Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Chair Introductions

Chair

Hi Delegates! My name’s Tasha and I’m pleased and excited to chair UNEP. This is my

third year participating in MUN conferences and I have delegated, chaired and been part of

secretariat team. I have a love-hate relationship with running and add maths; both which I

can’t live without. Introduction aside, please do not hesitate to contact me at

tashajbalan@gmail.com if you have any questions about the council or topics. Happy

researching and hope you have many takeaways from the conference.

Co-Chair

Greetings Delegates!

My name is Alex Low. First and foremost, I would like to welcome you to 2017 Taylor’s

College Subang Jaya Model United Nation. It is a privilege to serve you delegates alongside

with my amazing Chair, Tasha. I am currently doing CIMP as my foundation programme in

Sunway College. I also do enjoy riding a Penny board, danking memes, playing Frisbee,

video games (PC Master Race all the way!!!), trolling on the internet, procrastinating, making

lame jokes/puns, sometimes cooking (by the book ft. lil jon) and the list goes on and on.

Moving on to my background, I started my Model UN journey back in 2016 in Fairmun16’.

It wasn’t a smooth journey for me. But hey, just managed to squeeze into where am I right

now. This will be my first time chairing yall alongside with the amazing head chair, Tasha!

As I said this is my first time, there might be some mistake that I will make but I will try to

keep it minimal or to none. If you feel there are something that I should improve on, I’m

more than happy and welcome you to inform me.

Public speaking as a required skill in MUN and for those who are new to the circuit, I

understand that most of you will fear of speaking out to a group of people and that is OK. But

what is not OK for me is that you do not try to overcome that fear. It’s ok to make mistake,

that’s how we learn. I was humiliated for my first ever speech and I only caught the

confidence on my third conference. There are more than just speaking out for the sake of

participating. Expressing your views and opinions while sticking to countries’ foreign polices

as well as understanding the cause of the problem. As for experienced and ‘pro’ MUN-ers,

do help those who are unfamiliar with anything and also please do tolerate them as well as

keeping an open mind.

Feel free to contact me or Tasha if you have any enquiries. I will be looking forward for a

firey debate and hoping to make friends and memories with all of you. Have fun!

Alex Low

Co-Chair | UNDP

TAYMUN17’

Email: alexloweeyang@sunwayeducation.info | 17073644@imail.sunway.edu.my

FB Messenger: https://goo.gl/r1s2m3

Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Introduction to council

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was formed in 1965. The purpose of this

committee is to tackle socio-political issue. Socio-political issue includes poverty, sustainable

human development, improving the growth of the economic as well as quality of life of all

citizens, preserving environment and natural resources for future generations.

Topic 1: The issue of illegal housing settlements

By understanding the topic name itself, you will have a better understanding of the topic

overall. It means people are constructing resident community illegally without the authority

or the government approval, or building a community on lands that are not belong to them.

Firstly, we must understand the root cause of why settlement is illegal under international

law. This all states back to August 1949, where Fourth Geneva Convention (GCIV), a treaty

out of the other four was the first dealt with humanitarian protections for civilians in war

zone, while the other three dealt with combatants. Currently, there are 196 countries part of

the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

If the treaty is still applicable until this day, then why are there reports of illegal settlements

until this day? Well that is mainly because of Israel did not sign the treaty of GCIV due to the

Six-Day war in 1967 where the Arabic and Israeli had armed-conflict over blockade of water

by the Egypt to prevent Israel accessing the Red Sea, which Israel considered an act of war.

Therefore Israel claims to comply with international law. Other settlements reports are

mainly due to poverty and business in LEDCs such as India. Parts of Israel that numbers of

UN resolutions have stated that violates the international law are West Bank, Golan Heights

and East Jerusalem.

So, what are the other settlements that are mainly due to poverty and business? Many has

captured the idea to turn crisis into opportunity to make money. It could be retailing property

in the black market or company that pay no taxes while compete unfairly with law-abiding

tax-paying companies and industries. When we think of black markets, items that comes up

to our minds are drugs, exclusive items, prohibited animals, prohibited items, media and

many more that have demands. But sometimes black market benefits people in poverty

because the opportunity to work is increased, hunger will be reduced as well as misery, all

thanks to ‘underground entrepreneur’. Illegal business services such as money laundering,

human trafficking, exploitation of human labour as well as drug trafficking, might also take

place due to the location where authorities will have hard times arresting criminals.

West Bank

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Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Source: UNOCHA, 2011 February

Area A Comprising 18 percent of the West Bank, Area A is under PA civil control and security

authority. Although it is comprised entirely of Palestinian cities – including Hebron, Nablus,

Ramallah, Bethlehem and some towns and villages that do not border Israeli settlements –

they are separated by areas controlled by Israel, including checkpoints, settlements and

military outposts.

An exception is found in Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank. While it lie in

Area A, less than 1,000 Israeli settlers are living among hundreds of thousands of Palestinian

residents, a state of affairs which prompted Israel to divide the city into two zones in the

1990s: H1, 80 percent of the entire city which is administered by the PA; and H2, 20 percent

of the city which is controlled by Israel.

Palestinians from Area A cannot travel to other areas within the West Bank — even other

parts of Area A — without crossing Israeli checkpoints. Despite Palestinian civil and security

governance, Israel still maintains a de facto veto of final authority, sometimes raiding homes

and businesses or detaining and arresting Palestinians.

Area B Comprising about 22 percent of the West Bank, Area B is under Palestinian civil

administration while Israel retains exclusive security control with limited cooperation from

the Palestinian police. Area B includes more than 400 villages and farmland. Despite PA civil

control, such areas are often threatened by the expansion of Israeli settlements into

Palestinian land.

Area C Under full Israeli civil administration and security control, Area C is the largest disunion in

the West Bank, comprising 60 percent of the territory. The PA only has responsibility for

providing education and medical services to the 150,000 Palestinians living there. With the

exemption of Hebron, all Israeli settlements are in Area C, where Israel has full authority

over building permissions and zoning laws. Area C contains most of the West Bank's natural

resources and open areas. More than 70 percent of the Palestinian villages in Area C are not

connected to the water network while Israeli settlements are, according to the U.N. Office for

the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Israel's Civil Administration has planned for

Palestinian development in less than 1 percent of Area C, and 99 percent of the area is off

limits or heavily restricted for Palestinian construction.

Source: Aljazeera America, 2014 July

East Jerusalem

Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Source: UNOCHA, 2007

Just like the West Bank, East Jerusalem has been occupied by Israel since 1967 — which is

illegal under international law. But Israel’s technique of control over the region differs. In

1980, Israel unilaterally declared Jerusalem a unified city, effectively uniting power over

Palestinian East Jerusalem, which would be the imminent investment of an self-governing

Palestine as proposed under the two-state Oslo process.

Unlike Palestinian residents of West Jerusalem and the rest of Israel, Palestinians living in

East Jerusalem are given a unique identification card, which — unlike their Palestinian

neighbours in the West Bank – allows them to travel throughout Israel and the West Bank.

However, they are not granted an Israeli passport nor can they vote in Israeli elections.

Israel maintains full civil control in East Jerusalem, where they provide municipal services,

health insurance and building permits to the Palestinian residents. Under its control over East

Jerusalem, Israel has increased the presence of settlers around Palestinian towns and left

other physical barriers separating those towns from the West Bank. According to the Israeli

human rights organization B'Tselem, about 40 percent of the residents in occupied East

Jerusalem are Jews living in settlements or previously-owned Palestinian homes.

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Key Words Settlement a place, typically one which has previously been uninhabited, where

people establish a community.

Treaty - a formally concluded and ratified agreement between states.

Resolution a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body

or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote.

Combatants a person or nation engaged in fighting during a war

Unilaterally used to indicate that something is done by only one person, group, or

country involved in a situation, without the agreement of others.

Outpost a small military camp or position at some distance from the main army,

used especially as a guard against surprise attack.

Humanitarian concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare.

Socio-

Political

combining social and political factors.

Major Key Players 1. Religious-National Settlers

2. Ultra-Orthodox Settlers

3. Economic Settlers

4. Jordan Valley Settlers

5. The EU

6. The Jews

7. Palestine Liberation Organization

8. Arab Government

9. Islamic Government

10. Palestinians

Timeline Israeli Settlements from 1967 to 2013- Please refer to this website.

Past Actions UN Security council resolutions, including 446, 452, 465, 471 and 476 considered the

settlements as having "no legal validity" under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Security Council Resolution 2334, approved in December 2016 reaffirms the settlements lack

of legal validity, and terms them "a flagrant violation under international law and a major

obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive

peace."

Further Questions 1. Is it able to contain an informal/illegal settlement?

a. How to prevent them from expanding

2. The issue of informal/illegal settlement

. Sustainability

i.Infrastructure

Electricity

Water

Internet

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ii.Population

iii.Transportation

a. Opportunities

.Jobs

i.Education

ii.Legal status

b. Resources

c. Economics

3. Security in the area

. Military

a. Trust

b. Ideology

4. Neutral treaty or that benefits both or more parties

5. Freedom and rights of civilians living in settlements

Further Research Environmental & Health

Human Rights Watch Report

UN condemns huge Israeli settlement plan

UN Security Council urges end to Israeli settlements

Amid Skyrocketing Housing Prices, A Push For Affordable Homes In Israel

Hobby Lobby funds Israeli settlement archaeology

Israel Since 1980

International law and Israeli settlements

Six-Day War

Fourth Geneva Convention

The Illegal-Settlements Myth

Israel fails to crack down on human trafficking

Thousands of slaves in Israel, global study finds

Israel becomes major hub in the international Cocaine Trade

Simple solution to squatter problem

The Golan Heights and Israel’s forgotten occupation

As Syria Reels, Israel Looks to Expand Settlements in Golan Heights

7 things to know about Israeli settlements

Golan Heights – History & Overview

Israeli Settlements, American Money. What’s Next?

Citations

Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Mingst, Karen. “United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).” Encyclopædia

Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Apr. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/United-

Nations-Development-Programme.

Liebermann, Oren. “What You Need to Know about the Israeli Settlements.” CNN, Cable

News Network, 3 Feb. 2017, edition.cnn.com/2017/02/01/middleeast/settlements-

explainer/index.html.

Phillips, David M., et al. “The Illegal-Settlements Myth.” Commentary Magazine,

COMMENTARY INC, 23 Aug. 2017, www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-illegal-

settlements-myth/.

Llosa, Mario Vargas. “IN DEFENSE OF THE BLACK MARKET.” Translated by Alfred J.

Macadam, The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Feb. 1987,

www.nytimes.com/1987/02/22/magazine/in-defense-of-the-black-

market.html?pagewanted=all.

Various. “Origins of the Six-Day War.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct. 2017,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_Six-Day_War.

Jazeera, Al. “UN Condemns Huge Israeli Settlement Plan.” Israel News | Al Jazeera, Al

Jazeera, 25 Jan. 2017, www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/condemns-huge-israeli-settlement-

plan-170125041616025.html.

Various. “International Law and Israeli Settlements.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25

Oct. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_law_and_Israeli_settlements.

Jazeera, Al. “UN Security Council Urges End to Israeli Settlements.” News | Al Jazeera, Al

Jazeera, 23 Dec. 2016, www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/passes-resolution-israeli-

settlements-161223192709807.html.

Harris, Emily. “Amid Skyrocketing Housing Prices, A Push For Affordable Homes In

Israel.” NPR, NPR, 25 May 2016, www.npr.org/2016/05/25/479420358/amid-skyrocketing-

housing-prices-a-push-for-affordable-homes-in-israel.

Rubner, Alex. “The Economy of Israel.” Google Books, Frank Cass & Company LTD, 1960,

books.google.com.my/books?id=vl2f-

aAEzwgC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=black%2Bmarket%2Bin%2Bisrael%2Bhousing%2Bs

ettlements&source=bl&ots=PdXJFgWpxU&sig=oB-

84tTe5M6hZcbKD4l0ciEn18Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijqIqZuqjXAhXDQ48KHQF

4CvcQ6AEIWzAM#v=onepage&q=black%20market%20in%20israel%20housing%20settle

ments&f=false.

Newton, Creede. “Hobby Lobby Funds Israeli Settlement Archaeology.” News | Al Jazeera,

Al Jazeera, 26 Aug. 2017, www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/hobby-lobby-funds-israeli-

settlement-archaeology-170826181403031.html.

Ben-Porat, Guy. Israel since 1980. Cambridge University Press, 2008,

books.google.com.my/books?id=Mq_wwKfx86gC&pg=PA180&lpg=PA180&dq=black+mar

ket+in+israel+housing+settlements&source=bl&ots=XRN60RzQJZ&sig=Mb14q9KnD1GU

GeMMkRjFc_2v054&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijqIqZuqjXAhXDQ48KHQF4CvcQ6A

EIUDAK#v=onepage&q=black%20market%20in%20israel%20housing%20settlements&f=f

alse.

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Kubovich, Yaniv. “Israel Becomes Major Hub in the International Cocaine Trade, Abuse

Rising.” Haaretz.com, Haaretz, 27 Oct. 2014, www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.553277.

N/A. “Overview of the Drug Situation in Israel.” Israel Anti Drugs Authority, Israel Anti

Drug Authority (IADA), 5 Mar. 2014, www.antidrugs.org.il/english/pages/1315.aspx.

N/A. “Israel.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, 2016,

www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2016/258789.htm.

Lior, Ilan. “NGO Report: Israel Fails to Crack down on Human Trafficking.” Haaretz.com,

Haaretz INC, 26 Apr. 2016, www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.716243.

Berman, Lazar, et al. “Thousands of Slaves in Israel, Global Study Finds.” The Times of

Israel, N/A, 20 Oct. 2013, www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-of-slaves-in-israel-global-

study-finds/.

Zahriyeh, Ehab. “Maps: The Occupation of the West Bank.” Al Jazeera America, Al Jazeera

America, LLC., 4 July 2014, america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2014/7/west-bank-

security.html.

N/A. “Israel/Palestine.” Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, 12 Jan. 2017,

www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/israel/palestine.

Tawil, Bassam. “The Real Illegal Settlements.” Gatestone Institute, Gatestone Institute, 5

Dec. 2016, www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9490/illegal-settlements.

Rudoren, Jodi. “As Syria Reels, Israel Looks to Expand Settlements in Golan Heights.” The

New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2015,

www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-israel-golan-heights.html.

Marsad, Al. “The Golan Heights and Israel's Forgotten Occupation.” Muftah, Muftah, 14

Mar. 2017, muftah.org/golan-heights-israels-forgotten-occupation/.

N/A. “Golan Heights Profile.” BBC News, BBC, 27 Nov. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/world-

middle-east-14724842.

Taylors Model United Nations 2017

Topic 2: Promoting sustainable urbanization in LEDC’s

Introduction

LEDCs are exponentially developing, owing to globalisation and industrialisation. The

attractive pull factors of urban areas such as better employment, better job satisfaction, better

essential services and the push factors of rural areas such as poverty causes rapid

urbanisation. With this unprecedented rate of urbanisation, urban development is done hastily

and mostly unsustainably. Major problems such air, noise, water pollution, squatter

settlements and overcrowding are the effects of unsustainable urban planning, jeopardising

on the standard of living.

Key Terms

Terms Definition

Urbanisation The process by which an increasing proportion of people live in

towns and cities instead of rural areas.

Urban sprawl The expansion of towns and cities into surrounding rural areas.

Comprehensive

redevelopment

A housing policy that involves clearing of areas of low-quality

buildings and replacing them with new higher-quality environment.

Urban regeneration The renewal of a declining part of a town or city by removing

existing houses and building as well as redeveloping that area.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In order for

sustainable development to be achieved, it is important to take into account three core

elements: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection, as they are

intricately interconnected.

Sustainable urbanisation is in parallel with SDGs, especially Goal 11. Half of humanity - 3.5

billion - lives in cities. The world’s cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land, but

account for 60-80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.

Unplanned, unsustainable urbanisation is exerting pressure on water supplies, sewage

systems, environment and public health. A staggering 828 million people live in slums today

and the number keeps rising.

Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities - targets to ensure access for all to adequate,

safe and affordable housing and public transport by 2030. It emphasises on

upgrading slums, improving road safety and expanding public transport. With

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regards to environmental concerns, SDGs aims to reduce the adverse per capita

environmental impact of cities by paying attention to air quality and municipal waste

management. Preservation of green, public spaces is an integral target in sustainable

urbanisation.

UNGA endorsed New Urban Agenda which coincides with SDGs. The key commitments

include promoting measures that support cleaner cities, strengthening resilience in city

infrastructure to reduce the risk and the impact of disasters (of which LEDCs are vulnerable

to), addressing climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions of unsustainable

urbanisation and supporting innovative and green initiatives.

Key Players

UN Habitat

UN Habitat mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human

settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. UN Habitat work

scope covers legislative actions, safe energy consumption, reconstruction, sanitation,

resilience and slum upgrading. Recently, experts have discoursed on the importance of urban

design and landscape, waste management and road safety during UN Habitat Conference in

Quito, Ecuador. UN Habitat have launched many initiatives and programmes such as Africa

Urban Agenda Programme, Global Public Space Programme, Green Cities Partnership

(collaboration with UN Environment), Planned City Extension, and many more.

UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)

UNEP priority areas are ecosystem management, environmental governance and ensuring

resource efficiency. UNEP has collaborated with other UN agencies such as UN Habitat to

improve urban settlement.

African Countries

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Africa has the highest concentration of LEDCs. African Union has undertaken plans on

accelerating initiatives and aims to achieve sustainable urbanisation by 2063.

Asia Countries

Asia has mostly NICs but still has a fair share of LEDCs. Asia countries is adapting to

globalisation and transitioning from rural to urban areas. Under the 2030 Agenda and the

New Urban Agenda, Asia aims to achieve sustainable development by 2030. Asia has since

taken set in terms of policing and government involvement in efforts to promote sustainable

urbanisation.

Must Reads

Urban Regeneration

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/apr/10/urban-regeneration-

affordability-communities-neighbourhoods

Urban regeneration is one method of transforming unsustainable urban settlements to

sustainable ones. This article highlights successful urban regeneration scheme in MEDCs,

can urban regeneration scheme be extrapolated to LEDCs? If so, how should it be done?

Comprehensive Redevelopment

https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/comprehensive-development-schemes

Comprehensive redevelopment has the same purpose as urban regeneration but the process

differs. While urban regeneration is more inclined towards refurbishing and renovating,

comprehensive redevelopment involves tearing down and rebuilding. The webpage details

comprehensive development schemes and its process.

Causes and Implications of Unsustainable Urbanisation

http://www.irjcjournals.org/ijmssr/Apr2013/20.pdf

In order to promote sustainable urbanisation, it is pertinent to tackle the issue of

unsustainable urbanisation at grassroot levels, which can be done by comprehending and

evaluating causes and consequences of unsustainable urbanisation as they are applicable to

most LEDCs.

This study analyses the effects of piecemeal planning of urban areas in Zimbabwe. Piecemeal

planning is an unsustainable way of urbanisation as it succumbs to the pressures of rising

demands without thorough planning.

Key Aspects for Sustainable Urbanisation

http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/publication/urban-china-toward-efficient-

inclusive-sustainable-urbanization

This article focuses on key aspects to look into for sustainable urbanisation.

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Questions to Consider

1. How should LEDCs tackle the existing issue of unsustainable urban settlements

currently present?

2. How can MEDCs support LEDCs in promoting sustainable urbanisation?

3. How can LEDCs ensure that urban settlements are environmentally sustainable?

4. What precautions should LEDCs take during the transition from unsustainable urban

settlement to sustainable urbanisation?

5. How can government play its part in sustainable urbanisation?

6. How can a framework be tailored to bridge the gap between needs of people and

establishing sustainable cities?

7. What is the long term plan for newly established urban areas in LEDCs? How can it

work its way around sustainability?

Citations

1. “Sustainable Urban Development in Africa.” UN Habitat, n.d. Web. 31 October 2017.

2. “Sustainable Development Goals.” UNEP, n.d. Web. 30 October 2017.

3. “Building Sustainable, Inclusive and Creative Cities.” UNESCO, n. d. Web. 30

October 2017.

4. “Sustainable Urban Strategies.” UNDP, 13 October 2016. Web. 31 October 2017.

5. “Efficient Urbanisation.” World Bank, n. d. Web 31 October 2017.