Committee: UNICEF

Country: United Arab Emirates

Organization: Best Delegate

Delegates: X and Y

Topic: Housing Insecurity for Children

Topic Background

Throughout recent years, housing insecurity has become increasingly prevalent

nationally, regionally, and internationally. These effects have been especially devastating for

children who are victims of it. This issue started becoming exponentially worse during the

COVID-19 pandemic when many individuals lost their sources of income. When these workers

lost their jobs, due to the lack of demand for their services, many families could not pay their

rent or mortgage. Housing insecurity can be broken down into, and related to, various factors,

including natural disasters, food insecurity, and even mass migration. For example, if a nation

does not have adequate preparatory programs for natural disasters, the damages caused by these

catastrophes could leave many homeless. In addition, due to economic disparities between the

upper and lower classes, some families do not have access to high-quality food options or, in

some cases, any food in general. Lastly, a more recent cause for housing insecurity is mass

migration, which is prevalent in Africa. Indeed, it is reported that around 40,000 people move to

Africa daily,1 making a lack of available housing a substantial issue.

1
“Africa Housing Forum in Nairobi Highlights Need for Innovative and Inclusive Approaches to Solve Housing Challenges,”
Habitat for Humanity, May 13, 2022,
[Link]
Country Policy

In the United Arab Emirates, while housing may be available to some, it is costly, meaning that a

large portion of the population struggles to afford it. Due to the number of economic

opportunities in the United Arab Emirates, a staggering 88% of the population comprises migrant

workers.2 Before the pandemic, these workers could only narrowly afford housing, as despite the

abnormally high cost of living, the positions they held paid decently well for the most part.

Unfortunately, after the pandemic hit, many workers lost their jobs and could not afford rent.

Sadly, this has continued to this day; however, the government has made several attempts to

solve this problem. Firstly, the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program has recently been established,

which aims to provide government housing to all citizens in the United Arab Emirates. Similarly,

in Abu Dhabi, the president of the emirate recently ordered “the distribution of Dh1.5 billion

($410 million [USD]) worth of housing benefits to Abu Dhabi citizens.”3 This money is intended

to assist families currently struggling with housing loans, specifically those who have lost their

primary source of paying off their mortgage. Addressing the issue of housing insecurity should

be at the forefront of the United Nations’ proceedings as it is in line with Sustainable

Development Goal Number 11, which states that: “By 2030, [the United Nations will] ensure

access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing.”4 Overall, to continue being a

progressive nation, despite the setbacks of COVID-19, the United Arab Emirates is actively

trying to limit housing insecurity.

2
"Countries With The Highest (And Lowest) Proportion Of Immigrants". Visual Capitalist, 2022,
[Link] Accessed 5 Mar 2023.
3
Forster, Sarah. “President Sheikh Mohamed Orders Dh1.5bn of Housing Benefits for Abu Dhabi Citizens.” The National, The
National, 12 July 2022,
[Link]
r-abu-dhabi-citizens/.
4
"Goal 11 | Department Of Economic And Social Affairs". [Link], 2023, [Link] Accessed 8 Mar
2023.
Proposed Solutions

Currently, housing insecurity is such a widespread and vast issue that no one solution will

resolve the problem as a whole. One possible United Nations-driven solution that would mitigate

the number of children affected by this issue would be to create a program dedicated to providing

affordable housing to struggling citizens that could be modeled after the previously mentioned

Sheikh Zayed Housing Program. This would be called the AHA (Affordable Housing for All)

Fund. The World Bank and participating member states would be responsible for contributing to

this fund. This would operate under the United Nations Habitat programme, which aims to

“promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing

adequate shelter for all.”5 The day-to-day operations of this fund would resemble those of the

United Nations Environment Fund, which operates under the United Nations Environment

Programme. The AHA Fund differentiates itself from other funds by providing participating

members with the funding and resources necessary to effectively implement their government’s

housing programs. Given the United Arab Emirates’ experience with said programs, it becomes

apparent why this global fund would model the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, given its recent

successes. This will include monitoring by United Nations representatives to ensure that the

housing established is offered to citizens who meet the economic threshold of “poverty” for each

respective nation. In the United States, for example, this is $35,801 USD per year6. In

conclusion, by implementing affordable housing solutions, therefore mitigating housing

insecurity, the United Nations can ensure that children will be able to mature in safe, healthy, and

5
Sundholm, Mattias. “UN-Habitat: United Nations Human Settlements Programme - Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on
Youth.” Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, 19 Nov. 2018,
[Link]/youthenvoy/2013/08/un-habitat-united-nations-human-settlements-programme/#:~:text=The%20United%20Nations
%20Human%20Settlements,providing%20adequate%20shelter%20for%20all.
6
US Census Bureau. “How The Census Bureau Measures Poverty.” [Link], 30 Jan. 2023,
[Link]/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/[Link]#:~:text=Step%201%3A%20Determine%20the
%20family's,threshold%20(below)%20is%20%2435%2C801.
nurturing environments. This in turn, will improve the physical and mental health of children,

allowing them to be better off economically, and give their children the kind of housing that they

were not able to have.

Topic: Literacy Education for Children

Topic Background

While reading and writing have existed for millenia, literacy has only become widespread

fairly recently. The spread of literacy truly began with the invention of the printing press, as

before its conception only 30,000 books existed within Europe. By the year 1600, there were 150

million of them.7 This allowed far more access to books and written materials, allowing the

average person to have a need to be literate. This increase in literacy is best demonstrated by the

United Kingdom and the Netherlands, both of whom had literacy rates below 20% in 1550, but

had literacy rates of 54% and 85% respectively by 1750.8

Historically, literacy rates have been strongly correlated with access to education. This is

due to schools teaching reading and writing skills from a young age. Given this, literacy rates are

also strongly correlated with factors that impact access to education, such as gender, class, and

geographical location. Thus, when looking to improve literacy, these factors all must be

considered.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education, references the

importance of literacy in target 4.6, in which the United Nations expresses a desire for all youth

7
Mark Cartwright, “The Printing Revolution in Renaissance Europe,” World History Encyclopedia, November 2, 2020,
[Link] [Link]/article/1632/the-printing-revolution-in-renaissance-europe/.
8
“Literacy,” Our World in Data, accessed September 26, 2022, [Link]
to be literate by 2030.9 As our world gets closer to 2030, it will become essential for a stronger

global effort to combat illiteracy.

Country Policy

The United Arab Emirates has an extremely strong literacy rate, with 98% of people 15

years of age and older in the country being considered literate.10 This high literacy rate can be

primarily attributed to the United Arab Emirates’ compulsory education for all people until they

reach 18 years of age or complete Grade 12 in their schooling.11

The United Arab Emirates views the ability to use technology as relevant when

discussing literacy. In the present day, being technologically literate is one of the most important

skills for any person to have, so it is essential that any education system uses technology. The

United Arab Emirates does this through the implementation of technology in learning

environments. The United Arab Emirates has invested in implementing technology in libraries,

allowing students not only to develop traditional literacy but technological literacy as well in

these spaces.12 These technologies are interactive learning spaces, where youth can explore

various facets of technology that interest them, including virtual reality, video recording and

editing, coding and robotics.13

9
United Nations, “Education - United Nations Sustainable Development,” United Nations Sustainable Development (United
Nations, 2020), [Link]
10
World Bank, “Literacy Rate, Adult Total (% of People Ages 15 and Above) - United Arab Emirates | Data,”
[Link], 2021,
[Link]
11
“Government’s Efforts to Eradicate Illiteracy - the Official Portal of the UAE Government,” [Link], n.d.,
[Link]
12
“How UAE Educators Are Looking to Redefine Literacy for Children,” euronews, November 8, 2019,
[Link]
13
Bank, “Literacy Rate,”
 Additionally, the United Arab Emirates’ incorporation of technology in education is

expanded upon by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program. The Mohammad Bin

Rashid Smart Learning Program consists of “Smart Classes” in schools, during which students

will use smart devices to acquire knowledge.14 This program both ensures access to information

for students and teaches them valuable technological skills, allowing them to better prepare

themselves for the future.

Proposed Solutions

The delegation of the United Arab Emirates believes that the most effective way to

improve literacy globally is through redefining literacy itself. While being able to understand

written and printed texts is still an important part of society, being able to use technology is even

more so in the present day. A more accurate definition of literacy will allow countries to more

accurately assess the effectiveness of their education programs in preparing children for the

future.

Another essential solution to improve global literacy is ensuring access to education. This

can be best achieved through compulsory education for all children until they reach adulthood or

graduate. However, in many developing countries, providing access to this education is

impossible. To combat this, the United Arab Emirates encourages the investment of a larger

portion of funds raised through official development assistance (ODA). ODA represents a fund

for developing countries to achieve all forms of development, from social to economic

development. Currently, the United Nations is looking to increase ODA spending on education to

14
M. O. E. Website, “MOHAMMED BIN RASHID SMART LEARNING PROGRAMME,” [Link], n.d.,
[Link]
15-20% and provide most of this aid to countries with the greatest need for it.15 The United Arab

Emirates would propose increasing this targeted amount to 20-25%.

A solution expanding upon the importance of technology and need for access to

education would be the L.E.A.D. (Literacy Education And Development) program. The L.E.A.D.

program would consist of an advisory board of educators from the United Arab Emirates and

other nations with high literacy rates (defined as literacy rates of 96% and above) who would

provide developing nations with counsel on how to best foster literacy in schools and advise on

the incorporation of technology and “Smart Classes” into these education systems. In creating

this program, developing countries would be able to ensure that technology becomes a core

aspect of their education systems, better preparing their youth for the future.

15
United Nations, “Financing Education,” United Nations, n.d.,
[Link]
 Bibliography

Bank, World. “Literacy Rate, Adult Total (% of People Ages 15 and Above) - United Arab

Emirates | Data.” [Link], 2021.

[Link]

recent_value_desc=true&start=2020.

Cartwright, Mark. “The Printing Revolution in Renaissance Europe.” World History

Encyclopedia, November 2, 2020.

[Link]

[Link]. “Government’s Efforts to Eradicate Illiteracy - the Official Portal of the UAE

Government,” n.d.

[Link]

racy.

euronews. “How UAE Educators Are Looking to Redefine Literacy for Children,” November 8,

2019.

[Link]

cy-for-children.

Nations, United. “Financing Education.” United Nations, n.d.

[Link]

Roser, Max, and Esteban Ortiz-ospina. “Literacy.” Our World in Data, September 20, 2018.

[Link]

United Nations. “Education - United Nations Sustainable Development.” United Nations

Sustainable Development. United Nations, 2020.

[Link]
Website, M. O. E. “MOHAMMED BIN RASHID SMART LEARNING PROGRAMME.”

[Link], n.d. [Link]