WELCOME TO METiMUN 2011! A Very Successful Conference indeed!!!
From the Reporter's Desk...
HRC: Immigration + Integration
To immigrate, or integrate...that is the question
As summed up quite aptly by Miss Moldova...much of
the first part of HRC day one consisted of the accusatory kind of rhetoric
Model UN delegates seem to excel in, with the usual “x said blah, who said
this, who had said that, because of x who said this...etcetera etcetera...”
Good times. In fairness, China
was outspoken in promoting multilateral agreement on immigration policy to
assist in individualisation, with a strong emphasis on relationships with
neighbouring countries. Argument was tending to delve into the financial realm,
which China
kept stressing as not being of the essence of the HRC.
As for the USA, a rather
poignant reminder that the document the HRC was dealing with was “untouchable”
was amplified by the honourable delegate taking the debate to the next level by
pulling a real Constitution out of his backpack. What a sly guy. The concept of
a social code and citizenry tests raised a few eyebrows amongst the committee,
with the UK
drawing upon the British example to promote how history tests could be a
consistently applied aspect of the integration process of immigration.
Mention must be made to the delegate of Burkina Faso’s
honourable concession that his country could hardly afford his suit. This
brought the debate down to a more real level, with Nigeria emphasising the different
criteria for the giving of resources being quite questionable.
The burning question of whether to allow refugee
rhetoric to become fused with the official topic was inevitable and words of
wisdom from the chair shed some valuable light on how although the topic was
about illegal and legal immigration, aspects of refugees would be necessarily
implicated. The US feels China’s recommendations
would threaten the very essence of the UNDHR. Making digs at China in relation to Tibet. Touchy subject. Provocative
question of making a choice between...
China felt strongly that the UNDHR is not so
‘universal’, nor is it relevant for today.
Would the USA’s
vision of a ‘Human rights nightmare’ was saved by the passing of the resolution
drafted in collaboration with the UK and Amnesty International? Dun
Dun dun...
Comparing the charter to Mao’s little red book? A
little bit dubious. Yet the Swiss – US
conflict continued to rage, with the honourable delegate of the US throwing
plenty of poignant quotes into the human rights game of war.
AS the sun was setting in the 8th floor
Board room, debate started getting desperate. The honourable delegate of UK got
a wee bit fired up, taken out of the committee room, only to resume his place a
few moments later determined to push
forward the tripartite agenda and raise the immensely pertinent point of
whether or not the clause started with a ‘gerund’ . Poignant stuff. Continual
digs at the credibility of China’s
proposal, based on their not so pleasant human rights record provided the USA with
considerable ammunition in convincing the rest of the HRC to follow their line.
The clock was ticking and stirring calls were made
for all delegates to decline China’s
resolution and instead endorse the one proposed by the USA. And yes, after
a stressful voting spree, China’s
draft resolution lost out by 1.6%. Guts bro.
Meanwhile... at the WHO:
WHO said that?
A major conflict between short term and long term goals seemed to dominate the debate in the morning. The role of education was a controversial topic, with Japan pushing this as a critical factor. The three forms of aid, Medicine, Education and Infrastructure”, was the Japanese line with education playing the starring role. It really could have done with a catchy marketable acronym, like the UN usually revels in. The United States was adamant that the issue of religion should not pose as a barrier to unified action on the issue however more clarification was needed in regards to the approach Japan was pushing. Bolivia appropriately raised the point of developed countries raising their budget to reflect their economic power, which was reinforced with Cuba’s promise of offering medicine, but not a heck of a lot of money. Cuba’s promotion of centres of education to raise awareness for aid tied into Japan’s endorsement of increased information-sharing amongst states to propel a more collaborative effort in achieving effective healthcare solutions.
After the stimulating session with Mr Ross, the committee were eager to push some reform of the WHO...
Good start with the good riddance of the US of A. The superpower made her not so dramatic exit as the clock struck 12, leaving the WHO committee with little doubt of the line US intended to pursue... “We fell out time is better spent developing Amercian technology”. How very generous of you, USA. Only in America.
Yet the dubious declaration that US would be on the ground getting the work done themselves whilst offering zero funds to the co-funding plan was somewhat softened by her parting remark, likening all delegates to beautiful and divine snowflakes. Typical.
As for Japan’s working paper... the underlying issue of a lack of clarity in regards to identifying the problem meant the identification of what aid needs to be given remained. Indeed, Korea was quite on point in affirming the need to “sing from the same choir”. A unified response was needed. Yet the ambitious aim of a kind of WHO reform led to the neglect of specific details. In fact, the WHO chair noted the crew were not quite grasping the goal of real practical measures. Yes, it was hard to see the wood between the trees. Who was going to take the WHO lead?
And the Social Night...!
SOCIAL SCENESTAR
The Rocket was truly rocking for cool UN kids Friday night. Drinks all round, thanks to a sneaky supply of drinks vouchers, fuelling the committee into the small hours of the morning. Some sweet moves on the d-floor too, for those who could muster up the courage to face off a sizeable crew of local gangsters...good chat to be had by all.
As for the fashion...
The ties were doing the talking in terms of the gentlemen. Some rather dandy suit tailoring could be seen in the committees.
But the effort made by the ladies was definitely commendable. Channelling the right diplomatic aesthetic is always slightly nerve racking for a MUN first timer, yet delegates did exceedingly well in pulling off the right political-professional chic. Diabolical high heel moments were kept to a minimum, with most lovely ladies opting for the friendly flat. Here here.
No doubt the culturally rich mix of young guys and gals will be well placed in the international stage. But for now, METiMUN 2012 will provide the perfect platform.
WHO said that?
A major conflict between short term and long term goals seemed to dominate the debate in the morning. The role of education was a controversial topic, with Japan pushing this as a critical factor. The three forms of aid, Medicine, Education and Infrastructure”, was the Japanese line with education playing the starring role. It really could have done with a catchy marketable acronym, like the UN usually revels in. The United States was adamant that the issue of religion should not pose as a barrier to unified action on the issue however more clarification was needed in regards to the approach Japan was pushing. Bolivia appropriately raised the point of developed countries raising their budget to reflect their economic power, which was reinforced with Cuba’s promise of offering medicine, but not a heck of a lot of money. Cuba’s promotion of centres of education to raise awareness for aid tied into Japan’s endorsement of increased information-sharing amongst states to propel a more collaborative effort in achieving effective healthcare solutions.
After the stimulating session with Mr Ross, the committee were eager to push some reform of the WHO...
Good start with the good riddance of the US of A. The superpower made her not so dramatic exit as the clock struck 12, leaving the WHO committee with little doubt of the line US intended to pursue... “We fell out time is better spent developing Amercian technology”. How very generous of you, USA. Only in America.
Yet the dubious declaration that US would be on the ground getting the work done themselves whilst offering zero funds to the co-funding plan was somewhat softened by her parting remark, likening all delegates to beautiful and divine snowflakes. Typical.
As for Japan’s working paper... the underlying issue of a lack of clarity in regards to identifying the problem meant the identification of what aid needs to be given remained. Indeed, Korea was quite on point in affirming the need to “sing from the same choir”. A unified response was needed. Yet the ambitious aim of a kind of WHO reform led to the neglect of specific details. In fact, the WHO chair noted the crew were not quite grasping the goal of real practical measures. Yes, it was hard to see the wood between the trees. Who was going to take the WHO lead?
And the Social Night...!
SOCIAL SCENESTAR
The Rocket was truly rocking for cool UN kids Friday night. Drinks all round, thanks to a sneaky supply of drinks vouchers, fuelling the committee into the small hours of the morning. Some sweet moves on the d-floor too, for those who could muster up the courage to face off a sizeable crew of local gangsters...good chat to be had by all.
As for the fashion...
The ties were doing the talking in terms of the gentlemen. Some rather dandy suit tailoring could be seen in the committees.
But the effort made by the ladies was definitely commendable. Channelling the right diplomatic aesthetic is always slightly nerve racking for a MUN first timer, yet delegates did exceedingly well in pulling off the right political-professional chic. Diabolical high heel moments were kept to a minimum, with most lovely ladies opting for the friendly flat. Here here.
No doubt the culturally rich mix of young guys and gals will be well placed in the international stage. But for now, METiMUN 2012 will provide the perfect platform.
_
DAY 2 - Guest Speaker Marie-Claire Faray from WILPF
_Marie-Claire, the fiery feminine powerhouse of Congolese strength, was exactly what the HRC needed as an early morning wakeup. A stunning example of the female form, Mary stirred emotions with provocative words of wisdom about the status of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the atrocious sexual violations that the country has witnessed in recent years. The human rights abuses and total dehumanisation of the Congolese population were highlighted with her personal insights, and shocking imagery that truly reaffirmed the severity of the issue that most countries, in particular the HRC, are turning a blind eye to.
She stressed how the DRC really is the epicentre of armed conflict, with heart-rending real footage of women being buried alive, and vaginas being shot at subsequent to rape. The concept of rape as a weapon of war was a deeply concerning issue for all delegates, who spoke from the heart in responding to and thanking Mary for her inspiring passion and drive to make a difference to the future of Congo. Acknowledging her own personal history as a victim of sexual abuse, Mary shared her insight on the organised international crime taking place right under our noses, by ‘responsible’ institutions like the World Bank and the UK government amongst the key culprits identified in the UN Expert Report on Exploitation of Congolese Natural Resources. Diverging into the ‘facade’ of transparency furthered by measures like the Kimberley Process, the questions posed by the delegates continued to shed light on the lack of practical results and the international impunity that continues to prevail.
The end of impunity on national and international levels was Marie’s ultimate call. The recognition that until the people are allowed the capacity to develop, and achieve some kind of self actualisation then their status as ‘humans’ who can benefit from human rights is completely undermined. Currently, Congolese are devoid of human security, entrenched in circles of abuse, suffering hardship after hardship and the HRC is not currently functioning as the democratic beast that it should be.
Yet her words of wisdom that “our humanity is what brings us together” signalled her hope that the delegates could, in their inevitable future positions of power, really pave a new route for justice in African countries like the DRC. The handy allegory of the fisherman was drawn upon, to great effect, and teaching the Congolese to ‘fish’ for their human security in the sea of corruption and totalitarianism.
Hmmm. Maybe delegates should have all followed the honourable delegate of the USA to the occupier movement at St Pauls, to rip up the utter dishonesty at the heart of multinational companies continuing to breach the OECD guidelines. There’s a reason why the UK are spending $1million a day in the DRC, and it aint a wholly MUNificent one.
_Marie-Claire, the fiery feminine powerhouse of Congolese strength, was exactly what the HRC needed as an early morning wakeup. A stunning example of the female form, Mary stirred emotions with provocative words of wisdom about the status of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the atrocious sexual violations that the country has witnessed in recent years. The human rights abuses and total dehumanisation of the Congolese population were highlighted with her personal insights, and shocking imagery that truly reaffirmed the severity of the issue that most countries, in particular the HRC, are turning a blind eye to.
She stressed how the DRC really is the epicentre of armed conflict, with heart-rending real footage of women being buried alive, and vaginas being shot at subsequent to rape. The concept of rape as a weapon of war was a deeply concerning issue for all delegates, who spoke from the heart in responding to and thanking Mary for her inspiring passion and drive to make a difference to the future of Congo. Acknowledging her own personal history as a victim of sexual abuse, Mary shared her insight on the organised international crime taking place right under our noses, by ‘responsible’ institutions like the World Bank and the UK government amongst the key culprits identified in the UN Expert Report on Exploitation of Congolese Natural Resources. Diverging into the ‘facade’ of transparency furthered by measures like the Kimberley Process, the questions posed by the delegates continued to shed light on the lack of practical results and the international impunity that continues to prevail.
The end of impunity on national and international levels was Marie’s ultimate call. The recognition that until the people are allowed the capacity to develop, and achieve some kind of self actualisation then their status as ‘humans’ who can benefit from human rights is completely undermined. Currently, Congolese are devoid of human security, entrenched in circles of abuse, suffering hardship after hardship and the HRC is not currently functioning as the democratic beast that it should be.
Yet her words of wisdom that “our humanity is what brings us together” signalled her hope that the delegates could, in their inevitable future positions of power, really pave a new route for justice in African countries like the DRC. The handy allegory of the fisherman was drawn upon, to great effect, and teaching the Congolese to ‘fish’ for their human security in the sea of corruption and totalitarianism.
Hmmm. Maybe delegates should have all followed the honourable delegate of the USA to the occupier movement at St Pauls, to rip up the utter dishonesty at the heart of multinational companies continuing to breach the OECD guidelines. There’s a reason why the UK are spending $1million a day in the DRC, and it aint a wholly MUNificent one.