UN Human Rights Council

Dear Delegates,

Welcome! I am so delighted that we will be working together to investigate some major issues of human rights, and I know that we will have an extraordinary time! I’m so excited to hear your thoughts and discussion as we read and work through our two (what I hope you think are) interesting topics and shed some light on some of the world’s problems, not ambitious at all.

At Harvard, I major (concentrate) in Social Anthropology and French, with a minor (secondary field) in Neurobiology. I hope to combine the two fields with research on North African immigrant communities in Paris, where I’ll be spending a semester, fingers crossed, in the spring.

Besides studying French and Anthropology at Harvard, where I’m currently finishing my second year, I am very interested in education, international relations, and community service, spending time outside the classroom mentoring and tutoring. These interests are definitely what led me to MUN in college, something I did not even know existed in my rural high school in Kentucky. Last year, I was an assistant director for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (HNMUN) and the International Court of Justice (HMUN); I had an amazing time at these conferences and decided definitely to stick to the world of MUN.

As delegates for the Human Rights Council, you will be dealing with emotional and emotive issues, but issues that really matter and must be addressed.  I know that you will come to conference having done excellent research and full of fiery conviction. It will be a challenge for us to channel our energies into some insight on our issues, but I know we can do it!

Please do not hesitate to call me, email me, send snail mail, or a currier pigeon if you have any burning questions that must be answered; or, if you just want to say ‘Hi’.

Sincerely,

Dustin Poore
Director, UN Human Rights Council
Harvard National Model United Nations 2011

Topic Area A: The Issue of Self-Determination

In cases throughout the world, issues of sovereignty and ethnic minorities have arisen and led to internal struggle at the lightest end and armed conflict and terrorism at the heaviest end of the spectrum. Historical protectorates and dominated regions strive for independence from a hegemonic power, seeking to assert individual and direct control; conversely, regions find themselves in fear of losing their territorial sovereignty to a larger power. The questions of land division, power sharing, and border-making are issues that are at the foundation of international relations theory. But, to what extent is sovereignty and the right of self-declaration a human right, if at all? To investigate this topic, two geographic areas of focus can be studied: Chechnya and Israel/Palestine. As part of the Russian Federation, the Chechen secessionist sentiment is strong, including the First and Second Chechen Wars and continued conflict with Russia, the latter country having two battalions stationed in the region. Chechnya has also had a history of semi-armed conflict with Muslim rebel extremists. This multinational conflict plagues the nation amidst cases of terrorism, kidnapping, and other illegal activities that have increased there: reaching some of the highest proportions in the world. Similarly, the situation offers little hope in Israel/Palestine. The Human Rights Council has repeatedly sanctioned Israel for human rights violations, and Israel remains the only state to be specifically condemned by the council, where even Darfur warrants only ‘deep concern.’ The Human Rights Council may revisit the issue in present day to determine whether they had acted judiciously in their past resolutions and to re-assess the situation on the ground since 2008. In looking at these two cases, the HRC will try to assess the role of tradition, the role of outside forces, the feasibility of ethnic or other self-determination, and other topics arising within the field of sovereignty.

Topic Area B: The Right to Environmental Protection

Since the rise of the Industrial Revolution beginning most notably in the middle of the nineteenth century, nations and individuals have become increasingly worried about their impact on the environment. In more recent decades, this concern has blossomed into a movement for environmental protection and a growing segment of environtmentalists within populations, including political parties and governments, lobby groups, and increasingly green corporations and firms. While these parties and interested individuals have not yet sought the Human Rights Council, the topic is a very current and important one and has been at times termed an international human right: the right to environmental protection. Environmental concerns have been finding themselves in more and more places, including in the Masstricht Treaty that founded the European Union and in ministries and bureaus all across the globe, take the US EPA for example. This topic has come from a genesis of activism and concern from many parties and a recent shift among a major sector of populations that favors sustainable and ‘green’ energies and products. Bringing the environment under the auspices of the Human Rights Council represents a new direction for the council, but seems to fall in line with contemporary sentiment and as a progression in the history of the issue internationally. Considering sanctions or action as the Human Rights Council is mostly a symbolic matter: although the Human Rights Council cannot directly force or mandate countries to green policies, by including environmental protection under the umbrella of human rights, it is able to issue mandates to egregious violations thereof. This may be a new solution and a new step in the process and campaign to stop global warming. In addition, there is clear potential to help human lives from unsafe and unhealthy environmental conditions. Is environmental protection a human right? Should mandates be directed locally or generally? What are standards for determining violation?