COMMITTEE: Special Conference
QUESTION OF: Improving the management of refugee camps to ensure the protection of
fundamental human rights
SUBMITTER: Belize
Bearing in mind, that the universally recognized human rights are directly applicable to refugees,
which includes: the right to live, protection from torture and ill-treatment, the right to a
nationality, the right to freedom of movement, the right to leave any country (including one's
own), and to return to one's country, and the right not to be forcibly returned,
Affirming that in the past 8 months 70,000 people have fled from Syria to countries such as
Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia,
Noting that widespread conflict and political strife [in Somalia] have crippled essential
infrastructure and more than three-quarters of the population lack access to healthcare, proper
sanitation, and safe drinking water,
Accentuating that the UN is forecasting a total of 36,000 refugees to arrive in Djibouti by the end
of 2016 if the situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate,
Further noting that as well as sandstorms and 50ºC heat, the residents of the camp at “O’Bock”
(in Jordan) have to contend with no electricity, shortages of drinkable water, no medical staff on
site,
Fully understanding that UN's forecasts suggest that in a year's time there could be 200,000
refugees in the Horn of Africa,
Taking into consideration that it is estimated that 50% of refugees are under the age of 18,
Sustaining that, "the refugee issue must be put to all governments and peoples as a test of their
commitment to human rights" Sadako Ogataa,
1. Urges all member nations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), the Human Rights
Commission (HRC), United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), and
other such organizations, to aid the refugee camps for Syrian refugees in collaboration
with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United
Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and United Nations by providing:
a) Necessary resources which would be needed in the building/expansion of current
infrastructure, which would include population fund:
i.
Housing facilities that would meet average living standards as well as clean
sanitation systems and hygiene facilities throughout all refugee camps,
ii.
Medical treatment facilities that would have staff from the UN, Red Cross,
Red Crescent, and any voluntary doctors and nurses which would include, but
not be limited to: treatments, medications, vaccines, equipment for quick
prevention of the spreading of viruses/bacteria, surgical and burn treatments;
as well as transportation to the main cities’ hospitals in case of emergencies
such as suffering from life threatening injuries and/or diseases,
iii.
Facilities to set up a United Nations administration and security group
throughout the refugee camps, to ensure that all statistics are updated to
identify number of refugees, to control the ration system and maintain security
inside the camps, which would therefore prevent the possibilities of external
threats,
iv.
All refugee camps will be under the watchful eye of a group of professionals
(including guards, agents or officers) drawn from the UN Peacekeeping
Forces, arranged to guarantee the security of all the migrants living in them,
as well as meeting the accomplishment of the Human Rights (listed above),
v.
Education institutions in refugee camps for children and young adults, these
will be advocated by UNICEF, international school volunteers and relevant
NGOs and UNOs, and these should include psychological aid for those
suffering from trauma due to the conflict. Specifically women who have been
sexually abused,
b) A generous supply of clean water to prevent death due to dehydration, spread of
cholera, similar infectious diseases, and at least two nutritious meals per day that
would include all daily dietary requirements, in order to prevent any deaths from
starvation;
2. Advises the creation of an organization under the jurisdiction of the United Nations with
a goal explicitly dedicated towards the protection and enhancement of general health,
security, and standards of living within refugee camps; these objectives would be
accomplished by cooperation and coordination between member states and relevant
NGOs, which would specifically focus on:
a) Providing a viable conduit for the outlying costs and effective circulation of
supplies, including medical aid, dietary sustenance, and the like.
b) Ensuring controlled and secures travel from Syria into European Refugee
camps, thereby limiting the number of refugee deaths while fleeing, and
establishing regulated control over the influx of refugees;
3. Asks for member states in adjoining countries (such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey) to
aid in the transit of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in ways such as but not limited
to:
a) Maintaining free passage between the Syrian border and those of adjacent
nations to all fleeing inhabitants, in compliance with international protocol,
thereby allowing the acquisition of sanctuary through methods limited to:
i. Strengthening international cooperation and support to affected nations,
ii. Mitigating xenophobia heightening national awareness of the situation in
Syria through media outlets,
iii. Ceasing all detention immigration so as to provide safe asylum where
refugees can feel secure until well enough to return to their own country;
4. Advises the international community (e.g. countries possessing economic means) and not
already hosting quantities of Syrian refugees, to fully fund the UN Humanitarian appeal
for Syria, providing neighboring countries with economic and logistical means to host
large numbers of refugees and providing them with the essential services mentioned
above;
5. Encourages local, national and international media to broadcast the situation in Mali and
Syria accurately, showing no bias towards the governments, rebels, or the people and
therefore informing the people correctly about where the crisis stands – in accordance
with the national laws and regulations in both countries;
6. Requests that a bi-annual report of UNRWA spending be made publicly available that
will:
a) Act as a public record of how donations to the UNRWA are being distributed and
allocated,
b) Build the confidence of UNRWA’s current donors, which frequently express
discontent with the lack of knowledge as to the allocation of donated funds,
c) Encourage other states and private parties to become stronger donors,
d) Be administered by the UNRWA internal accounting practices;
7. Strongly recommends that economically eligible member states, such as USA, France,
Germany, and the People’s Republic of China, provide effective funding towards
facilitating UN sanctioned official stabilization missions to Syria, by means such as but
not limited to:
a) Provisioning associated non-governmental organizations with adequate financial
support, so to permit the extension of operations to alleviate collapse of infrastructure
and humanitarian deficiencies in the Syrian region,
b) Supplying logistical support and intelligence so as to advance further deployment in
remote or potentially jeopardizing environments;
8. Calls upon an establishment of ‘safe-zones’ in countries willing to bear the
responsibility, with countries providing financial aid to fund the maintenance and
protection of this ‘safe zone’, which would be ensured by:
a) Encouraging ‘safe zones’ to be designated within the Middle East in order to
avoid complications, including but not limited to language barriers and cultural clashes,
b) Requesting the deployment of United Nations Peace Keeping forces to provide
security in designated safe zones,
c) Strongly condemning Syrian government or rebel troops in any attempt to attack
refugees and host countries,
d) Noting that the designated ‘safe zone’ must be able to sustain refugees with food,
water and basic necessities hence recommending:
i. A weekly re-supply of food, water and basic necessities to Syrian refugees,
ii. An establishment of at least one medical center located in each ‘safe zone’;
9. Demands for people to acknowledge the fact that refugees have the right to human
treatment and dignity under the European Convention of Human Rights and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights by:
a) Being aware of the International Human Rights Law, which lays down obligations of
governments to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human
rights and the fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups, which can include:
i.
Public speeches
ii. Billboards
iii. Commercial advertising
iv.
Educating students in a way that will remind them of the importance of human
rights;
10. Encourages that all refugees in camps should receive training in order to have knowledge
about the culture, language and laws of the country they are being hosted in; this could be
achieved through:
a) Dividing refugees according to their nationality,
b) Providing teachers who could voluntarily teach them in places such as but not
limited to:
i. Schools
ii. Training centers
iii. Orphanages
c) The creation of schools, to ensure that every minor receives basic education,
d) Making sure that females and males have equal rights and are taught this
accordingly in education programs;
11. Draws attention to organizations setting up donation systems to ensure that refugees can
have a better quality lifestyle, and have their needs covered by:
a) Donating money
b) Donating objects such as:
i. Clothes
ii. Old technologies
iii. Toys
iv. Furniture;
12. Urges the following enforcement of law and order by:
a) Separating different ethnic groups by placing them in different refugee homes to
prevent the outbreak of fights due to religious differences,
b) Maintaining camps as weapon-free zones;
13. Decides to remain actively seized on this matter.