Country Profile & Position Paper 2015-2016

TO BE USED FOR EITHER SPANISH OR ENGLISH COMMITTE

Country Profile & Position Paper 2015-2016

Remember that information must be complete, so make sure you attach all the required extra pages

you may need for this purpose.

Name______Group ______

Committee:______

Topic A:______

Committee: ______

Topic B: ______

Official Country Name ______

Location ______

Type of Government ______

Head of Government ______

Total Area ______

Total Population ______

Capital ______

Population of Capital ______

Population Density ______

Population Growth ______

Religious Makeup ______

Ethnic makeup ______

Mayor Force Employment ______

Health and Welfare Programs ______

Doctor to Patient Ratio ______

Education ______

Adult Literacy ______

Teacher to Student Ratio ______

Natural Resources ______

______

______

Agriculture ______

______

______

Forest and Fishing ______

______

Mining ______

Energy Sources ______

Transportation ______

Communication ______

GDP per capita (Gross Domestic Product) ______

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ______

Economic growth rate ______

Economic Structure ______

Stage of development ______

Major Imports / from______

Mayor Exports/ to ______

Known Allies ______

Known Enemies ______

Important Treaties

Significant Historical Background

TIPS:As you are researching for information, you will need to record it. A good way to do this is to make note cards on which you summarize the information and its sources. Record each idea in a separate card. On each card, note down the source and/or author. Note cards give you flexibility in sorting and arranging information. Remember though, that you will not use all the information you have recorded on your note cards for your position paper, but they may come in handy as the debate progresses.

As you conduct your research, be sure to take notes of reasons that support both affirmative and negative positions, regardless of whish side you are on. Knowing reasons for your opponent’s point of view will make you aware of evidence that may be used against your argument. This will help you to strengthen your own case.

Writing your Position Paper

A good position paper will include:

• A brief introduction to your country and its history concerning the topic and committee;
• How the issue affects your country;
• Your country's policies with respect to the issue and your country's justification for these policies;
• Quotes from your country's leaders about the issue;
• Statistics to back up your country's position on the issue;
• Actions taken by your government with regard to the issue;
• Conventions and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified;
• UN actions that your country supported or opposed;
• What your country believes should be done to address the issue;
• What your country would like to accomplish in the committee's resolution, and how the positions of other countries affect your country's position.

POSITION PAPER LAYOUT

Committee:

Topic:

Country:

Delegate:

THESIS STATEMENT:

In one sentence explain your country’s position on the topic.

1st paragraph: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

*What is the conflict or issue?

*What are the main points?

*What is the goal relevance?

*Have there been any previous attempts by the UN to solve it?

*What are the problems not addressed by past actions?

2nd paragraph: COUNTRY’S POSITION

*How does the problem affect your country? Why or why not?

*What is your country doing to solve the problem?

*What are your allies doing in relation to the topic?

*Are there any local campaigns or regional incentives to deal with the problem?

*What factor (political, economic, social, religious, ethnic, historic,) affect your country’s position?

*Has your government made an official statement referring to the issue?

3rd paragraph: POSIBLE SOLUTIONS

*What are some possible, realistic and viable solutions to the problem?

*How many can you remedy past mistakes?

*What incentives would your country’s policies agree with?

*What ideas would your country reject?

* What main points must possible solutions address?

Keep in mind History and form of government form your country.

OPENING SPEECH

Should provide information about delegate and country and state the reasons why the country’s interested in the resolution in particular issue. Should be short but clear.

DURING THE SESSIONS

TIPS: In order to debate effectively, participants need to identify KEY ISSUES.

-Key Issues are the points of disagreement in debate-questions that a delegate must answer satisfactorily in order to justify the acceptance or rejection of a proposition.

-Listening is critical debate skill. Your ability to debate effectively depends on your immediate understanding of each speech. To keep track of the progress of argument, take notes on each speech and think how you will respond to the points of view of other participants.

• These two strategies will help you prepare an excellent CLOSING SPEECH.

CLOSING SPEECH

It cannot be prepared ahead of time as it will result from the discussions that arise throughout the committee.

POSITION PAPER (step by step)

Position Paper Format

The position paper is a concise and brief statement of a certain country's positions and concerns upon a given topic. It basically contains both substantive information and detailed policies on the issue being discussed in a committee. Writing a position paper will do more than helping the delegate organize the research and prepare the speech, but sharing the viewpoints with the other countries who participate in a bid for further effective discussion on the topic at the conference.

The position paper is mandatory to all delegates. You should finish and submit your position paper to the Secretariat on the assigned deadline.

Sample Position Paper

Delegate (Name & last name): XX, XX

School:XX School

Country:The Republic of Finland

Committee:UN General Assembly:

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Topic A:RacialDiscriminationFaced by Muslim and Arab People in the

Aftermath of 2001 Terrorist Attacks

1.The first paragraph describes the background information of the topic. This section overviews the historical background and causes of the issue, it also reviews those countries getting involved in the issue and analysis the effect. The last sentence,

In the aftermath of 911 terrorist attacks, the world began to highlight and concentrate on the tangible and intangible terrorism along and terrorism-related problems. Under the influence of the mass media, governmental preachment and some real cases, people in the non-Muslim countries hold an extreme concept that all Muslim and Arab people are related to terrorism. With the inapprehensive understanding on this issue, people from the Muslim world are insulted in many ways. Finland government is highly concerned with the societal discrimination and disrespect, and stresses the law restraint to eliminate the bald-faced discrimination. Government has remained at the forefront to improve the dignity and mutual understand between intercultural citizens.

2. The second paragraph focuses on the international issues related to the topic (Especially, detailing how the UN handles in this issue). It mentions the relevant actions (I.e. (id est - that is): resolutions, conferences, declarations, programs, etc. taken by UN, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and other UN affiliated organs.

The international community has organized several campaigns to eliminate racial discrimination and has made a remarkable progress in this field. Early in 1963, the United Nations General Assembly took the elimination of racial discrimination into consideration as a global concern, by establishing the Declaration on the Elimination of the All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In 1969 CERD came into existence as the first international mechanism for the implementation of the “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”. In 2001, the World Conference against Racialism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance was held in Durban, South Africa.

3. The third paragraph is dedicated to your country’s involvement regarding the issue. It articulates the country’s past actions: attended conferences, signed conventions, adopted policies, etc.)

Finland Government insists on advocating the international consensus on the elimination of racial discrimination. The Non-Discrimination Act (21/2004) came into force on 1 February 2004; The Non-Discrimination Act (21/2004) came into force on 1 February 2004; the Council Directive (2000/43/EC) implements the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. On 25 January 2007, the Ministry of Justice set up a Committee with the task of reforming the Finnish legislation on non-discrimination. Finland also established a consummate system to monitor the Act. The obligation to supervise equality planning in workplaces and educational establishments alone covers estimated 5000-6000 workplaces and over 1000 educational establishments. Finland is always staying in the front line to perfect its legislation to eliminate the racial discrimination.

4. The final paragraph reiterates your viewpoints based on UN’s past and present actions on the topic. It also brings forward your country's constructive proposals in dealing with the most crucial part of a position paper.

Finland asserts that legislation functions as a mere measure to check superficial discrimination and conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims. Therefore, this government believes that the main reasons for racism and xenophobia on Muslim are the horrible ready-made images exaggerated by mass media and government officials. The all-important task for international community to do now is to redress the ready-made images of Muslim and reinforce the mutual understand through intercultural communications in any acceptable forms. To change the biased attitudes and establish a peaceful and stable relationship between the West and Muslim world is our preoccupation. Finland appeals to the reconstruction of the positive images of Muslim through the intercultural communication, especially among the young generation. The mass media should take the responsibility to avoid the exaggeration of the danger from Muslims. Finland respects Islam, and hopes that in this realm people can live in harmony in the spirit of tolerance of cultural diversity, universal human rights, and liberty of religion.

Transitions signal relationships between ideas.Basically, transitions provide the reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically coherent argument. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas. In providing the reader with these important cues, transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.

LOGICAL RELATIONSHIPTRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION

Similarityalso, in the same way, just as ... so too, likewise, similarly

Exception/Contrastbut, however, in spite of, on the one hand ... on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet

Sequence/Orderfirst, second, third ... next, then, finally

Timeafter, afterward, at last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently, simultaneously, subsequently, then

Examplefor example, for instance, namely, specifically, to illustrate

Emphasiseven, indeed, in fact, of course, truly

Place/Positionabove, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in front, in back, nearby, there

Cause and Effectaccordingly, consequently, hence, so, therefore, thus

Additional Support or Evidenceadditionally, again, also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover,

Conclusion/Summaryfinally, in a word, in brief, in conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole, thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, in summary

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