HTH MUN 2016

Student Handbook
Name:

1. What is MUN? What will I be doing? How will I succeed?

Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and other multilateral bodies. In
Model UN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors from UN member states to debate current issues
on the organizations agenda. While playing their roles as ambassadors, student delegates make
speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate
the Model UN conference rules of procedure all in the interest of mobilizing international cooperation
to resolve problems that affect countries all over the world.
Before playing out their ambassadorial roles in a Model UN simulation, students research the issue that
their committee will address. Model UN participants learn how the international community acts on its
concerns about topics including peace and security, human rights, the environment, food and hunger,
economic development and globalization. Model UN delegates also look closely at the needs, goals and
foreign policies of the countries they will represent at the event. The insights they gain from their
exploration of history, geography, culture, economics and science contribute to the authenticity of the
simulation when the role playing gets under way. The delegates in-depth knowledge of their countries
guarantees a lively and memorable experience.
It is possible for you two win one of three awards:
The Best Delegate Award goes to the delegate who is most diplomatic, presented the best research,
displayed the best public speaking skills, stuck most closely to the position of his or her countrys stance,
and wrote the most passing resolutions.
The Best Researcher Award goes to the delegate who writes the position paper that is most wellresearched, well-written, and correctly formatted.
The Best Diplomat Award goes to the delegate that excelled in diplomacy throughout the conference,
especially during caucuses.

2. Preparing for MUN: The Checklist

Priority

To Do Item

Date to complete by

1.

Read your committee background

guide

Wednesday 2/17

2.

Complete country research

Friday 2/19

3.

Research the topic

-history
-issues
-controversy
-your countrys involvement
-past UN action/speeches

Friday 2/26

4.

Write position paper

Friday 3/4

5.

Write opening speech

Wednesday 3/9

6.

Familiarize yourself with

resolutions

Friday 3/11

7.

Familiarize yourself with MUN

procedures /vocabulary

Monday 3/14

8.

Participate in MUN Conference at

USD

Wednesday 3/16

Completed?

3. Assigned Countries
Country

French Toast Mafia

Pancake Cartel

USA

Andrew

Gabriel M

UK

Natalie

Bijan

France

Kobe

Morgan

Germany

Garrett

Nicholas

Spain

Melany

Nancy

Italy

Brooklyn

Autrina

Austria

Israel

Gabe V

Hungary

Sammie

Fehung

Serbia

Juan

Garrett

Denmark

Adarius

Victor

Greece

Madi

Darian & Trent

Turkey

Annika

Lydia

Syria

Ricky

Philippe

Russia

Lupe

Alex S

Egypt

Matthew

Genevie

Lebanon

Jennifer

Savreen

Jordan

Alec

Isabel

Afghanistan

Griffin

Evan

Israel

Skye

Wessel

Saudi Arabia

Mayra

Isaboo

Libya

Zion

Jesus

Pakistan

Nick

Elyse

Iraq

Noah

Connor

4. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - Committee Overview

While every refugee's story is different, they all share a common thread of uncommon courage the
courage not only to survive, but to persevere and rebuild their shattered lives. The Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the United Nations (UN) agency whose primary
purpose is the protection of the welfare and rights of refugees. It was establish
ed by the UN General Assembly (GA) in 1951 as a result of the aftermath of World War II. Initially, it had
a three-year limited mandate to address the high number of Europeans who were displaced due to the war.
At that time, UNHCR functioned with a 34-member staff. UNHCR faced its first significant emergency in
1956, following a violent Soviet intervention in Hungary, highlighting its essential role in delivering aid
for all those fleeing the conflict and seeking refuge in neighboring countries. During the 1960s, the
decolonization of Africa began, leading to involvement of UNHCR on several occasions, as was the case
with crises in Asia and Latin America in the two following decades. Due to the necessity of UNHCRs
continued work, the GA repeatedly extended UNHCRs mandate every three years until 2003, when it
decided to prolong the mandate indefinitely, until the end of the refugee problem. (1)
Most of UNHCRs resources are dedicated to supporting operations at the field level, in order to address
the needs of specific groups, such as refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and asylum seekers. A
refugee is a person who, reasonably fearing to be persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
membership of a particular social group or political conviction, has left the country of their nationality or
habitual residence. Further, the definition states that they are unable to or, because of such fear, are not
willing to return to the sovereign territory of the country they fled. IDPs are defined as individuals who
have had to flee their homes, but have not crossed an international border. Asylum seekers are those who
look for protection in a different country, but whose claim for refugee status has not been ascertained;
2014 saw the highest number of asylum seekers ever recorded. All of these groups can be categorized as
victims of forced migration. (2)
UNHCR provides humanitarian aid in a variety of forms, including food and nutritional supplements,
basic shelter, as well long-term accommodation such as camps or other forms of housing, cash assistance,
and legal services. The agency is also involved in efforts to integrate or, if refugees are able to return, to
reintegrate them. UNHCR also works closely with other agencies to address the needs of individuals who
have been displaced due to natural disasters. (3)

5. Background Guide: Refugees

Integral Refugee Policy as a Matter of Regional Security

It is a sad truth that for as long as there have been wars, natural disasters and discrimination, there have
been refugees. Yet, only recent developments, namely the refugee crisis in Europe, have re-emphasised
the urgency of the issue, accentuating the dire need for action and giving more precedence to the silent
cry of refugees. With the problems revealed in Europe, it has become self-evident that the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) must fulfill its calling as an agency, whose primary purpose
is the protection of the welfare and rights of refugees, to facilitate a truly united effort towards
meaningful, sustainable solutions. (4)
In its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, ratified by 146 countries, the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines the term refugee as: [] any person who: [] owing to
well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular
social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such
fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and
being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to
such fear, is unwilling to return to it. (United Nations General Assembly 1967, p. 268 & United Nations
General Assembly 1951, p. 152). It is necessary to differentiate between the two terms asylum seeker and
refugee. Any person claiming to be a refugee and seeking international protection is an asylum seeker.
Only once their claim has been approved do they become refugees (UNHCR 2012). This differentiation is
important as it ensures internationally uniform standards and reduces the likelihood of non-refugees
making claims as such. However, it necessitates an efficient process of determining a persons status, a
process whose implementation has recently proven to be unsatisfactory in many countries. In the process
of Refugee Status Determination (RSD), states determine whether a displaced person is a refugee under
international, national or regional law. This essentially determines the rights of a refugee and is therefore
an essential component for any refugee host country. People who are forced to move but remain inside
their country are known as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Reasons for becoming internally
displaced include natural disasters and armed conflicts. Crossing international borders essentially renders
IDPs refugees (UNHCR 2012). Stateless persons are not considered nationals by any state. This often
leaves them with no rights and severe lack of protection, causing many to become refugees (UNHCR
2012). (5)
The continuing rise in the number of refugees is a deeply unsettling trend. The number of refugees has
never been higher in the post-war era. Unfortunately, we must assume that there is a substantial number of
unreported cases. All in all, the number of refugees approximately matches the population of Italy. While
these numbers are peaking, the number of refugees returning to their home countries is at a low. This
massive influx of refugees is straining the host countries resources. For lack of a better system, the
distribution of refugees is poor, causing tensions in those countries with a high refugee population,
tensions that are putting society to a test. The largest refugee populations are from Syria (6,5% of total
refugees), Afghanistan (4,4%) and Somalia (1,9%). The top host countries are Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon,
Iran, Ethiopia and Jordan (UNHCR 2014, p. 3). (6)

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

The worldwide focus has shifted towards MENA, which is causing refugees to flee en masse. Instigated
by the Arab Spring, extreme levels of instability have prevailed in the form of an endless tirade of violent
conflict, ensuing mixed migration. Particularly, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS) has
caused widespread disturbance.
Syria: As of the beginning of November 2015, the number of registered Syrian refugee surpassed four
million, with no returnees. Syrians became the largest refugee population in the world in 2014. The
majority of Syrian refugees reside in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. Increasing numbers are fleeing to
Europe. In dealing with the Syrian crisis, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has proven deeply
conflicted, agreeing only on the need to eliminate chemical weapons (S/RES/2209) and provide
humanitarian aid (S/RES/2165). With China and Russia vetoing resolutions disapproving of the Syrian
government, harsh criticism of the UNSC is surfacing. The lack of consensus within the council is
causing it to fail its core mission of maintaining international peace and security. In order to gain control
of the situation in Syria, it is imperative that the UNSC makes a united effort, and soon. With the UNs
most influential organ failing to provide a clear course of action, an integrated effort on an international
level seems almost utopian. (7)
Iraq: Iraqi refugees are also among the worlds largest refugee populations. Considerably impacted by
ISIS, refugees fled to Iraqs northern Kurdish region. This mountainous area is difficult to supply, and aid
is the need of the hour as humanitarian agencies struggle to meet refugees needs.
Libya: The ongoing civil war causes waves of Libyan refugees to attempt the dangerous sea journey to
Europe. With smugglers exploiting the Libyans despair, this journey has taken a fatal end for thousands,
an outcome which Europe has been struggling to prevent. (8)
Europe
Europes role as a host country increased rapidly and drastically over the last year, with the number of
refugees rising by 51% from 2013 to 2014, the largest populations being Syrians in Turkey and
Ukrainians in the Russian Federation (UNHCR 2015). Europe is evidently struggling to cope with the
massive influx of refugees, which has highlighted the general deficiencies of refugee policies, particularly
with regard to RSD. A unified course of action from the EU, as requested by Germany and France, is thus
far slow to come by, calling its fundamentals into question. The unequal distribution of refugees also
continues to be a threat for the region. Furthermore, increasing far-right movements, driven by
xenophobia, are emphasising the need for a more integrated approach towards refugees. (9)
Italy: The primary destination for refugees taking the risky sea-route to Europe was Lampedusa. In an
attempt to reduce the number of casualties, Operation Mare Nostrum was launched. Notwithstanding its
success in decreasing the death rate among migrants to Europe, it was soon terminated due to its
substantial expenses, which could not be covered by Italy alone in the general absence of funding. It has
since been superseded by Operation Triton, managed by the European Unions (EU) border security
agency, Frontex. (10)

Hungary: Negative attention has primarily been raised by Hungary, which reacted to the surge of refugees
by sealing off borders and, on several occasions, with violence. These actions underline the need for an
internationally integrated framework regarding refugees and their rights.
United Kingdom: The UK opted out of the EUs proposed mandatory distribution key, announcing instead
to take in 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next four and a half yearswhile France and Germany will
take in an additional 55,000 over the next two years. (11)
Germany: Europes main destination for asylum seekers, Germanys approach towards the refugee crises
has been mixed, even ambivalent. In August 2015, Germany waived the EUs Dublin III Regulation for
Syrian refugees in an effort to ease pressure off Italy, Greece and Hungary. The Dublin III Regulation,
applying to all EU member states with the exception of Denmark, specifies that asylum seekers must
request asylum in their country of arrival. On the 11th November 2015, however, Germany reversed this
decision, clearly overburdened by the influx of refugees and struggling to handle internal unrest.
Turkey: Turkey is the worlds number one host of refugees. In 2015, it is expected to host a total of 1.9
million refugees and asylum seekers, 1.7 million of which will be Syrian. The UNHCR has also found
Turkeys response towards refugees to be of a consistently high standard. (UNHCR 2015). In October
2015, Turkey and the EU made a deal to resettle refugees to Turkey in exchange for funds. (12)
Implications
We can draw numerous conclusions from the refugee crises experienced around the world. Asylum
seekers face considerable red tape in their destination countries, which is of different nature and scope
even within the same region, hence posing a considerable hindrance. This poses the question of how the
processes of RSD and registering refugees can be adapted to become more just, homogenous and simple
on an international scale.
As the global community faces the worst crises of forced displacement in history, millions worldwide will
continue to require the aid of UNHCR. Only ten countries: Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, South
Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, the Central African Republic, Iraq, and Eritrea,
are the source of 77% of the worlds refugee population. UNHCR is continuously evolving to meet the
needs of refugees, yet faces increasing challenges due to the dimensions of the task. UNHCR plays a vital
part in humanitarian affairs and remains essential in providing life-saving resources for individuals who
have been forced to flee their homes. While the responsibility to address IDPs remains primarily at the
local and national level, the increasing number of IDPs around the world requires a collaborative effort by
the international community to ensure their protection in the event of a conflict or immediate crisis. A
good example are the cases of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, displaced due to civil war. Addressing the needs
of refugees and stateless individuals necessitates a similar approach, given the limited resources available
within many of the Member States receiving refugees. It is in this context that one of the challenges for
UNHCRs future strategic management becomes apparent: the increasing number of protracted conflicts
calls for more durable solutions than can be facilitated by two-year plans and insufficient financing. (13)
One pressing concern is the state of refugee and IDP camps. UNHCR has increasingly considered refugee
and IDP camps only as temporary measures, promoting their transformation into sustainable settlements
and their integration in the host state socio-economic structure. Local integration is a multifaceted

process, requiring the coordination of international and national actors, as well as both displaced and local
communities. Such a process can be beneficial for both refugees, IDPs, and local communities only if the
legal, economic, and social challenges are addressed. Much still needs to be done, especially towards the
reduction of assistance gaps, causing food insecurity and health problems, and towards the provision of
adequate housing for refugees. (14)
Also to be considered is the issue of strengthening the capacity of host countries, which encompasses a
wide range of challenges. The integration of refugees in a host country can have significant impacts on
the countrys economy, society, and legislation. Therefore, the work of UNHCR to address this issue must
have a multi-faceted approach, and must involve the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the
national authorities of host countries as well as civil society to help augment governments limited
capacity and slow pace of reform. The integration of refugees into this process is also paramount; it is
crucial that they develop a degree of self-reliance and are empowered to feel ownership of their
integration, thus avoiding large refugee populations become an unsustainable burden to host countries. An
effective legal regulation of their control and settlement is a foundation for this process. Through the UN
system, and especially the UNHCR there is the opportunity to positively address the global influx of
refugees, address issues of mixed migration more effectively, and ensure that the host countries have the
means and resources to sustainably and simultaneously care for and sustain both their local populations
and those of the arriving refugees. (15)
Finally, donor fatigue, causing insufficient funding in the case of protracted displacement, is another main
cause for concern of both UNHCR and the international community when striving to provide for longtime displaced people. Moreover, in designing policies and integrating displaced people in the socioeconomic fabric of a country, the needs of vulnerable groups, such as children and women, must be taken
into consideration to enhance inclusiveness. (16)
Further Research & Guiding Questions
Delegates should begin their research by understanding the policies of their country regarding the
acceptance of migrants, especially refugees. Further, delegates should assess the cooperation of UNHCR
with governments and other organizations and agencies. Cooperation is a key factor for building capacity.
For our MUN conference, consider the following questions to help guide your research:
1. In what way is the country/region you represent affected by the issue?
2. In what areas can the international community assist refugee host countries?
3. What policies are needed within the UN system to improve UNHCRs ability to assist
host countries?
4. What existing initiatives, policies, and programs can be expanded to better support
partnerships? (17)
5. What uniform standards are required of attending to newly arrived refugees, be it by land,
air or sea?
6. Should the UNHCR propose a common framework for registering refugees? The merits
of such a framework compared to the status quo need to be clearly discernible.
7. Can these regulations be more efficient than local regulations?
8. Should a quota be set to fairly distribute refugees among host countries? (18)

9. How can international and national actors improve their contribution to the
transformation of camps into sustainable settlements?
10. What can be done to make refugee settlements more sustainable and integrated into the
host countrys economic and social fabric? (19)
11. In what ways can displaced communities be involved in shaping accessible national
strategies of their host country for their own integration into society?
12. How can international and national actors address the needs of particularly vulnerable
groups, such as children, youth, and women? (20)
13. How can continuous funding for UNHCR operations be guaranteed in cases of protracted
displacement?
14. How should UNHCR assess its mandate, its financial situation, and current programs to
ensure best practice are being followed and any inefficiencies are addressed?
15. Should humanitarian agencies have access to regimes frozen assets to prevent countries
from using lack of humanitarian aid as a false pretence for military intervention? (21)

6. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: What is the United Nations?
A: The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51
countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among
nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. See more:
http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/
Q: What is Model United Nations?
A: Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the U.N. General Assembly and other multilateral
bodies.
Q: How did Model U.N. begin?
A: Simulating international organizations began even before the birth of the United Nations, when
students held a series of Model League of Nations in the 1920s. The Model U.N. Program is a successor
to a student-directed simulation of what preceded the U.N. itself, but it is not documented exactly how the
Model U.N. began.
Q: Who participates in Model United Nations?
A: The popularity of Model U.N. continues to grow, and today more than 400,000 middle school, high
school and college/university students worldwide participate every year. Many of today's leaders in law,
government, business and the arts participated in Model U.N. during their academic careers from U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and former World Court Justice Stephen M. Schwebel to actor
Samuel L. Jackson. Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton is a Model U.N. veteran as well.
Q: What is a Model United Nations conference?
A: Some Model U.N. exercises take place in the classroom and others are school wide. Still others are
regional, national, or even international. These are called conferences, and the events are much larger,
with participants from all over the United States and the world. More than 1,000,000 people have
participated in MUN conferences around the world since the conferences became popular over 50 years

ago. Today there are more than 400 conferences that take place in 35 countries. Depending on the
location, the average conference can have as few as 30 students or as many as 2,000.
Q: Where and when are Model United Nations conferences held?
A: There are an estimated 400 Model U.N. conferences held annually worldwide. These conferences take
place virtually every month throughout the school year, but there are few events in the summer and even
fewer around standardized testing such as the SAT.
Q: What is a Model United Nations delegate?
A: A Model U.N. delegate is a student who assumes the role of an ambassador to the United Nations at a
Model U.N. event. A Model U.N. delegate does not have to have experience in international relations.
Anyone can participate in Model U.N., so long as they have the ambition to learn something new, and to
work with people to try and make a difference in the world. Model U.N. students tend to go on to become
great leaders in politics, law, business, education and even medicine.
Q: Why should I participate in Model United Nations?
A: You should participate in Model U.N. because it promotes student and teacher interest in international
relations and related subjects, increases the capacity for students to engage in problem solving, teaches
aspects of conflict resolution, research skills, and communication skills, and creates the opportunity to
meet new people and make new friends.
Q: How should I dress at conferences?
A: Professional attire should be worn. For more information: http://www.unausa.org/global-classroomsmodel-un/how-to-participate/model-un-preparation/dressing-for-succesi