Background Guide - TJHSST Activities

TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
MS SOCHUM
Thomas Jefferson High School Model United Nations Conference
TechMUN 2015
Middle School General Assembly
Chair: Roma Chitko
Chair: Subul Malik
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School
Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Fellow Delegates,
Welcome to the SOCHUM Committee at TechMUN 2015! Our names are Roma Chitko
and Subul Malik and we are honored to serve as your chairs for this committee. We look forward
to a lively debate and the unique solutions that
you all have proposed for these two pressing
issues. That being said, it’s important to research
and come prepared to this committee! The more
research you’ve done, the more exciting the
discussion will be. Don’t worry if this is your first
conference; we will help each and every one of
you improve on your skills at speaking,
diplomacy, and leadership as you progress in your
MUN career. Here is a little about us:
I’m Subul Malik and I’m a sophomore at
TJ along with your co-chair Roma. I started doing MUN in 8th grade and have loved every
minute of it ever since. I’m currently the Treasurer of the Class of 2017, a rower for TJ Crew in
the spring, and a photographer. In the future, I want to go into the medical field. I am in love
with pizza and mac and cheese and I will ride in the front row of any rollercoaster. I will also
sleep forever, but don’t worry I won’t sleep during
this committee :)
I’m Roma Chitko, and as Subul mentioned I
am also a sophomore at TJ. Here at TJ, I am a
swimmer in the winter, and a rower in the spring. I
am also an active member of Namaste, our Indian
cultural club, and will be dancing at iNite in March.
Outside of school, I also row for a club in the fall
(can you tell I love crew), I love to read - my
favorite book is Enders Game, go biking, and watch
movies. Other than that, I am so excited to meet all
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School
Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
of you and I hope every one of you is as hyped for TECHMUN as I am!
Along with the Secretariat, we have been working tirelessly to provide an exhilarating
and a learning experience for each of the delegates attending TechMUN this year. If you have
any questions, feel free to shoot both of us an email. We look forward to meeting all of you in
April!
Sincerely,
Roma Chitko
romachitko@gmail.com
Subul Malik
submlk9@gmail.com
sochumtechmun2015@gmail.com
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School
Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Topic A: Women in Armed Conflict
History/Background
Women have suffered in areas of armed conflict for countless generations. Over two-thirds
of the worlds poorest countries are in conflict (Austrian Development Cooperation 1), and in war
zones violence against women increases substantially (Rehn and Sirleaf 9). The UN Declaration on
the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as “any act of genderbased violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in public or in private life” (“General Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/104.”). In
areas of conflict, women are exposed to terrible conditions, the main issues being sexual assault,
trafficking, and domestic violence.
The first issue, sexual assault, is a terrible crime which becomes more prevalent in areas of
conflict. For example, 94 percent of displaced households surveyed in Sierra Leone had experienced
sexual assault, and at least 250,000 women were raped during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda (Rehn
and Sirleaf 9). Trafficking of women also increases, due to “the breakdown of law and order, police
functions and border controls” combined with “globalization’s free markets and open borders”. In
Colombia, where a civil war has gone on for over fifty years, the anti-trafficking organization,
Fundación Esperanza, estimates that as many as 50,000 women are being trafficked out of the
country each year. In Southeast Asia, girls were bought for as little as $50 and sold for up to $700 to
organizations which either shipped them to developed western nations or sold them to local brothels.
Many times these women and girls are sold against their will or unknowingly. Data from the Human
Rights Task Force on Cambodia estimates that nationwide, 44 percent of trafficked children under
18 were sold by intermediaries, 23 percent by family members, 17 percent by boyfriends, 6 percent
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TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
by an employer and 6 percent by unknown persons. In Southeast Europe, which is a major transit
route for traffickers, the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) estimates that 75
percent of the women trafficked out of the area leave home with a false job offer (Rehn and Sirleaf
13). Lastly, the excessive domestic violence that women suffer during conflict does not arise solely
out of the conditions of war, it may be directly related to the violence women suffer in the lives
during peacetime. The perpetrators of “gender based persecution, discrimination, and oppression,”
rarely suffer the consequences, and as a result, violence against women becomes an accepted norm,
“which escalates during conflict as violence in general increases” (Rehn and Sirleaf 14-15). Sexual
assault, trafficking, and domestic violence are only three of the myriad of difficulties facing women
living in areas of armed conflict.
Past Actions of the United Nations
The United Nations has taken various measures in order to help women in armed conflict.
One of the earliest efforts was the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women, which was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. It defined what
constituted as discrimination against women, and created an agenda for national action to end such
discrimination (“Convention on the Elimination”). Second, a General Assembly Resolution created
in 1993 established the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. which
determined that states should condemn violence against women by developing various national plans
of action to protect women. It also encouraged research into the causes and consequences of violence
against women, on how effective the measures implemented to prevent and redress violence against
women were (“General Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/104.”). While these actions may not seem to
apply to this topic, they did set the groundwork for helping women in armed conflict, because if the
discrimination and violence can be diminished preemptively, then women will suffer less in the
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
event that a conflict does arise. The Security Council also passed a resolution in 2013,which
specifically helped women participate in conflict resolution and recovery. The measures taken in the
resolution include supporting peace talks, analysis of the impact of conflict on women and women’s
participation in conflict resolution, and increased commitments to including women in peace
negotiations (“Security Council Resolution S/RES/2122”). Lastly, the Women’s Refugee
Commission developed the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP). The program has five main
objectives: ensuring that the health sector identifies an organization to lead implementation of MISP,
preventing and managing the consequences of sexual violence, reducing HIV transmission, ensuring
the health and decreased mortality rates of mothers and newborns, and planning for long term
comprehensive reproductive health programs integrated into primary health care (“Minimum Initial
Service Package”). All these actions taken by various bodies of the UN aim to ensure that women in
areas of conflict are not subject to physical or mental harassment, have proper care facilities for
themselves and their children, educate societies to reduce prejudice and raise awareness, and much
more.
Possible Solutions
Solutions proposed by a General Assembly are mainly meant to be advisory, and may not
infringe upon a nation's sovereignty. However, the committee may make strong recommendations to
member states and provide incentives for compliance. A first possible solution would be reducing
violence against women in times of peace so that it does not escalate during times of conflict. Also,
there need to be ways to strengthen border control for nations in which trafficking of women is a
thriving industry. Educational programs in countries exposed to conflict would be effective in
reducing discrimination, while education in stable countries could raise awareness for the challenges
faced by women living in the midst of conflict. Refuges and safe havens for women and children are
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
also important in order for women to attain food water, protection, health care, and psychosocial
support.
Questions to Consider
1. How can we reduce violence against women in peacetime?
2. How are we to address the issue of increased trafficking of women during times of
conflict?
3. What is the best way to provide refuge for women who are victims of sexual assault, and
the children that they may have had as a result?
4. What must be provided to women in areas of armed conflict in order to ensure their
safety and health?
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Works Cited
Austrian Development Coorperation. "Focus: Women, Gender and Armed Conflict." (2009):
Austrian Development Agency. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.oecd.org/dac/genderdevelopment/44896284.pdf>.
Cockburn, Cynthia. "Gender, Armed Conflict and Political Violence." (1999): The World Bank,
Washington, DC. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ikff.se/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2013/02/Gender_armed_conflict_and_political.pdf>.
"Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women." UN News
Center.
UN, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/>.
"Generel Assembly Resolution A/RES/48/104. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence
against
Women." UN News Center. UN, 20 Dec. 1993. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Lindsey-Curtet, Charlotte, Florence Tercier Holst-Roness, and Letitia Anderson. "Addressing the Needs
of Women Affected by Armed Conflict." (2004): International Committee of the Red Cross Women and
War. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
<https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/icrc_002_0840_women_guidance.pdf>.
"Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations." UNHCR News.
Women’s Refugee Commission, Sept. 2006. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.unhcr.org/4e8d6b3b14.html>.
Rehn, Elisabeth, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Women, War, Peace: The Independent Experts'
Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in PeaceBuilding. Vol. 1. N.p.: n.p., 2002. Progress of the World's Women. UN Women Headquarters.
Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"Security Council Resolution S/RES/2122 (2013)." UN News Center. UN, 18 Oct. 2013. Web.
20 Feb.
2015.
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Topic B: Human Rights of Prisoners
History/Background
World War I and World War II were two of the bloodiest battles to ever take place on this
planet. They had a profound impact on international law because they involved the use of slave
labor, the systematic use of violence, and the abuse of prisoners of war. One of the underlying
reasons millions of innocent individuals died was due to racial, political, and religious
discrimination. The events throughout the two wars led to the revisions of all areas of international
law, with the human rights of prisoners being one of the most crucial. Prisoners in several local,
state, and federal facilities often face brutal and dangerous conditions. The rising prison populations
due to harsh sentencing laws and immigration detention policies have led to governments that are
reluctant to invest into staff and resources that are essential to the safety and humane treatment of all
prisoners (Human Rights Watch). In 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported that “of the
state and federal prisoners surveyed, 4.5% of them were sexually abused in the past 12 months”
(Human Rights Watch). According to Human Rights Europe, “from 2007 to 2012, there was a
decrease in expenses per inmate for European prisons.” With the growing population of prisoners,
the lack of legislation of prisoners’ rights needs to be addressed that caters the needs of each region
in the world, as countries’ views on the treatment of prisoners varies based on its system of
government and culture. State sovereignty is a controversial aspect of this pressing issue and many
nations do not meet the minimum requirements outlined in the UNHRC’s Basic Principles for the
Treatment of Prisoners. A resolution should not implement regulations and standards that will
infringe on the national sovereignty of any country, but rather improve the conditions and treatment
of prisoners for the better and for the future.
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Past Actions of the United Nations
The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights states that each person has basic
inalienable rights, which are the right to life, liberty, and the security of person (UN). The UN
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners was published in Geneva in 1955, and later
revised by the Economic and Social Council in 1957 and 1977. The document establishes standards
for several critical areas for those in custody such as personal hygiene, clothing and bedding, contact
with the outside world, food, religion, retentions of prisoners’ property, and inspections of facilities.
There are also special provisions for prisoners with mental disabilities and for prisoners under arrest or
awaiting trial (Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas). The European Convention for
the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment went into force on
March 1, 2000 and established a committee that oversaw inspections of prisons to make sure prisoners
and detainees were not violated. The Committee is permitted to visit all prisons, as defined by the
convention as “any place within its jurisdiction where persons are deprived of their liberty by a public
authority” (Council of Europe).
Each nation is encouraged to adopt the existing resolutions passed by the United Nations, as
it assures the safety of native and international prisoners. There have been several breaches and
violations of prisoners’ rights in international law in areas such as Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, and
Iraq.
Possible Solutions
The needs of every nation are distinct and must be taken into consideration when formulating
resolutions. A resolution should first define the basic liberties and rights each human possesses and
branch out from there when addressing the rights of prisoners and detainees. Each specific region of
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
the world could possibly have its own set of regulations and standards on the appropriate treatment of
prisoners. A resolution should address the crucial areas of this topic, which include but are not limited
to: personal hygiene, clothing and bedding, food, medical services, discipline and punishment,
information to and complaints by prisoners, contact with the outside world, religion, retentions of
prisoners’ property, notification of death, illness, transfer, removal of prisoners, institutional personnel
and inspection of facilities. In addition, solutions should lay out legislation standards for governments
to abide by and address the proper funding for investments in approving the conditions of prisons into
safe and appropriate area for prisoners to reside in.
Questions to Consider:
1. How can the treatment of prisoners be improved in countries that are willing to change
their policies? What about those are unwilling?
2. What can your country do to improve the situation of prisoners worldwide so as to abide by
UN regulations? How will you deal with radical governments?
3. What can your country do specifically to improve the conditions of prisoners within your
own country?
4. Do states have the right to treat prisoners as they choose, even if it violates UN resolutions?
Is it an issue of state sovereignty or of international human rights?
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School
Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015
TechMUN 2015
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Works Cited
"Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners." Basic Principles for the Treatment of
Prisoners. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/BasicPrinciplesTreatmentOfPrison
ers.aspx>.
"European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment." CPT: Text of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture.
Council of Europe, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/documents/ecpt.htm>.
"Prison and Detention Conditions." Prison and Detention Conditions. Human Rights Watch, n.d.
Web. 21 Feb. 2015. <http://www.hrw.org/united-states/us-program/prison-and-detentionconditions>.
"Report: Annual European Prison Statistics." HUMANE RIGHTS EUROPE. Council of Europe,
11 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. <http://www.humanrightseurope.org/2015/02/reportannual-european-prison-statistics/>.
"Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners." Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, n.d. Web.
21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/TreatmentOfPrisoners.aspx>.
"The Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas (CSHRA)." Rights as Prisoners in
General —. Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas, n.d. Web. 21 Feb.
2015. <http://humanrights.ucdavis.edu/projects/the-guantanamo-testimonialsproject/rights-of-guantanamo-prisoners-as-prisoners-in-general>.
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Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human
Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights." UN News
Center. UN, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml>.
"United Nations: Human Rights Covenants." The American Journal of International Law 61.3
(2013): 861-90. The Sentencing Project, Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/rd_ICCPR%20Race%20and%20Justice%2
0Shadow%20Report.pdf>.
"US: Federal Statistics Show Widespread Prison Rape." US: Federal Statistics Show Widespread
Prison Rape. Human Rights Watch, 16 Dec. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.hrw.org/news/2007/12/15/us-federal-statistics-show-widespread-prisonrape>.
"US: Number of Aging Prisoners Soaring." US: Number of Aging Prisoners Soaring. Human
Rights Watch, 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/26/us-number-aging-prisoners-soaring>.
"World Report 2013: United States." World Report 2013: United States. Human Rights Watch,
n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. <http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/countrychapters/united-states>.
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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and JEB Stuart High School
Fairfax, VA | April 10-11, 2015