UNHRC

Hello UNHCR Delegates,

The position paper is an essential component in which to prepare for of committee and become an expert on your country’s policy and suggestions for action. Not only is this important as a delegate, but it also is one of the first impressions you give to us chairs and lets us know you have done your research and are prepared for debate. Position papers are arduous but if you send your position papers on time they will make you eligible for awards! Some important dates:
Before February 1st - eligible for Research Awards

Before March 1st - eligible for Committee Awards

(postmarked dates)

What will be looking for as we read your position papers? First and foremost, it is important to that all your papers are clearly and thoughtfully written. Remember, it is quality, not quantity. The best position papers will follow their country’s policy and suggest solutions that are in accordance to their country’s policy and beliefs, even if you as the delegate disagree. In order to collect thorough research, some useful websites include:

www.un.org

www.hrw.org

www.amnesty.org

http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=114&Body=human%20rights%20council&Body1=

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/chad?page=news&id=4485a8e54

Because both topics are current, it is also important that you read online newspapers or other media sources. CNN and The Economist, as well as the New York Times.

Plagiarism is absolutely prohibited. We will be reading your papers closely and papers that have plagiarism will be disqualified for any awards and there will be action taken. It is fine that to include a bibliography at the end of your papers; citations within the paper are not needed. Please be aware that the ideas you write are your own; even rephrasing an idea requires in-text citation. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me.

The sections of the position paper that we will be reading most closely is the Delegation Policy (III) and Proposed Solutions (IV). We will be looking at how well you follow your country’s policy and how thorough you write about your policy by paying close attention to aspects native to your country such as religion, history, economy that would affect their outlook on Darfur and extreme poverty. The proposed solutions will emerge out of your country’s policy; ask yourself: Based on factors such as religion and economic standing in the world; etc., what would my country like to see happen in Darfur or about extreme poverty? Why is my country invested (or not, as the case may be) in this issue? Why is human rights an important aspect of these issues? When proposing solutions, also anticipate arguments against your respective solution. It is important you try to defend your solutions as this will be the core of debate.

We will be grading your position papers as followed:

I. Topic Description (about 1 page) - 15%

• Historical Background
• Current Situation
• Key Issues

*When writing bout the current situation for Extreme Poverty you can either discuss poverty on the world scale or pick a case particular to your country.
II. Past United Nations Action (about 1/2 page) - 10%
III. Delegation Policy (about 1 page) - 40%
IV. Proposed Solutions (about 1 page) - 30%

• Proposal
• Arguments in Favor
• Anticipated Opposition
• Arguments in Defense

V. Bibliography - 5%

These page limits are a general guideline, but like I said, quality is more important to quantity and the thoroughness of your research is what counts.

Always keep in mind that we are focusing on human rights and in your proposed solutions, focus on protection and upholding of human rights of civilians in Darfur and those of the impoverished.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions - I look forward to reading your papers!

Tiffany Lee

UNHRC Head Chair

Hello UNHCR delegates!

My name is Tiffany Lee and I am very excited to be your Head Chair for the Council of Human Rights. I, along with Irene, Nashia and David are all eager to get to know you all and be impressed with your findings about Darfur, poverty and their relation to Human Rights.

Here is an interesting excerpt of an article from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in this week’s PARADE magazine relating to genocide and the international community’s response (or lack thereof, as the case may be):

How Can We Stop Genocide?

Ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is co-chair of the new Genocide Prevention Task Force and author of the new book Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership (to be published later this month). She spoke with us about today’s toughest diplomatic problem.

Why does the world seem too paralyzed to act when atrocities begin?
Organizing an outside military intervention is challenging. Nations are reluctant to risk troops’ lives in a struggle remote from their own territory or direct interests.

Are the countries where genocides occur receptive to action from the outside?
Governments typically invoke the principle of sovereignty to block external interference. Other countries allow this to stand because they don’t want their own human rights records scrutinized. We’ve seen this in Darfur.

But there has been a huge global outcry about Darfur. Why hasn’t this pressure forced an end to the killings?
There are ongoing international efforts, but these continue to be obstructed by the Sudanese government and its allies. The latest example is the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force, which is faced with Sudanese interference as well as logistical and operational challenges.

I think this provides some context about why countries do not respond more effectively to humanitarian crisis even when we have seen the tragedies of past mass killings such as in Rwanda. While we may be all agree that it must be stopped, there are physical, ideological and political obstacles that prevents action. In thinking of solutions it is important to keep with your country’s policy, as many countries would rather turn the other way and even using the word “genocide” becomes highly contentious. While I encourage you to think outside the box in ways to respond to the situation in Darfur, please be aware of your country’s respective policies as well.

I will be updating regularly on this blog and I would love to hear any comments or interesting research that you would like to share from newspapers, articles, websites. Please feel free to comment and contribute! I look forward to the debates and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact either me at tiffanytlee @ berkeley.edu.

Tiffany Lee

Head Chair UNHCR