‭ ommittee‬‭: ECOFIN‬

C
‭Country‬‭: The Republic of Armenia‬
‭Delegate‬‭: Mikaila Liz Thomas‬
‭Agenda‬‭: Addressing the Challenge of Poverty-Stricken‬‭Refugees and Migrants after a Global‬
‭Crisis‬

‭ Refugees are not a burden, they are survivors. They bring with them resilience, creativity,‬
"
‭and determination that can strengthen any community."‬‭– António Guterres, United Nations‬
‭Secretary-General. This quote expresses Armenia’s perspective on global refugees and migrants.‬
‭Through acknowledging the immense struggles faced by these people, the Republic of Armenia‬
‭recognises the importance of addressing poverty stricken refugees and migrants. Armenia has‬
‭faced these struggles personally and has a deep understanding on how to tackle such dilemmas.‬
‭The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict led to the displacement of 91,000 individuals, 86% of‬
‭which were children, women and the elderly, according to UNHCR, which highlights the need to‬
‭support refugees and migrants after a crisis. Armenia is committed to encourage global support‬
‭to prevent these issues as it has suffered first hand from the negative impacts caused by them.‬

‭ rmenia has addressed a range of challenges faced by those who take refuge in the country, such‬
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‭as: the strain on social services, increased government expenditure and increased labor market‬
‭pressures. During the Syrian Civil war, approximately 22000 Syrian refugees fled to Armenia‬
‭since 2011, due to its close proximity. Despite the country's small budget, Armenia prioritized‬
‭providing humanitarian aid, health care, education (two-thirds of refugee children in Armenia‬
‭enrolled in school), job opportunities, legal and psychological support to the refugees and‬
‭migrants, magnifying Armenia’s commitment to supporting those who are suffering the‬
‭aftermath of global crises, left struggling economically and socially. Likewise, Armenia has‬
‭legislation in place protecting the rights of refugees and migrants, such as the 2008 Law on‬
‭Refugees and Asylum, which regulates the treatment of forcibly displaced and stateless people.‬

‭ ne potential solution the Republic of Armenia could introduce to tackle the financial struggle of‬
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‭refugees is‬‭implementing microfinance programs for refugee/migrant businesses‬‭- this‬
‭initiative would provide small loans for refugees and migrants who want to start businesses,‬
‭allowing them to work out of poverty, innovate, create job opportunities for others, and boost the‬
‭country’s economy with the higher productivity. This idea can ensure that poverty-stricken‬
‭refugees and migrants after a global crisis have the opportunity to thrive and recover‬
‭economically. A problem this concept may face is the sustainability of these businesses, as many‬
‭refugees and migrants may not have the expertise to ensure longevity. However this can be‬
‭addressed through increasing the number of community based events, building networking‬
‭opportunities and providing a platform to share knowledge and creating demand. Additionally,‬
‭training programs for these refugees and migrants can be introduced, similar to ‘The Taste and‬
‭ mell of Artsakh’ programme launched by the Teryan Cultural Center, to support those who‬
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‭have sought refuge in Armenia by training them to establish traditional food businesses.‬

‭ nother probable solution that can be introduced is‬‭community based renewable energy‬
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‭projects‬‭- By involving refugees, migrants and the local community to build projects such as‬
‭solar powered community centers and wind farms, Armenia can promote sustainable living,‬
‭provide job opportunities, as well as give access to education and healthcare more easily in such‬
‭community centers. Although the initial costs may be high, the long run costs of unemployment‬
‭benefits, health care costs, poor air quality, environmental protection regulation, and so on, are‬
‭reduced, which can significantly support refugees and migrants that are looking for opportunities‬
‭to earn and integrate with the community. The country can offset these costs through receiving‬
‭aid and funding from international organizations such as the United Nations Development‬
‭Program (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and International Renewable Energy‬
‭Agency (IRENA). This approach can prevent developing countries from reaching excessive debt‬
‭from these projects and still reap the benefits.‬

I‭ n short, The Republic of Armenia has set the right direction for other nations to follow in the‬
‭support of vulnerable populations towards their healing, integration into new communities and‬
‭financial well being.‬
‭Bibliography‬‭:‬

‭1)‬ U ‭ NHCR. "Persons in Refugee-Like Situations in Armenia." UNHCR,‬

‭https://www.unhcr.org/am/en/persons-in-refugee-like-situation#:~:text=According%20to‬
‭%20official%20figures%2C%2091%2C000%2Cwere%20women%2C%20children%20a‬
‭nd%20elderly‬‭. Accessed 14 June 2024.‬
‭2)‬ ‭UNHCR. "UNHCR Helps Displaced Syrian Armenians Facing Hardship Amid‬
‭Pandemic." UNHCR,‬
‭https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/unhcr-helps-displaced-syrian-armenians-facing-hards‬
‭hip-amid-pandemic‬‭. Accessed 16 June 2024.‬
‭3)‬ ‭IOM. "Armenia Crisis Response Plan 2024." International Organization for Migration,‬
‭https://crisisresponse.iom.int/response/armenia-crisis-response-plan-2024‬‭.‬‭Accessed 16‬
‭June 2024.‬
‭4)‬ ‭UNICEF. "Two-Thirds of Refugee Children in Armenia Enrolled in School; Efforts Must‬
‭Now Focus on Expanding Access." UNICEF,‬
‭https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/two-thirds-refugee-children-armenia-enrolled-scho‬
‭ol-efforts-must-now-focus-expanding‬‭. Accessed 16 June‬‭2024.‬
‭5)‬ ‭UNHCR. “Armenia.” UNHCR,‬
‭https://www.unhcr.org/countries/armenia#:~:text=In%201994%2C%20Armenia%20ratifi‬
‭ed%20the,forcibly%20displaced%20and%20stateless%20people‬‭. Accessed 18 June‬
‭2024.‬
‭6)‬ ‭European Heritage Awards. "TerYan Cultural Centre: Empowering Armenian Refugees‬
‭from Nagorno-Karabakh." European Heritage Awards,‬
‭www.europeanheritageawards.eu/winners/teryan-cultural-centre-empowering-armenian-r‬
‭efugees-from-nagorno-karabakh/‬‭. Accessed 18 June 2024.‬