SYDENHAM MODEL UNITED NATIONS, MUMBAI – 2011
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Rules:
-Sydenham Model United Nations 2011 will be a formal event, delegates not in formals, will not be allowed to address the chair.
– There will be 2 delegates in each team representing their country.
– All delegates are allowed/should carry their laptops, notes, and any other references they wish to.
– Any kind of vulgarity will not be tolerated by the chair and the delegate will be suspended from the MUN immediately.
– The main aim of the MUN is to bring in a decision peacefully and pass one resolution.
– The chair will pass the resolution based on the number of signatories and the content of the resolution.
-The country can be chosen by the college, but the countries are available on a first come first serve basis. The CL should inform Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics which country they would be representing.
– A country once chosen cannot be changed under any circumstances.
– The total time for the event is 3 hours.
Chair: Rohan Shah (Event director) – 0986744377
COUNTRY LIST:
– Pakistan
– People’s republic of China
– United States of America
– Iran
– Iraq
– Japan
– UAE
– Brazil
– Spain
– Germany
– United Kingdom
– Qatar
– Afghanistan
– France
– India
– Australia
– Russia
– Somalia
– Bhutan
– Zimbabwe
– Bolivia
TOPIC:
Improving the economic structure to reduce unemployment in LEDCs, specifically targeting persons with disabilities to enter and remain in the workplace
| Employment is the foundation of an effective economy. In developing nations, 80% to 90% of persons with disabilities of the working age are unemployed. The unemployment rate, in these countries, of persons with disabilities of working age is at least twice that for those with no disability. This is due to the lack of education and lack of opportunity. In sub-Saharan Africa, a great percentage of persons with disabilities are found begging for money. Their disability may be due to injuries suffered during war, such as Sierra Leone or basic genetic factors. Therefore, children with disabilities can’t go to public school. How can we improve the educational system to reduce unemployment for all? Prejudice limits the recognition of disability in workplaces globally. Factors such as accommodation of a person with disability being more expensive play a major role in the acceptance of handicapped workers. How can the current population of persons with disabilities be integrated in the workforce? Some countries may argue that they don’t have the financial means to support persons with disabilities to enter a well paid workplace. They may suggest sweat-shops as the key to enabling persons with disabilities to receive some money. Other countries may suggest financial support for persons with disabilities and an education for those in the working age. Delegates must research their own countries unemployment rate of persons with disabilities and judge whether or not the country has the means to support these people. How can we improve the economic structure to reduce unemployment in LEDCs, especially persons with disabilities? |
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN IN A MUN:
- What is the problem? How does it affect your country?
- What has your country done to combat the problem?
- What are the various “sides” in the debate?
- Which aspects of the issue are most important to your country?
- If your country is not involved with the issue, how can it become involved?
- How will your country shape the debate at the conference?
- What arguments will other countries make?
- How do the positions of other countries affect your country’s position?
- Is there evidence or statistics that might help to back up your country’s position?
KNOW YOUR COUNTRY IN A MUN:
- What sort of government does your country have?
- What types of ideologies (political, religious or other) influence your country’s government?
- Which domestic issues might influence your country’s foreign policy?
- What are some major events in your country’s history? Why are they important?
- Which ethnicities, religions and languages can be found in your country?
- Where is your country located and how does its geography affect its political relationships?
- Which countries share a border with your country?
- Which countries are considered allies of your country?
- Which countries are considered enemies of your country?
- What are the characteristics of your country’s economy?
- What is your country’s gross domestic product (GDP)? How does this compare to other countries in the world?
- When did your country become a member of the UN?
- Does your country belong to any intergovernmental organizations outside the UN system such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)?
- Does your country belong to any regional organizations such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) or the Organization of American States (OAS)?
- Does your country belong to any trade organizations or agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?
Flow of the Debate:
Roll call: (10 minutes)
The Chairperson will announce each country’s name. After a delegate hears their country called, they should answer present.
Setting the Agenda: (10 minutes)
The chair will call out the topic and hold a small discussion on the topic, through which the countries will get into a flow of the debate.
Caucus (Debate) (60 minutes)
There will be a moderated caucus (a debate) where all delegates will be given a chance to speak and put forward their opinions on the country and can argue them out. The delegates are supposed to hold out their placards when they wish to speak or argue over a fact. The chair will announce the country’s name and thus the delegate will be allowed to put his views forward. This will be a formal debate where the delegates can keep on making notes and making draft resolutions based on the arguments in the session.
Informal Recess: (30 minutes)
In the informal recess, the delegates are supposed to talk to the other country delegates and discuss their draft resolutions, the draft resolutions can be passed on to the chair if there is any problem, the chair will look into the matter and hand the resolution back. This is the time to find the signatories.
Caucus: (30 minutes)
Once more a short debate will be held where the delegates can again put forward their viewpoints, now that they also have had an informal discussion with the other delegates. This debate will be followed in the exact manner as the former one.
Formal recess: (40 minutes)
In the formal recess, the delegates should form their final resolution and get it signed by the signatories (other delegates). Each country can sign maximum 2 resolutions. No country can put themselves as a signatory. It is important to find good signatories to pass a resolution. The resolution should be in the format given below. The resolutions (final ones) will be given to the chair. The chair will choose the best resolutions and pass one of them in the Model United Nations.
There will be 2 prizes given in the MUN, one to the best delegate based on the public speaking and the viewpoints put forward. This will be an individual award given to 1 delegate only.
The second award will be given to the country (both the delegates), for the best resolution and also the speaking abilities and their viewpoints.
The 2 awards might or might not be awarded to the same country.
Sample Resolution
Economic and Social Council
Sponsors: United States
Signatories: Greece, Tajikistan, Japan, Canada, Mali, the Netherlands and Gabon
Topic: “Strengthening UN coordination of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies”
The Economic and social council,
Reminding all nations of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity, equality and inalienable rights of all global citizens, [use commas to separate preambulatory clauses]
Reaffirming its Resolution 33/1996 of 25 July 1996, which encourages Governments to work with UN bodies aimed at improving the coordination and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance,
Noting with satisfaction the past efforts of various relevant UN bodies and nongovernmental organizations,
Stressing the fact that the United Nations faces significant financial obstacles and is in need of reform, particularly in the humanitarian realm,
1. Encourages all relevant agencies of the United Nations to collaborate more closely with countries at the grassroots level to enhance the carrying out of relief efforts; [use semicolons to separate operative clauses]
2. Urges member states to comply with the goals of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs to streamline efforts of humanitarian aid;
3. Requests that all nations develop rapid deployment forces to better enhance the coordination of relief efforts of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies;
4. Calls for the development of a United Nations Trust Fund that encourages voluntary donations from the private transnational sector to aid in funding the implementation of rapid deployment forces;
5. Stresses the continuing need for impartial and objective information on the political, economic and social situations and events of all countries;
6. Calls upon states to respond quickly and generously to consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance; and
7. Requests the expansion of preventive actions and assurance of post-conflict assistance through reconstruction and development. [end resolutions with a period]
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