For Your Information: The Situation of Child Refugees and Internally Displaced Children (UNICEF Topic A)
One of the topics that the UNICEF will be
discussing this YMUNK conference is the situation of child refugees and
internally displaced children. This issue has much to do with children who are
living in areas of conflict, and is therefore highly relevant today. The Syrian
conflict has been affecting almost 5.5 million children since it began in March
2012; 4.29 million are currently inside Syria, with the majority of them poor,
displaced, or caught in the line of fire. Another 1.25 million of them are
currently living as refugees in neighboring nations such as Lebanon, Jordan,
Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and North Africa.
Prior to the violence that ensued in the nation, Syria’s
education system had been one of the best in the region: with almost a 100%
primary school enrollment rate and literacy rates of over 90%. However, now,
2.8 million Syrian children are deprived of the opportunity to go to school; a lack of education for
one additional year points to the loss of skills that will be necessary for
life in the future. Within Syria, 4,072 schools have either been damaged or
turned into shelters, storage facilities, or military bases. As of 2013, the
school attendance has dropped to 30%, a far cry from the impressive figure of
97% prior to the conflict. 500,000 Syrian refugee children who are no longer in
the nation are also out of school. This has in some part to do with the fact
that they have missed too much school already, and are too far behind in their
studies to enroll in the public school system.
Both the children who are still in Syria and child refugees who
have fled to other nations are facing equal difficulty. Over 8,000 of the
children who arrived at Syria’s borders to seek refuge in a neighboring country
had either been orphaned or did not have their parents with them. In addition,
one third of the children in the Za’atari refugee camp – one the largest of such – are displaying
aggressive behavior and self-harm. Out of those who are not sheltered in
refugee camps, ten percent are employed as cheap labor on farms, in car repair
shops, or living as beggars on city streets. As for females, 20% of refugee
girls in Jordan are marrying early out of perceived necessity.
The Syrian conflict has been condemned by the international world
for the violence and violation of human rights it has caused. However, it is
also crucial to consider the aspect of the children- both those who have become
refugees in other nations as well as those who are still within Syria’s borders
– those who are poor, internally displaced, and in close proximity to the
violence currently occurring. The situation of child refugees and internally
displaced children also pertain to other conflicts, such as the violence in the
Central African Republic, where 2.3 million children are affected every year by
the intensifying conflict in the northwest region as well as the crisis in
South Sudan which has displaced 490,000 in less than a year.
by Yoonjie Park
Photo courtesy of http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/consider-this/Consider-This-blog/2014/2/4/photos-of-the-unknownrefugeecrisis.html
For Your Information: Organ Trafficking (WHO Topic B)
One
issue that the World Health Organization (WHO) has been attending to is organ
trafficking. Organ trafficking is the act of selling organs for organ transplants,
which is considered illegal in every country except Iran. However, the main
reason this occurs is because the demand for organs far outstrips its supply.
This shortage causes a myriad of negative externalities that affect many
people. Therefore, the WHO has been addressing such issues by enforcing new
laws to regulate organ trafficking.
Although
organ transplants represent a huge advancement in life saving treatment, it
also encourages organ trafficking. The invention of organ transplants meant
that people could now receive ‘new’ organs. However, with no incentive to
donate organs legally, people started to illegally "donate" or sell
organs for money to wealthier nations. Organ traffickers manipulate people in
desperate need of money and trick poor and uneducated people into giving up
their organs for a fraction of the price that it would cost for a legitimate
procedure. Usually, the traffickers end up earning much more money trading
organs than they spend buying organs. This repetitive transaction between organ
givers and organ traffickers is what keeps the black market for organs going.
Organ
traffickers have many methods of obtaining the organs to supply their needs. As
introduced earlier, one method is to discriminate prices by manipulating
people's weaknesses to their own advantage. Also, it is extremely dangerous for
people in third world countries to give away their organs (esp. their kidneys)
as this results in an increased possibility of them falling ill in unsanitary conditions.
Additionally, these organs are sometimes taken by brute force and lead to an
even higher risk of death.
In response to
these issues, the WHO has spared no effort in finding solutions. Overall, it
has boiled down to the basic act of implementing a stronger and stricter policy
to prohibit illegal organ trafficking or increasing the incentives for people
to donate and receive organs via legitimate channels. For example, in exchange
for the donation, people can receive indirect payment through insurances or
medical treatment. Although many solutions have been hashed through the
exchange of ideas, a critical solution that better addresses the problem still
waits to be achieved.
by Janette Rhee
Photos courtesy of http://humantraffickingsearch.net/wp/organ-trafficking-around-the-world/
For Your Information: Prevention of Misappropriation of Humanitarian Aid (UNDP Topic B)
Humanitarian aid
provides essential post-natural disaster relief. However, corruption is a huge
problem in humanitarian aid as it often flows through unmonitored channels. Consequently,
it is hard to ensure that the aid given reaches its target audience as it is
hard to trace and track the handling of this aid in the midst of a national
crisis such as a natural disaster. For example, the aid could be stolen and
sent to the black market.
In recent years,
the humanitarian aid being sent to Uganda has been greatly misemployed. In
October 2012, aid from several countries in Europe have been transported to the
unauthorized charges of Ugandan Prime Minister Anama Mbabazi, leading to a
scandal that involved Uganda having to return all the monetary aid that it was
initially conferred. Uganda has consistently distributed its aid unequally even
though more than half of Uganda’s budget is funded through foreign humanitarian
aids. Civil war has continued endlessly for the past 2 decades between the
government and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and over two million people have
been driven out and forced to live in terrible conditions. A majority of the
aid is being distributed unfairly according to regional differences. It is
apparent that Uganda has not learnt its lesson and continues to be one of the
most corrupt countries.
One of the most
severe natural disasters in history, Typhoon Haiyan, struck the Philippines and
wrecked havoc in the country, leaving it in need of much aid from the global
community. The recovery is predicted to be a long and slow one and there are
already concerns of corruption with regards to the humanitarian aid that she is
receiving. The donor organizations and the recipient country have to ensure
that the aid is not misused and that it reaches to those in need directly.
Misappropriation
in humanitarian aid is not an issue that will be solved overnight. Yet, we must
take small steps to solve the problem. Agencies have a set of common policies
that they implement to stem the risk of corruption. This system is called the
whistle blowing mechanism and is intended to allow a staff to communicate
confidentially with officials outside the immediate situation, to report
corrupt activities. However, the problem is that the staff is not familiar with
the processes involved and thus do not use it effectively and widely.
It is essential
to spread the policies controlling corruption to prevent it from happening. Simply
sending aid to needy countries during emergencies will not solve the problems
of corruption. Management of recipient countries also needs to be taken care
of. Agencies are also considering poor management as a problem and many have
put in human source managers in order to facilitate the flow of humanitarian
aid towards its target destination. Finally, improved monitoring and
accountability mechanisms are essential in the battle against corruption. Even though these measures do not cease
corruption immediately, it does slowly but surely tackle the problem at hand.
by Jenny Park
Photo courtesy of https://haitiquake-archive.unlb.org/Picture%20Library/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=526
For Your Information: Rising tensions on South China Sea dispute (DISEC Topic B)
The various territorial disputes amongst claimant countries over territories in the South China Sea are long standing ones. However, recent upsurges in tension, particularly between China and America, have reminded the world that this is a conflict that could have global consequences.
The dispute is over territory and sovereignty in the South China Sea, which have also been claimed in part or whole by several other countries. Tensions rose last week after China moved a giant oilrig into an area also claimed by Vietnam. Each country accused the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. China defines this area by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from the most southerly province of Hainan. Beijing issued a statement claiming the territory based on 20 centuries of historical precedence and claimed that both the Spratly and the Paracel islands are integral to its heritage.
Vietnam hotly disputes China's historical account and says it has actively ruled over both the Paracels and the Spratlys since the 17th Century and has the documents to prove it. The Philippines invokes its geographical proximity to the Spratly Islands as the main basis of its claim for part of the grouping. Both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal, which is a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China. Malaysia and Brunei also lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that they say falls within their economic exclusion zones, as defined by UNCLOS. Malaysia claims a small number of islands in the Spratlys.
China has traditionally taken a strong stance on the protection of what it deems to be its sovereign territory. Chinese president Xi JinPing issued a public statement, stating that China is “strongly committed to safeguarding the country's sovereignty and security, and defending our territorial integrity”. The refusal to settle on a compromise on the part of a major player like China has led to a gridlock that has led to several conflicts, such as when the Chinese seized the Paracels from Vietnam in 1974 that led to the death of more than 70 Vietnamese troops.
The complexity of the dispute has been augmented by motivations of the separate claimant countries on both the political and economic fronts. On the economic front, the potential to harvest oil and other minerals that falls within the territorial zones in the South China Sea provides strong incentives for rival countries to lay claim to these territories that will allow them to exploit these resources. Additionally, the successful acquisition of territories over other claimant countries can also serve as a form of political posturing and is used by the countries to display their military power or political clout.
by Linus Seah
Photo courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2631156/China-trying-build-ISLAND-waters-claim-Philippines-tensions-rise-Vietnam-territory-dispute-sparked-riots-Hanoi.html
Meet the SOCHUM Chair
A native Californian, Hannah is a sophomore who
majors in History at Yale’s Calhoun College. Here, Hannah tells us about her
experience preparing for the conference and her past as a Model UN participant,
while also generously dispensing valuable advice for future delegates and
chairs.
Not new to the MUN experience, Hannah started
attending conferences when she was a freshman in high school. ‘I was still in
eight grade, and during registration for high school, they had all these tables
laid out for different extra-curriculars. They had mock trials, speech and
debate, and they had this Model UN table. I was walking around and I see this
table – the girls at this table said, you know, it’s a really chill program,
it’s a lot of fun, you compete at UC Berkeley every year,’ she recalls. Hannah
emailed the coach and teacher-in-charge, and joined the club as soon as she
could. Off she went to Berkeley to compete, which she said was ‘actually a
really steep learning curve. I had no Model UN experience before; my team was
brand new at the time; we were just starting. I think as a first timer at UC
Berkeley, I was really intimidated’. This didn’t deter Hannah from continuing
with Model UN, however. ‘I loved the issues we were talking about; I still
didn’t know how procedure worked, but I think Model UN really falls through
team building and collaboration and thinking and problem solving,’ she said.
Model UN became such an important part of her high school career that it was
one of the factors she considered when she was choosing which college to enroll
in; she ended up writing about in her college essay to Yale, having known that
the college had a ‘great International Relations Association and … a really
strong Model UN team and Model UN community.’
All this experience has definitely helped
Hannah prepare for her SOCHUM chairing appointment, as it deals with human
rights, cultural and social issues. She and her vice-chair, Monica, began
preparing last semester fall. ‘The first half of preparation was really geared
toward writing the topic guide. Through November, December and January, it was
researching for the two topics and then it was writing and editing the topic
guides. By the beginning of February, the topic guides were at least online,’
she recalled. Most of the topic guides were written via Google Docs (‘thank God
for technology’), where she would make comments or edits and her vice-chair
would make those adjustments accordingly. Correspondence was mostly carried out
via email, with only one Skype call in the initial stages of the collaboration.
The chair training sessions were then up next. All the chairs as well as
Miranda Melcher – the Under Secretary General for Committees – would meet once
every week for an hour every Sunday to review clause writing, procedures,
debate format and so forth.
So what
is Hannah looking forward to in YMUN Korea? ‘I’m really, really looking forward
to interacting with delegates,’ she said, ‘I’m also looking forward to
experiencing the culture of Korea.’ Hannah has been reading up on Korean
history, and this past semester she has been taking a course called Nationalism
In East Asia which focuses on China, Japan and Korea. ‘I think this will also
from an academic standpoint really allow me the opportunity for a week or ten
days to experience a completely different culture in East Asia, especially
since Korea is one of the economic powerhouses now,’ she remarked; being her
first abroad experience outside of America must also add to the excitement of
the conference.
Does Hannah have any tips for future delegates and chairs?
‘Sure! First, just stay up to date with the topics. At the core of Model UN is
studying International Relations and Global Affairs,’ she observes. ‘Just try
to enjoy learning! For first time delegates, just research and make sure you
know as much procedure as you can. Find a mentor perhaps? One who can kind of
help you and guide you.’ Hannah notes that the importance of coming to the
conference with an open mind, urging delegates to ‘take everything you learn,
whether it’s from other delegates, from your chairs or from the research you’ve
done’. Not only will this help delegates prepare for future conferences, but
she believes that it will also help them ‘develop a really, really good world
perspective’. Chairs? ‘Don’t be afraid to exercise your authority because
that’s what the chair is supposed to do; they’re supposed to moderate the
debate,’ she notes. ‘Debate can’t be effective without a chair who is willing
to be assertive. So have fun, but don’t be afraid to speak up because the
delegates very much look up to the chairs.’
by Michael James Anthony
Meet the UNSC Chair
This
year’s chair of the YMUN United Nations Security Council is Leo Espinoza. Leo
is, a freshman from Saybrook College in Yale University. and is considering a
major in either Political Science or Modern Middle Eastern Studies. Leo was
born in California, and moved to Topeka, Kansas when he was in middle school.
Leo participated
in his first Model United Nations when he was an 8th grader. Since
then, he has been a delegate thrice and an officer twice. Wanting to continue his MUN career in college,
Leo deciced to join the Yale International Relations Association (YIRA). In addition to YMUN Korea 2014, he
is currently working with on several YIRA conferences including YMUN-Taipei
2014, Yale Model Government in Europe 2014, the Security Council Simulation
at Yale , YMUN 2015.
Leo wanted
to come to YMUN-Korea because of the novel hybrid conference style that will be
introduced for the first time at a YMUN conference. The debating style in YMUN Korea
2014 is not the typical THIMUN or UNA-USA style, but rather, it adopts the best
practices from both styles and merges them into a hybrid. In
addition to the conference, Leo is excited to attend YMUN Korea 2014 as he has
never been to Asia. South Korea will be the first East Asian country that he has
visited. Leo is stoked to explore this newfound continent after the conference.
In
his spare time, Leo likes to read. The
Kite Runner and The Glass Castle
are among his favorite novels. He referred to these two books as “fantastic
works of literary art”. When asked about his future goals, he expressed his
interest in working in public policy. “Other than that, I have aspirations to
get involved politically at some point in my life, but that isn’t for sure. I
still have much to grow so who knows where I decide to go a year or two from
now.”
If
you see him around, say hello to ask him more about his previous MUN experiences!
by Zoey Ryu
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