ECMUN 2016 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

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1 PRESIDENT S LETTER Honorable Delegates, we would like to start by congratulating you on your decision to participate in the Earlham College Model United Nations conference and welcoming you to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime! Being involved with Model United Nations will enriched your knowledge about issues that trouble the world, enhanced our communication and negotiation skills, and thought us how important it is to be involved in matters that concern the peace, stability and equality in the world. In reality we are all global citizens, which means we all are tied together, we are dependent and responsible for one another. We believe that the skills you learn at the ECMUN conference will equip you to successfully interact with different people from various social, economic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, and we are looking forward on embarking on that journey of learning with you during the conference. In the 21th century health is a shared responsibility. We are excited to lead the world on the human rights matters with you. As delegates it is your responsibility to thoroughly research your topics and come prepared to discuss both the issues and potential solutions. Your experience at the conference closely correlates with the amount of preparation you have done on the topics that will be discussed. Good preparation will ensure a progressive debate and more meaningful discussions. As you begin to prepare for the conference it is important to remember a few things. First, you are representatives of countries that you been assigned to, which mean your personal position should be put aside for the time of the conference. Acting out of your character will not be tolerated. Adhering with this principle will allow everyone to have much more productive and rewarding conversation, showing excellence and professionalism of each of you. Secondly, it is imperative to know and understand Parliamentary Procedure; the flow of debate will revolve around your knowledge of the proceedings. In my experience, knowing the Parliamentary Procedure rules and being able to use them is the main tool that helps you to push your point forward, to make allies, and to ensure your interests are satisfied. And above all, it will make the debate more fun. Diplomacy is a game and knowing the rules helps. Finally, keep in mind that laptops will not be allowed during sessions, except during un-moderated caucuses to type resolutions and to do additional research if it will be needed. Active participation is the key for your experience. We expect debates to be conducted with the utmost diplomacy and respect. Most importantly, we see participation in the ECMUN conference as a learning experience and therefore throughout the session we will try to assist you as much as we can to help you to make the most out of it. Prepare your topics, be

2 knowledgeable about Parliamentary Procedure, and be ready to be positively overwhelmed by the ability to step into the shoes of those who are trying to make our world a better place! You are taking an honorable challenge by participating in MUN conference, and we promise it will be inspirational, highly intellectual and fun! It is time to earn unforgettable experiences, memories, and friends! We are thrilled to meet you all and to have a great conference! Sincerely, ECMUN Team Page

3 COMMITTEE BACKGROUND UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices. UNODC relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from Governments, for 90 per cent of its budget. UNODC is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism. In the Millennium Declaration, Member States also resolved to intensify efforts to fight transnational crime in all its dimensions, to redouble the efforts to implement the commitment to counter the world drug problem and to take concerted action against international terrorism. The three pillars of the UNODC work Programme are: - Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member States to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism; - Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drugs and crime issues and expand the evidence base for policy and operational decisions; - Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the relevant international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on drugs, crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive services to the treaty-based and governing bodies; In pursuing its objectives, UNODC makes every effort to integrate and mainstream the gender perspective, particularly in its projects for the provision of alternative livelihoods, as well as those against human trafficking. (From 3 Page

4 Topic I: Human Trafficking Overview: ECMUN 2016 Every year thousands of men, women and children fall in the hand of traffickers. Those Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage and other manipulative tactics to trap victims in horrific situations. Almost every country is affected by it either as the country of origin, transit or destination. Some structural factors fuel human trafficking and without addressing those factors the problem cannot be eradicated. It is important to pay close attention to the issues associated with the consequences for victims of human trafficking since they do not only expose the trafficking victims to different stressors but also reinforce the trafficking system itself. (Adapted from UNODC.org: What is Human Trafficking?) Historical Background: In 1995, the United Nations held the Fourth World Conference to address the issue of trafficking of women. Their major accomplishment was the fact that trafficking was recognized as an act of violence against women, and most importantly, actions to be taken were developed. These included enforcing international conventions on trafficking, addressing the factors that encouraged trafficking and setting up effective law enforcement and institutions who would work to eliminate trafficking. (Adapted from eden.rutgers.edu: Human Trafficking Timeline) The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime. The Convention is further supplemented by three Protocols, which target specific areas and manifestations of organized crime: the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; and the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children is the first global legally binding instrument with an agreed definition on trafficking in persons. The intention behind this definition is to facilitate convergence in national approaches concerning the establishment of domestic criminal offenses that would support efficient international cooperation in investigating and prosecuting trafficking in person cases. An additional objective of the Protocol is to protect and assist the victims of trafficking in persons with full respect for their human rights. (Adapted from UNODC.org: Convention on Transnational Organized Crime) In 2011 The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, was created and managed by UNODC to provide critical onthe-ground humanitarian, legal and financial aid to victims of trafficking. Funds received so far had supported the provision of educational, medical and psychosocial assistance to child victims in some countries. 4 Page

5 Current situation: Today, according to UNODC, the number of convictions for human trafficking is increasing. According to a report also produced by them the most common form of human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation with forced labor coming in at a not-so-close second (18%). The victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls, in 30% of the countries that provided information on the gender of traffickers, women make up the largest proportion of traffickers. Worldwide, almost 20% of all trafficking victims are children. However, in some parts of Africa and the Mekong region, children are the majority (up to 100% in parts of West Africa). Currently, in the global context, the average cost of a slave is $90 with the U.S. State Department reporting some 600,000 to 800,000 people as victims of trafficking across international borders every year. Human trafficking makes up the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking) and according to UNICEF s End Trafficking Campaign a total of 21 million people are estimated to have been trafficked around the world in 2013 generating $32 billion in estimated profits; $15.5 billion having been made in industrialized countries. (Adapted from UNODC.org: Global Report on Trafficking in Persons) Over the past few years, the number of countries that have taken steps to address human trafficking has doubled. However, the international community is facing a challenge of creating binding and effective strategies to address the issues of human trafficking prevention and prosecution as well as protection and reintegration of its victims. Human trafficking is manifested in many forms - labor, sex, child trafficking, migrant smuggling, domestic and cross-national trafficking - making it crucial to understand the dynamics of the different forms of trafficking in order to adopt effective measures to combat it. The efforts to tackle human trafficking needed to balance progressive and proactive law enforcement with activities to combat the market forces driving human trafficking in many destination countries. (Adapted from UNODC.org: General Assembly President calls for redoubling of efforts to ) Questions to consider: 1. In which ways can states mobilize to eradicate human trafficking? What actions could help to reduce the vulnerability of potential victims and the demand for exploitation? 2. Are victims of human trafficking adequately supported? How can the international community increase knowledge and awareness on human trafficking? 3. As almost every nations is a point or origin, destination or transit, human trafficking affects all states, large or small, rich or poor, weak or strong. How can regional and international anti-trafficking forces co-operate to help reduce the prevalence of such a crime? 4. How can the international community address the vulnerability of conflict and postconflict countries when it comes to human trafficking? Bibliography and Recommended Sources: s, Human Trafficking 5 Page

6 Polaris, Human Trafficking Rutgers University, Timeline of Human Trafficking UNICEF, Infographic: A Global Look at Human Trafficking DOSOMETHING.ORG, 11 Facts about Human Trafficking HumanTrafficing.org UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons UNODC Human Trafficking: An Overview "What is Human Trafficking? - United Nations Office on Drugs..." 6 Page

7 Topic II: Legalization of drugs Overview: ECMUN 2016 Legalization of drugs has been an issue in spite of decade s long war on drugs. It creates a great number of death, trafficking, and organized crimes. International drug control has been ineffective towards reducing the both market and consumers. International drug policies have been counterproductive causing more damage than before by ban and restriction. In the last four years the debate on this topic gotten bigger and bigger concerning why and who should decriminalize drugs. The first country that decriminalize the possession of any and all types of drugs from marijuana to heroin was Portugal in 2005, even though the Netherlands been known for its liberal drug policy, the U.S. has been changing its laws on drugs, too. The reasons for legalization are the growth of the economy through taxation, safety of public due to control from the government to make the issue less dangerous, and control over the quality of the substance. The reasons for the ban are public health and safety. According to UNODC, illegal global drug market annually valued to be 320 billion dollars that make it the third biggest market in the world. Historical background: The international drug control system has been built upon a number of UN conventions and documents, but revolves primarily around the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs, which was complemented by the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. As has been pointed out, the system is based on a belief that that there was a simple linear relationship between the scale of the drug market and the level of harm to human health and welfare (i.e., the smaller the market, the fewer the harms). Therefore the singular focus of the system has been on reducing the scale of the illegal drug market, with the eventual aim of a drug-free world, as reiterated by the UN in The first successful law for drugs was Pharmacy Act in 1868 in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the Act was to regulate poisons and drugs. Poison and drugs were only sold to the purchaser who was known to the seller. The global war on drugs has been fought for 50 years, without preventing the long-term trend of increasing drug supply and use. Beyond this failure, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has identified many serious negative unintended consequences of the drug war including the creation of a lucrative criminal market. This criminal market has a range of economic implications and stems from taking a punitive, enforcement-led approach that, by its nature, criminalizes many users and places organized crime in control of the trade. In the last three years, the drug policy debate has evolved more than in the previous three decades. However, there remain a number of obstacles to making recent developments sustainable ahead of UNGASS 2016 Although Latin American leaders have been instrumental 7 Page

8 in pushing the debate forward, the political context is more complicated today than it was at the 2012 Summit of the Americas. There is widespread consensus in the region that the war on drugs has failed, that drugs are primarily a health problem, and that use and possession should be decriminalized further. Current situation: Given the severity of the international drug problem and the persistent inadequacy of control policies, an increasing number of former leaders and NGOs have urged governments and international organizations such as the UNODC and INCB to review their strategies to address the challenges posed by drugs and organized crime. Parties that are for legalizing are saying they would be able to control the amount and quantity. It can be a huge incentive for the economy of the country due to the taxation of drugs that are imported. It should be human that an adult can do whatever they want. It shouldn t be criminalized, instead it should be medicalized. Prohibition increases theft, violence and also the price of drugs. On the other end of the spectrum, people suggest that it would increase the abuse of drugs, which leads to a health issue. Children should grow in a drug-free environment. The international drug trade causes numerous fatalities worldwide every year. In 2011, UNODC estimated the number of deaths related to illicit drugs uses to be 211,000. However, these figures are relatively low compared with annual rates related to the use of alcohol and tobacco worldwide, respectively 2.5 million and nearly six million. Questions to consider: 1. Should the legalization of drugs be universal? 2. Does the decriminalization of drugs influence the economy of a country? 3. Can the legalization serve as the answer to war on drugs? 4. What kind of drugs are more or less likely to be legalized? What are the regional differences in the approach to drug legalization? 5. What are the potential problem associated with the legalization of drugs? How can they be addressed? Bibliography and Recommended Sources: UNODC: World Drug Report UNODC: Drug Prevention and Treatment Law Enforcement Against Prohibition 8 Page

9 Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Marijuana History Marijuana's History: How One Plant Spread Through the World A Brief History of the Drug War Drug Policy Alliance Illicit Drugs and International Security: Towards UNGASS 2016, Benoît Gomis s/default/files/0214drugs_bp2.pdf The War on Drugs: Wasting billions and undermining economies, Steve Rolles 9 Page

10 Topic III: Countering Corruption Overview: ECMUN 2016 Corruption, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power. Corruption isn t limited to just one type or level of positions and can occur on small-scale local levels or in the highest rungs of national decision-making bodies involving a range of participants from public officials, law enforcement, and judiciary systems to labor unions and organized crime. Corruption, while easily definable exists in multiple forms, such as bribery, embezzlement of public funds, favoritism, blackmailing and racketeering and countless others. In essence, the problem of corruption results in the erosion of public confidence in public and private institutions and diverts valuable resources away from communities and people that need them. Historical Background: Since the 1990s, the international community has taken steps to expose and combat corruption around the world. NGOs such as Transparency International and Global Witness have been established to monitor corporate and governmental corruption across the globe, protect witnesses and whistleblowers and advocate for anti-corruption legislation. They advocate for solutions such as establishment of strong anti-corruption departments with the ability to audit officials and businesses, guaranteeing and strengthening the independence of the judicial system, and sanctions against public officials under investigation for corrupt practices. Many also stress the need for an international anti-corruption taskforce independent of private interests. However, some have questioned the effect this would have on the sovereignty of individual nations. In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish an independent anticorruption legal body separate from the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, which had previously handled all corruption investigations. After a series of negotiations in 2002 and 2003, the UN Convention against Corruption was ratified by the General Assembly and came into effect in Its main purposes are to preempt and prevent corruption before it occurs, requiring the criminalization of various corrupt practices by member states, fostering international cooperation and mutual legal assistance against corruption, and recovering assets that were stolen or misdirected as a result of corrupt practices. Current situation: Corruption still runs rampant across the world today, especially in developing countries. Ties between foreign companies and governments in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia are extensive and allow companies to circumvent environmental regulations, labor laws, and taxation. Additionally, foreign aid to developing countries is often diverted away from citizens in need to benefit government officials due to poor oversight in those countries. The rise of campaign contributions from wealthy donors in the United States has raised questions of the independence and accountability of elected officials, with some viewing it as a form of legalized bribery. China has recently seen the 10 Page

11 arrest of several high-ranking members of government on corruption charges. Practices such as nepotism and clientelism remain legal in many countries, making it difficult to combat legal corruption in those places. In recent years, some international documents signed under the auspices of both the United Nations and regional organizations have acknowledged the negative effects of corruption on the protection of human rights and development. It is important to develop effective anti-corruption strategies while accounting for political systems and political climate of individual countries and considering how corruption produces and reproduces different abusive, illegal practices around the world. Questions to consider: 1. What are the effects of corruption on societies, the economy, political systems and the environment? 2. To what extent should nations intervene to combat corruption in foreign countries? 3. How would foreign intervention against corruption affect the national sovereignty of individual countries? 4. What regulations would be most effective at countering corruption on a domestic and international scale? Bibliography and Recommended Sources: Transparency.org UNODC: Corruption Analysis of Mani Pulite scandal and reforms made afterwards UNODC: UN Conventions against corruption UNHRC: Human Rights and anti-corruption x tion.aspx United Nations Campaign: Brake the corruption chain OECD.org: Corruption in the public sector 11 Page

12 Topic IV: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Overview: Strengthened crime prevention and fair, humane and effective criminal justice systems are prerequisites for fighting transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, corruption, and terrorism. The work of UNODC in crime prevention and criminal justice reform is guided by the UN standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice. A huge role is allocated into assisting countries in developing new instruments, strategies, policies and programmes for crime prevention and criminal justice reform and presenting the tools and services that UNODC can provide to States and non-state actors. (Adapted from UNDP.org: Justice and Prison Reform) Historical Background: The UN standards and norms are sets of non-binding rules, principles, and guidelines relating to different aspects of criminal justice. Most of the UN standards and norms are resolutions adopted by the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council. Prior to 2012, UNODC supported Member States in developing and/ or revising standards and norms relating to violence against women (GA res. 65/229), women prisoners and non-custodial measures for women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules, GA res. 65/228), access to legal aid, civilian private security services and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of prisoners. UNODC developed 20 tools covering virtually all areas of crime prevention and criminal justice as well as conducted assessments in 29 countries, based on the Criminal Justice Assessment Toolkit, either on all crime prevention and criminal justice areas or in a specific area e.g. juvenile justice. (Adapted from UNDC.org: Justice and Prison Reform) A major issue that the committee could potentially address concerns the legal procedures and the rights of the accused in capital cases, and the move to implement further restrictions, with the possibility of the complete abolition of capital punishment in all countries. Historically, the UN has always pushed to abolish the death penalty and sees it a violation of Human Rights. On 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly voted 104 to 54 in favor of resolution A/RES/62/149, sponsored by Italy, consisting of a global moratorium on the capital punishment. In 2010 and 2012, the General Assembly adopted two more resolutions on a moratorium (A/RES/65/206 and A/RES/67/176). Current Situation: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has worked to discuss the implementation of the death penalty, focusing on wrongful convictions, deterrence and public opinion, and discrimination with regards to miscarriages of justice in the criminal justice process that implement the death penalty. It is important to look into the procedural criminal justice system in the implementation of the capital punishment, as every person has the right to a fair trial. Another issue is the execution of children under 18 years old. China, Congo, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are amongst countries that sentence children and juveniles to death row for certain serious crimes such as murder or terrorism. Secretary-General Ban Ki- 12 Page

13 moon has expressed concern over the fact that in 14 countries, the execution of children is still legal, and also the practice of sentencing large numbers of people to death in mass trials. Other concerns include the implementation of the capital punishment on individuals with psychological conditions. Thematic Programme (TP) provides the global framework for UNODC s work in crime prevention and criminal justice reform for the period As such, the TP ensures consistency in the UNODC approach to issues in this area, based on the UNODC Strategic Framework for the period and the UNODC Strategy and in line with the relevant UN Conventions and standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice reform. The United Nations System Task Force on Transnational Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking as Threats to Security and Stability, established by the Secretary-General in September 2011, recognizes the global threat from transnational organized crime and drug trafficking and argues that it should be addressed as a development issue and thus a longterm process. In this regard, priority needs to be given to the establishment of functioning and legitimate public institutions that can provide a sustained level of citizen security and justice. Crime prevention and criminal justice reform, including in a number of key areas, namely: police reform; strengthening prosecution services, the judiciary and courts; restorative justice; access to legal aid; prison reform and alternatives to imprisonment as well as in the cross-cutting areas of human rights; women in the criminal justice system; justice for children and the protection of victims and witnesses. Special attention should be paid to adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach to crime prevention and criminal justice reform, as well as to the integration of crime prevention perspectives into the overall work of UNODC. It is also important to consider UNODC s work within post-conflict and fragile states. Questions to consider: 1. What type of technical assistance would assist states in achieving the objectives of UNODC Thematic Programme? How can they be improved? 2. How can UNODC influence implementation of standards and norms related to crime prevention and criminal justice reform in different states? 3. How can UNODC better address such cross-cutting issues as human rights, women and children, victims and witnesses in criminal justice system? 4. Which crime prevention and criminal justice reform initiatives were successful? Why? Could they work for all of the countries? How can they be improved? 5. What is more important, a country s right to national sovereignty or an individual s right to life? Bibliography and Recommended Sources: Crime-related Resolutions and Decisions html 13 Page

14 UNODC Thematic Programme on Crime Prevention and Crime Justice: Major Achievements ECOSOC: World crime trends and emerging issues and responses in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice merging_issues_and_responses_in_cp_and_cj.pdf ECOSOC: Use and application of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice UNODC: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform _Thematic_Programme_Crime_Prev_and_Criminal_Justice_ _FINAL.pdf Death Penalty Information Center: 14 Page