Cleveland-Autumn Conference

Transcription

1 Cleveland-Autumn Conference 2018 Position Papers for: United Nations Human Rights Council

2 Delegation from: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Represented by: Laurel School Position Paper for The United Nations Human Rights Council The issues before the United Nations Human Rights Council are the Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The Delegation of Canada is honored to be present in the discussion of these pressing issues and is eager to formulate ample resolutions to these topics in order to benefit the United Nations agenda. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is honored to be given the opportunity to discuss human rights in conflicts across the middle east. The Middle East has dealt with conflicts related to terrorism and religion along with the reprimantion of women, minorities, and refugees. Addiotionally, these conflicts prevent students and adults from going to school or work which in turn ends negatively. The United Nations Human Rights Council promotes human rights around the world and attempt to gain freedom and equal rights for all. Afghanistan is used as a battleground for all wars fought across the Middle East, because of its geographical location; it draws Afghanistan into constant conflict. Along with that, Afghanistan has been at war for 30 years, lowering rights and rising conflicts. However, Afghanistan has worked gain human rights through the Middle East, The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission was developed in The commision was created to assist in the development and enforcement of basic human rights. Along with the AIHRC, laws have been set through the constitution of Afghanistan relating basic human rights. The Islamic Republic Of Afghanistan has worked hard to create and gain equal rights for all and reduce conflict through the Middle East. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan understands the loss of Human rights in conflicts across the Middle East. If we create and all agree on a set of laws, that could ensure peace through the Middle East, and in turn exist in less conflicts. By creating a set of laws that would ensure the safety of Afghanistan and the rest of the countries in the Middle East. II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Enforced or involuntary disappearances occur too often throughout the world. They are often perpetuated by oppressive governments and/or violence in the country, as they are products of the state wanting to silence its people. Afghanistan recognizes that enforced or involuntary disappearances are a problem, as well as the Working Group s progress against them. Afghanistan itself does not have an internal issue with involuntary disappearances, however we are willing to cooperate with the Group if it should bring a case to our attention. Afghanistan s support of the Group shows its willingness to help combat the issue. We value the measures the Group has taken to stop further instances of enforced disappearances, in addition to solving past and current missing persons cases. We have worked with them in the past in order to solve the problem. Although it is not a major issue for our country, we have done much with the Group to alleviate the problem in other countries. The issue is of great seriousness, and Afghanistan has adequately given it our attention in the past.

3 We will continue to work with the Group moving forward as well. Afghanistan plans to extend our support and compliance with what the group needs from us into the future. We will strive to ensure amenability to the Group and compliance to any laws regarding the issue. Afghanistan is fully supportive of stopping enforced disappearances in countries and is willing to help the progress the Group is making.

4 Delegation: The Commonwealth Wealth of Australia Represented By: Westlake High School Position Paper for Human Rights Council The topics to be discussed are: Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East, and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East The loss of human rights in conflicts across the Middle East has been very apparent in recent years. Throughout the Middle East more and more examples of human right violations are being discovered. In Palestine and Israel unlawful arrests occur, in Syria the government utilizes illegal chemicals and slaughter their citizens, and the list continues. Numerous problems and conflicts arise every year that make human rights violations extremely prevalent in these countries. Human right abuses taking action in the Middle East are highly condemned in Australia. The commonwealth of Australia has shown its disapproval towards the Syrian government and their use of illegal substances on their citizens. On a resolution, a vote of 27 to 4 was passed showing the delegate's condemnation of Syria s human rights violations. In addition, the DFAT monitored the human rights conditions presented in the Middle East. For example, according to The Sydney Morning Herald the Australian government is resisting retribution until Saudi Arabia s Khashoggi investigation comes to a close to insure human rights codes are being followed. Additionally Australia has established a modern slavery act. Forced labour is an issue among immigrants, who generally are coming from the middle east, so Australia is aiming to abolish this completely and defend victims of it by finding them sustainable ways to work. The Commonwealth of Australia values humans rights being followed and given to all. The commonwealth of Australia rebukes the Middle East for the loss of human rights during conflict. Human rights standards should be followed internationally and be given to every human being without exception. The Middle East has violated and still is violating many of these rules and it puts various lives in danger. In the future, Australia looks forward to building a resolution and creating peace where it currently is not. Every individual and deserves basic human rights no matter where or who they are. Position Papers, Human Rights Council, Cleveland-Autumn Conference 2018 II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances The Progress on the Working Group Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances is a group that was established in the 1980 s, and is a group of individuals whose motives are to help the family of those who have disappeared and find their whereabouts. The Working Group s mandate was extended multiple times by the Human Rights Council of Australia. The group interacts with

5 the governments concerning the cases of individuals and applies that the state government scrutinize and communicate with the group. Due to communication among families of the disappeared family members, the Working Group developed discussions with numerous governments. The Group is continuously growing to help investigate the whereabouts of the disappeared individuals. The Working Group consists of five individual specialists. Enforced disappearance is someone who has disappeared from their loved ones and their community. The Group deals with country visits, discusses with the countries governments regarding information and protests received concerning professed rights violations, and publishes activity reports to the Human Rights Council. An enforced disappearance has three elements according to the Work Group. I. Deprivation of liberty against the will of the person II. The involvement of government officials, by acquiescence III. Refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person. These three listed elements are severe misdemeanors according to human rights, the elements steal the victims independence, dignity, and sometimes their life. Due to enforced disappearances, the countries populations mindset in now set to fear and helpless. Citizens are constantly worried that they will suddenly be abducted. The countries populations mindset in now set to fear and helpless. Citizens worry that either loved ones or themselves will be abducted for their political opinions. The citizens fear that if they take action the government will inflict conflict or a loved one will be abducted. Due to fear, the country has no ability to communicate about suppression, than the sufferers themselves.

6 Delegation from: The Kingdom of Belgium Represented by: Mayfield High School Position Paper for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) The topics being discussed by the United Nations Human Rights Council introduced by Belgium are: Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East; and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Belgium is an active supporter of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East The Kingdom of Belgium has a long history of advocating for human rights. As the first country in Western Europe to ban the death penalty from criminal law, be it in peace time or in war time. In September 2013, The Kingdom of Belgium submitted an interim report on the observance of the 88 recommendations it has agreed with within the framework of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The Kingdom of Belgium will continue to participate actively in the UPR and it recommends that other countries do so as well, because the UPR is a peer review system of the UNHRC and is vital to the commitment of human rights across the globe. The delegation of Belgium recommends that those countries in the middle east that are experiencing a loss of human rights participate in the UPR as to allow outside countries to understand the losses. The Kingdom of Belgium supports human rights in all countries of all people and wants to help the citizens of the middle east to gain their human rights back. II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The Kingdom of Belgium signed and ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2011 and encourages other countries that have not yet ratified or signed to do so as well. Earlier this year the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances met in Brussels to allow the working group to network on the Belgian and European level and put its activities on display. The Kingdom of Belgium is in favor of effective mechanisms for moderating and supported the independence of the experts at the meeting as well as their integrity. The delegation of Belgium is in full support for the work completed by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances as the issues they strive to solve are very important ones. Belgium believes that no human being should be forced to disappear as it is a simple human right to be in control of what happens to oneself along with both the victims and their families should be protected.

7 Delegation from: Federal Republic of Brazil Represented by: Strongsville High School Position Paper for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) The issues before the committee, Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, are those presented as the result of governmental suppression of human rights on a global scale. The Federal Republic of Brazil is dedicated to cooperation, with the goal of formulating realistic and adaptable solutions to the issues, and creating a better environment to the differing political, economic, and social climates. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East According to Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, a primary goal of the United Nations is To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. As the Middle East and North Africa region continues to take advantage of human rights among all people, it is evident that a new era of increasing loss of freedom, social justice, and democratic participation in the region has prompted uprisings that aid in international insecurity. To this end, the Middle Eastern region is a threat to peace. In several countries, protests culminated in the departure of long-standing leaders. Although Brazil has not been heavily involved in human rights issues in the Middle East, it has been more heavily involved in intercontinental human rights violations. Thousands of Venezuelans poured into Brazil, fleeing repression and seeking food and medication. In response, Brazil facilitated residency permits for them, while it called for the re-establishment of democracy in Venezuela. Throughout the Middle East, amid the stream of ordinary life, there are many such reminders of repression: notorious prisons where political detainees languish, censored newspapers and exiled writers, unemployed teachers who dared to speak out. Brazil has advocated for finding a solution to human rights involving each of those domains. Such action taken include independent monitoring from third party organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations, and Organization of American States as well as local organizations, such as Mechanism for Torture Prevention and Global Justice. These countries are now engaging in far-reaching and promising political, legal and institutional reforms. Due to the significant numbers of citizens, migrants, and stateless person facing discrimination and social inequality, the region, in terms of economic and social human rights, requires greater and more effective responses. Poor economic conditions tend to destabilize the promotion and protection of human rights. To many foreign nations, the Middle East is commonly known for its gender rights issues. Because of this, it is imperative that the UNHRC creates legislation regarding domestic violence on women as gender empowerment programs. As a result, labor conditions for women in Middle Eastern nations will strengthen the equality between men and women and raising economic equality and standards. In addition, a greater number of jobs in Middle Eastern that designate towards women as result of such programs may reduce human rights violations on women within the labor force. Brazil additionally supports a multifaceted solution to the issue of human rights violations in the Middle East that successfully limits exploitation of power of police forces by creating stricter regulation through an investigative third-party organization Most importantly, this must be accomplished while acknowledging national sovereignty and religion.

8 II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Because the United Nations Human Rights Council functions as a peacekeeping organization aiming to solve international breaches of human rights, it is crucial that the issue of enforced and involuntary disappearances is addressed by the committee. The Working Group's primary task is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. By resolution 20 of 29 February 1980, the Commission on Human Rights decided to "establish for a period of one year a working group consisting of five of its members, to serve as experts in their individual capacities, to examine questions relevant to enforced or involuntary disappearances of persons". With the adoption by the General Assembly in 1992 of the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances, the Working Group was also entrusted with monitoring the progress of States in fulfilling their obligations deriving from the Declaration and to provide to Governments assistance in its implementation. Since the recent issues regarding loss of human rights in many South American nations, the topic of increased human rights and ensuring the safety of citizens has become a priority. The fear of disappearances, most commonly among activists, teachers, journalists, lawyers, and more people who question the status quo of the government, creates refugees. Brazil has also seen an increase of refugees from neighbor states such as Venezuela, which has caused a fluctuation of the economy in Brazil has impacted the ability of the government to take action on international affairs. Yet, Brazil intends to support the Working Group in order to continue progress of in finding a solution to enforced or involuntary disappearances. A multinational agreement with the Working Group would be unrealistic, as each government has the right to form and enforce policies within their borders that align with the varying policies of each nation. The citizens of nations with high disappearance occurrences should be set in a database in order to determine priority and awareness. In order to solve such an issue, it is possible to create a solution based on A/RES/61/177, which entails a guide for countries to follow to combat involuntary disappearances. In keeping with the resolution, Brazil encourages that the Council to form an investigative group in association with the Working Group in order to determine the issues causing such disappearances. Yet, such a solution must be applied with respect to national sovereignty. In September of 2017 the Human Rights Council renewed the mandate of the Working Group, A/HRC/RES/36/6. Brazil genuinely believes it should be priority for nations to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The Federal Republic of Brazil has pushed to increase and reestablish security in human rights within the sovereign borders of the nation. If a government decides to seek help in dealing with disappearances of individuals, the Working Group could offer aid to help locate missing persons and to regain a level of trust between the government and the governed. We hope that all nations may come to a solution in order to properly protect the fundamental freedoms of all humans and to protect democracy for all nations and people.

9 Delegation from: Canada Represented by: Laurel School Position Paper for The United Nations Human Rights Council The issues before the United Nations Human Rights Council are the Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The Delegation of Canada is honored to be present in the discussion of these pressing issues and is eager to formulate ample resolutions to these topics in order to benefit the United Nations agenda. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across The Middle East Conflicts in the Middle East such as the Israeli and Palestinian dispute, contrasting religious beliefs, and post-war famine have contributed to a national unrest. These conflicts have not only put the people in danger, but these conflicts also put their individual freedoms and rights in jeopardy. The state of the individual rights of people in different regions has always been a top priority for The United Nation Human Rights Council. We have and always will speak out against any violations of human rights and with the Middle East, it will not change. The UNHRC has put great work into this issue for the past 3 years focusing on the discrimination, insecurity, and economic plight that the conflicts have caused. Canada has taken this issue into account and has positively contributed in a myriad of ways. To address the conflict in that of Syria we have resettled nearly 47,000 Syrian refugees from dates November 4, 2015, to June 30, 2017, we have also taken in 23,000 refugees from Iraq. Canada has also helped those most vulnerable after the crisis in Syria by committing $840 million over the course of three years in efforts to provide health care, food, water, and various other necessities. In addition to this, Canada is committing $270 million over the course of three years to help communities in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq deal with the regional crises that take place within or around them. This money will go towards education, employment opportunities, and the reduction of stress and tension across these communities. In addition to this Canada is committing $145 million in three years time in order to help stabilize and secure Iraq and Syria. These efforts are being pursued through the actions being taken to defeat ISIL. Canada believes that the course of action that needs to be taken is to work with major countries in the Middle East that have been most affected by these conflicts and to focus on the needs of the people and their overall well-being. While stopping these conflicts is an important part of what Canada believes is important, Canada is not for using violence to deal with these issues. Canada highly values peace over unnecessary conflict, we would rather come to a solution diplomatically. Solving these conflicts peacefully would not only less endanger the people but it would also give the UNHCR more money to focus on how we can reduce the negative effects that said conflicts have caused. All in all, Canada firmly believes that a viable solution would be to focus on the needs of the people and to solve the conflicts with as little violence as possible involved. II. Progress on the Working Group of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances An enforced disappearance is a situation in which a person is secretly abducted against his or her will by a political organization. The government institution will then refuse to provide any information about the fate or whereabouts of the victim. In many cases, enforced disappearances result in the captured person being brutally torchered and murdered. Involuntary disappearances are a critical issue across the globe because it

10 is an extreme violation of human rights that robs victims of their personal liberty. In addition, it causes victims to have deep psychological and physical wounds. Enforced disappearances also create detrimental effects on the overall population of a country. This happens when citizens of a particular country learn about involuntary disappearances taking place in their region. Learning news of these atrocities results in the population developing a fear or distrust for the government. The terror citizens of the country begin to feel prevents them from taking action or speaking out against the injustice of enforced disappearances. Many do not protest against the cruelty and inhumanity of involuntary disappearances because they are afraid that they will be abducted themselves or it will cause a loved one who is in captivity to be more heavily torchered. Enforced Disappearances became a prominent human rights issue in the 1960s and 1970s due to their predominance in certain Central and South American countries. Despite a concentration in Central and South African countries, enforced or involuntary disappearances happen all over the world. The United Nations recognizes the importance of this issue and is working diligently to solve it through the creation of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that was founded in 1980 as well as a recently founded Committee on Enforced Disappearances that was established in Canada recognizes that Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances is a critical issue and has made significant actions to combat this matter by being a strong supporter of the UN human rights system. Canada has ratified key UN human rights instruments including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhumane Treatment which was authorized in In addition, Canada has strong human rights laws as well as supports the development of democratic institutions and practices that protect personal freedoms. Canada sets an example for the rest of the globe because it has had no documented reports of enforced or involuntary disappearances. Canada recognizes that there is still a multitude of work that needs to be done in order to solve the issue of Enforced or Involuntary disappearances across the world. Canada is passionate about enforcing human rights and is looking to find a solution that will allow compromise with governments that refuse to comply with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. Canada feels that it is essential to come up with dynamic and creative solutions to end involuntary disappearances.

11 Delegation from China Represented by: Mentor High School Position Paper for the Human Rights Council The issues before the Human Rights Council are: The Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East; and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. China hopes that considerable progress is made on both of these problems, and is eager to contribute to the wellbeing of people worldwide. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East. Currently, the Middle East in the the midst of crisis. Multiple conflicts, such as the Syrian Civil War and Iraqi Civil War, have thrust nations into chaos. Amid this chaos, fundamental human rights, such as those laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been violated. Many people in the Middle East are facing issues of violence, poverty, and religious persecution.though in turmoil, the Middle East is thriving economically due to its copious amounts of oil. In 2017, the region is reported to have exported over 15, 000 barrels of oil per day. This makes the Middle East a valuable resource for wealthy nations to shape in their favor. China wishes to make allies with wealthy nations in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Iran. 50% of China s crude oil comes from these nations. China also wants to secure Middle Eastern countries as valuable trade partners. The United Arab Emirates is especially in China s interests. Instability in the region, however poses a threat to this thriving trade relationship. The problem, China says, is that the region is underdeveloped. Due to this,china takes a hands-off approach when it comes to domestic politics in the Middle East. China s military presence is minimal with no military bases in the region. Making allies of these countries is the main priority for China when it comes to the Middle East. China believes that increasing development will move towards solving the crisis occurring in the Middle East. Improving human rights conditions can help to increase development in the Middle East, and help the region reach social and economic stability. China has signed the Universal declaration of human rights, but believes that a less direct approach would be best for the region. Constructing new infrastructure and funding programs such as education are in China s best interest to increasing its influence in the Middle East. II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

12 Enforced and involuntary disappearances are a sensitive topic. Most wealthy western nations do not support them. Some smaller nations do, though, their voices are not heard. :Z{ senforced disappearances are seen as an human rights violation by most of the world. In 1980 the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was formed in order to counteract this practice, and in 2010 the Committee on Enforced Disappearances was formed to strengthen efforts of the Working Group's efforts to ban enforced disappearances. Overall, the world is against enforced disappearances, and seeks to outlaw their practice China does use enforced disappearances in the name of national security. Article 73 of China s Criminal Procedure Law permits police to hold a person, for up to six months, in residential surveillance at a designated location. This location, according to Article 73 of China s Criminal Procedure Law, would be at the domicile of the person or a predetermined location. If an individual is suspected of being a criminal or terrorist, this method may be used. China has not signed and has no plans to sign the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. China says that this helps protect against dangerous individuals like terrorists, and also helps to eliminate corruption. China wishes to retain the right to use of enforced disappearances to insure the safety of the nation and its citizens. Banning this could pose a threat to the nation both socially and politically, and put even more human rights into jeopardy. This is one of China s defenses against terrorism and the removal of it could cause unrest for many citizens of China.

13 Delegation from: Croatia Represented by: Orange Position Paper for the United Nations Human Rights Council The issues for the United Nations Human Rights Council are: Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts across the Middle East; and Progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. The Republic of Croatia hopes to form strong, collaborative alliances with various nations to reach efficient solutions to these issues. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts across the Middle East The history of the Middle East is filled with chaos and conflict. The collapse of the Ottoman empire and the ensuing political fragmentation weakened the Middle East s defenses against foreign incursion. Nations sought to impose their political and cultural ideologies within countries across the Middle East. This rapid splintering of ideology and the repetitive external incursions has directly led to the consistent combat unfolding. Fighting in Yemen, Syria, Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan has lead to significant human rights violations. Violations of the right to life stem directly from intense concentrations of fighting and crossfire. Rapid regime changes lead to loss of political or social rights, as well as free expression and assembly. Infrastructure and society comforts can be disrupted in times of conflict, leading to loss of economic or health security, food and water access, and education. Most of The Republic of Croatia s role in the Middle East has existed through diplomatic relations with Syria. Bilateral relations were first established in August of 1997, and existed until the Syrian Civil War when tensions strained and then disintegrated. Additionally, Croatia s position in the European Union has guided it s actions in regards to the Middle East, and we have attempted to limit foreign involvement and entanglement. Treaties have been held between Croatia and Israel in the past as well. To maintain human rights within the Middle East amid consistent conflict, we must take a multifaceted approach, addressing each form of right violation. Russia would like to focusing on protecting nations from disruptions of daily life and basic survival needs. Education initiatives need to be increased within nations of identified need to continue the education of children during times of war. Plans for adequate water and sanitation should be established to protect these necessities. Options for transportation need to be researched and developed, to ensure that individuals can travel to work or to gather supplies or relatives. II. Progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances For a long time, the concerns of enforced disappearances was not a highly valued item for human rights activists. As a result of several conflicts in Central and South America, enforced disappearances became more widely known. One of these events was the civil war in Guatemala,

14 beginning in From the beginning of the civil war until its end in 1996, possibly tens of thousands of revolutionaries were captured by the government. Today, many of these disappearances are left unsolved. As well, in Chile, the leadership of a dictator lead to an large increase in the number of enforced disappearances. Lasting from 1973 to 1990, this dictatorship allowed for the thousands of disappearance which are still creating issues today. Lastly, during the late 1970 s, under an suppressive and unjust regime, Argentina saw a large number of involuntary disappearances used to keep order. Today, enforced or involuntary disappearances exist around the world, no matter what type of government or region. These disappearances bring numerous grievances for the families of those that have been abducted. The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances currently works with the government of the Republic of Croatia to assess and gather information regarding the actions implemented to prevent and solve disappearances. For the Republic of Croatia, the Directorate for Detained and Missing Persons of the Ministry of the Croatian Veterans works towards solving involuntary disappearances. Recently, the Republic of Croatia created the Commission for the Detainees and Missing Persons and the Task Force on Missing Persons and Burial Sites to further collect information pertaining to enforced or involuntary disappearances. To further the progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, a complex and comprehensive solution must be put forth. In order to decrease the number of enforced or involuntary disappearances, and thus increase the effectiveness of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Republic of Croatia proposes the clear criminal offense of enforced abduction in all countries. As well, the Republic of Croatia suggests an increase in the evaluation of all government officials before entering office, especially those with past history in any war crimes.

15 Delegation from: Cuba Represented by: Saint Joseph Academy Position Paper for Human Rights Council I: Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East The loss of human rights in countries in the Middle East is of great importance to Cuba. Since 1992, Cuba has encouraged religious freedom and basic human rights in their country. Freedom of expression and opinion is also highly valued, so it is distressing to see that these rights are being taken away in the Middle East. On a national level, Cuba has had a past of human right struggles and sympathizes with the Middle East. However, Cuba has since then established a very strong policy on human rights that should also be established in the Middle East. Though there are some restrictions on freedom of the press, that is necessary to prevent false news or campaigning that is against the law. However, basic human rights, such as freedom of religion and political standings is greatly encouraged and supported in the government, as it should everywhere. When this country was grappling with human rights policies, it was deeply appreciated to have the efforts of other countries in fixing this issue. Since these efforts, the boost in religious freedom and basic human rights has excelled in Cuba. The Delegation of Cuba believes that if this process is applied to conflicts in the Middle East, it will yield the same result. On an international level, Cuba has signed the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Both of these treaties were signed in Having Middle Eastern countries sign this treaty will also improve the human rights issues. Cuba is likewise a part of the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba. Organizations and treaties such as those implemented in the Middle East will help bring light to the government on the ruling of its peoples and their rights. The Delegation of Cuba recommends that countries of the UN come together to help these Middle Eastern countries. It is also recommended that these countries notice these organizations and treaties and join and/or sign them so that the basic human rights that every human, regardless of country, should hold are brought to them. Cuba is willing to take part in reaching out to these countries and sharing how the efforts that were once bestowed on Cuba can also help these countries. It is the hope of the Delegation that other countries in the UN notice this and are ready to be of help as well and support the fact that all humans deserve to have basic rights. II. The progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances The progress of enforced or involuntary disappearances is of absolute importance to the country of Cuba. The security of the citizens in our countries should be of the utmost importance to

16 the government. The issue of enforced or involuntary disappearance is an important topic that poses a threat to the security of our people. The delegation of Cuba cares about our people, and that is why The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) was signed and ratified years ago. This policy was created for the protection of the civil liberties of the people. The protection of the people of Cuba is one of the top priorities of the government, as it should be for all countries and their respective people. The delegation of Cuba s national policy for enforced or voluntary disappearance is The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), which was ratified by The delegation of Cuba in The delegation of Cuba has been a strong advocate for the deal, is one of the first ten countries to ratify it. The delegation of Cuba s authorities and officials were notified and have been instructed on the proceeding enforcement of the policy. The authorities are aware of the policy and will do their duty to uphold and protects the law that has been instilled by The delegation of the Cuban government. The delegation of Cuba has addressed the issue on an international level through the UN, stating its strong views against enforced disappearances and making an effort to ensure the policy be upheld in its domestic state. They have addressed this through the UN and in multiple statements about how the delegation has no support for enforced disappearances and will take a firm stance against it. At an international level, the main force of action against enforced disappearances has been through The International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The international commission for human rights has stood in support of the convention. This policy should be upheld by the states that have been a part of the human rights council. These states, including The delegation of Cuba, wish to better their state in morality and law. The delegation of Cuba has signed and ratified the convention and has been enforcing the policy for years. The delegation of Cuba will not stand for anything other than following their law. The delegation of Cuba has a proposal for the resolution of forced disappearances. The delegation of Cuba would like to see the enforcement of The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) across all states of the UN. This can be done by creating a system of security that will prevent these disappearances. It could potentially be done through training the authorities that would have dominion over this section of security.

17 Delegation from: The Arab Republic of Egypt Represented by: Saint Joseph Academy Position Paper for the Human Rights Council The issues before the Human Rights Council are: Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East; and Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Egypt has expressed its continuation to be committed to strengthening international peace and security while being apart of the United Nations. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts Across the Middle East The Arab Republic of Egypt fully supports the concern for the loss of human rights here in the Middle East. Egypt signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in This document was known as a milestone in the history of human rights all across the world. The declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris. It is known for being a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations and sets out fundamental human rights to be protected universally. Egypt has also adopted a new constitution in January 2014 that protects women's rights, freedom of expression, and other civil liberties. The Arab Republic of Egypt and President Abdel Fattah el-sisi enforce that some rights for citizens should be monitored for particular reasons. The Arab Republic of Egypt enforces limited protests and freedom of expression for various reasons, especially because of recent events in the Middle East. The Arab Republic of Egypt wants nothing more than to protect their citizens. Egypt s location, which is very close to the Middle East conflicts have created multiple problems. Due to an active revolt in Northern Sinai, the army has enacted curfews and enforced multiple precautions to keep the people of Egypt safe during times of violence. The citizens of Egypt is President Abdel Fattah el-sisi s main priory. El-Sisi states, There must be tough security measures. You guys isolate that and you deal with it from a human rights perspective only. We are responsible for the Egyptian people, whom I consider my own family. How could I be comfortable knowing that there could be a human rights violation against these people. This was said during an interview on 21 September 2016 for CNN. The Arab Republic of Egypt has been forced to follow strict security measures because of the threat of terrorism not only in Egypt but in neighboring countries as well. Human rights may look like they are being restricted but it is for the greater good of the country and to the citizens of Egypt. The Arab Republic of Egypt hopes to one day be able to achieve complete peace and security within the country so that the citizen s human rights can be reinstated once again. The Arab Republic of Egypt is fully willing to do whatever it takes along side with the United Nations to achieve this goal. II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

18 The Arab Republic of Egypt fully supports the progress on the working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances. The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances concluded its 16th session held from September 10th to 14th. The group examined under its urgent action procedure 75 reported cases of enforced disappearances in the last few months concerning Egypt among other countries. Amid growing persecution of journalists in Egypt, Reporters Without Borders has asked the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to formally recognize the arbitrary nature of the detention of two Egyptian journalists, Hisham Gaafar and Wael Abbas, and to publicly call on the Egyptian authorities to release them at once. The Working Group met with families of disappeared persons and held meetings with representatives with Egypt. An expert consultation on standards and public policies for an effective investigation of enforced disappearances, was held on September 10th in order to inform its next thematic report to the UN Human Rights Council. Bernard Duhaime was re-appointed as Chair-Rapporteur and Tae-Ung Baik as Vice-Chair. In addition to the specific tasks entrusted to the Working Group by the Commission, which is to act as a channel of communication between families of the disappeared persons and the Governments concerned, with a view to ensuring that sufficiently documented and clearly identified individual cases are investigated and the whereabouts of the disappeared persons clarified, the Group has also taken into account other mandates stemming from a number of resolutions adopted by the Commission entrusted to all special rapporteurs and working groups. In conclusion, the Arab Republic of Egypt fully supports and will do whatever it takes to look into and solve the cases of the disappearances. We encourage the work the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has recently completed regarding missing peoples in Egypt.

19 Delegation from: Georgia Represented By: Lakewood High School Position Paper for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) The topics given to the United Nations Human Rights Council include the loss of human rights in conflicts across the middle east and progress on the working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances. Georgia, since gaining its independence, has made various moves to improve their human rights issues. Georgia has signed off on the majority of treaties and documents presented to them (the most recent being in 2014), and is looking forward to more proactive ways to protect their people's rights. I. Loss of Human Rights Across in Conflicts Across the Middle East Conflicts across the middle east have been a huge factor to internal problems with human rights in Georgia, not necessarily causing them, but a factor to keeping the problems alive and continuing to grow. Despite Georgia's efforts and steps towards improving human rights, altercations with Russia and its military have kept the focus off of the people and geared to a territorial war. Georgia has been involved with their people's best interests, however due to their never-ending conflicts with Russia, they lack a steady government and as a result they are lacking in enforcing treaties they ve committed to. The internal problems are also to blame for the neglect of the Georgian people, but those problems are amplified by the interference of other countries. Georgia wants the best for its people, culturally, economically, and morally. The Georgian government has signed treaties and documents in order to eliminate racial discrimination, outline cultural and social rights, they ve even gone as far as to try and target children's rights specifically. The people are protected, in theory. The instability and divided attention in the government needs to be addressed as it is detrimental to the people's rights. Russian troops have been in and out of Georgian territory, supposedly attempting to keep peace, but in recent years, they ve been investigated for war crimes against Georgian people. The stress for war justice is affecting their government, and in turn human rights. Georgia is willing to make the steps and go through to process to better their citizens lives and protect their rights as they see fit. II. Progress on the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances Georgia believes that assisting families in determining the location of lost family members is a primary task for the Working Group as they are focusing on countries as well as some of these mentioned families to find better ways and to report on the diseases along with finding the lost people. The Georgia

20 delegation believes that The Working Group is an important way to keep less disappearances from happening and to get to the cases in a quicker manner. Showing how the Working Group can help the people would reference the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances which provides that all acts of enforced disappearances will be punished appropriately; according to any special amnesty law or measures that could affect of any sanctions or criminal proceedings with the seriousness of the case taken into account. This allows the Working Group to create parliament to identify cases under certain categories such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity without the two only crimes for one benefit. The Working group could then make better conclusions on certain cases applicable to the states or other countries. Georgia supports the Working Group s decision that have been made over time as they fulfill the expectations for the importance of the laws put in place so people can get justice or rather conformation of the case and situation that the people are in. The Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances is the law that supports the Working Group for all of its efforts now and for the future. It establishes how the cases should be handled at a standard level and it supports Georgia s feelings on the topic. With the Committee of Enforced Disappearances added to work with the Working Group, they can develop better laws and organize better ways to get to the people who send their cases to the Committees. They also added the Committee as to eradicate the enforced disappearances as a whole. An enforced disappearance is classified as a liberty taken against a person, government official involvement, or refusing to acknowledge the said liberties or even trying to conceal the location of the person who disappeared. This is a human s right to know what happened to the people they cared about who were involved in the disappearance. That is why the new laws are being formed and Georgia supports them so they can be enforced along with being taken to government to ensure the eradication of the enforced disappearances. The United Nations will be able to support these laws so human rights can be enforced and strengthened to ensure the growth of society as a whole. This will allow the Working Group to keep their laws and advancements at a good level, for not just Georgia, but all who support the Working Group to push their ideas to be taken into account to achieve the goal of extinguishing enforced disappearances.

21 Delegation from: Japan Represented by: Fairport Harding High School Position Paper for the United Nations Human Rights Council The issues for the United Nations Human Rights Council are The Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts across the Middle East; and Progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Japan is committed to securing and solving the conflicts of human rights. They are also advancing the working groups on enforced or involuntary disappearances. Japan s main goal is to be able to provide tools or support to gain freedom for certain peoples in the Middle East or for disappearances. I. Loss of Human Rights in Conflicts across the Middle East The Middle East has constantly been a region filled with dispute and disruption. The conflicts include regional politics, terrorism, domestic violence, workplace discriminations against women and religious differences. During these conflicts, human rights violations are occurring on a daily basis. Included in these human rights violations are the absence of due process for confinement of suspects and deficient prison and detention center conditions. Japan wants to be at the forefront of solving these human rights violations in conjunction with the other members of the Human Rights Council. During 2003 Japan dealt with 18,786 suspected human right violations and 359,971 human rights cases. Japan is not only dealing with their own human rights conflicts, but they are also dealing with and understanding human rights conflicts in the Middle East. Following World War II, there has been constant conflict within the Middle Eastern region, which was exasperated by several terrorist attacks on western world powers and Japan throughout the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Japan believes that the world community needs to step up and help in the fight against the many terrorist organizations that have taken away innocent people s human rights. Some of the human rights violations the terrorist organizations have committed include kidnapping individuals, imprisonment and assassinations. One of the solutions that Japan proposes to the United Nations Human Rights Council is a travel ban to the following Middle Eastern countries: Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Qatar, State of Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Cyprus. We believe this can be the first step in alleviating many of the human rights violations that are occurring in the region. II. Progress of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances A Working Group is a committee that studies and focuses on enforced or involuntary disappearances. The Working Group was adopted in September One of their primary goals is to help families locate their missing family members. They are the liaison between the family and