SPECPOL Content Welcome from the presidents Introduction to the committee

Transcription

1 SPECPOL Content Welcome from the presidents Introduction to the committee 1. TOPIC: Pacific island states and global warming resettlement action plan Preamble Introduction to the Pacific island states Global warming and sea level rise Migration and resettlement of inhabitants Integration and cultural diversity Loss of national identity and ghost states Paris conference on climate change COP21 Recommended reading Closing remarks

2 Welcome from the presidents Dear delegates and ambassadors, It is our honor to welcome you to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL), also known as the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which will be a part of the 8 th Model United Nations of Goldberg sessions. We believe that both, experienced participants and beginners, are already looking forward to the conference just as we are. As you may know, the sessions will focus on the New Security Architecture in Europe Measures for a common security policy for the 28 European Union Member States and the Pacific Island States and global warming Resettlement action plan. During our committee sessions, we will tackle these two topics, to which this study guide is dedicated to. At the beginning of the debates we will vote on the order in which these will be discussed. We, the presidents of SPECPOL committee, consider both of them current and crucial, so all delegates should prepare both and take an active position during the Committee Sessions. We are fully aware that not only mentioned areas (Pacific Island States or Europe) are being affected, therefore the participation of all the countries in the debates is important, as well as respecting the countries positions and policies. We encourage you to attentively read this document. Keep in mind, that all those common essentials included are only brief introductions to the topics, thus your research shall continue focusing on more profound studies and mainly on your country s statements. We would like to avoid the problems with joining the discussions because of underestimating the preparation. In case you have any questions regarding the committee or the conference as a whole, do not hesitate and contact us via our s (noelfleuve@web.de, lucy.gavenciakova@gmail.com, cesca.gasull@hotmail.com). Shortly you will also receive an/the invitation into our Facebook group, which should serve better communication and also for getting to know each other. Lastly, we wish you a lot of success and we are kindly looking forward to meeting you by the end of October in Germany. We are attempting to do our best while preparing an unforgettable MUN experience, so do your best until it starts and get ready for it. Best wishes, Noelle Krahn, Lucia Gavenčiaková, Cesca Gasull 2

3 Introduction to the committee The Special Political and Decolonization Committee, also known as the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, operates since 1993 in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 47/233. It is one of in total six committees consisting of all United Nations members. It has the same power as the other committees from the UNGA and it was created because of the need to ensure peace and stability in the regions. In the early 90s the UN began a campaign to eradicate colonialism and that was the beginning of SPECPOL. In other words, SPECPOL is a committee mainly dealing with maintenance of international peace and security, decolonization, refugees, human rights, outer space or public information session of UNGA: Allocation of agenda items to the SPECPOL committee 3

4 1. TOPIC: Pacific island states and global warming resettlement action plan Preamble The Earth as we walk it nowadays has been shaped through millions of years. Scientists believe that during that time people have faced several grave climate changes caused by glacial and interglacial periods. The last glacial period, also known as The Ice Age, ended about 15,000 years ago and we are currently living in an interglacial period, which means that the Earth s temperature has been slowly rising during thousands of years. So people have ever since been forced to adapt to the changes or seek another place to live, and the first recourses of migration appeared. In terms of long-term historical development, the current situation seems to be innate. However, past decades (mainly after the Industrial Revolution at the turn of 18th and 19th century) the temperature commenced to increase faster than the expected average. Scientists describe this phenomenon as global warming. 2 Even though the consequences do not happen overnight, it is crucial to prepare sustainable plans for the future, regarding city development, climate migration, etc. Introduction to the Pacific island states The Pacific islands area is a geographic region in the Pacific Ocean that comprises three ethno geographic groupings (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia). It consists of more than 25,000 islands grouped into 13 states - Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Palau, 2 CLIMATE HOT MAP: The causes of global warming 4

5 New Zealand, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, and Federated States of Micronesia. It is estimated that first civilizations lived here already 2,000 BC. In the past the islands represented interests of empires and were conquered several times. Global warming and sea level rise Global warming is the gradual heating of the Earth s surface, oceans and atmosphere. Scientists have documented the rise in average temperatures worldwide since the late 1800s, but over the past century the average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees. The heating of the surface causes a melting of icebergs and further the sea level rise. In the 20th century, the level has risen by 10 to 20 centimeters. However, in the past twenty years the annual speed accelerated and was twice the average. In the future it is predicted that the sea level will rise even faster, so that by 2100 it could have increased by 0.8 to 2 meters. More dire predictions estimate the level to rise up to 7 meters after a complete meltdown of Greenland. Source: By that time, the majority of coastal cities will be swamp and flooded because of thermal expansion. The United States are already facing this issue since the state of Louisiana was forced to relocate its inhabitants from Isle de Jean Charles. 3 Moreover, as seawater reaches farther inland, it can cause destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants. There are states in which the coastal region is their total area. Due to the sea level rise those states could be completely submerged. Islands in the Pacific Ocean, because of their location and geophysical characteristics, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Perhaps more than in any other regions the populations and governments of Pacific Island countries are keenly aware that they face severe and multifaceted risks as a result of climate change. Fiu Mataese Elisara, the Executive Director of Samoa s environmental non-government organization stated: For us Pacific peoples, the discussion on climate change is not just a theoretical issue that we talk about when we come to these global meetings! It is there and we see the effects in our daily lives. For us it is a matter of life and death! In many cases we have to decide whether to stay on our islands or leave our homes. 3 THE GUARDIAN: Louisiana s Vanishing Island: the climate refugees resettling for $52m 5

6 The Solomon Islands, which have already lost five islands, 4 are forced to relocate its capital in Taro, with a total of 800 inhabitants, due to coastal hazards related to the sea level rise. It will take several decades to reconstruct the needed infrastructure with the help of qualified engineers, architects, etc. 5 Migration and resettlement of inhabitants Nowadays, one of the most important issues regarding the upper-mentioned crisis is the population movement and dislocation, particularly spontaneous migration, forced displacement, and voluntary or involuntary resettlement. Climate change poses an existential threat to millions of people living in the Pacific, who will increasingly face flooding and will be forced to abandon their homes. For instance, a report finds that 15 per cent of the population of Tuvalu, an island nation mid-way between Hawaii and Australia, has left in the past decade that s about 1,500 people and leaves the population at about 10, People who are leaving because of climate threat are commonly known as climate refugees. Up to 150 million more climate refugees will follow in upcoming years, the Environmental Justine Foundation believes. However, the journey may not always be simple, and many people in need will not be able to financially afford their relocation. They will lack the social and economic capital and they will not be able to move according to unsuitable policies. Consequently, there is the need to create a new action plan and to state? the duties of industrialized countries that have to resettle the Pacific Island s population as well as to stop the climate change. Resettlement is defined by the UNHCR as the transfer of refugees from an asylum country to another state that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent settlement. It is unique as it is the only durable solution that involves the relocation of refugees from an asylum country to a third country. Resettlement states provide the refugee with legal and physical protection, including access to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights similar to those enjoyed by nationals. 4 THE GUARDIAN: Five pacific islands lost to rising seas as climate change hits 5 THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND: Rising sea levels force Pacific Island capital to relocate 6 THE INDEPENDENT: Global warming: Thousands flee Pacific islands on front line of climate change 6

7 Integration and cultural diversity It is necessary to point out, that inhabitants of Pacific island states are not moving temporarily. There is no place left for them to return back home, therefore, the industrialized countries shall be prepared to provide new permanent homes and the plan should not only contain the routes climate refugees should take to get from their homeland to another country. It should also focus on humanitarian aid and their further integration into the society, education, engagement in the labor market, etc. However, climate refugees are often vulnerable indigenous people whose voices are usually not heard while tackling human rights, culture or traditions and facing discrimination owing to their identity. Preserving their identity can be rather difficult as well as their adaptation to the new environment and its society, if a precise action plan is missing. Originated at poor and extremely poor areas (more than 78% of inhabitants reside in rural areas) with the lack of adequate education or health care system, not used to industrialized society, these refugees have to be treated carefully. Loss of national identity and ghost states In the future the inhabitants of the Pacific island states will be scattered all over the world and the states will cease to exist formally. This raises a profound question over nationalities and preservation of indigenous culture. It is believed that states could continue to exist virtually with the governments in exile as a ghost state. However, there is still a void in international law concerning this situation, thus we do not know what will happen if inhabitants of submerged areas desire to retain their nationality. (So far, the only known term is ghost towns, referring to abandoned cities.) Moreover, the indigenous traditions and values can be endangered, when assimilating to the industrialised society. Although the area still remains quite poor in economic capital, they are definitely rich in culture, which has been built since 2,000 B.C. 7 Paris conference on climate change COP21 On November , a new Conference was held in Paris, France: COP21. It was the 21 yearly th st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) where a global agreement on the reduction of climate change was negotiated. The Paris Agreement was a consensus of the representatives of the present BRITANNICA: Polynesia 7

8 parties, which means that it was the first time that all nations came into a common cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities of the climate change. Moreover, some of the key agreements were to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels or to strengthen the ability to deal with the impacts of climate change, among others. Read the whole resolution here: On the adopted resolution is also based a study from the UNHCR concerning the displacement from areas affected by climate change. This document contains essential information about the whole process of resettlement. 8 8 UNHCR: Human mobility in the context of climate change 8

9 Recommended reading Brief guide to Pacific Island nations LSE: On the frontline of climate change and displacement UN-ESCAP: Climate change and migration issues in Pacific JAMES ALLWOOD: How climate change displaces Pacific Island settlements and the public s perception of large scale migration CNN: Two degrees (series of articles regarding climate change) NASA: Global climate change - Vital signs of planet 9

10 Closing remarks After luckily approaching the end of SPECPOL s study guide, we fully believe that you got into both of the topics. Although both questions are quite complex, we recommend you to find as much time as possible to involve yourself into further research. Only then will you be able to participate at the fruitful debates and create the most beneficial resolution for all the present countries. This study guide should serve as a brief introduction to the topic and we are expecting you to inform yourself more precisely on the topic. To do so, we prepared several questions and recommended articles to help you to get a further overview. In the end of your research you should be able to answer them all, because the policy statement you are required to send us should include them; 1. How is your country related to this phenomenon? (Is it being affected? Are you providing shelters for people who are already fleeing?) 2. What has your country done so far? 3. What are your official representatives opinions towards this topic? 4. What steps has your country already taken/is your country willing to take in the future? 5. What solutions are you going to propose? 6. What policy will you be presenting? 7. What is the aim you want to achieve during debates? We are looking forward to meeting you at the end of October at Goldberg Gymnasium in Germany! 10