ISOW Model United Nations Conference 2024

Welcome to the ISOW Model United Nations Conference 2024: Refugee Discourse in a Divided World!

This one-day conference will be held on May 22nd, 2024 at the Centre for International Governance Innovation campus in Waterloo, Ontario from 9am-4pm. The theme of this conference is refugees; and will tackle many issues pertaining to this topic in today's globalized yet divided world. Delegates will be placed on one of our seven committees and will represent a country on that committee during debates jointly with another student. The committees available at this conference are as follows:

· Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

o Delegates from the OHCHR will deliberate on the ongoing gender-based violence and conflict crises in Afghanistan in order to propose possible solutions, especially for women and girls seeking asylum.

· General Assembly (GA)

o As we reflect on COP28, it is clearer than ever that the impact of climate change on human habitation will soon reach unprecedented levels. The GA is meeting to discuss the potential for a new global climate compact on refugees – can the world come together to put in place a new framework for dealing with climate refugees? Should they be treated differently from those fleeing from conflict?

· Security Council (SC)

o The Security Council has been called to an emergency special session to discuss the ongoing crises such as the Sudan, Somalia, and Niger conflicts. The 15 representatives on the UNSC will be tasked with seeking peaceful resolutions to the conflicts, especially dealing with those displaced.

· Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC)

o Delegates from the Human Rights Council of the ECOSOC arm of the UN will gather to discuss issues pertaining to migrant detention and the processing and handling of refugees by border agencies around the world.

· High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

o The UNHCR is meeting to discuss the ongoing Myanmar Refugee Crisis, which began in 2015 and still with no end in sight.

· International Labour Organization (ILO)

o As refugees enter new countries, many face new and pressing challenges, including finding economic opportunities and sustaining themselves in a new land. The exploitation of refugee labour is a pressing issue in many countries, and no existing global framework exists to prevent this. The ILO is meeting to discuss this issue within the context of Latin America and South America.

· Correspondents Association (UNCA)

o The UNCA is responsible for representing a particular news outlet (and their biases) to cover the events of this conference. Delegates will rotate through the committees, interviewing delegates, and reporting on the debates. These stories will be published in a conference publication at the end of the conference.

All delegates will be required to submit a position paper to the chair of their assigned committee no later than two weeks prior to the conference. The position paper should be no more than two pages in length (double spaced) and is expected to detail the position the delegate’s country takes on the issue being debated at the committee. Delegates will receive a background guide which details all relevant information about the topic, including the history of the issue, the current situation on the ground, and any existing measures that have been enacted by the UN (or others).