General Assembly 2nd Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural)
BACKGROUND REPORTS:
Topic #1 – The Situation in Myanmar (Burma)
INTRODUCTION
The state of Burma (known as Myanmar by the government) is the largest mainland nation in South-East Asia and one of the world’s least developedcountries. Myanmarhas recently been back in the international spotlight following large scale protestsagainst the military government, known as the Junta, who have ruled the country with an iron fist since 1962. Triggered in the short-term by rising food costs after the government removed fuel subsidies, thedemonstrations, led by students, political activists and later Buddhist monks have since escalatedinto widespread rallies calling for the restoration of democracy and the release of oppositionleaders. At the height of the Anti-government protests between mid to late-September 2008, thousandsof citizens marched through the cities of Myanmar.
Though most rallies had ceased by the end of October, many sources claim that the ruling State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) had achieved this through the use of deadly force and
Intimidation.So far, the UN General Assembly has been urging Myanmar’s government to exercise utmost restraint and seek a political solution. Following a Security Council convention on the crisis, UN special envoy to MyanmarIbrahimGambari was allowed into the country to discuss the situation with military and oppositionleaders.Amidst further reports of a military crackdown and detention of opposition leaders, theUN Security Council released a statement “strongly deploring the use of violence againstpeaceful demonstrations in Myanmar.”
China is an important country in this conflict. Multiple states are calling on China to use its regional influence to urge Myanmar’s government to show some kind of restraint in dealing with these protests. Thus far, China has refused to condemn the ‘juntas’ but agreed to a statement expressing concern at the violent crackdown on Burmese citizens and urging the country’s military rulers to allow in a UN envoy.
2. Recent developments
2009 started with the veto by Russia and China of a US draft resolution at the UN
Security Council that urged Myanmar to stop prosecuting minority and opposition groups. However, the human rights violations have continued and do not appear to be decreasing. A public statement issued by the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross claimed that human Rights abuses such as the destruction of foodsupplies and the means of production of the communities living in the Thai-Myanmar border,coupled with the forceful use of detainees as army personnel in conflict areas, continue to take place.
The immediate cause of the current unrest was the decision on August 15th to remove subsidies
on fuel. With a monopoly on fuel sales, the junta’s declaration resulted in petrol prices increasing
by as much as 100%, which led to a corresponding increase in the cost of food. With a quarter of
the population living below the poverty line, the rising living costs triggered civil protests within
a week. Many blamed the conditions on the “inept leadership of the military junta”, which
maintained one of the world’s largest armies but failed to control rampant corruption which has
seen much of Myanmar’s wealth concentrated in high-ranking army officers. The government
response was to arrest the most prominent demonstrators. Marches were held in major
cities throughout the country that resulted in the arrests and deaths of many protesting Buddhist monks. The monks being detained have staged hunger strikes in protest.
The Security Council issued a statement“emphasizing the importance of the early release of all political prisoners and remainingdetainees.
3. Key Problems
The current dictatorship has over the years committed human rights violations against its people
in multiple forms. Included in such a list are: forced labor, summary executions, torture, sexual
violence, forced displacement, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers. To these, one might
add the violation of the freedom of expression in view of the brutal repression of the monks’
peaceful protests.
The key problems encountered when attempting to solve the Human Rights situation in
Myanmar are not necessarily a debate on whether human rights violations are in fact taking
place. Rather, the difficulties in addressing the abuse of the human rights of the Burmese people
stem in large part from the fact that investment has, up to date, sustained the SPDC military
expenditure.Myanmar is a country rich in oil, timber and natural gas. Foreign companies, thus continue toinvest in Myanmar as it is in their economic and financial interests to do so. When confrontedwith human rights issues, these companies shy away, claiming that ‘their presence is constructiveand will benefit the Burmese people as they generate employment opportunities.
Nevertheless, it is without doubt that they benefit from the cheap labor, which represents an
important abuse of the Burmese people’s human rights.
4. Possible Solutions
A resolution by the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee should seek to address potentialavenues to end the abuse of human rights. Considerations should look at what available sanctionswill be sufficiently coercive to force the military junta to cease such abuses, with particular
regard to investment and energy. A consideration of intervention during the committee sessions
would also be appropriate; therefore it is important to do the necessary background research.
Also, what role will the Asian nations play? These are all elements which merit discussion and
thought.
Committee Directives
Should Western democracies/UN push for democracy in Burma?
What actions should be taken to bring peace to region? Should force be used, or should the focus be placed on economic sanctions?
Be careful to not violate the state sovereignty of Burma (Myanmar).
If Burma is not ruled as a democracy, how can the UN ensure the rights of Burmese citizens?
Is your country willing to give aid to the Burmese region? If so, how?
References
-United Nations, “Human Rights Council 5th Special Session. Resolution S-5/1: Situation of the
human rights in Myanmar”, Human Rights Council, 2 October 2007
-United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council, “Report of the Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, mandated by resolution S-
5/1 by the Human Rights Council at its fifth Special Session”,
-Human Rights Council Sixth Session A/HRC/6/14, 7 December 2007
-United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council, “Follow-up to the report of the
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar”, Human Rights Council Sixth
Session A/HRC/6/L.38, 11 December 2007
-United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council, “Report of the Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (A/HRC/4/14)”, Human
Rights Council Fourth Session, A/HRC/4/14, 12 February 2007
-United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Council, “Resolution of the General
Assembly on the Human Rights Situation in Myanmar on the report of the Third Committee
(A/60/509/Add.3 and Corr.1), General Assembly Sixtieth Session, A/RES/60/233, 23 March
2006
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General Assembly 2nd Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural)
Topic #2 – Implementation of the UN Convention to combat desertification in countries experiencing serious drought, particularly in Africa
Background:
Desertification is defined as “land degradation in the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.” Desertification currently affects 250 million people worldwide and over 1 billion people live in areas that are at risk. Desertification is ultimately driven by overpopulation; deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion due to improper farming techniques, and overuse of groundwater are all root causes. Desertification is also intensified by global climate change, as the higher temperatures speed up the process.
Desertification causes land to be unable to support life, killing biodiversity in the region and intensifying poverty in areas where people rely on the land to sustain their livelihoods. As topsoil and plant life are removed, rainwater is less easily absorbed by the earth, and causes even more topsoil to be removed. Agricultural yields fall, causing the people living in these areas to further overexploit the land and hasten the desertification process. This can lead to intensified droughts, and even political crises, as people become more desperate over the state of their land and food.
Though many countries have enacted programs in order to combat desertification within their own borders, the reality is that desertification is still occurring at an alarmingly fast rate, with over 12 million hectares of land becoming useless every year. Halting desertification is hindered by the fact that in many impoverished nations deforestation and overgrazing still occur unchecked because the perceived immediate benefits seem to outweigh the eventual cost. However, it is evident that desertification is one of the most pressing problems facing the world today. One quarter of the earth's land is threatened by desertification according to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The livelihoods of over 1 billion people in more than 100 countries are also jeopardized by desertification, as farming and grazing land becomes less productive.Significant underlying causes of desertification also include social and economic factors in developing countries, such as poverty, high population growth rates, unequal land distribution, refugee flows, modernization that disrupts traditional farming practices, and government policies that encourage the growing of cash crops on marginal land to pay off foreign debts.
In addition to its negative economic and environmental impacts, desertification is partially responsible for population migration. Although no one knows for sure how many people have had to abandon their land when it turned to dust, it appears to be in the millions. One sixth of the population of Mali and Burkina Faso has already been uprooted because of desertification. Desertification has played a part in armed conflict in aridlands, having contributed to political instability, starvation and social breakdown in places such as Somalia.
UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT:
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1996 and currently has 193 member nations. The convention aims to not only combat the act of desertification itself, but also stop the political, social, and economic ramifications caused by the problem. The UN also declared 2006 to be the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, which was designed to raise global public awareness of the problem.
The stated objective of the Convention is "to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa ...." To achieve this goal, the Convention calls for action involving international cooperation and a partnership approach. It focuses on improving land productivity, rehabilitation of land, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources. Such action should also prevent the long-term consequences of desertification, including mass migration, species loss, climate change and the need for emergency assistance to populations in crisis. The Convention establishes a framework for national, sub regional and regional programs to counter the degradation of drylands, including semi-arid grasslands and deserts. It calls on developed countries to:
- Actively support the efforts of affected developing country parties to the Convention;
- Provide "substantial financial resources" to assist affected developing country parties;
- Promote the mobilization of adequate, timely and predictable financial resources from all official and private sources; and
- Promote and facilitate access to appropriate technology, knowledge and know-how.
Desertification-affected countries are obliged to:
- Give priority to combating desertification and drought by allocating adequate resources in accordance with capabilities;
- Establish strategies to combat desertification and drought;
- Address the underlying causes of the problem and pay special attention to relevant socio-economic factors;
- Promote awareness and the participation of local population in action to combat desertification and drought; and
- Provide an enabling environment through appropriate laws, policies and action programs.
The Convention also aims to improve the efficiency of desertification aid to developing countries by coordinating donors' efforts and encouraging affected countries to set up national action plans to combat desertification with grass-roots participation, particularly with people who live off the land. Convention framers believed that local people, who are often poor, know more than anyone else about the fragile ecosystems in which they live and work and are thus in the best position to contribute to the fight against desertification.
A "bottom-up" approach to action is stressed by the Convention. A significant component of this approach is the protection, promotion and use of relevant traditional and local technology, knowledge, know-how and practices. It has become evident that desertification cannot be effectively addressed unless the people most affected are fully involved and committed. Although the idea of participation has been accepted for many years, it has often been attached to old "top-down" ways of doing things. People could participate, but key decisions were made elsewhere, often alienating those they intended to serve. By incorporating a "bottom-up" orientation in international law, the Convention breaks new ground and enhances the chances for success through partnership. It specifically underlines the important role played by women. It also stresses the special role of non-governmental organizations, particularly in ensuring implementation.
Under the Convention, national action programs are required to identify the causes of desertification and practical measures necessary to combat it and mitigate the effects of drought. These programs must also:
- Specify the roles of government, local communities and land users and identify available resources;
- Incorporate long-term strategies;
- Suggest preventive measures;
- Allow for modifications in the face of changing circumstances;
- Enhance national climatological, meteorological and hydrological capacities;
- Promote policies and strengthen institutional frameworks for cooperation and coordination and facilitate access by local people to appropriate information and technology;
- Provide for effective participation at local, national and regional levels; and
- Require regular review and progress reports on implementation.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
When planning your resolutions, keep in mind what has already been done by the United Nations as well as other agencies, and consider what can be done to build upon and change these already existing programs. Take a look at which crops will aid the most in replenishing the soil of nutrients, and how we will make these seeds available to the poor rural farmers in the regions most affected by desertification. Make sure to address the socioeconomic backlash that will inevitably result in the immediate future from putting restrictions on activities such as deforestation and overgrazing, and how we can ensure that people who have relied on this system of farming are not left even more destitute. Finally, consider how any solutions you may implement will impact other aspects of the environment, and make sure that they are reasonably cost-efficient, as they will be targeted towards the third-world.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
- If your country faces desertification within its own borders, what actions has the government taken to combat this?
- What short-term actions can be taken as more involved processes such as reclaiming land take effect?
- Would it be more effective to try to implement country-specific solutions or address the issue on a broader scale with regionally-based plans?
- What measures can be taken to stop desertification in areas where the process hasn’t begun yet but are currently at risk?
SOURCES:
General Assembly 2nd Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural)
Topic # 3 - External Debt and Development: Towards a Durable Solution to the Debt Problems of Developing Countries.
Definition:
External debt (or foreign debt) is that part of the total debt in a country that is owed to creditors outside the country. The debtors can be the government, corporations or private households. The debt includes money owed to private commercial banks, other governments, or international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank
Historical background
Much present-day states in Africa and the majority of Asia did not have an independent financial existence as recently as World War II. However, not all external debts of these countries were acquired after independence. As a condition of independence in 1949, Indonesia was required to assume the Dutchcolonial government's debt, much of which had been acquired fighting pro-independence rebels the previous four years. In order to receive independence from France, Haiti was required to pay France 150 million francs. (See: Haiti's external debt.)
Egypt, which had not been formally colonized, had been effectively governed as first an Anglo-French and later British protectorate, did not have control over the lucrative Suez Canal because it had sold its 44% share to Disraeli. Denied credit to build the Aswan Dam because of its deals with the Soviets, Egypt's government moved to nationalize the Canal, which links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea (and therefore the Indian Ocean) and was owned by a European corporation, sparking the Suez Crisis.
In the first decades following decolonization, first world and multilateral creditors such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund lent massively to third world governments. Money was frequently directed towards massive infrastructure projects such as dams and highways. Additional funds focused on an import substitutionmodel of development, creating a capacity to replace imports from industrialized countries. Such policies emerged in a convergence of ideologies towards the concept of industrial development, shared by capitalists, communists and Third World nationalists.