BRISBANE MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

NATIONAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

BRIEFING paper

APRIL | 4 - 7 | 2013 | NATHAN CAMPUS | GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1961 by London barrister Peter Benenson, Amnesty International looks to protect human’s rights. Amnesty International’s main vision is to bring together people into a world where each and every person enjoys the rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. Amnesty International was founded in response to the imprisonment of a group of students jailed in Portugal for raising a toast to freedom. Independence is a vital part to Amnesty International and they do not accept any money from governments or political parties. As a result of this, Amnesty International are able to freely critcise the governments which are abusing the rights of the people and do not represent any other economical or political interests.

Website: www.amnesty.org.au

GLOBAL POVERTY PROJECT The Global Poverty Project’s main vision is to live in a world without extreme poverty. The Global Poverty Project looks to halve the amount of people living in extreme poverty today. Utilising the tools such as education, communications, advocacy, campaigning and the media in order to advance their vision of ending extreme poverty. In order to end this extreme poverty, the Global Poverty Project does the following:

Campaigns for action in the government, business and consumer sectors to create action that will ensure systematic change for the world’s extreme poor.

Create a movement of the community to engage and educate the people. In doing so, this supports the community to make simple but effective actions for change.

The Global Poverty Project aims at creating more and better aid, better and more ethical trade and the ability to enable the environment. Website: www.theglobalpovertyproject.com

GREENPEACE

Founded in 1971, Greenpeace looks to promote a green and peaceful world. Historically created

to witness the US underground nuclear testing at Amchitka, Greenpeace has evolved to an international organization, which prioritizes the global environment. Greenpeace is based in Amsterdam and has 2.8 million supported worldwide with a presence in 41 countries. Greenpeace looks to take action on the international platform to protect the natural environment for the present and the future. Focusing on the climate, forests, ocean, food, reef, arctic, nuclear and whales, Greenpeace has many different ventures which it hopes will help to preserve the natural environment.

Website: www.greenpeace.org

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

For over 30 years the Human Rights Watch has been the world’s leading independent organization, which is dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. Human Rights Watch looks to give a voice to the oppressed and hold the oppressors accountable for their crimes. The Human Rights Watch’s mission statement includes that they stand with the victims and activists to prevent discrimination. They look to uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime and bring the offenders to justice. The Human Rights Watch investigates and exposes many human rights violations each year. Furthermore, the Human Rights Watch challenges governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights laws. Website: www.hrw.org

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP

Founded in 1995, the International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization, which is committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict. The Crisis Group is committed to working on conflict prevention and resolution, using field-based analysis, practical policy prescriptions and high-level advocacy. The five main ways that the Crisis Group plays a key role in preventing and resolving conflict include:

1. RInging early warning alarm bells through its long-term presence in and coverage of many conflict situations, in its reports, in the monthly CrisisWatch bulletin and in specific ‘conflict risk alerts’ (eg in Mali, Sudan, Syria);

2. Producing independent and expert field-based analysis and advice on specific policy issues vis-à-vis scores of conflict or potential conflict situations around the world, helping policymakers in the UN Security Council, regional organisations, donor countries and the countries at risk themselves do better in preventing, managing and resolving conflict;

3. Providing objective analysis and detailed actor mapping unobtainable elsewhere on developments regarding conflict, mass violence and terrorism (eg, on the Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia and the FARC in Colombia);

4. Offering new strategic thinking on some of the world’s most intractable conflicts and crises, challenging or refining prevailing wisdom (eg, on Kosovo, Myanmar, Sudan/South Sudan, Somalia, the Arab-Israeli conflict and Afghanistan/Pakistan); and

5. Focusing international attention on forgotten conflicts and peacebuilding processes (eg, on Guinea-Bissau, Sri Lanka, Nagorno-Karabakh, Colombia and Guatemala) when the world’s attention has shifted elsewhere.

Website: www.crisisgroup.org

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The International Rescue Committee looks to help people survive and rebuild their lives following a crises, offering lifesaving care and assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. The International Rescue Committee looks to restore safety, dignity and hope to those uprooted from their homes. The International Rescue Committee currently has a presence in 40 countries around the world.

Website: www.rescue.org

MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERES

Medicins Sans Frontieres is the world’s leading independent organization for medial humanitarian aid. MSF staff includes doctors, nurses, administrators, epidemiologists and water experts

to name a few. MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for their work in provided relief after natural disasters and helping victims of conflict. MSF run emergency feeding programs and look to prevent and tackle neglected diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. MSF also help communities by training local medical staff and helping to implement safe drinking and sanitation facilities. MSF is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics and impartiality. MSF works in over 60 countries with over 22,000 locally recruited national staff. The goal of MSF is to provide essential medical humanitarian aid to those who need it most, regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Website: www.msf.org.au

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

Established in 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross provides humanitarian help for people affected by conflict and armed violence and to promote the laws that protect victims of war. The ICRC is a neutral and independent organization whose mandate stems from the Geneva Convention of 1949. The ICRC has a presence in 80 countries and is financed mainly by voluntary contributions from governments and from national Red Crescent societies. The ICRC looks to ensure humanitarian protection and assistance to victims of war and armed violence. Taking action in response to emergencies, the ICRC is able to promote respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation in national law. Website: www.icrc.org

UNICEF

UNICEF’s, or the United Nations Children’s Fund, looks to a world where the basic rights of every child will be met. Working in over 190 countries, UNICEF promotes and protects the rights of children. UNICEF is the world’s largest provided of vaccines for developing countries and supports child health and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls and the protection of children from violence, exploitation and HIV. UNICEF advocates for the rights of all children to be realized and works to improve public and government support for child rights and international development. All work done by UNICEF is funded by voluntary contributions from individuals, business, foundations and governments – not by the United Nations.

WATERAID

WaterAid is an international non-government organization that looks to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. WaterAid’s vision is one where the whole world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. WaterAid enables the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water and sanition. Website: www.wateraid.org

AFRICAN UNION

The African Union consists of 54 African states and was established on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa. The AU was lauched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa to replace the Organisation of African Unity. The Assembly of the African Union makes the most important decisions of the AU and its secretariat is the African Union Commission.

The objectives of the AU include:1. To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the people of Africa;

2. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;

3. To accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;

4. To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;

5. To encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

6. To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;

7. To promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance;

8. To promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;

9. To establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations;

10. To promote sustainable development at the

economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies;11. To promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples;

12. To coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;

13. To advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology;

14. To work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.Members of the AU include:

• Algeria• Angola• Benin• Botswana• Burkina Faso• Burundi• Cameroon• Cape Verde• Central African Republic• Chad• Comoros• Democratic Republic of Congo• Ivory Coast• Dijibouti• Egypt• Equatorial Guinea• Eritrea• Ethiopia• Gabon• Gambia• Ghana• Guinea• Kenya• Lesotha• Liberia• Libya• Malawi• Mali• Mauritania• Mauritius• Mozambique• Namibia• Niger• Nigeria• Rwanda• Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Seychelles• Sierra Leone• Somalia• South Africa• South Sudan• Sudan• Swaziland• Tanzania• Togo• Tunisia• Uganda• Zambia• Zimbabwe

THE ARAB LEAGUE

The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states in North Africa, Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia. Formed in Cairo on the 22 March 1945, the Arab League originally had six members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria. The Arab League’s main mission is to draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries.The Arab league currently has 22 members including:

• Kuwait• Lebanon• Palestinian National Authority• Qatar• Jordan• Bahrain• United Arab Emirates• Libya• Oman• Saudi Arabia• Syria• Tunisia• Iraq• Comoros• Algeria• Morocco• Sudan• Dijibouti• Egypt• Yemen• Mauritania• Somalia

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS

Founded on 8 August 1967n by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand,

the Association of South East Asian Nations in a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. The aims of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations include:

• Indonesia• Malaysia• Philippines• Singapore• Thailand• Brunei• Burma (Myanmar)• Cambodia• Laos• Vietnam

CHINESE AMBASSADOR

The Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations is Ambassador Li Baodong, PR. Born in April 1955 in Beijing, Li Baodong completed his studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University and Johns Hopkins Uiversity. After graduating, Li entered in to the diplomatic sector and worked in different posts within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2005 to 2007 Li served as Ambassador to Zambia and in 2007 Li was appointed as Permanent Representative of the Peoples Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva. During the months of March 2011 and June 2012, Li was the president of the United Nations Security Council

COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS

The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organization of 54 independent member states. All members, except Mozambique and Rwanda were part of the British Empire. Member states cooperate within a framework of common values and goals as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. The main ideals of the Commonwealth of Nations include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism and world peace. The Commonwealth of Nations is not a political union and member states have diverse social, political and economic backgrounds, all of who are regarded equal in status.Members include:

• India• Pakistan• Nigeria• Bangladesh• United Kingdom• South Africa• Tanzania• Kenya• Uganda• Canada• Malaysia• Ghana• Mozambique• Australia• Sri Lanka• Cameroon• Malawi• Zambia• Rwanda• Papua New Guinea• Sierra Leone• Singapore• New Zealand• Jamaica• Namibia• Botswana• Lesotho• Gambia• Swaziland• Mauritius• Trinidad and Tobago• Cyprus• Fiji• Guyana• Solomon Islands• Brunei• Malta• Maldives• Belize• Bahamas• Barbados• Vanuatu• Samoa• Saint Lucia• Grenada• Tonga• Kiribati• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines• Seychelles• Antiqua and Barbuda• Dominica• Saint Kitts and Nevis• Tuvalu• Nauru

EUROPEAN UNION

Consisting of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe the EU operates through a system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by member states. Tracing its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community. The EU has developed a single market system, which includes standardized laws that apply in all member states. Furthermore, the EU includes the Schengen Area which incudes 22 of the EU states and 4 non-EU states, that allows the free movement of people and goods within this zone. The EU also includes a monetary union, the Eurozone, which was established in 1999 and which includes 17 of the member states.Members of the EU include:

• Austria• Belgium• Bulgaria• Cyprus• Czech Republic• Denmark• Estonia• Finland• France• Germany• Greece• Hungary• Ireland• Italy• Latvia• Lithuania• Luxembourg• Malta• Netherlands• Poland• Portugal• Romania• Slovakia• Slovenia• Spain• Sweden• United Kingdom

RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

Vitaly Churkin, born in 1952 and graduating from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1974, Churkin replaced Andrey Denisov as the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. Churkin has a PhD in history from the USSR Diplomatic Academy and was the Director of the Information Department

of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Churkin has also served as a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry and was Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1994.

UNION OF SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS

The Union of South American Nations (USAN) is an intergovernmental union intergrating two existing customs unions – Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations. By doing so, USAN looks to continue the process of South American integration and is modeled on the European Union. The main treaty of USAN is the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty, which was signed on 23 May 2008 in Brazil. USAN intends to implement a common currency, parliament and passport. It is suggested that a complete union should be possible by 2019.Members of USAN:

• Argentina• Bolivia• Brazil• Chile• Colombia• Ecuador• Guyana• Parauay• Peru• Suriname• Uruguay• Venezuala Non-Member Observer States include:• Mexico• Panama

UNITED STATES AMBASSADORS

Susan E. Rice, born in 1964, is the current United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Having served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Bill Clinton’s second term, Rice has experience in diplomatic relations. Born in Washington DC, Rice graduated from Stanford University where she received a Truman Scholarship with a B.A in history. Rice was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and attended New College, Oxford where she earned a Master of Philosophy in 1988 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1990.