Rocky River High School Position Paper for the United Nations
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Delegation from: Bangladesh Represented by: Rocky River High School Position Paper for the United Nations Environment Programme The issues before the Environment Programme are: Combatting the Illicit Trade in Endangered Animals and Animal Products; and the International Transportation of Hazardous Waste. Bangladesh is committed to protecting their wildlife and being cautious and careful with its hazardous waste. I. Combatting the Illicit Trade in Endangered Animals and Animal Products Overtime, South Asia has become a lucrative location for the illegal poaching and trading of endangered animals. Due to its prime location on near the Bay of Bengal and with its massive expanses of rich land, illegal hunters have had a field day demolishing the species that live there. Bangladesh has stepped up and began enforcing protective measures that are hoping to make a significant impact. The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network has reported an increase in tiger parts being poached and traded in and around South Asia. These hunters are criminals with massive operations spanning multiple countries, which is what makes it so difficult for Bangladesh to conquer this problem on their own. So effective plans of action of been introduced. Sponsored by the First World Bank of South Asia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India have combined forces to create the Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection (SRCWP). This plan was approved in June of 2011 and will cost 2.25 million US dollars, to support Bhutan. It’s course of action is to unite South Asia tackling illicit trade with incentives and knowledge. It is built on a three pillar plan to be executed. The first step being the administrative standpoint. The SRCWP is instituting training programs, creating regional harmony among these countries and strengthening legislative frameworks. The second component is just generally promoting wildlife conservation throughout Asia. The third and final piece is focusing on project communications. This will help keep the plan flowing smoothly by working with many divisions of animal and land protection such as the Wildlife Conservation Division, the Royal Government of Bhutan, Department of Forest and Park Services, etc. Many results have been attained due to the success of this project. Bangladesh has approved the Wildlife and Conservation Act. There has been the arrest one 171 wildlife offenders since April of 2012 and the rescue of 5235 animals that were in danger of being killed for profit. The Bangladesh Forest Department has begun to take detailed and involved censuses of Bengal tigers to be able to constantly track their well being, contributing to the knowledge component of the SRCWP. To go along with the the census the National Tiger Recovery Plan is underway. More than 800 Bangladeshi forest officials have received in- country training as a result of the SRCWP to help educate them on the dangers of poachers and how to protect the land. Looking to the future, Bangladesh and the rest of South Asia are moving in the right direction. Laws must be enforced and agreement between countries is necessary for this movement to flourish, which so far it has been able to accomplish. Through the Memoranda of Understanding Bangladesh has shown its commitment and effort to wildlife causes throughout its country. II. International Transportation of Hazardous Waste The transportation of hazardous waste is an issue increasing in correspondence to the growing economies and societies of the world. Hazardous waste is majorly detrimental to environmental health as well as human health, and is an issue that should not be ignored. Multiple organizations are working in the favor of the environment and human health, including the GEF (Global Environment Facility). Hazardous waste is extremely impactful on the environment so there is a vital focus on its transport. The current plan in place has three parts (I) “Institutional capacity and Policy Instruments”, (II) “Scientific and Technical Knowledge and Tools for sound chemicals management”, (III) “Scientific and Technical Knowledge and Tools for sound waste management”. The amount of hazardous waste is rapidly increasing which led the UNEP Council to pass the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal in 1989 and put it into action on May 5, 1992. The focus of this convention is to reduce international transportation and aim to treat hazardous waste as close to the source as possible, as to prevent any dangerous mishaps. In our country, the management and transportation of hazardous waste is of utmost importance as we have recently advanced quickly economically and industrially. According to “Hazardous Waste Management In Bangladesh: A Country Inventory” published in October of 2010, the production of hazardous waste in Bangladesh is a central issue. It can be noted that our country are signatories of both the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). Our country also recognizes that it is within our responsibilities to treat cases of hazardous waste within our boundaries. It can also be noted that the import of any type of waste must be approved by the Bangladeshi government. This delegation aims to work towards international solutions on the concern of hazardous waste transportation. The focus this delegation will take will be on international legislation that works towards minimizing international transport of hazardous waste. Our country would like to focus on the construction of environmental agencies as well as convention to set standards and protocols for waste transport. It will be difficult to impose the international laws on our country alone so this delegation would like to move towards an international enforcement solution. Our country would also like to move towards a more environmentally-conscience future. Delegation from: the Federative Republic of Brazil Represented by: Rocky River High School Position Paper for the United Nations Environment Programme The issues before the United Nations Environment Programme are: Combatting the Illicit Trade in Endangered Animals and Animal Products; and International Transportation of Hazardous Waste. The Federative Republic of Brazil is devoted to helping countries around the world fight the illicit trading of endangered animals and their products. Brazil is also dedicated to improving the regulation of transportation of hazardous waste. As a country, Brazil hopes that with the help of other nations and delegations, these issues can be thoroughly resolved. I. Combatting the Illicit Trade in Endangered Animals and Animal Products The Federative Republic of Brazil is the most biologically diverse country in the world with nearly sixty thousand different species of amphibians, birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants. Rainforests cover three fifths of the entire area of Brazil providing an ideal habitat for these animals, including the hundreds that are endangered. These endangered animals are considered valuable, so they are often targeted by poachers who intend to trade them and their products illegally and for a profit. Poaching and illegal wildlife trade poses a great threat to hundreds of animals around the world. Each year, hundreds of millions of animals are caught and killed and then sold as pets, food, and animal products. In the recent months, Brazil has seen a devastating upsurge of this illegal hunting and trade. Around 4 million animals are removed from their natural habitats in Brazil and sold for profit. The biggest victims are Brazilian songbirds and other bird species that are rare and endangered, making them much more valuable. Illegal trade is on the rise in this country partly due to the trafficking networks available. To combat this issue, Brazil is a member of multiple international organizations that work to stop this trade and save the animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has set up organizations throughout Brazil and has aided in preventing illegal trade. Also, the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has not only helped many countries combat this problem, but has made many advances in stopping this trade. Groups like Freeland Brazil and SOS Fauna are working with law enforcement to ensure offenders are punished. The Federative Republic of Brazil is calling for a resolution to end illicit trade over a long period of time. Along with groups like Freeland Brazil, the delegation is interested in a three-pillar approach to this problem; one focusing on education, support for law enforcement, and scientific research. Since legislation and law enforcement is an aiding force in the continuation of this trade, we must make a change to the government’s protocol. Education can inform people about the dangers that this trading poses to the ecosystem, while the scientific research will help organizations and the government. With this three-pillar system, Brazil and other nations can combat the illicit trading of endangered species. II. International Transportation of Hazardous Waste Over time, there has been an obvious increase in the amount of waste our world creates, and problems that have been created due to their disposal. Industrial waste in Brazil is handled by third-party companies, and little attention is given to treatment logistics and the final disposal of these wastes. There are a very small number of sites for industrial