water. ○ If the household members use a facility that is protected from outside contamination, in particular fecal matters’ contamination, they are considered to have access to improved drinking water source. ○ Some examples are piped water into dwelling, plot or yard, public tap/stand pipe, protected spring, rainwater collection, bottled water, bore hole/tube well, protected dug well

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Number 3, access to improved sanitation. ○ which means access to a facility with an excreta disposal system that hygienically separates human waste from human contact

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Examples are: flush/pour-flush toilets or latrines connected to a sewer, septic tank or pit, ventilated improved pit latrine, pit latrine with a slab or platform which covers the pit entirely, composting toilets/latrines

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Number 4, sufficient living space, ○ Where not more than three people share the same habitable room. ○ Slum households are typically squeezed, having more than three individuals sharing the same habitable room.

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Number 5, secure tenure, ○ Where members of the household should have a legal status against arbitrary unlawful evictions, harassments as well as any other threats. ○ The housing structure should have statutory or customary law or informal or hybrid arrangements that safeguard the house members against forced evictions ○ Most slum residents lack security of tenure for their housing units 4-C) Challenges faced by slum dwellers

Due to limited sanitation, the slum in Kibera, Nairobi had open sewer lines empty effluent in front of people’s houses. It had only 1,000 toilets to serve the entire slum population of hundreds of thousands of people. Thus, open defecation is still common, which exposes people to higher risks of disease, and become targets from crime, especially women. Poor or non-existent clean water and sanitation facilities are linked to high malaria and diarrhea rates. In Liberia, malaria and diarrhea are the leading causes of child mortality. Living conditions in slums are a risk to the inhabitant’s health, which has dramatic effects in the slum dweller’s life expectancy. Poorest 20% in cities struggle to reach 55 years of age, while the richest 40% go well beyond 70 years. Slums are prone to disease outbreaks like HIV, Cholera, Ebola and Covid, because of the lack of sanitation, clean water, and sufficient living spaces and data on risk groups and health. Small living spaces also pose a great challenge. In Nairobi, slums cover just 6% of the total residential land area, and yet they house 60% of the city’s population. A typical slum room is 9 square metres, in which an average of four people live. Permanent constructions represent only 28% of all slum structures. Houses in slums are mostly made of transitory corrugated iron sheets, sacks, wood and are located on or near toxic waste, steep slopes, or dangerously in the way of transport lines. Most people living in slums and informal settlements do not have security of tenure or land rights, and such lack of access to land and precarious security of tenure prevent people living in slums from accessing credit and reduce their motivation to improve their homes and neighborhoods. Other than lack of sanitation, secure tenure, durable housing, access to clean water, and sufficient living space, slum residents are further challenged by lack of job opportunities, safe mobility, and lack of public spaces. According to UNESCO, lowest literacy rates are observed in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Southern and Western Asia, coincidentally the regions with the highest prevalence of slums.

Iljo Yoo(Daewon International Middle School)

4-D) Solutions of Different aspects and how they can improve lives in slum According to the UN, “leaving no one and no place behind” is the key point of the solutions for slum upgrading. And this means it is important to give help to the slum dwellers to enjoy the same quality of life just as the ones in the developed countries do. We should provide them with diverse opportunities to advance their residential area so that they can live in a sustainable and resilient place. So the solutions should enable slum dwellers to settle down in a developed habitation, but not to suffer in an informal settlement. We can divide the solutions into several branches such as the following. ●

sanitation ○ Sanitation was one of the most important factors of resilience in the past, but has been even more necessary since the outbreak of the pandemic. Because it’s obvious that sanitation plays a large role in preventing the spread of virus and mitigating the proliferation of the infected, an abundant supply of hygienic goods such as soap, hand sanitizer and masks will be vital. ○ “We are the medicine, our behavior is, like when we wash our hands many times a day.", said Mishi Rama Mbete, a community health volunteer from Majengo and Mzambarauni. She helps residents in informal settlements to be aware of and to deal with the pandemic. As she said, imparting knowledge about ways to stay clean is crucial. So she and the other volunteers are giving hygienic goods to the slum dwellers, informing how to wash hands or wear facemasks properly, the importance of social distancing, and the symptoms of COVID-19. ○ Improving water quality of the slums or installing a water purification system can improve their sanitation as well. And we can also develop an excreta disposal system, which can help separating the effluent from people’s main habituating place.

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safety ○ We need to consider the location of a slum when developing it. If it is too remote, it might cause a security problem or frequent crimes, and if it’s nearby toxic materials, it can harm the resident’s health. So building a habitation that is safe enough for the residents to enjoy their everyday life without any concerns is important. ○ Constructing a sustainable house that can fully manage rain, snow, or hot and cold weather by itself has a significant meaning for the residents. We should build houses by using materials other than weak iron sheets, sacks, or wood, such as brick, cement and waterproof roofs.

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strong institution ○ UN Habitat can help governments to legislate a law that prohibits any action related to expelling slum inhabitants. Since everyone has a right to live in a place where they want, we should guarantee their tenures by repairing institutions. ○ Helping certain countries where slums are located to strengthen their institutions can also prevent safety problems, because rigid laws can keep crimes from occurring frequently.

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medical services ○ Medical service is being more and more requisite since the spread of COVID-19. Unlike highly developed cities, informal places like slums are especially lacking from medical services and facilities. And this can further lead to unequal distribution of public welfare problems. So we have to offer them enough medical labor forces such as doctors and nurses, and make sure they won’t be left behind when building hospitals or public health centers.

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enough workplaces ○ This is related to eradicating poverty in slums. It’s not only essential for the slum residents to receive enough supplies, but also to gain enough income by having a stable workplace. For example, UN Habitat can pay residents when they help foreign volunteers build houses, or they can hire the residents and dispatch them into diverse regions in Africa(where many slums are located) to work for slum upgrading. Since they will know much better than the others about things that slum dwellers need the most, it’ll be much more efficient if UN Habitat let them to be involved in the process. ○ Ensuring stable income can ensure the slum dwellers’ economic independence as well. It can make them live more self-sufficiently without much aid from external institutions, which leads to a ‘permanent independence’ of slums.

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education ○ We should enable the slum dwellers to receive fundamental education so that they can be empowered. UN Habitat can not only build schools for them, but also can provide school supplies such as pencils, pens, and erasers, or can promote teachers all over the world to be teachers in those areas. ○ Once we start to educate people, some of them will grow up to be teachers. Then they would earn workplaces by teaching people, and more and more people would be educated when there are more teachers. If this cycle goes on, it’ll help the residents to have a job and to be even more intellectual and knowledgeable.

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spacious living spaces ○ We need to help the slum dwellers to live in a comfortable place where they won’t be squashed in a crowded space. That way, we can guarantee a pleasant life for them, and also prevent sudden spread of the virus that risks the inhabitants.

All these solutions will enable UN Habitat to up-grade the slums. But are there any solutions that are more important than others? No, there aren’t. Every one of them are interconnected, and they give great impacts to each other. So we can’t say that there’s a priority among these solutions, but should consider how we could make them affect each other in a way that can help the slum dwellers more efficiently.

4-E) Key points of the slum upgrading (San Nicolás de los Garza-slum dwellers volunteering to recuperate an abandoned place) One thing common among these solutions is that the UN Habitat works with the local communities based on a ‘partnership’. “Slum dwellers start learning to find answers themselves and be part of the solution.” said Mr. Simon-Pierre Etoga, the founder of a local waste collection enterprise. Actually, having partnerships with the local slum dwellers can lead to promoting them to volunteer when making the housing structure, and can gather different communities around the slum to come together integratively for a better residential area. Since it is the inhabitants who know exactly what they need in their environment, we can effectively develop the slums by hearing their voices. Also, this can further form an ownership to the slum dwellers, which will make them care more about their habitation. “Take ownership of the SDGs and make it local.” said Denis Godwin Antoine, a Grenadian diplomat. As he said, we should always be responsible regarding the SDGs by paying attention to them, and tailoring them locally to our own living environment. So the slum dwellers should work hard to maintain their new homes to sustainably fit for their lifestyles, which can be an example of localizing SGD #11, “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” One of the most pivotal requirements while building a resilient city is maintaining the distinctive culture of the residents. Because what they ultimately want from us is a place where they can enjoy their original lifestyles, understanding in advance the region’s culture would be important. For instance, more than 80% of Indians believe in Hinduism, so there will be many Hindus in slums as well. So we should reflect Hindu’s tradition and customs when constructing the structure of the slum. According to Hinduism Facts, Hindus usually don’t wear shoes inside such as in homes and temples. But most of the slums are just built right on top of unhygienic streets or ground without any floors to sit on. So it’ll be great if we especially focus on adding clean floors on their new abode. Also, Hindus perform a ceremony called ‘Vastu Shanti’ before living in a new house. It is supposed to kick out ghosts with negative energies from the house. Anyway, this requires a place like a temple, and Hindus perform many other ceremonies during the year that also need a performing place. So we can build a temple for the Hindu residents to celebrate their religious ceremony in order to construct a thoughtful habitation. 4-F) Participatory Slum Upgrading Program and its effort Based on these required conditions when developing the slums, let’s take a look at a project that UN Habitat has been working on. I would like to introduce the ‘Participatory Slum Upgrading Project’ also known as the PSUP. The PSUP reforms the living conditions of slum dwellers all over the world. It focuses on the challenges in slums, especially the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic these days. It was founded in 2008 and approximately 190 cities located in SubSaharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are engaged in the project. These are some of the accomplishments the UN Habitat has achieved via the PSUP.

1. Over 800,000 slum dwellers with improved tenure security 2. 50 National development frameworks 3. More than 1,200 local and national governments, NGOs and CBO(community based organization)s engaged in implementation 4. About 268,000 women and youth directly engaged through Community Managed Funds 5. Over 500,000 people with improved living conditions In a nutshell, these achievements of UN Habitat had a substantial impact on the residents’ life. They received financial support from their government to solve the structural problems of the slums, spoke out their voices to the world, began to gain their own incomes from the workplaces (since they are engaged in their society, they can have more opportunity to participate in works that are run by their community, and this can also offer income to the residents), and especially the women and children dwellers were empowered. 4-G) Ways to be involved Now, we should remember that we can also make these stunning efforts just like the UN Habitat. So how can we be involved in campaigns and activities related to the slum upgrading? One example could be an activity named ‘World Habitat Day Children’s Drawing Contest’ where we show the future and the vision we dream of by drawing them into a picture. Some examples of the topics that were mentioned during the contest so far were ‘Innovation to Make Our City Better’, ‘Our City and Water’, ‘Design our Live Together’, ‘Proposals from Children: This is how I change my city to make it better’, ‘Our Cities, Our Life and Climate Change’, ‘Public Transportation Friendly to All in the Cities’, et cetera. Other than that, we can also volunteer by being part of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board, which enables us to give advice from a youth’s perspective about the global issues related to habitation. In addition, there are plenty of campaigns, such as Actua Ahora(to act now), Waste Wise Cities, World Urban Campaign, Climate Action 4 Cities, and more. So we better keep our eyes on current news or issues related to UN Habitat, and raise awareness about the problem among people around us as well.

Hyewon Cho 5-a) (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Land-ocean-temperature-index-1880-to-present-withbase-period-1951-1980-The-solid_fig1_325263289) Climate change is a long-term shift in global regional climate patterns, also refer to short-term abnormal climate. It has several major contributors such as changes in Sun‘s radiation, internal variabilities on Earth, human activities. Then, those changes influence humans, so that is why we should keep on eyes on them. The definition of the city can be divided into two categories, city as defined by its extent and city as defined by its degree of urbanization. As climate change and environmental pollution become severe, the importance of SDG 11 and the role of UN habitat is also increasing. 5-b) Rising global temperatures cause natural disasters such as sea levels to rise, extreme weather events like floods, droughts, storms, and increases the spread of tropical diseases. Also, it has costly impacts on cities’ basic services, infrastructure, housing, human livelihoods, and health. Cities are a key contributor to climate change, as urban activities are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The latest data indicates that cities account for between 60 and 80% of energy consumption and generate more than 70% of all greenhouse gasses emissions, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors. So these are reasons why urban planning is an urgent and integral part of fighting climate change.

Rachel Kim 5-c) Past UN Habitat agendas and prior several multilateral agreements have facilitated the UN Habitat’s role in environmental aspects. Most well-known, the Paris Climate Agreement is a legally binding international treaty, having been signed by 197 states. It was adopted in 2015, with the major objectives of promoting integrated efforts to expedite a reduction of carbon emissions and keep the rise of global average temperature preferably below 1.5 celsius degrees, compared to pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement works on a basis of a 5-years cycle. Each country is obligated to submit its own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which demonstrate specific plans of how it is going to tackle the impacts of climate change and how it will contribute to the ultimate goals of the Paris Agreement. On the contrary to NDCs, long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) are not required, considering each state’s future development priorities. Digging deep into the urbanization, related to SDG 11, many countries around the world reached a consensus on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which ambitiously aims to reduce disaster risk and losses in livelihoods and health through various fields of measures. Targeting the most vulnerable in hazardous exposures, this agreement sets out to enhance preparedness, invest in resilience, and respond effectively to “Build Back Better.” Covered from not only natural hazards, but also technological hazards including those that happen in chemical and industrial settings, people are less susceptible to existing disaster risks. Furthermore, the New Urban Agenda provides comprehensive standards to guide proper planning, construction, development, management and improvement of urbanizations. The agenda suggests three transformative commitments to local governments, civil society organizations, NGOs, and private sectors: social inclusion and ending poverty; sustainable and inclusive urban prosperity and

opportunities for all; and environmentally sustainable and resilient urban development. Adopted in Ecuador, on 2016, the NUA analyzes the synergies between multiple propositions and the SDGs and the degree of pragmaticality with associated challenges. Interestingly, the successful adoption of NUA subsequently stimulated the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework, and other global agendas. Besides, the City Prosperity Initiative (CPI), a data analysis tool that UN Habitat uses for fundamental data collection before its urban planning. Measuring the level of development, city authorities, local and national stakeholders are able to identify potential areas in need of intervention for prosperity. This global initiative definitely simplifies the procedures of overload and duplication in national monitoring and reporting efforts. The CPI includes six categories: productivity, infrastructure development, quality of life, equity and social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and urban governance and legislation. The implementation of all these agendas, treaties, and agreements “firmly place[s] urbanization at the forefront of international development policy,” which is a crucial step to view urbanization as “a transformative process capable of galvanizing momentum for many aspects of global development” beyond its literal meaning.

(Tbound Khumum, Cambodia) 5-d) City Resilience Profiling Programs (CRPP), designed, funded, and monitored by the UN Habitat, is about discovering methods to make cities resilient and optimal to their environments with local governments. The UN Habitat offers necessary knowledge regarding building capacity, recovering from the aftermath of disasters and climate change, and promoting the sustainability of cities. Below are real instances of CRPP and other UN Habitat’s projects in practice. First and foremost, there was a year-long project in Cambodia. During the 2018 monsoon season, tropical storm Son-Tinh hit Cambodia, wreaking havoc in Tboung Khmum (ti-bung ke-mum) district with heavy floods. The deluge affected nearly 62,000 households in five provinces along the Mekong river, and most of the residents needed to evacuate immediately. Alarmed by the urgency of addressing the disaster, the UN-Habitat launched “Project for the Support for Improving Living Environment and Prevention Capacity in Cambodia,” in cooperation with the Cambodia’s government and fundings from the Japanese government. Needless to say, the intention of this project is to fulfill recovery and strengthen resilience of the flood-affected population and city in Cambodia. Ensuring access to safe shelter to almost 10,000 people along with disaster preparedness measures, UN Habitat forms climate resilience adapted in housing design and construction methods in disaster-prone areas. A community-driven rebuilding approach was undertaken, training members of households to repair their own destroyed homes. As a result, 172 carpenters and construction workers have cultivated their skills and knowledge about constructing both resilient and affordable housings.

Hyewon Cho

(Fiji, https://unhabitat.org/fiji) 5-e) Fiji is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific ocean. So, increasing impacts of climate change, growing urbanization, climbing population numbers are major challenges the country and its population are facing now. Also, in Fiji, 20% of the urban population lives in informal settlements in high-risk peri-urban areas. To increase the resilience of informal urban settlements in Fiji, UN started the project from 1, Jan, 2018 to 31, Dec, 2021. UN-habitat supports institutional strengthening at the city and community level for enhanced local climate response and resilience strengthening. At the end of the process, it is expected that the following steps among others will be undertaken to reduce vulnerability to the climate emergency and threats at the city level, including through Conduct of city-wide risk and vulnerability assessment in target areas. Production of hazard maps and city-wide climate change action plans in target areas. Lastly, Strengthened awareness and climate risk reduction processes and capacity at the community level with particular emphasis on women, youth, older people and other people in vulnerable situations focusing on early warning systems, resilience training, gender-sensitive safety audits, environmental and ecosystem management and in particular community-level resilience-building infrastructure. (Source: Country activity report 2019 by UN-Habitat)

Rachel Kim 5-f) Another ongoing project of the UN Habitat has been taking place in Cancun, a state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. The project deals with all procedures regarding the construction of the equity park, which is a linear park with a length of more than 16km, a total area of 89 hectares, and a capacity of 200,000 residents. As an epitome of implementing the 2030 Agenda and SDGs together, it is an ultimate master plan. The primary objectives of this plan are to achieve transformative urban developments and public space projects. Once, Ortiz Jasso, a head of the Strategic Projects Agency, commended publicly that the equity park is “public, sustainable, dynamic, inclusive, accessible, and safe space that will integrate the community and improve its quality of life.” Indeed, the impacts of the equity park are tremendous in terms of reversing the lack of public spaces and green areas, as well as reducing the conditions of urban segregation and social inequality in the city. The city parks possess bright prospects, in terms of curtailing greenhouse gases and embracing various life organisms on land. The City Vision of San Nicolas de los Garza (SNG) 2030 has also been run by the UN Habitat in Mexico. Half a million people inhabit SNG, which is part of the urban agglomeration of Monterrey. Patterns of rapid urbanization and metropolitan flourish, without an appropriate regulatory framework and intermunicipal coordination, put the city into a series of challenges. In response to the municipality’s ask for help, UN Habitat decided to collaborate to align the urban planning with the 2030 Agenda, in consideration of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SDG implementation consequently brings the definition of the vision with 6 objectives, 22 goals and 58 lines of actions. It also comes up with 17 participatory and technical work sessions where more than 7,000 local inhabitants were involved; 56% of them were women while 22% were young. 5-g) Conclusion Drawn from the Lecture Given by the UN Habitat On Thursday, all of us attended a lecture given by Luis Angel Flores and Nayoung Lee from the UNHabitat in Mexico. UN Habitat is working toward transforming all the nations in the globe to have sustainable cities. A lot of SDGs (#11, #5, #16, #17, #3, etc.) and cities correlate because access to adequate public spaces becomes a problem of inequalities and lack of urban planning makes the cities more vulnerable to natural hazards. Meanwhile, precisely-planned and well-managed urban development ameliorates the quality of life as well as environmental sustainability. Incorporating their fascinating insights, we collect and put our thoughts and information together about UN Habitat’s role in practice. As they commented, since cities and regions are all different with respect to climate, geography, sociopolitical situations, and available resources, urban plans should be different as well. At the moment, the need for context-specific plans has been increasing. Although UN Habitat does not directly intervene in the architectural or construction process, it can always provide professional advice to governments, municipalities, and NGOs when UN Habitat’s plans start to be implemented in practice. For example, reminding governments to utilize suitable materials is a crucial role of the UN Habitat. Sometimes the governments do not consider top priorities for urban planning and blindlessly look for cheap materials, or else, waste their budget by insisting on the usage of expensive materials. These expensive and specious materials may make the housings seem to have more of quality on the surface, while, in reality, those materials neither function as it is expected nor are capable of further sustainable reforms. In Cancun, based on what Mr. Flores explained, UN Habitat encourages the local governments and partnered organizations to use natural resources that can be easily acquired near the region such as woods and sands, instead of the steel. Cancun’s high humidity easily oxidizes the steel, which obviously obscures the safety of buildings or residences. Therefore, it is not an optimal choice to use steel as a primary construction material. To sum up, UN Habitat plays wide-ranging roles, from suggesting building materials to tailoring its urban plans in consideration of the region’s situation.

Seoyeon Choi 6. Evaluation of the two topics Overall, from the two topics about Slum upgrading and climate change, we were able to find out that although the problems UN-Habitat has been trying to solve have varied, the plans and programs UNHabitat offered were all interconnected to “sustainability”. For example, when they rebuild a city damaged by a natural disaster, they try to prevent those accidents by building resilient cities and communities, so it doesn’t get that much impact next time. Furthermore, using eco-friendly materials, UN- Habitat showed consideration of the environment for the future. Also, as we talked about human rights in slum upgrading, UN-Habitat is also having lots of programs to reduce inequalities and follow righteous path. Those efforts for sustainable development might not be visible to our eyes right now, but we all believe that those little efforts will have a big and positive impact in the future. 7. Youth Engagement Although we all know that UN-Habitat is putting lots of effort into giving help equally for the place where it needs help, still the world is too big for a single organization to manage all. Therefore, we need help from local residents, specifically youth who can bring positive impacts for a long time in their community. Understanding that, UN-Habitat is providing different programs for youth to engage and bring a positive impact to their own community. Some of the examples of the programs are Urban October, or World Cities Day. However, something more important for the youth is trying from a small thing. They can start observing how our community is going and what they are lacking and then take notes about them. As more and more people consider their habitat, those small interests in the community will make a great impact on our world in the future.

References https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olqBROZVZ68&t=2s www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/26/laos-dam-collapse-sends-floods-into-cambodia-forcing-thousands-to-flee https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2019/05/sdg_11_synthesis_report_web2_0.pdf https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement http://unece.org/sendai-framework https://unhabitat.org/the-new-urban-agenda-illustrated https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/groups/expert_groups/City_Prosperity_Index/ unhabitat.org/two-un-habitat-projects-in-latin-america-recognized-as-global-good-practices-of-the-2030-agenda https://www.urbanagendaplatform.org/news/city-vision-sustainable-urban-and-territorial-development-san-nicolas-de-los-garza2030-sng unhabitat.org/over-200-families-in-cambodia-affected-by-2018-flooding-receive-housing-with-japanese-funding unhabitat.org/un-habitat%E2%80%99s-latest-podcast-episode-explores-life-in-a-nairobi-slum-during-covid-19 https://www.hinduismfacts.org/hindu-customs-and-traditions/ https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2015/10/young-people-world-elect-new-un-habitat-youth-advisory-board/ https://www.aecid.es/Centro-Documentacion/Documentos/documentos%20adjuntos/Ecuador.pdf https://unhabitat.org/waste-wise-cities https://www.un.org/es/actnow https://unhabitat.org/topic/slum-upgrading https://unhabitat.org/being-prepared-in-times-of-crisis-how-volunteers-are-fighting-covid-19-pandemic-in-kenya%E2%80%99surban https://unhabitat.org/programme/rise-up-resilient-settlements-for-the-urban-poor https://unhabitat.org/programme/sustainable-development-goals-cities https://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/gallery/art_2019/index_en.html https://unhabitat.org/slum-almanac-2015-2016-0 unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/06/indicator_11.1.1_training_module_adequate_housing_and_slum_upgrading.pdf

The 17th Training Programme on the United Nations Team Final Report | Team 3

United Nations International Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and Sustainable Development Goals 3: Good Health and Well-Being

By Seorim Lee, Eunbin Kim, Sowon Yun, Dokyung Oh, Jiyu Hong, Yeseung Lee

Hope to the Future Association The 17th Training Programme on the United Nations, Seoul —August 2021—

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 1) UNICEF and its objectives 2) Sustainable Development Goals 3: Good Health and Well-Being 2. Relation of UNICEF and SDG3 during Covid-19 1) The Impact of Pandemic to UNICEF and Its Efforts for SDG3 2) Contributions of UNICEF for SDG3 amidst the Pandemic 3. Case Study and Initiatives of UNICEF 1) Conceptual Frameworks of UNICEF 2) Case Study 1) Physical Health a) Immunization works b) Access to Water 2) Mental Health and General Welfare 4. Cooperation of UNICEF with Relevant Entities of United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations 1) Collaboration with UN-Affiliated Organizations 1) World Food Programme (WFP) 2) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO) 2) Partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations 1) Gavi-Alliance 5. Short and Long Term Resolutions of UNICEF 1) Child Protection 2) Child Survival 3) UNICEF and Emergencies 6. Conclusion 1) Call to Action 2) Potential of UNICEF and SDG3 7. Questions and Answers 8. References

Introduction Seorim Lee, Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul Before our team had commenced the project, we had contemplated why children and adolescents are valued. From our perspective, UNICEF and the SDG3, healthcare, and general welfare for children are fundamental in any sphere of the world, as it has potential and numerous possibilities and implications. We of this age are the vital connection to ensure the hope to the future with a change. 80% of the youth recognize the dire situation of the current pressing sustainability issues. In addition, 30% of the youth endeavor to alleviate the dilemma by taking the initiative. With this opportunity, the youth should take contemplation even further. To manifest and intensify the capability of future generations with primary and foremost means in ensuring the welfare of the children and adolescents. UNICEF and Sustainable Development Goals 3: Good Health and Well-Being UNICEF, the United Nations International Children’s Fund, stands to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. With its efforts to alleviate the circumstances of

each and every person, it utilizes both humanitarian and financial aid to support them. These are the facets UNICEF highlights currently, including vaccine distribution with COVAX Facility and overall health security and well-being. Fundamentally, amongst UNICEF’s dedication to children, we will cover child protection, survival, and UNICEF in emergencies that correlate to children and adolescents’ healthcare and general welfare. Sustainable Development Goals are the 17 interconnected objectives of the United Nations. It was forged as a multilateral agreement in 2015, which needs to be attained by 2030. We are highlighting the SDG3, Good Health, and Well-Being, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, particularly for children and adolescents. To promote the SDGs, UNICEF is taking various measures with the primary objective to end preventable deaths and promote the health of all. In particular, for good health and well-being, amelioration in health systems, prevention of apparent death with immunization, encouragement for each nation to combat diseases, and support for the youth population have been enhanced with the inclusion of extensive domains of child welfare. 7.2 million young people lost their lives in 2019, and this is, in fact, is a declined rate compared to the past. Recognizing that UNICEF examines deeper to save the lives of children and prevent further deaths, it is vital for UNICEF to fully advocate in treating healthcare issues that can be supported preventatively. Thus, the world should never forget that “Every child has the right to grow up in a safe and inclusive environment.”

Relation of UNICEF and SDG3 during Covid-19 1) The Impact of Pandemic to UNICEF and Its Efforts for SDG3 Seorim Lee, Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul Jiyu Hong, Seoul International School Sustainable Development Goals 3, good health and well-being, is a primary necessity that all people share. If the current public health crisis proceeds relentlessly, every socio-economic sphere will collapse, putting the lives of billions of people in crisis. Covid-19 has hindered the fulfillment of UNICEF in encouraging children and adolescents to reach their potential fully. In addition, attaining the SDGs and ensuring good health and well-being has interfered with the current circumstance. The pandemic has exacerbated the life of a vast majority of the population, particularly children and adolescents. Not only by inducing the people to confront the crisis, but the pandemic has also caused overwhelmingly harmful effects in already susceptible and vulnerable neighborhoods and regions. Since the pandemic had been declared by the World Health Organization in 2020, it was inevitable that countless children and adolescents would be in endangered situations or even worse. Covid-19 may cause an additional 1.2 million deaths of children under the age of 5 in low-and middle-income countries, with predominantly disruptive health services. Moreover, approximately 80 million children under age 1 might not be able to have vaccines in at least 68 countries. Despite these plausible severities, UNICEF has shown its capability and responsibility on a global scale, even during the pandemic. In addition, the UNICEF organization has stated that Covid 19 has caused a more

significant increase in child protection risks such as stress, confinement, and poverty. To combat this, UNICEF is not only providing children greater support and Magic Box Set programs. UNICEF has usually provided survival kits, including essential resources. Now, they have added something extra. To help prevent children from suffering from stress and confinement, they have included books and toys for the children affected by the current situation.

To protect children to a greater extent, UNICEF has participated in other relief programs as well. For instance, they have utilized risk communication and community engagement interventions to reach more than 3 billion people. Risk communication refers to communicational exchanges between individuals and experts to support people amid the pandemic. When communities had confusions and hardships due to Covid-19 outbreaks, UNICEF contributed through various measures in combating the pandemic to support children and adolescents worldwide. Under the organization’s primary responsibilities, UNICEF in emergencies fully endeavors to reach every child in emergencies. After the predicament, it serves by providing crucial assistance such as lifesaving aid and long-term resolutions. 2) Contributions of UNICEF for SDG3 amidst the Pandemic At this moment, UNICEF has provided both financial and humanitarian aid to achieve healthcare and the general welfare of children and adolescents. It was beside each and every person by the provision of medical personnel to prevent further deaths with medical systems. UNICEF has been at the frontline to provide information, deliver supplies like personal protective equipment of PPE, syringes, and testing kits, and keep vital health services. Additionally, UNICEF is strengthening hygiene levels and supporting medical personnel. UNICEF seeks to provide medical aid and security measures for places where public health and security systems are not established or do not work, causing malnourishment and food security issues. UN organizations such as FAO, UNAIDS, UNODC, WB, WFP, WHO, and UN women stay closely with UNICEF’s agents and volunteer workers to combat these issues. FAO and WFP support UNICEF by donating food packages containing healthy, nutritious, and safe meals and helping its representatives increase agricultural development in the region. UNICEF also endeavors to increase economic growth rates and develop underdeveloped and developing countries through cooperation with other organizations such as ADB, OECD, and UNDP. Specifically, with the bonus funds from ADB, extra laborers and volunteer workers from the OECD, and agents from the UNDP, UNICEF works to create more sustainable living spaces, safe learning environments, and stronger communities within poor and developing countries. In addition to its efforts to promote education and economic development, UNICEF operates many programs to support refugees from critical conflicts and the locals. In order to better the lives of millions of refugees globally, UNICEF has called upon the OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNHRC, and the United Nations working groups on social protection. One of the main problems refugees face is that they are not granted equal rights as citizens of the nation they enter to flee conflict or discrimination. UNHRC seeks to end this inequality issue and establish refugee rights worldwide with the support of UNICEF representatives. Another major problem is that some nations that shelter the refugees do not have enough resources and funds to support them, not even their people. Therefore, UNICEF has been collaborating with UNFPA, which donates or sends funds and supplies to UNICEF officials working in those regions that cannot properly support refugees.

Finally, UNICEF works closely with UNODC and WHO globally to deal with the lack of medical resources for human welfare. UNODC is committed to keeping crime rates down and preventing illegal drugs from entering poor and developing nations. UNICEF provides UNODC agents with statistics of where crime rates are the highest and actively supports their anti-drug actions. On the other hand, which is centered on health-related issues. The organization dispatches doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to regions where medical facilities and medicines are rare, full of flaws, and too widely dispersed to access. UNICEF guides these medical staff to the places where they are needed and required the most so that people may no longer suffer. Case Study and Initiatives of UNICEF 1) Conceptual Frameworks of UNICEF Seorim Lee, Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul These prompt responses to emergencies amidst the pandemic were able to occur because the organization had a strong foundation and systematic campaigns years before the pandemic. Before further elaborating on the explicit initiatives that UNICEF advocates in encouraging the healthcare and welfare of younger people, we should first be acquainted with the conceptual frameworks of UNICEF, as well as its indicators. Countless promising frameworks of positive indicators and child well-being indicators have been created in recent years. Frameworks are comprehensive in describing an extensive spectrum of essential domains of child well-being. Analyzing the framework, it elaborates the context by components that influence children and adolescents' well-being, including physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and further domains. Hence, in this section, we would like to dive deeper into the works of UNICEF in the physical and mental health of children. 2) Case Study 1. Physical Health a) Immunization works Eunbin Kim, Seoul Foreign School UNICEF is the world’s leading supplier of vaccines to both developed and developing countries, which demonstrates its commitment to child survival. Over the years they have been holding national immunization campaigns, vaccinating children against measles, polio and more. These previous immunization campaigns hosted by UNICEF have especially proved to be a great advantage amidst the pandemic.

Specifically, with UNICEF supplying more than 10 billion doses of Oral Polio Vaccines since 1988, the polio assets have been particularly useful for responding to the pandemic. The fact that the UNICEF networks were already in place served as a key attribute in the fight against COVID-19, considering the fact that the virus circulated around the globe at an extremely fast rate. Many countries where UNICEF was proceeding on with their polio vaccine campaigns like Venezuela, Japan, New Guinea, and Nigeria, all had the polio emergency operations center - a structured center where all the partners can get together to work out a strategy for the mission in a cohesive manner. The center was systematically divided into subgroups such as: surveillance, epidemiology, infection prevention, risk communication, and community engagement. These divided roles of the polio center were immediately

utilized in responding to COVID once the outbreak had started. Such strong foundations of UNICEF’s immunization system was the reason behind UNICEF’s immediate response to the COVID outbreak. Additionally, personnel in a number of countries had the knowledge and expertise needed, given their experiences with outbreaks of polio and other diseases. For instance, UNICEF Venezuela has previously experienced hardships in delivering polio vaccines to children living near and around conflict areas. Utilizing these data and experiences from the polio campaigns, they were able to come up with feasible and effective methods to be able to reach out to children during the pandemic. With such a strong foundation and works of UNICEF regarding the immunization works of polio in the previous years, they were able to become more respondent and efficient during the times of the pandemic. UNICEF could address the situation more respondent and efficiently, with such a strong foundation and works of UNICEF regarding the immunization works of polio in the previous years. b) Access to water Yeseung Lee, Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies About 80% of the 1.3 billion people are using boreholes to access safe water, usually in rural areas. One expert, however, says that “Boreholes have stability problems that can result from damaged casing and screens, borehole wall collapse, corrosion or excessive water velocities into the well. High water velocity can cause formation particles, like sand, to flow into the well, causing eventual collapse of the borehole wall.” Moreover, drinking contaminated water is not rare to see as poor villagers drink it from sandy water or mud. As a solution for a simple way to drink clean water, hand pumps have been presented as an alternative. For people suffering from access to clean water and the way to drink safely, hand pumps are the preferred technology that are used for all people including children. Smart pumps can even not only solve the situation of villagers drinking contaminated water, but also it makes it better since groundwater is good quality water. The biggest advantage of all is that they can buy it at a low price. However, the problem is that what was expected to have a lifespan of about 10 years was abandoned after only 1 or years of use across Africa. According to the survey in Kenya by UNICEF, Kenya finds the cost of repairs (19%), time taken to carry out repairs (17%) and frequency of breakdown (17%) to be leading factors for dissatisfaction with hand pumps. The one thing that really was advantageous to the villagers is the fee for the water usage. The cost of a hand pump is inexpensive because it is the cost they can afford. Only 1% of the surveyors complained about the cost of the hand pump. To deal with the problem of malfunction of hand pumps, UNICEF has implemented predictive technology that is widely used nowadays such as in airplane engines, medical devices, and computer hard drives. By collecting and analyzing data such as how many cycles it fails, where it breaks down a lot, and under what circumstances it is vulnerable to failure, it generates an algorithm that can contribute a lot when expecting and finding the cause of the malfunction of hand pumps. Furthermore, practical technology combined with hand pumps is meaningful because it is a technology that is suitable for the present AI era and has further development potential. 2. Mental Health and General Welfare Eunbin Kim, Seoul Foreign School The lockdown and stay-at-home orders measures have induced children to be more vulnerable to violence, abuse, and neglect. UNICEF had continuously built and developed child protection programs throughout the years and was able to transfer the data and experiences in the platform well onto the pandemic. One of the most extensive campaigns that UNICEF has been striving towards to combat violence against children is the #EndViolence campaign. This campaign aims to strengthen child protection systems as powerful tools to end violence, exploitation, and abuse in their multiple forms and across all contexts. Behind this launch of the End Violence campaign lies the INSPIRE framework created by UNICEF. INSPIRE is an evidence-based resource for everyone committed to preventing and responding to violence against children and adolescents from the government to grassroots, civil society, and the private sector. It serves as a technical framework to implement

effective and comprehensive programming to combat violence. Over the years, UNICEF had continuously strived to implement the seven strategies of INSPIRE and encouraged laws that ban violent punishment of children by parents, caregivers, and teachers. Based upon this general framework of the INSPIRE strategy, UNICEF took advantage of this framework to implement similar strategies to combat violence amidst the pandemic. Especially in the pandemic where it is harder for ground-works to protect the children, they call all governments to ensure that COVID-19 prevention and response plans integrate age-appropriate and gender sensitive measures in protecting children and using already established law work during the INSPIRE program as a basis. Yeseung Lee, Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies

With the rising technology of social media, there has been a lot of convenience to our society as interactions without restrictions in time and space. Besides many benefits it gave us, violence against children in various forms such as bullying, coporal punishment, attacks on schools, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying has been accelerated. Consider the example of one girl in India. One Indian girl committed a suicide after asking her followers whether she should live or died- about 65% of people that she asked responded she should die. Like the example above, social media could be dangerous in terms of being influential in bad ways. To add more, due to the social media system, deleting humiliating images or words is difficult, which increases the risk of victims being victimized and makes it hard for them to recover. To deal with violence against children that is accelerating due to the SNS, UNICEF created a programme called ROOTS. This is a programme asking students to nominate other pupils who are the most influential and have the wildest number of social connections. Then these selected pupils are selected for 12 training sessions around the issue of bullying that teach them how to create a positive environment and action plans that are appropriate for their schools. It turned out that about 30% of bullying decreased after ROOTS. Not only ROOTS, but also #END violence Against Children campaign has been enforced with UNICEF and UNESCO, UNGEI, and the Global Partnership participating together to end all forms of school violence. I believe that the management of UNICEF in terms of cyberbullying will help the situation happening during COVID pandemic. Since most of classes are held via online, the interaction between students in online will highly increase, causing a lot more cyber bullying, Therefore, ROOTS programme and #END violence Against Children campaign will contribute a lot or at least indicate a direction to deal with cyberbullying much more efficiently.

Cooperation of UNICEF with Relevant Entities of United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations Dokyung Oh, Saint James School 1) Collaboration with UN-Affiliated Organizations 1. World Food Programme (WFP) 2. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO) As UNICEF oversees many areas to protect the good health and well-being of children worldwide, partnerships are essential to UNICEF. The partnerships of UNICEF allow them to expand

their reach. As an UN-affiliated organization, depending on its purpose, UNICEF frequently collaborates with other relevant UN entities such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNWOMEN, and World Food Programme (WFP). For example, UNICEF collaborates with UNHCR, urging action to call an end to childhood statelessness when stateless children are not recognized in any state’s domestic law. Stateless children suffer from severe disadvantages in essential services such as health care and education, and such danger can also expose children to greater protection risks. Like such, UNICEF makes lots of partnerships with other UN entities in order to make its goal come true. Among the numerous goals of UNICEF, our team focused on the health and education of children all over the world and analysed what UNICEF has been working on recently. To begin with, protecting the health of children is multidimensional in that many other global issues. For instance, protection for the health of children has a close connection with 5 topics among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG #2 hunger is significant for the health of children since severe hunger causes the destruction of immune system, which would eventually lead to death. In addition, SDG #6 clean water and sanitation is also important since clean water and sanitation prevent children from being infected by diseases such as Malaria. SDG #5 gender equality is indispensable for the universal protection for the health of children. In some countries, girls are being neglected and excluded from healthy life, which includes physical, mental, and social life, by their family. For example, many girls are getting raped by their male family members like father, brother, and uncle. This terrible environment hinders girls from living their life with healthy mind. To save the health of children in the situation similar to this, gender equality must be one of the topics that UNICEF should work on. Lastly, SDG #4 education is also closely related for their health. Education gives children opportunities to avoid dangers and knowledge to liver better life, which could eventually end the threat to their health. 2) Partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations 1. Gavi-Alliance In order to solve the health-related problems of children, UNICEF has collaborated with other UN entities relevant to those topics. Currently, nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 are attributable to undernutrition. Undernutrition is much riskier than people think as it puts children at greater danger of dying from common infections and delays recovery. Undernutrition is especially destructive to children as they have weaker immune system. As a solution to this, UNICEF and WFP jointly collaborated with other stakeholders to coordinate the nutrition emergency at national levels. They, at the same time, mobilised resources and financially supported the implementation of the nutrition emergency response. Besides, they facilitated food security and nutrition assessments to reduce the worldwide rate of undernutrition. UNICEF also works to emphasize and improve the education of children, which directly contributes to the healthier lives of children. This is because education functions as an instrument that conveys accurate health beliefs and knowledge to children, and thus lead them to better lifestyle choices, better skills, and greater self-advocacy. Therefore, UNICEF, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and World Health Organisation (WHO) previously launched the campaign called “Health Promoting Schools”. In these schools, health education contents are introduced to the school curricula, as well as healthcare services such as medical examinations inside of school. This ameliorates social awareness on health problem, which would eventually contribute to reduction of health problem of children. Such advances in health promotion were applied in many schools across the world. Recently, due to the Covid-19, the campaign had a trivial change. In the pandemic outbreak, where children are unable to attend school, WHO and UNICEF on-ground

volunteers established a strong bonding between the community to deliver correct information about immunization targeting parents. Apart from the UN-affiliated organizations, UNICEF also strives towards cooperating with NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) to achieve sustainable development goals. For instance, as our lecturer Ms. Yamaguchi has mentioned in her lecture, healthcare gender barriers and underlying power dynamics at the household and community level hinder equal immunization amongst children. To reduce gender disparities in immunization, UNICEF had a partnership with GAVI, one of the NGOs that work for gender equality. For example, as Ms. Yamaguchi mentioned, “efforts to better understand gender-related barriers and activities are made with on-ground personnel, for instance, in settings where it is considered inappropriate for a woman or girl to see a male vaccinator or health worker, UNICEF and Gavi sends support to help ensure that female health workers are available to provide immunisation services.” Additionally, GAVI and UNICEF-supported countries are encouraged to analyse and understand how coverage of immunisation varies by sex, income, and geographic location. This programme aims to help identify reasons for low immunisation coverage in certain groups regarding several factors. Partnerships are core ability of UNICEF for carrying out its works for the protection of the health of children. Collaborating partnerships with other UN entities has not even been hampered by the pandemic. Along with the pandemic situation, UNICEF found out other ways to protect the health and education of children all over the world via multiple partnerships with WHO, WFP, GAVI, and UNESCO. Like such, UNICEF’s overarching partnerships with many other UN-affiliated groups and NGOs aid to resolve not only the sustainable development goals 3 - good health and well-being - but also other sustainable development goals that influence the health of children. Short and Long Term Resolutions of UNICEF Seorim Lee, Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul Sowon Yun, Younghoon International Middle School United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, or UNICEF, preserves its efforts to eradicate the predicament that endangers children and adolescents with the primary objective of saving children's lives. UNICEF's assistance to child protection, child survival, and emergencies in terms of children and adolescents' healthcare and general welfare is elaborated with its strategies. These major qualities are the foremost objectives that UNICEF prioritizes, as they are the primary values that SDG Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being also concerns. Addressing these issues are crucial for attaining both the Sustainable Development Goals and the utmost objectives of the UN. Therefore, UNICEF divides its main targets in both long-term and short-term perspectives. UNICEF thrives on addressing long-term and sustainable resolutions by mentioning them in the mission statement and objective. While aiming to advocate the global agenda in a permanent and sustainable viewpoint, UNICEF also sets out specific plan areas for short-term periods to achieve these goals consequentially. Distinguishing between long-term and short-term resolutions of UNICEF to achieve its priorities is also essential in achieving the global agenda of general health and well-being. UNICEF’s major mission areas mostly consist of the objective of supporting children and adolescents located in the most urgent situations that need to be addressed promptly. 1) Child Protection As one of UNICEF's fundamental goals to achieve every child's health and well-being, child protection is strongly emphasized, targeting to defend the youth from all forms of violence. UNICEF has emphasized this field of child protection by mentioning the importance of one of their goals, which stated that ‘every child is protected from violence and exploitation’. Prioritizing children's physical, mental and psychosocial needs to protect their lives and future, UNICEF's strategy to eradicate the issue is diminishing the critical factors in vulnerable populations. UNICEF aims particularly for the marginalized sectors to ensure inalienable protection in a safe and inclusive community. UNICEF foresees in the long-term

perspective to be committed to reach out and build inclusive communities for the most marginalized and deprived children, including victims of natural disasters, every form of violence, chronic poverty, disabilities, and warfare. This is also reflected in UNICEF’s vision, which clearly states, "a world where all children are free from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices." As a promoter of the protection of vulnerable children, UNICEF established resolutions in a short-term perspective as well. UNICEF elaborates its momentary strategies for child protection in the areas of diminishing violence, strengthening care systems, and making improvements of the access of children in judicial acts.

Diminishing violence by promoting prevention and protection method

Addressing the main point, UNICEF intensifies its role in boosting national progress for diminishing violence as one of the short-term strategies. UNICEF intervened in violence prevention actions nationwide, which could later contribute to the reduction of global violence caused on children. UNICEF, via services, has reached 2.7 million children who have experienced diverse forms of violence. It is also reported that UNICEF established pivotal support for governments to intensify their social service workforce, leading to a result of the increase of countries involved from 114 to 137 countries. This progress of UNICEF can be assumed to have supported building resilience of the violence dealing strategies by each government in a global perspective. Analytically, it is surely a remarkable outcome of UNICEF’s acts to have achieved a sufficient increase of approaching children and adolescents experiencing a severe form of every violence. UNICEF also invests in addressing harmful practices by invigorating prevention and protection services. Violence prevention inventions were supported with evidential figures, leading to the institutionalization of response services upon children in 141 countries. Violence prevention methodologies, as well as protection methods, are crucial in addressing child protection and promoting mutual resolutions in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3. This enhancement of prevention and protection services was specified on child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, in which UNICEF and its partners engaged in the implementation of rights-based interventions. In terms of child marriage, UNICEF highlighted the importance of the protection of girls, who have been identified to be approximately six times more exposed and prevailing in child marriage than boys. The field of child marriage is sincerely imperative towards accomplishing the idea of gender equality, which also is concerned deeply with the conceptual framework of SDG 5: Gender Equality. Furthermore, Female Genital Mutilation, also known as FGM, is a factor which UNICEF supported its elimination across 21 countries. This withdrawal milestone included interventions including building female agencies to insist on their rights, engaging males to participate in the achievement of gender equality in SDG 3 and improving the surveillance of communities. As shown from the statistical results, UNICEF encouraged about 8.5 million individuals to participate in education, discussions, and mobilization platforms to support the eradication of FGM. ii.

Providing children’s access to judicial actions

UNICEF also contributes to advancing children's access to judicial acts, promoting the eradication of violence against children. Specifically, it provides legitimate protection of children contacting law and ensures the legal identity across humanitarian themes, pursuit of peace, and development. UNICEF made a notifiable effort in supporting the access to justice for children, especially with 22 countries implementing specialized justice systems for children nationwide. The

United Nations General Assembly Resolution on children, held in 2019, provided the chance for the globe to make further advancements in the global reform agenda. Especially, children without parental care or support were enabled to be ensured of their legal identity and participation in legal services to be assured of their rights. In addition, UNICEF aims to strengthen data and research, advocate for national legislation and accountability, build capacity protection, and develop partnerships from nationwide to a global extent. iii.

Accelerators of UNICEF in achieving child protection

Some findings that have hastened UNICEF’s action in addressing its strategic plan included its investments in harmful practices, justice, humanitarian aid, and psychological support for children. In the field of violence, UNICEF promoted a method for all forms of violence to be eradicated through ending violence in schools, improving social norms in dealing with violence, and enhancing the online protection areas of children. Moreover, UNICEF improved sustainability in the volatile environment by taking humanitarian action for children in need. Specifically, UNICEF made its investments in localization for frontline responders. Localization is identified as one of the methods that are the most beneficial in terms of reaching the most unreachable and neglected children through localized policies and systems supported by international organizations. Lastly, UNICEF set out its milestone in administering mental healthcare and psychological support for severely impacted sectors. The International Children’s Fund planned on leveraging the Mental Health Innovation Portfolio to cope with challenges associated with mental problems of youth individuals. 2) Child Survival Child survival is insisted as the universal development imperatives that are indispensable for human development. UNICEF works to approach every child to maintain their rights to survive and thrive in every circumstance. UNICEF has mainly focused on areas in Health Systems Strengthening Approach. Primarily, the Health System Strategies or the HSS is striving to address critical emergencies, which would consist of both implementing short-term resolutions while keeping the long-term solutions in sight. Some short-term resolutions of UNICEF to maintain the child survival of every human being include newborn, child, and adolescent healthcare. i.

Newborn Health

Reducing the mortality rate has been one of UNICEF's focuses of the Strategic Plan. Specifically, during 2020, UNICEF emphasized the importance of survival programmes and providing high-quality care for both the mother and the child, accelerating the progress of healthcare to the newborns who are sick and vulnerable, and connecting health facilities to support care in communities to take a step forward in newborn survival. The adequate and time-wise care for newborns as well as mothers who have given birth is known to be vital for the maintenance of a healthy community, since it is a key factor which is pivotal for preserving child survival. UNICEF has analyzed in its strategic plan about the specific outcomes for maternal and newborn health in the year 2020. In terms of child survival, skilled birth personnel, which are identified as home and facilities, were provided at a total of 78% rate to support live births. Vital humanitarian services such as skillful attendants and interventions are provided to promote postnatal care and prioritize neonatal survival of children after birth. Skilled birth attendants are crucial for diminishing maternal and neonatal mortality, in other words reducing the death rates of newborns, since newborns and birthmothers whose physical state is severely weakened need the appropriate and professional care for their survival. Additionally, UNICEF supported live births to be delivered in legitimate healthcare facilities for 142 million newborns in total. Their report also states that UNICEF delivered 30.5 million live births via healthcare facilities in 52 high-burden countries which are marginalized to address child survival issues. Maternal and neonatal tetanus has also been one of the predicaments that UNICEF dealt with in the year 2020. UNICEF has coped with this issue in 47 countries, which is a significant process towards achieving a fully addressed healthcare and well-being status of all. Maternal and neonatal tetanus is a

disease that occurs in unsanitary and unhygienic environments, therefore is a disease that is central for UNICEF to resolve in the pathway of achieving SDG 3. Especially, 1.2% of total neonatal mortality of the newborns is known to be fully influenced by the neonatal tetanus. UNICEF’s major objectives and programmes targeting maternal and neonatal tetanus has focused on the delivery of TTCV/Td vaccine doses to women involved in the reproductive age level, as well as reducing the number of deaths caused by maternal and neonatal tetanus. Not only UNICEF but also its partners are working towards the progress of the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus. Since 1999, there has been a slow but steady process proceeded by UNICEF and its partners of decreasing death rates caused by tetanus. In recent generations, COVID-19 has disrupted the immunization methods and campaigns over the world; for instance, the global pandemic had delayed the implementation of SIAs from January to May 2020. These barriers forced UNICEF to strengthen its policies in resuming SIAs and immunizations, which eventually led to UNICEF’s outcome of achieving an 80% coverage, vaccinating over 8 million women in the reproductive age. ii.

Child Health

Child and adolescent health also must be emphasized in the context of child survival. The major objectives of child survival are to prevent and offer adequate treatment for the diseases that a large proportion of the child population suffers from, including pneumonia, diarrhea, and Malaria. To go into the details of this process, 16% of the children suffering from diarrhea received ‘zinc’ and ‘oral rehydration salts (ORS)’ to cope with the symptom. The delivery of rehydration salts sachets was hosted by UNICEF, which targeted to increase the access to treatment to be more beneficial to children. Specifically, a total of 50.8 million ORS sachets were delivered by the International Children’s Fund in the year 2020. There exists a distinct example of the Northwest and Southwest Regions of the Republic of Congo, in which UNICEF invigorated ORS/zinc treatment for children under age 5, collaborating with two NGOs in the region. This made a crucial influence in protecting the health and well-being of children, especially in areas that are hard to reach including conflict-affected areas, or the areas impacted by severe natural disasters. Pneumonia, a key participant in negatively affecting child mortality and survival rates, has been addressed by UNICEF and the Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia, which had set out specific action plans to meet the indicators of SDG 3 in achieving child health. Viewing from UNICEF’s provided statistics, 61% of the children with pneumonia have been taken to health-care providers appropriate for each of their personal health status. ‘Amoxicillin’ was recommended as the first-hand treatment of pneumonia through antibiotics in high-burden, vulnerable countries. Among the 8.6 million children who received appropriate antibiotics at a global level, a group of countries consisting of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Pakistan, Mozambique, and Sudan, covered 82% of the delivery. Analytically, this statistic implies the fact that the most vulnerable regions were targeted with the essential healthcare vaccines needed-which signifies a great progress towards the involvement of marginalized sectors in the area of health and well-being. In the current pandemic of COVID-19, UNICEF provided vital medical oxygen needed for child patients suffering the severe symptoms of pneumonia in low- and middle- income countries. This medical oxygen, also identified as the oxygen concentrators, is mandatory for countries to provide a source of clean oxygen that is pivotal for the treatment and furthermore, the recovery of patients. Malaria has been identified as a fatal and serious disease delivered by insects, usually via mosquitos. Malaria was acknowledged as one of the fatal diseases that must be dealt with by UNICEF alongside pneumonia and diarrhea symptoms. UNICEF has also made significant progress towards the achievement of eradicating malaria, as 55% of children who have been suffering from malaria have been able to gain the opportunity of sleeping under an insecticide-treated net, provided by UNICEF. As one of the first-hand defenses of malaria, UNICEF stabilized the access to long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to prevent further malaria infections. UNICEF additionally encountered the most vulnerable sectors, such as children under the age 5 or the Sub-Saharan region, to formulate defenses against malaria and reduce the global burden of malaria. While the recent pandemic proceeded, UNICEF increased its support in the essential care and diagnosis against malaria, in which it included the

guidelines that explained the provision of care. UNICEF also institutionalized community health workers and immunizations due to vaccines through UNICEF health programs. iii.

Adolescent Health

Furthermore, addressing non-communicable diseases and maintaining reproductive health for adolescents is needed to eliminate as many victims as possible. In this area of protecting adolescent health, the major focus of UNICEF was to deliver vaccine doses to target HPV immunization, and to build a gender-responsive, multisectoral plan for adolescent health. Elaborating on the details of these programmes, the ‘Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem’ was organized by both the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Working towards its commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, UNICEF prescribed 14.2 million doses of HPV vaccinations in 2020. This progress encouraged communities to be engaged in vaccinating citizens for the prevention of HPV. For instance, Cameroon, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Myanmar delivered the HPV vaccines to girls who are exposed to this fatal disease. In addition, malnutrition has also been the concern area of UNICEF in reaching sufficient adolescent health levels. As malnutrition is also a significant cause of childhood deaths, strengthening health systems, legislative action, and the generation of knowledge is vital to prevent stunting, wasting, and the chronic form of malnutrition. UNICEF also exceeds the examination, analysis, and use of the data and information to formalize contingency planning and emergency response capacity. Nevertheless, it is true that concerns of health security and emergency condemnation influence the international compromise for HSS. 3) UNICEF and Emergencies Therefore, UNICEF in emergencies is the fundamental principle that UNICEF concerns. UNICEF has set its mitigation measures to build and support public conception and advocate governments for the risks that should be addressed promptly, such as national governments' insufficient prioritization of child protection. Not only assisting governments, but UNICEF also created resources needed for urgent responses to its partners, including humanitarian agencies and other UN-affiliated organizations. For the long-term and sustainable monitoring of UNICEF's work in emergencies, UNICEF ensured a 'first call to children' to form legitimate policies contributing to the delivery of healthcare services to children. Thus, it offers an opportunity to leverage attention to and funding to establish health systems that can deal with a wide variety of services that are also prepared for emergencies and resilient. In emergencies that need to be approached promptly, UNICEF supports care, supplies, and protection in 190 countries when an emergency occurs. Usually, UNICEF's short-term resolutions focus on accelerating humanitarian support and protective services. The primary child victims targeted are those impacted by armed conflict, natural disasters, and public health emergencies. For instance, UNICEF promotes its support for the most vulnerable settings through emergency immunization responses- especially during the current COVID19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic particularly strengthens the linkages with UNICEF and its capacities of dealing with emergencies, and therefore is the issue that is pivotal to be addressed in both the short and long term. UNICEF has made partnerships with the IFRC, leading the Outbreaks and Emergencies areas for the 2030 agenda of immunization. In other cases, UNICEF also contributed to reviewing the emergency requests to the International Coordination Group from Burkina Faso, Chad, and Togo on Vaccine Provision for Epidemic Meningitis. Furthermore, UNICEF has stimulated new vaccines for resolving the COVID-19 pandemic under the emergency use authorization of WHO and implemented the global stock monitoring dashboard for an improved management of vaccines. These actions taken by UNICEF can intensify UNICEF's capacity to deal with emergent circumstances, invest in localization and promote child protection. UNICEF also emphasizes its works in reinforcing its ability for emergency preparedness, as well as replies. Its investments are focused on the prevention of severe wasting and malnutrition, which are also challenging factors in addressing child survival. Some examples of these works include UNICEF’s help for Fiji, Indonesia, and Kiribati to adapt preparedness and response capacity levels for

emergencies related to nutrition. UNICEF’s efforts on these countries helped them to develop advanced response plans at a governmental level, as well as improve the quality of emergency responses at the humanitarian contexts by supporting each area with technical resources. With significant progress achieved by a coherent and transparent global development agenda from UNICEF to eradicate the root causes of the problem, UNICEF discerns the essential need to enhance the analysis of child-related SDGs to increase its duty to fulfill its commitments. UNICEF, in both permanent and momentary perspectives, puts remarkable efforts in the areas of child protection, child survival and health emergencies to eventually build a healthy and inclusive society for children to thrive on. Consequently, these time-based resolutions of UNICEF are imperative for the global community to invest in the common health and well-being of the youth, as Sustainable Development Goal 3 states. Therefore, we, viewing from the perspective of the youth, must be informed and acknowledged of UNICEF’s remarkable efforts in eradicating the dilemmas of child survival and protection, as well as its capabilities in overcoming urgent situations that are directly linked to the lives of every human being.

Conclusion 1) Call to Action Eunbin Kim, Seoul Foreign School Additionally, we have contemplated further clarifying and examining the value of youth. We have surveyed adolescents, informed and instructed them about the UNICEF and Sustainable Development Goals via Instagram. Summarizing the results, before they were informed of the contributions of UNICEF, only 7% to 30% of the viewers stated that UNICEF had contributed highly to society. Minimum 56% to 71% of the viewers responded that they knew about the SDGs. However, after posting a short infographic regarding the works of UNICEF and the SDGs, the perspective of UNICEF’s works has changed. Over a minimum of 33% to a maximum of 80% of viewers stated that UNICEF highly contributes to society. Additionally, the same youth had placed a higher value on the SDGs. However, we have to bear in mind that this Instagram post was only posted for 24 hours, surveyed against a small testing group, but we could still notice drastic changes in the youth’s opinion. Hence, we believe that UNICEF has the potential to enhance its commitment further. Moreover, we expect to accompany this unfold in the future, utilizing social media platforms more frequently to interact with youth, opening their ears and eyes for the future generation. 2) Potential of UNICEF and SDG3 Seorim Lee, Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul Likewise, UNICEF has been devoted to ensuring healthcare and the well-being of children’s lives on a global scale. Its competence and commitment have been highly endorsed by diverse communities and countries around the world. What would have happened to the world without International Children’s Funds? As one of the fundamental bodies of the United Nations, UNICEF is certainly valuable in a society. As well as during the pandemic by taking measures to protect children’s physical and mental health. Nonetheless, it was not only UNICEF’s own endeavors to maintain the

objectives of the United Nations concerning posterity. Other relevant UN entities and NGOs have jointly contributed to the health and welfare of children and adolescents. UNICEF acknowledges their genuine contribution, also appreciates and discerns the value of cooperation. Following this, when UNICEF highlighted the initiatives through addressing measures including polio and other diseases before the emergence of Covid-19, it has stimulated further campaigns and activities, which have been enhanced by cooperating with COVAX Facility and the Gavi-alliance. Indeed the pandemic was an unprecedented occurrence. However, UNICEF has perceived the situation as another opportunity to proceed wholeheartedly with its engaging experiences and insights. Therefore, acknowledging and appreciating the resolutions and strategies that UNICEF has planned, we could further imagine that youth’s perception would be crucial as well. UNICEF and attaining the SDG 3 is one of the milestones that can lead to this improved state of the world one where all adolescents and children have the equal opportunity to step up and achieve their full potential. Specifically, addressing the issues that plague children’s health and well-being should be the first and most crucial step in bettering their lives for if one does not feel safe or healthy, what more can they do? If we are mobilized together in this effort, the future generation, we can improve the world for the better. Questions and Answers Q1. Indeed, the pandemic exposed deep inequalities in our community, especially showing differences between the vulnerable and high-income populations. Are there any resolutions that UNICEF is working on to reduce this disparity? Or what is UNICEF planning to resolve this inequality? A. During the pandemic, inequalities would rise. When a pandemic hits, it shot spotlights on the most unreached communities, receiving the hardest hits. This is how we identify where the most challenging communities are. As a GPI, one of the answers was to provide packaged services more than polio to help build community services to strengthen the community and its resilience. As UNICEF, we try to use our limited resources in the most vulnerable areas, and from this, the segregated data at a local level is imported to figure out disparities. We also promote house-to-house visits and vaccinations and collect microdata. Q2. I have researched that one of UNICEF’s strategic plans (2018-2021) is to provide treatment and care for children with severe wasting. How does UNICEF interconnect with other UN-affiliated organizations to enhance all children’s well-being? A. Often the most vulnerable communities are neglected for various reasons. UNICEF and the UN do national consultations with governments. Also, when we do the programming, we try to allocate our resources focusing on these communities. We work with WHO and UNFPA; for nutrition, we partner with WFP; for SDGs, we partner with UNDP, and more. In a field, we work every day together to deliver services. We try to address the most vulnerable communities, ensure that all countries are gaining equal access to vaccination, and support health systems at the local and community levels. We’re looking at the life level, health facility level, health workforce level, and aspects of gender equality, and more. We also have partnerships with leading agencies such as Gavi. We also work for full immunization capacity UNICEF has, including supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response, having COVAX introductions in developing countries. Q3. Pandemic relief programs and survival kits have been distributed, but it is not enough for all adolescents receiving harm from the pandemic. What are plans made to improve such systems? A. We believe that good responses also depend on good preparedness. Therefore, the response can be possible if we have already implied assets and capacities in places. None of the countries were fully prepared for COVID; however, many countries and communities were very well prepared with polio.

We mobilized assets, volunteers, and advocates so that they became a good, rapid response. Preparedness also occurs at the local level and the community level. We also have capacities of people in every community except the inaccessible areas. We are trying to see how polio assets contributed to the COVID pandemic can also be used for future pandemics. Q4. Before the pandemic, people used to volunteer in person. But in the COVID 19 state, what other measures are UNICEF thinking of to ensure volunteers do not get infected with the mutant virus? In addition, how is UNICEF dealing with volunteers who have not yet been vaccinated? A. We ensured that all volunteers and health workers were vaccinated during the pandemic and ensured that they were protected from COVID. We developed a safety guideline for volunteers and vaccinators. If the vaccination is available, we would like to prioritize their vaccination as health workers. There is a bit of disparity in access to COVID-19 vaccines between the developing and rich countries. It’s not that overall the vaccines are yet available in many countries, in the stage of still introducing vaccines. Still, we would like to make sure that when vaccines are available, health workers get vaccinated. Q5. Regarding the polio immunization campaigns, how do volunteer workers try to reach out to children who are in war/conflict zones? While proceeding on these campaigns, are there any databases collected about where certain children live? If they took any data regarding these, how were these databases used during the pandemic as well? A. There are only 2 countries with world polioviruses- Afghanistan and Pakistan. In some crises, we do not reach children because of their distance, interference, and so on. However, a large part of the challenge is the ‘Taliban control’ area. Governments become armed forces, and there exist occupied areas, as well as inaccessible areas. We make several approaches; we do negotiate access with the consultation with the government and anti-governmental forces. In recent years, there was a breakthrough in gaining access to part of the Taliban-controlled areas in Afghanistan. We offered to bring more than polio vaccines (for instance, hygiene), they decided to allow us to go in there to allow vaccination because they wanted the services. Even though these areas are occupied, they still need to provide some services. Sometimes if we do not get any access (for instance, Nigeria- we found out some polio cases in the areas that Boko-Haram was occupying, however, they left. After the population moved, we visited there and ensured the vaccination of children. That may seem like a passive approach, but that also works. We also make sure that surrounding communities are vaccinated so that any spilling-over cases are prevented, and at least the surrounding communities are safe after the occupation era. References https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/styles/hero_mobile/public/UNI308041.jpg?itok=BRbnOLNy https://www.unicef.org/careers/sites/unicef.org.careers/files/styles/hero_mobile/public/UN0245809.jpg?itok=f3ivUGLT https://www.unicef.org/media/83781/file/GARR-2019-Child-Protection-Overview%20.pdf https://www.unicef.org/media/48126/file/UNICEF_Strategic_Plan_2018-2021-ENG.pdf https://www.unicef.org/executiveboard/media/2891/file/2021-5-Evaluation%20Summary-Strategic%20Plan%202018-2021EN-ODS.pdf https://www.unicef.org/media/102426/file/Global-annual-results-report-2020-goal-area-1.pdf https://www.unicef.org/media/83781/file/GARR-2019-Child-Protection-Overview%20.pdf https://www.unicef.org/media/73766/file/GARR-2019-Goal-Area-3-2020.pdf.pdf https://www.unicef.org/about-us/mission-statement https://www.unicef.org/thailand/sites/unicef.org.thailand/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/CRC30%20Banner.jpg?itok=pRzePis https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/Uganda-UN0306422-hero.JPG?itok=M1uIKlej https://www.unicef.org/supply/sites/unicef.org.supply/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/SudanUNI224894.jpg?itok=zwPYXq9k Bring bullying to an end - UNICEF Connect #ENDviolence | UNICEF WaterWells_module7.pdf (gov.ab.ca) https://www.unicef.org/about-us/missionstatement#:~:text=UNICEF%20is%20mandated%20by%20the,to%20reach%20their%20 full%20potential https://sdgs.un.org/goals https://www.unicef.org/partnerships https://www.unicef.org/partnerships/public https://www.unicef.org/eca/what-we-do/our-partners https://www.unicef.org/sdgs https://data.unicef.org/sdgs/

SAEBOM KUK (HOME SCHOOL)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS-SDG #8 “ON THE HISTORIC DATE OF" 1ST JANUARY 2016, THE 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) OF THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT — ADOPTED BY WORLD LEADERS IN SEPT. 2015 AT A HISTORIC UN SUMMIT — OFFICIALLY CAME INTO FORCE.”

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Built on the foundation of the Millennium Development Goals, the 17 SDGs have 169 specific targets that call nations worldwide to action, promoting social, economic, cultural, and sustainable growth within the global community. Contrary to what some believe, The 17 SDGs are not legally binding. However, they can be seen as an expectation of governments to take ownership, make global networks, and support the achievement of the SDGs. Instead of being a forced noose. It’s an invitation to take part in making our world a better place. Some examples of the SDG 8 targets are listed below.

PROMOTE POLICIES TO SUPPORT JOB CREATION AND GROWING ENTERPRISES

PROMOTE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING

IMPROVE RESOURCE EFFICIENCY IN CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

“Sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth”. This is SDG 8’s goal. 8 entails promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, while pursuing a society with productive employment and decent work. After researching for a couple days, I found the meaning that perfectly suited "sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth". Sustainable economic development can be defined as economically developing and satisfying our needs without harming the environment. In the meantime, inclusive development is a type of economic growth that promotes general welfare, giving everyone in society an equal opportunity. Finally, sustained economic development, which is the overarching theme, is a development that can be maintained and perpetuated throughout time. In short, SDG 8 aims to foster a development that considers the environment, the people, and the future generation. The 5 Ps As the "5Ps"(Prosperity, Partnership, People, Planet, Peace) suggests, the SDGs specifically serve to enhance the livelihood of individuals, protect the environment, and promote peace and prosperity. But most importantly, the main characteristic of the SDGs is the fact that “ALL 17 GOALS AND TARGETS ARE ESSENTIAL AND INTERCONNECTED; COLLECTIVE ACTION IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THE GLOBAL GOALS.”

JIHYEON SUNG (CHADWICK INTERNATIONAL) STATUS QUO - COVID-19 The outbreak of the global pandemic COVID19 from 2020 added a layer of problems on top of the already-existent social issues, including poverty, inequalities, climate emergency, and many more. This global context, pertaining to COVID-19, can be called the ‘VUCA World.’ V in VUCA stands for Volatile. Surges of virus spread and natural disasters are unexpected disturbances that cause trouble in human adaptation and response. These changes occur much more often than before, thus requiring continuous analysis and evaluation to seek solutions. U is for Uncertain and C is for Complex. As aforementioned, the volatile and uncertain global events make it difficult for people to identify, predict, and prioritize the factors that may influence a certain situation. Lastly, A stands for Ambiguous. Rapid technological innovations, along with the increasing digital divide, make it difficult to interpret endless amounts of information and explain new processes and events. In brief, in such a

multifaceted world, humanity has become susceptible more than ever before to changes, in this case the pandemic.

“SDG 8’s mission: sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth” Interestingly, there is a clear correlation between COVID-19 and the SDG 8’s mission, the sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. To begin with, the pandemic created lasting legacies, disrupting sustained growth. Although the major economies such as the ones in the United States of America and China are fueling global growth, which is expected to accelerate to 5.6% this year, the level of global GDP in 2021 is expected to be 3.2% below pre-pandemic projections. Moreover, according to the ILO, 25 million people have lost their jobs, with the loss of income amounting to 3.4 trillion USD on a global scale. Expectedly as a consequence, the Human Development Index dropped by over 700% from the year 2019 to 2020. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic gave birth to various economic inequalities, negatively impacting inclusive growth. The most vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled personnel, children, women, internally displaced people and refugees, are the ones being hit hardest by the novel virus. For example, schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost a full year since 2020. In the meantime, since the pandemic outbreak, the total count of refugees and migrants has increased by 500,000. Lastly, sustainable growth has also been halted by the pandemic. Although the decrease of human activities did alleviate the environmental issues such as showing a 6% drop in GHG emissions in the fiscal year of 2020, this still falls short of the required annual reduction rate set by the Paris Climate Agreement, which is 7.6%. Moreover, new records of the summer temperatures are being updated every year, and making the matter worse, many climate movements such as strikes to appeal for stronger environmental policies have been canceled or postponed indefinitely.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of geographic boundaries, has affected everyone including the most vulnerable, and has inflicted a irreparable scar on the global economy by triggering numerous shocks. These statistics serve as more than enough evidence that our world desperately needs to achieve the SDGs. Our complex, uncertain world full of clusters of megatrends embraces different categories of rapid technological development, demography, shifting powers, and environmental pressures. The single event of COVID-19 outbreak sparked health issues, economic inequalities, social polarization, and impacted our response to climate change. The need for diverse perspectives and incorporation of various factors to solve a singular issue is parallel to the interlinked and indivisible nature of the UN SDGs. In particular, the SDG 8, which reinforces social and environmental goals of the sustainability agenda by promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, is pivotal in determining our fate in the post-pandemic era.

DONGHYUN HAN (SEOUL INTERNATIONAL)

ABOUT THE UNDP Among numerous international organizations that serve to spearhead the United Nations Global Goals, the United Nations Development Program is one of the forerunners. The United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP in short, was established in 1965 from a merger of two United Nations Departments: United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and United Nations Special Fund. Now serving as a separate agency under the General Assembly, the program has been established with visions to support countries in eliminating poverty, achieving sustainable human development, and emphasizing the importance of resource and nature conservation. Since 1965, the UNDP continuously grew rapidly in size, and today acts as the UN's largest development assistance program. While the organization has its headquarters in New York, the UNDP works with its international offices, located in 170 countries and territories, along with its six policy centers around the world. With the existing offices and departments, the UNDP continuously works in cooperation with other associations and governments to develop policies and institutional capabilities. The organization pursues three main areas of focus or development challenges: the eradication of poverty, accelerating

structural transformations for sustainable development, and building resilience to crises and shocks, which are all tightly knitted with SDG 8’s targets. Eradication of Poverty The first area of focus is the eradication of poverty. Poverty has always been an issue and today, an estimated 700 million people live below the threshold of extreme poverty set at $1.90/day. In addition to that, 80% of the world lives on less than $10/day. Moreover, an estimated 1.3 billion people are projected to suffer from multidimensional poverty, especially during the pandemic. As poverty is caused by multifaceted factors including income, poor health, and lack of education, it should be clearly noted that SDG 8 is indeed one of the main goals of the UNDP. Recognizing the urgency of the need to take action, the UNDP looks at both inequalities and poverty in order to leave no one behind and focuses on the dynamics of exiting poverty and not falling back. This requires addressing the interconnected socio-economic, environmental, and governance challenges that drive people into poverty. Thus, the UNDP works to ensure that responses are multisectoral and coherent from global to local. In short, the UNDP’s signature solutions on poverty cuts across the work on all the SDGs, whether it’s decent work or peace and justice.

YOONSOO KANG (CHANGDEOK GIRLS’ MIDDLE SCHOOL)

a) Building resilience to crisis and shocks Innumerable countries are in a situation in which every moment has been greatly affected by variable shocks such as climate change, disasters, violent extremism, conflicts, economic and financial volatility, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and environmental degradation. One of the many crises, disasters, and climate change, for example, is now evacuating more people than ever due to disaster and climate change, with an average of 14 million evacuating annually. In addition, the impact of these crises can be seen from the number of refugees and the number of people currently "displaced", with about 258 million people living outside their countries and 68.5 million refugees. Furthermore, in terms of the "disease" crisis, major diseases, as seen in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015, can cause significant economic losses such as livelihood impact, reduced household income and reduced national GDP.

The crisis exists freely in every country regardless of borders. The crisis is caused by causes such as poverty, population growth, weak governance, and rapid urbanization, and now more than 1.6 billion people, including 600 million young people, live in an environment surrounded by various conflicts, crises, and political unrest. Especially since World War II and now, more people than ever have left their homes because of war and violence, looking for another sanctuary.

The UNDP is making efforts in the terms of past, present, and future to counter the crises which have no borders. In the terms of ‘past’, UNDP supported countries and communities to recover with resilience

from the effects of risks and shocks experienced in the past. In the terms of ‘present’, UNDP helps countries and communities become proficient in managing variable conflicts effectively. Finally, in the terms of ‘future’, the UNDP not only supports countries and communities to pre-prepare major shocks but also suggests ways to include the management of various risks in investment, development planning, and direction. UNDP serves to strengthen its ability to recover from the aftermath of crises in people, communities, and institutions, and to respond to crises, anticipate and prevent them, through implementing these solutions and building resilience. This allows the UNDP to find and resolve the most fundamental causes of conflict, mitigate the effects of climate change that are currently affecting us greatly, and recover from the crisis and eventually build sustainable peace. The UNDP also helps people to return to their homes/jobs/schools and thrive again. The UNDP also strengthens women's and girls' capabilities to promote gender equality, help women and girls escape poverty, and lead governance to act comprehensively and responsibly. In this respect, the UNDP plays a pivotal and valuable role not only in achieving the SDG 8, but it also plays a vital role in achieving all SDGs to make changes in people's daily lives, small or large.

b) Accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development The final main development challenge of the UNDP is accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development. It is important to note that a decent structural framework is crucial to bringing sustainable development to fruition in reality. Without proper structural transformations, eradication of poverty or building resilience to crises are only illusions. According to the agency, the ‘ineffective, unaccountable, non-transparent’ government institutions and processes hamper the ability of states to achieve fully sustained, inclusive, and sustainable growth. To achieve structural transformations, the UNDP focuses on forming governance for peaceful, just, and sustained societies, fostering green growth, and engaging women’s empowerment and gender equality. The UNDP communicates with a wide range of institutions, from national parliaments, supreme courts, and national civil services through regional and local administrations to form peaceful, just, and sustained societies. To achieve sustainable economic growth, the UNDP also promotes “nature-based solutions for development” and “clean, affordable energy” directions to ensure all people have plenty of clean water, food, air and live along with low-carbon technology. Because the 'opportunity' is determined by clean air, sufficient water, food, education, and affordable clean energy, the UNDP provides ‘fair opportunity' to innumerable people around the world by promoting these two directions. By pursuing these two directions, the UNDP also helps countries focus their priorities on all environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement, and uses clean and affordable energy away from the use of limited fossil fuels. Furthermore, to achieve inclusive development, the agency supports nationals and communities to implement public policies that advance gender equality and the empowerment of women. Thus, there is no doubt that the UNDP plays a pivotal role in pursuing SDG 8 in our global community.

DAKYUM LEE (FAYSTON) Methods: [Development Cooperation] The development cooperation is a multilateral cooperation under the UNDP that aims to provide assistance to developing countries by promoting their long-term sustained, sustainable, and inclusive human development. To be more specific, the concept supports and complements developing nations' efforts to 1) offer universal social basic standards to their inhabitants, 2) converge to greater levels of prosperity and wellbeing, correcting excessive international disparities, and 3) supply international public goods. UNDP majorly oversees or uses three different operational approaches: North-South Cooperation (which includes Official development assistance), South-south cooperation, and Triangular cooperation. The distinction between these methods is the matter of which stakeholders each method takes. North-South Cooperation North-South cooperation is a form of development cooperation between the North and the South in the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental domains. The separation of "North" and "South" is not based on physical boundaries, but rather on economic considerations and the quality of life of the citizens. To put it another way, the north represents advanced countries, and the south indicates developing countries. In North-South cooperation, developed countries foster economic, scientific and technological selfreliance of developing countries through providing financial help and sharing their knowledge, technology, expertise, and resources. The special feature of North-South Cooperation is that it acts as a ‘communication bridge’ between the developing countries and developed countries. Through North-South Cooperation, developed countries aid and share their advanced knowledge, and innovative technologies to the developing countries. This way, the developing countries can move one step closer to achieve ‘sustainable development’ with use of existing capacity. An example of the use of this cooperation is Italy launching a project for the Sahel for famine and degradation damage in nineteen eighty-two. For another instance, China donated seven hundred thousand doses, and the U.S. 3 million doses, of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine to Afghanistan in early 2020. This cooperation proved how multilateral cooperation can solve crises such as the pandemic.

JIHYEON SUNG (CHADWICK INTERNATIONAL) Official Development Assistance (ODA) The financial branch of the North-South cooperation is distinguished as Official Development Assistance, so called ODA. ODA is defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as a vertical government aid from a donor country that promotes and targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries. In 1969, the Development Assistance Committee adopted ODA as the “gold standard” of foreign aid for its promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries. By this day, this “gold standard” remains as the main source of financing for development aid. Since ODA is a specialized financial aid, military aid and promotion of donors’ security interests, or transactions that have primarily commercial objectives like export credits are not classified as ODA. ODA initiates inclusive economic growth for all by aiding multilateral development institutions, countries and territories on the DAC List of ODA recipients in terms of budget support, and even provides scholarships in donor countries.

Among numerous successful examples of the ODA, South Korea was indeed one of the most successful cases of reviving from an economic recession after receiving the aid. After the liberation of Japanese colonial rule in 1945 until the late 1990s, Korea was one of the poorest nations in the world. However, after receiving a total of 12.7 billion USD from the ODA, the assistance provided a foundation enabling Korea to take a giant leap forward in economic development, which resulted in phenomenal socio-economic development. Even though there are difficulties in evaluating the impact and actual efficacy of the ODA, in an extensive global study published in 2010, three research workers at the University of Copenhagen calculated that international aid added a substantial amount of additional growth in developing countries.

SSC Another type of Global Cooperation South-South Cooperation (SSC). SSC is a cooperation between two developing countries in the Global South. In this cooperation, one country that is more developed in a

certain area assists other developing countries in the development of that area. In general, neighboring developing countries tend to have similarities, including language, culture, and climate. Thus, SSC allows the donor countries to help clients that they are mostly well-informed about. South-South cooperation has grown rapidly in the past two decades, in terms of scale, geographic reach, intensity, and modalities. The outstanding speed of its growth has naturally led to a desire for accounting for these significant flows of resource transfer between developing countries. The way SSC contributes to building inclusive global economic growth is by promoting a large number of knowledge and expertise exchanges through programs, projects, and initiatives that have helped solve specific problems in the countries of the Global South. One example of the use of SSC is the development fund provided by the Cambodian capital to fellow developing countries like India and South Africa in exchange for the knowledge of robust development of a national welfare policy and a youth volunteering scheme. It proved how SSC promotes a large number of knowledge and expertise exchanges. Another example is enhancing teacher education in Africa. From 2012 to 2016, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Liberia, Namibia, Tanzania, and Uganda shared and cooperatively developed national key teacher education and training institutions to provide quality teacher education and training. This way, the developing countries built the capacity of education for each other.

DONGHYUN HAN (SEOUL INTERNATIONAL) Triangular Cooperation Another method the UNDP uses to pursue the UN SDG 8 is triangular cooperation. Also known as North-South-South cooperation, the triangular cooperation features three stakeholders: one developed or “North” nation and 2 “South” or developing nations. In some cases, a South-South Cooperation can change to triangular cooperation. Usually, the transition of a South-South Cooperation into a Triangular Cooperation is when the developing nation or South nation providing assistance in SSC has restrictions on its capabilities (such as insufficient funds). The developed nation would help in several ways like funding, technological support, and experience. One example of Triangular cooperation is between Germany, Morocco, and Costa Rica. In this cooperation, Germany functioned as the developed or North nation, offering financial assistance and information regarding the methodology and organization it gained from its past experiences in cooperation. The cooperation led to a multitude of positive results. Costa Rica, in the last 20 years, has made large strides in protecting and conserving the country's environment and natural resources. Costa Rica shared the various experiences, insights, and tips gathered in its 20-years with Morocco. Some examples of the information that was shared were about Costa Rica’s experiences in developing and creating certain policies with the forest environmental partnership groups. This information greatly helped Morocco with developing the national strategy on protected areas to preserve natural and cultural heritage as part of a vision of sustainable development for Morocco.

FINAL SUGGESTIONS/ TAKEAWAYS DAKYUM LEE (FAYSTON)

SPECIFIC SHORTCOMINGS OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION Development Cooperation methods indeed have rooms for improvements. To start with specific shortcomings of certain methods, ODA donors, or the developed countries, have continuously used an incompatible form of financial model in the ODA. The process has been more of inventing numbers that do not exist in the real world. For example, the nation’s employ the grant equivalent model, which can only be trusted if donors calculate the present value of repayments using

current market interest rates. The DAC, however, chose to adopt fixed discount rates of 6, 7, or 9% in 2014, which is fundamentally erroneous. To overcome this problem, ODA donors must use current market interest rates to calculate the present value of repayments. Moreover, ODA is criticized for its biased and somewhat ineffective aids that rather benefit the donor countries. For example, such types of aid types like imputed costs of education for foreign students in the donor country, subsistence of refugees inside donor countries, and "development awareness" programmes in donor countries do not necessarily benefit the recipients but are more focused on the donors’ interest. To deal with such problems, the international community including the UNDP must narrow down the specific aid type based on the situations of the developing nations to provide what the recipient countries really need. In terms of SSC, weak institutional setup and framework is a shortcoming. Developing countries that are involved in SSC suffer from huge coordination and harmonization problems, and many do not have clear assignments of responsibilities of SSC. They also lack capacity to assert and develop ownership in the projects and programs. To tackle this issue, triangular cooperation could be a good way for the developing nations to receive advice from the developed countries. Thus, the UN and other global organizations should work on establishing the clear guidelines of the South-South Cooperations as well as encouraging triangular cooperation. There is presently no widely accepted definition or concept of what defines South-South Cooperation among all development partners, North and South. It is therefore difficult to comprehend South-South Cooperation in terms of flow, magnitude, trend, and impact. This attempt is made more complex by the fact that data on South-South collaboration is typically collected, analyzed, and compiled inconsistently across nations, making data collection, analysis, and compilation incomplete and unreliable. As a result, the availability of data and the quality of research on the scope and impact of South-South collaboration has not kept up with the rising demand for data, intelligence, and information. Knowledge gaps and unequal access to solutions are presently preventing South-South collaboration from scaling up and maximizing its influence on sustainable development.

JIHYEON SUNG (CHADWICK INTERNATIONAL) General Shortcomings of Development Cooperation Apart from specific shortcomings of the different types of Development Cooperation, there are several general shortcomings of the Development Cooperation world itself. First of all, the developed world’s ‘research monopoly’ created a skewed research agenda that tilted heavily towards challenges of particular importance and interest to the North, causing the South to reap minimal benefits. We suggest developed countries to consider not only their own interest when creating research agendas but also those of the developing countries. In addition, many Development Cooperation projects lack capacity in project management. Many have not yet developed proper guidelines or expertise to engage in such projects. Therefore, they come with high risk and cost. And to solve this issue, the UN and other UN-related agencies should assemble to carry out risk analysis of various factors, revise guidelines, and invest into development cooperation. In conclusion, with thinning multilateralism, cooperation is what we need. Although the Development Cooperation methods produce productivity and shared benefits among countries involved, they have shortcomings that need to be addressed. Generally, the methods are tilted towards the developed countries, for they take advantage of their 50+ years of Development Cooperation experience.

“The pandemic sprouted an era of new opportunity to promote multilateralism and to bring about sustained, inclusive, and sustainable growth.” The Sustainable Development Goals have been made on the fairground of solidarity between the developed and developing countries. Therefore, it only makes sense for the international community to work together to reduce the shortcomings, making more analysis and attempts. The world is in need of collective and cooperative action not only to reap the benefits of Development Cooperation to its fullest potential but also to achieve the UN SDGs. There is no doubt that the pandemic hit us hard. However, it sprouted an era of new opportunity to promote multilateralism and to bring about sustained, inclusive, and sustainable growth.

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"Coronavirus vs. Inequality." UNDP, https://feature.undp.org/coronavirus-vs-inequality/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. "COVID-19 Cash Transfer Programme Helping Families with the Most Basic Needs." Cambodia, 27 July 2020, https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/stories/covid-19-cash-transfer-programme-helping-families-most-basic-needs. "COVID-19 UNDP’s Integrated Response | United Nations Development Programme." United Nations Development Programme, https://www.undp.org/publications/covid-19-undps-integrated-response. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. Giz. "Triangular Cooperation between Costa Rica, Morocco and Germany: Improving the Sustainable Management and Use of Forests, Protected Areas and Watersheds." Anc_logo_link, 11 Aug. 2021, https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/28717.html. History, Karen. "United Nations Development Programme | International Program." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Development-Programme. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. Nations, United. "Phase 1 at United Nations Headquarters: A Staff Member’s Walkthrough | Nações Unidas." United Nations, https://www.un.org/pt/node/86846. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation ｜ Japan’s ODA White Paper 2011 ｜ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/white/2011/html/keyword/keyword01.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. "Triangular Cooperation between Costa Rica, Morocco and Germany for the Sustainable Management and Use of Forests, Protected Areas and Watersheds | South-South Galaxy." Home, https://my.southsouthgalaxy.org/en/solutions/detail/triangular-cooperation-between-costa-rica-morocco-and-germany-for-the-sustainablemanagement-and-use-of-forests-protected-areas-and-watersheds. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. "UNDP Accelerator Labs." GLOBAL Accelerator Labs, https://acceleratorlabs.undp.org/content/acceleratorlabs/en/home.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. "UNDP_ In_ Mozambique_ Celebrates_ International_ Mine_ Awareness_ Day." UNDP in Mozambique, https://www.mz.undp.org/content/mozambique/en/home/ourwork/environmentandenergy/successstories/UNDP_celebr ates_International_Mine_Awareness_Day.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. "UNDP Provides $1.5m to Help the Urban Poor Stay Home | UNDP in Bangladesh." UNDP, https://www.bd.undp.org/content/bangladesh/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2020/04/07/undp-provides--1-5m-tohelp-the-urban-poor-stay-home.html. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. United Nations Photo. https://dam.media.un.org/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2AM94SAY60EF&SMLS=1&RW=1440&RH=820&FR _=1&W=1440&H=820. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021.

Although the vast majority of the world now recognizes that climate change is a grave and pressing issue, many developing nations believe that they should not sacrifice their economic growth on behalf of climate change policies. Countries like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands have the ability to transition to sustainable development -- but what about developing nations without this luxury? We attempt to answer this question by researching Green Growth, especially the work and mission of Global Green Growth Institute. Our guiding questions to keep in mind are: are green economies feasible, and how can nations embark on a path of green growth? So what is Green Growth? Green growth is a mechanism to achieve sustainable development. It drives green policies and innovation to fund the growth of economies.

There are three levels of green growth. Firstly, on the lowest level, weak green growth is a “do no harm” approach where growth does not proactively harm the environment. Moderate green growth sees greater interconnectedness between economic growth and sustainability through things like investment of green jobs and infrastructure. Strong green growth is a transformative and drastic process where the whole economy undertakes massive changes in the long-term. The term “Green Economy’ was first coined by David Pearce in his book, Blueprint for a Green Economy. It contrasts with the common pattern of economic development has been the rapid industrialization through the consumption of fossil-fuel, commonly known as the “brown economic strategy.” Green economies aim to have: Low carbon industries, Green jobs, Poverty reduction, equitable distribution, Protection of biodiversity and ecosystem.

Green Economy policies are often very specialized, recognizing the specific needs of local communities, and the necessity to achieve employment and investment in a manner that combats climate change. It also encompasses concepts like environmental justice, which recognizes that the poorest people in the world suffer disproportionate impacts of climate change. Like the SDGs we’ve been studying all week, a functioning green economy requires a multi-faceted approach. Instead of exclusively targeting each other separately. Green economies try to use solutions that can help solve more than just one problem.

The Global Green Growth Institute was founded in June 2010 in South Korea. It is a non-profit, intergovernmental organization dedicated to helping the world transition toward a model of green growth. They analyze the needs of local communities and create strategies that will simultaneously help combat the social ills of the region as well as transition to a more environmentally-friendly growth. GGGI has grown from an initial membership of 18 countries to now more than 39 members from all over the world with operations in 33 countries. It has a unique role in shaping countries’ growth as a trusted advisor and partner. Vietnam is a great example of a country that has received help from GGGI. As a country that signed the Paris Agreement, Vietnam was set with a target of an 8% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Despite its efforts including the Green Growth Action Plan outlined by the government, Vietnam needed additional help from external sources for this transition. Thankfully, GGGI stepped in to find funds, identify target cities, and helped Vietnam establish a partnership with Luxembourg, which has considerable expertise in green finance. As the speaker mentioned, GGGI uniquely provides neutral and agile guidance to overcome the existing challenges of many developing nations. The synergy of these partnerships helps meet Paris Agreement commitments and also leads to the creation of green jobs within Vietnam. Some upcoming projects include projects with Myanmar. In the case of Myanmar, the Covid-19 pandemic has created a crisis in its rural and urban areas, hampering progress in the new planting season and its construction projects. There are many obstacles in allowing for green growth in Myanmar. Only around 50% of the population has access to electricity, and the majority of those without access are from rural areas. Without electricity, rural households have no choice but to resort to traditional black fuel to power their lives. Also, Myanmar’s forests have suffered from logging. Its forest cover shrank from 58% in 1990 to currently only 24%. GGGI is collaborating with the government of Myanmar to help create sustainable infrastructure such as renewable energy sites, develop sustainable value chains, and support plans for rural electrification, and help reforest land. In October 2019, GGGI unveiled their very own Strategy 2030 which set the course for GGGI’s upcoming projects. As former Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon describes it, Strategy 2030 is “a new course to respond to changing circumstances and to better meet the unique needs and growing ambitions of its member countries.” Recently, GGGI has also introduced support for green COVID-19 recovery packages included in meeting Strategy 2030. It has created proposals to deal with the spike in food insecurity and poverty in countries with economic downturns, through methods such as transitioning newly-unemployed groups, particularly women and youth, to to green jobs. Once the health emergency is resolved, countries will rush to catch up on the stagnated development. GGGI attempts to use this moment to accelerate the plans to green growth. Then what does green growth and sustainable development actually look like in the real world? We answer through case studies of both private, and public efforts.

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Firstly, the World Green Economy Organization is another organization helping put the transition to green economies at the forefront of world issues. With headquarters in Dubai, UAE, they seek to help promote discussions and raise awareness about the green economy by establishing public and private sector partnerships, and funding innovation programs. The Green Growth Knowledge Platform is a network of international organizations and experts who are able to share their ideas in achieving green growth. This is particularly vital since many developed nations have information gaps in trying to achieve their target. GGKP also hosts the Green Forum, which is an online interactive space for professionals to gather to discuss sustainable development. Private corporations have also shown critical insights on the transition towards a green economy. The London-based call taxi company Addison Lee Group has adopted multiple different changes to help reduce Co2 emissions and combat the brutal effects of Air pollution. So far, they’ve been able to reduce emissions by 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Addison Lee Group’s Burn Stoves Clean Cooking project helps provide a more sustainable solution to energy in Kenyan households. Rather than dangerous and inefficient open fires many in Kenya had used for years, Addison Lee Group helped households transition to more efficient cookstoves. This not only helped decrease greenhouse gas emissions, but decreased overall fuel expenditures and improved quality of life. Furthermore, these appliances are manufactured in Kenya, where they are used, and helped create jobs. BURN employs over 400 people, 60% of whom are women. This project demonstrates how private corporations can directly invest in changes to help deal with climate change while simultaneously providing jobs and promoting gender equality. Ottugi, a prominent Korean food manufacturing company has also contributed to developing diverse steps to transition their company into more eco-friendly operations. Ottugi developed the concept ‘Ecocook’ to pursue cooking methods which emit as little carbon as possible. Low-carbon recipes have been applied to many items, including Ottogi’s signature 3-minute cooking. Their ‘Eco-factories’ attempt to reduce emissions in their production process. For example, Ottugi’s Anyang plant achieved a 4.5 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to last year by reducing energy waste. Ripple is a U.S. based technology company and aims to achieve a carbon net-zero by 2030. They have invested in innovative carbon removal technology and also uses clean, renewable energy for their offices, while staying conscious of their own carbon footprint. Ripple plays a crucial role in shaping the future for green finance. Mr Chanho Park, a founding member of GGGI who came to speak to us, said that if one country has a successful case with their green growth, other countries can replicate through South-South cooperation and therefore the support and analysis of green growth in one country has greater value because we can magnify their success to other countries. So lets evaluate a successful case. Ethiopia is one of the top ten fastest growing economies in the world, and has one of the largest populations in Africa. Around 80% of its population live in rural areas and rely on agriculture, meaning that the country is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters with lean seasons often resulting in widespread famine. Overpopulation had led to overstretched social services, unemployment, and food insecurity. Recognizing these obstacles in their growth, Ethiopia was able to use this moment of crisis

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into an opportunity to carry out a transformative economic growth. Since 2011, the country began its Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) which focused on uplifting the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

GGGI has also been working closely with Ethiopia since 2010. The most significant strategy was Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient and Green Economy (CRGE) strategy which aims to transition the country to carbon-neutral and middle-income by the year 2025. The four main pillars of this strategy are: Increased food security by improving cropland livestock, Protecting ecosystems and combating deforestation, Transitioning to renewable energy, Transitioning to more energy-efficient technology and infrastructure in various industries. With these massive restructuring programs, Ethiopia was able to maintain consistent economic growth, with a real GDP average growth rate of 10.8% per year and with the government successfully reducing inflation rate and budget deficits. Investments in infrastructure and development has led to new green jobs and urban unemployment has declined by 18%. There are still many more steps needed to be taken, especially with the existing disparity between urban and rural electricity access. Green growth policies can temporarily hurt the vulnerable since things like initial energy price rises due to new renewable energy sources can negatively affect the poor. Therefore, governments must make policy solutions to mitigate these temporary shortcomings. In the long term, we can call Ethiopia’s transition a massive success in not only growth and productivity, but in reducing poverty and transitioning to environmental-friendly lifestyles. Poverty has declined at an average rate of 1.94% per year since 1995. Ethiopia has transitioned to renewable energy significantly. In 2012, over 98% of Ethiopia's electricity was from hydropower. The example of Ethiopia provides a convincing case study of an African nation being able to achieve successful results despite obstacles. So here are the conclusions and observations we can draw regarding green growth after our week of research. First, there is no single solution for the green growth model. ALL Our speakers, not just from GGGI but from places like UNDP, WFP, and UNICEF, emphasized how essential it was to work with local communities to assess their specific needs and tailor policies to be the most effective. Analyzing the trends and case studies in past government programs will definitely help us understand what steps we can apply in other countries. Second, Information collection and policy analysis are fundamental to a functioning green growth. It is impossible to recognize in which areas of society we can make more productive and more green, without conducting extensive research on the country’s environmental capacity, productivity, and industries. Organizations like GGGI are at the forefront of conducting this research and help developing nations without the technological capacity to create the best policies. Third, Green growth requires a top down approach in which governments and private sectors actively collaborate in order to create a mutually beneficial relationship between the economy and environment. Gulshan Vashistha operating in GGGI headquarters in Seoul emphasized that the Climate change agenda needs trillions of investments, including private donations. Policies to tackle climate change cannot happen without the private sector. The GGGI is a neutral entity that works to bridge the gap between the private and public sector.

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Fourth, we need a willingness to experiment. Experiments with just one province, one single district shows feasibility. They prove to the public that climate change policies can help more than just the environment. We need to stop being so afraid to try innovative climate policies. Start small, magnify successes, and evaluate shortcomings. SDG goal 13: Climate action. It is hard to dispute the drastic impacts of climate change on every continent and country in the world. Last year, Australian bushfires burnt 3000 homes after spreading around the size of South Korea. We’ve seen unprecedented rainfall and floods in Belgium, China, and Germany in the past two weeks. California is burning as we speak. The Maldives, Marshall Islands, and Miami are going underwater. As of this moment, 7 out of 10 million internally displaced people were triggered by weather and climate hazards. We, as the largest group of youth ever to exist in society, have a crucial responsibility in staying alert and playing a big role in this green growth. As secretary-general Antonio Guterres said, “2021 is a make-or-break year to confront the global climate emergency.” Of course, individual sacrifices and changes are important. But in order to meet the pace of climate change and ensure our earth does not fall into complete disrepair, green growth is the most holistic and nuanced approach to deal with climate change.

So our fifth and final conclusion is: we need a shift in perception. Combating climate change is no longer just about not using plastic bags. It is no longer an issue we can simply push to the back of the row simply because of poverty and unemployment. Solving these problems and combating climate change are not mutually exclusive. Communicating that to the public, who are often more antagonistic regarding drastic climate change policies, is critical to shifting the perception that climate change is going to hinder developing nations’ growth, hurt the poorest communities, and distract from more pressing issues. People say “you can’t have the cake and eat it too.” Meaning, you can’t solve both climate change while achieving economic growth. But yes, we can. We can grow cleaner without growing slower.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction a. UNODA i. Elimination of WMDs ii. Regulations for conventional weapons b. SDG Goal 16 c. Connection 2. How the UNODA and SDG 16 act in dire situations (Border Conflict) a. SDG 16 and Indicator 16.4.2 b. NATO i. NATO article 5 c. Russia vs. Latvia d. Recent History e. UN Security Priorities f. Possible solutions & What may happen 3. Cross border Conflict (Afghanistan War) a. The start of the war b. Operation Neptune Sphere c. Taliban d. Civilian Life e. SDG 16 and UNODA f. NATO & US g. DDR-National Security Reform 4. UNODA Education a. Filmmaking Project (2011) b. Survey of youth’s awareness of disarmament i. Survey Analysis c. Disarmament Education (2020) d. Online Training Courses (2021) 5. Youth Engagement & Conclusion a. Ways Youth Can Take Action i. Raising awareness b. Prior Actions: Youth 4 Disarmament by UNODA i. Actions ii. Results c. Conclusion 6. Q&A a. Reference

Proposal for SDGs Presentation

SDG Theme Topic

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Recognizing suppressive threat; entailing democracy

Reasons for choosing the topic Our bloc amassed on SDG 16 in terms of our interest frankly to stress the issue of cyber influence on weapons of mass destruction. In recent years, proponents discoursed the uprising threat of cyber espionage, warfare, and surveillance. We should establish firm rules to ensure that there is no collateral damage to the use of cyber warfare. There should be multilateral negotiations and agreements to protect security and humanity against the threat posed by emerging weapons. Moreover, ideological adversaries have used negotiable leverage (the threat that they pose): relationships with Iran will be volatile in the long run as foreign policy depends on the political caucuses; and Russia has used imposed-sanctions for leverage to allow some leeway of their nuclear enrichment. Since technological development leads to new forms of conflict, our group wanted to learn more about how this will impact future wars and weapons. As we live on and grow together not only we grow but the conflicts within the world will grow as well into not just a fight over military power, but also in a cyber and economic fight. For problem-solving for the non-proliferation of disarmament, research about education and find the way to educate students for future disarmament. Related UN organizations and projects Organizations

Relevant Projects 1. Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Governments agreed upon the SALW: “to improve national small arms regulations, to strengthen stockpile management, to ensure that weapons are properly and reliably marked, to improve cooperation in weapons tracing, and to engage in regional and international cooperation and assistance” (Small Arms and Light Weapons – UNODA).

UNODA

“Small Arms and Light Weapons – UNODA.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/salw/. 2. UNODA Education hold activities, filmmaking, publication, podcasts, etc for education of disarmament. 10 activities, about 20 publications (which can access) were made by them. in 2020, they held education for high school and university students. Also in 2021, they made an online education programme. 1.

JCPOA(the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) (2015) and US-Iran Relations: In 2015, six of the world’s nuclear compromisers converged on a nuclear nonproliferation agreement with Iran: The United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The JCPOA limits Iran’s nuclear enrichment and testing in terms of international non-proliferation norms. Yet, the agreement lifts multilateral sanctions, including those entailed by the UN Security Council for negotiable leverage.

The UNDP aims to end poverty, ensure liberal/democratic rights, and inclusion of the minority, mandating a multilateral 170-country-containing caucus to discourse on global human development each year. The committee advocates achieving a better global Quality of Life (QoL); particularly, stressing demand and concession from opposition and suppression forces. Thus, amid an unprecedented geopolitical and social-economic dilemma, COVID-19, domestic and international

UNSC

UNDP&NATO

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communities are sought to polarize. When it comes to aid and work, UNDP distributes nearly $1 billion to over 170 countries in need for COVID response and to bolster efforts against oppressive governments. UN-NATO relations are constantly developing in spite of its article 5, which provides a democratic umbrella for the vulnerable.

Evaluation of projects 1. JCPOA (2015) a. Pros: The JCPOA limits nuclear enrichment to non-weaponized usage by Iran, while lifting multilateral sanctions imposed on Iran, establishing a more profound foundation for fully normalized relations (reasonable peace). Moreover, the JCPOA carries out non-proliferation norms among, most importantly the US, Russia, and Iran as they comprise 90% of all nuclear arms. b. Cons: The JCPOA is recognized as a multilateral bloc, but frankly it is a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran. This is well shown in America’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA; the US reimposed more hefty sanctions resulting in Iran’s defiance towards all agreements, ultimately scrapping the entire bloc. 2. NATO a. Pros: NATO article 5: A mass shooting in a major port in Latvia has catalyzed tension between the Russian minority population and the Latvian government. This has led to a breach in the internal security of Latvia, a NATO member country, by Russia, a non-NATO alliance member. The United States and NATO declared the Russian insurrectionists as terrorists and regained control of Latvian critical infrastructure under a counterterrorism umbrella to ensure the stability of Latvia and NATO as a whole. As Latvia and the Balkan States are members of NATO, they are well protected by its article 5. b. Cons: Weak against authoritarianism: Despite NATO’s profound constitution, it has failed to protect member nations several times, such as Crimea(Russian conquer) 3. UNODA Education a. Pros: Students could understand the disarmament. Furthermore the students who were educated by the project, were inspired by the lecture and planned their own project about disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons and mass destruction. b. Cons: Still many students are unfamiliar with the education of disarmament. I want to figure it out with a survey. Relevant Events Regarding This Issue 1.

Disputed Borders with Pakistan and India Regarding China a. After an Indian jet was shot down last week by a Pakistani SAM over the disputed territory of Kashmir, tensions between Pakistan and India have escalated. Neither side has shown indication of backing down, nor do we predict that China intends to use the conflict to move soldiers into the Galwan Valley. China and India have coexisted for thousands of years, but with tensions increasing in the entire South Asian region, the United States needs to create a robust plan to encourage all nations involved to implement peace and security. The President is determined to counter Chinese expansion, so if China moves further into the Galwan valley, the United States will face global embarrassment b. The nations of Pakistan and India have been in conflict over the disputed region of Kashmir ever since the partition of the two countries from British rule. After a series of wars and conflicts surrounding the poorly demarcated border, China, India, and Pakistan remain in a standoff to seize control over the region. India claims that the region is theirs due to the Kashmiri leader’s choice to join India. Pakistan rests on the claim that due to the overwhelming Muslim majority in the region, Kashmir is rightfully theirs. Meanwhile, China’s broad interests in the region have led to increased tension and

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conflict surrounding the mineral rights and resources the area has to offer. c. On June 15th, 2020 a skirmish along the Line of Actual Control at the Galwan Valley between India and China resulted in at least 20 Indian soldiers dead and an unknown number of Chinese casualties. It is understood that India and Pakistan are not allowed to fly their Air Force planes into each other’s territory, but this is typically not enforced; controversy surrounding attacks and airstrikes sent by both nations test the region’s stability. According to the CIA, the Kashmir region is the most likely flashpoint for a nuclear war, so we need to ensure that the region remains stable, and that China doesn’t remain unchecked for their aggressions. 2. America withdraws from the Afghanistan War. September 11, 2021. Exactly 20 years since the 9/11 terror happened. America has made a final announcement to withdraw all troops except some on securing the borders to head back home, completely taking their hands off the Afghanistan War by September 11, 2021. America has finally made this decision after 20 years at war, with 2,312 US military personnels dead, and 20,066 wounded since 2001. On the Taliban's side, over 51,000 were dead. Major event with the Taliban was Osama Bin Laden was killed (the Operation Neptune Spear, 2011, May 2nd) where the best special forces team Seal Team 6. A total of 23 Seal Team six members were put into the operation Neptune Sphere and killed Osama Bin Laden without any casualties. And finally, the war ends. On July 8th, 2021 President Joe Biden ordered that American troops withdraw from the Afghanistan War by September 11, 2021 at the White House Thursday. 3. a. Not many teens were well-knew about disarmament and nonproliferation of mass weapons or even had never encountered disarmament. So in December 2020, UNODA Education hosted disarmament education in Seoul, with youths. The United Nations Offices for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) collaborated on this lecture. Mark Min Seong Kim, the member of UNODA/ UNDPPA Northeast Asia Youth Steering Committee, developed the disarmament-educating film for high school and university students. The students who watched this video could study about disarmament and SDG goal 16 and could have the opportunity to learn about disarmament. b. In March 2021, UNODA kicked off the online lecture ‘Disarmament 4 Educators’. The education programme was directed with academic professors and educators from south Asia countries. This programme can be found on the UNODA Education website, with two provided courses of self-paced and online instructor lead. Areas for Youth engagement Youth can engage in disarmament and the efforts for peace mainly by raising awareness: they can participate in campaigns, workshops, surveys, and petitions. Partnerships are also important to reach the goal of peace, and youth can play a part in them. Examples: ’Youth 4 Disarmament Initiative by UNODA’ help youth learn about disarmament and participate in it. This initiative’s ‘StepUp4Disarmament’ Campaign included educating and empowering youth to learn about disarmament, artistic activities, and video challenges for raising awareness. Additional efforts are running podcasts, or simply discussing about these topics, being attentive to politics and policies. Recognize the importance of citizens’ participation in democratic activities, participate in activism to support democracy Example: Step Up 4 Disarmament initiative by UNODA. Education about disarmament, art activities, video challenges, podcasts. #StepUp4Disarmament campaign Results: Participants gave feedback/suggestions such as making UNODA website more youth-friendly. Art contests had the general public interested. How to improve: More youth in political offices, supporting youth-led projects/organizations. More training programs for young audiences about global issues

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Team Final Report 1. Introduction a. UNODA The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), first established in 1998 as the Department of Disarmament Affairs, promotes disarmament and non-proliferation to achieve the ultimate goal of international security. It encourages disarmament measures by emphasizing the significance of dialogue, transparency, conventions, and so forth. Concerning the fatal effects of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), the UNODA also stresses disarmament efforts for conventional weapons such as small arms and landmines. They support multilateral aims to stop arms races, build trust, and protect people from harm by taking measures to control disarmament and arms. i.

Elimination of WMDs

The proliferation of WMDs triggers incalculable consequences for regional, national, and international security. If action isn’t taken any soon, the state of global security remains volatile as it is getting harder and harder to assume the immense impact that weaponry may bring to humanity. However, the UNODA is not suggesting a sudden removal of those dangerous weapons; instead, it proposes the need for them to be removed gradually. WMDs include nuclear, chemical, biological, or any weapon that can bring significant harm to humanity with the potential of having a destructive impact leading to death. The elimination of WMDs remains a task for many as self-determination is a prominently embodied right; however, the UNODA suggests that transparency and regulations can considerably improve the situation. ii.

Regulations for conventional weapons

Along with eliminating WMDs, the UNODA also focuses on regulating conventional weapons and balancing armed forces. Conventional weapons include weaponry such as small arms, landmines, missiles, and others that use explosive material based on chemical energy. Managing conventional weapons plays a vital role in maintaining peace because it can relate to security problems at all levels. Not only will there be a direct impact on the target of those weapons, but there will also be an indirect impact on the innocent people who are not involved in the conflict. Also, the tendency to use those weapons is beyond its initial intention, which brings concern that we are now no longer able to predict the influence of those that may bring change to the people and environment. As these weapons are being developed to an unnecessary state that serves beyond their purpose, it is crucial to highlight the multilateral support by nations to prevent any further damage caused by armament. b. SDG Goal 16

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals define the areas of development the world community needs to work on by 2030 to live in prosperity in the future. It tackles areas such as the environment to partnerships and emphasizes the motif of Leaving No One Behind. A total of 17 goals promote the active engagement of people, especially the youth, and are making amazing progress. Living in 2021, we are currently living in the era of taking action and making change; therefore, every individual should take the responsibility to be involved in the process for the future of themselves and others. SDG 16, which aims for the concept of peace, justice, and strong institutions, is currently measured by 12 global targets with 24 associated indicators. It covers various problems such as eliminating all forms of violence, ensuring equal access to justice for all, combating all forms of crime, etc. So for those issues to be recognized, SDG 16, in general, implies the importance of raising awareness to build a more sustainable environment for the future generation. c. Connection As all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals are interconnected, it is, in fact, impossible to look at each goal individually without mentioning the others. However, it is valuable to look at each goal’s key area of focus to come up with specified solutions for the betterment of our societies. Focusing specifically on the scope of international peace and security, there is absolutely no doubt that SDG 16 and the UNODA’s objectives connect. The concept of development, peace, and security are all fundamentally correlated, so it is impossible to look at things separately. Certainly, information regarding this is also mentioned in one of SDG 16’s indicators, indicator 16.4, which specifically targets significantly reducing illicit arms flows. It is indeed true that access to WMDs and conventional weapons does not necessarily cause conflict; however, since it can intensify it, it is vital to have certain multilateral agreements to promote effective disarmament strategies. 2. How the UNODA and SDG 16 act in dire situations (Border Conflict) a. SDG 16 and Indicator 16.4.2 SDG 16 and NATO are in close affiliation to UNODA in terms of nonproliferations; thus they coincide and collaborate in dire issues, such as the Latvian Crisis. A mass shooting in a major port in Latvia has catalyzed tension between the Russian minority population and the Latvian government. This has led to a breach in the internal security of Latvia, a NATO member country, by Russia, a non-NATO alliance member. Frankly, Latvia is a victim of being a bully if I compare this conflict to human kind. Through indicator 16.4.2 — of SDG goal 16, the UNODA gathers data on the illicit use, origin and context of potential threat and weapons. The UNODA strongly emphasizes trust and thus continues to support the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR), with the UNDP under the Peacebuilding Institution b. NATO & UNODA Latvia gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1990, starting its shift from the eastern bloc to the west. While Latvia was under Soviet control, many ethnic Russians were relocated to the Latvian nation. This has led to a significant Russian minority population in Latvia, many of whom share Vladimir Putin’s belief that Latvia should still be part of Russia. Although Russian speakers make up around 40% of Latvia’s population, many don’t have Latvian citizenship and thus don’t have rights such as voting.

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i. NATO article 5 Latvia joined NATO in 2004, thus falling under the protection of the United States and its allies in the event of invasion, as detailed in Article V of its treaty. Article V considers an attack against one ally as an attack on all allies. Latvia is under a small Russia-go-away-umbrella as being protected under Nato article 5; Latvia being the one under the umbrella; NATO being the Umbrella; and Russia being the hail, not rain because Russia holds the potential to rip that umbrella and perpetuate aggression. NATO has 1,512 troops stationed in the Baltic countries aided by Candian-led battlegroups. Russia has already shown its willingness to use physical power in its occupation of Crimea, which it has been severely reprimanded for. An official Russian presence in Latvia would lead to either a direct confrontation between Russia and the western world or a breach in the integrity of NATO and the stability it has provided. Despite Russia’s membership in the UNODA, the UNODA has not responded aggressively, yet they have in accordance with NATO. c. Russia vs. Latvia A mass shooting in a major port in Latvia has catalyzed tension between the Russian minority population and the Latvian government. This has led to a breach in the internal security of Latvia, a NATO member country, by Russia, a non-NATO alliance member. The United States and NATO should declare the Russian insurrectionists as terrorists and regain control of Latvian critical infrastructure under a counterterrorism umbrella to ensure the stability of Latvia and NATO as a whole. d. Recent History Yesterday afternoon, two Russian nationalists with Latvian citizenship killed 50 people in the Riga shipyard. This led to the arrest of leaders in the Russian-Latvian community, which was succeeded by violent clashes in Riga and other communities with a significant ethnic Russian population. Russia has expressed its willingness to defend ethnic Russian abroad, and operatives have gained control of important infrastructure in Riga and other geopolitically vital cities. NATO operatives, along with American troops independently in Latvia, are available for instruction. A Russian snap exercise had led to additional Russian troops flooding towards the Latvian border, set to arrive in a couple of days. Submarines capable of carrying nuclear missiles and cruise missiles have been detected heading toward the east coast at the same time a small town in Pennsylvania had a small power outage, both currently not linked to Russia. In Latvian response, Prime Minister Maris Karin pleaded for help from the U.S and claimed the propaganda of the treatment of the Russian-Latvians was created by Russians in Latvia to cause outrage.

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e. UN Security Priorities i. Ensuring peace and security on a global level Maintaining diplomacy is one of the utmost concerns when dealing with many different personalities of each nation—applying accurate levels of peacekeeping, especially in regions of instability. Counterterrorism allows for increased security principally in regions of instability. The United States and NATO have poured countless hours into producing multilateral agreements to expand disarmament and other international concepts. ii. Protecting the UN bloc The UN supporting Lavita against Russia poses a threat to the UN soil; moreover, relations remain volatile and have the potential to exacerbate amid defense violations. Russia is worried about NATO countries being close to its borders. With this, Russia generally wants its bordering countries to be unstable so they don’t pose a threat to Russian security. Russia’s morals undermine democratic means and a nation’s sovereignty regarding border and defense threats. iii. Protecting our allied countries Article V of NATO requires us to protect our fellow NATO countries; if one nation is attacked, each country must take that act of aggression as an attack against them.

Possible solutions & What may happen i. Enforcing NATO Article V Russia is a country that thrives on instability in the countries bordering it. In order to counter Russia, it is pivotal to reestablish stability in Latvia. This requires the government to immediately reassert control of all essential infrastructure in Riga and its border cities, and then within several days prevent the possible border crisis caused by the incoming Russian military exercise. It is critical for overt Russian occupation to be avoided. Overt Russian occupation would force Article V of the NATO treaty to either be enforced, causing a physical conflict with Russia which would have the potential to develop into a nuclear war, or be ignored, which would be disastrous to NATO's ability to use its past policy of deterrence, and would be seen as a breach of trust between Latvia and the United States, and would cast a doubt on the United States’ ability to defend its other allies. Currently, Russia denies its connection to the insurrectionists in Latvia. This lack of connection makes it less reasonable to pursue direct physical or diplomatic methods, as Russia’s lack of direct connection to the insurrection makes it easy for Russia to deny any attempt at establishing one. Without connections to a recognized country or entity, however, these insurrectionists can be defined as terrorists and thus treated so diplomatically. Many countries in NATO and NAC are averse to an active conflict with Russia, making the chances of NATO intervention against Russia slim. However, most NATO countries support counterterrorism operations, and NATO has the power to determine and counter terrorist attacks. It is then possible to mobilize NATO and American troops in the Latvian country to help reassert government control in Latvia. Defining the Russian insurrectionists as terrorists makes it much more difficult for Russia to transition the insurrection to state-sponsored control, which should be avoided at all costs. In the long

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term, this definition will also open up the opportunity for investigations into the insurrection, which would determine a connection to the Russian government and lead the way to sanctions on Russia for their attempt to cause instability. ii. Accusing Russia It is also important to take into account the fact that these operatives are armed, and their motives are unclear. Declaring these operatives as terrorists could create a further deterioration of the current situation. It is important to keep in mind that these operatives have control of government buildings and important travel infrastructure in Latvia. Weaponry or explosive use on these vital buildings in the event of an escalation could cause a weakening of Latvia’s central government and could create a weak link in NATO’s defense, and an opportunity for further destabilization by Russia’s propaganda efforts. It is important to consider the effects of declaring these Russian operatives as terrorists. Declaring a Russian-speaking group as a terrorist organization will only worsen the long-term conflict between the Latvian and Russian-speaking populations within Latvia, which would lead to more political instability and more opportunities for Russian manipulation within Latvia. For the future, we need to take active steps to help ease the relations between Latvia and Russian citizens. Our government needs to encourage and incentivize the Latvian government to allow citizenship and other natural rights to the Russians living there and encourage a long-term solution. Russia and Latvia have to collaborate in allowing immigration between the two countries to ease the cultural tension between the two countries. Through multilateral cooperation and mutual diplomacy, the United States can encourage a less hostile relationship between the two countries and prevent more incidents like this. Through this action of slowly establishing peace and de-escalating the situation, we can build a more trusting and safe relationship with Russia. iii. What may happen Implementing these recommended policies are crucial to prevent a war of mass destruction. If tensions are not mitigated through these policies, and Russia gains the potential to annex Latvia, then NATO will retaliate in action according to Article V, which will create a war of mass destruction. Moreover, disassociating these Russian extremists from Russia will make it more challenging for Russia to throw its official support behind these terrorists. Russia has a history of projecting its physical strength and causing instability in its neighbor countries, and it is important to prevent Russia from taking advantage of the current crisis in Latvia. Yes, indeed, it is the collective knowledge that we’ve gained from prior failure; it is the need for that change.

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3. Cross border Conflict (Afghanistan War) a. The start of the war On July 8th, 2021 President Joe Biden ordered that American troops withdraw from the Afghanistan War by September 11, 2021. Which is 20 years since the 9/11 terror. America has finally made this decision with Osama Bin Laden killed on Operation Neptune Sphere with many casualties for both sides. b. Operation Neptune Sphere One of the biggest events in American history was when the Taliban leader, Osama Bin Laden was killed. For years America has been looking for him and finally, found out where he was hiding. This mission, called Operation Neptune Sphere, involves 23 of the best seals from team Seal six in Navy Seal. c. Taliban The relationship among the Taliban and the Afghan government is getting worse over time. Both sides have some of the people who served for either side were released from service and blending back into civilian life. The process for their relationship to grow is just a matter of time. America is one of the strongest super countries around the world. That does not mean America can take care of the Taliban's easily, because they are not the only ones with heavy artillery and equipment. In some cases, the Talibans have a better and stronger weapon they can use because America has a limit of usages of mass destruction. On the Taliban's position, this is a huge advantage because most of the weapons used within the talibans are provided by illegal dealers and they do not have a limit. As for all, the trust with both sides is getting weaker. d. Civilian Life Civilian life in Afghanistan is on the other side of the road from where they have to be. Many people who were in part of the Taliban or the government such as the national army, policies, and fighters are released and they blend in into civilization again. 5,183 civilians were killed in the first half of 2021 during the war. Also, as a civilian they fear that other countries are taking over and most people feel anger about how other countries treat them like animals. You never know when they pull their trigger so you are never safe in Afghanistan. As the war continued, making a living was extremely hard because of all the surroundings and threats. e. SDG 16 and UNODA Through indicator 16.4.2 — of SDG goal 16, the UNODA gathers data on the illicit use, origin and context of potential threat and weapons. The UNODA strongly emphasizes trust and thus continues to support the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR), with the UNDP under the Peacebuilding Institution f. NATO & US As more and more threats have been growing as time passes by and they evolve into a worldwide issue and as more people know about it and more eyes looking at everything. For the Afghan government, no one wants these kinds of situations happening in their land and at where their citizens are living. Of course, the government wants to keep the Taliban out of their land, but the truth is that the Taliban's power is at a different level than we think of. They are the strongest within their territory. So because of these reasons the Afghan government cannot handle this situation. For a solution, Afghan government has heavy dependence on U.S and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) g. DDR-National Security Reform Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) will most likely have a similar result as it is now instead of making progress because you need a level of trust that can only be made over time. DDR in Afghanistan in accordance to the Afghan Security Sector, urges the Afghan government for a national security reform to potentially develop a consensus with the Taliban.

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4. UNODA Education a. Filmmaking Project (2011) UNODA Education provides education about disarmament, nonproliferation of nuclear bombs and others. Ms., Mohammed said that disarmament education is not just teaching the removal of weapons, but a culture of non-violence. One example is a filmmaking project in 2011, collaborated with nuclear bomb survivors and New York City High School students. The survivors had chances to share their experiences and voice the nonproliferation of nuclear bombs. After the filmmaking project, UNODA education kept educating students. However, the amount of education was too low to fulfill the requirements. Less than ten activities, about twenty publications and few podcasts and lectures had been done.

b. Survey of youth’s awareness of disarmament

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Survey Analysis

One-hundred Korean middle and high school students answered about their awareness of disarmament. 75 students responded that they have never heard of disarmament or UNODA. Also, only 10%-which is only two students, were educated on disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons for mass destruction among those who already knew disarmament. After knowing the simple meaning of disarmament and UNODA, 60 students thought that disarmament is mandatory for world peace. Furthermore, 67 students said that education about disarmament is essential. 80 students answered that they would like to have a session and lecture about disarmament if they got a chance. From the survey, two points are remarkable; education is required for accurate information and students want the education. People can get the information from the internet and media these days. The importance of education comes from ‘right information’. Having accurate and credible knowledge is a great cornerstone of the movement for disarmament. However, only few people learned disarmament through education. Most people got the information from the internet and media, which can include wrong and exaggerated information. Next, students want education. Students not only responded that disarmament is essential for world peace, but also have a will to get lectures and classes about disarmament. If they get more specialized education, students would be able to become more passionate about this.

c. Disarmament Education (2020) In December 2020, UNODA Education hosted disarmament education in Seoul, with youths. The United Nations Offices for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) collaborated on this lecture. Mark Min Seong Kim, the member of UNODA/ UNDPPA Northeast Asia Youth Steering Committee, developed the disarmament-educating film for high school and university students with the University of Pennsylvania Policy Consulting Group. The students who watched this video could study about disarmament and SDG goal 16 and could have the opportunity to learn about disarmament. Moreover, several students planned their own disarmament project, inspired by the lecture. d. Online Training Courses (2021) In March 2021, UNODA kicked off the online lecture ‘Disarmament 4 Educators’. The education programme was directed with academic professors and educators from south Asia countries. The programme is on the UNODA Education website, with two provided courses of self-paced and online instructor-led.

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5. Youth Engagement & Conclusion a. Ways Youth Can Take Action i. Raising awareness While most young people cannot directly engage in political matters, they can make changes by raising awareness. Youth can participate in campaigns, workshops, surveys, and petitions. These efforts are relatively easy to practice, and people can participate in units of individuals or groups. Partnerships for global goals are also crucial for achievement. These partnerships between youth and other groups are helpful because they provide many chances of exchange between different generations. Sharing experiences and knowledge about conflict and social problems lead to various perspectives on them, ultimately speeding up the process of achieving the goal of peace. Youth, whose activities rely heavily on connections with others, can provide great help. Moreover, even though most young people cannot be influential officials, they can affect their communities’ governments to take action. If they are attentive to the politics and policies of their countries and the world, they will be able to make changes through activism or sharing their views on the internet. Youth has always been one of the biggest reasons governments around the world changed for the better, and this is no exception for the young generation of this time. b. Prior Actions: Youth 4 Disarmament by UNODA i. Actions One case where youth took an active role in promoting peace with disarmament is Youth 4 Disarmament Initiative by UNODA. The initiative educated and empowered youth to learn about disarmament in detail and had them participate in artistic activities expressing what disarmament means to them. It also included video challenges for raising awareness and running podcasts for peacebuilding. Recently, the Youth4Disarmmament initiative called on young people to take part in the #StepUp4Disarmament campaign, by completing a distance of 8.29 kilometers or 10 thousand 900 steps, in order to raise awareness of the International Day Against Nuclear Tests in August 2021. ii. Results Ultimately, the ‘Youth for Disarmament’ initiative was successful regarding multiple factors. Young people who participated in the program could learn about the meaning and importance of disarmament.

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Since disarmament is one of the most essential parts of peace for the future, this proved that education could provide a chance for youth to be more passionate about achieving peace as future leaders. They were also determined to give feedback and suggestions to UNODA. They helped make UNODA more accessible to all groups of people, such as making its website more youth-friendly. Furthermore, the initiative’s activities involving art such as the ‘Art for Peace’ contest and the ‘Poster for Peace’ contest caught the attention of not only other young people but also the general public. These efforts were effective in motivating people to learn more about disarmament issues. c. Conclusion Weapons threaten the safety and democracy of multiple countries such as the case of the Russian military power posing a threat to Latvia and the case of the Afghanistan War. In these times where conflictrelated weapon issues are ongoing and the awareness of the public about this is quite low, education is a necessity. Last but not least, extra efforts for youth to be actively engaged in these matters will help boost our progress toward achieving the goal of global peace.

6. Q&A Q. The quote “If you want peace, prepare for war” is an interpretation of peace being maintained through power and strength. Though there are many ways in which we can work for peace, I would like to know, in this particular case, how the UNODA would bring about change to progress on their mission of achieving effective disarmament. And what would UNODA suggest as a method to gain power for peace while limiting the risk of violence? A. “If you want peace, prepare for war”... that is, unfortunately, the thinking that has shaped the global environment, and we really need to break down these misconceptions. The ideas that you need to be strong to assert power, that you need to be strong to get ahead in this world and that you need to have a mighty military to rein… these are outdated. Everybody wants cooperation and peace. It is because of these types of misconceptions that the world is what it is now. Our environment is diluted; we are now considered the last generation that can prevent complete environmental annihilation. This is the time to act against global warming and against poverty… This is the time. So all of these ideas that also find themselves in misconceptions about masculinity are where many of the problems that we face in disarmament come from. In certain communities, to be mightyful, to have a weapon is considered a sign of manhood, and this is what perpetuates the cycle of violence. This cycle of violence is not all aimed at individual community levels, but it also reciprocates all the way up to how states themselves think. We need more diverse ideas at the level of government. If we have a more diverse group of decisionmakers of the state, then the top levels of government that are not going to be all weapons, there will be different ideas coming in. There will be diversity in views and more cooperative approaches. So these are the types of ideas that we are also working to rectify and to change. Q. How do various groups of different disciplines — in this case: Democracies and Autocracies — work together to create comprehensive policy amid incompliance?

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A. SDG 16 speaks about strong and transparent institutions, transparent meaning that how are nations acquiring their weapons; how are they using the weapons; and who are they selling the weapons to. Transparence is set to ensure global stability — across Democracies and Autocracies — and that weapons are not being traded illicitly, or in a way that undermines human rights. Amidst incompliance youth a crucial role as youth morals can hold governments accountable. Nations joined multilateral disarmament treaties because their population demanded it; people undertook national campaigns; people pressured their governments to stress the need of their demand (leverage): outspeaking that ‘this agreement is aligned with our objectives as people and hence that governments should comply.’ The rhetoric is widespread, people are outspoken for the objective to grasp the attention of their government. The role of civil society was foundational to the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty; there was much pressure from the civil society, NGOs, youth and victim groups. Those who were victimized by illicit weapons, they were part of the push and thus all roles hold responsibility to brunt the perpetrators. Regional organizations and coalitions have played a crucial role in providing platforms for transparency; for confidence building; and for joint action in peace and security. Thus, they must remain to entail multilateralism amid such polarization — not undermining global order to any coercion. Q. Why aren’t the victims provided with more leeway and a voice in writing a consensus, while they are eyewitnesses of hawkish behavior? A. When people are mounting a push; holding their governments accountable; making demands on their state and international order, victims play an important role as well. The Mine Ban Treaty has also been largely supported in recognition of the victims — those who lost their livelihoods; hence, proactive civil communication propelled governments towards world action. The Mine Ban Treaty obligates its signatory member to provide provisions for the victims — governments will spur rehabilitation and restoration, yet accountability measures follow. All victims must take part in relevant decision-making processes and this is so-called the inclusive approach towards prevention and peacebuilding. Victims are provided with leeway to take part in and contribute — proponents rectify that government bodies need more diversity to fully acknowledge witness accounts of diverse incidents. Q. As the UNODA work and help other countries, there will be countries that only know war and the people only know how to kill/fight like in Iraq or Afghanistan and because they are using violence that does not mean we can make a violent move, we are supposed to stop the violence. How will the UNODA cooperate with these kinds of countries that do not want to cooperate but need help the most? A. How we arrive at disarmament instruments and how agreement is commonly needed. Yes, agreement is certainly needed for states to abide by certain obligations. Like I said, there are many countries that have joined instruments because there was a push from their citizens. So citizens can apply pressure on states. Military power only prolongs conflicts, it does not resolve it. As I mentioned, when we look at conflicts such as in Syria, or Afghanistan, and elsewhere. There could be economic factors, there could be environmental factors. In Afghanistan, for example, the United Nations have a large United Nations mission in Afghanistan. You know, and this mission has a number of components. We help build the government structures in Afghanistan, a state that did not have traditional government structures in a very long time. At the same time, of course, the United Nations is us at UN ODA and the Secretariat, we can only implement what Member States dictate to us but member states can also get their ideas from you and from the citizens. Q. While disarmament is significant for world peace, the education about disarmament is less active compared to other SDGs. Is there any special reason that disarmament education is not very active?

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A. The reason why disarmament education is not easy is that it teaches not only removing the weapons, but the culture of non-violence. However, this education deals with conflicts between countries and between presidents, so the disarmament education is very crosscutting. It is also affected by economic factors, territorial factors and others too. Therefore, education addresses other ways rather than violence, so that nations can stay peacefully. Q. Are there any cases of successful youth engagement initiatives for disarmament? If so, where was it effective, and what were the factors that made it successful? A. The UN provides platforms for youth to engage, and one of them is the ‘Youth for Disarmament’ Initiative. It helped young people learn about topics related to disarmament, and provide ideas that the UN can implement in the future. The initiative also had young people working in fields such as technology, biology, and chemistry to reinforce ethical solutions. Reference https://www.un.org/disarmament/sg-agenda/en/ https://www.th.undp.org/content/thailand/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-16-peace-justice-and-stronginstitutions.html?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign =CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6s2IBhCnARIsAP8RfAj-grmL0zj22zWJ5XHziAK3K0iv2cxt6i-pfldaaub6XgNcRFLJcoaAtOBEALw_wcB https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal16 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/about/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/sustainable-development/ https://www.kit.nl/sdg16/ https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/es/un-office-disarmament-affairs https://www.kit.nl/sdg16/ https://time.com/5675803/america-flag-threat/ https://sofrep.com/specialoperations/day-2011-navy-seals-eliminate-osama-bin-laden/ https://www.unddr.org/ https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/youth/ https://www.youth4disarmament.org/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/sustainable-development/ https://education.unoda.org/index.html https://www.un.org/disarmament/update/disarmament-education-the-role-of-survivors-and-youth/ https://www.youth4disarmament.org/spotlight/young-people-seoul-host-disarmament-education-event-former-top-unofficial?language_content_entity=en https://www.un.org/disarmament/update/unoda-launches-disarmament4educators-online-training-course/ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAgY3ErFSgpWZuG94ycjvX_4uswPHLaqZIkP6aDTJnGdX6g/viewform?usp=pp_url https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/disarmament-education-series-educating-youth-through-art-technology-and-dialogue https://education.unoda.org/index.html (screenshot) https://education.unoda.org/img/doveofpeace-round.png https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_23491-225x300.jpg https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1096382#:~:text=The%20UN%20Assistance%20Mission%20in,the%20same%20period% 20last%20year. https://www.youth4disarmament.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Picture4.png www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/05/24/baltic-states-vow-to-tighten-their-defense-ties-with-aneye-on-russia/ www.mfa.gov.lv/en/usa/culture/history-of-latvia-a-brief-synopsis www.mfa.gov.lv/en/policy/security-policy/nato-enhanced-forward-presence www.un.org/en/our-work/maintain-international-peace-and-security www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_136388.htm. www.nti.org/learn/countries/russia/nuclear/ www.warontherocks.com/2019/10/the-breakaways-a-retrospective-on-the-baltic-road-to-nato/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/ https://warsawinstitute.org/sweden-faces-russian-threat-baltic/ https://money.cnn.com/2015/12/17/news/us-russia-isis/index.html

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Table of Contents

I. II. III.

IV.

VI. VII. VIII.

Introduction to Poverty Situations Before COVID-19 Situations After COVID-19 1. Increase Poverty Rate A. Hunger B. Unsafe C. Not Educated 2. Reason why we focused on Covid-19 Projects by Organizations 1. Situations of the poverty in the world 2. What is UNDESA? 3. What does UNDESA do? 4. Projects by the UNDESA A. SDG acceleration actions B. International day for the eradication of poverty C. Online Webinars Youth Participation 1. Introduction to Youth Participation 2. Importance of Youth Participation for SDG 1 3. Examples of Youth Participation A. Spreading Awareness B. Donations C. Volunteerism D. Program Participation Conclusion Questions and Answers References

Introduction to Poverty One person in ten lives in extreme poverty globally. It elucidates how severe poverty is. As it is shown in the statistics of the world population living in extreme poverty, as the economy and the world develop, the number of people not in extreme poverty increases conspicuously. However, the number of people living in extreme poverty did not make any notable moves. The population did lower on a small scale around 2015 due to the endeavors of the UN organizations, nevertheless still a lot of people are living in poverty. After the Covid-19, in recent years, the poverty rate escalated, and it will be explained in the section of ‘Situation after Covid-19’.

Poverty is a state of not having enough possessions which leads the individual to be inferior in quality. Poverty does not only mean being poor, not having enough supplies to make a living. Myriad situations occur due to poverty and to elucidate those state of affairs, sometimes there is a denial of opportunities in societies. For example, in the image, the path is divided into two, one way to education and success, and the opposite to poverty. Students who are living in underdeveloped regions or are living in poverty cannot go to school nor clinics since they cannot afford it. This will lead to the students being uneducated, and not just the students but other people to have health problems. Access to sanitation or food is not easily given to those who are in poverty as well, which leads the people to suffer in hunger or be distressed due to food poisoning. Now, these were the main reasons why we could stay focused on our topic. We are students who go to school, which means well-educated, have access to drinking clean water, and it is always open to going to the clinics. We felt bad for the children around our age, not having access to be educated or enjoy one’s rights. It motivated us to be interested in that topic, and as an outcome, our group members very enjoyed researching about this topic and learned a lot through it, which we are going to share during this presentation. The effect that poverty is having on people, the economy, and countries are crucial. Therefore, to make a sustainable future, the contribution to end poverty has become significant. SDG, which stands for Sustainable Development Goals, is a collection of 17 goals that are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. Out of 17 goals, SDG 1 is ‘No Poverty’. No poverty requires all the achievements of other goals. It is salient since it is a basic human right to health, education, food, and safe water. Every population in the entire world deserves a life without poverty. The aim of SDG 1 is the end of poverty in all its manifestations until 2030. Furthermore, SDG 1 strives to provide social protection for the people living in vulnerable conditions, which is the reason why it makes SDG 1 important.

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II.

Situation before Covid-19

The aspect of transition in capitalism has a short but complicated story. There were always big happenings that forced the transition to happen, such as the Great Depression acting as a turning point of monopolistic capitalism to modified capitalism. I believe Coivd-19 is acting the same, since the Great Lockdown has occurred due to the outbreak. Therefore the poverty rate change is analyzed within the criteria divided by Covid-19 outbreak. Before looking through the poverty situations until Covid-19 outbreak has occurred, let’s first see what drives poverty. To deeply understand current situations, we must know what has been maintaining poverty for a long history until now. When we think of poverty situations, we usually have a general image - such as income problems. However the cause of poverty is not made up of ostensible factors. There are various factors existing. 1. Factors that drive poverty A. Conflict When people are exposed to various violence - big or small – they may easily live below the poverty line. For example, before the Syrian civil war, the Syrian economy was flourishing. But today, the majority of Syrian people live in poverty. The difference was made by the civil war between the figures. Nowadays over 80 percent of people in Syria live below the world poverty line, and it is obvious that their civil conflict had a big effect on them. B. Inequality There can be economic inequalities, social inequalities like gender, caste, tribal affiliations. These inequalities are factors that limit the opportunities and deepen social polarization. It means poors can have unequal or no access to the resources needed to keep or lift a family out of poverty. C. Lack of Education UNESCO estimated that 171 million people could escape from extreme poverty if they left school with basic reading skills. Lack of education leads to lack of skills that can be used to get a stable job, and into a long-term poverty situation that doesn’t seem to get better. Many families can’t just afford to send their children to school and need them to work for them. D. Climate change Climate events, or maybe small disasters such as drought, flooding, and severe storms hit communities already living in poverty. Do you know the reason? Because many of the poorest populations rely on farming or hunting and gathering to eat and earn living. To them, these changes are disproportionately impacted.

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E. Lack of reserves & Infrastructure Poorest people usually don’t keep reserves a lot and spend their expectations to sustain their daily life. Of course, it is hard for them to lead this situation to long-term escape from poverty. Furthermore, the lack of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, wells to the internet, electricity, cellphones - are ones that contribute to their geographical isolation. Isolation limits opportunity. In absence of opportunity, it is difficult to escape extreme poverty. F. Little or no access to reliable jobs It is natural that people will face poverty very soon if they don’t have a job and a way to make money periodically. But to our surprise, people sometimes, or mostly cannot have a job even though they try to and want to, especially when their environment is in developing and rural parts of the world. These are the representative factors that drive poverty, and which problems are remaining unsolved. Of course this is not all – social injustice, hard access to clean water and food, limited capacity of institutions or welfare can also be the reason. 2. Poverty rate change A.

Global poverty trend

Good to hear, the global share of people in extreme poverty has decreased consistently since 1990. At that time, over 35% of the world population was included in the poverty group. It has changed now to less than 10% in 2015, and until 2019 it was still descending. The number of people in a situation of relatively normal poverty, measured by the higher poverty criteria of $3.20 to $5.50 increased between 1990 and 1999, and have fallen since then. However in 2015, more than 20% of the global population was living below $3.20 and almost a half lived below $5.50 a day. People seem to escape from extreme poverty, but their escape from normal poverty itself is very slow. Ending extreme poverty by 2030 is a principal target of the SDGs and since 1990, significant progress has been improving in reducing economic poverty globally. I believe Next goal of extreme poverty must be about ending every kind of poverty. B. Regional poverty trends Regional poverty rates haven’t occurred equally, since the extreme poverty figure itself has been decreasing. In various regions, the extreme poverty rate decreased. However, in some regions, such as subSaharan Africa, Extreme poverty is increasingly becoming concentrated. Through 1990 to 2015, 15% of people living in this region were extremely poor, and in 2015 they became 56%. Countries in the East Asia and Pacific region had 52% of the extremely poor population in 1990, but in 2015 they represented only 6%. C. National poverty trends Population is a great factor in poverty rate. China and India, countries that have largest population all over the world, are responsible for the greatest national reductions in poverty, and also being the important factor of poverty increase or reduction. Almost 1 billion people living in those two countries got out of extreme poverty since 1990 to 2015. The Extreme poverty has increased mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The largest increases have occurred in Democratic Republic of the CongoMadagascar and Nigeria.

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III. Situation after Covid-19 Unlike in the world when there was no covid-19 that we thought we could achieve UN SDG 1: No Poverty by 2030, the covid-19 outbreak has occurred, now we can't even imagine how we would have hoped for it in the past. Many people who were doing well before the pandemics were on the verge of losing their livelihood. Now that it is harder to live due to covid-19, many changes have occurred. Of all those changes, I focused on one thing that was most disturbing to the goal of eliminating poverty which is an increase in the poverty rate. Hunger, unsafe, not educated are examples of the poverty rate increase's side effects. The poverty rate increases, which is the most disruptive to eliminating poverty. According to the graph, the poverty rate has decreased enough to achieve goals by 2030 through the efforts of many institutions and people. However, since the outbreak of the covid-19, the poverty rate has increased, not as expected since 2020. The reason why poverty rates have risen so rapidly is that the economy went bad. Covid-19 has led to nations becoming more socially polarized. Although there was originally a gap between rich and poor, the gap has widened since the outbreak. Covid-19 has hit hard on jobs for middleclass and low-income workers working in restaurants and shops. Since they don’t have any customers, they can’t make any money. Also, there was a big blow for workers who were producing products because consumers are not coming out and consuming due to the covid-19. Producers are no longer able to produce as much as before. In doing so, producers who made a living in production could not earn as much as they used to. Also, the amount of production decreases so the bosses don't need many people to work anymore so many people get unemployed. However, high-income people who share the results within the organization, switch to telecommuting and overcome the covid-19 themselves have not been hit hard. As the income of the middle class became similar to the low-income class, the middle class which had a positive impact on economic growth in the middle, collapsed, and on the contrary, as the high-income class made more money, the economic market became unbalanced and socially unstable. The poverty rate is increasing for many reasons. In doing so, many side effects arise, one of which is hunger. In the graph, a lot of people started to starve in 2020 when the covid-19 began. This tells us that many people experienced hunger after the outbreak. There are many reasons for it, but the main reason is that as people lost their jobs, they ran out of money to buy food. To give the cases of students, before covid-19, poor students did not starve very much because they could eat at least one meal at school, but now as you can see from the map, due to school closure, most schools are having virtual learning. Therefore, students can’t go to school which makes them more likely to starve since they have to eat all three meals on their own. Next, another possible side effect is unsafe. Covid-19 has left more people unable to live at home

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and have to live homelessly. However, being homeless is dangerous because it means there’s no shelter to protect. Being homeless was not safe before, but now, it has become more dangerous because of infectious diseases. In the case of homeless students, they could be at school almost every day, so it wasn't very dangerous because except for sleeping they didn't have to stay outside much. However, with the outbreak and the increased time spent outdoors, such as taking online classes without going to school, students are more likely to become dangerous. Finally, not educated. According to Unicef, online platforms are the most widely used by governments to deliver education while schools remain closed, and 83% of countries use this method. And actually, almost all the schools in the world have virtual classes without running schools right now. However, Unicef also stated that unfortunately, virtual classes have potentially reached only about a quarter of the world's students. Also, three out of four students who cannot be contacted due to remote learning policies around the world are from the poorest. The widening gap between the rich and the poor has left the low-income class, as well as the middle-class unable to access computers, the internet, and so forth, so they can no longer attend online classes. This leaves a huge number of people uneducated than before. We focused a lot on covid-19 even though poverty is our actual topic. Since it had a huge impact on society as there was a big difference between before and after covid-19. For instance, the effect of poverty can follow a child into adulthood, leading to chronic illness and lack of education or the ability to work. Furthermore, lack of education and ability to work affect the global economy and conservation of nature. Moreover, as covid-19 keeps us isolated by having new variants, one person’s health is impacting one another globally. In other words, if one suffering from poverty gets infected by the virus, it would be hard to transmit the virus. Problems caused by poverty in different parts of the world impact everyone. Thus, we shouldn’t think of poverty as a problem confined to certain areas. It is a problem that impacts all of us, which makes it crucial.

IV. Projects by Organizations 1. Situations of the poverty in the world The pandemic has altered every field of the world. I've stated before, during the pandemic, the population of poverty conspicuously increased. Therefore, UN organizations began to get serious about this issue. Most UN organizations are planning projects for eradicating poverty. For instance, UNICEF is donating relief supplies to unprivileged children conspicuously lower than the extreme poverty line more actively than ever. I feel it is a significant issue in the world. I will introduce an organization called the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs-- called UNDESA. So, what is this organization? I am going to explain what it is.

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2. What is UNDESA? UNDESA is rooted in the UN and has a significant role to achieve SDGs goals. It works with the governments and stakeholders to support countries that are facing their crucial goals such as economic, social, and environmental challenges. Furthermore, it helps countries convert their international commitment like SDGs goals into national movements in every part of the country. If a country struggles with acting for SDGs goals in their country, UN DESA helps to set norms to function well itself so the nations can also act for SDGs goals efficiently and without problems. In addition, there is plenty of information and databases that help countries to make informed decisions. It is the most beneficial advantage UN DESA has. 3. What does UNDESA do? UN DESA does mainly three things. First of all, Intergovernmental Support. Like I’ve stated before, UNdesa cooperates closely with governments of countries around the world. UNdesa enables the countries to build partnerships, set norms, and make crucial decisions by promoting global conferences. Also, UNDESA analyzes the situations of the environment, economy, and societies. UN DESA generates an extensive range of data about economics, the public, and the environment. It informs and advises the member governments and other stakeholders to deal with prevalent problems. In addition, UNDESA focuses on several capacities based on innovative approaches, methodologies, and models. And it tries to collaborate with partners to solve specific gaps in the abilities of countries. They also attempt to achieve SDGs goals by implementing innovative initiatives like SGDs accelerations. What are the projects of the UNDESA? 4. Projects by UNDESA A. SDG Acceleration Actions Firstly, I want to explain the most creative and innovative project, the SDG acceleration Actions. It is an online platform and initiative set up by the UN Department of UNDESA to capture and promote new commitments and actions from national governments and all non-state actors to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. On this website, there are plenty of initiatives and ongoing projects directly related to SDGs goals. Let me briefly tell you some examples. 50:50 the equality project, supported by the BBC newsroom, has only one goal. Equal representation of women and men in content 50:50. It lasted for a few years, and finally, it showed us significant progress. As it was mentioned, UNDESA supports the countries through large databases and strategic initiatives. They give models to learn from. This project clearly shows how UNDESA utilizes information and online platforms to give specific strategies for the countries to achieve SDGs goals. B. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed annually every year on October 17. The day aims to raise awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution around the world, particularly in developing countries. Hence, every year, we can remember the eradication of poverty. C. Online Webinars There are also online webinars in UN DESA. As you can see here, lectures about poverty, economy, and how to solve SDG goal1 no poverty. It is not limited to staff or experts of UN organizations, it is an inclusive lecture for everyone. I believe that these educational contents will convey the things we have to do in our positions.

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V. Youth Participation 1. Introduction to Youth Participation Reference: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/

What is youth participation? The term “youth participation” can be defined as numerous definitions. The United Nations (UN) defines youth participation as an action that leads youth to empower and play an essential role in development. In other words, youth participation prepares youth to become leaders in communities. As an adolescent, I believe that youth participation is a way to be more confident, skilled, and connected to be more active in community matters and in turn, global matters. The goal of youth participation would be to allow youths to be more enlightened to concerns that need attention to be more active in changing the course of direction. 2. Importance of Youth Participation for SDG 1 Reference: https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/sdg-1-end-poverty-in-all-its-formseverywhere

Reducing poverty is a fundamental aspect of sustainable development. Hence, the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, No Poverty, ensures the eradication of poverty worldwide by 2030. However, due to the COVID-19 and the unprecedented poverty crisis, reducing poverty in all forms may not be able to occur in the near future. The COVID-19 pandemic will push approximately 120 million people into extreme poverty. An extended period of extreme poverty will not be a temporary shock. Long-term extreme poverty will certainly impact most of the 17 SDGs, also impacting all aspects either directly or indirectly. The progress that SDG 1 has made during the past decades might be wiped out due to the pandemic. Extreme poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak will negatively impact all in some way or another. Therefore, those who are not excessively impacted by COVID-19 should support those in extreme poverty. In order to help those in extreme poverty , people should continuously provide support by understanding the problems and concerns. One

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impactful way to achieve SDG 1, No Poverty, is by youth participation. Youth participation is especially salient in order for SDG 1 to make further progress. The United Nations emphasized the importance of youth participation in order to achieve not only SDG 1, but all the SDGs. There are numerous reasons why youth participation is constantly highlighted by various United Nations and its organizations. To begin with, youth participation is important since youth accounts for a large portion of today’s world. According to the United Nations, roughly 1.2 billion youth exist in the world, making up 16 percent of the global population. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum (2014), stated that approximately 2 out of 3 of the youth in developing regions are not able to fulfill economic potential. Upholding the youth perspective is an important aspect in order to achieve SDG 1. Hence, a youth perspective is relevant given that numerous youth are in poverty. Youth participating in sharing perspectives towards poverty is essential because it provides relevance to poverty reduction. Thus, considering the knowledge and experience of youth will ensure that the targets set to reduce poverty will be more relevant. Being more relevant will ensure that development on reducing poverty is reviewed and that youth have more opportunities and greater capabilities. Young people’s views on development related to reducing poverty are potentially influential. Secondly, youth participation is essential due to its efficiency. Having the understanding of what ways will best reach other youths, youths are able to reach out to others in a more efficient way. Moreover, applying youth perspectives to reduce poverty will most likely increase the chance of creating targets and policies that accommodate various groups. That is, youth participation will lead to youth perspectives addressed at all levels. Finally, youth participation is influential since global change starts with small changes around each one of us. That is, although many concerns are too enormous for one person to have any impact, the changes may start with a small ripple. Small ripple made by youths in various locations may add up to make the change. For example, global warming can be relieved by carrying reusable cups instead of plastic cups. If we learn how to participate, youths can change the world. 3. Examples of Youth Participation As stated constantly, youth participation is essential in order to eradicate poverty. Numerous United Nations Organizations emphasize the importance of youth participation. There are numerous ways in which youth can contribute to reducing poverty. The most effective ways that I believe it to spread awareness, donate, volunteer, and to participate in programs related to SDG 1. I believe that these are the most effective ways in which youth can contribute to achieving SDG 1 since they are not challenging and can leave a big impact. A. Spreading Awareness Reference: https://curearthritis.org/the-importance-of-raising-awareness/

Spreading awareness is one of the fundamental steps in order to take action. Multitudinous organizations highlight the importance of spreading awareness. For instance, the United Nations claimed that youth are a major human resource in order for sustainable development to take place. Generally, spreading awareness can be achieved by discussing how to reach out and help those in need. On a larger scale, one can participate in spreading awareness by speaking to a larger audience. Furthermore, spreading awareness can also be achieved by participating in forums held by United Nations organizations. For example, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum hosted by the United Nations is an annual event in which youth can participate to share ideas on a global level. One can also spread awareness through the internet, like social networking services (SNS).

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Participating in challenges on social media like Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, and more will also contribute to spreading awareness. Spreading awareness is vital since it increases support in order to achieve SDG 1, No Poverty. By raising awareness, it will lead to additional people aware of the issue. Thus, as more people are aware of the issue, there will be a pronounced increase in the people who participate in solving the issue. Hence, it is an essential action that can help ameliorate the progress of SDG 1. B. Donations Reference: http://worldrfm.com/donations/

The most uncomplicated and direct way for youth to participate in reducing poverty is to donate. A donation here means providing supplies, food, clothing, and more, not only confined to donating money. Numerous organizations like the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), accept donations. One example of a donation that youth can participate in is the donation by the United Nations Crisis Relief. It collects funds online to help those in need when crisis strikes. The donation will provide vulnerable people with medicine, food, water, shelter, and more. Donations play a crucial role in sustainable development since even small donations can create impact. That is, if one makes a donation either big or small, it is likely to lead to additional donations. If these small donations are combined, it will become extremely impactful. It is not only the recipient that earned benefits from donations. The youth that provided donations can also benefit from donating since they are able to expand awareness and gain social skills by helping others. Hence, the importance of donations cannot be ignored. C. Volunteerism Reference: https://sites.rmit.edu.au/psych-careershub/2019/09/02/volunteering-opportunities-for-psychology-students/

The third way for SDG 1 to be achieved is to actually participate in volunteer work. Volunteerism leads to mobilizing others for more support and also provides a chance of interactions for concrete actions. Monetary support only has a limited impact. Physical participation provides meaning to the cause and support from others. That is, to support someone in need and make them break out of poverty, one’s heart should be with materialistic support in order to help those in need. Various United Nations organizations host volunteer programs. For instance, the United Nations provides the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program which seeks volunteers to help contribute to a change in the world. Programs like this can benefit both the youth participating in volunteerism, and the recipient. Volunteerism is essential since it allows youths to grow beyond the scope of school learning.

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D. Program Participation Reference: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/opportunitieswithin-the-un.html

Participating in programs will also enhance the progress of reducing poverty. One example of a program related to reducing poverty is the project Tackling Poverty Together hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the National Youth Council of Swedish Youth Organisations, (LSU). Participating in programs allow one to actively contribute to a change and share one’s opinion on an issue. VI. Conclusion Youths are often seldom recognized during participation. However, youths can contribute to significant changes in order to achieve SDG 1, No Poverty. By spreading awareness, donating, volunteering, and participating in programs related to reducing poverty one can lead to a pronounced decline in the poverty rates. Most of all, through active participation, youths can grow and expand beyond previously known boundaries. Many times, we have been learning passively by what was given to us by our family, school, and friends. By actively participating to help those in need, we could actively search for ways to help. We can be more active in learning what is not taught to us. VII. Questions and Answers Question: Just as the capitalism systems have changed its form significantly since the Great Depression, the COVID-19 crisis and the economic outbreak is likely to find positive possibilities for major overhaul of capitalism. Beyond the interest of individuals, governments, and businesses, I believe they may seek a better way to build an economic system rather than turning it to the past. Is there a UNDESA opinion towards this? Answer: I think that there are no “pure” capitalist economies. Most of them are mixed and it is finding the balance between pure capitalism and the more social parts of the economy. One of the things that has become more important is that a lot of the concerns are no longer cell-centered profit making centers. If you look at a lot of companies today, they have very strong social objectives. This is part of the movement of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. This is a movement where companies are beginning to take more and more social importance in the work that they do within the economy. UNDESA has a big role on this because a lot of the recommendations are not pure capitalism, they are based on emphasizing the mixed aspect and the public goods side of development. Question: Why is No Poverty the first SDG? I think the other 16 SDGs are also very important, but how did No Poverty become first? Does the order of SDGs mean anything? Answer: No, the order of the SDGs have no implication about the importance. It doesn’t mean that because poverty is the first goal, it is the most important goal. Certainly it is one of the more important goals. Poverty is the overarching goal. Its solutions require the integration of all other goals. Question: Social polarization has deepened in numerous nations. Is the UNDESA doing anything to resolve this problem? Answer: I think it has to do a lot with social exclusion and social discrimination. One way we

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recommend is to empower women and also children. Question: Out of all the work that the UN is doing towards poverty, what do you think is the most effective way to achieve SDG 1, No Poverty? Answer: I think one of the most important things is the work of the UN agencies, especially the UNDP and World Bank. These two organizations have quite different approaches. The World Bank finances projects and the UNDP works in many ways to provide capacity building. These I think are the key ways.

VIII. References Iris Tan, et al. “Donate to Make a DIFFERENCE: 14 Charity Organisations in Singapore.” Shopee Blog | Shopee Singapore, 29 Nov. 2019, shopee.sg/blog/charity-organisations-singapore-donate/. “About - Sdg Acceleration Actions .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.” United Nations, United Nations, sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgactions/about. “Airports in Nepal.” Maps of World, www.mapsofworld.com/international-airports/asia/nepal.html. Arora, Sumit. “International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.” Current Affairs 2021: Latest & Daily Current Affairs Today, Adda247, 17 Oct. 2020, currentaffairs.adda247.com/international-day-for-the-eradication-of-poverty/. “Arrow.” ARROW | Cambridge English Dictionary 에서의 의미, dictionary.cambridge.org/ko/%EC%82%AC%EC%A0%84/%EC%98%81%EC%96%B4/arrow. “Brave Emoji Images.” Shutterstock, www.shutterstock.com/search/brave+emoji. “Capacity Building.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/desa/what-we-do/capacity-building. Desa, Un. “Nearly 1 in 3 International Migrants Is under the Age of 30. It's Time to Listen to Their Perspectives ON Migration! This Week, @UNDESA, @UN_PGA & @IOMatUN Focus on MIGRATION, Development & Youth. Watch LIVE, 26-28 Feb on HTTPS://T.CO/QDYNAEQJH5 #FORMIGRATION #UN4All #IDM2019 Pic.twitter.com/pGZXPJXvP0.” Twitter, Twitter, 25 Feb. 2019, twitter.com/undesa/status/1100138367407267841. “Extreme Poverty Set for First Rise since 1998, World Bank Warns.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Oct. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/business-54448589. Jensen, Tim. “10 Top Data Analysis Mistakes Digital Marketers Make.” Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Journal, 19 May 2021, www.searchenginejournal.com/top-data-analysis-mistakes-digital-marketing/407040/. Mantia, Antonio La. “International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Addressing Homelessness to COUNTERACT Rising Social Inequalities.” Eurodiaconia, 8 Dec. 2015, www.eurodiaconia.org/2015/10/international-day-for-the-eradication-ofpoverty-addressing-homelessness-to-counteract-rising-social-inequalities/. “Partner Detail.” Decent Jobs for Youth, www.decentjobsforyouth.org/partner/692. “Sustainable Development Goal 17.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Aug. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goal_17. Thelightwriter. “Handshake between Two Nations Isolated on White Stock Illustration - Illustration of Relation, Agreement: 70886661.” Dreamstime, 21 May 2016, www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-handshake-two-nations-isolated-white-worldhand-shaking-united-hand-clipping-path-d-illustration-image70886661. “United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Undesa).” UNDESA | UNIDO Knowledge Hub, hub.unido.org/multilateral-agencies/undesa. “유엔, 2030 지속가능발전목표(SDGS)와 패션산업.” 네이버 블로그 | 다시입다연구소, m.blog.naver.com/wearagain/222143355600.

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3 Aug. 2021 (Day 1) • Opening Ceremony – Welcoming Speech • • Maher Nasser, Director at Outreach Division of United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC) •

• Participants Group Photos •

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•Special Session: Virtual UN Headquarters Tour: Asia and the Pacific • • Group Programmes Unit, United Nations Department of Global Communications •

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• Special Lecture: Korea and the United Nations • • Tae-Yul Cho, Former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations •

• UN Briefings: SDGs Goal 2: Zero Hunger • • Eleonora Cordella, Communications, Advocacy and Marketing Divisions, Community Manager, World Food Programme (WFP) Rome •

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• UN Briefings: Governance and Development Cooperation • • Yasemin Derebasi, Research Consultant, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre •

• Special Session: International Model United Nations and the SDGs • • Monique Nikolov, Secretary-General of YMUN XLVIII •

4 Aug. 2021 (Day 2) • UN Briefings: SDGs Goal 1: No Poverty • • Donald Lee, Former Chief of the Social Perspective on Development Branch in the Division for Social Policy and Development, UN DESA •

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• UN Briefings: Democracy, Peace and Development on Climate • • Bernhard Seliger, Representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea •

• UN Career Development • • Minsoo Kim, Human Resources Department, World Food Programme (WFP) Seoul Office •

• UN Briefings: Green Economy, Sustainable Development and Korea • • Gulshan Vashistha, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Headquarters in Seoul •

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• Keynote Speech: Work as a Diplomat • • Denis Godwin Antoine, Former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations •

5 Aug. 2021 (Day 3) • UN Briefings: SDGs Goal 13: Climate Action • •Esra Sergi Bertani, Communications and Public Mobilisation Officer, Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General •

• UN Briefings: SDGs Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and UN-Habitat • • Luis Ángel Flores, Urban Development Specialist & Nayoung Lee, Visual Communications Analyst, UN Habitat •

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• UN Briefings: Covid-19 Pandemic and Green Plastic • • Eun-Ju Ryu, CBDO at Access Bio Inc., Former Global Marketing Director at Pfizer Inc.•

•Special Lecture: South Africa and United Nations • • Chull-Joo Park, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the South Africa / Former, Deputy Ambassador of Republic of Korea to the UN •

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• Meeting with Ivy Leagues Student • • Jiyeon Kwon, Columbia University, Information Science & Math-Stat Major Sumin Kim, University of Pennsylvania, Huntsman Program •

• UN Briefings: Global Youth Development • • Jayathma Wickramanayake, Office of Secretary General's Envoy on Youth •

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• UN Briefings: Global Polio Eradication and the SDGs • • Ikuko Yamaguchi, Senior Advisor, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy at UNICEF •

• UN Briefings: Latin America and Green Economy • • Chanho Park, Global Green Growth Institute Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) •

• Special Session: Korea's Public Diplomacy • • Kadir Jun Ayhan, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University•

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• UN Briefings: Disarmament and the Sustainable Development Goals • • Einas O.A. Mohammed, Political Affairs Officer, UNODA Africa Regional Coordinator on UNSCR 1540•

• UN Briefings: Works of the Publications Team at the United Nations • Antje Kristin Watermann, Associate Marketing Officer, UN Publications, UNDGC •

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YOONSOO KANG CHANGDEOK GIRLS' MIDDLE SCHOOL

Covid 19 Pandemic and Green Plastic (CBDO at Access Bio Inc., 류은주 (Eun-Ju Ryu) 선생님) Of the many challenges that are now intertwined in the current Status Quo, there is no doubt that the keywords "Covid 19 Pandemic" and "Plastic Pollution" are definitely included in those challenges and are even quite a part of the current crisis and risks. Through this lecture on the subject 'Covid 19 Pandemic and Green Plastic', I was able to learn about the relationship between these two keywords 'Covid 19 Pandemic' and 'Plastic Pollution, which I thought were completely separated from each other. Since it was a lecture that covered both keywords, Eun Ju Ryu gave us a lecture with a detailed description of each keyword itself and its relevance. First of all, to take a look at the keyword 'Covid 19 Pandemic', I was able to learn deeply especially about the topic 'Vaccine' in the Status Quo of Covid 19 Pandemic. I was able to learn about 'How Vacancies work' while listening to this lecture. According to the lecture, the vaccine works by mimicking bacteria or viruses using dead or weakened versions of mRNA or bacteria/virus. At this time, Vaccine raises the body's alarm, trains the body to recognize and fight the virus, and when the body encounters the real virus, Vaccine is ready to fight the virus for our body’s health. Because the knowledge about the "principle of how vaccines work" is exceedingly fundamental and essential in understanding vaccines, learning how vaccines fight viruses was a very helpful and interesting experience. However, vaccines that present beneficial effects on so many lives around the world also harbored "fake vaccines" and "plastic pollution that can be triggered by the materials needed in the production process of the Covid 19 vaccine”. First of all, if we look at the keyword “fake vaccines”, the fake vaccine is not just “unhelpful" but also "harmful", causing side effects and death according to Eun Ju Ryu. These "fake vaccines" have been praised not only by the "Covid 19 vaccine" but also by various diseases such as antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, and anti-AIDS drugs, and the economical scale of the fake drugs is now very large at about $200 billion. Fortunately, however, various international organizations, such as the UN, INTERPOL, WHO, and FDA, are engaging in international collaboration and fake vaccine/drug arrest activities to address these fake vaccines/drugs challenges. As "drugs" and "vaccines" are closely linked to the health and lives of many people in the world, the existence of "fake" in these "drugs" and "vaccines" has shocked me, and it also helped me realize that now we have to fight not only the ‘disease’ itself but also challenges like ‘fake vaccines/drugs’ inside the Status Quo of disease pandemic. Also, the problem with the vaccine production process is the so-called bioreactor plastic bags used to grow vaccine cells in large vessels in bioreactors. Through this issue, 'Covid 19 Pandemic' and 'Plastic Pollution' have a point of contact with each other. The lecture for the keyword "Plastic Pollution" began with Eun Ju Ryu's impressive words, "Today, it is hard to live without plastics," and I felt that this phrase already captures how deeply plastic is located in our daily lives and how essential it is. Later, Eun Ju Ryu continued her lecture and led the story of plastic with a picture of a huge island made of plastic called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and it made me truly feel how serious the level of plastic pollution has reached. Among other things, I found the story of micro plastic even more impressive, and the fact that micro plastic eventually turns around and comes back to us was a good example of the impact of plastic pollution on people, and it made me realize that now it is time to actually ‘act’. Also, as Eun Ju Ryu said in the lecture, we will have to recycle plastic gradually, and converting plastic into energy or using biodegradable plastic more widely will also be a solution to plastic pollution. There is also no doubt that the United Nations climate change legislations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will play a vital role in easing the current Status Quo of plastic pollution.

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Eun Ju Ryu's answers to the questions that were thrown at the Question-and-Answer session after the lecture was finished were also very impressive to me. The question was, what action would it take for Vaccines to be produced through a more eco-friendly process, and the answer to that question was, "First of all, be eco-friendly in terms of storage rather than the parts that are linked closely to the production of the vaccine itself. Through this process, people will notice the influence and impact of eco-friendly plastics, and after that, the vaccines will gradually become ecofriendly as well.” I was also wondering whether the two challenges of ‘Covid 19 pandemic’ and ‘plastic pollution’ could be solved together or not through the use of eco-friendly plastic because the problem situation was also a Status Quo called Covid 19 Pandemic and Plastic Pollutions, which led Ryu to change everything drastically at a time. Because I could feel the importance of approaching. To conclude, Ryu Eun Ju's lecture allowed me to know the overall status of 'Covid 19 Pandemic' and 'Plastic Pollution and the keywords 'Vaccine' and 'Micro plastic' that existed in them, and as I listened to this lecture, I was able to be informed about the relevance of 'Covid 19 Pandemic' and 'Plastic pollution' Also, I was able to learn about the impact of these two keywords in our society, and the action being performed and also the action that should be performed in the future – so listening to this lecture was an impressive and meaningful experience for me.

주유엔그레나다대사님 Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine

‘WHAT MAKES YOU DISSATISFIED?’ This is the question that was thrown by Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine in his lecture which is still deeply embedded in my heart. There is no doubt that this is a question that every global citizen should ask themselves. ‘Realizing what you want to change’ is truly a fundamental and important process, since you would be able to find your true ‘passion’, and you would also be able to actually ‘act’ with that spark of passion to make a better world. According to Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine’s lecture, we should ‘Let the idea be born once in our head, let it be born in our writing, and then put it into action.’ to make changes in the world. And by throwing this question- ‘What makes you dissatisfied?’ - to ourselves, we would be able to move one step forward to the first process of making changes; letting the idea be born in our head. The lecture which was given by Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine was exceedingly inspiring and encouraging. Moreover, the lecture led me to throw the question ‘What is that dissatisfying you?’ to myself over and over again. Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine emphasized that ‘future is now our responsibilities’. Also, ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine mentioned that because ‘future is now our responsibilities’, we should be the ambassador-or in other words, character with voice- in local communities like our homes or even in national, or global communities to make SDGs globally local, encourage local society to focus on the intensity of the SDGs, and increase the speed of change. According to the Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine’s lecture, to be the ‘ambassador’ of any community that we belong to currently, we should listen while speaking at the same time. To be more specific, we need to focus and pay attention to what people say, and also speak the knowledge of the way to ‘collaborate.’ Through this lecture, I was able to truly feel the importance of being an ambassador by spreading my knowledge about the sustainable society and development and

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actions that have been taken to achieve the goal such as establishment of the SDGs and raising people's interest/consciousness in this topic which will eventually lead them into participating in creating a better world. In addition, I was able to think deeply about how I could spread my knowledge and make an impact as an ‘ambassador’ of the community I currently belong to.

‘WE BREATHE THE SAME AIR. AND AIR CIRCULATES.’ Furthermore, I was greatly impressed by this phrase that Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine mentioned in his lecture; ‘We breathe the same air. And air circulates.’ This phrase deeply touched my heart, because it pursues the value of ‘together’ and contains the message that ‘One human affects one another.’ To be a true ambassador and global citizen, we had to have the ability to realize that ‘we are the same’ and try to catch the opportunity to share, cooperate, help each other, and move forward ‘together’. Just like it is shown in the phrase ‘We breathe the same air. And air circulates’, we could not just ignore each other’s difficulties and risks in their situation thinking that ‘I’ is the priority-because we are all interconnected, and one single action by one individual would have a great impact on all the people around the world.

‘Youth together can make a better world. Youth is like magic.’ This phrase in Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine’s lecture was also greatly motivating, as a youth global citizen. Additionally, the lecture itself given by the ambassador was generally inspiring and motivating because the content that the lecture contained emphasized how important we are as a youth global citizen, and what changes we can make. Also, Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine also suggested a direction for us to move forward and try as youth global citizens. According to his lecture, to make ‘changes’ around the world as youth global citizens, we had to have passion, and we had to listen to ourselves. Furthermore, we had to ‘feed our mind’ through constant learning and reading. Also, we had to make decisions and go for it with impetus. To conclude, I was able to visualize what my future looks like and ask myself ‘what future do I want to present to my next generation?’ while listening to this lecture. As ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine mentioned in his lecture, ‘we are already in the future now’- and it was now time for us to actually act. This lecture motivated me to think about what influence I want to have in the world and how I want the world to change with that influence and lead me to constantly draw the future that I want to hand over to my next generation inside my head.

World Food Program (WFP), Eleonora Cordella Today, innumerable people, especially youth, are located close to social media which is the reason why marketing through media is exceedingly important. Then, will various organizations such as WFP also proceed marketing through social media in order to involve more people into the action of organization? I was able to find the answer to this question through the lecture that was given by Elenora Cordella. Through this lecture, I was able to be informed not only about the World Food Program (WFP) organization itself and its roles and impact, but also about the marketing through social media that the organization have proceeded and is proceeding in order to inform wide range of people in social media and move one step closer towards the public, and especially the youth. Because I am currently interested in both ‘marketing’ and ‘global organizations’, listening to this lecture and learning about how the two topics ‘marketing’ and ‘global organizations’ are connected and related was truly an interesting and absorbing experience. The World Food Program (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization which pursues achieving the goal of ‘Zero Hunger ‘. Achieving ‘Zero Hunger’ is a strategic goal of the organization, and its strategic objectives are ending hunger by providing access to food, improving nutrition, and achieving food security.

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Furthermore, the strategic result of the WFP is everyone having access to food, no one suffering from malnutrition, improved food security of smallholder farmers through improved productivity and incomes, and sustainable food systems. WFP is an organization which is completely reliant on voluntary donations, and it works in partnership with others while harnessing the global partnerships to mobilize resources, find innovative solutions and reach vulnerable communities. The World Food Program (WFP) organization suggests five methods to achieve its goal ‘Zero Hunger’- in other words, ‘five steps to Zero Hunger.’ The first method that the organization suggests is ‘put the furthest behind the first.’ Social protection schemes are needed to establish equitable economic growth, and this will result in raising the purchasing power of the poorest people. Also, ‘putting the furthest behind the first’ will create incremental demand, generate new jobs, and activate the local economy. The second method is ‘pave the road from farm to the market.’ Because the access to affordable and nutritious food for everyone is pivotal, we have to make our supply chains more efficient by developing a sustainable durable market. The third method suggested by WFP is ‘reduce food waste’. According to the lecture, about one third of the food we produce every year is lost or wasted, and it costs the global economy US $1 trillion annually. Additionally, the fourth method that the organization suggests is ‘encourage a sustainable variety of crops.’ Helping and leading farmers to explore and identify a more diverse range of crops is vital to face and resolve the challenges of climate change, food ability and food access, since the four crops (rice, wheat, corn, soy) represent 60% of all calories consumed. Lastly, the final method that Is suggested by the organization is ‘make sure people-especially children and nursing mothers- have access to nutrients.’ Additionally, according to the lecture, the WFP provides food with these criteria-different areas, different needs, and different situations.

‘From Millions to Billions’ Moreover, it is crucial to think about the relevance of the Status Quo: Covid-19 pandemic and hunger. In 2020, people who had never needed WFP’s support suddenly did, due to the shut down and food prices soared. For example, middle-income countries like Peru asked WFP to obtain food to support people who have become newly vulnerable due to the Covid-19 for the first time in years. The phrase ‘from millions to billions’ shows how the current Status Quo: Covid-19 has affected the number of people in great hunger. The current Status Quo: Covid-19 pandemic needed the WFP organization to deliver various programs and adapt quickly. To address poverty challenges in the current Status Quo would be difficult because of additional challenges caused by Covid-19 pandemic-for example, decreased access to countries- but we can not deny that it also demonstrated the strengths of the WFP organization like their global footprint, their physical and digital infrastructure, and dedicated partners and staff. Then, how is ‘Climate change’- also a very important keyword in the current Status Quorelated to ‘hunger’? ‘Preventing conflict and sustaining peace flow through everything that WFP does, because without peace we cannot end hunger- and where this is hunger, we will never have a peaceful world.’ This phrase mentioned by Elenora Cordella in her lecture deeply impressed me, because it showed how all challenges and difficulties are interconnected with each other. Just like it is said in the sentence because all challenges and conflicts are connected with each other, addressing, and resolving one conflict will influence all the other conflicts too. Indeed, ‘food’ will be the first step for ‘change’. It will support reconstruction, promote development, and help to tackle the fundamental root causes of conflict of wide ranges from economic exclusion to climate change.

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To promote their activities to the public and lead them to be involved and more interested in their activities, WFP is constantly proceeding with marketing through social media. To take a look at the timeline of communication with the public through the social media of WFP, at the beginning they used multimedia tools and cloud-based content creation tools for HQ. And then, ‘Canva’ accounts and training were available for all offices around the world, so the ‘Canva’ was used to produce postcards, gifs and micro videos. Subsequently, WFP had social content creators which allowed them to increase both quantity and quality and also create more targeted content. Also, there was a roll-out of Wochit video editing platform with the creation of a remote training platform. The WFP also began using new content forms by creating long-form and reels formats for new platforms. Moreover, WFP localized the contentfor example, a language group on Teams was created to facilitate translations. Finally, in 2021, the WFP is focusing on ‘Engagement-driven content production’. As well, the WFP had made a video-centric approach. Through social media feed and story, WFP communicates with the public through every day social media video which is less than one minute, and through feed and reels WFP makes micro videos public too. And, through feed, story, reels, and TV, the WFP promotes its campaigns, brand moments, and themes. The WFP organization posts vertical videos built for engagement on social media stories, and posts vertical videos with music and effects on social media reels. Additionally, through TV a longform video which used landscape format-or in other words, polished long video-are shown to the public. Through social media marketing, the WFP tries to engage with ‘youth audiences’- and constant interaction with the youth audiences would have the same meaning as investing in the future. As a youth, we could join and be involved in WFP’s actions through joining its challenges and also by helping WFP spread awareness. To come to an end, through this lecture I was able to learn about the WFP organization itself and also the direction that the organization suggests achieving the goal of ‘Zero Hunger’. It was also interesting to learn about the relationship between ‘hunger’ and the current status quo (Covid-19 pandemic and Climate change), and also the relationship between ‘hunger’ and ‘peace’. Furthermore, it was truly impressive to learn that WFP organizations use ‘social media marketing’ to engage youth listeners, because I thought that using social media to spread the knowledge and involve them in various activities is an appropriate and targeted method, since most of the youth listeners use social media. It was engaging to learn about the specific history of WFP’s communication with the public through social media and how the organization promotes its activities with different formats in different social media platforms while pursuing the philosophy of ‘impressing people’. Furthermore, the lecture in general informed me about the importance and impact of marketing through social media and constantly interacting with people to increase their interest, acknowledgement, and involvement.

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SAEBOM KUK Homeschool About the SDGs/personal thoughts: On the historic date of" 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in Sept. 2015 at a historic UN Summit — officially came into force."1

In 2015, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Built on the Millennium Development Goals foundation, the 17 SDGs have 169 specific targets that target different issues, calling nations worldwide to action, promoting social, economic, cultural, and sustainable growth within Earth. As the "5Ps" (Prosperity, PArtnership, People, Planet, Peace) suggest, the SDGs specifically serve to enhance the livelihood of individuals, protect the environment, and promote peace and prosperity.

But most importantly, the main characteristic of the SDGs is the fact that all 17 goals and targets are essential and interconnected; collective action is necessary to achieve the global goals. Contrary to what some believe, The 17 SDGs are not legally binding. However, they can be seen as an expectation of governments to take ownership, make global networks, and support the achievement of the SDGs.

Then voila. Sustainable Development Goal #8. Decent Work and Economic Growth. I would now like to provide an example of why I think SDG 8 is one of the most important Goals. During my almost-decade long stay in the US, I moved around a lot. This meant that I was constantly in a new setting with different schools and homes. I became an expert at both moving and making friends. Due to the nature of this, I saw a lot of people living in different environments. Some of my closest friends lived from trailer parks. I would see friends walking home because they couldn’t afford the expensive bus fare. Others lived in elegant

Informations utilized from “Sustainable Development Agenda” -SDG website

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mansions with lush, green laws decorating the front. The “rich” would have personal yachts and water skis tied up to the lake’s docks. Like above, there is mountainous loads of discrimination in our lives. Everyday. They range from being called out in class for being confused about a problem to people not getting jobs. I believe that we, the whole Earth, should work on demolishing, social hierarchies. (Yes I know I said demolish and that it’s a strong word.) How can we dare to hope and say that “Oh, things will be fine. It’ll get better?” What I want to say is that; the world is not fair. It never has. People say that if you work diligently and hard, you will be rewarded. This is only partially true. Although we can’t make dramatic changes, taking baby steps, continuously, is a must. During my participation in the HTFA (Hope to the Future Association) UN Professional Training Program, I took part, listening to various lectures led by professionals from all around the world, taking notes. From GGGI in Korea to Mexico, we took part in multiple solutions of SDGs and what we could do to accelerate the positive change. This was a refreshing experience for me. I have worked on SDG related projects before in middle school, but none of them were as big-scaled as this. If I say that this project is the size of titanic, its sails rebelling against the tide and wind, then my middle school projects were just mere boats. It was a rare opportunity; a precious chance that I am grateful to have been given. Allowing me to look back at my beliefs and opinions. A chance to meet wonderful people with similar interests, working together to slowly transform the world.

Hanns Seidel Foundation-Mr. Bernhard Seliger:

The Hanns Seidel Stiftung (HSF) is a non-profit, non-stock, NGO that exists under Germany’s laws. “The main office is in Munich, Germany. Mainly funded by the FGG, (Federal Government of Germany) and EU

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(European Union).”2. For more than three decades, the Korean Office of HSF has been involved in various forms of reconciliation for both North Korea and South Korea. HSF focused on the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) in the South while concentrating their efforts on regional development in the North. HSF states that “Democracy can survive only with a democratically-minded population”.3

On the second day of the UN Training Program, I had the honor of meeting Mr. Habil Bernhard Seliger. Mr. Seliger was the head (resident) representative of HSF’s Seoul branch. A German national, Mr. Seliger said that by projecting the wall division of Germany on to Korea, we can see the hurt and pain behind the walls, and help mend the wounds in time. Mr. Seliger stated that the whole world should contribute to the growth and development of peace and democracy for a better future, one where there is no conflict. “Korea is the only country that’s still divided. Germany had solved its division a long time ago.”4 Mr. Seliger stated that Germany learned the hurt of failure from the first German Republic. I believe that SDG 16 and SDG 17 are perfectly aligned with this lecture. An example for SDG 17 would be the 이산가족. They are Korean citizens, people who are separated from their family members in the North. They cannot meet them, unless selected for the annual Family Reunion. In order to make the heartbreak less painful, we should hurry to break down the barriers.

"United we stand, divided we fall" UN Virtual Tour

Where is/ Who built?: New York City, New York. / Three people designed the headquarters. American architect Wallace Harrison. Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, and Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

In the beginning, we went back in time to 1945. More specifically, the time of WWII. Remember, there was already World War 1 and World War II. Many countries wanted to make sure that the world did not have to suffer the trauma and the destruction of Another World War. Fifty countries from all over the world met in San Francisco, California. And there at the San Francisco conference, the countries made "decided" on the UN Charter. The UN Charter was one of the most memorable parts. Especially the charter. of the “founding” documents of the UN. Signed on a faithful day of June 26th 1945 in San Francisco, after the United Nations Conference on International Organization. It came into force on October 25th. Amendments in the Charter focus on the three pillars; Peace, Security Developments, and human rights.

Info utilized from HSF website-History

Quoted from HSS(HSF)website

Quote taken directly from the words of Mr. Seliger

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After all the introductions had passed, the presenter then moved the focus to Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN. He is the highest-ranking official in the whole of the UN. He is also the top diplomat, so he represents the UN to the whole world. He is the one who heads all of the meetings. She also talked about the importance of interpreters at conferences because the interpreters made sure that there was no barrier in understanding the voices of each country. Language barriers, to be exact. In the big meeting hall, there are little chambers on the side. Inside every room, an interpreter speaks both their country language and the UN's official six languages. I already knew that there were six official languages of the United Nations. English and French are the working languages. The rest are Arabic, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese. We were then given the second part of the tour with Peacekeepers and Timor-Leste. Elanya first showed us a map of Timor-Leste. A former colony of Portugal, it has a population of a bit over one million. As I listened to their background story, I felt as if I was part of their Independence and the fight for the future. In 1999 East Timor voted in secret to decide what they wanted for their future. Elayna said that over 70% of the population voted for Independence. There was much conflict and debate, but eventually, the UN could deploy the Peacekeepers to assist East Timor in their fight. As a result, East Timor became an independent country. It was heartwarming to hear about people helping others in dire need. From refugees to the disabled, help was given where wanted. I hope that maybe I can take part in the process of seeing the countries of this world collaborate towards a peaceful Earth. Perhaps, in the future, we can look back at our deeds and be reminded of the purpose of the United Nations' creation.

Citations: Information Source: Nations, United. “About Us | United Nations.” United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/about-us. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. Nations, United. “Who We Are.” United Nations, 12 Aug. 2021, https://un-rok.org/about-un/. Nations, United. “UN Charter | United Nations.” United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. “The Three Pillars of the United Nations | United Nations Seventieth Anniversary.” United Nations, https://www.un.org/un70/en/content/videos/three-pillars/index.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. “Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.” UNDP, https://www.my.undp.org/content/malaysia/en/home/sustainabledevelopment-goals/goal-8-decent-work-and-economicgrowth.html?c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=CjwKCAjwjdOIBhA_EiwAHz8xm3cIR0ZpFrMWFUu_cXPNkewVulabW7 9f62OGOzZNaEHuSOuvQx0ahhoCtbUQAvD_BwE. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021. “Anwar, Shakeel. “GK Questions and Answers on Sustainable Development and Sustainability.” Jagranjosh.Com, 24 Nov. 2020, https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/gk-questions-and-answers-on-sustainable-development-andsustainability-1504851478-1.” “https://www.edf-feph.org/content/uploads/2019/09/SDG-logo.png. Accessed 8 Oct. 2021.” “Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.” The Global Goals, 14 June 2021, https://www.globalgoals.org/8-decent-workand-economic-growth.” “How to Remember the SDGs: The 5 Ps - 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Coursera.” Coursera, 25 Jan. 2022, https://www.coursera.org/lecture/sustainable-development-ban-ki-moon/how-to-remember-the-sdgs-the-5-ps-IH3Xc.” “Topics | Sustainable Development.” Welcome to the United Nations, https://sdgs.un.org/topics. Accessed 8 Oct. 2021.” Index. 이화여자대학교 국제대학원. https://gsis.ewha.ac.kr/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2021. Picture Source (citations not included for personal photos): “SDG Assessment : GLOBALGOALS.” GLOBALGOALS, https://globalgoalsproject.eu/sdg-assessment/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021.” File:UN Emblem Blue.Svg - Wikimedia Commons. 22 July 2008, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UN_emblem_blue.svg. e.V., Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung. Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung Korea. https://korea.hss.de. Accessed 8 Dec. 2021.

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Minchei Kim Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies UNODA Title: Disarmament Education and Psychotherapy United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, whic h is known as UNODA, works for disarmament and n onproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Disar mament is an unfamiliar topic, as it is not mentioned much like climate change or poverty. However, throu gh this lecture, the importance of disarmament was hi ghlighted again. Disarmament is the elimination of we apons and mass destruction. It also includes regulatio n to ensure the new technology has no probability of b eing used as a weapon.

UNODA works on treaties and conventions for removal of weapons. Many countries are participating in these works, as disarmament is the goal for world peace. SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) goals, which are the assembly of the world's goal for a better world, are also related to disarmament. Among seventeen SDG goals, number 3 and 4 are especially remarkable, which are the health and education. SDG goal 3 is Good Health and Well-being. This deals with physical and psychological injuries after the war. UNODA helps combatants and victims to recover and return to civil society. This agenda is called DDR(Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration). The DDR is a strategy for the peace process, such as the resettling of the combatants. The health status is the significant point of this agenda. Mental health is a notable point because the war gives heavy trauma to both of them and it’s not a scar that can be seen. Their effort of recovery is needed. According to Summary of the Treatments, one of the key factors of traumatic psychology therapy is the ‘expression of pain’(APA) The military personnel and victims need opportunity to express their traumas, not just bury and forget them. They can get support from therapists or psychiatrists. However, they still have difficulty resettling in civil society. It might be caused by their experiences that most others do not have or because they perceive the situation differently by mental stability. For these problems, usage of Inter-psychology can be a solution. SDG goal 4, which is Quality Education, is also significant. In this goal, disarmament education is also remarkable. Without the peace of the world, students cannot go to school but hold guns to fight. Just turning our sights a little closer, many students don’t even know what disarmament is. They must know about disarmament to protect themselves from wars and mass destruction. In this aspect, disarmament education is also part of the quality education. Survey of hundred students showed that their awareness of disarmament, and disarmament education. Three-quarter of students have never heard of disarmament. Among one-hundred students, only two of them were educated. 67 students answered that education is the important process of disarmament. Also 80% of students answered that they would take lectures or classes if they got a chance. However, the school curriculum does not include the disarmament topic. While online disarmament training courses are available in the UNODA education dashboard, not many students know how to join it. The significance of disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons for mass destruction should be more promoted for everyone’s participants of disarmament. Ms. Mohammed, the tutor of this lecture, said “Disarmament education is not just teaching removing weapons but educating the cultures of nonviolence.” If only removal of weapons is emphasized, disarmament of nations would be another war of secret weapons and survival of disarmed nations.

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Relation of disarmament and SDG goals 3, 4 is the cornerstone for all generations’ disarmament. Psychological therapy of trauma and disarmament education can collaborate. In 2011, UNODA held the filmmaking project, with nuclear bomb victims and New York High School Students. The victims shared their experiences and students made the film based on their stories. They both voiced nonproliferation of weapons for mass destruction. This project shows the collaboration of solutions for SDG goal 3 and 4. The victims could share their experiences during the session. They could meet the other victims and create the bond. Students who participated in this project had the opportunity to learn disarmament through realistic and vivid experiences. Designing disarmament therapy-education, the most significant factor is participation and interest of people. Disarmament therapy-education consists of two main parts, therapy and education. Both require many participants. First, therapy: victims and combatants share their experiences and their days after the events. This kind of therapy is already being used. In this project, they share their experiences with students too. Many combatants and victims suffer from traumatic pain after the war. However, it is hard to offer individuals therapy. This is why collective counseling is needed. Many military personnels and victims, few psychological therapists and audiences-the students will make this counseling interactive. Some of them would have a hard time to talk about their pains. However, with many people suffering just like themselves, it will be easier to talk actively and get comforted. The next part is education. This project has a purpose not only in therapy for victims, but also educating youths for world peace. Stories that happen in reality are more memorable than books and lectures. The power will be magnified when they are hearing from experienced people. As disarmament is not a p opular topic, vivid and sincere interactives are important. To keep getting the voice of disarmament and nonproliferation of weapons for mass destruction, participating projects like filmmaking, presentation, a nd publication writings- are needed. Disarmament is significant for world peace. It is ironic that shouting for peace while not knowing disarm ament and victims from the war. For society, to remember victims and combatants from the war, a new s olution is required nowadays. Disarmament therapy-education is a way of it. Works Cited https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness/transcri pt https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAgY3ErFSgpWZuG94ycjvX_4uswPHLaqZIkP6aDTJnGdX6g/viewform?usp=pp_url https://www.youth4disarmament.org/spotlight/young-people-seoul-host-disarmament-education-event-former-top-unofficial?language_content_entity=en

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KIM SANHEE, Myungduk foreign language high school

GGGI and Environment Through this camp, I was able to build various background knowledge by listening to lectures from various institutions. I thought vaguely that the UN is an international organization, but it was very meaningful to hear vivid responses from U.N. officials about how there are various organizations within the UN and how they are trying to achieve SDGs. The most memorable of all was a lecture from GGGI. The lecture provided an opportunity to learn about GGGI's overall history and GGGI's efforts to protect the environment. The GGGI (Global Green Growth Institute) is a U.N. organization recognized as an international organization in 2012 and based on the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, has put green growth as a solution to the global environmental crisis. Starting with 18 countries, 39 countries are now members, and GGGI is striving to implement environmental policies appropriate to those countries. These member states also hold a general meeting every year to discuss future developments and to create a better environment. What sets GGGI apart is that it is based in Korea. This is meaningful because it is the first international organization led by South Korea. Currently, GGGI will provide full-fledged introduction of renewable energy and training for four countries, including Melania, to build a $3 million solar power plant on Fiji’s Taveuni Island with KOICA (Korean International Cooperation Agency). Through these activities, Korea has become a leader in green growth and renewable energy. So what efforts are being made to protect the environment in Korea? Green growth means a lot to Korea, which relied solely on imports because of the lack of fuel such as oil and coal. By no longer leaning on fossil fuels, it can reduce unnecessary spending and prevent deepening environmental pollution. Furthermore, through the development of eco-friendly technologies, Korea's technological capabilities can be widely known around the world to strengthen its presence. Eco-friendly energy is an energy source that can be found in nature, such as solar, geothermal, wind, and wave power, and is not depleted. Currently, Korea's eco-friendly energy business is actively progressing. A typical example is Sangju City's eco-friendly energy town project. The project, which is carried out with an investment of 6 billion won, aims to change residents' negative perception of environmental basic facilities by reviving the local economy through energy generated by environmental basic facilities. What would be the most important thing to bring about these eco-friendly policies successfully? It's people's environmental consciousness. Environmental awareness is widely reported as an influential cause of various eco-friendly behaviors as an individual's orientation toward the environment, and the idea that individual's high environmental awareness elicits eco-friendly consumption behaviors has been a premise for environmental protection campaigns and environmental education. Of course, environmental awareness does not mean that you can do all of the eco-friendly actions. In addition, various factors such as consumer efficiency and personal norms are needed, but they can be started through the environmental awareness that is the most fundamental. It is widely known that eco-friendly consumption is the purchase of only necessary items to reduce unnecessary waste and products with eco-friendly certification marks. However, eco-friendly products have yet to play an important role in our lives. Would people choose eco-friendly products if they were more expensive than regular products or if they had to go to a farther market on purpose to buy them? This means that the larger the burden we have for the environment, the higher and lower the environmental awareness, the more the decision is made. In this respect, people need to develop an environmental awareness and have an opportunity to rethink the environment. We should not think that the environment will always be together. It's a very selfish idea that only considers the human’s position. The environment changes and develops as much as we protect and care about it. Green growth and the development of eco-friendly energy will become indispensable factors in order to enjoy a sustainable and bright future.

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GRACE EUNBIN KIM Seoul Foreign School As a student that has been fighting for the rights of many minorities, when I first encountered the Sustainable Development Goals, my heart fluttered in picturing the egalitarian world that I urged for. I truly believed that the trajectory of achieving these goals by 2030 will be able to uplift and address the many inequalities that lie in the world. Yet, observing the current predicament, with the outbreak of the coronavirus, these attempts have shown to be futile. The world was taking backward steps, moving further away from achieving these goals. Flawed responses to the pandemic have contributed to a further widening of long-standing economic, racial, and gender divides. Whilst feeling stumped and frustrated by the sobering reality, I miraculously found the “17th UN training program.” This youth UN training program granted me the opportunity to directly meet, and listen to the many professionals that are currently and have been in the frontlines to maintain international peace and security, and work to remove any impediments that suppress or breach human rights. Although I was unable to physically encounter these professionals, it will forever be one of the most unique and memorable experiences in that we were able to engage with the UN affiliated authorities amidst the pandemic - a major global crisis. Passionate in the intersection of gender and healthcare, the guest speakers related to these fields were of significant interest to me. One of the most memorable experiences during the program was meeting the UN Youth Envoy Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and the youngest senior official in the UN. In the UN department, she specifically serves to expand the UN’s youth engagement and advocacy efforts across all pillars of the UN, representing youth around the world. Since many of her works and accomplishments were directly observable even with light research, I figured it would be much advantageous to utilize the time given to us to ask more personal, and specific questions that no other interviews or search engines show. Hence, I decided to ask her regarding her personal experience working as the Youth Envoy. Especially as a young woman wanting to become one of the view female leaders in the field of healthcare, I asked Ms. Wickramanayake to share her personal experiences in becoming the first female senior officer in the UN. Additionally, with the long fight against gender equality and polarization, and COVID 19 backtracking the approaches to achieve equality, I questioned her about some feasible solutions that humanity as a whole can take to win against this long fight for gender equality. Firstly, she responded, “because I was also the youngest and the first female officer in the UN, I was always so easily mistaken as the secretary, or a worker of a lower status.” She shared her exclusive experience during a conference where she was wearing jeans and casual clothes to the meeting (as the representative of youth), and a white male with a full suit had come up to her and asked “where the UN Youth Envoy was.” If she were to be a white man in the conference room, she would have completely been treated differently. The truth is, the glass ceiling still exists to this day, and oftentimes, the battle against gender equality is an exhaustive work. However, she always reminds herself that she as one of the few world leaders has the responsibility to pave the way for other women to become more represented in these leadership positions as well. She specifically emphasized the importance of achieving the SDGs, as it is a universal, interdisciplinary concept; being able to resolve SDG #5 can aid to address the remaining goals as well. She gave important advice to all youth, to take initiative. Specifically in tackling gender inequality, she mentioned how we should all take the first step, by encouraging people in the community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours, teaching women useful skills that help them advance their career, or offering support to women around you in a vulnerable situation. To ensure gender equality, young women and

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girls must be a priority. Regardless of the type of SDG grassroots or the UN is working towards, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls, so that no one is left behind. Additionally, as an avid learner of healthcare, the lecture of the UNICEF polio center from Ms. Ikoku Yamaguchi was very valuable. Our group had specifically studied the works of the UNICEF focused on SDG #3 good health and wellbeing, and coincidentally, I had the role of researching case studies focused on resolving health. Hence, these multiple case studies that I found regarding child survival and the vaccination aided in understanding the lecture, especially because I deeply investigated the works of UNICEF in distributing polio vaccines around the world. Recalling what I researched about UNICEF, the frameworks are comprehensive in describing an extensive spectrum of essential domains of child well-being. It elaborates the context by components that influence children and adolescents’ wellbeing, including physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and further domains. For instance, UNICEF has been supplying more than 10 billion doses of Oral Polio Vaccines since 1988, having a structured network. Many countries had the polio emergency operations center - where all the partners organize strategy for the mission to completely eradicate polio. Systematically, the organization is divided into surveillance, epidemiology, infection prevention, risk communication, and community engagement. According to the research, I found that these polio emergency centers were actually extremely useful for responding to the pandemic. The networks that were already in place served as a key attribute in the fight against COVID 19. Yet, the specific mechanisms of how these polio networks aided during the pandemic were not detailedly known. Hence, I questioned the lecturer “it was found that the polio immunization campaign and the polio emergency centers that were already established in certain countries were found to be very effective when the COVID outbreak began. Do you know specific countries that utilized the polio immunization campaigns and emergency center resources during the pandemic?” She stated that UNICEF Nigeria had difficulties in delivering polio vaccines to neighboring children. Utilizing these data and experiences from the polio campaigns, they were able to create an updated method to be able to successfully protect children during the pandemic. The routes that they already discovered in reaching the most vulnerable children - like walking through the forest, riding boats to reach an island - were all aided amidst the pandemic as well. The prompt responses to emergencies were able to occur because the organization had a strong foundation and systematic campaigns years before the pandemic. Like such, UNICEF’s devotions to ensure healthcare and the well-being of children’s lives had been able to protect many children around the world. It was such a memorable and special opportunity to meet and listen to the authorities' insight regarding the pandemic. In completing this reflection, I would like to deeply and truly appreciate the “Hope to the Future '' association for preparing such a program, and I am confident that the experiences will help me in future endeavors. References UNICEF Staff. “How Polio Paved the Way for a Powerful COVID-19 Response in Nigeria.” UNICEF USA, 21 Apr. 2021, www.unicefusa.org/stories/how-polio-paved-way-powerful-covid-19-response-nigeria/38467.

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Haelynn Kim Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul

Before starting the session, I thought that a significant part was missing. However, as soon as I started to enjoy the lectures, I changed my mind completely. The 17th Training Program at the UN was preceded by online, which restrained us from meeting officers from various UN offices in person. Through Zoom, we met officials from around the world since UN offices are in diverse regions globally and even have several offices in the same organization. We could listen to 21 lectures in total, and the most exciting organizations for me were UNDGC and WFP. UNDGC stands for the United Nations Department of Global Communications. It is a department of the secretariat of the United Nations. It is tasked with raising public awareness and support of the work of the United Nations through strategic communications campaigns, media, and relationships with civil society groups. Their mission is "Communicating the ideals and work of the United Nations to the world; to interacting and partnering with diverse audiences; and to building support for peace, development and human rights for all." Distinctively, UNDGC focused on the Asia and the Pacific Tour, which was newly revealed by the pandemic situation rather than the organization's history. The original version of the New York UN Headquarters tour is looking around the building and listening to the guide describing each organization. However, as we could not visit the headquarter building, the Asia and the Pacific Tour mainly concentrated on the history of the relationship between Asia and the United Nations. China was the first country to sign the charter, and they had one of the four women sign it. Also, an architect from China designed the UN headquarters in New York City, and the UN has a secretariat branch in Thailand, mainly concentrated on the Asia and Pacific regions. Myanmar produced the third Secretary-General, Mr. U Thant, who prevented the crisis that caused another world war. The Republic of Korea also produced the eighth Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, who made many changes, such as putting more women in the senior leaders' seats, designating Millennium goals from 2000 to 2015, and Sustainable Development Goals from the year 2015 to the year 2030. He also worked on carbon emission working. Democratic leaders were mainly removed and detained in Myanmar, and the military attacked civilians. So the local military leaders discussed with other countries about restoring the election, but the UN was not allowed to enter, and nothing happened since the UN cannot take action without the country's permission. The UN does not have an official military, but as each country gathers together, they compose the UN Peacekeepers of 90000 people. Countries can also support with police, experts, and weapons. The officer added that South Korea is supporting by educating technologies to increase their sense of independence. Also, Pakistan built a hospital in Liberia. There was another prominent example of Timor-Leste, which had no independence. When they executed a secret universal election, 75 percent of the people wanted independence. With that result, the UN sent peacekeepers to help them be independent and make home again by creating schools, chairs, and more. Finally, in 2002, East Timor changed its name to Timor-Leste as an independent country and entered the UN as a new member. Now, they contribute to help other countries. The officer from the UNDGC also explained the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Disarmament, UN Economic and Social Council and WFP, Human Rights, The General Assembly. She lastly added a Call to Action that we can make dozens of choices and give impact, especially to climate action. We do not have much time to waste and have to listen to young people. As I participated in this brief lecture, I got the willingness to join their' Act Now' Program and 'Verified Program' by signing up for volunteer work and advertising that we should verify pieces of information and check if it is accurate before sharing with the public since it can cause violence. I also learned that we should make a trustier and safer community for everyone. Also, her lecture about the UN and the history between us, which was the first conference of this program, increased my expectation about the UN Training program and the UN.

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Secondly, WFP, the World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian organization, also attracted my attention. We had two lectures from WFP, one from Rome, Italy, the headquarters, and another from South Korea. The harsh weather with extremely hot or cold weather and the climate crisis is the most significant harvest problem to eliminate Hunger. WFP aims for 'Zero Hunger', which is fixing the food system before extreme climate change. They are developing ways to teach the local people how to deal with it and rehabilitate as education is the key. They save people in emergencies and use food assistance for peace, stability, and prosperity. They are usually funded through generous voluntary support. The World Food Programme received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 to combat Hunger in the Covid-19 Situation. They worked hard to make better conditions for peace in areas affected by conflicts. In the Korean Peninsula, North Korea, unfortunately, closed its border because of the Covid, which blocks WFP from accessing countries in danger. They are currently managing it efficiently by connecting with the local office and concentrating on doing it as much as possible for humanitarian reasons. Currently, South Korea contributes to SDGs goal #2, Zero Hunger with WFP, by helping locally and having a dynamic team in partnerships and communications to reach out to the government and policymakers. There is a big paradox, which is Hunger and obesity caused by food consumption existing at the same time on the same planet. The distribution of the nutrients and the quality of the food that is distributed are not equal, and that causes famine in some regions and obesity on the opposite side. Countries suffering from too many fats rely on heavy oils and fats with no healthy nutrition and a broken food system, while the others have insufficient nutrients of all kinds. There are five steps to reach out to Zero Hunger: 1. We should put social protection as the priority. 2. We should pave the road from farm to the market to distribute diverse nutrition to everyone through food, and this can also be a way to rehabilitate. 3. We should encourage people to reduce the amount of food waste which is also a factor of failed distribution of nutrients and food. 4. Crops in diversity should be sustainable in every region. Rice, wheat, corn, and soy represent 60 percent of all calories consumed. These should be shared with everyone so that they can access them. 5. We should put nutrition in the first place and work for a healthy community. WFP is currently changing many people's lives by distributing nutrition’s, work for school feeding, which is a large part of growth for children, strengthening communications with an asset of food and cash assistance, alliance with a farm and a market. Reduction in climate and disaster risk, innovation, and a community with resilience to grow back even with a binding effect. They mainly concentrate on nutrition, food security, market analysis, monitoring and evaluation, emergency coordination, supply chain with procurement and logistics, partnership, human resources, and lastly, finance linking with resource management. As I could participate in this Training Program at the UN, I could learn many offices contributing to a better world. With our friendly teammates and our team-teacher, I could dedicate myself to the program with energy. I want to thank all of the officers who gave us great lectures, staff members from the Hope to the Future Association, and the participants of this program. I did not know much about the UN and how it worked before participating in this, but as I got interested in lectures and the programs that proceeded, I found myself being into it and researching more activities that I can try out related to the UN. It was such a memorable experience, and I would like to visit New York UN Headquarters someday and meet the officers that I met online.

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Rachel Kim Cranbrook School UN South Africa Ambassador On the third day of our training program, we had a lecture from Park Chull-Joo, an incumbent South Africa ambassador. I found his lecture interesting since South Africa was relatively unfamiliar to me, other than fundamental information. In the beginning, he briefly summarized the current state of South Africa. It is located in the Southern hemisphere, the southernmost country on the African continent, and a “rainbow nation” due to cultural diversity. There are eleven official languages, used by various ethnic groups and native tribes. With plenty of sunshine and a pleasant climate, South Africa is a salubrious and desirable residential area. Affiliated with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA), South Africa is a gateway to the Sub-Saharan African market and a member state of G20 as the only nation from the African continent. Interestingly, South Africa is the world’s leading platinum producing country where the mining industry is most economically significant. He talked about not only positive aspects but also negative factors: inequalities of education, high crime rate, unemployment, a lack of sustainable development, and a wealth disparity. Indeed, around 57 people are murdered in South Africa every day, with one of the highest rates of rape in the world. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), the official unemployment rate was 32.6% in the first quarter of 2021, especially 46.3% among young people between the ages of 15 and 34 years. The distribution of household wealth is also disproportionate-the top 0.01% (3,500 individuals) own 15% of aggregate national wealth, more than the bottom 90% of the adult population (32 million individuals). Connecting South Africa to Korea, Ambassador Park told us that approximately 3,300 Koreans inhabit South Africa, forming the largest Korean community in Africa. His narration about what he has experienced since his first arrival to South Africa was also amusing. He didn’t expect what we call “summer” in the northern hemisphere to be that cold in the southern hemisphere; he had the first-ever warm Christmas in South Africa. Numerous United Nations agencies, such as UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, and UNODC, reside in South Africa to facilitate SDG developments. One of their objectives is to achieve inclusive, just, and sustainable economic growth and reduce unemployment rates. They are trying to invest in human capital, education, in other words, as a cohesive and safe society, with particular emphasis on youth and women. In addition, enhancing institutional capacity, good governance, and accountability are crucial to standing against corruption and irregularities of the government. More than 70 protests recently erupted after former South African President Jacob Zuma proclaimed that he would serve a 15-month jail term. He had refused to appear at an anti-corruption commission and denied multiple allegations, including bribery and fraud. Violent looting and vandalization were accompanied by those protests, as people set malls ablaze and clashed with police, resulting in pandemonium in South Africa. Furthermore, the UN agencies have advocated green, environmentally sustainable developments so that South Africa will soon be resilient to climate change impacts. Discouraging further development on mining industries, which often

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induces air pollution, the UN offices suggest the government take advantage of its vast natural resources to be on a pathway of sustainable development. Digging deep into the roles of the UN, Ambassador Park introduced exemplary activities of UN entities in South Africa. UNFPA donates sanitary products, including sanitary dignity products, buckets, soaps, and sanitizers, to rural schools in the Eastern Cape as a part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Cooperating with other NGOs, UNICEF initiated a project to transform disused parts of the city into community gardens and safe play areas for children. Expressing concerns over the massive loss of lives and damage to properties from violent looting that happened mainly in KZN, the UN supports the government of South Africa to bring peace and restore the rule of law.

The Korean Embassy in South Africa has instigated multiple projects: ● ● ● ● ● ●

to provide IT equipment to local schools in South Africa (2018), Botswana (2019, 2021), and Lesotho (2020) to help students adjust to the remote e-learning environment. The equipment provided were tablets, desktop PCs, printers, projectors, and scanners. to provide desks and chairs to local schools in Gauteng, South Africa (2019) to support CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities (donation of sanitary pads, face masks, disinfectants) of Korean companies in South Africa to work with the Department of Basic Education to offer the sanitation facilities (toilets for Grade R and disabled learners) to 10 local schools in Eastern Cape to work with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Basic Education to provide agricultural equipment (Hyundai truck, forklift, tractor, balers) to local schools in Mpumalanga and Free State for the youth who aspire to be farmers to provide vocational rehabilitation facilities to local schools of the persons with disabilities in South Africa so that the youth with disabilities will be opened to access jobs with a decent income.

GGGI (HQ in Seoul, Korea)

According to the United Nations, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to envisioning a resilient world through promoting strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. In 2009, at COP 15 in

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Copenhagen, plans to establish GGGI were first announced, and the launch of GGGI as a Korean NGO was set at the East Asia climate forum in 2010. Then, in Rio, GGGI officially converted to be an international organization. The utmost challenge for Korea was that it hadn’t had any experience in establishing and managing an international organization that holds a forum in regular intervals. Additionally, GGGI is deeply involved in various fields, reflecting the fundamental goals of the organization: poverty reduction, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Its stand in the global community is a trusted advisor and development partner embedded in member governments. Our first lecturer was Gulshan Vashistha from GGGI headquarter in Seoul. He started off the presentation by giving us rudimentary information about GGGI. As of 2021, GGGI has 39 member states and delivers programs for more than 30 partners in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the Pacific. As a unique, neutral in-country stance, GGGI maximizes the potential to translate green growth strategies and policies into investment plans, mobilizing finance support to bolster low-carbon and climateresilient economic, institutional development capacity. Then, we were acquainted with some of the projects installed under the command of GGGI. The Floating Solar project at Omkareshwar Dam, situated near the temple city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, India, expects to complete 600 MW single largest grid-connected floating solar panels by 2023. Developed under the “Atma Nirbhar” vision, floating solar with 280 GW of renewable energy potential can provide a commercial and viable alternative to meeting India’s target. The project follows a public-private partnership model. A state agency will fund the solar park infrastructure with support from the Government of India, a multilateral development bank, and a reverse auction process whereby private developers will be selected to put the solar photovoltaic project. In fact, the International Finance Corporation, World Bank, and Power Grid have granted in-principle consent. Electricity will soon be produced in about 2000-hectare-wide water from the solar panels floating on the water's surface in the reservoir.

(Floating Solar Omkareshwar Dam)

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Global Program for Solar Irrigation is a multi-donor trust fund to provide technical support and assist member countries in deploying 1 million solar irrigation systems. The widespread implementation of this system shifts food-water-energy into a cycle of conserving water, increasing farm income, and culminating in the energy efficiency of ground and surface water irrigation.

Through the project, GGGI aims to fulfill its objectives: Surging food demand puts a strain on current water and energy supply systems since indiscriminate use of agricultural pump sets usually leads to groundwater depletion, energy insecurity, and climate issues. ●

Solar-powered pump sets are an eco-friendly and sustainable technology that induces a cleaner irrigation option, resulting in higher agricultural yields and the formation of more climateresilient communities. ● Solar irrigation can increase farmer income, produce a variety of crops over a more extended period or sell excess water and energy to other farmers. ● The project will increase strategic coherence, reduce the fragmentation of aid financing, mitigate shared risks, and increase visibility and transparency. Moreover, the Global Program for Green Hydrogen intends to satisfy global demand for hydrogen gas for versatile purposes, including industrial use, endorsing GGGI’s member states to decarbonize energy-

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intensive industries such as fertilizers, iron, and steel. Hydrogen is a prospective and innovative resource that can possibly replace the usage of other fossil fuels. Through measures like a large-scale deployment of renewable energy sources and tax breaks on equipment import, GGGI tries to offset operational costs in production and bring parity to current hydrogen production to improve viability. In partnership with Vietnam’s Minister of Finance (MOF), GGGI commenced the Green Bond Readiness Program, accompanied by three major interventions: policy reforms, capacity building for the Green bond ecosystem, and Green Bond Pilot Issuances. For the Renewable Energy sector, GGGI aids MOF in drafting regulations regarding Green Bond issuance. Meanwhile, it conducts capacity-building activities and campaigns to bolster the Green Bond Ecosystem within Energy Efficiency and Green Buildings sectors. Providing technical assistance to potential issuers of municipal and corporate green bonds belongs to the sector of Waste to Energy, as Mr. Vashistha suggested.

GGGI (Mexico) We were fortunate enough to have another lecture from Chanho Park, Regional Director Latin America and Caribbean of GGGI. Before emphasizing the significance of the green development, Mr. Park raised awareness of the climate crisis since heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and droughts have intensified recently. Two intense tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, for instance, hit Mozambique in the same season in 2019, leaving inconceivable devastation and suffering. Carbon Brief’s analysis reveals that 70% out of 405 extreme weather cases and trends were found to be exacerbated by human-caused climate change. (Carbon Brief’s Map) Recognizing the gravity and severity of this climate issue, the world has developed several international, cooperative endeavors particularly through the UN 2030 Development Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement. Yet, Mr. Park sharply pointed out, what the governments of the member states should be genuinely interested in doing is “to take actions that precipitate visible improvements rather than merely signing agreements.” For example, 6.9 trillion US dollars per year over the next 15 years are required for new infrastructure to achieve goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, but, in fact, it is only a 10% increase relative to annual infrastructure investment needs, which is 6.3 trillion US dollars. GGGI’s Green Investment Services (GIS) encourages its member states to engage in green finance needed for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and developing countries that lack financial support. Having leveraged 2 billion US dollars of climate finance for 60 projects from 2015 to 2020, GGGI focuses on expediting the finance flow to settle the gap between projects and financiers. Although the global progress on energy access is 89%, 62% of the population in less developed countries (LDCS) has no electricity access. As this data shows, energy accessibility is one of the disparities that GGGI has been trying to tackle. GGGI’s value chain is a flexible approach that can be tailored to local needs. As Peru’s economic growth has fueled its aspirations for membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the government of Peru commissioned the GGGI to undertake a Green Growth Potential Assessment (GGPA) in 2015, highlighting three areas that would likely contribute a lot for the green growth vision: sustainable landscapes, water, and energy. Furthermore, GGGI offered sufficient support to develop the Ministerial Order that outlines the Green Building Minimum Compliance System

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(GBMCS) along with the revised Rwanda Building Code 2019. The system can curtail greenhouse gas emissions from the building and construction sector, starting off with significant refurbishments on public buildings. The enhanced awareness of the advantages of green construction practices in Rwanda is a substantial accomplishment for future decarbonization and resource efficiency. Then, how can youth be involved in the overall green growth projects? Mr. Park talked about Greenpreneurs, a free 12-week virtual incubator facilitating the development of social enterprise solutions by young people that typically address sustainability against climate change issues. Under the partnership with GGGI and Youth Climate Lab (YCL), 15 teams around the world compete for a chance to realize their initiative. Mr. Park introduced projects from the 2020 Greenpreneurs to give a sense of how it works. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has confronted uncontrolled mobility demands of a growing population, leading to poverty and social inequality. However, Bamboo Labs took advantage of Ethiopia's largest bamboo area in East Africa. Bamboo Labs promotes affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems and has created wheelchairs and bicycles framed and made out of bamboo in order to foster green mobility.

(A wheelchair made by Bamboo Labs) Similarly, Nomadic PowerBox in Mongolia attempted to mitigate energy and economic poverty for off-grid regions. PowerBox, in the form of a truck and a container, is an all-in-one mobile power plant that enables cost-efficient electricity generation and the rental of cold storage space with good hygiene.

University of Columbia (Information Science, Math-Stat Double Majors, Jiyeon Kwon) University of Pennsylvania (Huntsman Program International Studies & Business, Sumin Kim) As everyone expected, the lectures given by Jiyeon Kwon and Sumin Kim were more than helpful. Frankly, they crashed through my expectations, although I believed that I set my bar high. It felt like the allocated time for the session was short; time passed in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, we got to share our experiences with them within a very comfortable atmosphere about what we should prioritize in our lives no matter what university or college we go to in the future. Jiyeon-Kwon is a senior at Columbia University, double majoring in Information Science and MathStatistics. Her presentation entailed basic information about the university: an acceptance rate, cultural diversity, nationalities that many students pertain to, how each class looks like, and what undergraduate branches there are. She also promoted the benefits that the school has for being located in New York. For example, she specifically talked about how NYC would enrich the college experience. Some professors bring their students to the Metropolitan Art Museum during art history class to actually see the art pieces and absorb them. Other than that, students can visit the symphony, opera, and museums during their free time, as well as enjoying the unique landscape, architecture, and culture of NYC. The Columbia Arts Initiative “Passport to Museums” program enables students to access various cultural destinations, including MoMA, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the New-York Historical Society, and Socrates Sculpture Park for free and offers discounted tickets to theater, dance, and music performances. The main message that Jiyeon tried to convey through the lecture was that what matters in life is passion. Jiyeon told us that since she focused only on her academics when she was in high school, she didn’t get much opportunity to contemplate what her true passion or interest is. That is why she has struggled a lot with choosing and settling on her major (Information Science & Math-Stat), and she hopes that we won’t have to waste as much time as she did on discovering a passion. Although it is reckless not to be working

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on academics or a career for the uncertain passion, one needs to know at least what one's passion is and keep developing it. If one feels like the passion has gotten complete, in terms of having specific, feasible plans, then that is when one can follow what the soul wants and let one’s heart rule one’s head. The second piece of advice she gave us was, “Don’t be afraid to walk an unconventional path.” Most of her friends follow a so-called elite course, which is going to professional graduate schools (business/law/medicine) or working for companies with big brand names. Some of those who are hired by those big companies have the ultimate goal of quitting their jobs and running their own-start business after gathering the most brilliant colleagues. Jiyeon became honest with us about her feelings; she was insecure and wondered if she could do the same. However, a series of internships and a working experience at a consulting firm kept telling her that was not what she aspired to. Taking a gap year right before graduation, which is unusual, Jiyeon has been striving for her dream: ana-tainer (announcer + entertainer, indicating those who host shows with entertainment). She has participated in internships held by Korean broadcasting stations and has been on some Korean shows. Even though she is on an unconventional, rare path compared to her colleagues from Columbia University, Jiyeon is satisfied with doing something that makes her heart beat. Next, we also heard from Sumin Kim from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a senior majoring in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. Since her major was unfamiliar to most of us, she explained that it is “a unique undergraduate four-year jointly administered coordinated dual degree program in language, the liberal arts, and business.” She mainly talked about what she did back in high school, how she prepared for college essays, and what makes one a competitive and distinct applicant. Having gone to Daewon Foreign Language High School, she participated in multiple school club activities such as the debate team, Model UN, and speech club. About the advantages of the Model UN, one could improve public speaking skills, expand the approach to start MUN clubs at one’s school, explore diverse global issues, and get to know people with similar passions. College essay-wise, she emphasized the significance of writing down what one is truly passionate about. Admission officers would easily discern the ingenuity of the applicant’s passion based on his or her essay. For instance, even though Sumin didn’t realize at that time, she later heard from her colleagues that writing about MUN in college essays was considered a cliché. Still, concocting and making up a story that is not your “thing” is dangerous because it can be exposed through how you express it. No matter how common one’s passion is, as long as one is capable of translating the passion into one’s own words, it becomes an outstanding essay. Furthermore, it is beneficial to communicate continuously with teachers of each subject and a college counselor. If one engages in conversations several times, they sometimes notice one’s passion before one realizes it by oneself and guide or facilitate one's dream by introducing alumni who are on a similar path. If possible, it would be great to have alumni’s contact information so that one can ask some questions regarding majors or certain schools via email or texts. All words stemming from their experiences and canniness encouraged me to work harder to find my passion and cultivate it to my unique “thing” that differentiates me from others. I will try my best to incorporate their advice into my life and look deeper into my passion.

References https://news.nate.com/view/20210714n32062?mid=n0100 https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/13/africa/south-africa-violence-protests-intl/index.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=14415 https://sa-tied.wider.unu.edu/article/extreme-inequalities-distribution-household-wealth-south-africa https://www.businesstoday.in/industry/energy/story/floating-solar-project-at-omkareshwar-dam-to-begin-power-generation-by2022-23-283530-2021-01-05 https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-how-climate-change-affects-extreme-weather-around-the-world https://gggi.org/global-program/green-investment-services/ https://gggi.org/site/assets/uploads/2020/11/Green-Growth-in-Action-Attaining-Green-Cities_reduced-size.pdf https://gggi.org/global-program/greenpreneurs/ https://www.greenpreneurs.co/2020-teams https://www.pv-tech.org/plans-progress-for-600mw-floating-solar-project-in-india/ https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/fall14/message_from_the_dean https://huntsman.upenn.edu

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Youngseo Nah Singapore International School Before participating in the Training Program on the United Nations, I was a student who was mainly interested in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Quality Education, and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities. To be brutally frank, I used to believe that those two goals were the most essential out of the 17 SDG goals as the problems related to these goals were the most familiar problems in society that I knew of. However, by participating in the Training Program on the United Nations and listening to lectures related to various SDG goals, I was able to acknowledge that all of the SDGs were essential. Furthermore, as a student who always had an interest in the SDGs and global issues, the program was more than a privilege to me. I was able to listen to lectures by experts on detailed information regarding most of the 17 SDGs and also learned ways in which youth can participate to contribute to achieving the SDGs. There are two main lectures that I would like to reflect on. The first lecture was the lecture about United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) presented by Donald Lee. I believe the lecture was the most inspirational among all, not only because it was about the topic that our group was assigned to, but because the lecture contained extremely detailed information. Although I had some basic background knowledge on UNDESA, UNDESA was a rather unfamiliar UN organization for me compared to the other organizations. However, through the lecture, I was able to gain knowledge regarding detailed information about UNDESA that I didn’t know about. It was also inspirational to learn that youth can contribute to a change in SDG 1. Hence, I believe the lecture provided me new knowledge about UNDESA and SDG 1. Another lecture that I would like to reflect on is the lecture about CBDO at Access Bio Inc presented by Eun Ju Ryu. It was meaningful to me that I could listen to a lecture from my role model. Since young, I have always had an interest in the pharmaceutical field. One of my dream jobs was to work at a pharmaceutical company. Thus, being able to listen to a lecture from someone who is extremely experienced in the pharmaceutical field was an unforgettable experience. Through the lecture, I was able to learn deeply about specific ways of how vaccines are made, which is crucial to know about particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating in the Training Program on the United Nations was an unforgettable experience for me. It changed my perspectives in approaching issues at hand and helped me a lot to develop various skills. Before the program, learning was more of a passive activity: I believe I have learned to become an active student. That is, instead of absorbing information just given to me, I’ve learned to actively seek information. For instance, I was able to develop in asking better questions and also evolved in answering questions on the spot. Also, I was able to advance in cooperating with people that I’ve never met before. Learning new materials with new acquaintances to solve various group works was challenging. Such a new environment stimulated me to be more adaptive. Furthermore, I was able to ameliorate my speaking skills since I had to make a presentation and present it in front of numerous people. Finally, I was able to gain knowledge regarding the SDGs and different types of United Nations organizations. The best part of the program was that I’ve learned crucial points on how to approach a certain topic. Listening to experts on specific topics and participating in active discussions with students with different opinions motivated me to contemplate practical solutions. The program made me realize that solutions are not given but contemplated. The UN program taught me that not all problems are with answers. When the facts are given, it is the responsibility of the listeners to consider the matter carefully to derive solutions. It can be done through discussion with others, learning more facts, and searching for previous cases. Thus, I have learned through the program that solutions must be obtained from my contemplation. Overall, I believe participating in the program was a memorable experience for me.

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PARK JISU North London Collegiate School, Jeju

Development of Cooperation The lecture is about development of cooperation that is hosted by United Nations. Development program is made to share knowledge with other developing and developed countries. I believe this program is similar as tutoring, tutoring developing countries and accomplish globalization. SDG partnership is the main modality and UNDP’s center. Also, I learned the last goal of Sustainable Development Goals, Goal #17, and SDG partnership has three roles. First is the government area. It is about transparency, accountability and developing country and various stereotypes. Second is resilience, third is developing cooperation. The capacity for addressing the challenges and non-state developing actors leads mainly to the private sector. UN development program is a capacity for addressing the challenges of development cooperation. The team manages partnership and SDG partnership on the developing cooperation so that their partner countries could more develop. For example, Korea has a partnership between Rwanda, Bangladesh, and India. So, basically helping developing countries to develop their knowledge, technology, economy and many more. The lecture of development program awares that we are living in a very dynamic country. As digitalization is happening in rapid speed, development of technology is getting more motivate. Although, there are economic inequality or environmental pressure so in the status quo, development cooperation is facing a problem. To explain the details of development cooperation, there are two kinds of cooperation. First, the international cooperation is a cooperation that happens internationally. For example, America assisting Korea. International cooperation is a smaller standard of cooperation compared to developed cooperation. ODA stands for official development assistance. For example, financial assistance is helping things related to money in OECD countries. South cooperation which develops countries to cooperate with each other and sometimes, it makes a triangle cooperation which makes a triangle. For example, Rwanda and India wants to help each other and Korea could be a bridge between them and make a ‘triangle.’ The pandemic impacted the development cooperation and after the pandemic, developing countries will be the providers themselves and cooperation will not just for developing countries, it will be for everyone, and everywhere. The most interesting part in development cooperation is the ‘irony’ that is happening. Every country are saying ‘we need the world to work together’ and ‘share everything’ however, those countries who argued globalization is wanting to get something first than anyone else. For example, after the pandemic happened and the vaccination had started. Every country are announcing that we should be together and help each other, but in fact, every countries wants to get their own people to be the first of vaccination. The irony is that all countries are saying that we should work together and find a solution by sitting at a big table together, but every country wants to save their own people, citizens, and economy first. By being vaccinated faster than other countries. Before I learned about Development cooperation so deeply, I never imagined UNDP might change the world. I believe UNDP is the most efficient program to gather around all of the countries and talk about globalization, SDGs and many more.

GGGI The lecture is about GGGI which stands for ‘Global Green Growth Institute’. GGGI was founded in June 2010 in South Korea. It has no profit, and it is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to help the world transition toward a model of Green Growth. Analyzing the needs of local communities and creating plans that will help to combat the social ills of the region as well as transitions to a more

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environmentally friendly growth. GGGI has grown from an initial membership of 18 countries to now more than 39 members from all over the world with operations in 33 countries. It has a unique role in shaping countries’ growth as a trusted advisor and partner. In October 2019, GGGI unveiled Strategy 2030 which set the course for GGGI’'s upcoming projects. As former Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon describes it, Strategy 2030 is “a new course to respond to changing circumstances and to better meet the unique needs and growing ambitions of its member countries.” Some upcoming projects include projects with Myanmar. Myanmar is the most perfect example to explain about various projects. The project related to Myanmar, the Covid-19 pandemic has created a crisis in its rural and urban areas, hampering progress in the new planting season as well as its construction projects. There are many obstacles in allowing for green growth in Myanmar. Only around 50% of the population has access to electricity, and the majority of. Without electricity, rural households have no choice but to resort to traditional black fuel to power their lives. In addition, Myanmar’s forests have suffered from logging. Its forest cover shrank from 58% in 1990 to only 24% currently. GGGI is collaborating with the government of Myanmar to help create sustainable infrastructure such as renewable energy sites, develop sustainable value chains, and support plans for rural electrification, and help reforest land. GGGI has also introduced support for green COVID-19 recovery packages included in meeting Strategy 2030. It has created proposals to deal with the spike in food insecurity and poverty in countries with economic downturns, through methods such as the education of vulnerable newly unemployed groups, particularly women and youth, to transition to green jobs. Once the health emergency is resolved, countries will rush to catch up on the stagnated development. GGGI attempts to use this moment to accelerate the plans to green growth.

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SEOKHYUN BAEK Gyeonggi Suwon International School

Organization 1: WFP (SDGs Goal 2) The UN WFP provides food assistance to build a pathway in terms of the ability and prosperity of people recovering from conflict, disaster, and famine. As a member of the UN family, the WPF is governed by an executed board — constituted of 36 member states — which provides intergovernmental support; the direction and supervision of the WFP are headed by an executive director appointed by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the food and agriculture organization of the United Nation.

The WFP has been committed to accountability and transparency as itself; thereby, the WFP pledged to the highest standards of integrity and by header committed to full transparency and accountability to the people it serves. The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize was given to the WFP for its efforts to combat hunger, to better bring conditions in conflict-affected areas; and acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent food shortage as a weapon of destruction. The WFP committed to global partnerships in efforts to stress the need for attention to SDG #2. Men and women across the globe struggle to feed their children resulting in 811 million people sleeping with an empty stomach; 265 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2020. Malnutrition stands underway of WFP’s goals, malnutrition causes suffering, and further deterioration, nevertheless, and some progressives argue that education and employment are crucial factors for hunger mitigation. Climate action, disaster risk reduction, and gender equality are considered for sustainable livelihood and ecosystems, that being said when it comes to strategic objectives protecting access to food, improving nutrition, and achieving food security remain as entailed elements for SDG #2. To realize the full potential of our globalized economy, national governments must expand social protection schemes for the most vulnerable from providing social protection for equitable economic growth to the purchasing power of the 2 billion people which in turn will create incremental demand generating new jobs and jump-starts. The local economies are subject to aid access to affordable and nutritious food for all under the verge of famine. Our forthcoming generation must innovate and invest in making the supply chain more efficient by developing sustainable and durable markets. Furthermore, the WFP stresses the dire need to reduce food waste in a way where the general public can also support and get involved — with what will be needed — to provide at the behest of Youth. Food waste is a worldwide issue and about one-third of the food we produce each year is lost or wasted causing the global economy to squander $1 trillion each year. The rhetoric is to encourage a sustainable variety of crops; food access will require aid for front-line workers to explore and identify a more diverse range of crops to show compliance to the WFP’s strategic objectives of improving nutrition. Arbitrary as of child's birth, the WFP seeks to prevent stunting in promoting healthy development; children and nursing mothers must have access to the finest support. The 2020 premise addresses the

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global challenges that were endured and thus still facing amidst multifaceted polarization (thinning multilateralism) The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 severely worsened tensions between the two countries, further deteriorating the chances of multilateralism. The origin of the coronavirus (or COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, quickly became a source of politicization. The US blamed China for being the source of the virus and accused it of suppressing the true virus count numbers, allowing the virus to spread globally. In opposition, China has blamed the US for the mismanagement of the virus and the failure of the Trump administration to institute lockdown measures in the early stages of the virus. Perpetual finger pointing does not solve the problem, it rather diverts interest towards a political ploy instead of dire vulnerabilities, which in this case would be a food shortage. Further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, hyperinflations have derailed efforts to foster more aid for recipients; increasing the magnitude of people facing acute food insecurity. Despite the compelling efforts of the WFP, none has been more pivotal than its social media engagement. The WFP has bolstered efforts to curb worldwide hunger and conflict through Engagement-driven social media content: #zerohunger, #emptyfeed, and #invisiblemeal. Nevertheless, loopholes mounted concerning WFP as an NGO; zero hunger needs to be entailed, albeit WFP’s prospect, the WFP cannot act in coercion according to article 2 paragraph 4 of the UN charter. These loopholes have been abused by defiant powers in spite of negotiable leverage. The War-torn Ethiopian Tigray zone is now short of humanitarian aid with rudderless plans set forth by the defiant government. In fact, 400,000 citizens are on the verge of famine — albeit condemnation from multilateral corporations — yet, the WFP cannot act to curb suppression. Northern Tigray mounted attacks on the recently untouched region — 170 food-filled trucks had been stuck in Afar and remained blocked due to security concerns — leaving 2 million displaced and 5 million relying on food aid.

Organization 2: UNDP The UNDP aims to end poverty, ensure liberal/democratic rights, and inclusion of the minority, mandating a multilateral 170-country-containing caucus to discourse on global human development each year. The committee advocates to achieve a better global Quality of Life (QoL); particularly, stressing demand and concession from opposition and suppression forces. Thus, amid an unprecedented geopolitical and social-economic dilemma, COVID-19, domestic and international communities are sought to polarize. When it comes to aid and work, UNDP distributes nearly $1 billion to over 170 countries in need for COVID response and to bolster efforts against oppressive governments. The UNDP is generally seen as a success story prompting leeway for developing countries to become developed countries, enshrined in the South Korean success. The UNDP’s close proximity to South Korea frankly allowed rapid development from aid recipient to aid givers. Yet on the forefront, the UNDP has a portfolio on sexual and gender-based violence, and multilateral resilience, in relation to its “Mega Trends.” Multifaceted polarization (a Mega Trend) stressed the thinning of multilateral ties, which has kept a large cohesive coalition, thus the UNDP has intervened in volatile conflict to prompt negotiable leverage, such as its part take in the US-Cuba relations.

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Cuba was a prosperous country in the 1950s, ranked fifth in per capita income and third in life expectancy among the western hemisphere. Cuba was home to a progressive democratic government, yet, by 2000, all of this had disappeared. Cuba's consumption rates have plummeted since the 1950s, and authoritarians have strived for control under the federal decree. Influenced by the virtues of communism, Cuba shifted towards a larger political reform that solely led to plummeting quality of life (QoL) levels. Additionally, relations fundamentally changed with the United States, which stood as the beacon of democratic values. Cuba's geographic location has been a double-sided threat, particularly in the Cold War era. Cuba successfully gained leverage, from American perception, to obtain substantial aid from the Soviet bloc despite American omnipresence underway, citing an existential threat to the communist bloc. This communist coalition that threatened the U.S. deteriorated throughout time, such as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Despite recent efforts to foster diplomatic negotiations, Cuba, at the behest of powers hostile to American interests, continues as a proxy to the Russian bloc. Russia made minimal but significant actions to reignite relations with Cuba, while China increased its aid toward Cuba. This history has been well reflected in American public opinion, although Americans have become increasingly polarized in their views of Cuba in recent years. The prospect of nuclear warfare has significantly diminished since the 1960s regarding its likelihood, but the possible Cuban proxy continued to threaten American interests; unfortunately, remedying the tense situation via diplomacy is problematic. In recent years, the Cuban bureaucracy neglects human rights, suppresses opposition, and fails to recover fundamental needs for its people, despite the transition of power from the totalitarian Castro brothers to a more moderate administration. American and multilateral engagement has been made more difficult after the Sino-Soviet bloc refused to respond. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider the consequences of Cuba's failure in ensuring democratic rights; it is still the U.S.’s interest to achieve common ground with Cuba — not limiting to reaffirm the potential threat of geopolitical dispute — but also to enable mutual and global interaction. American foreign policy has reflected this dilemma throughout its history, combating authoritarianism. In the context of Cuba’s challenging situation, it is possible to combat both burdens as their commerce advances incentives for preserving mutual relations. Amid the Cold War, Cuba continued its hostile relations towards the U.S., echoing its communist allies’ stance of non-compliance. Although the Castro brothers continued to find allies away from the U.S., Cuba’s relations with the USSR slowly declined after the Sino-Soviet Split; even still, the USSR's omnipresence remained. Cuba's ties to authoritarian regimes remained a threat to America less than a hundred miles away, affirming Soviet influence. Throughout the 1980s, the tenets that lead to communist success began to crack. Dissidents emerged victorious throughout Europe on a much more widespread scale amid the recession resulting from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This economic recession was inevitable for Cuba as well; the 1990 trade agreement asserted the deteriorating economic influence of the USSR. Finally, in September 1991, Cuba was left void of Soviet protection after pressure from the U.S., virtually ending the Cuban threat to the U.S. The Yeltsin administration continued to withdraw vital aid, including favorable trade terms that Cuba considered essential to its relationship with the recently-defunct Soviet Union. Even in light of the Soviet collapse, the U.S. failed to zero in on Cuba and bring it under American influence. Moreover, the Congress tightened sanctions on Cuba through the Cuban Democracy Act in 1992. Despite witnessing the instability of authoritarian policies, Fidel Castro sustained his authoritarian bureaucracy over three decades; he had no interest in renouncing prior trends and turned down the U.S. Other countries put their efforts into filling the void left by the USSR, notably the socialist-dominated Venezuela. Venezuela was uniquely positioned with its prosperous economic system and its regime set on decreasing reliance on the West.

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As a result of Cuba’s relationship with the U.S., the U.S.’s opportunity to bring Cuba back into its sphere of influence diminished. Although Cuba's economic failure was ripe for the U.S., the U.S. manifested its stricken stance with the 1996 Helms-Burton Act: isolating Cuba on its violations of fundamental freedoms. The act was a response to Cuba's assault on two American planes, giving Castro no choice to associate with countries against liberal world order. Even as the American embargo devastated the Cuban society, Cuba continued in authoritarian order despite the transition of power. Cuba remains stagnant economically, indifferent to the revolt made six decades ago on material abundance. Today, Cuba's leadership has become even more complex, thereby putting more burden on the U.S. to appeal for change. Human rights problems persist as a hot topic for negotiations, and the U.S. lost opportunities for potential partnerships. China has grown geopolitically in recent years, with ambitions for vast influence, through programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative. However, China has expanded its sway over Cuba and has not complicated U.S.-Cuba relations. History shows that American interventions decrease Cuban productivity, further complicating the future of U.S.-Cuba relations. Although this dilemma may merely seem to be between the US, Russia, and Cuba, UNDP took behest of this conflict; hence, bolstering pro-democracy protests from the public against oppressive governments. In conjunction with the UN rights chief, UNDP called for prompt release of pro-democracy protesters of Cuba, motivating efforts towards Cuba's current pivotal moment. The UNDP’s intervention sustained weakened multilateral ties, yet pushed them away from the verge of collapse, potentially prompting WWIII. Thus, the UNDP became crucial for multilateral and bilateral development as the UNDP brought equilibriums, ultimately reducing geopolitical polarization and suppressive power.

Organization 3: UNDESA The UN established a road map for humanity in September 2015 — the agenda for sustainable development (SDGs). The SDGs — replaced the MDGs — is a document and declaration by the United Nations in efforts to tackle economic, social, health, and educational issues around the world. The interconnected 17 goals define the roadmap to an equitable word, promptly facilitating the agenda throughout and before 2030. The goals are meant to launch a transformative change and this transformative change will affect how humanity looks at development and social change. The United Nations has adopted a so-called all-encompassing goal to curb a major criticism that once have assailed the United Nations; the concern that the millennium development goals did not tackle climate change nor look at the national environment. Questioned of its prior failure, the United Nation vows to rebound and thus embodying SDG #17 to glue up the remaining SDGs. We cannot achieve the sustainable development goals and the 2030 agenda if governments do not work together; if governments do not cooperate; if countries do not share knowledge; and if the constitution merely brings about nationalism, which spurs countries to limit multilateral action. Goal 17 trails negotiations in contact as a goal that all countries set forth to achieve; it defines our behavior as a global community. Poverty in absolute terms the world blank established the extreme poverty threshold as $1.90 per day since 2015 — the implementation of the SDGs. The World Bank revamped the $1 threshold to $1,90 dollars in transition of the MDGs to the SDGs and considering inflation. Despite the efforts to eradicate poverty and to achieve equal stability, the impoverished countries yet compromise much of poverty rates:

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sub-Saharan Saharan Africa comprises more than 41% of excess poverty, topping in at 300 million civilians impoverished, while the United Nations merely compromise 4%. Social determinants fuels more fear among the unnourished communities as COVID-19 heightens educational concerns; the detrimental mounts a perpetual motion further exacerbating poverty gaps among the developing and the developed. Despite discrepancies, UNDESA successfully curb world poverty from 89% to 10% between 1820 and 2015. COVID-19 spelled a so-called tragedy, its impact on global activity has induced the first rise in extreme poverty — within a generation more than a hundred million people will push back in the property in 2020 — in spite of COVID-19 imposed mandates, such as lockdowns. The lockdown has affected economic activity primarily for people living in poverty, resulting in labour shortages. Despite UNDESA’s growing effort amid the pandemic, vaccinations are the sole solutions, yet vaccination rates are lagging behind efforts. In this case, tackling equal and accelerated vaccination proportionally tackles global poverty rates. COVID-19 derailed and thus diverted decreasing poverty rates, and topped in by a whole percent; albeit the pandemic the global poverty rate was projected to be 7% in 2030, yet property goal was to eliminate Global poverty by 2030; ultimately failing the SDGs. Apart from income poverty, resource poverty (food) places millions in dire need. 70-161 million people endures extreme hunger and malnutrition. Thereof, between 2017 and 2021 UNDESA expected poverty rates to drop 7.5% (pre-pandemic era), yet amid the pandemic poverty rates skyrocketed 1% on the downside. Multidimensional poverty deems poor health, lack of education, threat of violence and poor work environment. But no single indicator can capture all the multiple aspects of poverty, resulting in the mass marginalization of identifying those in hunger. However, poverty thresholds differ depending on if a country is developed or developing. Developed countries deems relative poverty as impoverished, while developing countries complies to the absolute poverty threshold. In comparison, a family of 4 in absolute poverty earns $2774 per year, while that family in relative poverty earns $26,000 per year. The poorest ar often invisible in documents, as the majority are undocumented refugees; thus defying the credibility of UNDESA.

Organization 4: GGGI The Global Green Growth Institute, so-called the GGGI, is one of the many leading affiliate bodies within the United Nations (UN), particularly with the UNEP’s environmental provision. Created in June of 1972 after the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, the UNEP is now responsible for setting global environmental goals and agendas and ensuring that they are implemented correctly. Along with this, they are responsible for guiding UN institutions and prompting multilateral cooperation on environmental issues. The UNEP aims to inform nations about environmental issues while enabling nations to improve their quality of life without endangering the environment. Within the UNEP, seven different main focal points can be found, such as climate change, resource efficiency, and environmental governance, among several other pressing environmental issues. However, even with these different focal points, the UNEP strives for a sustainable world above all.

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The UNEP has several notable achievements: Earth watch is one of the most well-known among them. A monitoring program designed to encourage and allow the international sharing of environmental information; the prospect allows member states to compile data and take action against possibly significant environmental risks. Another major accomplishment of the UNEP is the initiation of the negotiations regarding ozone-depleting substances, which was done by starting and providing technical support for several major conferences, such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (1992). Hence, the UNEP’s prospect well leverages cooperation with GGGI.

The GGGI is a 39 member coalition that delivers programs for more than 30 members and partners — in Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Pacific — with a vision to ensure a low-carbon, resilient world, while supporting its members to a more-green economy. The GGGI embodied in multilateral government bodies has a unique in-country presence. Thus, its in-country presence maximizes the potential to leverage green growth strategies and policies, bolstering climateresilient development. The Vietnam Green Bond Readiness Program in partnership with Vietnamese and Luxembourg governments, spurs the development of the green bond market — with policy reforms; capacity building for the green bond ecosystem; and Green Bond Pilot Issuances. The financial reservoir prologues multilateral ties, establishing an economically supported agenda with stanch relations with the UNEP. The GGGI follows the denouncing-harmony emerged in defiance against carbon proliferations. Both the GGGI and the UNDP pleaded again with world powers to acknowledge climate change, warning against the danger it prompts. Temperatures have skyrocketed in recent years, particularly among countries where climate actions are at stake. Peak temperatures have risen as high as 54˚C, global climate action has lagged amid COVID-19-imposed limits. The resurgence of tumultuous temperatures has also caused an uptick in overall environmental depletion, despite multilateral efforts to take more-aggressive steps to bolster carbon reduction: America’s prospect to reach net zero carbon emission by 2030 and Germany’s prospect to eradicate carbon emissions by 2045. Climate change has culminated, thus the GGGI has worked in close collaboration with the UNEP to ensure safety for the most vulnerable, such as the Rwandan crisis. According to Ambassador Chanho Park, Regional Director for Latin American and Caribbean — GGGI — the climate crisis; heat waves, fires, flood, droughts are spurred by man-made climate change. Indoor air pollution from biomass fuel, used by 95% of the population, jeopardizes 153 million lives as ambient air pollution fuels climate warming. Indeed, implication follows with disparities between MEDCs and LEDCs: 62% of people living in LEDCs have no access to electricity, while merely 10% of the developed population lacks electricity. Thus, the LEDCs are subject to use fossil fuels, coals and greenhouse gases further deteriorating HDI conditions and climate impact to its inhabitants. Although the GGGI vows to create a green globe — staged by LEDCs —, the persisting use of unsustainable energies jeopardize the GGGI’s provisions. Hence, GGGI embodied a value chain to assess the degree of needs for each recipient: diagnosis, green impact assessment, sector/sub-sector strategy and planning, and

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design, financing and implementation. GGGI’s approach is tailored to local needs; reconciling short-term and the needs of long-term visions.

The flurry of activity comes after scaling up green investment for infrastructure, which would devote $6.9 trillion per year over the next 15 years. Fiscal watchdogs have warned that policy makers shall not devote an obscure budget as it may scrap up the entirety; they rather call on the GGGI to secure a tailored-explicit budget to circumvent hurdles. Thereby complying to an explicit commitment, the GGGI will progressively succeed in spite of its visions.

Organization 5: UN Climate Action Team 2021 must be the year of possibility to change gears and get back on track for the well-being of people and our planet. Subsequently the Secretary-General said, 2021 is a make-or-break year to address the global climate emergency. Global warming is evident; countries have made in recent years to hew carbon emissions, including to move away from fossil fuel and an appetite for aggressive appeasement to bolster green energy. The three warmest temperatures were recorded in 2016, 2019, and 2020; further castigating green energy potentials as many major powers remain opposed to repealing carbon-related productions. Despite discrepancies, humanity is subject to sustain below 1.2 Celsius above pre-industrial levels to prevent destruction of ecosystems which will ultimately bring detriment to humanity. Environmental commitments, since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, has been integral to the process by which nations address climate change. By establishing a premise for international and sovereign programs by which to combat specific components of climate change, including drought and deforestation, as well as requiring the development and transfer of effective technologies, a more robust combatting community could be established. Subsequent conventions, including the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 expanded upon the UNFCCC’s original commitments by specifically outlining the universal goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Climate accord in 2016 similarly employed a three-prong approach, establishing the goals of “climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance” in order to avoid a 2-degree Celsius increase in temperatures. Not only have these commitments ensured that nations of the world are held accountable for the potential

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perpetuation of environmental degradation, but they have also permitted a centralized method of data aggregation and assurances of equitable sustainable development. Programs including OzonAction, which works to equip developing nations with the necessary tools to follow the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a protocol that requires nations to reduce the production of substances that deplete the ozone layer. The Paris agreement is the landmark agreement to tackle climate change and its negative impacts, 197 countries adopted the Paris agreement which entered into force less than a year later after being adopted in 2015. The agreement aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to 2 degrees and 1.5 degrees; unfortunately, we're not on track but we need to be on track to mitigate global warming. Thus developed countries must provide $100 billion a year to combat climate change in developing countries (Climate Finance). The Climate Change agenda is built on the principles of leaving no one behind; hence, emphasizing all 17 goals is a holistic approach that brings sustainable development for all. The UN is meeting the needs of the present necessities without compromising the ability of its future generations to meet their own needs. The Secretary-General calls for action; to join the growing global coalition for net-zero emissions by 2050; to invest in green recovery, increase financing, advance adaptation, phase out coal and ultimately leave no one behind. All 17 goals are innately intertwined as one Earth; all countries are subject to tackle such issues — everyone has to be on board. Multilateral blocs have complied

Organization 6: Pandemic (Pfizer) COVID-19 With its unprecedented arrival in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought intractable changes to society and still to this day is sharply spreading across the globe. As a means to effectively tackle the damages of the global pandemic, it is of utmost importance for member nations to cooperate with one another to ensure the safe and prompt distribution of such remedies.

Resource Shortages Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), also recognized as masks and gloves, has now become one of the year’s most popular accessories. Although positive demand shocks on masks have been reduced throughout the year, mask corporations still face shortages in their resources, and given the environmental consequences, it is also quite challenging for these industries to drastically increase their production to compliment the demand.

Environmental Damage In fact, these PPEs, consisting of plastic polypropylene, are often thrown into environmentally invaluable areas endangering both the aquatic and terrestrial environment. Landfills and seas are now highly concentrated with microplastics to the point where marine mammals or birds cannot distinguish between real food and the substances or are instead entangled by them. Furthermore, as waste, immense amounts of plastic are incinerated, releasing inexplicable amounts of toxic chemicals into our atmosphere, thus inducing climate change and global warming.

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Health Issues Yet, even with strengthened social distancing regulations, more than 201 million cases and 4.2 million casualties have been recorded worldwide as of August 6, 2021. Dissipating itself through one’s nose, eyes, and mouth, the coronavirus leaves chronic symptoms ranging from mild coughing to extreme muscle pain or depression even after full recovery. However, with the complete shut down of public facilities, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), many member nations currently face unemployment rates with the United States of America of approximately 8.9% which has caused them to loosen their lockdowns, thus rendering themselves much more vulnerable to the detrimental side effects of the virus.

Status of Vaccines

Despite the challenge in the rapid distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, the rapid pace at which these medications are being clinically tested and approved truly merits attention and encouragement from the global community. Out of the 68 vaccine candidates which are being tested in the status quo, the leading models include Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Gamaleya, AstraZeneca from Oxford, and CanSino. Although a variety of remedies and solutions to this ongoing pandemic may be quite delightful, the drastically different conditions and requirements for each vaccine due to their composition may delay the process of the distribution of such vital resources.

Take the two vaccines—Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna—for instance. Targeting the studded proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Pfizer-BioNTech with an efficacy rate of 95% consists of mRNA coated with lipid nanoparticles to secure the injection into the body without any fragmentation. Due to such fragility, however, the vaccine requires quite demanding storage conditions: temperature levels at -70°C ± 10°C. To such alarming news, the public has expressed their concern of whether it would be truly cost-effective to implement such a product, and Pfizer has thus claimed to engender “temperature-controlled thermal shippers” which would allow vaccines to be stored for more than at least a week. On the other hand, Moderna with an efficacy rate of 94.1% is composed of the aforementioned substances for Pfizer-BioNTech, yet it can be stored at -20°C for a maximum of 6 months.

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Such discrepancies pace down distribution for developing countries that do not have proper infrastructure. Moreover, vaccination gaps are lagging as developing countries were slammed by an economical backlash; high-income countries have vaccinated 102 people in 100, while low and middle-income countries merely secured to vaccinate 15 people in 100.

Polarization Today, the world has gained proper trajectory, ultimately accelerating vaccination rates; however, new hurdles arised. Vaccine skepticism and politicization cost lives, particularly among the US; there are subjects that shall remain apolitical, such as health concerns, yet the US did not concur. Although the US compromises more vaccines than their population, the US failed to vaccinate 30% of its population as the (vaccine) political ploy imbued the morale with little to no evidence. The majority of the G.O.P caucus voices their rhetoric of vaccine skepticism, ultimately for political populism; their actions deteriorate as lies resonate among the widespread social media community. Vaccine skepticism opens a reservoir for highly contagious diseases, calling for more vaccine production — creating more microplastic waste further deteriorating the ecosystem.

Organization 7: Ivy League I wanted to write an introduction that would be unique and memorable, something beyond introducing my name (I am Seokhyun (Nathan) Baek), saying which grade I am in (I am a rising sophomore), what school I come from (Gyeonggi Suwon International School), and introducing my interest (philosophy of international relations and bias in general). Nevertheless, I came to a quick realization that when one tries against their joy, they fail miserably. In our rapidly developing world, there are two cardinal factors to develop a stable and content society, the factor of spiritual abundance and the element of material abundance. These two are cars innately left to race each other down society's racetrack named 'Development.' When one overtakes the other, we see everything fall into a state of disharmony, which contributes to an inevitable collapse. Mainly because society - being the cars' owner - favors the car that runs faster: the car can accelerate the distance of the racetrack of 'development' in a shorter amount of time.

Why would it bother with the slower car - what use is it to it? Even though society itself is at a loss in favoring one car over the other to fulfill its own needs, and it is fully aware of the detriment' choosing' will cause, a society may be too weak to reign in and regain control of both cars as their coachman,

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keeping their paces steady. Case in point, some communities face an overabundance in education, which cascades into their societies' respective dependence on said material wealth (a successor's development) for progression in development. Abundance inevitably fails in the long run. As said, communities lose their people to depression and feel alienated from how the materialistic world functions around the perplexed and perpetually unhappy individual. Ultimately, this applies to our clichetic college applications; the perpetually unhappy individual is imbued by the pressurizing community that solely lauds titles and authority, rather than passion.

The world innately imbues that money is important, yet that should not fetter a person’s passion; and college rankings are merely numbers which should not represent a person, in fact, people shall not be obligated to attend a college if that does not support their passion; people should work towards and spur their passion with a unique path as both Ivy League mentors mentioned.

Organization 8: Diplomacy In terms of US public diplomacy the ultimate goal is maximized compliance, yet disputes occur as democracies and autocracies both have the same objectives, however, with different qualities. In spite of the US-Chinese relations, conflict does not spur the well-being of a society; thus, the deteriorating relation solely emerges from a perpetual motion machine—also known as Perpetuum Mobile in Latin—that runs independently, further exacerbating diplomatic relations. The relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China has arguably defined the foreign policy of both countries in recent years, particularly during Trump’s presidency. Dating back to the Chinese Civil War of 1949, the Chinese Communist Party’s contrasting political ideology with that of the United States republican form of government has provided a backdrop for relations that have seen their highs and lows over the 70 years since. Major world events in the meantime, including the Cold War, China’s rise as a global economic superpower, tensions in Hong Kong, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, have only served to test the strength or lack of relations between the two countries. The two governments have recently found themselves embroiled over blame and causation for the COVID-19 pandemic, placing relations at perhaps an all-time low (Christensen). Before the pandemic, China expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Michael D. Swaine called relations today “the most daunting challenge in the forty years since the normalization of relations” (Donnan). While the President and the executive branch may ultimately be responsible for diplomatic actions with the PRC, internationally reported congressional directives are crucial to maintaining and improving this strategic relationship. Relations between the US and PRC were nearly nonexistent for the first two decades following the CCP’s victory in the Chinese Civil War and its subsequent control of mainland China in 1949. Referred to by then-Secretary of State Dean Acheson as the “loss of China,” the change in control of the mainland from the Republic of China (ROC), having retreated to the island of Taiwan, to the communist People’s Republic of China spurred years of cold relations between the two countries (Lopez). The Korean War’s outbreak in 1950 immediately pitted American and Chinese forces in direct conflict, the former supporting South Korea and latter North Korea. During this war, the Truman administration

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restarted providing military aid and economic support to the Taiwan ROC, including deploying a numbered fleet of the US Navy to halt a PRC attack or invasion of Taiwan (O’Keeffe). This aid continued for 25 years through 1979, supported by the signing of the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty between the governments of the US and the ROC. For these 25 years, the US’ diplomatic recognition of China was limited to the ROC in Taiwan and not the PRC in mainland China. Likewise, in the United Nations, the ROC represented China’s seat at the United Nations, and perhaps more significantly, China’s permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council. The 25 years following the Korean War were characterized by hostile relations and saw several significant events in US-China relations, primarily the Sino-Soviet split and the Vietnam War. The former, spurred by ideological differences in the mid-1950s, turned the Soviet Union and the PRC against each other (Swaine). The United States, opposed to both versions of socialism, became the third influential actor throughout the Cold War. The latter, the Vietnam War, was the most recent armed conflict between the US and China. The US lost more than 58,000 troops, compared to only 1,100 casualties amongst PRC forces (Swaine). Following bilateral visits between Washington and Beijing in the 1970s, in addition to China’s gradual expansion of economic freedoms under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership, relations steadily improved. However, under the Trump presidency, relations between the two countries have severely worsened. Between a trade war and accusations of human rights violations, many experts predict a new cold war between the two countries (Swaine).

Scope of the Problem A 2019 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 26% of Americans have a favorable view of China, while 60% hold an unfavorable view. The same poll found that 24% of Americans believe China is the greatest threat to the US, putting the country tied with Russia (likewise 24%) and leading North Korea (12%). Following President Donald Trump’s trade war, both the US and Chinese governments have sharply increased anti-Chinese and anti-American rhetoric (Silver). In 2016, before the trade war, 50% of Chinese polled by Pew Global had an “unfavorable” or “very unfavorable” view of the United States. This number has only increased due to the recent escalation of tensions (Silver). Between the trade war, global accusations of human rights abuses committed by the CCP, the countries’ differing political ideologies, and restrictions and arrests over students and researchers, experts suggest that the new state of relations between the two countries is a new cold war.

Trade War In July of 2018, US President Donald Trump began implementing tariffs and other trade barriers on Chinese goods. Stemming from President Trump’s suspicions so-called “unfair trade practices” on the part of China, Trump and his advisors justified the trade war based on the increasing US-China trade deficit, the manufacturing of US technology by Chinese companies, and Trump’s accusation that Chinese companies have stolen US intellectual property. Almost across the board, economists who responded in August 2019 surveys by Reuters and the Associated Press believed the tariffs and a trade war would negatively affect both the US and Chinese economies (Byrd). Nevertheless, President Trump declared $34 billion in trade tariffs against China in July of 2018, which China then responded with its own $34 billion in tariffs against the US (Swaine). Since then, both countries have gradually escalated tariffs, which as of May and June 2019 stood at $200 billion on 25% of Chinese products from the US, and $60

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billion on 25% on US products from China (Silver). As expected, the trade war has damaged both countries’ economies. The Trade War has manifested in extremely high prices for consumers of products historically manufactured by China and financial troubles for both manufacturers and farmers in the US. China has also experienced its slowest economic and manufacturing growth in decades. Human Rights Abuses China is suspected and accused of several human rights violations by the international community and, in particular the United States, including concerns over the freedom of the press, limited worker rights, lack of an independent judiciary, lack of religious liberty exemplified most recently by the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Western Xinjiang Province, and the violation of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy in Hong Kong (Byrd). China recently expelled US reporters from the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, three of the US’ most notable and acclaimed newspapers. It also has gone to lengths to avoid international scrutiny over its detaining Uyghur Muslims in what it calls “reeducation camps” in Xinjiang Province (Byrd). UN ambassadors from 22 countries have condemned the camps for conducting Sinicization, or the forced assimilation and cultural influence of minority populations on Han Chinese culture and ethnicity (Silver).

Restrictions on Researchers and Students Under the Trump administration, the US has increasingly detained and arrested researchers, mainly professors in the natural sciences, who allegedly have ties to China. While many such arrests are founded, including the arrest of Harvard Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry Charles M. Lieber for involvement in a Chinese scientific research program with ties to the Communist Party of China (CCP), other arrests have exhibited patterns of racial profiling against scientists of Chinese ancestry (Swanson). An example of this includes the 2015 arrest of Professor Xi Xiaosing at Temple University, who allegedly “shared sensitive technology” with the Chinese government. The Department of Justice, however, dropped all charges four months after his arrest. In recent years, spurred by fears of Chinese espionage, the DOJ and FBI have significantly increased scrutiny on Chinese Americans, including many US citizens, causing many leading researchers to reconsider their innovation research or move to Europe or Canada to conduct research, where scrutiny is less and fear of being wrongfully accused by the US government is diminished (Byrd).

COVID-19 Pandemic The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 severely worsened tensions between the two countries. The coronavirus (or COVID-19), origin in Wuhan, China, quickly became a source of politicization. The US blamed China for being the source of the virus and accused it of suppressing the actual virus count numbers, allowing the virus to spread globally. In opposition, China blamed the US for mismanaging the virus and the Trump administration for its failure to institute lockdown measures in the early stages of the virus. Several Republican senators and President Trump sought to attribute the virus’ spread to the Chinese government, further harming tensions between the two countries. Coming at a time of already tense relations, COVID-19 only exacerbated strain between the two countries. Most experts now agree that the two countries’ relations are at an all-time low since the normalization of relations in 1979 (Silver).

A New Cold War Although experts have written about a “new cold war” between the US and China in recent years, diplomats from both countries have used this phrase only in the past few months. In response to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s suggestion that China is a threat to the US, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared that US politicians’ actions moved the country toward a “new cold war” (Donnan).

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While perhaps insignificant at first glance, this terminology represents a legitimate escalation of tensions; the terminology “cold war” is generally reserved for dire situations due to its association with the USSRUS Cold War of the late 20th century. Not only through diplomats, but the defiant rhetoric also resonates among the general public. With no indication of an imminent curb, social media seemed to lie with nationalists, whose leadership leverages further deterioration of relationships. Behind the scenes, authorities have expressed propaganda — such as during the Cold War. Although old-fashioned propaganda has diminished, public diplomacy propagates falsehood and misinformation as arbitrary to a pandemic. Social media emerged a new era of propaganda; with a single click, humanity can spread lies and the truth, which holds life on the line.

Organization 10: UNODA “The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded.” Disarmament has evolved over decades, it has been central to the United States since its establishment. Peace entails disarmament, as weapons of mass destruction are considered harmful for humans and the environment itself. Regulating conventional weapons & balanced reduction of armed forces. Indeed, all nations have the sovereignty to possess weapons to protect themselves, yet possession escalated international tension. Thus, international regulations and agreements of non-proliferation are crucial to mount a cohesive solution among those who possess. When it comes to technological development, disarmament has to underscore the need for litigation. Further development of artificial development defies the UN in terms of human rights, particularly when weapons act in autonomy.

Disarmament and arms control entails that all member states are equally abiding by agreed solutions: Conventions & Treaties; Regulations; Transparency & Confidence Building Measure; Good practices. ransparency is crucial to halt arms races; if a nation does not disclose its arms control, the others will develop more arms in defense, ultimately creating a perpetual motion. Disarmament and arms control work by regional groups and organizations, unilateral moratorium, bilateral agreements, United Nations, and Coalition of like-minded countries. The coalition would be an extension outside the framework of the UN, which gives more leeway for specific coalitions to develop a more profound solution (with negotiable leverage). Bilateral agreements emerge and ultimately remedy perpetual rivalry, particularly when it comes to border conflict. Trust opens the door to agreements and development, while compliance mounts integrity among signatories.

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Chemical Weapons: Like-minded states came together and recognized that line lines are and that they go against all of their rights and protecting civilians and on the peaceful conduct of international relations. Civilians should not bear the brunt of armed conflict but the problem was not even decades after the war ended people are so impacted on a day-to-day basis by 9 lines that still remain on the ground so great progress have been undertaken within the framework of the Mine Ban Treaty. Countries have subscribed and agreed to be bound by the convention millions of files have been destroyed (4.6 million landmines have been cleared) When it comes to the Arms Trade Treaty international law doesn't require states to regulate arms transfers and to use weapons responsibly in line with human rights law; to use weapons in a way that does not further contribute to instability around the globe and at the regional and national levels. Thus to conduct in a responsible manner and in line with International humanitarian law, unfortunately, the international arms trade has had a very damaging effect over the decades. Weapons have been used as a violation of Human Rights, it provided leeway for perpetrators to abuse human rights for their benefit (Arms).

The less that nuclear weapons have value, the less that countries will possess, which would ultimately dismantle the perpetual motion of nuclear and weapon proliferation. In connection to entailing peace (SDG 16), democracy needs to ensure that all member nations are abiding by the remaining 16 SDGs as weapon proliferation affects all of the remaining.

SDG 3, 4, 5 (equal voice and domestic violence (if there is a weapon in the household) : If there are armed groups around the public, parents would not want their children to go to school. Males can potentially join these groups, further deteriorating situations, while females are limited to their safety zones. Such as: in the wake of a two-decade-long war with Afghanistan, the United States now retracts its troops, formally ending the war with the Taliban yet scrutinizing women's rights. Before the troop withdrawal, the United States Agency for International Development vowed to launch a goal to promote women's rights in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, benefitting $280 million, the project was merely sought to be poorly constructed by the Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. With Taliban's suppression, Amnesty International ranks Afghanistan as the worst place for women's rights to persist, including

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multifaceted: violence, forced marriage, clothing, education, and literacy. The Afghan Troop withdrawal deems to be just one striking failure of US foreign relations to sustain and empower women's rights. As American forces retract, trust disseminates; further exacerbating men’s inclusion and women’s exclusion. Furthermore, gender disparities fail the minority to access proper education and health infrastructure as their community does not allow it. SDG 8: Monetary funds spent towards arms and weapons of mass destruction can heal the economic deficit and educate millions around the world if those economic funds are diverted towards the SDGs. Diverting funds of manufacturing a fighter aircraft to SDGs can salvage those in economic hardship, hunger, nourishment, so on and so forth. SDG 11: They're going to become more complex, meaning that there will be infrastructures; that there will be roles; that there will be services; that are very urban centers and urban institutions that make them more vulnerable. If there aren't enough measures to make sure that cities and countries are safe from arms infrastructure, the implications will be detrimental. Hence, arms infrastructure, for example for ammunition should not be held in close proximity to communities but because there are now sprawling centers and sprawling habitation and populations they usually encroach upon military areas. SDG 14 and 15: Contamination is still a problem; there are chemical weapons that were used for nuclear testing that are now completely uninhabitable, potentially killing living forms in the near and far future. Thus, disarmament can prevent long-term effects and death in terms of human and animal environments. Thus, disarmament circumferences all SDGs, specifically some states above; further urging humanity to halt this nonsense that incited war (WWI, WWII, and the Cold War) costing millions of lives. The UN recognizes, ultimately bringing about all potential innovations, such as youth to remedy the little scrap left behind. Reference: https://wfp.medium.com/ https://twitter.com/hashtag/invisiblemeal https://www.undp.org/ https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2016/5/3/first-us-cruise-ship-in-nearly-40-years-docks-in-cuba https://www.regions4.org/partners/united-nations-department-of-economic-and-social-affairs-un-desa/ https://odi.org/en/insights/pushing-people-further-into-poverty-the-impact-of-covid-19-in-lower-and-middle-income-countries/ https://gggi.org/gggis-strategy-2030/ https://www.un-igrac.org/donor-partner/unep https://report.gggi.org/2019/corporate-results-framework/ https://unfccc.int/ https://emfl.eu/covid-19-corona-virus-emfl/ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57152719 https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-01-21/polarization https://www.columbia.edu/ https://www.upenn.edu/ https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/restoring-us-public-diplomacy https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/03/04/most-americans-support-tough-stance-toward-china-on-human-rightseconomic-issues/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/06/15/commentary/world-commentary/shape-asias-new-cold-war/ https://sdgacademy.org/faculty/ban-ki-moon/ https://www.facebook.com/unodavo/ https://www.globalgoals.org/16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions https://www.globalgoals.org/11-sustainable-cities-and-communities https://www.globalgoals.org/3-good-health-and-well-being https://www.globalgoals.org/4-quality-education https://www.globalgoals.org/5-gender-equality https://www.globalgoals.org/8-decent-work-and-economic-growth https://www.globalgoals.org/14-life-below-water https://www.globalgoals.org/15-life-on-land

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JIHYEON SUNG Chadwick International South Korea’s visibility in the United Nations and Youth Participation (UN 조태열 대사님, UN Youth Envoy - Jayathma Wickramanayake) Veiled by the ashes of the Korean War, South Korea was once a country that exerted minimal power in the international community. In the 1960s, after the Korean War, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was comparable to those of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Africa and Asia. Yet, in 2004, South Korea joined the trillion-dollar club of world economies and as of 2020, it ranks 10th in the global nominal GDP. With foreign aid from developed countries and the United Nations (UN), South Korea recovered its economy and implemented wise policies to stand out among different nations.

To this day, South Korea is paving the way to great economic development for its fellow developing countries. So, what led to South Korea’s visibility in the international community, and what does its significance entail? Recounting South Korea’s relationship with the UN goes back to 1947, the year in which the UN General Assembly established the UN Temporary Commission on Korea (UNTCOK) to guide the newly-elected political entity to full independence. As a result of UNTCOK’s assistance, the Republic of Korea was established in 1948, and its government was officially recognized as the only legitimate government in the Korean Peninsula by the UN. Following the beginning of the Korean War in June 1950, the UN undertook drastic actions to restore peace and security among the nations involved. It recruited the United Nations Command (UNC) and the United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea (UNCURK) to reduce destruction and facilitate post-war reconstruction. The UN contributed heavily to the Republic of Korea’s economic development as part of the post-war recovery assistance. The United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA), from 1950 to 1958, conducted 260 major projects in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, education, housing, and health with a total expenditure of $127 million, which equals $924 million today. Additionally, the UN fostered the educational and health development of children through the establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Office in 1957 and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Office in 1962. In particular, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Seoul Office (then UN Technical Assistance Board Office) was opened in 1963 to support socio-economic development. The Republic of Korea’s entrance to the UN in 1991 marked the beginning of the fruitful mutual relationship that continues to this day. Since its admission to the UN, South Korea has made significant contributions to the work of the UN through peacekeeping operations, development, and the promotion

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of human rights. South Korea’s public diplomacy and intergovernmental partnerships bloomed and prospered within the UN. The country joined the Security Council as a nonpermanent member during 1997-99, led the 56th Session of the General Assembly, assuming its presidency, and produced the 8th Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who took office from 2007 to 2016. During his tenure as Secretary-General of the UN, SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon supervised the transition from the Millennium Development Goals into the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and worked tirelessly to place climate action as a priority for national governments, adopting the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. By working closely with UN bodies, South Korea has also been sharing its development experiences and supporting countries in need over many years. When South Korea joined OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2009, it transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor country. By 2012, South Korea was on the top of the DAC Member list in terms of Official Development Assistance (ODA) contributions. Three years later, it became the 18th largest financial contributor of the UN and the 12th largest provider of assessed contributions to UN Peacekeeping operations. Five decades of economic growth broadened South Korea’s interests, increased involvement in international institutions, and equipped the country with a diverse set of tools to pursue those interests. As a result, South Korea’s role as a global player in the international society enlarged along with its visibility in the UN. The socio-economic growth since the taxing conflicts has grown South Korea’s power and influence while bringing important changes to its foreign policy.

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Ambassador Cho, Former South Korean Permanent Representative to the United Nations, advised in his lecture at the 17th Training to the UN held by the Hope to the Future Association that nations must collaborate with countries that share values and international status to maximize the impact of multilateral diplomacy. He pointed out that many South Koreans still do not apprehend the fact that South Korea is a developed country, and this is because less than 5% of South Korea’s main press displays international issues. Due to this low coverage of international matters in public media, most citizens are inevitably unaware of South Korea’s position in the global world. However, other countries are now considering South Korea as a global player, not a regional player. It is time for us to gain awareness of international issues and play a more active role in the global debate to solve issues. South Korea is a developed country, and we must act like one. With this vision of acting conscientiously as a global player, the youth of South Korea has a key role to play. As youth are the stakeholders of the future, they must be well aware of the duties and responsibilities of global citizens. Education is key to achieving many things, and helping youth become global citizens is not an exception. Learning about international current issues, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and multilateral diplomacy suffices to equip youth with the necessary understandings that lead a nation to greater international recognition. Dr. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, once said, “Young people can and must be agents of change… Young people must become the critical section of society in the quest to rebuild new communities… As governments, we should create conditions that will allow young people to realize their basic giftedness; to utilize their potential, to harness their energies; to release their creativity; to dream the seemingly impossible, and to succeed in a big way.” As quoted, the mutual collaboration between the youth and the authorities can create a sturdy foundation for a better future. While immersing myself in the empowering words of Ambassador Cho (Former South Korean Permanent Representative to the United Nations), Ambassador Denis Godwin Antoine (Former Grenadian Permanent Representative to the United Nations), and Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake (United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth), I looked back at the level of youth participation in South Korea and how much I am taking advantage of such opportunities. As a youth activist for the environment in my community, I voice myself amid the climate crisis, calling for greater ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and requesting the legislation of effective environmental policies. I lead by example by adopting practices that are friendlier to the planet and then assisting people around me to follow. I discuss actions that can be undertaken by that the public, Civil Society Organizations, and the government for certain environmental agendas in meetings with the members of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Environment, and directors of international environmental organizations like the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Green Climate Fund (GCF), and East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). Other ways in which I get involved in decision-making include policy proposals and campaigning. These experiences of taking action to involve various stakeholders in the fight against climate change caused me to resonate deeply with the concept that Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake brought up during her session: multistakeholderism. She explained that it is now time to minimize the intergenerational gap by transitioning from multilateralism to multistakeholderism. Governments are not only the decision-makers in the world right now. The demands and voices of the people, civil society organizations, companies, and others should be heard altogether. By promoting solidarity, or connecting various stakeholders, a greater voice can be developed. A greater voice leads to greater influence, and this positive cycle benefits the international community in the long run. The underrepresented or marginalized populations can step up to visibility. Youth, who were not given enough opportunity to participate in decision making, can step up to visibility. In brief, it is the essence of being ‘united’ that sprouts development in nations, governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals. Especially with the recent spread of uncertainty, collective action is needed. There is no doubt that the pandemic caused immense damage, but it also sprouted an era of new opportunities to promote multilateralism and to bring about sustained, inclusive, and sustainable growth. References https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/files/publication/roehrig-korea-observer-winter-2013.pdf http://www.un-rok.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/United-Nations-in-the-Republic-of-Korea-Brochure.pdf

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https://www.unido.org/news/developing-countries-can-learn-south-koreas-research-and-development-experience https://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/phenomenal-development-new-mooc-draws-economic-policy-lessons-south-korea-stransformation

Fighting Hunger Amid Different Crises (WFP - Eleonora Cordella) Why are people in some parts of the world dying of hunger? The market gives us enough food, but why does the status quo say otherwise? Every day, countless men and women worldwide fail to feed their children a nutritious meal. Although we produce enough food to feed everyone, it is not distributed equally. Up to 811 million people live past their days without a meal every day. The main drivers of hunger are conflict, climate change, and economic slowdown. Together, they ravage vulnerable communities and worsen inequalities.

Hunger Pandemic map Following the COVID-19 outbreak, populations around the world hit by the hunger crisis have been sending a clear, urgent, and repeated message: “Hunger may kill us before coronavirus does.” The economic decline caused by lockdowns and the uncertain multilateral atmosphere has pushed more than 40 million people (70% increase from 2019) into hunger, especially the most disadvantaged. Mass unemployment and disruption of food production have inflated global food prices by 40% – the highest rise in over a decade. Eradicating hunger and malnutrition is a critical agenda at stake for humanity. Hunger’s consequences range from acute suffering and poor health to stagnation in many other areas of sustainable development like employment and education. Food is an essential asset for the life of the people and our planet, and it can support reconstruction, promote development, and help tackle the root causes of conflict. Jean Ziegler, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, uncovers the poignant truth about global hunger in his book, Betting on Famine. He wrote the book to inform readers about the most gruesome problem of our time (food insecurity) and to call for action. The book starts with a very simple

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question. "Food production is enough to feed the world's population, but why does hunger exist?" The author approaches this question in four ways. The first is a phenomenon. To what extent is hunger widespread and to what extent does it seriously affect humans? It is estimated that between 800 and 900 million people suffer from chronic malnutrition. Chronic malnutrition accounts for 35% of the population in Africa, 18% in Southeast Asia, and 14% in Latin America. Astonishingly, there are 550 million people in Asia who suffer from hunger. The second is analysis. Starvation can be divided into two categories. These are 'economic hunger' and 'structural hunger'. In this book, economic hunger is defined as “starvation caused by a sudden flash of economic crisis”. Economic starvation is sudden and fast, but you can control it. Structural starvation occurs “when food supplies are delayed for a long time.” Unlike economic hunger, structural hunger is a purely man-made disaster. The third is the cause. Why does starvation occur? Ziegler points out a variety of causes by giving a variety of examples, but broadly it includes 1) the environment, 2) civil war, 3) manipulation of grain prices, and 4) financial difficulties of international organizations. The author's biggest criticism is the manipulation of grain prices. The world's grain companies are producing large amounts of grain, but are driving down prices by leveraging their antitrust dominance to maximize profits. The fourth is an extreme measure. It takes a lot of effort, but to overcome this phenomenon, you need a will to overcome it and an active attitude to solve this problem. World hunger is an inconvenient truth, but it cannot be ignored by hiding it. As dire global hunger is, global citizens must have this attitude to solve problems on their own. One international organization that endeavors for this goal is the World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations. It provides urgent humanitarian assistance with food to secure peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. It is also completely reliant on voluntary donations of donor governments, institutions, corporations, and individuals. It works with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, private companies, and others to mobilize resources, find innovative solutions, and reach vulnerable communities with the assistance they need when they need it.

According to Eleonora Cordella, Global Social Media Community Manager at WFP, the WFP is implementing a comprehensive strategy to respond to the pandemic food crisis that impacts all areas of food production and distribution. The WFP’s food assistance program provides a critical lifeline to 87 million vulnerable people across the world, and the program’s success contributed to its receiving of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

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A lot of progress was made on eradicating hunger since the formation of the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. There are 300 million fewer hungry people in 2021 than in 1990-92, despite a 1.9 billion increase in the world’s population. Still, there is a long road ahead to achieving a world without hunger and malnutrition, and this progress must include collective and cooperative action. To get back on track with the UN SDG 2, various stakeholders including governments, citizens, civil society organizations, and the private sector must collaborate to invest in and invent sustainable solutions. In the long term, governments must redesign or adopt a fairer and more sustainable global economy as they recover from the hunger pandemic. They must tackle the key drivers of hunger as well as the underlying inequalities that widen the economic gap. References https://www.wfp.org/zero-hunger https://www.oxfam.org/en/world-midst-hunger-pandemic-conflict-coronavirus-and-climate-crisis-threaten-push-millions https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000118395/download/?_ga=2.253785103.641015275.16281490951464850025.1628149095 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/ https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal2

Diplomacy for the Economy and National Security (Hanns Seidel Foundation) June 30, 2019, will forever remain as the date when Donald Trump and Kim Jung-un - both powerfully influential leaders in their respective rights - decided to hold a surprise summit in Panmunjom. For South Korea, this was a momentous occasion since the past year saw deepened trade wars and heightened tensions between North Korea, the United States, and China. Unquestionably, the conflict between the United States and China has a long history, based on many varying issues, but their current trade war is a genuine hegemonic competition in which the US wants to maintain their supremacy against China, which is emerging as an economic, diplomatic and military power. In the midst of this status, the war between the United States and China, diplomacy in Korea has become sandwiched between the two superpowers. As such, the US and China are both vital players for Korea: its security more dependent on the former and its economy dependent on the latter. A prime example of this is the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment in 2016: defensive measures were placed on the South Korean peninsula due to the nuclear threat from North Korea. However, the South was reliant on both China and the US at the time, thus creating tensions between the two superpowers. This eventually caused the Chinese government to restrict tourists from visiting South Korea and even forcibly bankrupted Korean companies that were in China. Although more factors played into this event, the outcome of THAAD was a true reflection of China's economic power and tyranny as they were able to take advantage of their strength and use it against a country they were supposedly "aiding". Now, for all intents and purposes, a powerful economy is the true basis of national power. Throughout history, we have seen that a growing economy will lead to military strength, better education, technology, and even international status and diplomatic influence. So clearly, money does equal power in this case, and modern nations are cashing in on this idea to maintain and pursue their national interests. However, as evidenced by THAAD, possible conflicts are often the result of this process. Therefore, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to survive in this international climate. So what choices do we have

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left? Well, more than ever, it's becoming clear that our only answer is to adopt a diplomatic strategy for national security. In order to start, we must establish the proper national goals and boundaries. Therefore, in our case, South Korea must never be forced to choose between two superpowers or let either practice pseudo-supremacy. Also, to foster sustainability and strength within the country, neutral diplomacy must become an option. At the same time, we must secure the support of the international community through multilateral assistance. Second, we must focus on economic and military power. In other words, we must strengthen our economic forces to prepare for the possible unification with (or even the collapse of) North Korea. In addition, the military must be advanced to maintain the deterrence of war on the Korean Peninsula, which is possible through American aid. In particular, we must ensure that North Korea does not become a nuclear weapon state in any case. Third, the ROK-US alliance must be maintained. The United States is undoubtedly one of South Korea's most crucial allies, and if the current turbulence in Northeast Asia (which is centered on the Korean peninsula) remains unchanged, then the ROK-US alliance must be preserved for security, denuclearization, and peace. Finally, a long-term strategy for lowering dependence on the Chinese economy needs to be established. This way, we can reduce the impact of economic retaliation and enable equal cooperation with China in the process of denuclearization. We should become an equal economic partner to China and pursue an independent policy for our nation.

I have learned from the 17th Training to the United Nations program that democracy, peace, and development take time, patience, and money. Mr. Bernhard Seliger, the representative of Hanns SeidelStiftung (HSS) Foundation Korea, gave a lecture on the subject of "Democracy, Peace, and Development in the Sign of the Climate". He emphasized the point that, in the area of sustainability and development, HSS sees North Korea as a partner. With a slightly different approach than other organizations, it is in the interests of the HSS to convey education and know-how on topics from the areas mentioned. With environmental issues affecting the entire planet, North Korea is no exception. In addition to supporting peaceful reunification, the foundation helps educate North Koreans in areas related to sustainable development, such as forestry and wildlife conservation. The HSS has been organizing cooperation projects for more than ten years, such as the hydropower project as part of the 2010 Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM, formerly CDM). Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea has continued to run projects and promotional mailings aimed at preserving wetlands. After the lecture, Mr. Seliger answered my question, “In what ways can we implement measures that will both affect change on more local/regional levels and still be broad enough to encompass the various factors of national development?” by noting that national policies must be strengthened, and different stakeholders must invest into the transition. He provided an example of a successful case, noting the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation that held workshops on the national level and created national policy on agroforestry.

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Diplomacy for the economy and national security is absolutely necessary to promote on the world stage, and clearly, our government needs to reconsider its foreign policies. Certainly, sustainable and inclusive growth amongst all countries is the ultimate goal, but we must start with diplomatic cooperation from everyone to get there. After the G20 Summit, President Moon declared, “Peace on the Korean Peninsula requires international consensus and support through multilateral diplomacy as much as a commitment between North and South Korea. We constantly develop a global awareness campaign that peace on the Korean Peninsula will benefit Asia’s development and eventually contribute to world peace.” As he emphasized, the national interest of the world needs to build trust and relationships with South Korea, and vice versa. Because in the end, there is no eternal friend or enemy on the international stage, but rather, we are truly co-existing together in this world. Reference: https://www.economist.com/international/2021/04/29/diplomacy-has-changed-more-than-most-professions-during-the-pandemic https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/3-dynamics-shaping-the-future-of-security-on-the-korean-peninsula/ https://korea.hss.de/news/detail/vortrag-ueber-nordkorea-klima-und-ziele-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung-news7907/ https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/north-korea-in-a-nutshell/ www.nytimes.com/2019/06/30/world/asia/trump-north-korea-dmz.html www.edition.cnn.com/2019/06/30/opinions/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-dmz-meeting-vinograd/index.html https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2019/02/22/china-and-south-koreas-simmering-thaad-dispute-may-return-to-the-boil/ Choi, Kwang-jin. The Republic of Korea’s Public Diplomacy Strategy: History and Current Status. FIGUEROA PRESS, 2019, pp. 13–19, The Republic of Korea’s Public Diplomacy Strategy: History and Current Status.

The Remaining Question on Climate Change (GGGI, UNDP, Climate Action Team) UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that climate change brought a “total disaster” to humanity, and we are reaching a point of no return. To add, the Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and best-known general medical journals, has stated that the children of the modern era will face a vital survival crisis in the coming future due to climate change, and if we do not update our existing methods which result in large amounts of greenhouse gases, the next generation will have to live in an environment where the global temperature is at least four degrees higher pre-industrialization. The accelerating climate change will lead to many other global crises.

As the Earth gets warmer, the number of viruses that can endure the heat also increases to the point where human beings are unable to develop a proper immune response. In the case of COVID-19, early2020 trends found that the spread was less prevalent in areas with high heat and humidity. However, the research paper written by the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the 21st Century Health Threats said that there is an insufficient number of studies that show a less serious spread of the coronavirus in elevated temperatures and humidity. COVID-19 spread very quickly in countries such as Brazil and Iran at the beginning of the pandemic despite the warm and humid climate. More importantly, climate change causes variances in heat and humidity levels in all countries, making all of them vulnerable to virus spread.

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There are other cases in which climate change indirectly produces health crises. According to the Veterinary Journal, epidemics of the past 80 years have originated from a common infectious disease, with about 70% originating from or spread by wild animals. Habitat destruction from natural disasters pushes wild animals to areas near human settlements, and this increases the chance of virus transfer from these animals to humans. Furthermore, glacial melt in the poles is on an ever-increasing rise with each year, and as the glaciers continue to melt, the once-dormant, unknown viruses become active again. The exposure of unfamiliar viruses will cause global bedlam with nations rushing to mitigate the spread and consequences. Another and perhaps more familiar effect of glacial melt is sea-level rise. Take the glaciers of Greenland, for example. The global sea level is suspected to rise by at least 6 meters when these glaciers completely melt. The sudden rise would lead to a global drowning of all coastal metropolises. And when the Antarctic glaciers melt, the global sea level is expected to rise by at least 70 meters, causing complete human civilization extermination. Continuous droughts and floods have produced significant socio-economic losses, and glacial melt has caused cities and even countries to be flooded. Already in the South Pacific, Tuvalu is declaring its abandonment and moving people to neighboring countries such as Australia and New Zealand, and the remaining Tuvalu people are suffering from drought due to groundwater contamination. In South Korea, the Marine Environmental Management Corporation reported land that is 11 times the size of its city named Yeouido will flood the sea and cause a population of about 4,000 to become inundated by 2100. When coastal lowlands become flooded, farmers lose their homes and leave their farms for jobs in bigger cities, reducing food yields, and ultimately causing food shortages. Food shortages then lead to a jump in prices for food on a worldwide scale, trade disputes, and even wars in extreme cases. Even though people have been cognizant of these upcoming dangers since the early 1990s, carbon emissions have risen by 60% during the time between the first Conference of Parties (COP) to the most recent one, the COP25 in 2019. Although the COVID-19 outbreak and its subsequent stall in economic activities decreased the global greenhouse gas emissions by 6% in 2020, the reduction rate does not satisfy the 7.6% annual reduction required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. People are still recklessly destroying their environments, disrupting the order of existing ecosystems, and blurring the distinction between human and animal living environments. So the question remains - what can we do? To start, the climate crisis should be clearly communicated to citizens through fundamental outlets such as school education. Environmental studies should become a required course for all students in kindergarten to grade 12 so that young people understand the value of nature that “goes far beyond money,” know how to respond to climate change in the future, and become aware of how different stakeholders take action for the environment. Such education would allow people to apply their knowledge of climate change in their daily lives, developing environmentally-friendly lifestyles.

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In addition, climate engineering should be implemented in all buildings as international law. Climate engineering, or geoengineering, is a new technology to artificially control the climate of the Earth with the use of mechanisms such as solar geoengineering and carbon dioxide removal. Examples of climate engineering are Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). SRM refers to studying how solar radiation can be reflected efficiently before reaching the ground to lessen global warming, and CDR is the study of extracting carbon dioxide, a major cause of the greenhouse gas effect, from the atmosphere. The types of geoengineering mechanisms can shape the environmental, social, and economic impacts of infrastructure construction and maintenance. However, to achieve these results at the global level, humanity must transcend national boundaries. Rather than struggling to fight climate change alone as an individual nation, governments of the Global North and the Global South should build partnerships to support each other. Under the United Nations (UN), a key player in pursuing greater global cooperation, there are two prominent organizations relevant to the UN that serve to spearhead sustainable development amid climate change: the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Green Growth Institute. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a separate agency under the General Assembly established in 1965 from a merger of two United Nations Departments, United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and United Nations Special Fund. The program has been established with a vision to support countries in eliminating poverty, achieving sustainable human development, and emphasizing the importance of resource and nature conservation. Two of its three main areas of focus, called development challenges, involve climate change: accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development and building resilience to crises and shocks. To achieve structural transformations, the UNDP focuses on forming governance around green growth and gender equality. It installs “nature-based solutions for development” and “clean, affordable energy” directions to ensure all people have plenty of clean water, food, air and live along with low-carbon technology. The UNDP helps reduce risks, such as climate change, disasters, violent extremism, financial volatility, epidemics, and food insecurity, by supporting countries and communities’ reconstruction and risk management. By implementing this signature solution, the agency addresses conflicts from their root causes, mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts.

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization that promotes strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. As its name suggests, the GGGI supports nations transform their economies with a focus on green growth, which means the fostering of economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being

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relies. The GGGI’s “Green Growth Approach” comes in three categories: economic growth, economic sustainability, and poverty reduction. In addition to these approaches, the GGGI provides green investment services. One example of this service is bankable projects, which is the development of projects that have sufficient collateral, future cash flow, and a high probability of success to be acceptable to institutional lenders for financing. Another example is financial mechanisms, where the GGGI develops a novel structure or combination of traditional financial instruments that leverage greater investment from multiple investors by lowering the cost of capital through measures that mitigate one or more investment risks. In other cases, the GGGI provides national financing vehicles that help countries attract, aggregate, blend, and effectively deploy national and/or international climate finance towards projects and programs. Both the UNDP and GGGI pursue a green recovery strategy because it brings additional benefits to the economy and society. For instance, the strategy reduces the costs of deploying clean energy by providing an incentive for the development of new technologies. As a means of offsetting the lost jobs from transitioning into zero-carbon or low-carbon societies, new green jobs are created. The International Labour Organization (ILO) projected that 24 million new jobs will be placed globally by 2030 if nations implement the right policies to shift to a greener economy. Another significant advantage of green recovery is the reduction of social and economic inequalities. The strategy achieves this by shifting the focus of investments from ones that are resource-intensive to investments that reduce water-energy-food nexus pressures. These three benefits of the green recovery strategy prove how science and policymaking join forces to solve climate change while also tackling inequalities and unemployment. The current pandemic crisis has taught us many lessons and allowed us to rethink how science and policy can work together to address global crises. It is now time to prioritize addressing climate change as much as preserving human lives and the economy. The UN has called for a ‘Great Transformation,’ and to this end, we must be concerned about climate change and the damage that humans have caused. We should not ask whether the pandemic is “good” or “bad” for the climate, or whether rich people will take fewer airplane flights, but whether we can create a functioning economy that supports people without threatening life on Earth, including our own. Instead, we must strive to keep our emissions and energy efficiency levels to prevent disasters, including the spread of infectious diseases. Our home is our planet, and we can fix our problems only if we work together. Reference https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25771/rapid-expert-consultation-on-sars-cov-2-survival-in-relation-to-temperature-and-humidityand-potential-for-seasonality-for-the-covid-19-pandemic-april-7-2020 https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/experts-covid-19-pandemic-unlikely-ebb-weather-warms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-87692-z https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature https://reliefweb.int/report/world/climate-change-biggest-threat-modern-humans-have-ever-faced-world-renowned-naturalist https://www.undp.org/development-challenges-and-solutions https://gggi.org/about/ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/04/green-economy-could-create-24-million-new-jobs/ https://www.cigionline.org/articles/what-climate-engineering-and-why-does-it-matter/ https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/09/1018852 https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/2020-covid-19-and-climate-agenda https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/2020-covid-19-and-climate-agenda

International Business Diplomacy after Coronavirus Pandemic (Denis Godwin Antoine) With the alarmingly rapid spread of COVID-19, expanding the government's role in responding to inequality and economic instability has become a key priority for economists and policymakers. However, the consensus of neoliberal market fundamentalism has been degenerating and continues to decrease with the current medical and economic environment. The novel coronavirus, stylized as COVID-19, is a global catastrophe that has destroyed countless lives, caused economic downfalls, and continues to test national and international institutions. Unfortunately, the fear is that even when the world recovers medically from the ongoing pandemic, we will never be able to return to our pre-COVID19 lives on an economic basis.

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Some people compare our current circumstances to the decades after the influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919, which were characterized by rising nationalism and xenophobia, the halting of globalization in favor of “beggar-thy-neighbor” policies, and the collapse of the global economy known as the Great Depression. But as Israeli futurist and historian Yuval Noah Harari has explained, “Old trends are being shattered; new trends are still being written.” Harari notes that the COVID-19 crisis has helped countries worldwide realize how important a “basic income guarantee” is. He adds, “[that] a few years ago, some experts have been considering ‘basic income guarantees’, but almost all politicians on the planet have rejected the experiment because they thought they were pretentious and unrealistic.” However, as Harari suggests, it is painfully obvious now that we must prioritize our welfare more than “unrealistic” policies especially now more than ever. The pandemic has caused even extreme conservative administrations to decide to pay a basic income guarantee to individual citizens. Some countries have even announced and successfully implemented one-time or continuous payment plans as part of a countermeasure against the virus’s financial effects. However, the expansion of the government’s role cannot rule out the possibility of the “return of the agecontrol policy.” The departure from market fundamentalism may take a more inclusive form focusing on the green economy, quality jobs, and the reconstruction of the ever-necessary middle class.

Also, experts point out that the international effects on the economy of COVID-19 are closely related to the free trade order, which is the basis of economic growth. COVID-19 has revealed just how much the West and the rest of the world depend on supplies from China. As a result, nations are deeming cooperation with rival countries necessary and are trying to be “conscientious members of the international community.” Moreover, people are demanding that the West become less dependent on supplies from third-party countries and more dependent on small businesses locally.

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Historically, Western businesses have a record of outsourcing which might sap their desire to quickly reduce their trade dependence on China. It’s an age-old tale of cheap, quick, and large commercial production, which has led to the existing free-trade market. But this current market configuration may come undone as the situation becomes increasingly unbalanced. Still, the search for “new equilibrium points” is already on. Since the start of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which optimizes trading regulation and market mechanisms, Chinese manufacturers have repeatedly proven to be flexible and reliable in the volatile market, while the West has only demonstrated its lack of flexibility or readiness, and has had to ramp up their development and production costs. In fact, from January to February, the stock exchange market rose about 1.3 trillion yuan, and 98% of Chinese companies have resumed work.

Of course, COVID-19 has done more than reveal just how inefficient the current market system is. As travel and tourism have been shut down worldwide, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the U.S. economy will decline by more than 7& by mid-2020. The United Nations World Tourism Office (UNWTO) reported that international tourist arrivals have decreased by 74% from 1.5 billion in 2019 to 381 million in 2020. Already, global supply chains have been crippled, and demand has plummeted. This situation has led companies to shed jobs at an astounding rate, and if inadequately addressed, it could lead to a downward spiral of rapid unemployment. However, trade and unemployment are not the only signs of an ineffective market. Countries with high GDPs are already preparing to increase their diplomatic influence in the post-pandemic world. For example, China annulled its lockdown on Wuhan just a day after Japan’s Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures. Beijing sent face masks and medical supplies to nations struggling with the coronavirus, such as Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, Japan is demonstrating soft power by providing the anti-flu drug Avigan for free to almost 50 nations as part of emergency economic measures. Therefore, in the absence of drastic restrictions on in-person diplomatic discussions, one could reasonably say that countries like the US might fuel diplomatic atrophy because of increased tensions and trade wars. Most importantly, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of the current international systems. The pandemic has caused slumps in 5 aspects of the global economy: manufacturing activity, service activity, oil prices, sell-off in stock markets, and government bonds to the economy. As a result of the pandemic, one might expect bilateral disruptions, mutual recriminations, and competition for influence to persist for years. However, when the virus recedes and focuses returns towards financial re-construction, the United States (US) should put its interest in investing in the international infrastructure, rules, and coordinating bodies that are needed to ward off the next great

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catastrophe. Instead of berating its closest friends and neighbors, the US can strengthen its democratic alliances as the focal point for addressing shared challenges. The government should seize this opportunity to rethink the fundamentals of globalization to shift the dialogue towards a more egalitarian and resilient direction. Also, it can do all of this in a way that shows the world that America’s enlightened self-interest and values can still be a lodestar for a stable international order. In the postpandemic world, many institutions will rely on the power of the Internet, and the US will need to adjust and conform to these global standards if they want to avoid the revelation that the current system, at best, simply did not work.

In brief, the existential challenges we face are global problems that demand global solutions. Yet, in this time when global cooperation is more needed than ever before, some of the most powerful world leaders and countries intentionally undermine global cooperation, claiming that there is an inherent contradiction between nationalism and globalism and that we should choose nationalism and reject globalism. This is a dangerous mistake. There is no line discriminating between nationalism and globalism. Nationalism means loving your compatriots and your neighborhoods around the globe. Globalism means a commitment to some global rules, not establishing a global government, abandoning all national traditions, or opening the border to unlimited immigration. Thus, as Harari said in the 2020 World Economic Forum, good nationalists must be also globalists. Medically and historically, the tragedy of COVID-19 will be documented and will remain in the lives of humanity. However, the post-pandemic world will only be an opportunity for our global leaders to create more fair, equal, and reliable social and economic systems. Mr. Denis Godwin Antoine, Former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN, noted during the Hope to the Future Association’s 17th Training to the United Nations program that local issues everywhere become global issues. Therefore, as generations pass a baton onto the next generation, people must consider a different paradigm, becoming globalists to better cooperate and tackle the challenges. Although the current status quo has been unveiled to reveal nothing short of irresponsible leadership economically, the fate of the global economy does not depend on what the virus does, but how we respond. We are our future, and we must build it together. References https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/yuval-hararis-warning-davos-speech-future-predications/ https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57979857 https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sgsm20699.doc.htm https://www.diplomacy.edu/resources/books/reviews/multilateral-diplomacy-and-united-nations-today https://www.unwto.org/covid-19-and-tourism-2020

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YOONYOUNG SON Cheongshim International Academy 조태열 대사님 강연 Ambassador Cho's session started with a very interesting question: "Is South Korea a developing country or a developed country?". My answer to that question was both because the more I thought about it, the harder it was for me to come up with a feasible reason why I thought so. But after the session, I was able to come up with a confident response, and that was all thanks to Mr. Cho's helpful lesson. In this reflection, I would like to briefly go over the information learned during the process, as well as some possible roles we can play as youths. South Korea, a member state of the United Nations, is very much confined to issues directly related to its country and its neighboring countries. In other words, Korea cannot invest resources in dealing with matters worldwide, making it harder for it to be a full-fledged and serious player in the United Nations stage for the past 30 years. The multifaceted challenges faced by Korea's unique geopolitical environment in North-East Asia also can't be ignored when discussing its impact on Korea's engagement in the UN. As Korea is surrounded by the top 3 military and economic powers; Japan, China, US for economic, and US, Russia, China for military, combined with the problem with North Korea, the given reality of the country makes it harder to take action and to raise a voice. For this reason, in the lecture, Ambassador Cho mentioned the need for vision programs to help support future efforts and has shared the vision statement for multilateral diplomacy with the group. That vision statement included the three major roles necessary for successful multilateral diplomacy; facilitator, supporter, and agenda-setter/initiator. What was interesting about the three roles, though, was that South Korea, with the underlying geopolitical and geostrategic challenges, can play all three roles and pursue the growth of the country itself but may also help promote the betterment of other countries. The one thing that Ambassador Cho implied throughout the session was Korea's unique historical background as a former-aid-recipient-to-current-aid-donor country. He inferred that teaching other aid-recipient countries the struggles and mistakes of South Korea might help those countries to develop ways to tackle the situation. As facilitators, Korea can be a fair mediator to make breakthroughs. As supporters, Korea can approach to help resolve developing countries' problems. Lastly, as initiators, Korea can play as a middle power country with more balanced perspectives. Furthermore, in the session, Ambassador Cho has also suggested Korea's two main driving problems in multilateral diplomacy: the roles the Korean press and media play and the Koreans' attitude and mentality towards Korea. This part of the session felt new as it was leaned towards a more critical evaluation of the current progress that has been made within Korea. According to the information shared with the group, Korea is the only country that covers less than 5 percent of international issues, meaning that Korea has a narrow focus on domestic matters. Not only the lack of attention but also the point of focus is different compared to many other countries. Instead of a fact-based analysis of a particular issue, Korean news outlets tend to publish click-bait-worthy content, which for the most part targets rumors. Adding on to the problems of Korean press and media, Ambassador Cho also mentioned the so-called Korean mindset of Korea still being a developing country for many Koreans. He implied that the closed culture in Korea and dubious attitude is why Korea is still not perceived as a developed country for Koreans while it has been ever since for others. At the end of the session, he emphasized the need to take differential approaches to global issues and that it is now Korea's turn to play a proactive and visible role in multilateral diplomacy to truly become a developed country.

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As I am very much interested in the concept of multilateralism, the topic was more than enough for me to get more intrigued by the material shared. Though I had a general idea of what multilateral diplomacy was, I was able to learn more about multilateralism in the targeted view of South Korea, as well as what we can do as groups of youth to promote better multilateral diplomacy. This experience as a whole has provided me the opportunity to explore the concept of multilateral diplomacy in-depth from the perspective of South Korea and has allowed myself and others to have the courage as representatives of the future generation. I want to send my sincere appreciation to the HFA team and Ambassador Cho for this unforgettable memory. Thank you so much!

이화여대 Kadir 교수님 공공외교 강연 Diplomacy has been my field of interest ever since I got introduced to the concept of it. To further my learning, I've worked on numerous papers and projects to get myself involved in the learning process, which I found as my way of learning new information. Doing so, I got to know more about international relations and the importance of communication. The most recent topic I worked on was a research paper on the 'relationship between public diplomacy and digital governance.' Though this was certainly not the first time to get introduced to the idea of public diplomacy, it was indeed new for me to study the topic in-depth. While reading more about public diplomacy and its impact on the regional, national, and international level, I understood the concept better; however, at the same time, I found myself struggling with two significantly correlated ideas; public diplomacy and soft power. Since I was first introduced to public diplomacy as a way of promoting soft power to other nations to develop one's diplomatic impact in the global community, I thought that it was impossible to discuss public diplomacy without mentioning the exertion of soft power. However, this session by Professor Kadir from Ewha Womans University has helped me develop a new insight into public diplomacy and was more than enough to answer my questions. In Professor Kadir's session, he mentioned the general idea of public diplomacy from its history to how it is presented in our global society and further elaborated on the topic by focusing on public diplomacy in South Korea. One of the reasons I enjoyed this lecture was that he also provided us a critical analysis and evaluation of how successful Korea's public diplomacy was in its true purpose. While going over examples from Korea, he implied that the ability to filter misinformation is a crucial task to work on to develop Korean public diplomacy better. Though sugarcoating and promoting policies that are not justifiable as something peaceful may make a country seem more stable, he emphasized that "marketing" is certainly not the solution to having that peaceful image. A peaceful country will meet the standards of achieving that peaceful image. Therefore, when it comes to making contributions, the government needs to either tone down the unrealistic goals by reducing the marketing of the nation's brand image or live up to what was initially promised. Administrator (president) follow-ups were also a key point for building a more peaceful country. Another interesting point of the lecture was that Professor Kadir did not mention the term "soft power" not even once while explaining an hour's worth of information about public diplomacy. He referred to the concept of soft power as more of an outcome for not necessarily the people but for the government. By emphasizing the "power," he also stated that though soft power may seem soft, it can still be the residue of a more intimidating power that may lead to misleading situations. The example he gave about K-POP was undoubtedly the perfect example to help understand the idea better. Professor Kadir implied that it is hard to see K-POP as a form of presenting public diplomacy but rather an unintentional contribution that is a considerable conversation starter, especially on the cultural aspect. Since the K-POP industry primarily serves for private purposes of the entertainment companies and is hard to seek any direct behavioral change caused by it at international levels, he mentioned that it is leaned more towards as a cultural trend. As a whole, this lecture was an unforgettable memory for me, especially as a student interested in this area of study. Not only was the session informative, but also easy to comprehend. This opportunity has encouraged me to learn more about public diplomacy, and I look forward to reading more of Professor Kadir's papers. It was my absolute pleasure to be a part of the session, thank you so much!

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Dokyung Oh Saint James School South Korea’s Role on Global Stage and Youth As a youth from South Korea, I have always wanted to contribute to the world. But that was one of the vague dreams of mine since I did not have an insight deep enough to find out how to make my dream come true. Before this lecture, I had not had a single chance to have a long and deep conversation with any official who worked in the field related to diplomacy or global affairs etc. Fortunately, during the lecture “Role of Korean Youth and the United Nations”, the South Korean diplomat Tae-yul Cho opened my eyes, which allowed me to specify my role to become a person I want to be. In the beginning of the lecture, Ambassador Cho asked us if we think South Korea is a developed country or a developing country. The question was not new to me since this was one of the questions that I have asked myself more than 20 times so far. My answer to the question has been always the same. Regarding cultural and civic level of South Korea, I strongly believe South Korea is a developing country. Without answering to his question, Ambassador Cho mentioned the fact South Korea received a title of developed country through the principle of self-election a few days ago in the United Nations. He argued that having the title of developed country brings not only some privileges but heavier responsibilities. Considering this, he spoke about his concerns of South Korea having the title. According to him, developed countries in the United Nations have some privileges and responsibilities heavier than those of developing countries. Even though South Korea chose to become a developed country according to the principle of self-election, which means a country chooses its own title between developing country and developed country, Ambassador Cho is not sure if South Korea has enough diplomatic capacity to take more responsibilities in global affairs. He told us about some diplomatic shortcomings of South Korea that cause his uncertainty on its capacity. To begin with, he mentioned the geopolitical conflicts of South Korea as one of the diplomatic deficits of South Korea. South Korea is geographically, politically, and economically surrounded by top 3 military and economic powers, the United States, China, and Japan. South Korea has been in this position for so long. Trapped in this harsh environment, South Korea have not figured out a method to be more prosperous so that it can take more serious role on global stage. Additionally, endless threat from North Korea is also problematic. Due to the military threat from North Korea, which has lasted since the Korean War, South Korea cannot focus on other global affairs. This prevents South Korea from playing an important role in the United Nations. Lastly, Ambassador Cho supposes that South Korea is not contributing enough to global affairs. He believes that both quality and quantity matter to play an important role on global stage. He contended that South Korea must especially expand quantitative contributions in order to become one of the major countries in the United Nations. Following some shortcomings of South Korea on global stage, Ambassador Cho also proposed solutions for the problems on which the youth of South Korea must work. The first solution he proposed was to be more productive and to have value-adding roles. The youth can function as an initiator, facilitator, and supporter. Thus, South Korean youth must practice how to play multiple roles and be volatile. For this, South Korean government should aid the youth so that they can become efficient South Korea’s leaders on global stage in the future. The second solution he proposed

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was to make South Korea’s current state clear on global stage. Ambassador Cho asserted that South Korea does not have long-term plans to ameliorate its role in global affairs. He strongly believes it is because South Korea does not know whether it is developed country or developing country. I cannot agree with him anymore. If I ask to people if they think South Korea is developing country or developed country, most of them argues that South Korea is in between. This ambiguous position prevents South Korea from contributing to the world. Therefore, South Korea must make its position on global stage clear so that it can figure out what to priorities and what to improve. Third solution that Ambassador Cho mentioned was that South Korean press should have much wider focus. According to him, South Korea’s press barely pays attention to global affairs. As an important instrument that conveys information to citizens, the press must broaden its view in order to allow more opportunities for the citizens to access global information and issues. Also, the wider focus of the press would eventually widen the range of interest of the youth in South Korea. The fourth solution was not to remain “Bridging role of South Korea” as a diplomatic rhetoric that does not produce any success. It has been a while that South Korean government insisted to be a bridge between countries that have opposing characters and purposes. For instance, South Korea has tried to be a bridge between the United States and North Korea and between the United States and China. However, successful result has not been accomplished. It is time for South Korea to make it come true. Ambassador Cho urged the role of the youth. He argued that the youth must broaden its view and be openminded. After listening to him talking about the shortcomings of South Korea and solutions to them. I agree with him, absolutely. As a youth, I should have a broad focus and broad range of knowledge to become a global citizen. To have a wide focus, I can read articles about international affairs on newspaper or magazine. These days, with the improvement of technology, it became much easier to access articles since lots of Newspaper Company upload their articles online. For broadening knowledge, reading books of various fields is one of the most effective method. Global affairs do not belong to one topic. They are usually related to various topics such as technology, culture, and history. Thus, it is required to have a broad range of knowledge to become a global player. In addition, reading books written by people working for global affairs is another good method to prepare becoming a global player. From their books, it is able to learn know-how and tips for playing a role on global stage. This would be a huge asset for youth. Participating in Ambassador Cho’s lecture, my decision to become a global player got even more determined. Even though I know it would not be always fun to play a role on global stage, I would never give up. Besides, listening to his lecture, I wanted to be a person who can encourage my next generation to work harder like Ambassador Cho did to us. To me, not only Ambassador Cho but other officials who gave us lecture were sparkling. Thanks to them including Ambassador Cho, I am so honoured to listen to their lectures since what they told us was incomparable to anything, not even to gold.

Conversation with students from Ivy League and my future Having a conversation with students who go to Ivy League taught me what to do from now on. As a rising senior, I have expectations about college life. I imagine myself living in a college dorm with my roommate, going to sports game and partying with my circle, and studying in college library. However, a fear about applying to college comes first to me since it is realty that I am confronting. Gratefully, the conversations that I had with two students helped me a lot. The first student I had a conversation with was Jiyeon Kwon who is majoring in Informative Science and Mathematical Statistics at Columbia University in New York City. She talked about how hard she tried to get into Columbia University when she was a high schooler. She got 5 on 12 AP exams and perfect

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GPA. However, she argued that the perfect score is not the first thing that high schoolers should focus on. She insisted that students must know why they want to go to college. Listening to her, I asked myself the question. Why do I want to go to college? Pondering for a few minutes, I figured out my answer. I want to go to college as I want to study more deeply about subjects I love and want to have professional knowledge that can be helpful to other people. Since the goal of my life is contributing to gender equality and equal education, I really need professional knowledge to find out ways to improve gender equality and equal education more efficiently and productively. Also, she mentioned that students should do what they are truly passionate about. Changing her majors several times, she finally figured out what she genuinely wants to do. And to do so, she said that one should not be afraid of detouring or going one’s own path. I totally agree with her. Lots of students hesitate between what they want to do and what they are good at. It would be the best if the two corresponds. However, if they do not, I believe that it would be better for students to choose what they are truly passionate about. Without passion, people get tired of their job. Then, the productivity, efficiency, and happiness go down. I, also, will choose what I am passionate about. Currently, I am interested international relations, gender equality, equal education, and protection of the environment. My passion could change in the future. But regardless of what it is, I will always try to find something I am passionate about and choose it not for other but for myself. Besides, I will not be afraid of establishing my unique path to achieve what I want. Every single person has its own goal and priority. Every single person has its own personality that makes each person so special. Everything she said resonates me.

The second conversation I had was with a student majoring in International Relations and Business in University of Pennsylvania. I was so excited since I want to major in International Relations in college also. She spoke about how she found out what to major in college. She said she figured it out through the activities that she had done in middle school and high school. For example, she was so passionate in doing Model United Nations and debate. Thus, she considered majoring in International Relations. I asked her why she chose University of Pennsylvania among so many universities. This was one of my concerns related to my current situation. She told me that she chose University of Pennsylvania because she loved the Huntsman Programme in the university. She also added that she had some campus tours of universities and colleges that she was applying to. When she visited the campuses, she knew if she would be happy and satisfied with the school or not. Lastly, she argues that the vibe of the school is one of the significant factors that she considered for her final decision. Listening to her advice, I learned how to choose colleges that I will apply to. The first factor I will consider is my happiness. For example, if I feel like I will not be happy at Harvard University, I will not go to Harvard University even though it is one of the best universities in the world. I believe that is how I can be honest to myself. Thanks to them, now I know what I should do first. I should look into myself and find what I genuinely desire. After having conversation with them, applying to college does not feel like a torture anymore. I guess I can enjoy it and look forward to my future.

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ILJO YOO Daewon International Middle School

5 days in the Training Program was one of the most meaningful and motivating experiences I’ve ever had. It taught me such valuable knowledge about the UN and how to behave as a global citizen. Now that I’m able to look at things with a broader view, I want to share how I developed my narrow-minded thoughts into an inclusive mindset via the outstanding lectures of several organizations. The World Food Program (WFP) is an UNaffiliated organization which mainly works on SDG #2 Zero Hunger. WFP protects access to food for enhancing food security, and focuses on improving nutrition to take children’s development in priority. One of the creative solutions it advocates for zero hunger is the ‘school meal’. Since the majority of children in developing countries go to work instead of school to make money, simply offering meals for them can bring them back to school. School meals not only prevent malnutrition of children but can further lead to the protection of children’s right to education. This shows that a single action can be related to multi SDGs like zero hunger and quality education. Unlike my thought that the only way to guarantee the right of education is to directly build schools, or subsidize the major educational institutes, it was impressive that there are diverse ways to solve a certain problem. Next, Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) is an NGO run by Germany. It does work that helps mitigate climate change in North Korea (NK). Since NK is a sensitive country to cooperate with, the speaker Dr. Seliger especially underscored ‘trust’ when working with those kinds of countries. He mentioned that NK mistrusts others because of various political reasons, and they even kicked out HSF once. But without trust, we can't make lots of things in progress, so he put an emphasis on regaining their trust and supporting them to join the international cooperation process again. I definitely agree with his statement, because it’s obvious that there are different people in different countries with diverse perspectives. And that doesn't mean we should argue with their ideas. So we need an open-minded attitude to understand and wait for uncooperative countries to be cohesive when working together for the SDGs. I learned that it requires more than just one’s cooperative behavior, but a mutually cohesive relationship between a country and an organization to efficiently accomplish SDGs.

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Lastly, UN Habitat is the very organization that taught me all SDGs are interconnected. Before I listened to the lecture, I didn’t have much interest in UN Habitat since I thought the only thing they do is just building houses for people. That’s absolutely an important one, but I thought the other SDGs are more important than sustainable habitation. However, UN Habitat was considering all the factors that affect people’s sustainable communities, such as inequality, climate change, education, sanitation, safety, economy, medical services, tenure security, et cetera. After the lecture, I was able to introspect myself deeply of my close-minded thoughts, and to pledge myself that I should try harder to think how things can be interconnected with one another. Another impressive lesson I learned from UN Habitat, is that there are no such criteria to define whether a project is successful or not. In turn, we can’t assure it is definitely a success, since we don’t know if it has adversely impacted some people. For instance, if you build a bridge, you may say that it’s a success because it enables people to drive through the land beyond the river. But after you build it, it can cause traffic problems and air pollution because more cars will pass by. From these aspects, we can assume that defining the successfulness needs a complex consideration of multi-factors that gives mutual impact to each other. On the other hand, what we should really consider is how the project affected the city and the residents. How we monitor the implications, analyze the impacts, and reflect the pros and cons to the next project are the things that truly matter. As we can see above, plenty of organizations are endeavoring to make the world better. Thousands of millions of people are running toward the sustainable development goals, so we are getting closer and closer to it. But even though we are making great efforts to achieve the 17 SDGs, I still couldn’t ignore the doubt that the UN isn’t really being a big help for accomplishing SDGs. If not, why will so many people still suffer from ongoing global issues? Working at the UN has been my dream for a long time, because I thought I can quickly bring great efforts for a peaceful and sustainable world, which is also my lifelong goal. However, I was recently confused if working at the UN can really help me achieve this goal, since I couldn’t see or feel much changes they made. And actually, when I explored more about the UN, it was true that it’s hard for the UN to cause rapid changes because they don’t have the power to force the member states.

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Myanmar would be a good example. Recently, a coup took place in Myanmar which displaced their legitimately elected leader. So, the citizens constantly protested for their democracy, but hundreds of them died during the demonstration. Unfortunately, the UN failed to help them because Myanmar’s military leader refused to take any actions related to restoring the righteously elected leader. In this case, the only thing the UN can do is to wait for Myanmar’s permission that allows them to enter Myanmar. The UN may report some information about current situations, but that doesn’t really help the citizens who are in actual danger. I was so disappointed that the UN can’t execute things well without the member states’ permission even when it’s an emergency situation. The fact that the UN mostly ends up with giving recommendations, but not implementing practical policies was even more regrettable. However, the lectures I listened to during the Training Program finally made me understand why the UN couldn’t force others. Forcing and ignoring the member states with power wasn’t the right way to achieve the SDGs. Every country is in a different position, so we should always respect and listen to all their respective ideas. The UN is not a decision maker, but it has the power to convince the member states, to bring all countries together, and to promote people to participate in making a better world. “The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.” said Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations. Yes, the UN can’t turn our world into a paradise, because it isn't a universal government that can solve all the global issues like God. But it is doing their best to make efforts peacefully by involving the public into diverse projects and campaigns they run. After all, one by one, the UN was making the world a better place. Finally, I want to express a tremendous gratitude for all dear speakers of the lectures for providing a meaningful roadmap of my life. Thank you so much for letting me broaden my sight, think outside, and think big as a cooperative member of our society. References https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/styles/featured_image_header_xl_focal/public/2019/05/IMG_5220.JPG?h=0d27ee61&ito k=G5smLVIx https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YGd_FfvNURo/maxresdefault.jpg https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/10-standout-quotes-from-un-week/

SOWON YUN Younghoon International Middle School

World Food Programme (WFP) Headquarters, Italy Before this lecture, I just had a basic understanding about the World Food Programme’s mission towards eliminating hunger permanently. Listening to this lecture caused an immense impact on my understanding about WFP. This lecture impacted me a lot in terms of gaining knowledge about the WFP’s global agenda, its areas of prioritization and how the WFP social media team cooperates with the entire organization to encourage people to be engaged. In addition, by asking relevant questions and making efforts to create my own analysis based on prior knowledge, I was able to get a more advanced and deeper understanding of not only WFP’s works, but also its correlation to diverse crises and its contribution to SDG goals for the global agenda to be achieved. Below are some of my reflections about what I’ve learned, presumed,

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and analyzed from the contents of the lecture. Ms. Cordella mentioned in her presentation that WFP was selected as the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, ‘for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.’ From this fact, I could reconnect to the related knowledge that I gained from the book “Why the World Still Goes Hungry” by Jean Ziegler, in terms of the correlation of famine and the maintenance of global peace. Since I had an inquiry about the severe crisis I which hunger is used as a source of weapons, I raised a question about ‘how WFP can deal with the terrorism due to famine, in cases if international organizations are unable to directly intervene in the country’s internal affairs’. In the process I also reminded myself about DPRK’s case where the authorities imprison innocent civilians by weaponizing hunger inside the country. Since I thought that DPRK’s case also connects to the humanitarian sector as well as human rights, I thought that it was one of the cases that the WFP must set a priority on. It’s because I thought it was very fundamental to protect the local citizens and to prevent the possible suppression of human rights, in terms of the vulnerable people whose ‘right to live’ is abused by severe or chronic hunger. Her answer to this question was that “in order to prevent terrorism before it occurs, a good solution could be providing school meals and giving access to nutritious products for the youth in a long-term prevention method”. She additionally answered that “the long-term vision also includes ensuring that children have the right education, grow up in a healthy environment and making sure that they do not commit crimes when they grow up.” I could learn from her answer that prioritizing children to be accessible to nutrition and food is truly essential and fundamental in terms of not only protecting children from conflicts that already exist, but also preventing potential crimes that children can commit by contemplating the long-term vision as well. I was also quite surprised when I encountered the fact that the maintenance of peace by WFP worked as one of the factors that led to WFP being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, since I was reminded of the relationship between curing famine and bringing peace. Mainly I was astonished of the influences preventing hunger can bring to the peace and security of the world as a whole, since I had the perception that the case of resolving hunger was quite confined within SDG 2: Zero Hunger itself. The part about the interconnection of equitable economic growth and reduction of hunger also made me very passionate about the issue of hunger. I encountered a figure that ‘providing social protection schemes for equitable economic growth will raise the purchasing power of the poorest 2 billion people’, which caused me to think back to some cases where people aren’t able to gain the access to essential nutrients due to the lack of personal monetary and social services. I also felt amazed about the dramatic effects that supporting equitable economic growth can bring. It is because I had been slightly aware of the relationship between supporting the local community and eradicating hunger, however when I was confronted with the statistics, I was astonished by the impacts that settling communities can bring. In my insight, I also considered about how creating employment in specific regions and setting up the local community will rehabilitate and stabilize the region in terms of resilience, creating better environment for local food production, distribution, and consumption in a long-term perspective. This part of the lecture also motivated me to consider deeply about the connection between ‘SDG 8: Decent work and

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economic growth’ and WFP’s strategies in ‘putting the furthest behind first’, quoting from what the lecturer had mentioned during her presentation. I was able to come up with an idea of how creating sustainable jobs and workspaces for local citizens inside the community can boost up in achieving zero hunger, as well as promoting equitable and decent economic growth achieved by the improvement in the employment of citizens in food-related occupations. The part where Ms. Cordella mentioned about ‘encouraging a sustainable variety of crops’ was influential to me. It was because I perceived that the whole context of this issue was deeply concerned with the issue of climate change, as well as the stakeholders of ‘local farmers’ who are exposed to the most influential impacts of climate change in terms of the process of planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops that are the nutritious resources that they rely their lives on. I had been empathetic of farmers or workers who earn their livings based on agriculture, however who don’t have the essential resources or an appropriate region to cultivate and harvest crops. Therefore, I was reminded of the importance of tackling climate-related issues also in the food-related sector, because we need the equitable development and the growth of crops for the local community. I was also moved by how WFP inputs its best efforts in addressing the challenges of multi stakeholders, including famers, by providing with the fundamental food availability and access for them to identify a wider range of crops, which contributes to their food system. I also paid lots of attention in one of WFP’s goals of ‘making nutrition a priority’ and ‘ensuring children and nursing mothers have access to the required nutritious foods.’ I could feel how the WFP also considers the perspectives of the development of children, especially those who are the most vulnerable from the first few days after birth. Most importantly, I could reconnect this mission of WFP to UNICEF’s missions of child survival. Since our team’s presentation topic was about UNICEF and its permanent missions of promoting child protection, child survival and UNICEF in emergencies, I had a backup knowledge about these issues. Therefore, I remembered that these acts provided by WFP can also contribute to the neonatal care for children and maternal care for mothers to reduce the mortality rate of children under 5, which relates to one of UNICEF’s missions of child survival. I conceived that providing marginalized and vulnerable children with the adequate nutrients is also very essential for the first few days of their survival, as well as providing appropriate healthcare needed for them to reduce the global mortality rate. In conclusion for this, I thought that making nutrition in priority is one of WFP’s biggest concerns and missions that can also contribute to the development in not only reducing hunger but also promoting the health and well-being of global young children. One of the statements that I was touched was that ‘food is the pathway to peace’, and citing from the lecturer’s words, “investment in people and planet that supports reconstruction, promotes development and helps to tackle the root causes of conflict from economic exclusion to climate change”. Once again, I could feel how pivotal and essential having equitable access to food is, in terms of human development, maintaining peace and most importantly, not to exclude anyone by making as many people involved as possible. I also predicted that these acts could lead to creating sustainable and inclusive communities, as no one is excluded. In my opinion, this statement related to some of the areas among ‘resilience’ from one of UNDP’s promotions. I presumed that the idea of supporting reconstruction and development in communities was slightly connected with the creation of resilient communities who can be self-reliant in terms of all processes related to food, reaching from the production to the consumption of food. I also agreed on the fact that investing in people themselves should be the primary action taken by WFP or other international entities if they wish to tackle with the issues that consist of conflict or the lack of development in certain sectors. There were also several noticeable questions that my fellow students asked. One of the questions were about ‘the category that the crisis of the pandemic falls into: economic hunger, or structural hunger’ and about ‘how this particular crisis differentiates from previous hunger crises. I felt that this student’s question was deeply related with my field of interests of viewing hunger, as I have read the book of “Why the World Still Goes Hungry” as I mentioned previously. The lecturer’s answer was that all the humanity is still on a learning pace in the impact of pandemic on hunger for at least another year, since this pandemic is very unprecedented- meaning that there weren’t any similar issues occurred in the

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humanitarian history. She additionally mentioned that the pandemic’s impact itself can be ‘economic’ hunger but ensured that the economic side also consists of the production, harvest, and productive areas. Answering this question myself, I also agree with her that the crisis of the pandemic itself has economic perspectives, since the root cause of this pandemic is an infectious, transmitted disease named COVID19. On the other hand, I think that the impact of the pandemic on hunger also has ‘structural’ problems. This is because some hunger crisis is correlated with structural problems accumulated over time, as of what we can observe from the world’s most marginalized sectors having to suffer from chronic hunger due to the long-term impact of the lack of resources, products needed to maintain the food system, and the problems in terms of the regional context. Going further from her answer, I also felt how where we live is very privileged compared to the vulnerable ones located around the globe. Even if the pandemic has been unprecedented, creating more population to suffer, I perceived that I was living in a very wealthy condition when I thought of the situation of those who suffer from the global pandemic even worse as their problems accumulate over time, starting from the lack of food, climate change, and having more difficulties in receiving food due to the pandemic. The second question asked from my teammate that I took note of was, “What policies or programs do WFP organize for people to be permanently self-reliant?” For this question, Ms. Cordella answered that one of the biggest programs of WFP is the ‘resilience program’ that educates people. From her explanation, I learned that WFP also ensures that people have the sufficient knowledge and tool to start their own businesses, grow their own products, and more. She also provided explanations on how WFP provides people with educational tools they need, giving them the land needed for vocational training. It was my first experience hearing about the specific ‘resilience program’ that WFP promotes, and I thought it was a very efficient way of ensuring that all communities ‘know how to fish’, instead of just ‘teaching them how to fish’. Additionally, she mentioned about teaching women to become entrepreneurs so as to enable them to earn their own living. I could think back to SDG 5: Gender Equality about this action, and thought that this was effective for women who have the bear the burden being the head of the household. I had also recently acquired the fact that women’s potential death risks are higher than men during the pandemic, and thought that this program was pivotal for women to attain the same number of experiences to be self-reliant as men, and that it lowers the burden for women who conveys an economic responsibility. References (images) https://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/6a12663/2147483647/thumbnail/640x420/quality/85/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.b eam.usnews.com%2Fab%2Fab2c5d1f59d803f1c16cafd62858e9%2Ftag%3Areuters.com%2C2020%3Anewsml_LYNXMPEGB 91DB%3A12020-12-10T162312Z_1_LYNXMPEGB91DB_RTROPTP_3_NOBEL-PRIZEPEACE.JPGhttps://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/field/image/nobel-peace-prize-wfp-2020.jpg

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Seoul Policy Centre

As a person who is passionate over maintaining and promoting the equitable economic development in every sector of the world, it was a great privilege for me to participate in the lecture of Ms. Yasemin Derebasi from United Nations Development Programme. I presume that this experience enabled me to be notified of the global milestones of what the UNDP promotes, directly listening from Ms. Derebasi who works as a Research Consultant at the Seoul Policy Centre. UNDP was one of the organizations that I could be fully engaged throughout the lecture, focusing on my main interests of supporting sustainable development in the context of protecting human rights and promoting resilience. Starting from Ms. Derebasi’s personal story about her career, it came to my mind that development was a ‘theoretical concept’ for her as she was raised in Germany. I also had a minor concern about having only a theoretical idea about development, as I lack the actual experiences of observing the actual scenes of development gaps within a country. As the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ imply, this lecture gave me a motivation to experience the situation in developing nations, and thus gain an actual insight about development gaps. Ms. Derebasi taught us mainly about the area of ‘development cooperation’, which is her area of expertise, among UNDP’s works in SDG Partnerships of ‘being a facilitator of global knowledge

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exchange on policy solutions in strategic areas of expertise.’ She explained that the main mission of development cooperation was to help countries develop independently and to encourage countries to share their solutions with other cooperating nations. Additionally, it was a new experience for me to learn about the 2 main operational approaches towards development cooperation: Official Development Assistance (ODA), and South-South-Cooperation (SSC). I learned that ODA is defined as the ‘financial aid provided by donors of OECD countries’. Simultaneously, I also could come up with some evaluations of pros and cons by myself. I interpreted that some merits of the ODA method can be that the recipients can acquire the legitimate amount of finance provided to invest in their own development. In addition, I thought that the ODA method can enable developing nations, who have higher and wealthier living standards to be enforced to donate to the vulnerable communities, so that the world can tackle with the basic crisis of poverty. To conclude, the ODA method is beneficial in terms of the fact that developed countries with a lot of finance can support the people in developing countries to gain prosperity, which leads to the equitable distribution of finance. On the other hand, I concluded that it is certain for the ODA method to have side-effects as well. There exists a possibility in which the donor countries may focus particularly on specific areas to provide aid and invest on, which leads to a global discrimination of finance. If this happens, some of the most vulnerable sectors in developing countries may be unable to receive the sufficient financial aid, which leads to the exacerbation of financial gaps between sectors-which becomes completely contradictory with the original purpose of ODA. Moving on to the other operational approach, named South-South Cooperation, enables the cooperation of developing countries to help out each other. I newly acquired the knowledge that SSC is a new version of cooperation, differing from the traditional approach of North-South cooperation, in which the developed nations support developing nations in a one-direction approach. For SSC, I assumed that there exists both pros and cons for this method. Regarding the pros, SSC can reinforce the international relationship between developing nations, as the main stakeholders involved in the cooperation are both developing nations. This forms a sense of belonging and empathy towards each other among developing nations. Looking back to the main objectives of SSC, it can also enable developing nations to share knowledges, new policies, interpretations, and experiences of development if possible. On the other hand, there always occur the cons of the policy. Since the method of SSC differentiates from the traditional model of North-South Cooperation, there aren’t any precedent models or paths of full development that developing nations can refer to, which is an immense issue. Specifically, this means that there is a limitation of developed technical or strategical support in the South-South Cooperation. Developed countries are the ones with advanced technologies that can be transferred; however, in the cases of SSC, developed countries aren’t the main stakeholders of the cooperation, which means they are unable to transfer the advanced model to developing countries. In addition, there always coexists a possibility that while SSC can enhance the relationship between developing countries, it can also lack the stimulation and progress of the developing countries if even a mere conflict or miscommunication occurs.

In order to supplement the disadvantages of SSC, I learned that UNDP set up a method of triangular cooperation, which is a new approach to this issue. ‘Triangular cooperation’ was basically the improved version of SSC with one developing country being the facilitator or bridgebuilder in between. While this method can be beneficial in terms of the contribution of the developed country being a precedent model, there are potential problems in this alternative. For instance, the developed country as a facilitator can be dominant over the two developing countries. This misleads from the main objective of triangular cooperation, which is for the developing nations to be the main contributors of the communication process. Furthermore, this method has the possibility to trigger the passive voice of developing countries. In the worst scenario, if a developed country is involved, the developing countries can only passively follow the route of how the developed country regulates the situation. This is worse for both the

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developed and developing nations, since in one side it impacts the whole country to behave in passive matters while in the other it causes one specific country to bear more burden in the cooperation. I also connected this case to Korea’s example, as the lecturer mentioned in her presentation. It is certain that Korea’s rapid development experience in half-century can be used as a benefit for Korea’s role of being a facilitator in triangular cooperation. However, Korea’s neutral position and its obscurity of distinguishment between the North and South nations can sometimes work as a disadvantage in international relations and cooperation. If Korea doesn’t proceed with the legitimate role of being a bridge-builder, this can trigger problems in international relations and criticisms toward our country. Thus, I concluded that Korea needs to think of a way that is the most beneficial for Korea to enhance its position as a middle-nation in development cooperation. Apart from development cooperation, Ms. Derebasi also taught us about the conceptual aspects of COVID-19 on development cooperation. Having to consider about the roles COVID-19 plays on development cooperation, it was very impressive to see how she connected the current megatrends and the major topics of development discussed in the international community. It was interesting to observe the current contradictories on whether COVID-19 is a ‘gamechanger or super-accelerator’, boosts up ‘cooperation or thinning of multilateralism’ and should be dealt with ‘quick economic recovery versus smart recovery’. This part of the lecture gave me an opportunity to make my own insights about the aspects of COVID-19, which plays a heavier role than the other. In my opinion, I think COVID-19 has become a game-changer more than an accelerator of development cooperation. To elaborate on this, COVID-19 has been one of the major causes of transforming the society more ‘volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous’. Due to this easily transformative world, countries have been focusing on the pursuit of their own advantages rather than paying attention to the global context of ‘development’, thus it has worked as a game-changer for development cooperation. Secondly, COVID-19 has also led to the ‘thinning of multilateralism’. Paradoxically, as out speaker mentioned, the multipolarity of countries has been reinforced due to the pandemic, even if collective action and multilateral approaches are essential. Viewing from the megatrend of crumbling social cohesion, polarization between countries has developed into multipolarity, in which countries pursue different values in different directions that in the long-term weakens cooperation. Lastly, I agree that we must deal with the current situation concentrating more on the ‘smart, long-term recovery’. It is true that some urgent issues should be dealt instantly; however, a short-term, non-sustainable recovery is hazardous for the global community. This is because quick economic recovery has its own problems, as in the insufficiency of building resilience to communities. During the presentation, I also raised a question about what actions UNDP can take specifically for developing countries to achieve development on their own, in terms of employment and financial growth. In other words, I was curious about how developing countries could maintain the sustainable cooperation themselves. Ms. Derebasi’s answer to this question consisted of three parts; humanitarian assistance, smart recovery, and localization. She explained that providing humanitarian assistance to people who are the most vulnerable should be held at the first point. Then, she mentioned that smart recovery methods must be implemented, considering about how we can improve the situation. Most importantly, she emphasized how the translation of SDGs to a local and regional context is the most effective, in terms of having a look at the specific demands of local citizens through consultation meetings and more. She provided an example of India of exploring possibilities to translate SDGs in the local and regional level, improving things for the better, and translating them into individual demands. I had some further inquiries after I received her answer, and I wish to explore on some of the areas of my inquiry. Now that I had a basic understanding of the self-reliant program, I wish to elaborate on the ‘smart recovery’ of these regions. I wondered about the specific resolutions or programs UNDP promotes to rehabilitate destructed or even conflict-related areas, where many people are marginalized, making it

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harder for international organizations to reach them. I was also impressed by her emphasis on the localization of SDGs. I wanted to further explore about possible resolutions UNDP must narrow the level of SDGs starting from the global, thematic, regional, and lastly at a local level of development. I also wondered about what prevention methods UNDP has in cases if individual or local demands polarizes within a community and makes it hard for SDG implementations. Going back to the lecture, overall, it was a very enjoyable and informative lecture deeply related to my interests, and I could specifically gain an opportunity to critically think about development cooperation methods. I hope to connect this lecture with my future research on UNDP and wish to elaborate more on my inquiries if possible. Image References https://www.unsouthsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/forum_ssc_day_i-r2.jpg https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-news/en/articles/news-and-expertise/which-way-to-a-multipolar-world201702/_jcr_content/articleHeader/image.revampimg.1200.high.png/which-way-to-a-multipolar-world-main.png

United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Tokyo Office

Being a member of a team who studied UNICEF and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being for our final report, Ms. Ikuko Yamaguchi’s lecture on UNICEF and Global Polio Eradication was one of the most engaging and stimulating lectures for me. It was truly meaningful and insightful for me to get to know about how UNICEF ensures the healthy lives and well-being of children by taking immunization measures to permanently eradicate polio from our globe. It was surprising for me to hear about certain statistics; for instance, the fact that polio cases reduced by 99.9% in 2020 compared to the case of 1988 was a startling figure, and it definitely showed how much effort UNICEF put in eradicating the global cases of polio in each and every sector of the transmitted disease. It was also shocking to hear that polio is ‘incurable’- meaning that it’s a disease that can’t be cured, and therefore the only way to prevent it is through sufficient vaccination. The importance of polio eradication came to my mind when I heard from Ms. Yamaguchi that even a small uneradicated area can put the world at a high risk, leading to a global resurgence of the communicable disease. This piece of fact convinced me that the eradication of communicable diseases, such as measles or polio, is essential for the welfare of all human beingsviewing from what we can learn from the current pandemic. One of the most impressive sections of the lecture was about the Convention on the Rights of the Child, or the CRC. I learned that the CRC is the most ratified human rights treaty, which guarantees every person’s right to be accessible to a healthy and sustainable future, and the right to be heard on decisions that will be implemented in the future. Personally, I thought that the SDGs were a source of call to action and specific indicators of what individuals, government officials and members of an organization can do. At the same time, I thought that treaties that dealt with human rights as a whole were too broad to cover up each section, including children’s general health and well-being that UNICEF promotes. I felt that CRC could work as a backup resource of the promotion of SDGs for people to be reminded of, in terms of fulfilling and protecting the essential rights of the children. Therefore, I assumed that if SDGs and its indicators are achieved under the CRC, it would be beneficial for both since it reinforces the fundamental rights and the reasons of promoting SDGs, as well as takes note of specific action plans to address the global agenda. Secondly, I was also inspired by polio and its vaccination deliveries. The fact that the struggles in vaccination deliveries of polio is worsened by not only the security, sanitation problems, and other conditions but also the lack of education was shocking to hear. From the fact that some communities reject polio vaccines due to no education, I was able to become aware of how legitimate education is crucial not only to deliver the accurate information but also to settle the atmosphere of local communities so that they themselves can have the right understandings towards sustainable development. Another statement I was surprised by was that polio cases can sometimes work as indicators of where UNICEF is not reaching and contribute to the universal health coverage. While I thought that this way of perceiving polio cases is an innovative solution, I on the other hand believe that UNICEF should also take note of regions that lack data, that are not easily exposed to the public,

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and therefore are vulnerable being out of reach of humanitarian aid. In my opinion, I insist that UNICEF needs a more specified strategic plan targeting these areas, as in the deployment of assets, workers and other products needed. I was also able to make suggestions on how UNCIEF can reinforce in making every remote community and sector to be involved in an inclusive global community and engaging them to have better perceivability about vaccine safety and its merits. The third aspect of the presentation that was quite impressive for me was the interconnection of polio eradication programme with other SDGs, especially on SDG 5: Gender Equality. As Ms. Yamaguchi had mentioned around the end of her presentation, in countries such as Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, they ensure that there are female vaccinators so that women have the accessibility to mothers. This brought me a new insight of viewing gender equality in vaccination methods. Specifically, I believed that this policy could boost up women’s encouragements and participation in the medical sector and would also lead to a positive outcome of mothers receiving trustworthy healthcare from female vaccinators or health system workers. Again, I was reinforced of how all the SDGs are interconnected even if the crisis seems like a single case, such as dealing with polio eradication. I believe that the Q&A session was what highlighted my acquisition of new knowledges as well as my reconnection to prior knowledge researched. I asked this question; “Indeed, the pandemic exposed deep inequalities in our community, especially showing differences between the vulnerable and high-income populations. Are there any resolutions that UNICEF is working on to reduce this disparity? Or what is UNICEF planning to resolve this inequality?” I had been interested in the reduction of disparities between high-income and vulnerable sectors, since I personally thought that this could contribute to the long-term sustainable well-being and development of all. Ms. Yamaguchi answered my question, highlighting the areas of services and investments of resources. She explained of how the pandemic actually ‘shots spotlights’ on the most unreached and hardest communities suffering. Thus, one of the answers of UNICEF to this crisis was to “provide packaged services to help build community services, strengthening the community and its resilience”. She added on by mentioning how UNICEF uses its limited resources to the most vulnerable areas, based on the segregated data at a local level. She said that UNICEF promotes house-to-house visits to collect microdata at a local level. Her reply fully answered my inquiries and criticisms on how UNICEF should focus more on the vulnerable population located most unreached positions. I was impressed by the emphasis she made on the ‘segregated data at a local level’, since I also emphasized on how data collection is a fundamental step towards the delivery of vaccinations and healthcare services to marginalized people. Although I am still curious about the collection of microdata in conflict-affected regions where security is not ensured, I perceived that UNICEF is putting its best efforts in investing in the adequate sectors and to reach out to even the most unreachable areas around the world. I also appreciated on how she reinforced the importance of community-level resilience, as I believe that resilience is one of the key factors in stabilizing communities as well as creating a healthy and sustainable environment. My second question was this: “I have researched that one of UNICEF’s strategic plans (2018-2021) is to provide treatment and care for children with severe wasting. How does UNICEF interconnect with other UN-affiliated organizations, to enhance all children’s well-being?”. Ms. Yamaguchi answered by mentioning the partnerships and collaboration UNICEF has with other organizations. She replied that for health matters, UNICEF works with WHO and UNFPA; for nutrition, UNICEF partners with WFP; and for the Sustainable Development Goals, UNICEF partners with UNDP. She also highlighted different levels of partnered works, including the life level, health facility level, health workforce level, the aspects of gender equality, and a lot more. Lastly, she concluded by providing an example of having COVAX introductions in developing countries to address the full immunization capacity of UNICEF, partnering with leading agencies such as Gavi. Her explanation created a new opportunity for me to learn about new agencies such as Gavi, and about what roles each partnership have in achieving good health and well-being. I

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was reminded of how the UN was divided into several pieces in which oversaw different matters, such as equitable food production and consumption, development, fundamental healthcare, and humanitarian aid, and furthermore SDGs. I also acknowledged how the topic ‘health maintenance’ itself had different levels of investment, as in the life level, health facility level, and health workforce level. For a moment, I could look back to the number of individuals having an occupation in resuming healthcare systems, the number of facilities and workspaces involved in the spread of healthy communities, as well as the main stakeholders involved in the broad mission of ‘health’. As UNICEF was the organization that our group focused our research and studies on, I would also like to acknowledge what I’ve learned throughout the preparation of final presentation and report. Firstly, I could experience why communication in collaborative activities is essential. Our team had a slight issue of miscommunication during when we were trying to prepare our presentation in a short amount of given time. This experience taught me of how distributing not only the contents but also the amount of work during team discussions and communications is needed for every team member to be involved. Secondly, in terms of the content, I learned the specific ways to analyze data, paraphrase the given resources in my own words, and most importantly, how to structure the main points as well as elaborating on details. It was sincerely a great experience for me to not only end on the researching progress, but also to structure my data and opinion into a presentation. I learned the method of narrowing down my topic by providing more details to my main points and specifying on my areas to focus on. Overall, it was a great experience to interact with students of diverse ages and schools, and to elaborate on one organization as well as its correlation to a certain SDG. This experience also enabled me to ask questions which are relevant to my areas of interest to a variety of lecturers from international organization. Image References https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/sites/default/files/UNICEF%202019%20convention%20on%20the%20rights%20of% 20the%20chid.pdf_2.png https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/UN0287582_0.jpg?itok=Nd2h-JuE https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/UNI280323.JPG?itok=CJ-Zjkks

DAKYUM LEE FAYSTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL

At the beginning of the lecture, Ambassador Cho asked us a brief question: “Is Korea an advanced country?” Our student’s opinions were divided into three: some said we are a developed country, some proclaimed we are still a developing country, and some argued that we are in the middle. I myself wasn’t quite sure, but I thought even though Korea is classified as a developed country now by the OECD, we are actually not ready to act as an advanced country in the global community. Then the Ambassador started his lecture, which literally hit me in the face. Ambassador Cho initially explained the current status quo of Korea. Korea is geographically placed in a very disadvantageous location where it is surrounded by the four world’s most powerful economic and military powers: the US, Russia, China, and Japan. Due to the geographic obstacle, even though Korea joined the OECD Development Assistance Committee in 2010, Korea had not been so visible among the global community. However, recently the worldwide COVID pandemic made Korea seize the world’s attention with Korea’s exceptional crisis management ability. Due to the pandemic, Korea received more universal notions of being accepted as one of the prominent developed nations in the world. This proved that Korea has an immense potential to grow and develop even more as a respectable developed nation. In addition, Ambassador Cho reasoned why Korea has an unlimited capacity to grow as an advanced nation and increase its significance in the global community, such as the United Nations. He described

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Korea as a facilitator, supporter, and initiator. Korea can act as a facilitator in the UN because it is one of the few middle power countries that can participate in multilateral diplomacy. Moreover, Korea is a bestsuited supporter for building the capacity of developing countries in terms of facilitating economic prosperity and acquiring democratization since Korea had overcome similar challenges just a few decades ago. For the same reason, Korea can be a great initiator or an agenda-setter for the inclusive development of the world as we can share our experience and knowledge acquired through transforming from an Official Development Assistance recipient to one of the most powerful industrial powers in East Asia. Nevertheless, the most important point that the Ambassador stressed is Korea’s responsibility as an advanced country on the international stage. Korea is now a global player who shouldn’t only pay attention to regional issues; we need to feel responsible for solving and focusing on global issues, such as climate problems and global terrorism. He criticized that Korean media are only promoting the bright and sugar-coated side of being accepted as an advanced nation, but are not letting people aware of what kind of responsibility we have to take on the global stage. Despite being a developed country, Korea’s media has an ultra-narrow and nationalistic view, and our major newspapers only focus on regional issues. Our society and culture are basically very closed toward the world. However, this must be changed; we must not lock ourselves to Korea but open our eyes to the bigger world to face more significant issues and deal with more all-encompassing problems. We must enhance our creativity to figure out the solution of international matters as a multilateral global player. Lastly, the Ambassador concluded his speech by affirming that in order to keep up with the title of being a developed nation, Korea needs to play a more proactive and visible role to contribute to the global public good. He pinpointed Korea’s lack of a long-term and strategic roadmap of multilateral diplomacy as a problem that Korea is facing in terms of multilateral diplomacy. The reason for this is because Koreans themselves are not aware of whether Korea is a developed nation or not. As I also agreed, many of us believe that Korea still stands between a developed and developing nation. The Ambassador underscored that “only those who can declare themselves as developed countries can be treated as such,” meaning, as long as we Koreans ourselves don’t consider our country as a developed country, we will never become one. In order for Korea to possess a more structured and solid character as an advanced nation, we first need to publicize Korea as a developed nation. The change starts with me and you. We need to let our people know that we are now a proud advanced country that is ready to play its significant role as a global player on the international stage. Having global citizenship is our first task to becoming a citizen of an advanced nation. Recently, Koreans harshly blamed our government for donating the mask to China. Yes, it may involve political issues; however, if we are citizens possessing global citizenship, we should understand that there are so many people whose government cannot support them with proper health care, unlike Korea. To conclude, Ambassador Cho’s speech gave me a critical lesson that will not be forgotten in my heart. I am a citizen of Korea, a country that has a history of escalating the economy and settling democracy within half a century to become one of the forfeited donor countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee. As a citizen of a developed nation whose responsibility is to form a sustainable and inclusive world with the rest of the world, I will always remember to act like a global citizen and help others to do the same.

The speech delivered by a Columbia undergraduate student truly moved my heart and gave me a fresh motivation to think about my future and the world. To start off with her story about Columbia, Columbia University is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious ivy league schools. According to the speaker, students can develop their own major if they have an idea, and professors and schools support each individual student. Also, one of the things that I like most about Columbia is that it has a small class size just like liberal arts colleges. Small class sizes can provide each student with more individualized lectures, and it is also good for the professors and students to develop amity and create a friendly classroom atmosphere.

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Nonetheless, the most important message the speaker conveyed in her speech was about finding my own passion. The speaker got into Columbia University with rigorous effort and sure was a gifted and hardworking student; however, she confessed that she had a hard time finding her own passion. So after going to the school for three years, she is now having a gap year to really find what she really can put her all effort, time, and energy into throughout her life, which I find very respectable. She told us that she has been working with various people in different fields, and has tried out things that she has never done before. All this time she hasn't dared to try because of the competitive and busy environment; now that she is a junior in the college she wants, she finally found a little room to find out what she really wants. As she told us about what she learned during the gap year, she introduced us to a really important lesson; she emphasized to us that it is crucial to be in the driver's seat of our own lives and not be controlled by society's common norms. Society pressures us to go to college because that is what everyone does after graduating high school. It is more like a herd mentality. However, she told us that she learned that is not the only way. College is just another way to pursue our passion; it is not a must. So keeping this in mind, I learned that the most important thing that one should prioritize in one's life is what they want to do rather than what path they choose to get there. Last but not least, she dropped one of the most memorable lessons during the Q&A session. One of the students asked her how she manages to do those kinds of activities and try things out when there is already so much to do in our daily schedule, such as school assignments. The question was relatable to the vast majority of us, and I was dying to know the answer, too. To the question, she answered that time management is a lifelong skill that you eventually have to adapt to. For her, she said she did the new activities during relatively free days, like at the beginning of the semester or after the finals. It hit me in the face when she asserted that those who are really busy people also actually try different things and take various opportunities because they know those are important. It is so true; those are famous CEOs and successful leaders who get out of their comfort zone and keep trying new things to enhance their ability in broader fields. After listening to the answer, I had time to search my heart because I was a little embarrassed for not spending my time doing something that actually matters when I do have a lot of time to spare. It was somewhat different to hear a lecture from a university student who is similar to me as a student to some extent, yet also very different. However, that was also the point that made this lecture extra impressive and engaging to me. The motivation and lessons I could get from this lecture are priceless, and I am so thankful for having a chance to talk to such an erudite and special individual.

Professor Kadir’s lecture about Public diplomacy was one of the lectures that I found very interesting, which was somehow different from my expectation. I did not know about Public Diplomacy that well; or in fact, I did not know what it was at first. However, as I listened to his lecture, I truly found it fascinating. The lecture taught me how to read and grasp the domestic situation and international affairs. It was definitely inspiring learning to open my eyes to comprehend such a huge part of world politics. Public Diplomacy is a transnational communication, understanding, and relationships of governments that aim to directly communicate with the foreign public in the global community. Its role is to proliferate globalization, new technologies, and democratization. Public Diplomacy is crucial to each nation and the world in terms of politics that benefits the individual nations and also keeps the world peaceful. Now in contemporary society, the new public diplomacy encompasses a variety of factors, objectives, and strategies, such as the use of social media and educational exchanges. Unlike the past public diplomacy, the new public diplomacy is collaborative rather than competitive, and it changed the hierarchical state-centric diplomacy to diplomacy in a network environment for all. To take a look at the history of Public Diplomacy in Korea, after Park Chung-He and Chun Doo-Hwan who were Korea’s 11th and 12th Presidents propagated Korea’s industrial development and boosted Korea’s economy, Korea’s public diplomacy was started by Korea’s 13th President Roh Tae-Woo beginning to focus on globalization and cultural diplomacy. Then the following presidents continued to build Korea’s country image and nation branding. Such efforts are shown as Korea attempted to

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contribute to global governance and act as a donor country of OECD DAC. Korea participated in multilateral diplomacy and didn’t stop trying to extend the role of Korea and enhance its status in international society. However, despite Korea’s effort to boost its image and prestige in the international community, Korea had to keep struggling with lasting challenges like the “Korea Discount.” Due to Korea’s geographical inefficiencies, Korea has been significantly affected by the surrounding massive forces of nations, including the United States, China, Russia, and Japan. Korea Discount is a phenomenon in which Korean companies’ stocks are priced lower than those of foreign companies at similar levels. Many people also describe this situation using a metaphor by comparing Korea to a shrimp stuck between four big whales, which refer to the US, China, Russia, and Japan in the context. Korea is striving to transform Korea Discount to Korea Premium, which indicates a phenomenon where Korean companies’ stocks are priced higher because of the nation’s brand image. As P. Kadir explained how Korea is endeavoring to achieve the Korea Premium, he stressed that this is a brilliant chance for Korea to actually step one step forward. Although the cultural factor cannot stand alone to affect public diplomacy, it still sets a favorable environment for Korea to advocate its foreign policy. Since 2017, K-POP culture has been a massive trend that can be a great opportunity for Korea. Moreover, as Korea recently impressed the world by showing how they handled the COVID pandemic, they added a positive factor to promote Korea’s public diplomacy. Nonetheless, the most critical lesson that P. Kadir emphasized was that Public Diplomacy only works if and only if there is a sound foundation in the country. Marketing using culture and trends is important, but they are not more important than the actual execution of sustainable and inclusive policies within the country. Therefore, in order for Korea to escape from the Korea Discount and jump up the ladder of global status, Korea must focus on developing the right policies as they find ways to better public diplomacy. The lecture about Public Diplomacy not only informed me about the knowledge about this specific subject but also as in life as general, we always have to build a sound foundation first; shiny on the outside but empty on the inside doesn't mean anything in any context, especially in Public Diplomacy.

Dayoung Lee Branksome Hall Asia

Disarmament and Arms Control in Relation to SDG 8 The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, as known as UNODA, is a United Nations organization whose goal is to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. It works for the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, and chemical and biological weapons, as well as the disarmament and control of conventional weapons, especially land mines and small arms. Before I listened to the UNODA lecture, I did not know much about disarmament nor knew what the UNODA is. However, this lecture was one of the most memorable parts of this whole program, because it provided insights about the areas of disarmament and how disarmament is related to the Sustainable Development Goals. I learned that disarmament is one of the most crucial parts for world peace, and about connections I did not expect, such as gender. Even though I focused on youth engagement related to disarmament during my team’s presentation, other topics caught my attention after the program. Since I was interested in how economics and SDG 8 relates to other sectors, I wanted to look into how disarmament and arms control affects the economy, specifically making a connection to SDG #8, and whether there are UN activities related to this. In this reflection paper, I will investigate how disarmament and arms control affects, or benefits the economy.

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The economy and development is affected by disarmament in two major ways; influencing a country as a whole, or the life of individuals. Disarmament and arms control are such a large business for a lot of countries that practicing them would lead to huge changes within them. Meanwhile, they also impact the lives of individuals on a smaller scale. Disarmament and Society On a societal level, disarmament changes whole societies by affecting its budget the most. For many countries, purchasing and developing weapons take up a large portion of their budget. Especially for states that are currently at war or highly militaristic ones, this problem is much more severe. For example, the Afghanistan government spent about 262 million dollars for the military in 2020. This amount is enough to provide education for approximately 13 thousand students for a day, and to feed about more than three million people for a week. The amount of money spent for military purposes increased significantly since the start of the Afghanistan war in 1978, and the war is still ongoing. The problem here is that Afghanistan is just one of the many countries that are using large amounts of money on military defenses. In fact, if we take the whole world into consideration, 1981 billion dollars were used for military spending. When we imagine what other things we could have done with that money, the possibilities are endless. Money spent for the development of weapons is a concerning problem as well. Just in the United States, 89 billion dollars were spent on research and development of weapons in 2019. Excessive military spending like this is harmful to economic growth and can lead to social and political consequences that are undesirable to many citizens. It would be the ideal reality for all countries to be able to decrease their military spending to zero, but unfortunately that is not the case in the real world. Many states still need the necessary defenses mainly because of ongoing conflicts or dangers around them, but disarmament, or just a general reduction in military spending, would help move the focus of budget spending from military to the lives of citizens, hopefully improving the lives of millions of civilians.

Disarmament and Individuals I mentioned how the budget spent for military spending could be used for better purposes in states in the previous part. However, we can also have a closer look at the effects of disarmament and arms control for individuals worldwide. In this part, I will focus on decent work and trade. 0 One of the major issues that arose with poorly controlled usage of weapons is the problem of child soldiers. In places where armed conflict is present or weapon usage is commonplace, there are many cases of children being recruited as soldiers, even if it is against their will. However, the recruitment and use of child soldiers has a negative effect on children no matter their own opinion on being trained as one. These children join military groups for a variety of reasons; some of them are abducted, beaten, or threatened into joining, and others join to escape poverty or to defend their communities. Many child soldiers are used for combat, but some work as cooks, spies, and messengers. Either way, their work worsens their physical and mental health. No matter their role, they are exposed to abuse and multiple kinds of violence, and most of them witness death, killing, or sexual violence. Child soldiers are often forced to commit violent acts, which takes a toll on their psychological health. Arms control would prevent children from being recruited as soldiers in many places, letting them receive proper education and find decent jobs afterwards without going through trauma.

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Proper arms control is also a crucial part of eliminating illicit transfers of weapons. These trades often happen in support of human trafficking, forced labour, or modern slavery. Problems such as them discourage people, both perpetrators and victims, from finding decent work instead of committing crimes or being threatened to be subject to one. It is no surprise that weapons, and illegal trade of them are involved in this process. Additionally, disarmament in general helps civilians be more reassured about their safety. In conclusion, this research gave me many insights about what I was curious about. During the lecture, I wanted to further learn about the relationships between the SDGs and disarmament. I had chosen SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth since this goal was one I was interested in, but now I am sure that the other SDG goals that were never covered in the lecture are also worth delving into. This program was meaningful to me mainly because it was satisfying in a way that I was learning something new, and the section about UNODA was when this feeling was maximized the most. After learning about disarmament and its effects, I think disarmament is a necessary step for peace in any place in the world. References: https://www.un.org/disarmament/sustainable-development/ https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Disarmament-and-Sustainable-Development.png https://www.youth4disarmament.org/news/how-disarmament-and-arms-control-contribute-sustainabledevelopment?language_content_entity=en https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/advancing-disarmament-within-2030-agenda-sustainable-development https://tradingeconomics.com/afghanistan/military-expenditure https://sipri.org/media/press-release/2021/world-military-spending-rises-almost-2-trillion-2020 https://www.pgpf.org/budget-basics/budget-explainer-national-defense https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/six-grave-violations/child-soldiers/ https://research.un.org/en/docs/disarmament/secretariat

The Effect of Climate Change on Food Security

The World Food Programme is a humanitarian organization founded in order to fight hunger. After listening to the World Food Programme lecture during the United Nations Training Program, I gained knowledge about how the WFP works, the way it is working to make sure food and nutrition are accessible to everyone, as well as how they promote themselves to the public. This lecture affected me to be more attentive to how food security is connected to multiple aspects in a person’s life, and to know how important it is to let not only people who are interested but also the general public to be aware of hunger problems. The topic that intrigued me the most in the lecture was the ‘five steps to zero hunger.’ The World Food Programme’s ‘five steps to zero hunger’ are the following: 1. Put the furthest behind first, 2. Pave the road from farm to market, 3. Reduce Food Waste, 4. Encourage a sustainable variety of crops, and 5. Make nutrition a priority, especially for children and nursing mothers. These five steps were the most memorable part of the lecture for me because it showed what to be done in order to eradicate hunger. While doing further research, I realized that the WFP was making efforts to lessen the damage to food security caused by climate change. I witnessed and read news of the signs of climate change around the world this summer, as well as being interested in both hunger and climate change. Because of this, I wanted to investigate the relationship between hunger and climate and research what could be done to reach SDG #2 Zero Hunger, while making a connection to the five steps that are mentioned above.

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Primarily, it is important to know in what ways climate change affects food. The most obvious is food production itself. Many crops and food sources in general need certain conditions to grow in a healthy way. For instance, in Korea, some kinds of fruits could no longer be harvested in lower latitudes because the temperature kept rising. Korea’s case did not threaten the population’s food security as a whole, but in places where the change of climate was more intense or depended more heavily on farming, the damage was much more severe. This makes it harder for less developed countries to recover from climate change. Climate change can also affect food utilization. It causes extreme climates such as droughts, floods, and heat waves, which makes it harder for people to access food when they need it most. Moreover, it is one of the causes of increased food waste. Results of climate change including heavy rain or extremely humid weather causes toxic mold to grow on crops. This either makes a large amount of food waste, or results in diseases if people used toxic crops for food. Put the furthest behind first Like mentioned before, developing countries and less developed regions’ food security is more severely damaged by climate change compared to relatively developed communities. Most of the time, lowincome people living in rural areas suffer the most. Climate change also affects these communities in a negative way because for countries with small budgets, it is difficult for them to purchase grain on the international market, when national revenue is affected by droughts and other extreme climates. 1. Pave the road from farm to market. Extreme weather caused by climate change can affect accessibility to food by making it harder for effective delivery services to be utilized. It also damages the lives of food producers as it stops them from selling their products easily. For regions that are vulnerable to these extreme climates, a defense mechanism or infrastructure for fast recovery would be a life-saver in the situations mentioned above. For example, a radio for weather forecasts could be installed to make sure people are prepared if a natural disaster is about to strike. 2. Reduce food waste Harvesting from climate change increases food waste, and more food waste leads to pollution and speeds up climate change, which makes it a vicious cycle. Food is likely to turn toxic, then inedible, then wasted. Much like the previous step, the best solution to this problem is providing a way of preventing or recovering from these issues. Providing the right tools and education would be the answer to this. Since it is already almost impossible to reverse climate change, the best thing people can do is to use devices that make agriculture easier. Education for food producers is also a crucial part of it since it can help them grow food more effectively, ultimately reducing food waste. 3. Encourage a sustainable variety of crops The decrease of the variety of crops is a huge problem not only in developing communities, but also developed ones as well, especially for local farmers. Even though climate change is not the cause of this problem (it is rather the mass production of very few crop species), step four is an essential part of preparing for climate change in the future. Climate change is rapidly reducing biodiversity, and if some of the major

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crops are affected, thousands could starve if diverse crop species are not preserved. Supporting local food producers who grow various types of crops rather than major food companies is one way to prevent this. In some countries including South Korea, there are ‘seed banks’ made to preserve plant species. Utilizing seed banks in regions affected by climate change would be a great way of saving biodiversity. 4. Make nutrition a priority Climate change does not make it harder to provide nutrition especially for children and nursing mothers, at least directly, but the problems it causes as written in the previous parts can stunt the process of providing nutrition. This means that putting the solutions stated to practice could help step five. After my research about the connection between climate change and food security, I could learn so much more about the actions for SDG #2 Zero Hunger, in addition to the lecture’s content. This experience also motivated me to find out more about how hunger is embedded into various aspects, such as economy and gender equality. It also made me be more attentive of the five steps to zero hunger. I already had an interest in topics related to hunger, but adding on to the things I had learned provided me with new insights and knowledge. References: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/preparing-communities-extreme-weather https://www.wfp.org/zero-hunger https://www.wfp.org/climate-action

Seorim Lee Cornerstone Collegiate Academy of Seoul Asia and the Pacific from the Perspectives of the United Nations The United Nations has published an article which states, "A Special Partnership with the UN: An Asian Perspective." Regional cooperation with intergovernmental groups was able to enter the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through global civil engagement that former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon founded; hence, it consistently forged the principles and goals of the UN. In addition, Asia and Pacific nations have shown outstanding progress in Sustainable Development Goals. An annual inclusive intergovernmental forum to deliberate towards attaining the 2030 agenda analyzes and reviews each nation's outcome by engaging diverse stakeholders in sustainable development. United Nations Department of Global Communications is responsible for interacting with the diverse public to support the responsibility and duties of the United Nations. Multiple platforms and global operations by UNDGC in 60 countries provide beneficial information enabling individuals, corporations, and overall society to contribute to the UN. Along with the United States and European nations, Asian countries are one of the leading states of the UN; hence, UNDGC has been partnering particularly with Asia and the Pacific in contemporary times. According to the UN charter, a founding document that contains principles of the United Nations, the UN, and its member states recognizes the Three Pillars, human rights, peace and security, and

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development. Eradicating poverty and respecting human rights, central pillars that pertain to SDGs for enhancement in various nations, especially in the least Developed Countries. For instance, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) encourages humanitarian and protection contributions with SDGs, also by the cooperation and partnership with relevant UN entities.

Considering that one of the United Nations' objectives is to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve goals, the Three Pillars are being correlated by the interconnection of various issues and SDGs. Moreover, in the current period, the promotion of cooperation among nations has been emphasized in nations experiencing hardships. To encourage the Three Pillars worldwide, member states of the UN, including Asia and Pacific states, are endeavoring to resolve the predicament altogether. During the lecture, I have inquired about the United Nations' contribution to Myanmar after one of the permanent members, China, blocked UN condemnation of the military coup from the Security Council. The lecturer responded that the Secretary-General's special envoy is in the region to support intensively diverse stakeholders for coherent international action to alleviate the ongoing severe crisis. Following this, the Secretary-General highly recommended ASEAN to fulfill commitments and the worldwide community in national attempts to cease the military regime. When international organizations are condemning the catastrophe in Myanmar, numerous Non-Governmental Organizations from Asia and the Pacific are rendering assistance. Nonetheless, donation and legal activities have been thwarted by political power. https://www.un.org/en/our-work/support-sustainable-development-and-climate-action https://www.dw.com/en/myanmar-ngos-human-catastrophe/a-57887423 https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-myanmar-0

The Role of Korean Youth and the United Nations The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea has divided sections and responsibilities: Security Council and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), General Assembly, Disarmament, Economic Development and Environment, Social, Humanitarian and Cultural, Administrative and Budgetary, Legal, General Affair’s teams. It was astonishing that South Korea, and other nations, have a particular department within the state to a national extent to engage the principles and the purposes of the United Nations. The Republic of Korea had a crucial emphasis on improving the human resources management policies of the UN, and it is continuing in discussions of long-term issues as a 16th-largest donor. United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, which Ambassador Tae-Yul Cho has been engaged in, is an advisory body that encourages peace efforts and the capacity of the international community in the peace agenda. With its mandate to “bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and to advise on and purpose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery, provides political accompaniment and advocacy with acute strategies. In the 30th Anniversary of the Republic of Korea as a permanent member of the United Nations, the Ambassador said that he expects to strengthen concrete and practical contributions to the UN to preserve the peace of the future generation.

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Further elucidating his own story with the United Nations, he highlighted the value of youth and adolescents to be inclusive with the UN for South Korea. Korean press and media were not interested in the contributions and achievements of the former Secretary-General and his legacy, which exposes the shortcomings of the nation. When South Koreans are being diverged rather than converge, there should be an approach for the genuine contribution of the UN. We should believe that South Korea has greater responsibility for international issues as a global player, not between developing and developed countries. Society and perspectives should be wider when opportunities are accessible. https://www.mofa.go.kr/www/brd/m_4080/view.do?seq=371267 https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/commission https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/un-en/index.do

SDGs Goal 2: Zero Hunger Other than any disaster that explicitly shows its consequences, food security can be considered as one of the slow on-set disasters in existence. Approximately 700 million, 8.9% of the population globally, live in a deep chasm of famine, and this rate is projected to be over 840 million by 2030. Further provoking the exponential increase of vulnerabilities in almost every level, the accelerating crises reveal the severity of food insecurity that initiates issues in Developed Countries. Endeavoring to address the predicament related to hunger, efforts are being enhanced notably with international measures. In particular, worldwide, the United Nations have founded specialized committees such as the World Food Programme. Over $3 million has been financed to attain its objective with its support of 97 million people in 88 countries. Several member states have further forged a partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization, alongside an agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Countries, to confront global food insecurity to the fullest degree. When pandemic has induced demerits in most organizations, it meant rethinking how World Food Programme delivers programs when it can double the population in shortage of food security. As the sustainability issues have continuing drastic consequences, the world must cooperate. Guided by the WFP and partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations, nations should ameliorate both the more urgent issues at hand as well as the long-term resolutions with persistent and tangible efforts. Contemplating the initial purpose of WFP is for zero hunger, the analysis should target and assist the most critical regions. Communications at the World Food Programme are a cornerstone. Social measures are the initial means to develop assistance; since food is the pathway to peace, investment for people and the planet, preventing conflict. Then how can WFP make people convey matters of zero hunger? The public can be involved in WFP by joining the challenge, such as Freerice and ShareTheMeal. For the augmentation to ensure food security, humanitarian agencies are taking side by side. World Food Programme shifted its significance from food aid to food assistance, primarily endorsing vulnerable populations with both humanitarian and financial aids. During the current period when nations’ contributions are diminishing, it holds partnerships with United Nations’ agencies and various Non-Governmental Organizations to attain the ultimate intention to eradicate hunger and poverty, with interventions to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. To access nutritious food and health support schemes, WFP and UNICEF have a partnership framework to scale up children’s welfare in school programs; also, it assists governments in finding measures to support children during the pandemic. Following World Food Programme, the largest humanitarian agency, United Nations and member states fully support its commitments and efforts to solve the acute crisis, food insecurity. WFP believes that the international community could stop the predicament preemptively by providing food service to susceptible countries before crises occurred. While it remains a critical aspect of the global food security infrastructure, particularly during the Covid-19, it won the Nobel Peace Prize for “its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” www.unicef.org/documents/unicef-wfp-partnership-framework-scale-school-health-and-nutrition-school-programmes

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https://www.wfp.org https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2020/press-release/

SDG Goal 1: No Poverty Sustainable Development Goals 1 aims to end poverty in its entire forms. The economic effects of the pandemic have caused more than 100 million people into extreme poverty, the significant increase in measure for decades. Poverty reflects an individual’s incompetence to attain welfare. Even if an outstanding reduction of extreme poverty in the last decades has intensified global development with the primary focus of SDG agenda 1.1 of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030, this cannot be achieved. 6.1% of the population will still be suffering by 2030. The world should also acknowledge the implausible circumstances in certain vulnerable nations, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. The lecturer has informed us about multidimensional poverty when one-dimensional measures often define it. However, diverse indicators should capture the multiple aspects of poverty; thus, it considers key factors that include poor health and lack of education. Therefore, poverty within developed countries should be analyzed precisely, concurrently with observation in global extent, especially in developing countries. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals define the United Nations’ roadmap for building a sustainable and equitable world. These agendas are meant to launch a transformative change in how we tackle development. As youth, we can care about people and poverty, eat, spend, behave, donate, volunteer, and spread awareness. Encouraging to confirm the SDGs to eliminate poverty has unlimited possibilities. Poverty eradication, employment generation, and social integration contribute to enabling a compatible society. The schemes of the social perspective on development consist of promoting full and productive employment decent work for all of both national and international policies, facilitating stakeholders to interact and promote mutual comprehension and education to create a common platform for an inclusive society. Likewise, these efforts of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations should be endorsed worldwide and by the youth and adolescents. https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/tag/poverty/ https://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdgatlas/goal-1-no-poverty/

SDGs Goal 13: Climate Action Currently, the unprecedented heatwave has provoked severe impacts. In the United States, temperature elevated weighty by 49.5°C with drought. The flood in Western Europe had further emerged. It was right after Europe unveiled its ambitious strategy for mitigating climate change, the infrastructure for the carbon-neutral by 2050. Whereas, numerous analysis notifies greenhouse gas concentrations had induced these calamities, which carbon dioxide makes up the vast majority. The Economist mentions that nowhere is completely safe. Undoubtedly, it is plausible for climate-related disasters to be encountered anywhere, anytime. We should conceive the temperature acceleration by 3°C, as quite possible. As experts admonish the world the latent augmentation of carbon emissions, people should examine measures to diminish carbon emissions to ensure the viability of a sustainable future. During the lecture, I inquired about the drawbacks of the carbon-neutral strategy last year, when South Korea abolished its 2020 carbon gas emission reduction objectives. When youth were the ones who have proceeded with the lawsuit concerning its misdeed, I was curious what strategies does United Nations take to alleviate the environmental predicaments? The United Nations has analyzed each nation’s strategies and results that correlate to the carbon natural strategy 2050. Consequently, it facilitates enterprises and the government to be alerted of the crisis. These initiatives should commence in every sphere to mitigate the severity and, by this extent, attain carbon neutrality. Amongst the various implications that climate change irritates, its relation with the economy demonstrates the severe causations. Even if it does not exposes the direct impacts, perceiving the severity remains crucial. Noting all the impacts of environmental mismanagement, humanity should also examine measures to alleviate this issue by promoting adaptation and mitigation policies. Individuals should contribute conceivable ways to relieve climate change and its extreme impact on the economy. Therefore, it would

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be critical for youths to contemplate the connection between climate change and the economy. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/09/19/the-climate-issue https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-younger-generations-are-more-willing-change-name-sustainability

Covid-19 Pandemic and Green Plastic Fully aware of the immense effect of the pandemic, considering that the current pandemic signifies the prominent notion that “nobody is safe before everybody is safe,” under all positions, everyone should strive to prevent the infection, regardless of their status. Certainly, corporations, governments, and international constitutions would be responsible for contributing to the situation as well. One thing they should be pursuing is to connect people with the awareness of the critical moment. Recognition would be pivotal to the population to every extent, and not only individuals but states should also be conscious of the hazards. Although numerous vaccines are currently being developed, the world still needs to find the most consistent way to distribute the vaccine internationally. Urging other countries to join COVAX emphasizes the need for more developed countries to contribute to the ACT Accelerator, and finance developing countries is crucial. So far, nations and governments have been declaring an investment and confirming Gavi-alliance regarding Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC), promoting donor countries’ and private companies’ contribution to COVAX for vaccine distribution. If the COVAX contract can be revised to guarantee each nations’ benefits, the persuasion of more developing nations will be more feasible. Noticing the urgency of the distribution, the COVAX facility has to allocate multiple vaccines, including Pfizer. Nevertheless, other than the vaccine distribution, there are numerous drawbacks that vaccines pose. Pfizer, BioNTech, and other vaccine corporations use hydrofluoric carbons, namely HFC gases, to maintain vaccines at a particular temperature; FGC emissions exacerbate global warming over 20,000 times greater than CO2. Indeed, it is true that attaining herd immunity and general health is secured in contemporary times; yet, the world should also contemplate the measures to mitigate the climate crisis, as the Covid-19 pandemic has been aggravating the situation. The lecturer has mentioned the hazards to the environment that vaccines induced when utilized to create a single dose. As the Covid-19 situations disclose the critical outcomes, learning from both successes and failures, vaccine companies should undertake various enforcements such as environment, as Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol show its significance. Particularly, the EU had ensured targeted laws for 2050 as “The Climate Action Plan 2050.” Following this, practices for a sustainable process and further analysis for climate change would be the elements that have to be executed; on the matter with improvements on existing contracts, draft and enforce with other effective policies. https://www.politico.eu/article/mass-coronavirus-vaccinations-environmental-impact-climate-change/ https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/search/merkel-gesundheitsaemter-1783296 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1106337/coronavirus-covid-19-impact-on-companies-business-germany/

SDG Goal 4: Quality Education and Children’s Right to Learn According to the data, there are 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide – the largest cohort ever, and the most educated and urbanized. 90 percent of adolescents live in low- and middle-income countries, and 125 million live in areas affected by armed conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa’s growing adolescent population, expected to reach 500 million by 2050, has the potential to fuel powerful change – if Governments invest in and engage it. 1 in 4 of the poorest adolescents have never attended school, and more than 200 million adolescents of secondary school age are out of school.” Since the society belongs to each generation, the following posterity, youth should be the vital connection for eradicating the climate crisis, which posits humanity in the distressed situation. Children are the ones who necessarily have to confront the current dire issues that antecedents have already exacerbated; thus, nations should be leveraging their ability to educate future generations. 74% of the youth claims to undertake changes to be focused on a sustainable future. In addition, 80% of the youth deeply concerns the sustainability issues. Adolescents are willing to adopt a low-carbon, sustainable lifestyle by raising the awareness of the population. Nonetheless, we should contemplate further. To

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intensify the capability of future generations, education must be credible worldwide. Proper education has the potential for the restoration of the situation. For the past decade, the international entity, United Nations International Children’s Fund, the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized, has carried out educational programs and resources for students. It advocates education, also to girls, ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum. Moreover, it ameliorated activities and networks, as well as conferences for promoting environmental consciousness through partnerships with youth-led organizations. UNICEF takes a persistent approach to adolescent development and participation for critical risks and opportunities that have implications for realizing children’s rights. UNICEF works with Governments and other associates to extend access to quality, gender-equitable education and improve student participation and education. Contributing alongside adolescents to devise solutions that promote development into adult and profession, paths to education and capability to development are vital. UNICEF continues to support this endeavor by creating child-friendly learning and entertainment materials through foundational partnerships on the World’s Largest Lesson and Comics Uniting Nations. Platforms such as UNICEF’s Youth Activate Talk Methodology enable children to express their ideas on the SDGs through a variety of mediums. Adolescents can support adults in recognizing their responsibility, influencing the trend, promoting ambitious strategies with creativity, and encouraging corporations to cooperate in covering action toward exponential decay in carbon emissions. In particular, adolescents are the key to lead nations globally. Therefore, the quality of education and children’s right to learn should be ensured foremost; then, the world will be able to confront a sustainable future, which the education of children can fully attain. https://www.unicef.org/adolescence https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/12/WorldYouthReport-2030Agenda.pdf https://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdgatlas/goal-4-quality-education/

SU LEE Linden Hall Hanns Seidel Foundation Dr. Bernhard J. Seliger is currently the resident representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation in Korea, which is a German nonprofit political organization working to aid in the sustainable development of North Korea. North Korea currently faces a multi-dimensional crisis: droughts, typhoons, famine, coupled with international sanctions and a halt to trade with China. This all adds up to devastating food shortages, with the human casualties comparable to the 1990s famine which is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands. The country was also struck with Typhoon Lingling in 2019 which affected around 30,000 people and caused $24 million in damages. Further exacerbated by the lack of social security nets and slow recovery process, natural disasters are particularly detrimental to the already malnourished population. As it considers the severity of the issues that looms ahead for its country, the North Korean government in surprisingly willing to participate in international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. North Korea is also a member of more niche international agreements such as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership. Hanns Seidel Foundation has been involved in North Korea since 2003. With the lack of technological capacity such as satellite analysis to map lands, North Korea has had a hard time building concrete solutions to proactively combat climate change. HSF works to be a trusted partner and help North Korea in this process. HSF has prioritized reforestation as its main goal and helped to provide sustainable solutions such as tree management. Unlike conventional aid to North Korea, which is often temporary, HSF used reforestation opportunities to create training centers with books and computers on tree management to cultivate skills, rather than mere donations. Thus, residents can build a more concrete understanding of sustainable forest management. A

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successful case of their work is the Sangso-Ri Reforestation site which, when first observed in 2012 was a barren land 35 km Northwest of Pyongyang, is now a bustling green forest full of new bird species. Not only has this contributed to enhancing the biodiversity of the region but it has also improved residents’ quality of life as many rely on forest products for their livelihoods. Dr.Seliger’s lecture was truly meaningful. I had thought that it was slightly elitist for a foreign organization to enter North Korean lands and lecture to a starving community about birds and tree management. Dr. Seliger’s lecture proved that a local community’s wellbeing is directly interconnected with the wellbeing of its natural habitat. HSF protects villages from disasters and teaches people how to build more sustainable, productive lives. HSF workers enter these regions with a very different attitude to conventional NGOs. Workers speak with North Korean people as partners, not as subjects of pity or subjects to antagonize. Although cooperation with North Korea seems unnatural, climate change affects even the world’s most heavily guarded border. As Dr.Seliger put in our Q&A session, “Birds don’t know borders.” North Korea is an outsider in discussions about human rights and peace, but they are like any other country in a discussion about migratory birds and climate change. Discussions with North Korea about seemingly insignificant topics such as birds and trees help bring them into functioning, cooperative discussions, and gives the country’s diplomats a taste of what diplomacy can look like. Dr.Seliger’s lecture gave me a whole new perspective on working with North Korea.

Works Cited “Kim Jong-Un Warns of North Korea Crisis Similar to DEADLY 90s Famine.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Apr. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia56685356. Kim, Jeongmin. “North Korea Suffered the Worst Natural Disasters in All of Asia, New Report SAYS: NK News.” NK News - North Korea News, 26 Jan. 2021, www.nknews.org/2021/01/north-korea-suffered-the-worst-natural-disasters-in-all-of-asia-new-report-says/. Seliger, Bernhard. “Greening North Korea - an Opportunity for the Gcf?” Greening North Korea - An Opportunity for the GCF?, Independent Evaluation Unit | Green Climate Fund, 6 Dec. 2020, ieu.greenclimate.fund/blog/greening-north-korea-opportunity-gcf.

Yeseung Lee Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies <Global Green Growth Institute- SDG 13 Climate Action> 1.

What does GGGI do exactly?

The main mission of GGGI is achieving global transition to the green growth. After the 2015 Paris Agreement established the goal to keep rises of global temperature below 2 Celsius and deal with climate change with efforts of countries all over the world, GGGI more concentrates on building low-carbon cities. GGGI’s main role is to provide policy advice and technical support in the development of green growth plans, policies and regulations as well as operate budget from international institutions. Among the 17 sustainable development goals, GGGI is taking the part of goal 13 climate action. Since 2013, GGGI has been measuring and monitoring carbon foot prints and with these assessments, GGGI has been able to implement and promote green activities and projects even more. 1. Goal 13 Climate Action

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One of the most concerning and impending issues that the whole world must solve is climate change. With the many negative effects of climate change, people especially in poverty could suffer badly. Their whole situation will turn out worse and accelerate as the impacts those people received will make them vulnerable such as severe poverty via lack of food. There will be some countries disappearing in few years as the rise of sea levels will hold down countries, and climate change will break the balance of ecosystems, which ultimately affects human being in various aspects such as agriculture.

2-1. An example of effect in agriculture “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left,” said Einstein. It is no exaggeration to say that bees are responsible for our livelihood. Unfortunately, the population of bees is decreasing due to the intense change of climate. Bees are species only able to survive in specific temperature range, so they do not have ability to adjust their body temperature when climate increases. The problem is that humans could be in danger of lack of food with the decline of bees. “Pollinators affect 35 percent of global agricultural land, supporting the production of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide”. Plants could not be reproduced when bees do not pollinate pollen, leading to lack of food for us human being to eat. This will eventually affect the price of agriculture market to increase. As there is not enough quantity supplied for people wanting the agricultural products, suppliers have to increase the price. Since the most important pollinators bees are vanishing due to climate change, agriculture economy would undergo rises in prices. 2-1. An example of effect on poverty (lack of food) One of the most concerning consequences of climate change is that it can lead to an increased frequency of natural disasters. Among many of natural disasters, drought is the most serious problem affecting agriculture market as it leads to a shortage of food directly because farmers would not have any fertile land to grow crops in the first place. Droughts are created by warmer conditions that make the water to evaporate from land. As a result, lack of water dries out soils and vegetation, which makes hard for human to eat plenty of fresh foods. Not only drought is created by the evaporation of water, but also by experiencing shift of the ocean currents. Ocean current slows down when it gets warmer and forms pools of warm water. This occurs ocean heat waves, overheating ocean and this can be linked with droughts and heat waves on nearby land areas. With the frequent occurrence of droughts, there will be not enough numbers of agricultural products. Therefore, it can ruin farming in poor neighborhoods, which lives hard day by day worrying about food. Solutions to climate change 3-1. CPU (carbon pricing units) Carbon pricing units is one of the successful projects of GGGI in order to decrease carbon foot prints by accessing in terms of environment and financial. Carbon pricing is usually implemented in this way: The government sets the amount of carbon each factory can emit and imposes allowances if they exceed the amount of allocated carbon dioxide emissions. CPU is under the Article 6th of the 2015 Paris Agreement; GGGI’s Carbon Pricing Global Practice supports the organization’s Member and Partner countries to set a price for carbon and access carbon finance. CPU will definitely induce countries to reduce carbon emission as much as possible as they should pay money if exceeded the limitation.

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Not only is it beneficial for the environment, but also the economic gap between the weak countries and developed countries could be narrowed down. This also supports the goal of GGGI, which dedicates promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. CPU can contribute weak nations to take advantage of monetary benefit. Developing countries that have been assigned emission permits can achieve a win-win method of earning monetary gains by selling the remaining emission permits to developed countries. Consider the case of Nepal, which has gotten the allocated carbon credits, but has few factories. Even if Nepal received the right to emit carbon as a certain level, it will discharge much less amount of carbon than the emission cap. Nepal then can sell their remaining right to emit carbon emissions to developed countries, which emit a lot of carbon due to its advanced development. Therefore, CPU supplements the world economy.

3-1.

Energy Zero House

Energy Zero House is an environment friendly house that does not emit carbon. Did you know that one of the factors that contributes on increasing carbon foot print level is houses, apartments, or buildings? These constructions emit a lot more than the carbon dioxide emitted by transportations. As a solution for that problem, energy zero house produces energy self- sufficiently with renewable energy such as solar panels, wind power generation, or geothermal energy. I would like to propose the solution of how to resolve the air pollution problem especially concerning greenhouse gas emission by using geothermal energy when air conditioning and heating. It can be out of prediction, but truly the major factor of the air pollution problem is air conditioning and heating. Currently, cooling towers are being established as its role is to change the hot air into cold air in summer. Eventually, thermal island effects are becoming severe since cooling towers emit greenhouse gas. Therefore, my solution related to this problem is using hydrothermal energy which is using the heat of the water. Water has a characteristic that the temperature does not change easily. By considering its feature, it is obvious that water’s temperature is cooler in summer and warmer in winter as water is not easily affected by external temperature. Thus, when we transfer heat of the water and use in air conditioning and heating, we don’t have to build cooling towers that emits greenhouse gas. Another solution is to apply smart design. By having the alternatives for creating electricity rather than carbon emission, installing cooling towers which used to be at the top of the building became unnecessary as well. Not only is energy zero house creating renewable energy, but also it can insulate the heat of the house. There are many equipment and devices to trap heat from going outside: triple glazing with argon gases inside the space between the glasses traps the heat. As argon is a heavy gas and moves really slowly, heat from the inside would not easily transfer outside.

<UN-habitat- SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities>

1. What does UN-habitat do exactly? UN-Habitat works in over 90 countries to promote transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action. The UN-Habitat’s vision is “a better quality of life for all in

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an urbanizing world” by building inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities; Furthermore, UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. It mainly focuses on goal 11 sustainable cities and communities among sustainable development goals. If we try to make a better city that all human beings could able to coexist harmoniously, it will actually solve other sustainable development goals as well.

2. Goal 11 Sustainable cities and communities Due to UN-Habitat, how we utilize the space of cities efficiently is the key of urban planning as there is a limited land of us human can use. In the process of writing this report, I read the article <Efforts to rein in house prices are fueling discontent in Seoul> by 'The Economist' and recognized the seriousness of the housing price surge and the serious damage suffered by end-users due to the speculative bubble. I thought that the low-income class and the slum class were even more difficult affording house prices and desperately needed rental housing. However, the problem with the current housing supply in the metropolitan area of Korea is that the supply of rentals is limited due to the increase in the financial burden of the central government and a vicious cycle that has no choice but to raise the price of rental housing due to the high cost of construction. As a result, the tenant's burden of housing costs increased, resulting in an inability to secure stability. Furthermore, there was a limit to the supply of rental housing because private companies pursue profit maximization. 3. Solution 3-1. Increasing supply of rental housing I think it would be efficient to use vacant sites such as department stores, marts, and hotels in the city center as rental housing. Currently, offline stores are shutting down one after another according to the current economic trends. The place where many of those city centers are built has good conditions of a location and high accessibility as they are close to subway stations. Low-income residents could then easily go to their work that is usually located in the center of the city. Finally, by providing various incentives to private construction companies when constructing rental housing, it is possible to solve the problem of supply restrictions due to the government's financial limitations. If we give incentives such as floor area ratio relaxation and tax reduction to construction companies, it will be effective because we can create a society that can embrace the underprivileged without any loss. 3-2.

Reducing the gap between low-income and high-income residents

The event that I’m mostly interested currently is inclusionary housing programs. Inclusionary housing programs are local policies that aims for decreasing the division between the high status group and the low-income bracket by mixing diverse status group in one apartment. I believe that if the separation between these two groups continues, our society cannot never reconcile them and the conflicts will become much more severe. Thus, inclusionary housing offers about 30% of the whole houses that are available for low- income residents. As a seller makes a loss obviously since they are not allowed to provide houses in much higher prices, the government gives sellers an incentive that could fill the loss such as allowing them to build their buildings higher. I think being able to build one strong community with the cooperation with the government, a private enterprise, and low-income brackets is wonderful. Moreover, inclusionary housing prevents gentrification which is a phenomenon that low-income brackets are expelled by the surge in housing costs. Since inclusionary housing form sense of solidarity and stabilize the living foundation, it could support to build sustainable cities and communities. 3-3.

An example of successful sustainable city planning

Smart design achieves the goal to reduce air pollution simply by city structure. If we build the passage from the city entrance to the interior in a narrowed fan shape, the wind will blow in much higher speed,

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cooling the whole city. This will improve the air quality in the city as the number of cars decreases and ultimately avoid climate change as much as possible. Furthermore, consider the case of a superblock in Barcelona, which is a very large block of 9 blocks tied together. Cars and buses could not enter the superblock, but instead, the pedestrian and bicycle paths were widened and a park, a resting space, was installed inside to create a space centered on citizens rather than cars and roads. As citizens can concentrate more on their surroundings with the number of annoying and noisy cars reduced, walkability of the city can increase, the commercial area is activated, and the economy is developing as people flock to the space where the car used to be such as parks. References Carbon Pricing Unit (CPU) — Global Programs — Global Green Growth Institute (gggi.org) About GGGI — Global Green Growth Institute Climate change: A menace to wild bees (aa.com.tr) Climate Change is Weakening the Ocean Currents That Shape Weather on Both Sides of the Atlantic Inside Climate News Efforts to rein in house prices are fuelling discontent in Seoul | The Economist About Us | UN-Habitat (unhabitat.org) “Superblocks” free up to 92% of public space in Barcelona! | Energy Cities (energy-cities.eu) How Does Inclusionary Housing Work? https://un-rok.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/GGGI-1.png https://i1.wp.com/www.un.org/youthenvoy/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/unhabitat-logo-260px1.jpg?fit=260%2C173&ssl=1 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FkdAtk8cA6jTHDVqBPK7qQLYwlQHZXtlJUwME0KHfQdvmvC7gj9lRnodV2u5Fd E4pAtBqXhoy5RMhlvME4aovKPh https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/E_SDG-goals_icons-individual-rgb-13.png https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5d81229424000012277d15b5.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale

Jua Lee Fayston Preparatory School < Work as a Diplomat and the SDGs >

Before the session start, I was expecting a speech about the work of what a diplomat does and the explanation of the SDGs. However, the session progressed very differently from what I thought. It was way much motivational and made me learn a lot through it. The “Work as a Diplomat and the SDGs” was the most inspirational session that I had in this program. The session was led by Denis Godwin Antoine, the former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN. His speech made me realize how great it is to work for the United Nations. It made me close a hearing to have a dream of working in the United Nations. Furthermore, the speech motivated me to think about what I genuinely want to do. Through the session, I learned that SDG is the real action that makes how to utilize and recognize the needs of others. He also said that the way I present myself is another important factor. His message made me realize how crucial the capability of the youth can have to the world. I learned that youth involvement is necessary since we are talking about the future. It is our own responsibility to actively participate and act for the world. His questions made me wonder, how and what can I do to participate in make a better, desirable world as a youth? Moreover, I acquired that the more we understand, what affects me affects others because we breathe air, and the air circulates. Therefore, cooperating and the relationship were other crucial factors. The lecture by the former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN was exceedingly informative and a precious opportunity for me to have. It helped me to broaden one’s perspectives.

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< IVY League Meeting >

The session was led by Jiyeon Kwon of Columbia University, and Sumin Kim of the University of Pennsylvania. The IVY League Meeting was the session that I could relate to the most and where I could empathize with. As the speakers who are college students, they explained thoroughly the step that they went through until they enter their college. Also, they elaborated and recommended what we could do to prepare for such things from now on. It was a highly informative and inspiring session to have. “University is to fuel and educate your passion” is one of the messages that I remember of a certainty. Moreover, I surely do agree with what she had said. I believe that universities exist to educate the students on what they want to learn, what they genuinely enjoy. It should not be a place where the students go because of other factors except our own passion. Furthermore, through the session, I acknowledged that what I want to major in and what I want to do can change at any time. There, I am really thankful for discovering my passion for the future, and my passion for the United Nations such as working for the development of the global aspect. However, sometimes situations exist where I do not know whether the decision that I am looking forward to take is right or wrong. “Do not be afraid to walk the unconventional path” is another message that I took with effect. Therefore, now I think that there is no wrong path. No the unique experience takes me to a straight path. I learned that everywhere I go, every attempt that I make can be a start of a new path that I make.

<Global Polio Eradication and the SDGs> The session was led by Ikuko Yamaguchi, the Senior Advisor, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy at UNICEF. I had an interest in UNICEF since the agency is responsible for keeping children safe. Especially, nowadays the agency provides vaccines and aids to children worldwide. Through the lecture, I learned what now the UNICEF is doing to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all of all ages. UNICEF increases health financing and strengthens the capacity of the health workforce. It also strengthens the capacity of all countries against global health risks. I acquired that myriads of programs by UNICEF are progressed since the beginning of the pandemic. As it was mentioned during the lecture, I do believe that there can be no sustainable development, prosperity, or peace without reaching all children. Since sustainable development is what the future generations should make, caring for the children is crucial. Particularly, UNICEF is working to provide vaccines for polio, which is an incurable and highly infectious viral disease. Luckily polio is preventable through vaccination. These days UNICEF is focusing on immunization and I feel so thankful for the agency and their immunization efforts for the children so that vaccinated children can do better. I firmly believe and hope that thousands and millions of other remaining children be vaccinated and to be safe.

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Heejae Jeong Skysam International Christian School

Participant reflection over the ambassador Cho Tau-yul First of all, it was an informative speech. He talked about the reality and the future solution of the Republic of Korea philosophically and abstractly. He started his lecture with one question: “Is Korea a developed country or still a developing country?” I answered in my mind that Korea is a developed country. He stated that Korea is an economically developed nation, but not in terms of citizen mentality. He mentioned that the main risk that Korea confronts is its harsh geopolitical challenge. Many economic solid and military nations surround Korea. This is an inherent threat to our country. However, I thought it is also a good opportunity for our country since I considered it a dangerous chance to improve commercially. Moreover, I believe Korea must enhance its alliance with Japan and the United States rather than China and Russia since it will be adequate to check North Korea. When he met the president of the UN, the president just said that “Korea is no longer a regional player but a global player.” I agree with it. Korea is already a developed nation; therefore, it is crucial for our country to actively engage in international issues such as eradicating poverty in all its forms. Creating a country's mentality is an essential step for Korea to perform as a global player. For Korea to become a full-fledged nation, citizens need to widen their domestic issues to international issues. Critics might question why we need to take care of people who are living in the opposite hemisphere. Then I want to ask them why did people all over the globe support us in the time of the Korean war and the economically undeveloped era? Is it not our duty to pay it back? If our brothers and sisters are drowning in the water, we have to save them. Today, a lot of people are suffering from poverty, hunger, and lack of resources. Let us reach our hands and lift them. For our views toward the world to be widened, we need to improve our thinking system. That is why we have to change our education. Korea’s education has been focused on learning what has been established before. For example, students learn about Descartes, but they do not know how to set their thoughts based on Descartes' ideas, making it hard to create new ideas. This kind of conventional learning system will make Korea backward on an international stage. In times of the fourth industrial revolution, society will drastically change. We may confront problems that we have never addressed seriously. For instance, due to the advent of artificial intelligence, many jobs will be replaced, which indicates a mass of unemployment. We must address this issue right now. Compared to Korea, other developed countries have discussed the impacts of new technology and started implementing new social policies. For example, Japan abolished a former university entrance exam, which primarily consisted of multiple questions, and implemented the IB system, an education system in which students learn through debate. The exam is composed of essay questions, which test takers’ reasoning and coherency. I asked him if we can change our current education system. Before I ask a question, I pointed out that the problem of Korea in which we are immersed in only domestic issues and not aware that we are a global player is because of our current education system. I elaborated on it by saying that our current education system only makes students excessively compete with peers and provokes a sense of selfishness. He answered that it is hard to change the system, so we should change ourselves.

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Participant reflection over the UNDP lecture After hearing the lecture from the manager from the UNDP, I learned a lot. She briefly mentioned the UNDP Seoul policy center and its role. I was impressed when she said that sharing Korea’s experience was helpful to develop countries. I felt proud of my country. However, she elaborated that even though the experience of Korea was successful, that would not ensure the developing countries would result in the same result as Korea. Before I participated in the UN program, I only thought sharing Korea’s story and applying it to the poorer nations will contribute to the development of the poorer countries. Still, after I heard a valuable lecture from the manager of the UNDP, I realized that localizing SDGs is vital to the full accomplishment of the SDGs. Moreover, I learned that there are many ways to achieve the SDGs, not just one solid way. She stated that the main objective of her project in the UNDP is sharing knowledge. I thought Covid only had terrible effects on humanity, but paradoxically Covid facilitated the spread of knowledge. There are two ways that countries cooperate. The first one is SSC (South-South Cooperation), in which developing countries collaborate. For example, they can share information about fisheries. The other type of cooperation is ODA, in which developed countries help developing countries. I asked two questions to the speaker. The first one was “Between SSC and ODA, which one is more effective?” The lecturer stated that it is hard to say which one is more effective, but they have advantages and disadvantages. For instance, through SSC, developing countries can benefit easily by exchanging tips about specific issues. The second question was, “Can you elaborate on the part where you said that developing countries were getting benefits from Korea's development experiences?” She said that Korea was a unique country that advanced from a developing nation to a donor nation within one generation. Overall, it was an excellent experience for me to hear the lecture from an expert of the UNDP.

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Hanna Cho St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju

[UNDESA | United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs] Donald Lee and Ana Manero performed the UNDESA lecture. In September 2015, the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 17 Sustainable Development Goals from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development define the United Nations’ roadmap to build a sustainable and equitable world. Those 17 goals are going to make transformative changes in dealing with development, climate change, and the natural environment. One of the most important sustainable development goals that UNDESA considers is Goal 17, which is the Partnerships for the Goals. Goal 17 cannot be achieved if the governments do not work together and we do not achieve the other 16 goals and 23 agendas.

UNDESA aims to eradicate poverty. Exactly understanding poverty is crucial to figure out the goals to eradicate poverty. In 2015, the World Bank established the extreme poverty threshold as USD 1.90 per day. This $1.90 per day poverty line measures poverty in the poorest countries in the world and does not apply to more affluent, more developed countries. Generally, in Korea, we cannot survive on $1.90 a day. However, in the 1960s, South Korea was very poor, even more than Nigeria. At this time, some people of South Korea were distinguished as ‘poverty.’

The state of global poverty Regions (2015)

Percent

Millions

East-Asia and Pacific

2.3

47.2

China

0.7

10.0

Eastern Europe & Central Asia

1.5

7.1

Latin America & Caribbean

4.1

25.9

Middle East & North Africa

5.0

18.6

South Asia

12.4

216.4

India (2012)

21.2

218.0

Sub-Saharan Africa

41.1

313.3

Worldwide

10.0

735.9

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World Bank $1.90 per day poverty estimates 10% of the world is suffering from poverty. How has poverty changed over time? People not in poverty have increased. In 1820, about 89% of people in the world were living in poverty. From this graph, an increase in the number of people can also be found. The number of people living in poverty was not changed dramatically, while the number of people worldwide increased significantly.

Covid-19 impacted poverty a lot. More than a hundred million people were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020. Covid-19 has led to the first rise in extreme poverty in a generation. In 2014, there were 607 million people in extreme poverty. Extreme poverty was decreasing before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in 2019, there were 650 million people in extreme poverty. Even in 2020, there were 720 to 811 million people in extreme poverty. If there were not Covid-19, the global poverty rate would be projected to be 7% in 2030. The UN’s and our ultimate goal is to eradicate global poverty; however, we are missing the target of eradicating poverty due to Covid-19. The global pandemic, coronavirus disease, is exacerbating world hunger. 70 to 161 million people are likely to have experienced hunger as a result of the Covid-19. There are many reasons for them to experience hunger because of the Covid-19. For example, some homeless people could receive free lunch from lunch provision welfare before the Covid19 pandemic. On the other hand, some of the lunch provision welfare systems are stopped to slow and block the spread of Covid-19. This example shows that Covid-19 affect directly to people’s hunger.

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The United Nations is planning to achieve the Poverty Goal; end poverty in all its forms everywhere. These are the goals that the United Nations wants to achieve. ● ●

By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as living on less than $1.90 a day. By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.

The United Nations consider multidimensional poverty, which is poverty that is made by multiple factors. ●

One-dimensional measures, such as income, often define poverty. However, no single indicator on its own can capture the multiple aspects of poverty. ● Multidimensional poverty considers a set of critical factors: poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, disempowerment, poor quality of work, and the threat of violence. People who are living in poverty are poor because of diverse reasons. There is poverty in also affluent countries. ● ● ● ●

There is very little absolute poverty. For richer countries, the term relative poverty is relevant rather than absolute poverty. When people lack the minimum amount of income needed in order to maintain the average standard of living in their society, they live in relative poverty. For example, a low-income family of four family members in a developing country lives on $1.90/day($2,774/year), while a low-income family of four family members in New YorkCityy lives on $26,000/year.

Most people in South Korea have achieved the minimum amount of income they needed to live and survive. There is an obvious difference between a poor country and New York City (the relatively richer region).

Because South Korea is classified as a wealthy country, South Korea usually does not have absolute poverty, rather than South Korea has relative poverty (comparatively). Poverty and hunger are related.

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Generally, poverty causes hunger; however, not every person living in poverty faces chronic hunger. (Almost all people facing chronic hunger are also living in poverty.) Millions suffer from hunger and malnourishment because ○ They do not have money to buy enough food ○ They cannot afford to buy nutritious food ○ There is not enough food (drought, floods, fires, and so on. ‘natural disaster’) ○ They lack land or knowledge to growing food or provide nutrition themselves. People in rural areas suffer most from poverty & hunger, especially if they cannot afford the farming supplies to grow enough good food of their own

Poverty is not hunger; however, usually, hunger is poverty. Reaching people in Poverty: The poorest are often “invisible.” ● ● ● ● ● ●

Undocumented There is no evidence to prove that they are the poorest and they are in absolute poverty. Socially excluded Because they are not the leading people of society, it is hard to be aware of them. Discriminated The others do not like to be close to them; therefore, sometimes they are discriminated. Geographically isolated Some of the poorest are in the isolated regions, such as the Sahara desert. Ignorant of human and social rights Because they do not have enough voices to inform that they are in absolute poverty, sometimes their human and social rights are ignored. No platform to voice their views There is no proper platform to inform their views and life to the world. Their views are ignored because society does not invite people to know the poor’s views and life.

These are what I can do for the SDGs. First, I can care about people and poverty/hunger and care about our environment. As if I care about our planet, I need to fight climate change; repair, recycle, reuse, repurpose items, reduce food/water waste, compost. I also can donate what I can and volunteer my time and talents to support the SDGs. In addition, I can spread awareness of the SDGs, especially to end poverty and the cost of inaction. Finally, encouraging my government to strongly support the SDGs to eliminate poverty, tackle climate change, protect the environment, end conflicts and create lasting peace is another one that I can do for the SDGs. [After UN Expert Education Program Ends…] This UN expert education program was quite exciting, and I enjoyed it. Though I had a hard time preparing the presentation in a short time on zoom, the time with my team was pretty good. If I can, I want to apply to this program one more time. I could learn a lot about UN organizations and NGOs, which I did not know about before. The lectures are interesting and helpful. Although I could not go to New York City, where the actual UN buildings are located due to Covid-19, the lectures and information were valuable. There were a massive number of organizations that I did not know. The professors and the actual staff of the organizations answered students’ questions elaborately and carefully. I had such a good time to know well about United Nations for five days.

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Soyeon Chin Daewon Foreign Language High School What is Green investment? Often conflated with socially responsible investing (SRI) green investments are investment that focus on compani es or projects committed to the conservation of natural r esources, the production and discovery of alternative ene rgy sources, the implementation of clean air and water p rojects, or other environmentally conscious business pra ctices. Green investments are categorized as SRI, but the y’re fundamentally more specific. Pure-play green investments derives mostly from their revenues and profits from green activities. Green investments are also made in corportations that have other lines of business but also focus on green-based initiatives as well.

Why Green Investment? Early when the term green investing emerged, it was fundamentally investing finances to where it could benefit the environment, and it limited diversification of one’s portfolio. But recent events such as the unprecedented heat an d wildfires in the western U.S., catastrophic floods i n Germany and China, and —for the first time ever — an extreme heat advisory from weather authoriti es in Great Britain, have added to the drumbeat of r eminders that severe climate impacts are relevant to our daily lives.

As these events continuously expose the risks of climate change to international businesses worldwide, it's become evident that investing with an eye toward climate change is the most sensible action that businesses can take. In the first quarter of 2021 alone, investors poured $178 billion into "green" investment funds globally. There are many different advantages of investing green, which provides the opportunity for the investors as well as for the company raising funds through these investments. 

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One of the main advantages of the green investment to the companies raising funds through the means of green investment includes the fact that company can get the funds from the public through this which are much needed for the sustainability-related projects because sustainability departments often operate with the lean budgets in the company and the company’s involvement for the cleaner future might require the upfront investments of a significant amount. So, for this purpose, green investment is very helpful for companies. The public now a day has an awareness of the requirement of protecting the environment so, when any person issues a green bond, then it tends to have a good amount of attention of the public, which makes it easier for the companies to raise funds. Also, the companies get recognition in the general public for their innovative approach to sustainability, which in turn is beneficial for the company only.

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From the perspective of the investor, green investments are beneficial because many of the green investment instruments are exempted from the tax such as the green bonds. Along with the other benefits, these investments also provide personal satisfaction to the investors as they have the satisfaction that their invested money is being used in a responsible and positive manner. Many of the green investment instruments need to comply with some of the prescribed sets of requirements related to the disclosure, which helps the investors in analyzing that whether their money is being used in the right direction or not by the person who raised funds. In green bonds, when the demand is high, then there will be low borrowing costs, which will red uce the overall expenditure of the company. This reduction of the expenditure will then pass to th e investors only in the form of dividends providing benefits to them.

Current green investment flows Green investment flows have been summarized from different sources for climate-specific investment, notably renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport vehicles, forestry and climate change adaptation. I n other sectors, such as transport infrastructure (roads and airports), buildings, industry, water and agricul ture, flow estimates are lacking but business-as-usual spending predictions can be used as a proxy. Total investment in climate-change mitigation and adaptation in 2011 were estimated at US$ 268 billion from the private sector and US$ 96 billion from the public sector (US$ 364 in total, of which US$ 14 bill ion was for adaptation). For a subset of this climate-specific investment, namely clean-energy asset finance, investment has been growing at a rate of 32% per year since 2004. Investment flows in 2011 were up 93% from 2007, the yea r before the global financial crisis. In 2012, Southern-originating flows for clean-energy asset financing a re set to exceed those originating from the North’s Most of this Southern finance is being used domestical ly and is an important emerging source of capital. Looking through the lens of climate-specific investment, financial flows still fail to close the cost gap. There is significant regional and technological bias in investment patterns. Investment is disproportionately focused in the North and emerging markets, for wind and solar technologies in particular. To support global green growth and meet emission-reduction goals in a 2°C scenario, investment needs to rapidly scale up in other non-OECD countries and in general for renewable technologies beyond wind and solar. Investment in energy efficiency and sustainable transport are also lagging. About Green Climate Funds (GCF) The Green Climate Fund's (GCF) aims to expand collective human action to respond to climate chang e. The Fund aims to mobilize funding at scale to invest in low-emission and climate-resilient developmen t on our home planet. The Green Climate Fund was established by 194 countries to the UN Framework C onvention on Climate Change in 2010. It was designed as an operating entity of the Convention’s financi al mechanism and is headquartered in the Republic of Korea. It is governed by a 24 Board member Boar d, representing countries, and receives guidance from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (C OP). Created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Fund ai ms to support a paradigm shift in the global response to climate change. It allocates its resources to low-e mission and climate-resilient projects and programs in developing countries. The Fund pays particular att ention to the needs of societies that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular Le ast Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States. <NGO’s on Green Investment and funds> Who is GGGI? The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organizati on dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developi ng countries and emerging economies.

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GGGI and Green investment – Green Investment Services (GIS) GGGI’s Green Investment Services (GIS) Global Practice supports the organization’s Member and Partn er countries in mobilizing green finance needed for meeting their NDCs and green growth targets. As par t of these efforts, GGGI has leveraged US$ 2 billion of climate finance for 60 projects during 2015-2020. The core focus of these efforts work was to bridge the gap between financiers and projects, i.e. the lack of well-designed green projects that meet the risk-reward expectations of investors, and creating National Financing Vehicles (NFVs) with the aim to blend public and private sources of finance, both internation al and domestic, to expedite the finance flow to address the gap between financiers and projects. An exter nal evaluation of GGGI’s mobilization efforts conducted in 2019 confirmed that the majority of GGGI-in itiated projects move forward to financing & implementation. The first Global Operational Priority in GGGI’s Strategy 2030 is to catalyze and accelerate access to climate finance/green investment and the GIS Global Practice supports the organization’s ambition to mobilize USD 2 billion of green investment commitments annually by 2030. The intention is to scale the mobilization efforts by expanding GGGI’s engagements around green/climate bonds and by greening domestic banks in emerging markets, while developing and deepening partnerships with strategic investors, institutions, and platforms with a deep understanding of, and a long-term commitment to, green growth in developing countries and emerging markets. GIS Global Practice is collaborating with leading organizations in the field — currently leading the partnership with the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility as a knowledge partner and engaging as an observer to the Green & Social Bond Principles of the International Capital Market Association.

Who is UN Habitat? UN-Habitat is the United Nations program working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. UN habitat and Green Investment - Financing sustainable urban development Investment Pipeline Facility – the Cities Investment Facility Today, 4.2 billion people live in cities and that number is growing by 1.5 million each week. 90% of this urban growth will occur in developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. 1 C ity infrastructure enables economic activity and growth. Rapid urbanization in the world’s poorest cities i s fueling an annual infrastructure financing gap in excess of US$3.2 trillion. 2 By convening and preparin g a pipeline of SDG compliant bankable infrastructure projects, this new facility makes a significant cont ribution to achieving the UN’s Agenda 2030. This facility complements existing investment facilities by looking at enhancing early stage design and origination particularly in secondary and emerging cities in f rontier and emerging markets. It is further unique in its focus on the broad range of the SDGs, urban mast erplan-integrated projects, and its global scope with a project pipeline spanning across three main regions and ten sub-sectors.

Eco-restoration in cities: Green urban development accelerates investment The Xuzhou Municipality and UN-Habitat hosted prominent experts in urban planning and environmenta l management for a 3-day international gathering on green urban development and eco-restoration. Xuzh ou, with an urban population of more than 4 million people, closed about 300 open-pit and underground coal mining locations in the past 15 years as well as 47 cement factories, 15 steel factories and 8 coking i nstallations. It also took 52,000 heavily polluting vehicles off the road. Xuzhou then set off a citywide gr eening program, decontaminating waters and soils, turning quarry and subsidence areas into parks and w etlands and reforesting idle lands and hills. Investment, especially in high-tech companies, expanded 18-f old in the past decade and a million jobs were created.

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After receiving the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat visited the city. In a video message on the opening of the International Forum on Green Urban Development Ms. Sharif said that the city understood the challenges but also the potentials of transformation. In his opening speech, the Secretary of Xuzhou, Mr. Zhou Tiegen, called green development a key principle for the acceleration of investment. Xuzhou seeks excellence in environmental management and urban planning, as core capacities in support of urban resilience and as enablers for sustained economic innovation. Maximizing sustainable urban development was also the message of Mr. Wu Hongbo, former Under-Secretary General of UN-DESA. Both Mr. Wu Hongbo and Mr. Bruno Dercon, of UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region will not reach many of the SDG targets by 2030, without accelerating the implementation of many of the environmental goals, in relation to air pollution, circularity, resilience and biodiversity; and much of the battle will be in cities. The City also released an urban planning guideline, developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat. The Guideline for Eco-restoration and Innovation was developed to support the detailed planning in and around subsidence areas in north Xuzhou and introduced strong planning principles in the context of peri-urban regeneration. The guideline provides a framework for compact, well-connected and walkable urban neighborhoods mixed with enterprise zones, making use of renewable and water features intelligently and integrating heritage into public space. Building on the eco-restoration achievements of the last decade, Xuzhou aspires sustainability, resilience and a strong social and cultural vision through green investment. The next generation of Xuzhou’s programs will focus not on expansion but regeneration. All experts agreed that the city has developed the capacity, through eco-restoration after the mines closed, to continue taking on change and innovation. Conclusion- The future of Green Investing Global demand for primary energy is set to increase by between 27 and 61 percent over the next 40 years, according to some estimates. With 1.2 billion people worldwide unable to access electricity today, invest ment of up to $26.7 trillion is needed in infrastructure to close this gap and support the world’s growing global energy needs. In light of these requirements, renewable energy, and investment in the space, has become a hot topic. Al though it has been a nascent industry since the 1980s, green investing has been unable to make major inr oads to date, despite the insistence of interested parties. Until very recently the cost implications associat ed with renewable energy infrastructure projects have proved largely prohibitive. While the average wind farm can cover an area of hundreds of square miles and have several hundred turbines on site, the price p er unit can reach upwards of $2m. Accordingly, getting sustainable energy projects off the ground has be en an arduous task.

Insolvency Although there has been investment in green technology and companies in recent years, there have also b een a number of high profile failures. From electric car companies in the US to solar panel manufacturers in China, the number of green companies which have filed for bankruptcy protection in the last two year s or so has steadily increased. Firms including Solyndra, Fisker Automotive Inc and Evergreen Solar Inc have all entered the sustainable market with great fanfare only to fail shortly thereafter. Equally, the failu res of now defunct lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems, solar-panel maker Konarka, and electric-car -charger company ECOtality have also had a significant effect on confidence in the cleantech sector. The collapse of Fisker was a particularly damaging affair, as the Obama administration lost $139m on a loan it had made to the company. High profile failures in this space have had a negative effect on the industry. Until recently, attitudes tow ard green investing were trending down. In 2013, investment declined for the second consecutive year. T he biggest drop in investments came from Europe, down 44 percent on 2012, but they were also down gl obally. Although $214bn invested in renewable energy projects last year, this was a 12 percent decline co mpared with 2012 and a 23 percent decline on 2011. There have been a number of factors which contribu

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ted to the overall decline in green investments in recent years, most notably the European fiscal crisis and policy uncertainty. The amount of capital invested by VC funds into cleantech companies also fell dramatically in 2013. Acc ording to data from Pitchbook, these investments dropped by approximately 62 percent last year. The nu mber of deals closed also fell.

Renaissance Despite these and other problems, investment in the green sector seems to have turned around in 2014. B uilt on the foundations of rising investment in sustainable energy, green investing has enjoyed a renaissan ce in 2014. Global clean energy investment climbed to $63.6bn in the second quarter of the year – a 33 p ercent increase on the first quarter and a 9 percent year on year increase for the same quarter, according t o data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Built on the foundations of rising investment in sustainable energy, green investing has enjoyed a renais sance in 2014.” Furthermore, in September Google announced that it was investing $145m in equity funding to SunEdiso n Inc, a manufacturer and provider of solar energy, for the construction of Regulus, its solar plant in sout hern California. The company’s investment in SunEdison means that since 2010 Google has invested in 17 renewable energy products. Google’s investments in this space have helped the firm to meet its pledge of helping advance the cause of green energy. Solar energy in particular has been an area of interest for t he company recently. In April, it entered an agreement with SunPower Corp to develop a $250m resident ial solar installation in the US. It has also invested in solar leasing ventures with companies like SolarCit y Corp and Clean Power Finance in the past. Green bonds is another area which has seen significant growth this year. At the time of writing, more tha n $20bn in green bonds has been issued in 2014, according to the Climate Bond Initiative, an investor-fo cused non-profit group. Some observers have suggested that the green bond market, which provides capit al for clean energy projects with a promised return on investment, will reach $40bn before 2015, a signifi cant jump from the $2bn issued in 2012. Green bonds are becoming increasingly popular, most notably i n the US and across Europe. However, in developing markets, where the green-financing gap is currently widest, it could take years for socially responsible markets to mature. The dramatic decline in the cost of installing renewable energy equipment could play a significant role in the development of green investing in the coming years, particularly in the emerging markets. The fall in costs has served to drive the technology forward and increase the number of deployments seen around th e world. Should the price of renewable energy equipment continue to drop going forward, it is likely that we will see increased adoption of cleantech in both developed and emerging markets. Despite the notable recent failures of sustainable projects, investment in the sector does seem to be growi ng. What, then, is the future of green investing?

We need Patience In many respects, sustainable investing is anathema to conventional investment groups. The timeframes within which companies develop and implement green projects are often prohibitively long for most VCs. Transformative sustainable energy projects require extended incubation periods and intensive investment of capital. Neither of these is typically conducive with standard private equity and VC investment, which typically prefer high-impact exits across a relatively short timeframe. Many VCs have struggled to exit t heir cleantech investments in recent years with the kinds of returns they need to cover other loss making projects. A number of VC-backed cleantech startups have been sold privately in recent years, at comparat ively low prices. Solar energy firm MiaSolé, for example, was sold to Chinese clean energy firm Hanerg y for just $30m in 2012. The sale of the company came after MiaSolé had attracted $550m of funding.

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Accordingly, many VC firms are beginning to expand their investment horizons beyond renewable energy projects and are starting to invest in other alternative sustainable projects. Organic products, vegan foods, transportation platforms and ‘clean web’ products are all garnering interest, and are more likely to see the required profitability and exit opportunities.

Internationally influential nations such as China should go green Attitudes are beginning to shift throughout the emerging markets, and particularly in China. Governmen t subsidies have been offered to encourage Chinese firms to invest more in wind, solar, and hydro technol ogies. Although China already has the world’s largest installed capacity for wind power, there are plans t o double the number of wind turbines installed over the next six years. Furthermore, in September China’s State Council approved a national plan with specific targets to tackl e global warming. Among those plans the Council called for around 15 percent of the country’s energy c onsumption to come from non-fossil fuels by 2020, up from 9.8 percent at the end of 2013. Although ther e is clearly lots of work to be done to achieve these aims, China has been making some progress. Accordi ng to data from the Pew Charitable Trusts, China is currently the world leader in clean energy investment. Chinese investors are becoming particularly active abroad. In recent years the country’s outward foreign direct investments (FDI) have increased enormously. In 2013 alone China invested over $90bn overseas, making the country the third-largest source of outward FDI. Chinese FDI into the US now handily outstri ps US companies’ FDI into China. Currently, the demand for green bonds in Asia and other emerging markets remains quite low, although some green bonds have begun to surface in certain parts of Asia and Africa. Through its government sche me, China has been at the vanguard of the Asia green bonds market. The country is currently the leading issuer of climate-themed bonds, with $164bn outstanding. The majority of Chinese issuance to date has c ome from the China Railway Corp, a state-owned company. Although green bonds are a relatively new asset class, the majority of which are denominated in dollars and euros, they are rapidly growing. Earlier this year, however, the International Finance Corporation iss ued the first ever yuan-denominated green bond in London. In late September, a number of pension funds, insurers and asset management firms worth around $2 trillion all committed themselves to investments i n climate change solutions. Some of the world’s largest development banks have also pledged their supp ort to green bondsand will help to grow the market in years to come. Although the green investing sector has faced its challenges, there does at last appear to be a consensus forming behind the importance of sustainability. Companies, investors and governments are awakening t o ESG issues, but if the global demand for energy is to be met, it is imperative that capital is committed t o the cause from a variety of sources. The private sector in particular will have a pivotal role to play.

Reference “Eco-Restoration in Cities: Green Urban Development Accelerates Investment: UN-Habitat.” UN, unhabitat.org/eco-restorationin-cities-green-urban-development-accelerates-investment. Folger, Jean. “Going Green with Exchange-Traded Funds Etfs.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 19 May 2021, www.investopedia.com/articles/exchangetradedfunds/11/going-green-with-etfs.asp. “The Future of Green Investing.” Financier Worldwide, www.financierworldwide.com/the-future-of-greeninvesting#.YRjqutMza3I. “GGGI Supports the Fiji Development Bank to Develop FIJI'S FIRST Gcf Concept Note On Decarbonization of Public Bus Transport.” GGGI, gggi.org/gggi-supports-the-fiji-development-bank-to-develop-fijis-first-gcf-concept-note-ondecarbonization-of-public-bus-transport/. Green Climate Fund. “About Gcf.” Green Climate Fund, Green Climate Fund, 18 Feb. 2021, www.greenclimate.fund/about. “Green Investment Services (Gis).” GGGI, gggi.org/global-program/green-investment-services/. “In Support of the Government of Meta, Norway And GGGI Strengthen Their Presence in the Department to Continue Working on DEFORESTATION CONTROL.” GGGI, gggi.org/in-support-of-the-government-of-meta-norway-and-gggi-strengthen-theirpresence-in-the-department-to-continue-working-on-deforestation-control/.

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Chae Seonggwang Skysam International Christian School Great passion, Great vision<by Denis Godwin Antoine, former Permanent representative of Grenada to the UN> Before I listened to his lecture, I did not expect this lecture to give me great passion and vision. Unlike what I thought, his powerful energy overwhelmed me. I could learn several core values of SDGs and the role of teenagers as UN partners. He clearly showed us the great vision and what we need to achieve SDGs goals. I am going to share the core values I learned from the lecture of Denis G. Antonie. Firstly, he said every student in this lecture should always represent the communities. We should represent our nation, city, and family. It is the most important virtue for the UN diplomatic ambassador. In the future, we will represent our communities. In other words, we will be the face of our communities. Therefore our capacities should be fulfilled excessively. We should do our best work for our communities as much as we can. To achieve our vision for the future, he said visualizing is crucial. He also visualizes his will and situations he wants to be very specific. The main point was, visualizing ‘specifically’. When I imagine and draw I am a representative of Korea. And I am influencing positive effects for international societies. If I do this every day, every morning, and every night, I doubtlessly believe that I can be such a great person. I can bet I will become a different person after having a great time with him. I was so surprised by his passion and energy that he even became an ambassador of a nation. He did not lose his energy. It was his fuel to make his life more beautiful. I respect him so much.

New paradigm<After the lecture of Taeyeol Cho> “Where is your stage?” When I heard this question at first, I was so confused because I did not actually consider this really deeply. As I did, I have been taught that my range of influencing people is only limited to my nation. I have not imagined about the ‘world’ and a lot of people around the world. My view of the world was so narrow as if the eyes were covered with a black cloth. Hence, I was not able to set my goals grandly. I could not say by myself “I will be the global leader of the future.” It was the most impressive and shocking question that I heard from Tayeol Cho. This question gave a completely opposite answer to what I have strongly believed. At the moment, I immediately realized he is giving a new paradigm of my worldview. He said Korea is not the only stage where you can perform. The world is your stage from now. Yes, it was the right answer. His answer gave me an exact paradigm of the future. In order to perform in the world, I have to know what is happening to the world. International society is made of stakes of each nation, and the various beneficial relationships of the various nations. So there can be conflicts, unity, and alliance. That is why I should closely approach global issues. Global issues clearly show what is the main topic most nations are looking for and require for. Also it is directly related to international politics, economy, and societies.

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For instance, Korea and Japan both contend for the dominion of Dokdo Island. It is continuing from the past and also continuing now. If I look at this issue so narrowly, I would just think ‘Oh, Korea has the dominion of Dokdo. Not Japan. I could not see the complex relation of the natural resources and economy between Korea and Japan. This conflict does not mean only the dominion of the land. Abundant natural resources are buried in Dokdo. Therefore, both nations strongly desire to have a dominion of Dokdo. After I approached and researched this issue, I could think about the world issue very deeply. Furthermore, my worldview was conspicuously widened. International issues are not far away from me anymore. It is an issue in my town and country.

“Brand new”, this keyword can explain the lecture. It was a great time to feel a strong motivation for me. I can’t forget this lecture for a long time. I want to influence my friends, teachers and family through global leadership and clever intelligence.

UN and Career<by Minsoo Kim of WFP Seoul office> “What is your goal in the future?” I always hear this question. My answer to the question is to become an entrepreneur who leads future education. Because I am interested in educational business. Especially the change of education because of the 4th industrial revolution. The world is going to require creative and independent leaders for the future. The world is changing so fast. Hence, specific strategies have become crucial to teenagers. Young students should develop abilities that can survive the 4th industrial revolution. Simple workers such as factories, cashiers, and officers will be replaced by AI algorithms. Therefore young students should have something AI does not have. In this lecture, I heard several important virtues and requirements for the UN careers. The lecturer shared his life from his birth and career until now. I felt he had specific plans for his future and progressed his career gradually. There were a lot of things to learn deeply. He said language skill is significant for the students who prepare for their career in the UN. Yes, AI and translators are the best language masters. But they cannot sympathize with others. Therefore only humans can communicate based on sympathizing. Language skill is important for communication in the international community. But it also requires sympathetic abilities. Through sympathizing, you can influence your community conspicuously positively. For instance, Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone. There is a behind story. His mother was deaf. So he sympathized with her mother deeply. Therefore he decided to invent a new system that enables communication between people. The result was so successful. To conclude, language skill is important. Furthermore, sustainable language skill is more important. This lecture was a great chance to set specific plans for my future. Even if I do not enter the UN, language skill is crucial for every field of the world. I hope that I can become an outstanding person.

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SEOYEON CHOI Korea International School, Jeju How have underprivileged children been affected by COVID-19? (UNICEF) “Behind the name of “social distancing” weren’t you “socially ignoring” people?” Yesterday, I watched an advertisement on TV and they were showing children in our society being ignored by people in different ways. People weren’t intentionally ignoring them, but since their main interest and priority was not on “children” in society, lots of people just expected those children will also have other people to take care of them and left them behind. Then, during the time even those people didn’t notice, people were implicitly making scratches on children’s hearts. If it was just the other days, I would have just waited until the advertisement to end to see the TV program I was waiting on, but the time when the advertisement came out was when I just have finished my UN training program. So, I got interested in it and started to conduct research about different facts about underprivileged children. Then, I noticed that the changes made during the pandemic made those underprivileged children more vulnerable. Through the pandemic, lots of things have changed. Even leaving our house needed permission in some places and hanging out with our friends was also restricted. We couldn’t go to school for months and we hesitated to plan to meet somebody, even our family. As people avoid contact with others, underprivileged children experienced more doleful days without anybody taking care of them from a young age. Furthermore, they didn’t get a chance to fill their losses during the pandemic by themselves, because they were children and didn’t have lots of places to stand. How have underprivileged children been affected by COVID-19? First of all, who are underprivileged children? Underprivileged children are the people who cannot enjoy the same standard of living or rights as a majority of people in society due to several reasons such as poverty, health issue, child abuse or neglect, or the absence of family. According to UNICEF, “Across the world, about 1 billion children are multidimensionally poor, meaning they lack necessities as basic as nutrition or clean water.” Comparing to the world population which is 7.9 billion people, one billion will be about 13% of the whole population, and if you think about some children who aren’t reported as a resident, it will be more than 13%. However, more dismal thing is that UNICEF announced that “Some 150 million additional children have been plunged into multidimensional poverty due to COVID-19.” This shows that more children became vulnerable because of the outbreak of COVID-19 and experiencing different challenges. Before the pandemic, what were some of the challenges underprivileged children faced? Since those children are young and poor, these two factors make them more vulnerable in society. Then before another factor, the pandemic enter, some of the typical challenges those children faced were poor access to basic rights. According to UNICEF, children in multidimensional poverty are facing hard access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or water. Then, this paper the will explain how underprivileged children were affected by the pandemic in terms of two main factors, education, and health and nutrition.

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Firstly, education is one of the important challenges that students in poor communities are facing. Since education is one of the factors that might prevent poverty to inherit the next generation, it is considered the important value of people’s lives. Some people might think that main reason education is lacking in those poor communities is because of poor facilities in the school, but it might also affect the students in diverse ways. According to NEU, it explained that “Over three-quarters of respondents to NEU survey told us their students had demonstrated fatigue (78%) or poor concentration (75%) in school as a result of poverty.” This explains how poverty affects physical school for sure and even they all get the same education, they don’t get the same quality due to poor health. Then, during the pandemic, the importance of education has been highlighted again due to more challenges they got to face. As the pandemic gets more severe, underprivileged students were not able to receive an education due to the schools turning their education into virtual learning or the closure of the school. Then, for students who don’t own proper devices to conduct virtual learning, they were not able to listen to the classes for more than a month. As reported by UNICEF, “31 percent of schoolchildren worldwide (463 million) cannot be reached by the brast- and Internet-based remote learning policies either due to the lack of necessary technological assets at home, or because they were not targeted by the adopted policies.” This shows that almost one out of three students could not properly prepare with their devices and get an education. Also, as the school closes, underprivileged students lost their opportunity to learn. Comparing to other students Secondly, health and nutrition are some of the main elements that underprivileged children are lacking. For young children, undernourishment can affect their growth later on and cause much more complex diseases, so nourishing the children is important. However, according to UNICEF’s research, “at least 1 in 3 children under five – or over 200 million – is either undernourished or overweight. Almost 2 in 3 children between six months and two years of age are not fed food that supports their rapidly growing bodies and brains. This puts them at risk of poor brain development, weak learning, low immunity, increased infections, and in many cases, death.” This illustrates how health is the priority of a person’s growth because it is the base and the stimuli that enable other actions. However, through the contagious disease, COVID-19, those underprivileged children are more exposed to many different health issues than anyone because of their health and nutrition state. As UNICEF stated above, poor nourishment causes low immunity and increased infections, and as coronavirus attacks people’s bodies, those underprivileged children will be more vulnerable to catch the disease. Furthermore, if one person in the community catches the disease, other people in the community can catch the disease also, especially for the impoverished community. Understanding these problems that underprivileged children are facing, UNICEF and NGOs are providing help in many different ways, specifically during the pandemic. They are physically supporting them by distributing food and water or giving them a certain amount of money. Also, they are providing education or activity programs that underprivileged children can participate in and education for people around the world about acceptance of child poverty and the help needed. However, although they are kept on putting effort to reduce the challenges underprivileged children are facing and child poverty, the number of children in poverty keeps on increasing. Also, we cannot totally be sure that another disease or crisis like COVID-19 will not come. As long as people exist, there will be some kinds of things that work as money and those will make people poor. However, the most important thing is that as more people get more interested in these problems, the help we can reach out will get wider for sure. Then we will be able to think about some balance in developed and developing or rich and poor. Therefore, we should not get disappointed with the numbers and stop our efforts, but keep on processing to do our best for the children all over the world. Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_KGLu_22NU https://cryamerica.org/site/projects/children-statistics.html https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty https://neu.org.uk/child-poverty-facts https://data.unicef.org/topic/education/covid-19/ https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/poor-diets-damaging-childrens-health-worldwide-warns-unicef

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Sung Jun Choi Shema Christian School GGGI - Gulshan Vashistha The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treatybased international organization focused on supporting developing and emerging economies to achieve sustainable, inclusive economic growth while keeping a neutral position by not producing profit in member countries and private sectors. GGGI supports the member countries in the transformation of their economies to a green growth economic model, also they are really passionate about making a low-carbon, resilient world of strong, inclusive and sustainable growth. They partner with about 39 members - in Africa, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East Pacific, and the unique point of GGGI is backing their member countries without selling any loan products while the powerful world banks on strong position making agendas to make investment from other investment ARM, which means selling a loan to people when they help them. By the financial characteristics of GGGI, they need resource partners to support their activities as government, international institutions, or private foundations, and I was somewhat proud that few Korean national institutions participated.

These are projects that GGGI progresses #1. Floating Solar Project at Omkareshwar Dam The director of this project “Atma Nirbhar” is in progress to build the single largest grid-connected floating solar project in the world to be completed by 2023 at the Omkareshwar Dam located near the temple of the city Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. It is the solar park infrastructure consisting of transmission SS and line to the nearest national/state grid point and other infrastructure and the solar project which will be developed by private power producers inside the park under a plug and play model. The Floating Solar Project is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership model where the solar park infrastructure will be developed by the state agency with support for Govt of India and MDB and through a reverse auction process private developer will be selected to put the solar PV project.

#2. Global Program for Solar Irrigation The rising food demand around the earth is putting a strain on existing water and energy systems as a necessity for irrigation and fertilizers etc., also by human’s desire, indiscriminate use of agricultural pump sets as diesel or grid powered sources is leading to groundwater depletion, climate issues, and energy security. The Solar Irrigation project is for conserving water, increasing farm income, and increasing energy efficiency of ground and surface water irrigation by mixing Food-Water-Energy nexus into a virtuous cycle of it. Then how can it help society in detail? Solar irrigation can help farmers

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increase their incomes by producing a wide range of crops over a longer time, selling excess water to other farmers and even by selling excess energy produced to the grid. Also, it is more eco (climate)friendly technology that uses cleaner options of irrigation, which leads to higher agricultural yields, increased income and helps communities become climate resilient. GGGI addresses limitations in bilateral aid and fills perceived gaps in the operations of multilateral institutions. It will increase strategic coherence, reduce the fragmentation of aid financing, facilitate the mitigation of shared risks, increase the visibility and transparency for all development actors while reducing transaction costs and improving the value proposition.

#3. Global Program for Green Hydrogen Green hydrogen is a clean burning fuel that eliminates emissions by using renewable energy to electrolysis water, separating the hydrogen atom within it from its molecular twin oxygen. Like Tesla and Hyundai leads the hydrogen technology industry, the GGGI tries to create business case for use of hydrogen as a fuel where other fossil fuels as diesel are currently used, and also, support target countries to decarbonize energy intensive industries like fertilizers, iron, steel, petrochemicals with inclusion of green hydrogen to replace the existing use of grey hydrogen. Scale of project will help bring down unit cost of hydrogen production, the program plans full scale development of GW size plants during Phase II. The GGGI predicts that stiff decarbonization targets by 2030 will need additional measures over and above the current measure on RE and demand management, hard to abate industries will additionally need measures like uses of green hydrogen in the manufacturing process to decarbonize. Besides, the GGGI seeks to bring parity to current hydrogen production costs to improve viability tax breaks on equipment import, tax holiday, concessional power transmission network cost, concessional operating taxes, and access to low-cost green finance & large-scale deployment of RE sources to offset operational costs in production. Things that I felt after the lecture… It was a really great honor to attend Gulshan Vashistha’s GGGI lecture. I was totally unfamiliar with the institute-GGGI, and it was my first time to learn and research deeply about climate change. As I searched about climate things, I noticed 2 things. First, human’s desire is endless, and they repeat mistakes over and over again to satisfy it. Second, there must be a strong international organization such as GGGI that gets support from various countries and has strong execution power to prevent human’s misdeed and make a better, clean environment for the earth and humans. Through his presentation, I could briefly learn about some projects progressed by GGGI to decarbonize, produce more efficient energy for farmers etc... For me, helping others with its talents, skills, and things that they have looked really cool to me, because I personally think people usually want to satisfy themselves by using their talents on their own. I felt I should be a man who helps other people regardless of what I am going to get rewarded. I think we are very lucky to have GGGI and other organizations who lead our society to a green economy and more people should participate in GGGI activities.

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UNODA (Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch) - Elnas Mohammed

There are 4 component of disarmament: The first component of Disarmament is “Elimination of Weapons of Mass Destruction”. There are weapons that the global community working together and have agreed that these weapons should not be used or developed under any circumstances, especially weapons that could cause significant harm that goes beyond the intended purpose as nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. These are considered harmful for humans, environments and the future of earth itself.

The second component of Disarmament is “Regulation of conventional weapons & balanced reduction of armed forces”. In this category, there are weapons that are considered legal weapons to protect their country, citizens, so doing, they have the right to maintain armor forces and to keep strategic weapons in certain locations. However, there are always over-accumulation weapons as we have seen in the past as in the Cold war and still now. It can cause international tension and can have a very damaging effect on global stability and friendly relations between nations. So, the importance of the second component is to make sure that there is regulation of weapons that weapons are being traded, accumulated, has a reasonable way that matches security needs, and may gradually reduce armor forces hopefully in the future. By this regulation, the UNODA claims we can have more sustainable and earth-friendly ways of cooperating in our society.

The third component of Disarmament is “Ensuring that new technologies are used in line with International Law. Now, there are many entities that have a positive or negative role to play in international security. Also, there are growing technological boosts around the globe as technologies that didn’t exist in the past are now making the world easier in several fields such as medicine, engineering or health, but not all of these technologies can only be used for exclusively beneficial purposes. They can also have harmful effects. When the disarmament agenda comes to these developments, it is to make sure the new technologies are used in line with International Law, for example, many states heavily rely on the AI in developing & deploying arms. The risks that follow are weapons themselves becoming autonomous which is highly dangerous, because it is against the international humanitarian law which is supposed to regulate the conduct of war and make sure that deadly forces are in line with International Law. Disarmament can take many shapes to arrive at certain objectives of disarmament. There are Cnventions & Treaties / Regulations / Transparency & Confidence Building Measures

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Conventions & Treaties are agreements that agree that weapons either be completely eliminated or will be regulated. These are legally binding insurance, force mechanism and states developed, corporate platforms through which they exchange information, and cooperate to make sure equally abiding by the objectives and provisions of such conventions and treaties. Regulations can provide a larger degree of specificity or guidance for states on how to implement certain objectives. It might be up to the development regulations instead of conventions, or also development regulations in support of existing conventions. Transparency can be a tool to exchange information and make sure the way they produce their arms are known and public or shared among states. The building of confidence makes sure that arms races (a pattern of competitive acquisition of military capability between two or more countries) are not triggered, or if the state is completely unaware of what other states are doing, then UNODA might accumulate more weapons, so they can balance the power. By the Transparency & Confidence Building Measures, each state can be confident that other states are making weapons based on their national security, and not to cause any harm or to overpower other states. All of these components have a common goal: 1. Stop Arms Races 2. Build Trust between states 3. Protect People from Harm or Weapons of Mass Destruction. Then how can we participate in it? 1. Stay informed: Learn about disarmament and the UN’s work. Visit the website and follow UNODA on Twitter 2. Access Resources: Visit the Disarmament Education website and dashboard to watch/read materials and benefit from self-paced online courses. 3. Join the Movement: Visit the UN’s youth 4 Disarmament Initiative website and follow the the hashtag #Yotuh4Disarmament. 4. Take Action: Organize a film screening, start a group discussion, tell a friend. Things that I felt after the lecture… It was the freshest knowledge that I gained recently. I could learn that this peace that I am living with isn’t free, and a lot of people put their efforts to prevent wars, make equal, balanced power between states, and keep people living in peace. Also, I noticed it isn’t a simple problem that can be solved by effort from a few organizations. WE, the individuals in society must be aware of the importance of “Elimination of Weapons of Mass Destruction”, and feel thankful to everyone who works for our safety. Her lecture inspires me a lot in many directions. I will always study with a thankful mind in my heart and try my best to repay those generosity later in society. Reference: https://earth.org/green-hydrogen/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/arms-race Reference (picture) https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/organization/global-green-growth-institute-gggi https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/worlds-largest-floating-solar-plant-at-omkareshwar-dam-key-featuressignificance-and-more-1610105568-1 https://www.afrik21.africa/en/africa-sunculture-obtains-11-million-for-its-solar-powered-irrigation-systems/ https://gggi.org/hybrid-event-green-hydrogen-a-gamechanger-to-achieve-net-zero-in-korea/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_of_mass_destruction https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregreview.org%2F2018%2F11%2F14%2Fkopel-definingassaultweapons%2F&psig=AOvVaw1Kw9ep_F_w6rSQkVfWqxM1&ust=1629120479855000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQ jRxqFwoTCNi584CSs_ICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/664069907530300878/

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DONGHYUN HAN SEOUL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

I had the honor, from 2021 August 3rd to 2021 August 7th, of participating in a program devised by the Hope to the Future Association for students to have a chance to gain deeper knowledge about the UN and the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Sadly, due to covid-19, the classes were online, through zoom. However, it was a great learning experience. While the schedule was rigorous, I gained much knowledge in those 6 days. The program provided the students participating a chance that doesn’t come often, the opportunity to meet actual UN workers and diplomats. One reason the program was such an insightful experience was the way most lectures or speeches were presented. Many of the speakers would try to be interactive, creating chances to talk and ask questions to UN officials and other admirable speakers. The speakers had a lot more experience and knowledge than any of the students in the zoom call, providing new information from different perspectives. The majority of speakers were UN officials and workers who all worked in different departments of the UN. Each department had its own set of priority goals in the 17 SDGs and each speaker presented ideas and information along with these priorities. While all of the speakers were commendable, I had a few in mind after the project was over. The lectures of these individuals strongly appealed to my interests and provided the most valuable information for me because I was genuinely interested in such topics, to begin with.

1. UNDESA: Donald Lee One lecture that was greatly informative and impactful to me was the lecture from Mr.Lee (Donald Lee) about the UNDESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs). In this speech, Mr.Lee emphasized the idea of community, eradicating poverty, and standing for basic human rights. He outlined the idea that the SDGs were meant to lead transformative change. It was very interesting as he said we need to change the basic view of the issues in today’s world. This idea of transforming views is crucial to actually achieving the SDGs. Along with this, Mr.Lee mentioned how SDG 1 (no poverty), is like an “overarching goal” of the SDGs. It’s common knowledge that all of the SDGs are interconnected in one way or the other. However, SDG 1 stands to connect all the goals. The root of many issues in the world could be traced to the high poverty rates. For example, because people can’t buy the necessary food, they suffer from excessive hunger, because people can’t afford proper education, it rises to become an issue. Even the environment is indirectly and directly impacted by poverty. Poverty isn’t something that’s only limited to an individual but countries as a whole. One thing Mr.Lee mentioned that intrigued me was this idea of “brain drain”. The phrase describes the talented and trained individuals leaving their home to a developed or 4th country nation, seeking more economic benefits. This is dreadful to developing nations as it reduces the potential of these countries too, in the future, rise up economically. In order to consult possible solutions, having a deeper understanding of these individual’s minds. Many of the citizens of underdeveloped/developing nations don’t leave just for the high wages but for a better facility, economic support, career options, and general life quality. Simply providing high wages won’t suffice in solving this major issue. Solving the issues regarding a lack of career and facility in developing nations could be the key to stopping or at least greatly reducing brain drain. While it is impossible to match the quality or quantity of economic support and facilities as

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developed nations, the developing nations should focus, potentially with economic assistance from developed nations and international organizations, creating more facilities and flow of information. Ultimately, the innovations and talented minds can change their countries in the future for the better. Also, this speech functioned like a wake-up call. Mr.Lee provided a global definition of absolute poverty for developing nations. The World Bank declared the absolute poverty threshold to be anything under $1.90/day. The data and explanations of Mr.Lee along with extra research showed that poverty, while significantly better than 2 centuries ago (79% aren’t in absolute poverty), is still one of the world’s most prevalent issues. While the poverty rates have fallen from 89% of the world to only 10% today, the breakout of the pandemic has been disastrous for the economy and lives of many citizens in both developing and developed nations. From prior centuries, the average income has greatly risen and more and more job opportunities were presented to the public. These factors led to the rise of the middle class and ultimately a greater economy. However, covid-19 has changed the trajectory of eradicating poverty. In reality, by the end of the SDGs, poverty rates were predicted to be 7%, meaning even without the outbreak of the pandemic, the UN wouldn’t have reached its goal. With the pandemic causing 119-124 million people poverty, SDG1 gets further and further away from being accomplished by 2030. Another aspect of poverty is multidimensional poverty. It was something I never thought of before because poverty, in my mind, was just simply who makes it below the threshold and is unable to maintain a life of necessities. Multidimensional poverty describes poverty that accounts for other intangibles that aren’t considered like poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, disempowerment, poor quality of work, and violence. This idea is essential to understand. When looking at the world with this idea, more people can be categorized as in poverty and ultimately deserve and need help. Multidimensional poverty is a way to accurately discover and represent those who may be making it over the threshold, but living a life worse or similar to those who don’t. When describing the people suffering most, Mr.Lee mentioned that they are usually “invisible”. Immigrants or refugees that are undocumented often live in the worst conditions, isolated from the world. In general, the idea of social exclusion comes from many key factors. Throughout history, groups of people like the Gypsies have been outcasts. Key causes like discrimination, geographical isolation, and lack of methods to announce the views, and ignorance of social rights have and still do form social exclusion. Solutions to social exclusion lie in the acceptance and formation of opportunities of individuals in the groups to become active members of society. I personally felt the most impact when Mr.Lee neared the end of his speech, giving information about what we can do as mere students. In short, what students could do was divided into 5 parts. First, caring and learning more about world hunger, poverty, and the environment. Second, eating, spending, and behaving to fight climate change by repairing and recycling, and reusing. Third, donating whatever someone can, whether it be a large or small amount. Fourth, spreading awareness about the various ways one can help and the urgency of issues like poverty and climate change. Fifth, volunteering time and talent to UN and their activities. Prior to the lecture, I didn’t know there existed so many modes in which I, an underaged student, can contribute to better the world.

In separate, I want to say thank Mr. Lee for the great lecture. I learned just by listening and taking notes. I found various parts of the lecture very fascinating and was introduced to the urgency of the situations. I think the speech worked as an opportunity for me to look deeper into poverty and learn much more about it. I think ideas like multidimensional poverty should be further spread. It broadens the scope so more people can be recognized for the help they need. Overall, it was a very informative lecture and I really enjoyed hearing it.

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2. 이화여자대학교 국제대학원, 카디르 교수님 Another lecture that I appreciated above others was by Mr.Kadir (professor Kadir). Diplomacy was something I was always interested in but didn’t know much about. I think I learned a lot more about diplomacy in general, but what made the speech special was the information about public diplomacy. Mr.Kadir emphasized the importance of public diplomacy and moving away from traditional diplomacy. While traditional diplomacy is much more private and between the delegates of the two or more parties involved, public diplomacy involves the general public. At times, public diplomacy enables the citizens to even encourage the delegates to take a certain action. While the goal for all types of diplomacy is to maintain peace, Mr.Kadir describes public diplomacy as the future. Public diplomacy was explained as a way to “advance a country’s interests in line with its foreign policy objectives.” For example, if Japan and Korea were trying to reach a certain deal, both countries must convince their public of the same. The idea of public diplomacy is something I also agree with. As diplomacy is what largely decides the direction of the country, citizens should be able to intervene and encourage the countries to take action relating to the corresponding interests of their citizens. A country exists to serve the interests of its citizens and ultimately create a world fitting the interests of the citizens. Rather than the traditional style of diplomacy, public diplomacy fits this ideal much more. An interesting part of the speech was when Mr.Kadir explained the different phases of Korean politics and diplomacy. With different presidents, Korea has made different changes. Presidents like Kim Yong Sam and Kim Dae Jung worked on developing an image of Korea, introducing the world of Korean culture and exchanging culture. One expression that I still remember clearly is when Mr.Kadir mentioned Korea’s public image of “Shrimp amongst whales''. This describes the various developed and powerful nations among the Korean Peninsula, when compared makes Korea look like shrimps when they are whales. To grow on par with the other nations like China and Japan near South Korea, it is necessary for Korea to improve the fundamental problems. It’s impossible to truly improve the image of a country if there’s nothing to show for the words. In previous years, Korea has tried to change and reform its image, primarily by marketing. While marketing is important, the most essential is the actions of the country, something Korea must improve upon and take greater measures in. Overall, the speech was very informative and special because it granted me a deeper understanding of politics in general and Korea’s status as of now. Finally, I wanted to say thank you to Mr.Kadir for taking his time to give the lecture. For me, the entire program was an amazing chance to learn and grow as a student. I learned a lot about the UN in general and about the several crucial roles different organizations and sectors of the UN play. Once again, I want to express thanks to all of the speakers and the staff who made the experience possible.

Sources: “About Us.” ShrimpAmongWhales, 23 Aug. 2016, https://shrimpamongwhales.com/about-us/. “Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Seminar in Zagreb.” Council of Europe, 2 Oct. 188AD, https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/news2018/-/asset_publisher/n3Yff4uZZo3L/content/brain-drain. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Goal-1.pdf. Accessed 15 Aug. 2021. Nations, United. “The Transformative Change We Need to Live in Harmony with Nature | United Nations.” United Nations, 20 May 2019, https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/title. “Poverty.” World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty. Accessed 15 Aug. 2021. Project, Borgen. “Reducing the Brain Drain | The Borgen Project.” The Borgen Project, 28 July 2018, https://borgenproject.org/reducing-the-brain-drain/. “Social Inclusion | UN DESA | United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” UN DESA | United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 16 Aug. 2016, https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/key-issues/social.html.

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Jiyu Hong Seoul International School Topic: Global Green Growth Institute’s mission and its relation to other UN Organizations and SDGs Mission: GGGI is a treaty based international, intergovernmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.

Related UN Organizations and Projects Organizations

Relevant Projects

UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change)

Its mission is to boost green growth and resilience to climate change.

UNDP (United Nations Development Program)

Its mission is to promote growth and development of underdeveloped and developing countries.

SEFA (Sustainable Energy for All)

Its mission is to provide all people in the world with easy and equal access to clean and affordable energy sources.

NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions)

Its missions are to embody efforts by each country to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and comply with the Paris Climate Agreement.

SDGs interrelated with GGGI SDGs #7 : Affordable and Clean Energy

Relevance The main SDG that GGGI’s goal and mission is centered on

#8 : Decent Work and Economic Growth

An SDG that is important in GGGI’s plan to encourage and promote economic green growth in developing and emerging economies

#10 : Reduced Inequalities

An SDG that is vital in GGGI's plan to reduce discrimination and rejection in economic sustainability and green growth in poor and

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developing countries. SDG needed to understand GGGI’s mission in places with expensive, hard to access, polluting energy sources

#11 : Sustainable Cities and Communities

An SDG tied with GGGI's main achievement goal to foster global green growth and sustainable and make affordable energy available worldwide to improve civilizations

GGGI’s Global Goal and Missions, SDGs that the organization strives to accomplish, its related and partner organizations, and progress towards achievement. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) strives to replace all polluting and fossil fuel-based energy sources with affordable, safe, and clean energy worldwide in fulfillment of SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). To do this to a better and greater extent, GGGI has allied itself with other organizations such as the UNFCCC, UNDP, SEFA, and NDC. The mission of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change), one of GGGI's partners, is to reduce climate change globally by getting rid of pollutants resulting from fossil fuel-based lifestyles. The two organizations work closely together in their efforts to achieve the global rise in green energy and the eventual decline in the use of unsustainable, polluting energy. They have had some success so far. In some places of the world, renewable energy sources such as solar power are becoming more prevalent. Cars which used to run on gasoline are starting to be turned into electricfueled vehicles instead. Another important partner is the UNDP (United Nation Development Program). The UNDP strives for the world to have safer and more sustainable cities for people to live in. Part of GGGI’s goal includes installing renewable energy sources in civilization to increase their sustainability. Through the collaboration with the UNDP, GGGI has come even closer to achieving MDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Economies) and 7 (Affordable Clean Energy). Specifically, the two organizations have cooperated in their efforts to build new cities and improve existing ones with renewable energy technology and electric cars. Probably the organization that is the most interrelated partner with GGGI is the SEFA (Sustainable Energy for All). As its name implies, the organization has goals almost identical to GGGI’s, which include to promote global green energy growth and ensure renewable energy sources accessible to all. To implement these goals, GGGI and SEFA are collaborating in helping nations invest in creating, innovating, and improving their renewable energy sources. They believe that their cooperation mission will become a global effort in due time and that with the help of willing people, global green growth will be achieved in a short period of time. Finally, there is the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution). This UN organization has its missionaries worldwide. Their action is to embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Additionally, this organization monitors countries to make sure that they are complying with the Paris climate agreement. This organization closely keeps track of each nation’s carbon emissions, while GGGI is working to get rid of those factors and replace them with cleaner ones. In addition to these UN Organizations, GGGI particularly focuses on the following SDGs: SDGs 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). SDGs 7, 8, and 11 are all part of GGGI’s primary mission. SDG 7 is related to GGGI’s hope of increasing global use of green energy. SDGs 11 and 8 are related to GGGI’s efforts to enhance sustainability in cities by reducing polluting forms of energy and replacing them with renewable ones. SDG 10 is related to GGGI’s goal to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth of underdeveloped and developing countries. Even though GGGI has all these other UN organizations reinforcing it, this is not enough; GGGI needs our support to fulfill its mission. As citizens of our planet, all of us have to pay attention to and

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champion GGGI's actions. GGGI itself has stated that it requires additional support from everyone. Every little bit of contribution makes a huge difference in our progress to achieve global green growth, changing all of the world's energy sources into clean, sustainable, and renewable forms of energy. With all this knowledge that we have, it quickly becomes clear what we should do: we need to do our best to support the organization's mission. With that, we just may be able to make a change that brings us one step closer to global greenification.

Reference 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

https://gggi.org/about/ https://sdgs.un.org/goals https://gggi.org/press-release/un-partners-with-global-green-growth-institute/ https://www.un.org/depts/los/Links/UN-links.htm https://www.seforall.org/ https://gggi.org/site/assets/uploads/2020/04/Strategy-2030-EXTERNAL-20200312_FINAL-Web.pdf https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs/nationallydetermined-contributions-ndcs

Topic: UNODA, partnered organizations, and relationship with the SDGs Related UN Organizations Organizations IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) CTBTO (Preparatory Organization)

Commission

for

the

Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban

Treaty

University for Peace Related SDGs UNODA, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, strives to disarm the world. Its mission is simple: to prevent any certain nation from gaining too much military power, to balance the world's military force, and to prevent terrorists or dangerous people and organizations from acquiring arms, as a process of deproliferation. It further endeavors to prevent a nuclear war from happening between the world's superpowers and to keep world peace and security.

SDGs #16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions #15 Life On Land #14 Life Below Water #3 Good Health And Well Being #13 Climate Change

However, this organization doesn’t work alone. The organization allies itself with four other UN organizations including the IAEA, OPCW, CTBTO, and the University for Peace. In cooperation with the IAEA and CTBTO, UNODA deals with two primary weapons of mass destruction classes: nuclear weapons and chemical weapons. The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) monitors the global use of nuclear power sources to prevent their weaponization. It wants to convert some of the world's nuclear power plants that produce weapon grade plutonium to ones that produce economic grade

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plutonium (nuclear energy that is not used in nukes). In addition, the CTBTO (Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization) helps the UNODA deal with deproliferation problems. To be specific, its mission is split into multiple parts: to prevent countries with nuclear weapons from using them in a hostile manner, to make sure countries without nukes are protected as the concept of the nuclear umbrella suggests, and, finally and most importantly, to keep countries without nukes from acquiring and testing them. In addition to all these efforts, UNODA also works to deal with issues related to chemical weapons by enlisting the support from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW seeks to convince each nation to dismantle its chemical weapons and sign treaties and vow to never use these again. Another mission of the OPCW is related to what the UNODA is doing with the IAEA and CTBTO. The OPCW works to prevent any nations without chemical class weapons of mass destruction from obtaining them in any way so as to keep the status quo. Finally, the UNODA works with the University for Peace. The University for Peace centers its mission on preventing usage of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), preventing war between global superpowers notably the USA and Russia, and preventing terrorists or any other anti-humanitarian organizations from getting their hands on these weapons. So far they have been successful and their jobs are being accomplished. Aside from these partnerships with other organizations, UNODA also endeavors to achieve multiple SDGs, including SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), 15 ( Life On Land), 14 (Life Below Water), and 3 (Good Health And Well Being), and 13 (Climate Change). In particular, SDG 16 is interlinked with the goals of UNODA to achieve world peace, free from the threats of WMDs, and it also focuses on applying justice to a nation in case it breaks a treaty on disarmament. The fact that the world hasn’t faced a World War III yet means that the UNODA and its partner organizations listed above are keeping tensions down and not letting any war from being declared. Additionally, their collaborative efforts are persuading more nations to agree to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (the NPT), a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. UNODA hopes for a bright future, a future where humans all over the world live in peace because they know that they don’t have to worry about any conflicts related to WMDs. UNODAs future goal lies in further resolving disarmament related issues.

Reference 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

https://www.un.org/disarmament/#:~:text=UNODA%20%E2%80%93%20United%20Nations%20Office%20 for%20 Disarmament%20Affairs https://www.un.org/disarmament/about/related-links/related-organizations/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/disarmsec/partnerships/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/sustainable-development/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/update/arms-control-2-0-operationalizing-sustainable-development-goals-target-164/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/update/side-event-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-role-of-theoffice-for-disarmament-affairs-regional-centres-for-peace-and-disarmament/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/ https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/text/

Topic: UNICEF’s mission, partnered organizations, and relationship with the SDGs Mission: UNICEF is mandated by the United Nation General Assembly to advocate children’s rights by helping meet their basic needs and expanding opportunities to realize their full potential. Related UN Organizations and Projects

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Organizations ADB (Asian Development Bank) FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) UNAIDS UNDP (United Nations Development Program) UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) UNHRC (The United Nations Refugees Agency) United Nation Working Group on Social Protection UN Women WB (World Bank) WFP (World Food Programme) WHO (World Health Organization)

SDGs interrelated with UNICEF #1 No poverty #2 Zero Hunger #3 Good Health and Well Being #4 Quality Education #5 Gender Equality #6 Clean Water and Sanitation #7 Affordable and Clean Energy #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth #10 Reduced Inequalities #13 Climate Action #16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions #17 Partnership for the Goals

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Since its foundation in 1946, UNICEF has been committed to one goal: to protect children’s rights by helping meet their basic needs and expanding opportunities to reach their full potential. To this end, UNICEF not only provides its own contributions but also partners itself with other UN organizations to better accomplish its goal. First of all, to increase children's access to education, UNICEF enlists the partnership with UNESCO. UNESCO strives to provide any children suffering from the lack of schooling with a quality education that teaches them math, science, history, and other basic academic subjects. UNICEF hopes that uneducated children can learn in a safe environment and live better lives. UNICEF also endeavors to increase economic growth rates and development of underdeveloped and developing countries through cooperation with other organizations such as ADB, OECD, and UNDP. Specifically with the bonus funds from ADB, extra laborers and volunteer workers from the OECD, and agents from the UNDP, UNICEF works to create more sustainable living spaces, safe learning environments, and stronger communities within poor and developing countries. In addition to its efforts to promote education and economic development, UNICEF operates many programs to support refugees from critical conflicts as well as the locals. In order to better the lives of millions of refugees globally, UNICEF has called upon the OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNHRC, and the United Nations working groups on social protection. One of the main problems refugees face is that they are not granted equal rights as citizens of the nation they enter to flee conflict or discrimination. UNHRC seeks to end this inequality issue and establish refugee rights worldwide with the support of UNICEF representatives. Another major problem is that some of the nations that shelter the refugees do not have enough resources and funds to support them, not even their own people. Therefore, UNICEF has been collaborating with UNFPA, which donates or sends funds and supplies to UNICEF officials working in those regions that cannot properly support refugees. UNICEF seeks to provide medical aid and security measures for places where public health and security systems are not established or do not work, causing malnourishment and food security issues. UN organizations such as FAO, UNAIDS, UNODC, WB, WFP, WHO, and UN women stay closely in touch with UNICEF’s agents and volunteer workers to combat these issues. FAO and WFP support UNICEF by donating food packages which contain healthy, nutritious, and safe meals and by helping its representatives increase agricultural development in the region. OHCHR and UN Women are dedicated to advocating human rights and implementing humanitarian laws. Their work is usually centered on poor and developing countries where the topic of human rights is not widely acknowledged or rarely discussed. To prevent possible violence of human rights in these areas, UNICEF has dispatched many humanitarian volunteers to help citizens suffering from human rights abuses and work with locals to solve these issues in a more systematic way. Finally, UNICEF works closely with UNODC and WHO globally to deal with the lack of medical resources for human welfare. UNODC is committed to keeping crime rates down and preventing illegal drugs from entering poor and developing nations. UNICEF provides UNODC agents with statistics of where crime rates are the highest and actively supports their anti-drug actions. On the other hand, WHO is centered on health related issues? The organization dispatches doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to regions where medical facilities and medicines are rare, full of flaws, and too widely dispersed to access. UNICEF guides these medical staff to the places where they are needed and required the most so that people may no longer suffer.

Reference 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

https://www.unicef.org/about-us/missionstatement#:~:text=UNICEF%20is%20mandated%20by%20the,to%20reach%20their%20 full%20potential. https://sdgs.un.org/goals https://www.unicef.org/partnerships https://www.unicef.org/partnerships/public https://www.unicef.org/eca/what-we-do/our-partners https://www.unicef.org/sdgs

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Yuri Hwang Fay School

As I had a chance to participate in this program, I got to think in more of a broader perspective toward the U.N, and I also learned how the 17 SDG goals relate directly to our subsistence. What prompted me to participate in this program was me always wanting to interact with people from different countries and backgrounds and starting to get attention on current global issues. I got a very lucky chance to take various lectures from many lecturers, and every single one of them were very helpful for me as a student and youth. One of my favorite lectures was the meeting with a student of Ivy League school. That was because I am willing to go to a university in the U.S, and relating to the U.N I could ask them several questions I was always willing to ask. From this valuable experience with the U.N, I thought that I should pay more attention to global issues around the world as a youth of Korea.

Minju Kim St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Before the lecture started, I had no idea what the ambassador was going to deliver. At best, I thought it was about what the Republic of Korea achieved in cooperation with the United Nations. This means I thought he will focus a lot on the relationship between the United Nations and Korea. However, the contents of the lecture were unexpectedly more focused on Korea. He talked about the problems of Korea, and how Korea will overcome them, and so forth. This session which was led by Ambassador Cho Hyun was the most memorable to me, and I understood and sympathized well. Since all the questions I kept asking as a Korean citizen were solved through his speech. I was always curious about whether Korea is an advanced country or not. His answer was that Korea is already an advanced country but if we don’t solve these problems then Korea can no longer be an advanced country. The main roles that make Korea an advanced city are supporter and agenda-setter. Korea is a very unique country that has the best conditions as a supporter because it experienced challenges when it developed so it can help other developing countries well. Also, Korea is qualified as an agenda-setter because they overcame all challenges that they had and have a more balanced perspective for mapping out the future. On the contrary, no long-term goals, narrowed focus, and closed mindset is what will be a problem if Korea does not fix it. General Koreans are only focused on their own issues and do not pay attention to the world. To maintain Korea as an advanced country, Koreans need to look and think globally and open their mindset.

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Minseo Kim Daewon International Middle School GGGI Global green growth institute is a treaty based international organization, supporting, developing economies to achieve sustainable inclusive economic growth. Their vision is a low carbon resilient world of strong inclusive and sustainable growth. Its mission is to supports its members in the transformation of their economies to a green growth economic model GGGI’s position is a trusted advisor & development partner embedded in member & partner governments. It is neutral and makes no profit, and rely on donors. GGGI has a unique in-country presence and prominent role as a neutral, trusted advisor and strategic development partner embedded in member and partner governments. GGGI’s operating model maximizes the potential to translate green growth strategies and policies into green investment plans, mobilizing green finance commitments needed to bolster support for low carbon and climate resilient economic development and a strong institutional capacity development. The organization solves complex situations need that need complex solutions.

How does GGGI work? Korean governments and other donor members provide the annual operating budget, and in 2021, is estimated to be 50 million US dollars.

Examples of GGGI projects #1. Floating solar project at Omkar Eshwar Dam, MP Reducing fossil fuel generated energy in India. India, a country that is domineered by agriculture, and employs about 50% of the population, has the largest irrigated areas. Its 26 million groundwater pumps, mainly running on electricity, is an important sector of India’s agriculture. Nonetheless, the water pumps have created numerous hardships for farmers and the government of India. The electricity powered water pumps tend to be capricious, and as some pumps also run-on diesel, it is very high-priced, and both pumps depend on relatively 6 billion USD per year in government aid. It creates an expanse that alter the true cost of manufacturing, leading to farmers wasting electricity and water as there is no possible solution or motivation to save both.

GGGI & Viet Nam green bond readiness program GGGI is documenting a lot of different countries, like the Vietnam green bond readiness program. This program intends on supporting Viet Nam in exploiting the immense possibility of green bonds through a collaboration with GGGI and Luxembourg, bringing together a facility in green finance. This is to augment governmental capacity and the regulatory framework, connected with factual experience administering in green bond dispersion. Being highly defenseless to climate change, and with increasing emissions, the government of Viet Nam (GoV) acknowledges the concern of organizing climate finance, given predictions of USD 30 billion are needed for the green growth strategy by 2030. Also, Viet Nam’s

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NDC establishes a point of 8% minimization of GHG emissions by 2030 with private resources and increases to 25% with international backing.

I researched about GGGI with my teammates as a project. GGGI was fas cinating because I personally am interested with climate change and glo bal action. The training program gave me a chance to learn about numer ous organizations related with climate change including GGGI. The Glo bal Green Growth Institute was indelible because it partners with differe nt countries and is oriented to develop a renewable economy. Preventing Climate change is important, and another task to be accomplished with i t is Global green growth. Not many people are interested with Green eco nomic growth, and most don’t even know about it. I personally didn’t kn ow about green growth, and GGGI gave me a good opportunity to learn, and try to participate to change our economy for renewable green growt h.

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YOUTH STAFF REPORT Youha Lee, Ewha Womans University (Participant for the 13th and the 15th Training Program) “From this experience of participating in this UN Training Program as a staff, I was not only able to learn valuable lessons and be inspired through the speakers but also by the students. Hearing wonderful questions from the students and having the chance to mentor these great students throughout the program, I was more than ever inspired by the pure passion they held to make a sustainable society.” One thing that all the lecturers during this program stressed in common was the importance of youth. They all highlighted that the role of youth is the key to making a sustainable society and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in that the youth are the leaders of the future coming ahead of us. One of the speakers, Denis Godwin Antoine, who gave us the lecture about life as a diplomat, especially inspired me to be the messenger and an ambassador in our daily lives to make our society more sustainable. He mentioned the importance of finding your passion and feeding your mind. Hearing this lecture, I thought over my passion and what really moves me to take action. Thinking, I was able to identify myself as a person who is really passionate about human rights, especially in women’s rights, and making sure that every voice from people with diverse backgrounds (gender, sexuality, race, religion, etc.) is heard. Now that I identified the passion I have, I thought about how I was going to feed my mind to acquire my passion. Right now as a freshman at Ewha Womans University, I am able to learn about gender equality and many other types of equalities to enlarge my knowledge regarding my passion by enrolling in classes such as ‘Gender at Work’ or ‘Sociology of Gender’. Moreover, I am currently a member of the club named “Ewha Nabi (butterfly in Korean)”, which works to raise awareness of the Japanese Military Sex Slavery, taking action to achieve gender equality starting from a historical problem existing in our society. This year, our club has held an exhibition with the topic ‘Japanese Military Sex Slavery: overcoming Hatred and Discrimination’ in Seoul to raise awareness. Also, we have organized a relay-protest in our campus to speak up about the problem and I also participated as one of the speakers. Other than that, I am also organizing a Model United Nations (MUN) training program in my local community to extend the opportunities for teenagers in my community to learn about the global society and actively engage in learning and thinking about the solutions of current issues. I think it’s really important for me and also many youth activists to constantly reflect and think to continuously improve as activists in making a sustainable society. To do that, I believe realizing that there is always room for more learning and taking that realization into action is vital. As a university student, I will try my best to learn more whether that’s in class or various activities, and convert that knowledge into motivation to take action. From this experience of participating in this UN Training Program as a staff, I was not only able to learn valuable lessons and be inspired through the speakers but also by the students. Hearing wonderful questions from the students and having the chance to mentor these great students throughout the program, I was more than ever inspired by the pure passion they held to make a sustainable society. Having participated in this program twice back when I was in high school, the chance to participate in this program again as a staff was very meaningful. Being in a completely different position made another valuable experience for me in that the students’ pure passion reminded me once again what I was really

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passionate about and that I had plenty of room for improvements. I will remember this experience and keep trying to pursue my passion for making a better world for everyone.

Taeeun Kim, Hanyang University (Participant for the 13th Training Program) “ Therefore, I would like to compliment all members for their amazing teamwork, and also thank them for being such a delight for me throughout the program.” Overall, it was a great honor for me to participate in the 17th training program on the United Nations as a staff member. As I personally participated as a high school student in the 13th training session, it was a whole new experience working as a mentor and a member of staff. Being the mentor of team 6 was a great delight for me as all members of the students were highly attentive and absolutely passionate with each and every session throughout the program. Though the entire program was done online due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, there were definite pros and cons about it. We were able to invite great lecturers from around the world, as the online environment eliminated the limitations of space and location. It would have been better if we were all able to meet in New York face to face, but the online platform really enabled us to attend more diverse sessions and meet great lecturers around the world safely. Overall, the great sessions I attended along with the students did enhance my knowledge on the current situation of the SDGs, and also gave me the opportunity to think over the mindset of a global citizen. Despite my role as a mentor and a staff, I was able to participate as a student as well, and give better advice to the team I was in charge of. This program and the students became a trigger to remind me of the responsibility I have as an individual living in this world, and the need to contribute further in making a better and safer environment. Helping team 6 with their presentation allowed me to peek at how students thought about the current situation for SDG 16, and also the ways they cooperated within the limited time. I was surprised by how enthusiastic each and all members were, and the great atmosphere within the team throughout the entire program. Frankly speaking, I did not expect the students to get along smoothly within the limited time, but team6 showed that it was possible, as there were many students with great leadership within the team. In fact, I was amazed by the level of knowledge they had on international affairs and the SDGs, along with their presentation skills at their age. Thus, it was a great honor for me to attend this program as a mentor, working with brilliant and fun students, and I was very proud to watch team 6 earn their ‘Best Proposal Award’. Therefore, I would like to compliment all members for their amazing teamwork, and also thank them for being such a delight for me throughout the program.

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ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Hope to the Future Association

www.hopetofuture.org

Status

NGO Representative at the United Nations Department of Global Communication (UNDGC)

Program

Youth Education Programs and Sponsor Programs supporting the United Nations and its works, Global Citizenship Education Development, and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGS) in both domestic and international level

Website

www.hopetofuture.org

Email Contact

webmaster@hopetofuture.org +82-2-6952-1616

Hope to the Future Association (HFA) is a non-profit organization registered under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. HFA has acquired the status of an associated NGO with UNDPI in June 2014. HFA is deeply committed to supporting youth around the world. Our core value is sustainable support, voluntary participation, international partnerships, and empowering youth.

Main Programs (1) UN Headquarters Training Program in New York and Geneva  Youth UN Training held at the UN Headquarters in Geneva and New York  Attending Lectures by UN High Officials and International Organization Experts such as the Secretary-General of UNEP and the President of General Assembly  Build Professional Knowledge on the SDGs and Global Issues that the UN mainly deals with  Discussion with the UN Ambassador of the Republic of Korea (2) International Model United Nations - ’Yale MUN & Yale MUN Korea’  On February 2018, Hope to the Future Association and the Yale MUN Secretariat signed an official MoU and agreed to a collaborative partnership on organizing YMUN Korea  Participating in International MUN Competitions as Korean Delegation  Attending MUN Training by UN Ambassadors and experts from International Organizations (3) Global Youth Forum on the United Nations – ‘Academic Forum on the United Nations’  The forum is a pedagogical four-day program that aims to improve the degree of understanding and professional knowledge on the UN and the role of International Organization.  The theme of the forum is ‘Sustainable Development Goals and Peace’ (4) Donation Campaign for Children in Africa - ‘Container of Hope’  Sending 40ft long container to African developing countries filled with translated English books, shoes, school supplies gathered from donation campaigns raised by students

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Sponsors Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

en.apu.ac.jp/

Under the principles of “Freedom, Peace and Humanity’, ‘International Mutual Understanding’, and the ‘Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region’, APU was established on April 1, 2000 with the aid of Oita Prefectur, Beppu City and a range of organization and individuals from Japan and overseas. APU’s philosophy is to create a university campus that produces graduates with the skills they need to contribute to international society based on the fundamental principles of Freedom, Peace and Humanity, International Mutual Understanding, and the Future Shape of the Asia Pacific Region. With almost half of the faculty and student body comprised of foreign nationals from all over the world, the University has achieved a truly international campus environment of cultural coexistence. APU has been one of the biggest sponsors of Hope to the Future Association since 2013.

Cooperation Organization Group Programmes Unit, Visitors Services, United Nations Department of Global Communication Hope to the Future Association has acquired the status of an ‘Associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Global Communication’.

https://visit.un.org/

With kind cooperation and support of the DGC Group Programmes Unit, HFA is able to organize a diversified and a high-quality UN Training curriculum the Korean Youth every year. The Visitor Centre provides UN Expert briefings and guided tours to the visitors from around the world.

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ⓒ HOPE TO THE FUTURE ASSOCIATION 2021. All Rights Reserved. All images included in this report are copyrighted to Hope to the Future Association, except for particular images noted with references on the pages. Materials can be freely used for informational purposes only.

Produced by the Education Program Department

Production Director: Jin-Hoan Choung, President and Head Director Production Manager: Jung A Chelsea Pyun, Program Manager Production Officer: Hyeongkyung Ha, Program Officer

Publish Date

1 September, 2021

Publisher

Hope to the Future Association

Address

4F Dana Bldg, Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea 06125

Telephone

+82-2-6952-1616

Fax

+82-2-538-5928

Website

www.hopetofuture.org

Facebook

www.facebook.com/hopetothefuture

outreach@hopetofuture.org

제17기 유엔 전문가 교육 결과보고서 - The 17th Training Program on the United Nations Final Report