Hans Gaebler
Shorewood high school- Republic of Rwanda
First Main committee- the rights of refugees and IDPs and maintenance of border integrity
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to seek and to
enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.” The widespread invocation of this right has lead to
over forty-two million having to live in refugee camps. The very same causes which drive people to seek
asylum in other countries displaces nearly twenty-six million others who seek safety in their home
countries. The nearly seventy million displaced persons in the world today force us to confront a number
of grave and pressing issues. How do we protect the rights of these people who are often
disenfranchised and without wealth or influence? To what extent, if at all, can the United Nations
infringe on the national sovereignty of the nations that these people have fled in order to return order
and security? What role does the international community need to take to aid those countries which are
forced to shelter the most refugees within their borders? These and many other pressing questions
need to be addressed by any resolution seeking to alleviate these problems.
In Rwanda, the issue of refugees and border integrity are of immediate concern and their
resolution is vital. There are currently over seventy-two thousand refugees currently living in Rwanda.
Most of them come from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC. The continuous civil
war in the DRC, especially in the eastern regions, which is waged in the area near Rwanda largely against
the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, is the main reason why these people are
currently refugees, and why they cannot return to their homes in the DRC. Because of Rwanda’s small
size and growing economy and population, refugees are largely prevented from actively participating in
the Rwandan economy and from any attempts at settling permanently in Rwanda. Thus, the refugees in
Rwanda are chiefly dependant on international aid. The Republic of Rwanda has worked closely with the
UNHCR in order to make conditions in the refugee camps as livable as possible, however, spatial
constraints mean that the housing in the camps is generally much smaller than the minimum standard
(16 square meters per person as opposed to 45), and other areas such as sanitation and shelter could be
improved upon.
Despite the obstacles, the Republic of Rwanda believes that a solution to these problems is
possible. Any solution, in order to truly address the problem, must first establish a way for the
international community to aid those countries which are forced to deal with the worst of this problem.
International aid for refugee camps must be increased dramatically, and larger developed countries
must make commitments to send aid and supplies to the countries which actually have refugee camps.
The vast majority of refugees are in third world countries or developing nations who don’t have the
resources to address these issues. Secondly, a method of protecting the rights of internally displaced
persons which does not pose a threat to the governments of the countries that these people inhabit.
Current disaster relief programs, though they are much smaller than they could be, are the best way to
help IDPs and to get them necessities such as food, shelter, protection etc. without infringing on the
rights of the state’s government. Though military action is sometimes prudent and necessary, especially
when the legitimate government of the country request such aid, it should be avoided if possible.
Instead, diplomatic and economic channels should be explored in order to eliminate whatever is
preventing the IDPs from living in their homes. Finally, the problem of when can countries legitimately
turn away people seeking asylum and refugees remains. Because the burden of having refugees inside
one’s borders would be very much eased by the proper implementation of the above, countries could
accept larger numbers of refugees or persons seeking asylum. If however, a country is for some reason
unable to give asylum to a group of people or support any more refugees, the refugees should be given
transportation to another nearby country. In the event that no nearby countries are able to support any
more refugees, a multilateral agreement that allows sends supplies and monetary aid directly to the
governments in order to allow them to try and give refuge to a greater number of people, and which
would allow for the creation of a unique solution to the problem, possibly including military
intervention.
In conclusion, the Republic of Rwanda has a firm commitment to solving this problem. Our past
experience and our current involvement with the issue gives ample indication of our willingness to
confront this head on. The pressing nature of the issue demands international action which has thus far
been absent. Although Rwanda believes that the solution we have proposed would be the best, we are
open to anything which would adequately address the problem.
Works Cited
"UNHCR - Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons: Part I: Foundations of IDP
Protection (all)." UNHCR Welcome. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=47949f912&query=internally%20displaced%20person
s>.
"UNHCR - Rwanda." UNHCR Welcome. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e45c576.html>.
"UNHCR - World Refugee Day: 42 million uprooted people waiting to go home." UNHCR Welcome. Web.
23 Feb. 2010. <http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=4a3b98706&query=refugee%20displaced%20persons
>.
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." The United Nationa. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/>.