CWMUN2020

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Women’s Rights in Refugee Camps

[https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/opinion/violence-against-refugee-

women-is-often-ignored/]

Letter from the CHAIRWOMAN

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the 2020 edition of Change the World Model United Nations. More specifically,

welcome to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which will lively discuss

“Women’s Rights in Refugee Camps”.

The DAIS is enthusiastic to moderate what we hope will be a rich and constructive discussion on

what solutions will solve the problems women face in refugee camps.

Being in the status of refugee is a physical and psychological challenge we can only dare to

imagine. It is your duty in the days of debate to attempt to imagine how we, as the international

community, can support women in refugee camps.

As you know, the difficulties women face in refugee camps, such as forced labour and very poor

sanitation conditions, impact their communities, their children and thus the future of all human

kind. During the days of work, try to profoundly reflect on what women have to face and how they

can be helped, but especially supported.

It is elevating women globally that we will empower different communities and together contribute

to global human progress. We must work for a brighter and wealthier tomorrow, in which each

human being is given an opportunity at a serene, joyful and full life.

Achieving this goals starts from today.

Best of luck, distinguished delegates.

Warm Regards,

Victoria M.A. Ceccaroni

(Chairwoman)

What is this activity about?

Model United Nations is a role-playing game. Your task is to impersonate a diplomat of the

assigned State and present the perspective of this State’s current government

What should you do now?

Before the Simulation, you should write down and bring with you: - The Position Paper, a two-page

long document presenting the policy of your State on the three topics. - Handbook, a collection of

relevant UN resolutions, reports, academic studies, and news from reliable media. - Some topics for

Moderated Caucus debates, i.e. for short formal debates which should cover narrow aspects of each

topic. For example, within the topic Violence against women Delegates can hold a caucus Ways of

preventing genital mutilation. - Ideas for the Resolution, i.e. at least two or three paragraphs that

your State would like to include in the preamble and/or in the main body of the Resolution. You

should also learn Rules of procedure.

What will you do during the Simulation?

In Moderated Caucus you will hold short formal debates (usually 10-15 minutes long) on details of

each topic. Delegates will present the policy and solutions of the represented States in very short

(usually one minute) speeches. In Unmoderated Caucus, you will walk around the room freely and

informally engage with other Delegates to agree on your policies and solutions and to write draft

resolutions together as a Coalition. Draft resolutions will be checked and possibly edited by Chair

and Director to conform to all formal requirements. Eventually, Coalitions will present their draft

resolutions to the whole Committee. Other Delegates will debate and possibly amend the draft

resolutions, and then vote for or against. The scope for the Committee as a whole is to produce a

resolution on at least one topic from the agenda. The order of topics might change you must be

ready to work on all of them!

What is a resolution?

A Resolution is a very specific document, built of Preamble and Main body, expressing the will of

a particular UN Committee agreed upon by its Member States. Resolutions are central to the UN

and thus MUN gives all participants the opportunity to understand the process of creating them.

Please seize this opportunity and prepare in advance at least one or two paragraphs per each topic!

Sample resolution: Resolution 2349 (2017) https://undocs.org/S/RES/2349(2017)

Tips (!)

Learn about your State from the CIA World Factbook, from the official website of your State’s

permanent mission to the United Nations, and from other government websites (for example the

website and social media 6 profiles of the Royal Family or President, Prime Minister, Ministry of

Foreign Affairs...). Make sure to know as much as possible about the foreign relations of your State

with all States listed here! Consider that at the United Nations, States generally lean towards their

own geopolitical blocks: Western, Former Soviet, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, Latin

American... Consider also organizations such as the European Union (EU), African Union, Arab

League, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), The Union of South American Nations

(USAN)... REMEMBER! Your task is to present the official position of your assigned state.

Misrepresenting this position and/or representing your private views is against the rules, even if you

do not agree with your State’s position. In any case, you must not hyperbolize nor satirize the

position of your State. Humor, and especially sarcasm, is generally not typical for formal writing

nor formal debates. Although MUN welcomes wit and smart puns, please always be extremely

considerate when using humor.

THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made

up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.

It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention

throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.

The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by

resolution 60/251. Its first session took place from 19 to 30 June 2006. One year later, the Council

adopted its "Institution-building package" to guide its work and set up its procedures and

mechanisms.

Among them were the Universal Periodic Review mechanism which serves to assess the human

rights situations in all United Nations Member States, the Advisory Committee which serves as the

Council’s “think tank” providing it with expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues and

the Complaint Procedure which allows individuals and organizations to bring human rights

violations to the attention of the Council.

The Human Rights Council also works with the UN Special Procedures established by the former

Commission on Human Rights and now assumed by the Council. These are made up of special

rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups that monitor, examine,

advise and publicly report on thematic issues or human rights situations in specific countries.

The Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by the majority of members of the

General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot. The General Assembly

takes into account the candidate States' contribution to the promotion and protection of human

rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.

The Council's Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution. Seats are distributed as

follows:

1. African States: 13 seats

2. Asia-Pacific States: 13 seats

3. Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats

4. Western European and other States: 7 seats

5. Eastern European States: 6 seats

Members of the Council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-

election after serving two consecutive terms.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN REFUGEE CAMPS

[https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-10-22/deportation-syria-could-mean-death-women-children-and-

lgbtq-refugees-turkey]

What is a refugee?

A refugee is a person who is forced to leave their home in order to escape from war, violence,

persecution or natural disaster and have crossed an international border to seek safety in another

country.

Refugees are defined and protected in international law. The 1951 Refugee Convention is a key

legal document and defines a refugee as:

“Someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded

dear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social

group, or political opinion.”

As of 2020, about 70.8 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide.

- 41.3 million are internally displaced

- 25.9 million are refugees

-3.5 million are asylum seekers.

Overall, 57% of these displaced people come from Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan. The top 3

are followed by Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 2018, the number of displaced people from Venezuela has increased dramatically. Finally, the

UNHRC estimates there are about 3.9 million stateless people in the world. Lebanon is the country

that hosts most refugees in relation to population (1 in 6), closely followed by Jordan (1 in 14) and

Turkey (1 in 22).

What is a refugee camp?

A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to host refugees and people in refugee-like

situations. They host both internally and externally displaced people who flee mostly for political,

environmental and economic reasons. Camps are usually built and run by governments, the United

Nations or international organisations such as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). For

example, the Red Cross. The following summarise some of the worst refugee camp situations

divided by geographical region.

AFRICA

Political unrest in Burundi took a deadly turn in 2015 after the president announced plans to seek a

third term in government. Street protests resulted in violent clashes and hundred of thousands fled

to nearby countries searching for safety, an estimated 4.5 million people, to the Kasai, Tanganyika,

Ituri and Kivu regions. Hundred of thousands more fled to Angola, Zambia and other neighbouring

countries.

The Boko Haram insurgency displaced an estimated 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad Basin.

Regardless of the Nigerian military regaining of control in parts of the country’s north-east,

civilians in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger continue to be affected by grave violations of

human rights, sexual and gender-based violence. Since December 2013, South Sudan’s conflict

resulted in thousands of deaths and drove an estimate of 4 million people away from their homes.

While many are displaced within the country, more than 2 million fled to other countries. The

Central African Republic is one of the world’s poorest countries and has been troubled for years.

Since May 2017, however, fresh clashes between armed group increased death, destruction and

poverty, driving even more people away from their homes. African countries that host refugee

camps include: Zimbabwe, Niger, Benin, Tunisia, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Guinea, Djibouti,

Sudan, Zambia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Ghana and Chad.

MIDDLE EAST

Millions of Iraqis have been forced to leave their homes after decades of conflict and violence,

many fleeing with literally nothing but their coats on their backs. Now, with limited financial

sources, basic accommodation and food are not a security. Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria

since 2011. Finally, the catastrophe unfolding in Yemen has caused one of the worse refugee crisis

and famines in modern history. Countries that host refugee camps in the Middle East additionally

include Jordan and Palestine.

SOUTH AMERICA

People continue to leave Venezuela to escape violence, insecurity and threats, additionally to the

absence of food, medicines and essential services. Over 4 million Venezuelans now love abroad, the

vest majority in countries within Latin America and the Caribbean. This is the largest exodus in the

region in recent history. The number of refugees and asylum-seekers from the North of Central

America has soared in the past 5 years. The main causes are worsening crime and violence due to

drug cartels and gangs combined with fragile institutions, weak politicians and increasing

inequalities. In Nicaragua, political persecution and human rights violation have been causing an

additional large-scale displacement.

Persecution, conflicts and human rights violation continue to force people to flee their homes and

seek safety in Europe. Many risk their lives and face a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean

Sea. European countries that host refugee camps today are Greece, Italy, Romania, Germany and

France. Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma, Bangladesh and

Indonesia play a central role in hosting refugee camps in Asia. Bangladesh hosts Rohingya refugee

camp, the largest in the world that hosts people fleeing violence in Myanmar.

THE SITUATION OF WOMEN

Refugee camps are crammed, poor and often do not allow access to electricity or clean water.

Often, during international conventions on the discussion of the situation in refugee camps, the

difficult position of women refugees is left untouched. The difficult situation in which women

refugees find themselves puts them at risk of encountering further difficulties, such as falling pray

of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Migrants, especially migrant women, have higher labour force participation rates (72.7 per cent)

than non-migrants (63.9 per cent). Almost every sixth domestic worker in the world is an

international migrant, and women make up 73.4 per cent of international migrant domestic workers.

Only 22 countries have ratified the ILO Convention on Domestic Workers (No. 189), which

recognizes the additional vulnerabilities of women domestic workers and protects the rights and

dignity of all domestic workers. Today, 50 per cent of the world's refugees are women and girls.

Yet, only 4 per cent of projects in UN inter-agency appeals were targeted at women and girls in

2014, and just 0.4 per cent of all funding to fragile states went to women’s groups or women’s

ministries from 2012 to 2013. According to UN reports, 60 per cent of preventable maternal deaths

take place in humanitarian settings and at least 1 in 5 refugees or displaced women are estimated to

have experienced sexual violence. The number of internally displaced persons stood at almost 40

million at the end of 2014. Current data suggests that women living in protracted displacement

slightly outnumber men and their hardships get worse over time.

Placing women in decision-making roles and including their needs and realities in policies and

solutions designed to address global migration and the refugee crisis make them more sustainable

and responsive.

The main issues for women in refugee camps are:

- Mental and Physical Health

- Maternal health

- Access to sanitary products

- Access to education

- Assault and gender-based violence

- Protection for forced labour

- Protection from sexual exploitation

- Protection from human trafficking

- Empowerment and demand for their rights.

Some international laws already attempt to tackle these issues. However, most times it is difficult to

enforce precise laws and rules in such messy and hard to govern refugee camps.

SUGGESTED READINGS

UNHRC Booklet: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/HRC_booklet_EN.pdf

GLOBAL TRENDS https://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2019.html

PROTECTONG WOMEN AND GIRLS IN REFUGEE CAMPS http://www.lse.ac.uk/women-peace-

security/assets/documents/2019/LSE-WPS-refugees-camp.pdf

WOMEN REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-refugees-

and-migrants

CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN

https://www.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/Elections

2014/CEDAW-SP-2014-2.doc&action=default&DefaultItemOpen=1