Committee: UNDP

Topic: POST-2015 POVERTY REDUCTION AGENDA

Country: Brazil
Delegates name: Tran Thu Trang

Under the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) of the United Nations (UN), Brazil committed
to promoting economic growth with advanced social justice in order to end extreme poverty.
Owing to government policy, Brazil has achieved its own Millennium Development Goal to
decrease extreme poverty of 2007 to of the level experienced in 1990 (25.6%).1 However, there
are still the existence of failures in social programmes, human right inequality in farming land
possession and unsustainable agriculture.
As poverty and inequality reduction is the priority to the Government of Brazil, a great number of
social programmes have been launched and their achievements have seen as an example for the
other developing countries in the similar problems. In an attempt to tackle poverty, Brazil realized
the important role of cash transfer measure, which targeted at poor families (Conditional Cash
Transfers). CCTs strategy was implemented in series of programs including Bolsa Famlia (one of
3 main pillar of Fome Zero). This program provides direct monetary benefits to poor families, in
exchange for children attending school, regular medical checkups, and other incentives to
promote the educative, nutritional, health, and social development of families, and particularly of
children. 2 After 10 years being launched, Bolsa Famlia has seen a great achievement in
improving living conditions of people live in poverty, benefitting 12.8 million families in 2011
and lifting 12.2 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2008.3
However, Bolsa Famlia still faces challenge with the quality of social services in several
communities when children receive the monetary benefit low-quality schools and healthcare. In
addition, despite the fact that the Fome Zero program which strengthens small-scale and familybased agriculture boosted the average family farm income by 33% against an average overall rise
of just 13%, there is an existence of its social impact and environmental sustainability. Natural
resources are exploited irresponsibly. More internal territorial disputes between landless peasants
and landowners happened as just 3% of the population owns more than 2/3 of land and more than
50% of farmland lies unused.4 Brazil would suggest the agrarian reform in which everyone is
allowed to own the same area of farming land. Tax of farming land should be imposed on

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

landowners who currently possess or wish to get larger piece of farming land. The government of
Brazil will use this tax to improve the quality of social services in both training and facilities.
Lastly, Brazil would deeply appreciate to receive the support of international organizations and
consultant from experts in sustainable agriculture field.
THE END

Position paper
Name of council : UNDP
Country: Brazil
Delegates name: Trinh Mai Anh
Topic: Disaster relief

Even though it is currently possible to predict most natural disasters and minimize their
consequences, major social impacts still have been seen over recent decades. Disasters such as
earthquakes (Haiti 2010), tornadoes, tsunami, hurricanes, heat waves, mudslides and floods result
in economic depression, public health crisis and loss of human life. UNDP is responsible for
developing the capacity of governments in over 60 countries to respond to disasters and mitigate
the risk they pose through guiding policy, training communities and first responders, integrating
disaster risk reduction strategies into national development plans.
UNDP has succeeded in minimizing environmental threats to human well-being from the
environmental causes and consequences of conflicts and disasters. UNDP spends an average of
over US$ 150 million annually to increase resilience to natural hazards.
One of the best way to face up with natural hazards is disaster preparedness, which reduces the
risk of loss lives and injuries and increases a capacity for coping when hazard occurs.
Moreover, countries should build their capacity to integrate environmental considerations into
development plans and strategies, establish effective partnerships, secure resources, and
implement programmes to support people to survive through disasters.
Brazil has long been a supporter of disaster risk reduction and a contributor to the UN Trust Fund
for Disaster Reduction, which was set up in 2000 to finance UNISDR through voluntary
contributions. Its government has also been an active advocate for risk reduction, with particular
emphasis on education.
In Brazil, the disaster management plan is known as the National Civil Defense System
(SINDEC). Coordination of SINDEC falls to the National Secretariat of Civil Defense (SEDEC),
which is connected to a branch of the Ministry of National Integration. SEDEC bears
responsibility for coordinating disaster management across all levels in Brazil. The Brazilian
government has agreed to open a Centre of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction to improve
the countrys disaster readiness. One of the Centres main tasks is to support Brazils efforts to
strengthen disaster risk reduction and to support policies for disaster risk reduction through a
mechanism called the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in close collaboration with
the National Secretariat of Civil Defense and other state entities.
Source: http://www.unisdr.org/archive/24792