Two blocks and one only possible resolution

The delegation of Nepal working hard. (Julia Arija)

Third day in UNDP feels like the conference is coming to its end and it is time to reach an agreement for Zero Hunger Challenge for 2030 in order to write down a final resolution.
 
Morning session was dedicated to debate if there is a real difference between the United Nations member countries. Powerful countries (Australia, UK, Mexico, France) stated that there is no discrimination to developing countries. In fact, they declared this difference does not exist. Nevertheless, countries such as Thailand and Venezuela clearly confirmed the discrepancy. Senegal even added that this is not an issue about developed and less developed countries but about rich and poor countries.

​In the afternoon the blocks were particularly outlined. On one side Japan, Hungary, Mexico, France, UK, Egypt, Germany, Israel, Australia, Peru and USA presented their common ideas. These countries are so called the developed countries and their working paper highlights are to incentivize agriculturally based innovation to ensure fair trade market, to improve rural areas technology, utilize food waste to create compost and to promote green economy, among others. In other words, these countries aim to lead to a sustainable world, and end world hunger and eradicate and raise awareness on malnutrition in all its forms. On the other side, Venezuela and Senegal leaded the opposite block. Redistribution of land, upgrade of trade and communications in rural areas, better women’s education, renovation of traditional farming methods and creation of renewable energy farms in the countryside are the main points of this block’s resolution.

Discrepancy has been brought as developed countries claimed that less developed countries lack of technology so they will not make it possible to accomplish their working paper proposal. The fear less developed countries feel is that richer countries will use them in order to get benefit of them. As a result, France, which is willing to take the lead, has stated that rich countries are ‘there’ to help the other block countries, and not to colonize them, as South Africa had previously mentioned. Also USA, which continued denying the existence of climate change, said that Venezuelan block does not have enough resources. “Is USA delegation saying China is not powerful?” Venezuelan delegate replied.

Countries are confronted and they must reach an agreement to answer Zero Hunger Challenge for 2030. Although their working paper has similar general ideas; until now, absolute agreement between all of them seems tough since each block defends their specific proposal points and is not willing to modificate them.