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Seventh Annual Session of the
Gaucho Model United Nations Conference
February 13–14, 2016
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Chair’s Letter
Dear Delegates,
Let me be the first to welcome you to the seventh annual GauchoMUN Conference! My
name is Catt Phan and I have the pleasure of being your head chair for the United Nations
Children’s Fund. I’m a second year Global Studies major and this is my second year in Model
United Nations. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a good number of conferences during my
first year which include AggieMUN in Sacramento and National MUN in New York City. This
year I’m serving as the UnderSecretary General of Travel Logistics as well as holding positions
in my school’s Associated Students in the Office of the Student Advocate General, Take Back
the Night, and Lobby Corps.
The topics that our committee will discuss are… Whether you are a rookie or veteran to
the MUN world, I strongly urge all of you to push yourselves to create innovative and effective
solutions to the matters at hand. It is completely possible that the solutions in passed resolutions
can be integrated into the real world and I hope you are all are willing to put the effort into
making this weekend one full of passionate and stimulating discussion.
If you have any questions, concerns, or if you need someone to validate your existence,
go ahead and email me! So many people have put long hours into making GauchoMUN a
fantastic experience and it is my sincere hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.
Now, let’s go try and save the world.
Best wishes,
Catt Phan
phan.catt@gmail.com
Co ViceChairs’ Letters
Honorable Delegates,
It is a pleasure to be a part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) committee
at the annual Gaucho Model United Nations conference! My name is Arpan Singh, and I am a
fourthyear Political Science major, with an emphasis on International Relations. I will be a
coChair for the UNICEF committee at this year’s Gaucho Model United Nations conference.
As a transfer student, I was first introduced to Model United Nations at my junior college
through a group of club members who were recruiting new delegates. Seeing the opportunities
for personal growth, leadership, and travel, I signed up on the spot. As a result, I have had the
opportunity to represent many countries in local and national conferences, including the annual
National Model United Nations Conference in New York. I had a chance to research in depth
important issues that the world is currently facing; from human trafficking and nuclear
disarmament to environmental protection and sustainable development. Finally, I have recently
had the pleasure of cochairing for the annual Santa Barbara Intercollegiate Model United
Nations conference.
The issues we will be considering in this committee are urgent yet complex. While the
international community largely agrees on the fundamental rights of children, such as through
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (which was signed and ratified by 196 countries);
implementation of such measures has been difficult. Yet, there is still hope that with the mutual
cooperation between Member States, there will be practical solutions that will be acted on.
Dear Honorable Delegates,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Seventh Annual Gaucho Model United Nations
conference! My name is Amy Koo, and I have the honor of cochairing the United Nations
Children’s Fund committee at this year’s Guacho Model United Nations conference. I’m a
firstyear Political Science Major, and this is my first year in Model United Nations.
I was first introduced to Model UN earlier this year during club rush and was quickly
impressed with the leadership, public speaking skills, and genuine excitement the delegates
displayed. Since joining, I have participated in the SOCAL MUN Conference as a delegate and
in the SBIMUN Conference as part of crisis staff. During my time in Model UN, I have
developed my public speaking skills and learned about various issues and crises that affect global
relations.
The issues our committee aims to address multifaceted and complex issues that affect
millions of children across the globe. I hope each of you take an active role in developing
potential solutions to the issues at hand. I believe that we will pass resolutions this weekend that
creatively address the issues and look forward to a weekend of exciting and interactive debate! If
you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email myself, Catt, or Arpan!
Arpan Singh
ViceChair, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
arpansingh@umail.ucsb.edu
Amy Koo
ViceChair, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
amykoo@umail.ucsb.edu
Structure and Flow of Debate
The structure and flow of the UNICEF committee at this year’s Gaucho Model United
Nations conference will be unique and highly dynamic. We expect delegates to have done
extensive research not only on the two topics but also on their country/bloc’s policies and voting
history on these topics; as well as related current events. The dais will operate the committee on
a traditional set of rules and procedures, according to the rules of the National Model United
Nations Conference in New York. In addition, we expect delegates to conduct themselves in a
diplomatic and formal manner during the conference, with an emphasis on cooperation and
mutual benefit of all parties concerned.
Introduction
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a branch of the United Nations that
focuses on the issues of children and mothers, especially those in developing countries. It looks
at a variety of different issues from hunger, trafficking, and child labor exploitation; to maternal
health issues, immunization, and adequate nutrition of mothers. UNICEF is an organization that
is run entirely by volunteer funds, from those of State governments to over 6 million individual
donors. With these funds, this organization is able to conduct operations in a variety of ways
such as: advocating for children’s legal rights; funding education in developing countries;
providing relief aid in places hit by disasters; advocating gender equality; and providing
immunization.
Topic 1: The Impact of Conflict on Childhood Education
Background
In 1989, the UN ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the exception of
the United States and South Sudan. The Convention states that countries must commit to the
principle that children have fundamental rights just like adults do and that state authorities have
responsibilities to protect those rights. This legally binding treaty requires states to make their
laws, policies, and practices consistent with the provisions of the Convention immediately or
must show effort to live up to the treat over time.
The Convention clearly lays out its mission statement in three tracks. The first is the
child’s right to education on the basis of equal opportunity which means that the primary
education needs to be free and secondary/higher education needs to be accessible. The second
track are the child’s rights to education such as, but not limited to, the right to
nondiscrimination, protection from abuse and violence, and the freedom of thought. The final
track includes the child’s rights through education which refers to the ability of the child to know
and understand their rights while establishing respect for all human rights.
Past United Nations Involvement
The UN Security Council has categorized the possible offenses inflicted on children into
six grave violations: killing and maiming of children, recruitment or use of children as soldiers,
sexual violence against children, attacks against schools or hospitals, denial of humanitarian
access for children, and abduction of children.
In July 2005, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was
created to work in conjunction with Security Council Resolution 1612. With 15 Security Council
members, they meet in closed sessions to review reports on children in armed conflict in specific
countrysituations, progress made in the implementation of action plans to end violations against
children, and other relevant information. In addition, the Working Group makes
recommendations to parties of conflict, governments and donors, as well as United Nations
actors on measures to promote the protection of waraffected children.
Recent events
The Middle East is currently fraught with civil unrest and war. The Syrian Civil War is
the current and worst humanitarian crisis in the world. 4.3 Syrians are refugees and 6.6 million
are displaced within their country; half are children. In Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, more than
700,000 Syrian refugee children do not have the opportunity to go to school. Due to the influx of
population, national education infrastructure being overburdened and cannot handle the extra
student load.
As of September 2015, about 13 million in the Middle East and North Africa are not able
to go to school do to the surging conflict and political upheaval in these regions. There are many
factors that prevent these children from acquiring their education. Attacks on schools and
education infrastructure is one key reason why many children do not attend class. Countries such
as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya have almost 9,000 schools that are not in use because they have
been damaged, destroyed, used as shelter for displaced civilians, or have been taken over by
parties responsible for the conflict. Another important fact is that fear and paranoia run rampant
in these areas of conflict. There are no teachers because thousands of them are scared to work
and parents are terrified for the lives of their children because school are quickly becoming a
popular target for terror attacks.
Bloc position
African States:
Many African States suffer from large disparities in education due to military conflicts
and lack of access to education. 21 African states have been noted to spend the most of their
GDP on military spending. In Kenya, after disputed national elections in December 2007, civil
unrest displaced over 250,000 people and affected a total of 500,000 persons. The Ministry of
Education statistics indicate 62,848 of primary school going children were affected by the
ensuing violence.
Latin American States:
The majority of Latin American children are not receiving a highquality and relevant
education. As a result, too many Latin American youth entering the labor force lack the skills
necessary to find dignified work and participate in an increasingly competitive, informationrich
and globalized economy.
European States:
Every European state is legally bound by the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Over
the years, the seven countries under UNHCR Central Europe have shown improvement in
providing young refugees with access to education. UNHCR has launched a project, which
identifies both the positive and negative aspects of educational support across the region. Also,
as part of the project, a regional conference has been organized on the issue that drafts policy
guidelines for national authorities and stakeholders on improving the educational opportunities
for young refugees.
Questions to consider
1. How can State governments incentivize families to send their children to schools, over
getting them involved in child labor?
2. What programs and protective measures can countries implement to ensure children’s
safety at educational institutions?
3. To what extent should the international community get involved in warstricken areas’
educational systems?
4. Should there be an international standard of education, such as providing free public
education up until the high school level?
5. What further actions should be taken to further implement the Convention of the Rights
of the Child?
Getting help
A wealth of additional information on projects by UNICEF (and other organizations) to
counter the use of child soldiers is available online through a simple Internet search. If you’re
having trouble with your research, your Chair and CoChairs are available to help answer
questions. Feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. Good luck!
Topic 2: Addressing the Needs of Children in Armed Conflict
Background
There are various effects of armed conflict on children’s lives. In the landmark report of
Graça Machel, an appointed expert of the UN Secretary General, she highlights some of the
effects on children from armed conflict. Titled “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children,” this
report looks at the following consequences of armed conflict on children with possible solutions:
the phenomenon of child soldiers; refugees and internally displaced children (IDCs); sexual
exploitation and genderbased violence; landmines and unexploded ordnance; sanctions; health
and nutrition; psychological recovery and social reintegration; and education. The Optional
Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000) focuses on child soldiers, and
highlights abuses faced by children by their commanding officers. This children are used for a
variety of different purposesfrom sexual purposes, as spies, messengers, servants, or to lay or
clear landmines. The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
(2000) highlights many such abuses and possible solutions to prevent children from becoming
soldiers.
In general, it states that children should be given special protection during times of
conflict to prevent them from becoming victimized as child soldiers. For example, it gives
special emphasis to development and education not only as means of prevention, but also for the
physical and psychosocial rehabilitation and reintegration of childrenthrough educational and
informational programs. In addition, Article 3(2) of the Optional Protocol calls for increasing the
age for voluntary recruitment to 18 years of ageup from 15 years of age in the Convention on
the Rights of the Child. It also requires those states that have age 15 as the minimum age to place
greater priority on recruitment of those who are oldest. These are just some of the measures that
have been put in place to combat the use of child soldiers, but they are not enough. In order to
have solutions that are sustainable in the long term, it is important to take a holistic approach.
For this, organizations of different levels would have to work together with each other and with
affected communities to tackle this problem.
Past United Nations Involvement
The issue of Children and Armed Combat was first addressed on a global scale in the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The human rights treaty was signed in
1989 and initially implemented in 1990. Two optional protocols were adopted on 25 May 2000.
The First Optional Protocol restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the
Second Optional Protocol prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
In 1997, the General Assembly Committee passed A/RES/51/77, which addressed the
implementation of the Convention of the Rights of Child and reaffirmed the Vienna Declaration
and Programme of Action released in 1993. A/RES/51/77 also addressed the protection of
children affected by armed conflict, the issue of refugee and internally displaced children, and
the plight of street children.
Since 1999, the systematic engagement of the UN Security Council has firmly placed the
situation of children affected by armed conflict as an issue affecting peace and security.
According to the Office of the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral for Children And
Armed Conflict, there are six grave violations regarding children and armed conflict: killing and
maiming, child recruitment, sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and
denial of humanitarian access. In 2005, the Security Council created the Monitoring and
Reporting Mechanism (MRM) to monitor, document and report on heinous abuses of children in
situations of concern around the world.
Recent events
Recent events in wartorn areas brought the rights of children in armed conflict back into
the spotlight. According to the 2014 annual report of the SecretaryGeneral on children and
armed conflict, one thousand girls and boys have been abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL). In one incident, ISIL abducted approximately 150 young boys on their way
home from school. During the several months they were in captivity, they were physically
abused, indoctrinated, and forced to observe violent practices. ISIL also issued a document
justifying the sexual slavery of Yezidi girls abducted in Iraq at the end of 2014.
In Nigeria, terrorist group Boko Haram is known to kidnap girls, whom it believes should
not be educated, and use them as cooks or sex slaves. Boko Haram has abducted hundreds of
women and girls in Chibok and the country’s northeastern region. In Chibok, Boko Haram
abducted approximately 276 female students from the Government Secondary School. The
students kidnapped have been forced to convert to Islam and forced into marriages with Boko
Haram members.
Since 2010, Boko Haram has targeted schools, killing hundreds of students. According to
a spokesperson for the terrorist organization, Boko Haram plans to continue these attacks as long
as the Nigerian government opposes Islamicbased education. 10,000 children have been unable
to attend school as a result of activities by Boko Haram.
Bloc positions
African States:
In Sierra Leone, the Lomé Peace Accord was created for demobilization, disarmament,
and the reintegration of child soldiers into society. Under this program, children who were
handed over to UNICEF were taken through a wide variety of programs such as health care
services, psychosocial counseling, and educational and vocational programs. During this time,
efforts were made for family reunification. However, demobilization efforts have failed with
regards to female child combatants, who were often exploited for sexual purposes and found it
extremely difficult to take steps toward demobilization.
Across the border from Sierra Leone, in Guinea, the government has used educational
measures for soldiers on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Optional Protocol, to
bring awareness to the issue of child soldiers. UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Affairs has
implemented this through twoday training seminars to soldiersintraining on the rights of
children, and has also extended these educational measures to local authorities and religious
leaders.
Morocco is a country that enforces the “straight 18” declaration, which sets the minimum
age of recruitment at 18 years of age.
Latin American States:
The Colombian government has ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of
children in armed conflict. It has adopted the legal age of voluntary recruitment under the
Optional Protocol of age 18, and prevents nonState actors from recruiting children under the age
of 18. It is predicted, however, that the main challenge would be in implementing these
provisions. There has, however, been some success in when paramilitary groupssuch as
Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, and the Bloque Central Bolivarhanded over about 40 child
soldiers to UNICEF and Colombian authorities in the beginning stages of the implementation of
these provisions.
Paraguay instituted educational measures for teachers, religious leaders, military officers,
and youth throughout the country; and it collaborated with other human rights groups during
such campaigns. In addition, it started a project to reform the State judicial system to be able to
enforce provisions within the Optional Protocol.
European States:
In Belgium, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, in collaboration with
UNICEF, worked for the implementation of the Optional Protocol. Following a conference on
the Day of the African Child, the committee adopted a set of recommendations for the
implementation of the Optional Protocol.
Questions to consider
1. Who in particular should be held responsible for violations of laws that prevent the
recruitment of children under 18 years (or in some states, 15 years) of age?
2. To what extent, if at all, do nonState agencies such as UNICEF have the authority to
implement protocols to prevent the use of child soldierswhen State actors fail to do so?
3. How can nonState agencies like UNICEF work with State governments for the
implementation of the Optional Protocol?
4. What is the minimum time frame for State parties to implement protocols within the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of
Children in Armed Conflict?
5. What can be done to mitigate the effects of social and economic disadvantages, and
gender, which can make children of certain groups more vulnerable to exploitation?
6. How can nongovernmental and UN agencies interact with local communities and local
organizations to affect change?
Getting help
A wealth of additional information on projects by UNICEF (and other organizations) to
counter the use of child soldiers is available online through a simple Internet search. If you’re
having trouble with your research, your Chair and CoChairs are available to help answer
questions. Feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. Good luck!
Works cited
Convention on the Rights of the Child, New York, 20 November 1989. Available from
http://www.ohchr.org.
General Assembly Resolution 51/77, The Rights of the Child, A/RES/51/77, 20 February 1997.
Security Council Resolution 1612, Security Council Establishes Monitoring, Reporting
Mechanism on Use of Child Soldiers, S/RES/1612, 26 July 2005.
The Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, New York, 12 February
2002. Available from http://www.ohchr.org.
The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), New York, July
2005. Available at the website of The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; Vienna, Austria; 25 June 1993.
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