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Delegates,
It is indeed a great honour and a privilege to be welcoming you to the
UNGA - SOCHUM at NUJS Model United Nations 2016,
The agenda at hand i.e. Eliminating Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerances is both vast and complex, and a
successful discussion on it would necessitate the mutual participation of
all of you. It shall be your choice to decide the direction in which you want
to take this committee ahead. This agenda demands to be seen from
more than one perspective.
The following pages intend to guide you with the nuances of the agenda
as well as the committee. The Guide chronologically touches upon all the
different aspects that are relevant and will lead to fruitful debate in the
committee. It will provide you with a birds eye view of the gist of the
issue.
Note, however, that the guide contains only background information and it
should only be the starting point of your research. It will take a lot more
than this to survive in council and we encourage you to do as much of
your own research before and during the MUN in order to keep up.
We hope to see a great level of effort and enthusiasm from you all in the
committee, so that we all can take back a great experience.
Research Ahoy!
Neel Duttaroy
Bansal
Saras
(Chairperson)
(Chairperson)
Xenophobia
and
Introduction
The United Nations (UN) has addressed the issue of racial discrimination
since the very beginning, stating in the Charter of the United Nations
(1945) the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms are
without difference as to race. Later, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948) strengthened these principles, declaring that all human
beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 1 of the UN
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1963)
endorses this, stating "discrimination between human beings on the
ground of race, colour, or ethnic origin is an offence to human dignity and
shall be condemned and in fact capable of disturbing peace and security
among nations. The Declaration further besieged racism as ideology,
asserting that any doctrine of racial differentiation or superiority is
scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous.
Thus, there is no justification for racism in theory or practice.
This conceptual framework is significant as it grounds the work of the
international community on this topic. Initial efforts within the UN system
focused largely on ending discrimination in Non-Self-Governing and Trust
Territories, where exclusion, discrimination and racial intolerance were
often long-lasting by colonial powers. The UN General Assembly
constantly supported the legitimacy of the struggle of oppressed
populations, identifying judgement as a result of colonialism in the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
People adopted in 1960.
South Africas system of legalized racial discrimination, referred to as
apartheid, is an example of an issue that the UN took acted upon. Events
such as what occurred in Sharpeville, South Africa, where, on 21 March
1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful protest, were
critical in stimulating UN action and generating momentum for concerted
efforts to address racial discrimination at the global level. This thrust
prompted the GA to declare 21 March as the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and eventually to adopt the United
Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Immigration Policies
for needy families) for all migrants irrespective of their legal status in
2000. However, hit by financial crisis, the conservative Government
passed an amendment in the year 2012 restricting the health services for
undocumented migrants below age 18, pregnant women and people in
need of emergency care. Rights of international migrants are protected
under the 1990 United Nations International Convention on the Protection
of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (United
Nations, General Assembly, 1990). The unanimously adopted Declaration
of the General Assembly's second High-level Dialogue on International
Migration and Development in October 2013 has called upon the Member
States to reaffirm their obligation to the human rights of all migrants.
support teaching materials and tools for training and activities relating to
privileges of individuals of African descent.
Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action
Several issues raised by indigenous peoples, such as climate change and
access to safe drinking water are now more evident at the international
level. The United Nations has stressed the problem of discrimination
against indigenous peoples since the first Decade to Combat Racism and
Racial Discrimination. This apprehension led to the establishment in 1982
of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which
voiced their needs and aspirations in a draft Declaration of the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. Progress on the draft was given further push in the
Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA). This draft was finally
adopted by the General Assembly in September 2007. The UN Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples signifies one of the main
achievements of the DDPA.
The Declaration recognizes the basic human rights and fundamental
freedoms of indigenous peoples. It highlights, among other things, the
right of indigenous peoples to be free and equal; the right to selfdetermination and to freely define their political status and freely follow
their economic, social and cultural development; the right to practice and
rejuvenate their cultural traditions and customs; the right to establish and
regulate their educational systems; the right to participate fully at all
levels of decision-making in matters which may affect their rights, lives
and fates; the right to their lands, territories and resources; and the right
to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and
development.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has made it
clear that discrimination against indigenous peoples is racial
discrimination. It has interpreted non-discrimination as the protection of
aspects of indigenous cultural identity and language and the offer of
economic and social development, effective participation, and rights over
lands, territories and resources.
The United Nations has also established three mechanisms for combating
discrimination against indigenous peoples. The Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues was formed to advise the UN on problems related to
indigenous peoples and specifically to raise awareness and promote the
management of activities related to indigenous issues within the UN
system. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and
France
Out of France's total population, 4.2 million (or 7.4%) are classed as
"immigrants". People from North Africa account for 38.7% of all
immigrants in France; they come mainly from Algeria and Morocco and,
again, have inclined to keep their original nationality. Asians account for
11.4% of all France's immigrants, while people from sub-Saharan Africa
account for 6.6%. As estimated, Islam is the second largest religion in
France, where there are estimated to be around 4 to 5 million Muslims.
The ban in France against wearing of the headscarf by Muslim women has
faced much criticism in the world media. The "Hijab ban" law, presented
as secularization and was supported by all major parties in the French
parliament, as well as many feminists was understood by its critics as an
"indirect legitimization of anti-Muslim stereotypes, nurturing rather than
preventing racism. A poll found that 28 % of French people think that
Arabs and Berbers are "more likely to commit crimes than members of
other ethnic groups". According to an Ipsos survey, the French are
increasingly antagonistic towards people from other countries. 66 % of
those polled said there are too many foreigners in France, with 59%
agreeing that "immigrants don't try hard enough to integrate" (four points
higher than last year). According to the law it is illegal to wear a facecovering veil or other mask in public places.
Challenges
The sluggish progress and inefficient level of government involvement in
the three decades to combat racism show that the problem is not lack of
instruments and mechanisms to counter racism - although there is always
a scope for improvement - but the lack of political will. Yet, no country in
the world can claim to be free from racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance.
Conclusion
The UN continues to significantly advance the eradication of racial
discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerances as each Member
State changes. ICERD, CERD, and other entities as well as the Durban
Declaration and Programme of Action have built a solid base for Member
States to eliminate the actions of and principles of intolerance. As states
continue to advance and globalization spreads, Member States will be
faced with increased challenges while their communities become ever
more interrelated and interdependent. This amalgamation will bring
greater flows of migrants among other issues, and will force states to
address their rights and the subsequent issues of racial discrimination that
may occur. Moving ahead, the international community must to consider
the human rights of migrant workers, bring alertness and unique activities
to protect and grow equality for individuals of African descent, and create
unique ideas to abolish any form of discrimination.
Further, each Member State needs to fulfil their commitments by
submitting reports on time reporting bodies such as CERD, and universally
adopt ICERD. As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reminded the Third
Committee, racism among ethnic and racial groups is a threat and a
serious violation of human rights. The focus and questions of eradicating
racial discrimination is a social development and as a result the GA Thirds
involvement is required.
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