How to Write a Declaration by Alara WILSON

Declarations in the UN have a major role. Although we don’t write those documents in our daily lives it would be beneficial in our future conferences. Declarations are written in some crisis committees and Group of 20, Group of 7, Group of 77, Group of 4 etcetera committees.

A letter of the declaration is an explicit acknowledgment, statement or announcement about something. I wrote my first letter of declaration in a G20 committee. The conference released study guides and handbooks for all committees. When I read my handbook I was very confused about what was a letter of declaration as I had never heard about this document and I was terrified, to say the least, but then I wrote a letter of declaration and I was surprised it was easy considered to other paper documents in Model UN conferences.

When writing a letter of declaration you have to make sure that you and your committee can perform and do all the things that are written. The Letter of the declaration is normally about the facts. You can’t just write about empty promises nor can you write about things that are against the person you’re representing or your country’s policies. It has to be thorough and detailed.
A letter of the declaration should be reviewed in 4 parts; the introduction, the things that the committee focused on/discussed, the actions that will be taken that all the members of the committee have come to an agreement on, and finally the closure of the statement.

Part 1: The Introduction

The first clause of the declaration that you will write has to start with that your committee/summit has met (when and where) and touch upon the reason that you have gathered.

Example:
• Ten years since the first G20 Leaders’ Summit we met in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 30 November-1 December 2018 to build consensus for fair and sustainable development through an agenda that is people-centered, inclusive, and forward-looking.

Part 2: The Committee’s Focus Area

The second part of the declaration includes what the committee/summit focused on. Normally it’s a subtitle of the agenda.

Example:
• This year we have focused on the following pillars: the future of work, infrastructure for development, a sustainable food future and a gender mainstreaming strategy across the G20 agenda.

Part 3: The Acts That Will or Has Been Taken

This part is the most crucial and longest in a declaration. It includes the acts that the whole committee/summit has agreed on. This part has to be immensely detailed and accurate. It has to answer the questions of what, why, where, with what, and who.

Example:
• We have addressed our agenda promoting dialogue and the search for common ground. Building consensus requires the commitment of the society as a whole. Our discussions have been enriched by our engagement with stakeholder communities.
• We welcome the strong global economic growth while recognizing it has been increasingly less synchronized between countries and some of the key risks, including financial vulnerabilities and geopolitical concerns, have partially materialized. We also note current trade issues. We reaffirm our pledge to use all policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, and safeguard against downside risks, by stepping up our dialogue and actions to enhance confidence. Monetary policy will continue to support economic activity and ensure price stability, consistent with central banks’ mandates. Fiscal policy should rebuild buffers where needed, be used flexibly and be growth-friendly, while ensuring public debt is on a sustainable path. Continued implementation of structural reforms will enhance our growth potential. We reaffirm the exchange rate commitments made by the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors last March. We endorse the Buenos Aires Action Plan.
• We renew our commitment to work together to improve a rules-based international order that is capable of effectively responding to a rapidly changing world.
• Transformative technologies are expected to bring immense economic opportunities, including new and better jobs, and higher living standards. The transition, however, will create challenges for individuals, businesses and governments. Policy responses and international cooperation will help ensure that the benefits of the technological transformation are widely shared. We endorse the Menu of Policy Options for the Future of Work which we will draw on, considering individual country circumstances, to: harness technology to strengthen growth and productivity; support people during transitions and address distributional challenges; secure sustainable tax systems; and ensure that the best possible evidence informs our decision-making.

 

The Closure of the Statement

Finally, the last part of your declaration. Close your statement on a deft note. You might wish to point forward, providing a forecast of what the declaration could mean to your committee. You can thank the place that the conference is being held and you can express that you are looking forward to the next conference. It really depends on you and your committee/summit.

Example:
• We thank Argentina for its G20 Presidency and for hosting the successful Buenos Aires Summit and we look forward to our next meetings in Japan in 2019 and in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

I tried to summarize the basics. Even if writing a declaration is hard for you, in the beginning, it will improve over time. I hope this was helpful. Have a good conference.

Here is a sample Declaration:

     Antalya Summit January 27- January 30, 2020

1. As the head states of all members of Group of 20, we gathered in the conference which convened in Antalya and held in 27-30 January 2020. As the main purpose in our forum, the hassle-free collaboration in the other hand the consensus we keep this purpose proceeding in our debates with a concrete sensibility and tackled many sub-topics under of the main topic which is ‘Building a Structure for Solar System Financial Advancement’ and determined on many different attempts which will be realized in the following period of time. We elaborated on the significant scientific and economic contents and go on a corporation among all the head states. We had a common approach to collaborating with an international corporation that is relevant with a sub-topic of our main agenda item. We tackled the energy transition content which is directly based on the transition from fossil fuel-based utilization to renewable energy-based generation. Consideration upon the conditions had made in different aspects. Besides that, all the members of Group of 20 we are aware of the fact of global climate change which is directly relevant to the emission in particularly the carbon emissions. The negative effects of global climate change in the short, middle, and long-term are elaborated and the current situations which reveal in our globes such as the forest fires located in Australia and the extreme temperatures which exist in Europe support our this awareness about the content. Therefore our purpose on energy transition to renewable energy has been incentivized consistently. Also, assurances from the head states have given towards all the members about what kind of role that country will play in particular in the economic aspect for the implementations and projects which will be revealed in the future.

2. As the house of Group of 20, we have decided to create a fund (FOG-20) under the roof of Group of 20 in order to provide the essential budgets for the following projects and attempts which is directly about our agenda item (renewable energy transition) which will be created in the following terms. Mentioned renewable energy resources are hydroelectricity, solar PV, geothermal, biofuel energy, and wind power.

3. In our research for nuclear and fusion technology we will collaborate with International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor “ITER’’ in order to focus on fusion and nuclear energy sources and cooperate with nine countries who are members of Group of 20 (Canada, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Australia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia) Besides that, as we know while the other nine countries will be getting in this institution to avoid the consistent devastation in their economy in particularly in their GDP the FOG20 (Fund of Group of 20) will give a long-term credit and with the interest which will come from this credit will be used in some essential materials and tools based on renewable energy infrastructure.

4. About geothermal energy as the forum, we decided to use geothermal energy in order to use in our manufacturies and comfortability of our people such as heating and cooling of the houses and buildings. But we decided to not use that as the main source because it has too many risks and we don’t want to take it. We don’t demand any kind of international projects based on geothermal energy resource but national projects can be supported as taking into consideration that geothermal energy according to the geographical structure of some countries geothermal energy utilization has a big portion of usage in energy resources such as as the United Kingdom.

5. About atomic energy generation, the forum didn’t decide upon an international project. Atomic energy is not something we can underestimate. Therefore there will be a support to the countries that are willing to build a nuclear facility by FOG20 (Fund of Group of 20), private banks, public financial institutions, and the volunteer financiers. Just the collaboration with the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor has determined and conditions are evaluated.

6. For the hydroelectricity potential, we determined on putting centrals on the critical points where the currents and the tidal waves are efficient for gaining energy from it. Besides that, while building these centers we will take into consideration the biodiversity of the areas and will specify the locations of the centers according to this fact. The financial budget of this sector will be funded by FOG20 (Fund of Group of 20) either but also financiers who are voluntarily supporting this sector are expected in the future.

7. On the content of bioenergy, the same thoughts have been assessed into consideration. national projects can be supported which gains their big portion of energy resource profit from bioenergy but any kind of international project hasn’t tackled by the house because of the inefficiency of the utilization of bioenergy such as the process of generation is much longer that will not give sufficient outcomes from it.

8. Offshore and onshore wind resources are thought by the members and the efficiency of this sector has found sufficient and sustainable. The essential materials will be supplied with the budget which will come from FOG20 (Fund of Group of 20) such as the windmills. International and national projects definitely supported by Group of 20. Throughout the process of the project, the location of the windmills is tackled and determined on building these windmills at the low-pressure areas as the wind proceeds instability during all the year with a powerful speed such as Siberia, North Pole, and Antarctica. Also, these places are thought because the creatures in those areas are not surplus. Therefore the biodiversity won’t be affected by these windmills as this is another crucial fact that we have been taking into consideration

9. As the head states of the members of Group of 20, we acknowledge the dependence on non-renewable energy resources like fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, and current investments on searching for fossil fuels in the transportation sector. The transition will create challenges for individuals, businesses, the private sector, and governments. The dependence of fossil fuels has to decrease by the goals of our forum. The policy responds to the requirement on the international cooperation of the technological transformation, the improvement of transition, and scientific data exchange in an international aspect to avoid the contamination which is lead by the transportation sector around the globe.

10. To achieve our purpose we will take action about enhancing the industry of transportation for using renewable energy. Firstly we incentivize the expansion of the renewable energy market. Secondly, by lowering the taxes we encourage companies, heads of sectors, and cooperations to develop the sector products to use renewable energy and therefore the expenses will decrease. Our main purpose on expanding of the market is creating a setting of competitiveness among the companies and reducing the prices of materials based on renewable energy resources infrastructure.

11. As the head states, we tackled the electricity usage on transportation sector which is the vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, planes Taking into consideration that electricity utilization leads to none of the carbon emission on the atmosphere we determined to expand the consumption of this resource by creating the infrastructure and the suitable economic market. In order to create the infrastructure such as expanding the contribution of charging units through the areas particularly in the developing countries. Our first method to expand the market is determining persuasive incentives and subsidies by the governments towards the private companies and financiers which it’s utilization depends on hybrid technology products. The responsible for the expansion of this sector would be national or private companies such as Tesla and Lexus in the United States of America and TOGG from the Republic of Turkey and further which will be established in the following time. Besides that, for the further investments the public financial institutions, private banks, pension fund CEO’s and the FOG20 (Fund of Group of 20) would play the role.

12. We determined on eco-friendly manufactures by taking into consideration that along with the Industrial Revolution coal usage in the factories has increased consistently and this fact affect the carbon emissions directly with an enormous level. As being aware of our main purpose is to transmit on renewable energy resources, the incentives and subsidies are valid for the phasing out of fossil fuel usage in the factories either. Our proposal for an alternative is electricity. Factories that use electricity as energy are eco-friendly by not increasing carbon emissions.

13. Under the issue of creating infrastructure, transportation of the energy which will be utilized under the roof of international projects the recommendation is to build some storage units which works such as stockpiles in order to keep the energy utility level in a modest level as taking into consideration that the availability of the energy resources is a crucial problem because of the period of time of utility is short and transmit the energy to the other countries’ resource storage.

Here is an original Declaration

The writer of the article, Alara WILSON