RGA/6/5
Sponsored by Avery DeYoung, Maddy Hartleroad, Ava Jean Teague, Rachel Hale of Franklin Road Academy
The delegates above represented the Delegation of Australia.
This legislation was filed in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural category
Presented as part of the MUN B 2023 conference
| 1 | Keeping in mind that mental health is considered part of a more significant, holistic concept of |
| 2 | social and emotional well-being. Observing that racism causes an increase in anxiety, depression, |
| 3 | and suicide risk among young people (age 16-20). Indigenous young people aged 10-17 are 17 |
| 4 | times as likely to be under youth justice supervision as non-Indigenous young people. Noting with |
| 5 | concern that Indigenous children aged 0-17 are nearly 8 times as likely as non-Indigenous children |
| 6 | to be the subject of substantiated child abuse or neglect. Noting further that Aboriginal and Torres |
| 7 | Strait Islander people aged 18-24 report higher levels of psychological distress than non-Aboriginal |
| 8 | people the same age. Up to 30% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this age group |
| 9 | have a high or very high level of distress compared with 13% of non-Aboriginal people. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Indigenous Peoples, |
| 12 | “Many mental health issues such as depression, substance abuse, and suicide have been identified |
| 13 | as connected to the historical colonization and dispossession of indigenous peoples, which has |
| 14 | resulted in the fragmentation of indigenous social, cultural, economic and political institutions” |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Also noting from the United Nations Human Rights Council, “The right to the highest attainable |
| 17 | standard of physical and mental health is a fundamental human right indispensable for the |
| 18 | exercise of other human rights.” |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Viewing with appreciation, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Program funded |
| 21 | by the Australian Department of Health. This program aims to fund Primary Health Networks to |
| 22 | engage in culturally appropriate, evidence-based mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres |
| 23 | Strait Islander people. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | We the delegation of Australia do hereby, |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Urge the United Nations to work with the government of Australia and representatives of the |
| 28 | indigenous community to provide more resources for mental health in indigenous youth, focusing |
| 29 | on prevention and culturally sensitive care. For the approximate 270,000 Indigenous youth, we are |
| 30 | asking for USD 4,860,000 to fund the salary of additional youth counselors. Ask for education to |
| 31 | be provided to mental health providers in the state of Australia on how to promote better well- |
| 32 | being in Indigenous peoples in a culturally sensitive manner, which will be at no cost as it is a part |
| 33 | of the university education process. |
| 34 | |
| 35 |