Successful position papers should include the following:

• An explanation of the actions your country or entity has taken in the past to address the issue(s) the committee will discuss

• A critical examination of the core problems your country or entity believes must be addressed in committee

• Potential solutions and the challenges those solutions pose

Your position paper should give the reader a clear understanding of your position on the topics and your potential actions in committee. The first paragraph should be an introduction about the history of the issue and/or your country. The second paragraph should be about your government's past noteworthy actions on this issue. The rest of the page should discuss your ideas for solving the problem. Cite your sources in the text of the position paper if they are particularly noteworthy (e.g., if you are using a previous resolution your committee has produced on the issue). Have fun, be creative, and explore your topics!

Your position paper must be one page long, in 12-point font, and single-spaced. Delegates should write one paper per topic (two pages total). In the paper's heading, please include the committee name, the country or entity you are representing, the committee's topic, your name, and your school or delegation name. Additionally, delegates should refrain from using personal pronouns such as “I” or “we” if they are in a General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, or Regional Body. Please refer to the country they represent in the third person, e.g., “The United States of America believes…” Lastly, we have no specific guidelines for the formatting of references. We ask delegates to do whatever is most convenient and comfortable for them and to cite all of their sources in a familiar way.

Topic guides are a great starting point for delegates as they begin their research, especially the resources and questions provided at the end of each (if you don’t know where topic guides are, ask your advisor). Beyond that, find reliable sources that answer questions such as:

1. What issue is being discussed? What are the stakes, and who are the stakeholders? Who are the various groups affected?

2. How does the issue affect your country or entity? Why does it matter to the people you represent?

3. What is my position on this issue relative to others? What are potential bloc positions? Which other countries or positions are ideologically or practically aligned with your views?

4. How can the problem be solved? What challenges do you anticipate facing?

General Assembly for the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM)
Topic: Brain Drain
Central African Republic
Delegate Name
School/Delegation Name

The Central African Republic has been burdened with wars and dictatorships since the 1960s, and despite being endowed with internationally coveted resources such as expansive diamond minds, 73% of its population lives on less than US $1 a day. During the past 15 years, life expectancy has declined from 45 to 35 years of age due to poor health care and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which plagues 35% of the CAR’s population. Moreover, the lack of essential drugs and vaccinations has contributed to the recent outbreaks of other diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, polio, and water-borne viruses. In a recent interview, the World Health Organization’s resident representative in the Central African Republic stated that the CAR’s health system is “very precarious,” adding that most health workers in rural areas have abandoned their posts because of the region’s insecurity and unpaid wages. 

Like Zimbabwe and other African nations, the “Brain Drain” migration of healthcare workers and other trained professionals to the more developed world significantly contributes to the Central African Republic’s current health situation. Presently, the UN is appealing for $45 million for humanitarian assistance for the CAR; however, the nation anticipates receiving less than a third of that. The CAR recognizes that although there is a need for vaccinations and other salutary goods, the healthcare system will never be able to reach the thousands of people in need without the physical manpower provided by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. 

At the center of the nation’s policy is the belief that there is no way of solving an international problem without a global effort. The Central African Republic proposes a resolution that mandates that the subsidy paid by governments to train a doctor or nurse should be calculated and repaid in an exact amount to the government if that person chooses to migrate. The cost would be paid by the country to which the person is migrating, as it benefits from the transfer of “human capital” trained at a significant cost by the country of origin. However, the CAR also recognizes that income alone will not be sufficient compensation for the lost immigrants. We, therefore, propose that in developing countries – with a population of migrating workers over a certain percentage – trained individuals would have to serve a short number of years in their country of origin before being allowed to migrate to practice in a different country. 

The CAR also recommends that the UN channels funds through organizations like UNESCO, OECD, and the World Bank to help improve the wages and living conditions of healthcare workers in third-world countries (like the CAR) who have no other means of financially motivating their citizens to remain and practice in their nation. The CAR also plans on advocating for a higher percentage of the national GDP to be devoted to research, development, and the promotion of the sciences. Additionally, as an African nation, it encourages the whole continent to forge a partnership with the diaspora community of Africans worldwide. An effective collaboration implies building and exploiting existing capacity within the network of highly skilled and expert African expatriates. Finally, the Central African Republic proposes a resolution that includes creating a database on brain drain and capacity building, thus creating knowledge blocks to complement national efforts in addressing deficiencies in education and training capacities and trying to maintain and effectively utilize them.