Economic and Social Council

Economic and Social Council Background Guide The United Nations largest and most complex subsidiary body is the Economic and Social Council or as it is more commonly referred to, ECOSOC. Established in 1967 along with the amendment to the UN Charter, ECOSOC was the first major council created to work with the global issues not pertaining to security and war. The ECOSOC is the only council that may give consultative status to non-governmental organizations or NGOs. There are three types of consultative status that a NGO can receive, these include: general status, special status, and roster NGOs. General status is gives permission to speak in front of the delegation; special status allows for papers to be given to the delegation; and the Roster NGOs are considered experts on specific topics and are consulted when their expertise could be useful. At the start of the NGO integration process in 1945, there were 41 organizations given consultative status. Today these numbers have grown to 3,900. These NGOs aid the Council in its decision making and are integral to ECOSOC functions. I: The Social and Economic Consequences of Religious Intolerance In a world that has become increasingly interconnected, it is more important now than ever for countries to promote the tolerance of religious differences that exist within and between them. Whether the incentive relates to building stronger economies or building stronger societies, religious tolerance benefits the international community. While some countries have embraced this idea of religious tolerance to promote the betterment of the masses, others have struggled with the implementation of practices that combat religious intolerance and its effects on both the economy and society as a greater whole. Economic consequences as results of religious intolerance are grave and can damage or hinder economic development. Between 2008 and 2012 the twelve most religiously diverse countries were found to have above average economic growth, noting the idea that religious tolerance has positive effects on the business world. 1 Religious tolerance allows business to flourish. If peace between business parties is a concern in a certain country or region, foreign investors are less likely to trust the stability of businesses in that particular area. 2 In addition to business stability, the overall hiring practice is affected by an intolerance of religion, as discrimination based on religion in business environments decreases economic output. 3 In 1 Grim, Brian, The link between economic and religious freedoms, World Economic Forum, 18 Dec, 2014 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 1

India, one of the world s fastest growing economies, religious intolerance in the form of Hindu nationalism has been a deep concern. This intolerance hurts the prospects of investing and the overall economic wellbeing of the growing nation and contributes to hostilities between Hindus and Muslims in particular, creating an environment that is unappealing to foreign investment. 4 Tourism, the main industry of many countries around the world, directly relates to national peace, particularly in regards to religious tolerance. In the United States, where tourism makes up 33 percent of the country s service exports 5, religious tolerance is vital in keeping tourism a stable sector of the economy. It is reported that tourists from Muslimmajority countries in the Middle East spend nearly $2000 more than European tourists in the United States, leading to greater investment in the United States service sector and economy as a whole. 6 On the other hand, countries like Japan and Australia that have embraced Muslim tourism expect to see increases in spending by Muslim tourists, with the 2020 projection of the international impact of Muslim tourism expected to climb to $192 billion. 7 Embracing tourism from Muslim countries can contribute to immense economic benefits as international Muslim tourism is projected to increase at a faster rate of 4.79 percent than the average rate of international tourism of 3.8 percent until at least 2020. 8 The prospects of economic growth through a diversity of religious institutions are also hindered by the reality of religious intolerance around the globe. Cities with a wide diversity of religious congregations enjoy millions of dollars worth of direct investment into their local economies, stemming from both direct spending activities and activities related to education and health services. 9 Benefits of a diversity of religious institutions are felt across religious lines. In Indonesia, for example, the building of a Christian congregation, though faced with opposition in this Muslim-majority country, succeeded because Muslim residents were able to work as parking attendants. This type of relationship between religions provides employment opportunities and encourages cooperation between parties to promote economic achievement. 10 Societal consequences of religious intolerance exist in forms of discrimination as well as xenophobia. Across Europe and North America, Muslim women wearing hijabs and other traditional articles of clothing have faced discrimination due to their religion from employers 4 Iyengar, Rishi, Top Indian Business Leaders Warn Growing Religious Intolerance May Harm the Economy, Time, 01 Nov, 2015 5 Select USA, Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Spotlight, International Trade Administration, 2015 6 Hyde, Rachael, The Economic Impact of Banning Muslims from the U.S., Investopedia, 13 Jan, 2016 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Grim, Brian, The link between economic and religious freedoms, World Economic Forum, 18 Dec, 2014 10 Crouch, Melissa, Religious intolerance and law reform challenges in Indonesia, East Asia Forum, 20 Jun, 2012 2

and businesses, and the community at large. 11 Furthermore, reported hate crimes against religious minorities rose 86 percent globally from May 2016 to May 2017, 12 with Muslims, Christians, and Jews being main targets across the world. Countries with higher populations of migrants in the European Union, such as Germany and France, have also seen massive spikes in reports of hate crimes, 13 leading to questions of regional instability and social injustice. Religious intolerance has drastic effects on the overall societal wellbeing of a nation, noting that lack of tolerance leads to distrust. In Europe from 1984 to 2010 data collected showed that individuals who mistrusted Jews did not invest money in the stock market, 14 pointing to a societal consequence that goes beyond a distrust of the financial system. While Europe s long history with anti-semitism is mainly thought of as a problem of the past, recent years have brought an increased rate of hate towards Jews. In Greater London alone, 2016 saw an increase of 65%in incidents of anti-semitism. 15 This increase has led to fears of a new wave of discrimination that Europe hasn t seen since the end of World War II. Furthermore, the added concern that children of religious minority groups will experience greater discrimination and intolerance has only worsened the overall mentality of minorities futures across Europe. The future of modern society depends on religious tolerance. Because of the world s greater economic interdependence, business growth relies on peaceful relationships between countries of differing religious majorities, while societal advancement is contingent upon understanding and acceptance of religious diversity. The international community is called to address the growing anxieties of religious minorities around the world and the Economic and Social Council holds responsibility to defend the fight against religious intolerance. Questions to Consider: How can the UN respond to growing religious intolerance across national borders? Why is the issue of religious intolerance of international concern, rather than national? What is the role of each individual country in determining solutions to its consequences of intolerance? II: Family Poverty and Social Exclusion The issue of global poverty has long been at the forefront of United Nations policy goals. As a multifaceted issue, the persistence of poverty can be directly tied to a number of other global issues including health, democratization, economic development, and conflict. The issue of poverty, however, 11 Ahmed, Sofia, Europe has started to enshrine Islamophobia into law history tells us this can t end well, The Independent, 14 Mar, 2017 12 Wilt, Evan, Religious hate crimes are on the rise, World, 02 May, 2017 13 Penzien, Ericha, Xenophobic and Racist Hate Crimes Surge in the European Union, Human Rights Brief, 28 Feb, 2017 14 Mordfin, Robin, Why intolerance is bad for business, Chicago Booth Review, 01 Mar, 2016 15 Sherwood, Harriet, Reports of antisemitic incidents increase to record levels in UK, The Guardian, 01 Feb, 2017 3

is unique in many ways, particularly in that it is sustained within family units and can often lead to social and political exclusion. Currently, at least 767 million people across the globe live on less than $1.90 per day. 16 The majority of these 767 million people, half of whom are under 18 years of age, live in rural areas and often lack proper education. 17 Because of their low educational attainment, the global poor are usually employed in agriculture with low wages. 18 The low wages earned under the global agriculture system keep many people and their families in extreme poverty. The issue of family poverty extends beyond just poor agriculture workers, however, with inherited family poverty being an issue in nearly every corner of the globe. In Slovakia, though a wealthier Western nation, children with poverty-stricken parents have a 94.4% chance of finding themselves in the same situation. 19 Slovakia is not alone in this statistic as communities across the globe experience similar realities. The Economic and Social Council recognizes the goal to eradicate global poverty in its Poverty eradication resolution (E/RES/2012/9), in which the Council states in the preamble that extreme poverty persists in regions across the world, though many regions have made great strides in reducing poverty amongst its population. 20 In 2000 the United Nations established the goal of cutting the global poverty rate in half by 2020 and by 2015, five years ahead of schedule, the UN achieved its goal. 21 One of the greatest factors that put people at risk of social exclusion and poverty is low education. In Europe alone, individuals with a low education are three times more likely to experience social exclusion than those with a higher educational attainment. 22 Children in many countries experience a lifetime of poverty and exclusion due to a lack of education. In South Africa, there is a major disproportion in education between races and most children that are born into poverty remain in poverty for the entirety of their lives. 23 Though education is available for many across the world, educational attainment is often hindered by poverty and the need to support a family. In Latin America, roughly 40% of youth drop out of high school, 24 largely due to the impoverished circumstances of students families in the region. Children and teenagers are oftentimes unable to finish their education due to the high costs of education in many countries, or the sacrifices made by families to allow their children to attend school. 16 The World Bank, Poverty Overview, The World Bank, 02 Oct, 2016 17 Ibid. 18 Compassion International, Quick Facts About Poverty, Compassion International, 2017 19 Statistics Explained, Europe 2020 indicators poverty and social exclusion, 19 Jul, 2017, Eurostat 20 Economic and Social Council resolution 2012/9, Poverty eradication, E/RES/2012/9 (6 Sep, 2012), available from http://undocs.org/e/res/2012/9 21 The Economist, The world has made great progress in eradicating extreme poverty, The Economist, 30 Mar, 2017 22 Eurostat, Europe 2020 indicators poverty and social exclusion, Eurostat, 19 Jul, 2017 23 SAHRC and UNICEF, Poverty Traps and Social Exclusion Among Children in South Africa, South African Human Rights Commission, 2014 24 Gomes, Dr. Christina, Policy response to recent trends in family poverty and social exclusion, UNDESA, 15-17 May, 2012 4

The social exclusion that comes from poverty, and/or lack of education, can have devastating effects on the individual. A health study in 2013 measured the hormone balances of men and women that have experienced social exclusion in their lives. This research showed that hormone levels decreased as a result of social exclusion in both men and women, indicating the negative mental health effects that it has on an individual. 25 Furthermore, the psychological impacts of social exclusion harm children, who grow up in environments of decreased confidence and overall wellbeing. Children with a single parent are often more vulnerable to lifetimes of poverty, judging by a rate of 47.9% in Europe with higher rates possible in rural settings. 26 Furthermore, because of the lasting affects of poverty, individuals for generations and often denied or unable to access the social resources available to them, leading to exclusion from their communities. Though the global rate of poverty has decreased, Sub-Saharan Africa has yet to see a decrease in its poverty level. The number of those in poverty across the region has actually doubled from 1981-2010, and the region as a whole accounts for over a third of the world s extreme poor, though accounting for only 11 percent of the world population. 27 Due to the rural distribution of the region s population, many people lack access to the resources that are more commonly available in urban centers. A decline in agricultural output has also burdened Sub-Saharan Africa, due to dry land that makes productive farming difficult. 28 In addition, persistent family poverty leads to generations of family members facing social exclusion, leading to further unemployment and societal abandonment. In addition, the decreased rates of poverty have induced new problems across the region and the world. Income inequality has increased by 11 percent between 1990 and 2010 in developing nations, which include the majority of Sub-Saharan African nations. 29 This issue introduces the idea that the decrease in poverty is not a decrease for all and many people around the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, now face greater inequalities in daily life. While the international community has recognized the global need for poverty reduction and social inclusion, some countries have taken their own steps to decrease poverty. China, a country that saw 600 million of its inhabitants lifted out of poverty from 1983 to 2013, developed a plan to invest in agriculture that encouraged economic growth. 30 In conjunction with the World Food Programme, the Chinese government established agricultural projects around the country that encouraged ordinary Chinese agricultural workers to take leadership, rather than a higher-status individual taking charge. This action taken by the Chinese government served as a model for developing nations. By investing in soft infrastructure, such as agriculture, developing countries can influence their poorer inhabitants to take 25 Seidel, E.M. et al. The Impact of Social Exclusion vs. Inclusion on Subjective and Hormonal Reactions in Females and Males. Psychoneuroendocrinology38.12 (2013): 2925 2932. PMC. Web. 11 Aug. 2017. 26 Statistics Explained, Europe 2020 indicators poverty and social exclusion, 19 Jul, 2017, Eurostat 27 The World Bank, Remarkable Declines in Global Poverty, But Major Challenges Remain, The World Bank, 17 Apr, 2013 28 Forgét, Josh, 5 Poverty Statistics on Sub-Saharan Africa, The Borgen Project, 27 Jul, 2013 29 The United Nations News Centre, Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries, The United Nations, 2017 30 Shih, Toh Han, China s formula to reduce poverty could help developing nations, South China Morning Post, 29 Mar, 2013 5

part in the invested industry. Furthermore, increased trade between developing and developed nations could be the key to additional economic success across the developing world. The rate of global poverty has fallen and families across the globe have seen the benefits of higher rates of employment, education, and health care access. With an achieved goal of cutting the rate of global poverty in half, and thus increasing the economic and social participation of individuals, the United Nations must take the next step in the fight against worldwide poverty. Questions to Consider: Despite decreased rates around the world, what are the next steps for the international community to take in the fight against global poverty? Why is the issue of social exclusion important in the fight against poverty worldwide? How should the Economic and Social Council address the issue of children remaining in the same economic situation as their parent(s)? 6