African Union (AU)Chairs: Sai Charmitha Yelampalli & Vidhi Bansal Email: vidban25@bergen.org & saiyel23@bergen.org Topic A: Access to Vaccines in Africa The United Nation’s Third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages.” Despite increasing global vaccination coverage and uptake, African countries are still lagging behind. This is a major problem because vaccination has helped eliminate and control life threatening diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed Africa’s vulnerabilities in ensuring access to vaccines as only 7% of the population is vaccinated, compared to the 28% in lower middle income countries. Delegates must work together to create a sustainable plan to improve access to vaccination that addresses vaccine hesitation, vaccine supply, political instabilities disrupting vaccination programs, distance and geographical location, and economic factors. Topic B: Digital Extremism Digital extremism has been a global concern since the rise of digital technology in the 2000s and has had a significant impact on African countries. Social network platforms were essential for the organization and communication of activists during the Arab Springs, which led to wide political, social and economic gains for the region. However, terrorist, radical, and extremist groups also use those platforms to reach wider audiences, disseminate propaganda, gain followers, train members, and mobilize violent action. Delegates must work together to propose creative solutions to mitigate the effects of digital extremism, balancing individual rights while also addressing factors such as low computer literacy, little cyber education, and a lack of collectivity among the African countries. Topic guides coming soon! |
