These past few decades have seen an increasingly disconcerting rise in natural disasters brought about by climate change, which have affected the lives of millions around the world. As the threat of global warming looms closer with every passing moment, we become more and more aware of the disastrous consequences it can have, both for the natural environment and its inhabitants.

We believe climate change is a matter that should be of great concern to every single individual on this planet. The recent increase in forest loss, ocean ecosystem devastation, mass extinction of endangered species and mass flooding has been affecting the earth catastrophically and irreversibly, with certain communities left even more vulnerable than they used to be.

In this age of sensationalist activism, the adverse effects that climate change can have for vulnerable groups on a local scale are often overlooked. For many of us, climate change seems to be an issue of the future, but millions around the world are feeling its devastating force right now. Many communities directly depend upon the natural environment in order to sustain their vital needs and the current biodegradation is forcing them into poverty and hunger. The recent floods in Pakistan, the hunger crisis in Sahel and the sea level rise in Palau are just some examples of the threats that climate change poses worldwide.

This is why we have chosen to work with Dutch charity ZOA at this year’s conference. They are a non-profit international relief and recovery organisation that focuses on the human aspect of natural disasters, working, in their words, ‘to provide relief to people affected by violent conflicts and natural disasters in fragile contexts’ and to ‘provide assistance to the most vulnerable victims of displacement, by helping them rebuild their homes and their livelihoods and to live peacefully together in stable communities.

The secretariat at HagaMUN 2023 has decided that the conference will be fully engaged and committed to unfolding this year’s theme. This means that you can expect many issues concerning the safety of and human rights threats to marginalised communities, with a special focus on those caused by climate change. Not only will our commitment shine through in our debates, but we will be donating the proceeds of this year’s conference to ZOA and selling merchandise to support the cause at our theme stand in the entrance hall of our venue. Donation boxes will also be made available and we will have guest speakers help raise awareness for the theme. Further information about the ZOA and their organisation and goals can be found on their website, https://www.zoa-international.com/about.