FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLEGE AZARE

THE AFRICAN FUTURE TRUST MODEL

UNITED NATIONS (TAFMUN) CONFERENCE
TOPIC:
OPIC: TOWARDS EQUITY IN HARNESSING AFRICAS
NATURAL WEALTH

COMMITTEE:UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION

FOR AFRICA (UNECA)
AN AMBASSADOR OF LIBERIA

BY

SHUWA JAMES ABRAHAM

Table of content

1.1 Introduction

1.2 About the topic

1.3 About the committee

1.4 Research questions and their answers

1.5 Conclusion

1.6 References

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Liberia is a country located in West Africa, surrounded by Sierra
Leone to the west, guinea to east, Cote DIvoire to the north and
Atlantic Ocean to the south. The capital is Monrovia and it is the
largest city in Liberia, it covers total area of 111,392 square per
kilometer, 96,320sq, kmof land area, 15,049sq km of water area
and 579km of coastline area with population of about 4,396,873
persons. It is sparsely populated with forest surrounding it which
make us practice lumbering. It is hot and dry area with humid dry
and frequent heavy showers in climate. The land is mostly flat
coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in the
northeast.
The official language spoken in my country is English, but only 15%
speaks English, the remaining 85% speaks other non indigenous
languages. The religion practice in my country are Christianity,
Islam, and traditional worshipers. But Christianity is the religion
most practiced in Liberia.
Liberia got her independence from the united state of America (USA)
in July 26, 1847 and practiced unitary presidential constitutional
republic system of government. The first country to get
independence and the first nation to elect female president. The
president of my country is a woman called Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
and her vice president is a man called Joseph Bokai, and we use
Liberian dollar for our currency.
About the Economy, Liberia is rebuilding a mixed economic system,
because of its low level of income. It is blessed with natural
recourses like diamond, gold, iron-ore, and agricultural produce
(cash crops) like timber, rubber, palm oil etc. and food crops like
maize, cocoa, yam, rice etc which are been exported to other
countries for revenue generation and as a medium of foreign
exchange. And its also create employment for her citizens, the
industries found are rubber processing, palm oil processing, timber,
and diamond processing industries.
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1.2 TOWARDS EQUITY IN HARNESSING AFRICAS NATURAL

WEALTH
Africa is rich in both natural and human resources with great
potential to boost economic growth. The challenges African
countries are facing with harnessing her natural wealth are
basically corruption and war.
War- some countries such as Liberia, Somalia, Nigeria etc have/are
experienced(ing) war which has led the country economy to brink of
collapse. During the war lives (human resources) were wasted,
properties and infrastructure were destroyed. After the war reconstruction of the economy takes time and a huge revenue is spent
on rebuilding.
Corruption- this is the canker worm that eaten deep in African
countries fabric which has led to the outbreak of crisis (sectional,
religious, tribal etc) some ultimately culmination into war.
These two basic challenges have led Africa under develop and its
natural resources (wealth) under utilize. In the light of these
organization like UNECA and ILO had call for an integrated
approach to harnessing her natural wealth through harcing the
knowledge base and job creation needed to strengthen human
capacity and broaden stakeholders participation with regard to the
protection of Africas environment and management of its mineral
recourses.
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA or
ECA) was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and
Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its
member states (the nations of the African continent)[2] following a
recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.[3]
It is one of five regional commissions.
The ECA has 53 member states corresponding to the 53 member
states of the United Nations that lie within the continent of Africa.
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About Natural Resource Management

One important aspect of ECAs work on natural resources is the
conduct of policy-oriented research aiming to support the policy,
legal and regulatory frameworks for the proper management of
natural resources in Africa.
Also, ECA seeks to enhance the knowledge base needed to
strengthen human and institutional capacities and broaden
stakeholder participation with regard to the protection of Africas
environment and to the management of its mineral resources. In
the same vein, ECA works to promote measures to address
environmental concerns in the exploitation of Africas natural
resources.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What natural resources are found in your country and to what
extent have they contributed to the development of the state?
The natural resources found in my country include:Iron Ore
Timber
Diamonds
Gold
Hydropower.
They contributed greatly to the development of country
through the following ways include:Provision of money to the country
Revenue generation to the government
They serve as foreign exchange
They provide employment for her citizens
Generation of electricity through hydropower.
They develop the countrys economy

2. How are the resources and generated revenue deployed or

managed?

The resources are managed through the following ways:Construction of good roads network
Building of schools
Creation of industries
Provision of foreign materials to the country
Building human capacity

3. Is there a history or likelihood of armed conflict traceable to

resource management?

Yes, there is a history or likelihood of armed conflict traceable

to resource management in Liberia.
The Liberian civil war was an internal conflict in Liberia
from 1989 until 1997. The conflict killed over 200,000
people and eventually led to the involvement of the
economy. Economic community of west African state
(ECOWAS) and the united Nation (UN) came to Liberia
and maintain peace which did not last long and in 1999
the second Liberian civil war broke out and ended in
October 2003, when ECOWAS intervened to stop the
rebel. By the conclusion of the final war, more than
250,000 people had been killed and nearly 1 million
displaced. Half of that number remain to be repatriate in
2005. The economy of Liberia was totally destroy, and
due to he war commercial mining activities were halted
due to lack of finance and destruction of facilities also as
a result of the war. Hence the economy of the country
was plunged into comatose which the present
government is trying hard to revive.

4. How can UNECA ensure that foreign aid to Africa yields

desired result?

UNECA ensure that foreign aid to Africa yields desired result

through the following ways:-

UNECAs work on natural resources is the conduct of policyoriented research aiming to support the policy, legal and
regulatory frameworks for the proper management of natural
resources in Africa.
And it also ensure that African foreign aid yield and desired
competent through foreign exchange of the natural resources
between developed countries.
Also, UNECA seeks to enhance the knowledge base needed to
strengthen human and institutional capacities and broaden
stakeholder participation with regard to the protection of
Africas environment and to the management of its mineral
resources. In the same vein, UNECA works to promote
measures to address environmental concerns in the
exploitation of Africas natural resources.

5. If indigenization, such as Zimbabwe is trying to champion, is

the key to getting more out of the natural resources for the
development and enrichment of Africa, how can UNECA lend
its supports to push it through?
Indigenization is a policy where the people of a state take
part in ownership of companies or industries in their
state. The local residents are given part of the profits and
are used to develop their area.

UNECA can lend its supports to push it through by:In the case were there is no mining facilities and
equipment UNECA can support the with that.
They can also accept the contract by mining the natural
resources processing and exporting it, then some
percentage of the resources will be given to UNECA
organization. Through this UNECA can lend its supports
to push it through.

1.5 Conclusion
In conclusion, the United Nation Economic Commission for
Africa (UNECA) has really boosted Liberians economy because
now Liberia has the highest ratio of foreign investment to Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and also develop the country through
creation of good roads, good hospitals, schools etc.

1.6 References
1.
2.
3.
4.

//https://www.google.com.
Liberias economy Wikipedia and free encyclopedia.
"Indigenization". wikitionary.
"Indigenize - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster
Dictionary".