Social, Humanitarian

and Cultural
Committee
Topic 1: Promoting Freedom of Speech and Press
Topic 2: Elimination of Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Tolerance

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Welcome note from the Executive Board

Dear delegates,
Welcome to the Nanyang Technological University Model United Nations (NTUMUN)
2016! It is with great honour that we have the privilege of together serving the Social,
Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) of this years conference as
members of the Academic Dais. We look forward to your insights and contributions
to the topics we will be discussing during the conference. We hope to encourage
your participation and self-development, drive debate towards its maximum
efficiency, and provide you with a MUN experience unlike any you may have had
before.
The topics chosen for the committee this year are designed to test your
understanding of the greater world around you, and inspire fruitful and stimulating
current affairs discourse. The first topic on Promoting Freedom of Speech and Press
seeks to highlight the obstacles and repercussions that may arise as the world looks
to move towards greater freedom of expression and speech. Our second topic the
Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related tolerance is
one of particular relevance to todays world, where racial distinctions have fractured
communities and divided people. Both issues are crucial to the progress of our
society, and pose a significant challenge to the international community as it works
towards a better future of equality and peace. We hope that you find these topics
intriguing and invigorating, and feel inspired to contribute to the issues at hand.
The topics on our agenda require delegates to go beyond the study guide and use
external resources to gain a deeper and more wholesome understanding of these
global issues. While we strive to steer the council fruitful and rewarding debate, we
do seek your collaboration and contributions to creating a fulfilling MUN experience.
We expect delegates to come prepared and ready to be engaged in days of intense
current affairs discourse. The UN-SOCHUM Dais wishes you all the best in your
preparations for this conference, and we hope we can bring you an unforgettable
three days. Do feel free to contact us with any queries or concerns. We look forward
to meeting you at NTUMUN 2016!

Best,
Victoria, Hazirah and Viktoriya
Social, Humanitarian and Culture Committee | NTUMUN 2016

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Executive Board Biographies

Victoria Tay - Chairperson

After a long six years in the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, Victoria
looks forward to the next chapter in her life - college. She hopes to read Law in either
Singapore or Great Britain, with Business as her back-up plan, and as she anxiously
waits to see how her life will unfold, she intends to relax and explore her true
interests - politics, global affairs and philosophy - through extensive reading and
binge movie-watching. Loads of food and sweet things wouldnt hurt either.
Her Model United Nations journey began as a delegate in the Sustainable
Development Youth Convention 2012 (SDYC), and since then she has become a
part of the Secretariat of SDYC, Fundamental MUN (FundaMUN), Singapore MUN
(SMUN), Hamburg MUN (HamMUN), Yale-NUS College Asia-Pacific MUN (YNCAP)
and now NTUMUN. She hopes to guide her delegates towards reaching their fullest
potential, and pledges to do her best to encourage their self-development and
provide them with an unparalleled MUN experience. She looks forward to seeing you
at NTUMUN! She can be contacted at victoria.tay97@gmail.com.

Hazirah Helmy Co-Chairperson

Hazirah has been doing MUNs since she was fifteen. Somehow, even five years
later she still does MUNs and is pretty grateful she never really stopped. Rather
strangely, she has chaired more MUNs than participated in them as a delegate - a
mix of choice circumstance. Regardless, she is really looking forward to meeting the
delegates.
Hazirah has been told she makes good cookies but college has been cruel so she
spends more time rushing to and fro her commitments more than anything else.
Otherwise, she enjoys drinking more tea than is healthy and having conversations
about even the most mundane things. She can be contacted at hazirah@u.yalenus.edu.sg.

VIKTORIYA KHO CO-CHAIRPERSON

Viktoriya was born in Sumy, Ukraine and recently graduated from Victoria Junior
College in 2015. She is a Singaporean-Ukrainian and has had the opportunity to
travel and live in countries such as Indonesia and Mongolia. After moving back to
Singapore, she took part in various MUN conferences and was a delegate at the
Historical UNSC for YNC-AP MUN in 2015. With a particular interest in languages,
she has picked up Russian, Ukrainian, Mongolian and even Chinese -- albeit on the

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rudimentary side -- and is planning to continue learning more languages once her Alevels are over. Her travels in Kyrgyzstan and other countries for competitions
representing Mongolia have inspired her interest in foreign cultures and politics. Her
unique experiences were also constructive in shaping her worldview, which led to a
passion in current affairs and an interest in classical Russian literature. An
experience which left a thought-provoking influence upon her was an encounter and
conversation with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, prompting her to pursue
her interest in global affairs and effect positive change around her. With that aside,
Viktoriya has a soft spot for cats and Indian food. She can be contacted at
kho.viktoriya.2014@vjc.sg.

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Introduction to Committee
History of Committee
The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee, or SOCHUM, is the third
specialized committee of the United Nations General Assembly. First established
following the development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the
committee, as one that includes all UN member states, addresses a range of social
issues that involve the greater international community. With its size and importance,
SOCHUM has produced sub-committees such as the United Nations Childrens
Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).
Mandate of Committee
SOCHUM is an indispensable organ of the UN, acting as a platform for UN member
states to discuss a colourful variety of social, humanitarian, human rights, and social
development issues. In the past, SOCHUM has addressed topics ranging from
indigenous issues to refugees to womens rights and to criminal justice.
Under Chapter IV, Article 10 of the UN Charter, SOCHUM has the power to
recommend to member states of the UN and the Security Council, and to bring to the
Security Councils attention issues the council feels is important.

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TOPIC 1: PROMOTING FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS

In the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UNESCO Director-General Irina

Bokova, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein,
"Quality journalism enables citizens to make informed decisions about their societys
development. It also works to expose injustice, corruption, and the abuse of power.
For this, journalism must be able to thrive, in an enabling environment in which they
can work independently and without undue interference and in conditions of safety."
The media's authority and the degree of freedom it should be awarded to express its
views has long been a topic of contention. We will discuss the various factors that
hinder societys progress towards greater freedom of the press, and, by extension,
greater freedom of speech.

Statement of Problem
The voice of the press is a tool that can be be used for and against society's best
interests, yet many communities around the world are denied or given controlled
access to the free press. Governments, corporations, and even the press
themselves have in history abused the power of the medias spoken and written
word, manipulating information to suit their best advantage. Leaders must thus
discover how best to satisfy their people's desire for greater representation and
greater freedom, promoting the voice of the press while protecting the people's and
journalists rights and interests.

History and Discussion of Problem

Free speech and self-expression is believed to be a fundamental right of man. Under
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media and regardless of frontiers. Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, Article 19, states (1) Everyone shall have the right to hold
opinions without interference. (2) Everyone shall have the right to freedom of
expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the
form of art, or through any other media of his choice. (3) The exercise of the rights
provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and
responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only
be such as provided by law and are necessary: a) For respect of the rights or
reputations of others; b) For the protection of national security or of public order
(ordre public), or of public health or morals. As the most widely recognised and
assessed platform for spoken and published expression, the press, also known as
the fourth estate, is often considered the voice of the people, by the people, and for

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the people, and therefore believed to be a proponent of free speech, to be protected
as a fundamental human right.
The global community relies extensively on the press for information and updates on
the current affairs of the greater world including highlighting causes of concern to the
people. Freedom of speech, and thereby freedom of the press, is thus widely
considered to be in the peoples best interests. The press has acted as a social
supervisor over governments, corporations, and the people. It takes an active role in
the fight against corruption and highhandedness in society, honours the best
individuals in the community, raises awareness of societal issues, and recommends
solutions to overcome challenges. The power of the fourth estate is immense - the
press has been involved in, and contributed to the outcome of matters of global
importance as the peoples eyes and ears, from the Iraq war, to the Arab Spring
revolutions. Yet, in sharing their findings, especially through exposing misdeeds or
confidential information, many journalists and reporters have put themselves in
harm's way, making themselves targets of people and communities of power and
endangering their lives and safety. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that
a total of 1149 journalists are reported to have been killed since 1992, 763 of which
were murdered. The dangers of the job have discouraged individuals from chasing
controversial or violent stories on the ground.
In addition, the issue of where to draw the line with censorship is highly contentious.
The press, with its right to receive and impart information, can be partial to certain
interests, overstep the boundaries of privacy, or propagate misinformation and halftruths, yet remain respected. Many governments, some with the people at heart, and
others for their own benefit, have imposed regulations or guidelines as to what the
press may do or say. For the people, such interference can ensure the quality of the
news being shared, and avoid the propagation of false or inferior information or
opinions that could lead to unrest and discontent in the community, especially
through the sharing of religious or culturally sensitive material.
On the other hand, such rules may have been put in place to protect the incumbent.
In countries with authoritarian and corrupt governments, in particular, the press is
manipulated to promote political agendas, and transgressors are severely dealt with.
Speaking up on contentious issues could lead to threats, kidnappings, torture,
imprisonment, and even assassination or capital punishment. One example is the
case of journalists in Paraguay, who were intimidated and received death threats
after exposing the corruption within the government in 2007. In such an environment,
the press is often discouraged or unable to act as the free voice of the people.

Current Situation
The press of the world have both benefited from and been disadvantaged by
globalisation and the improved accessibility to information and news. Technology
has allowed for greater freedom of the spoken and written word by encouraging the
sharing of news, but a number of countries have maintained or tightened regulations
on the media to restrict this transfer of information. A total of six countries - Turkey,
Iran, Pakistan, China, Vietnam and North Korea - actively block social media

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networks, and numerous more continue to and . The civil uprisings and tensions in
various parts of the globe have also inspired certain countries to tighten regulations,
with some banning internet access entirely, while reporters in numerous more are
threatened by violence and conflict in the world today. As Reporters Without
Borders highlights in their yearly reports, a large majority of our countries have
shown unsatisfactory press freedom performance so far; as seen in the diagram
presented alone, an alarming number of countries are considered in difficult or very
serious situations, with severe impositions on the press. With numerous journalists at
risk each day, it is important for global leaders to take charge and protect the
wellbeing and the rights of their people.

Source: https://rsf.org/index2014/data/carte2014_en.png

Recent Developments
The rising tensions and violence in our communities as well as the involvement of
the press in major international affairs have spurred certain countries to tighten
regulations on the media. Government-imposed blocking, filtering and surveillance
are also becoming increasingly common. Dozens of journalists in Turkey have been
jailed for being threats to national security following their coverage of the Kurdish
conflict, and Iranian correspondents continue to be intimidated or imprisoned for their
publications. Reporters Without Borders reports that, in 2013 alone, 71 journalists

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were killed, 826 arrested, 2160 threatened or physically attacked, 87 kidnapped, 6
media assistants and 39 netizens and citizen-journalists killed, and 127 bloggers and
netizens arrested.
However, it is worthy to note that other societies have made considerable progress
towards greater press freedom and freedom of speech. Timor-Leste, for example,
rose 14 places on the World Press Freedom Index following the creation of a sevenmember press council and a code of ethics in October 2015 to encourage media
self-regulation and impartiality. This improvement is driven by the peoples desire for
greater freedom, as well as the challenging task of regulating the internet, which has
encouraged the peoples voice. The international community has also provided
support for journalists across the globe - for one, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has introduced courses and
materials for investigative journalists to further develop their skills as a professional
watchdog in the bid to promote the voice of the press. The presence of
whistleblowers Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning have also
enticed the people to call for greater representation and freedom for the press.
An additional factor is how technological advances and the internet have altered the
role the press plays in society. With the Internet and social media, authors can
maintain anonymity while greatly increasing their readership and thus the power of
their reports. This promotes the media while keeping journalists safe. In addition, it is
difficult for nations to impose regulations on what is posted online without triggering
the anger of the people, especially since new ways of circumventing conventional
laws are being discovered constantly. However, it is easy for anyone to share their
opinions online, and for information to be contorted into false truths which have the
potential to cause tensions or problems in society. Therefore, the benefits and
possible damages of promoting greater press freedom must be weighed in council to
pave the way towards a wholesome and effective solution.

Case studies
Arab Springs
The Arab Springs revolution demonstrates the extensive influence of the media in
empowering and shaping the opinions of society. The wave of protests and
demonstrations within the Arab World was triggered by the peoples discontent with
the states attempts at repression and Internet censorship. Social media was used
extensively to effectively communicate, organize and raise awareness about the
issue, and encourage citizens to fight for the right of free press and free speech,
resulting in the overturning of multiple governments.
Wikileaks
The Wikileaks case is a particularly contentious issue. The website is known for
leaking confidential government-level documents or classified media alleging
government and corporate misconduct. People have hailed the websites founder,
Julian Assange, as the peoples hero for uncovering state secrets and providing

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evidence of the duplicity of their governments, thus allowing communities across the
globe to call for more transparent and responsible leaders. However, the release of
such documents have compromised the countrys confidentiality and relations.
Assange has thus had to flee the country and seek asylum to avoid arrest. The case
of Wikileaks shows the benefits that greater press freedom can bring to the people
by acting as the check-and-balance on the government, but also brings up
considerations as to whether too much press freedom has its drawbacks, whether
regulations are appropriate, and how the press should be treated for their work.

Past UN actions
The UN has made clear their support for greater press freedom and freedom of
speech for its role in ensuring transparency, accountability and the rule of law, and
promoting civic participation in global affairs. In particular, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has done extensive
work in this field. The Declaration of Windhoek is a statement of free press principles
that calls for free and independent media worldwide as an essential component of
democracy and a fundamental human right, focusing on African nations and their
press. UNESCO has also created a number of international agreements to promote
freedom of speech and the safety of journalists across the globe. These include
Resolution 4.3 Promotion of Press Freedom in the World, the Medium-Term
Strategy for 1996-2001 on Promoting the Free Flow of Information and the
Development of Communication, and Resolution 29 Condemnation of violence
against journalists. In addition, UNESCO has established an advisory group, which
includes media professionals from around the world, on press freedom.
UNESCO also provides support for journalists across the world, advocating for
greater press freedom and dispensing materials for them to upgrade their skills.
Each year on World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO focuses on specific themes
within the context of press freedom, and looks at how to improve the landscape for
journalists and reporters around the world. It also nominates a Goodwill Ambassador
for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety and awards the
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to celebrate the brave and
remarkable achievements in the field of journalism.

Major Stakeholders and their positions (Bloc positions)

China
China is often quoted as exercising immense control over media and press
apparatus. With stringent checks and regulations, it is described as nothing short of
authoritarian. Prominent independent non-profit organisation, Committee to Protect
Journalists, lists China under the ten most censored countries in the world. 1 In late
1

Attacks on the Press, https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries.php

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2014, a books editor at Chinas Caixin Media magazine, was apprehended by the
Beijing police on allegations of endangering national security. 2 Just recently, another
Chinese journalist, Liu Wei was detained for exposing corruption incidents involving
a high-profile qigong master, celebrities and party officials3. The Pingxiang Public
Security Bureau had ordered the detention on grounds that state secrets had been
illegally obtained.4 This control over journalists however, extends beyond just locals
as several international press members have been denied visas by the Chinese
government. President Xi stresses that such journalists have only their own conduct
to blame.5 The state government maintains as per the constitution, 6 that its people
enjoy and are entitled to freedom of speech and of the press (article 35). However, it
also highlights that in circumstances where national security is in question, it will
exercise due powers. Nonetheless, media regulations that help ensure state security
are criticised as being opaque in lieu of vague definitions of state secrets.7

Russia
Russias prominent television channels continue to flood viewers with state
prescribed propaganda as recent events such as the Ukrainian crisis have
precipitated increased pressures on independent media organisations. With an
onslaught of draconian laws, website blocking and other machinations, leading
independent news outlets have either been brought under control or throttled out of
existence.8 For one, Siberian independent television station, TV-2, stopped its cable
broadcasts in February 2015 after it was stripped off its license.9 Russian state
controlled media agencies have intensified pro-Kremlin and nationalistic broadcasts
following the Ukraine crisis as Putin seeks to maintain domestic support for regional
pivots.10 Russia is a routine target of criticism and condemnation from media
freedom watchdogs. Non-profit Organisation, Reporters Without Borders, ranked the
Russian Federation 152 out of 180 countries in its 2015 Press Freedom Index in light
of the contemporary developments.11 Journalists in Russia risk attacks or in severe
2

http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/few-clues-in-chinese-editors-detention/?_r=0
Keira Lu Huang, Jailed and Refused Bail, Chinese Investigative Journalist Detained after Exposing
High Profile Corruption Scandal, South China Morning Post, October 18, 2015, assessed October
26, 2015, http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1869018/fears-chinese-crackdownafter-journalist-held-suspicion.
4
Ibid.
5
Mark Landler, Fruitful Visit by Obama Ends With a Lecture From Xi, The New York Times,
November 12, 2014, assessed October 26, 2015,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/world/asia/china-us-xi-jinping-obama-apec.html.
6
Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China, http://en.people.cn/constitution/constitution.html
7
Media Censorship in China, http://www.cfr.org/china/media-censorship-china/p11515
8
http://index.rsf.org/#!/index-details/RUS
9
Denis Abramov, Russia Takes a Dive in Press Freedom Ranking, The Moscow Times, February
12, 2015, assessed October 26, 2015, http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-takes-adive-in-press-freedom-ranking/515833.html.
10
Benjamin Bidder and Matthias Schepp, Muzzling the Media: Defying the Kremlin Crackdown on
Press Freedom, Der Spiegel, July 2, 2015, assessed October 26, 2015,
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/russian-media-resist-kremlin-crackdown-on-press-freedoma-1037859.html.
11
http://index.rsf.org/#!/index-details/RUS
3

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cases even assassination if they delve on key domestic issues such as corruption,
organised crime or abuses of rights.12 Amidst claims that popular news agencies are
under the domination of Kremlin, with speculated weekly meetings amongst the
editors and directors with the presidential administration,13 the Russian government
has maintained that the freedom of mass media shall be guaranteed and where
censorship shall be prohibited as per Article 29 of the Constitution14.

Sweden
Sweden has a history of strong freedom of information and press, with the Freedom
of the Press Law dating back to 1766 and the 1991 Fundamental Law of Freedom of
Expression, which protects journalists publishing matters from prosecution.15
Limitations to the respective acts do apply in instances where expressions are of
contempt or defamatory in nature and which jeopardise state security. However,
considerable debate on the limits of free speech ensues even with the rhetoric
regarding Swedish media. Political study scholars have argued that because of a
long tradition of government openness in the country, there is reason to believe
Swedish politicians and civil servants have a practice of self-censorship, deliberately
avoiding committing on papers, in order to prevent potentially controversial decisions
from being released to the public.16

United States
As the land of the free, America is undoubtedly one of the worlds greatest
supporters of free speech and, in part, a free press. While American journalists have
long been hailed as flag bearers of the profession able to report, write and
broadcast in mostly ideal circumstances in the past two decades or more, there
have been a number of cases of fabrication by journalists who have shamed the
profession at large and undermined public trust. The more journalism loses popular
support, the greater the leverage the public and government officials have to restrict
press freedom. Frequent attacks on journalists by the public and law enforcement
during demonstrations and other high-profile events, threats against journalists who
refuse to reveal their sources and the governments failure to pass a federal shield
law protecting journalists are but a few instances of declining press liberties.

Proposed Solutions

12

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17840134
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/vladimir-putin-russia-newsmedia_56215944e4b0bce34700b1df
14
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/const/ch2.html
15
http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/sw03000_.html
16
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/foi/countries/sweden
13

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Delegates are encouraged to come up with solutions to protect the safety of
journalists and reporters, allowing for freedom without compromising responsibility
and dignity. Delegates might also want to consider the possibility and suitability of
international guidelines for censorship and regulations, and think about how to best
ensure that as many countries are committed to the cause as possible.

Questions a Resolution Must Answer

1.
What authority and autonomy do governments possess when imposing
regulations on the press?
2.
How can the medias voice be used for and against the peoples advantage,
and what can governments do to ensure that the latter is minimised?
3.

How can governments protect the safety of members of the press?

4.
What is the impetus and incentive for greater press freedom and freedom of
speech? What would the repercussions for a country that fails to protect its people
be?
5.
How do the political, economic, and sociocultural landscape of each
community shape their government, the press, and their relationship?

Suggestions for further research

Press
freedom
safety
of
journalists
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001567/156773e.pdf

and

impunity

Regulations of the People's Republic of China on News Coverage by Permanent

Offices
of
Foreign
Media
Organizations
and
Foreign
Journalists
http://ipc.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wgjzzhznx/fj/t541164.htm
State
Secrets
Laws
and
Regulations
of
http://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/State-SecretsReport/HRIC_StateSecrets_02.pdf

the

PRC

Intimidation
Still
Norm
For
Iran
Correspondents
http://globaljournalist.org/2015/10/intimidation-still-norm-for-iran-correspondents/
Declaration
of
http://www.un.org/en/events/pressfreedomday/windhoek.shtml

Windhoek

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TOPIC 2: ELIMINATION OF RACISM, RACIAL

DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED
INTOLERANCE

Statement of Problem
Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance is rampant in our
societies today. It occurs on the grounds of race, colour, descent or national or
ethnic origin and may extend to language, religion, social origin. Racism is widely
recognised as a universal problem. The UN's Declaration on Race and Racial
Prejudice states that racism includes "racist ideologies, prejudiced attitudes,
discriminatory behavior, structural arrangements and institutionalized practices [that
results] in racial inequality." In addition to racism, we also need to look at the issue of
xenophobia, which is a distinct problem, but is inherently related to the issue of
racism. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines xenophobia as the "fear or hatred of
strangers or foreigners." The two issues are often discussed in tandem, particularly
when looking at migration policies and issues concerning asylum seekers and
refugees. This implies that the scope of this topic is broad. When looking at racism
alone, there are already many starting points of analysis and many different things
that one can choose to focus on.

History and Discussion of Problem

Broadly, the issues surrounding the debate on racism, specifically those within the
secondary topic, can be split into two main categories - societys attitudes, and their
consequences. The first is the attitude itself. The attitudes that racism and
xenophobia refer to include the deep-seated emotions and prejudices against other
individuals. Whether these individuals choose to act on these emotions and impulses
is inconsequential because for this main category, we are looking at the attitude
alone. This is far more difficult to resolve because this involves inherent attitudes
which are difficult to change. In order for this aspect to be sufficiently and adequately
addressed, there has to be increased involvement and investment from the
stakeholders involved.
The second main category constitutes the consequences of these attitudes. This
refers to the acts that happen as a result of racist attitudes and xenophobic
tendencies. These acts could take a multitude of forms, from the more widely
publicised terrorist attacks from the various extremist parties, to the structural
injustices that are evident in the policies of individual countries. All these are
considered acts of racism and racial discrimination, as highlighted by the Declaration
on Race and Racial Prejudice. This is also difficult to resolve, but they are much
easier to deal with because in many cases, these manifestations are apparent and
visible. This makes the acts much easier to prevent and restrict because they are

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concrete problems that can be dealt with. However, this does not entirely resolve the
situation. While these consequences can be treated as superficial manifestations of
the deep-seated tendencies, the issue of racism is not entirely resolved because the
core of the problem is still there.
Due to the wide scope of the issue, the chairs request that the delegates focus on
the acts that are the result of racial discrimination and xenophobia, rather than the
deep-seated prejudices themselves. This means that rather than trying to tackle both
the implications of xenophobia and racial discrimination, as well as the inherent
attitudes that surround the two, the chairs would like to remind the delegates to focus
on dealing with the implications and actuals acts of racial discrimination and
xenophobia. This mostly given the duration of the conference. The chairs would like
to remain realistic about the scope of the topic. Rather than having ambitious
resolutions that attempt to address a wide range of issues, the chairs would rather
have resolutions that are focused and targeted in resolving the issue.
However, this does not mean that the delegates are to completely disregard the
inherent attitudes of racial intolerance and xenophobia completely. Instead, the
chairs seek that the delegates remain mindful of these inherent attitudes in crafting
stances, approaching debate and writing these resolutions.

Current Situation
Today we see a number of situations that are both causes and manifestations of
racial discrimination and xenophobia. These cases illustrate the chicken-and-egg
nature of the problem, thus further highlighting the importance of dealing with the
issue in parts, but while simultaneously examining the issue as a whole.
One case which functions as both causes and manifestations are terrorist and
extremist acts. While many of them might not exclusively be racist, they are most
certainly xenophobic. The Islamic State and its desire to establish an Islamic
Caliphate could be seen as a response to the perceived Westernisation of the world.
While their motives are questionable, at its very core it stresses a strong desire to
aggressively occupy a physical space and indiscriminately destroy anything and
everything in its path, including people who infringe on these aims and space. More
importantly, while IS has nothing to do with Islam and is falsely using the religion's
name in order to carry out these terrorist acts, the attacks carried out by the IS have
set off another wave of Islamophobia in the world. These misunderstandings have
resulted in the increased persecution of Muslims around the world. Recently, during
his Presidential campaign, Donald Trump famously called for the ban on Muslim
immigrants into the United States. While this ban was met with widespread horror,
the reality is that Trump's popularity increased as a result of the proposed ban.
In addition, the call for cultural preservation, coupled with the rising nationalist
sentiments have resulted in resurgences in acts relating to racial discrimination and
xenophobia. Many natives and locals do not view migrants as 'permanent.' This
means that in most cases, they regard migrants as individuals who plan to stay in the
host country temporarily and work there before returning to their respective native

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countries. As a result, many natives feel that these migrants have no incentive to
'localise' themselves by making themselves accustomed to local practices. In fact,
the existence of bubbles of expatriate communities only serve to deepen this rift of
misunderstanding between the locals and migrants. This serves to exacerbate the
chasm between the two parties, thus sowing the seeds of misunderstanding, racial
discrimination and xenophobia.

Recent Developments
Among the causes of racial discrimination and xenophobia include the migration of
individuals. The migration of ethnically-Chinese individuals away from Mainland
China has been occurring for a long time. The largest Chinese population outside of
China is actually found in Indonesia, where the Chinese population numbers 7.67
million. Broadly, Southeast Asia has seen a huge influx of Chinese immigrants, who
have also traditionally occupied multiple fields of trade and industry. In fact, among
the richest men in the Southeast Asian region are of Chinese descent. While one
would argue that these individuals are naturalised, the reality is that immigrants
continue to pour into different countries. Meanwhile, the Indian government
continues to attempt to track the movements of Indians who no longer stay in the
Motherland. The Indian government has set up the High Level Committee on Indian
Diaspora in order to do this. Some 22 million ethnically Indians have migrated from
India to other parts of the world in search for a better livelihood. As a result, natives
begin to feel threatened by the influx of migrants, who are either able to work for
much cheaper than the locals would, or migrants who bring with them an exclusive
set of skills, particularly if they are well-educated and have impressive qualifications.
There are many natives who feel that these migrants are taking up their jobs, thus
leading to the feelings of racial discrimination and xenophobia.
Furthermore, some citizenship policies appear to support this mass influx of
migrants, despite growing xenophobia and discrimination from the locals.
Singapore's infamous Population White Paper of 2013 declared that the
government's target for Singapore's population is to reach 6.9 million by 2030. This
caused much uproar from the citizens, who insisted that Singapore was already far
too crowded and that the population density would be far too high. Many others also
voiced their concerns that the country would not have the infrastructure to deal with
the population influx. However, this policy also emphasised the possibility that
immigrants would have to be brought in for the targeted 6.9 million to be reached
due to the slowing population growth. This has caused Singaporeans to become
more hostile towards the immigrants. While they do not ban them entirely,
Singaporeans have become increasingly more vocal about the lack of government
efforts at effectively integrating these migrants, who seem to be 'favoured' by the
government. Similarly, highly skilled and well-educated individuals have little problem
obtaining work visas in order to gain employment in different countries. For example,
South Africa takes into account 'Exceptional Skills,' which could vary from having a
PhD to being an exceptional athlete when approving visa applicants. Similarly, the
United Kingdom makes it easier for individuals who are applying for visas when they
are highly-educated. In fact, it is much easier to apply for a visa if one is an
academic as opposed to any other occupation.

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On the contrary, the Schengen Agreement was enacted in 1995 in Europe, allowing
individuals to travel through a group of states within Europe without the need for a
passport or border checks. This group of countries is referred to as the Schengen
Area. Borderless travel has raised several security issues, but more importantly, it is
a strong statement against much of the xenophobia and discrimination that is
occurring in many countries in the present. Granted, the Schengen Area is not
exempt from the deep-seated prejudices that result in racial discrimination and
xenophobia. France is a part of the Schengen Area yet there is much prejudice and
xenophobia that occurs there, particularly against the Muslims in the country.
However, in enacting this, the European Union is emphasising that, in the interests
of 'One Europe,' superficial distinctions can be put aside for the sake of agreement
and cooperation between the countries.
In addition to understanding the above, it is also important to take into consideration
these aspects when dealing with the issue and examining how to approach it. The
best position papers and resolutions will demonstrate an awareness of these aspects
in crafting positions and solutions.
Stereotype threat describes the emotional stress that surrounds an individual when
certain stereotypes are highlighted. These stereotypes need not exclusively be
racial, but often are. For example, if a group of students who are equally brilliant at
mathematics are told that female students tend to be worse at mathematics and are
then immediately told to take a diagnostic test with challenging questions, the female
students are likely to do worse. This is the result of the emotional and mental stress
that they are placed in. Since they were assigned challenging questions, which
would raise their stress levels considerably, they are more likely to second-guess
themselves and lose confidence in their own abilities. What is even more unfortunate
is that often, stereotype threat affects those that are the most invested in the cause.
Considering that there are many negative stereotypes that are related to one's race,
this is an important consideration when looking at how to deal with intolerance in
individuals.
Secondly, there are other issues that aggravate racism and intolerance, such as
social standing and wealth. These are important considerations when examining
racism and why it occurs. They form part of the surrounding context, which cannot
be removed to accurately address the issue. In addition to that, the two form
exacerbating factors that could potentially worsen the relations between people.
Mitigating the effects of social standing and wealth could also potentially mitigate the
severity and frequency of the acts of racial discrimination and xenophobia.
Lastly, delegates should consider the links between the primary issue and the
secondary issue. The delegates should consider whether the Freedom of Speech
further enables and fosters racial discrimination and xenophobia because it allows
for certain ideas to be propagated among the community. The UN's Declaration on
Race and Racial Prejudice highlighted that individuals have "the right to be different."
This implies that this 'difference' is something that others will need to accommodate
for. Thus, it becomes important to consider where this 'accommodation' then
becomes offensive infringement on the rights of others. At what point does an
individual's rights come before another's? The Freedom of Speech then becomes
very important because a space is needed to discuss these issues. Additionally, the

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lines between 'hate speech' and 'freedom of expression' are becoming increasingly
blurred. This causes much of the friction between the different racial groups because
their grievances about each other can be aired, but without proper reconciliation.
Often, the issues are not directly addressed or engaged with. It then becomes
important to consider at what point speech becomes 'harmful,' and how this
influences the different racial groups as a means of improving relations so as to
mitigate racial discrimination and intolerance.

Past UN actions
Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice
Passed in 1978, this is the core document that defines the UN's fight against racial
discrimination and xenophobia. This is where the definitions of many terms are found
and more importantly, the basis for many of the eventual claims and the bedrock of
any race-related UN discussion.

World conference against racism

This is part of the UN's efforts to keep themselves up to date on the issue, and to
engage with it directly. Here, the UN explores all the possible related topics to the
issue and brainstorms solutions in order to effectively address the issue. This is also
an opportunity for the UN to assess the effectiveness of its existing solutions in
dealing with the issue.

Let's Fight Racism campaign

This is an ongoing campaign that encourages people to look beyond the stereotypes
associated with certain races. It urges individuals to look beyond the colour of
people's skin and look at their capabilities and qualifications instead.

International day for the elimination of racial discrimination

This is a day for the UN to review the effectiveness of past means and methods to
combat racism and xenophobia. In the words of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon,
it is a day to "renew [the UN's] commitment to building a world of justice and
equality." Most recently, the theme for 2015 was 'Learning from historical tragedies
to combat racial discrimination today,' highlighting the importance of the past in
addressing the issue.

Major Stakeholders and their Positions

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There are multiple ways to analyse the major stakeholders for the issue. Broadly,
countries agree that they must mitigate racial discrimination and xenophobia.
Furthermore, they also agree that violence involving these issues should be stopped
and have been working together to resolve these issues. As such, it becomes
important to place the different countries along a scale to determine which countries
are more effectively clustered together.
There are several scales that can be used. The first scale is to place the countries on
a spectrum based on the policies they have. This means that delegates should look
at what the specific countries already have instituted both nationally and how they
deal with the issue internationally. Suggestions for policies that the delegates could
look at include migration policies, policies concerning asylum seekers and refugees,
and segregation policies. Migration policies and policies concerning asylum seekers
and refugees imply the level of acceptance of the country's government, and to some
degree, its people, of people from different ethnicities. Meanwhile, the existence of
segregation policies and the scale at which these policies are carried out would
suggest the level of integration among the citizens of different racial groups. Both are
useful in discerning the most effective way to deal with the issue.

Proposed Solutions (if applicable)

There are several issues that the delegates should consider when crafting potential
solutions. Firstly, is that there are different definitions of racism. What this means is
that the extent of racism is different for different people. This makes prosecuting
difficult. It is difficult to enforce. More importantly, the different definitions are not
agreed upon internationally. Even if the agreement exists in name, it is not adhered
to, further complicating issues.
Secondly and arguably more importantly, delegates need to ensure that their wellintentioned actions do not end up perpetuating structural injustice. This enables
policies to allow prejudiced attitudes to set into place. This is exactly what the
delegates should avoid, in fact.
The chairs would suggest establishing a clearer set of guidelines. In this, the
delegates could consider debating stronger measures to deter transgressors.
Education often features strongly in many resolutions and remains particularly
relevant given this issue. In many cases here, much of the work will be in undoing
what has already been done by the countries to keep certain divides in place. For
example, the Objective Truth is often not presented in history textbooks. For
example, both India and Pakistan are guilty of portraying the other side as an
antagonised 'other' in their accounts on their history textbooks. Delegates should
consider dealing with the tensions between correcting these misconceptions and
intervening in a country's individual desire to craft a national narrative.
Other things that the delegates could consider would be a dialogue involving the
youth. In addition to that, diversifying media portrayals of individuals of different
ethnicities would also work to discard any existing stereotypes that would perpetuate
racial discrimination and xenophobia.

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Questions a Resolution Must Answer
In trying to resolve racism and prevent race-related violence from occurring,
are we guilty of committing structural injustices?
2.
What is the degree of protection that we want to strive for?
3.
Parallels to Freedom of Speech: hate speech vs expression of views?
4.
Is the impact of all associated side-factors lessened to the best of the
delegate's degree?
1.

Suggestions for further research

UN Documents + Resolutions:
Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.phpURL_ID=13161&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
World Conference Against Racism http://www.un.org/WCAR/
Let's
Fight
Racism
Campaign
http://www.un.org/en/letsfightracism/,
http://www.un.org/en/letsfightracism/pdfs/United%20against%20Racism_English_we
b.pdf
International
day
for
the
elimination
http://www.un.org/en/events/racialdiscriminationday/

of

racial

discrimination

Definitions:
Xenophobia
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/xenophobia

&

Other Useful Resources:

Structural Injustice: Young, I. (2011). Structure as the Subject of Justice.
Responsibility for Justice, 43-74.
Intersectionality in Identity: Jones, S. (n.d.). Constructing Identities at the
Intersections: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Multiple Dimensions of Identity.
Journal of College Student Development, 287-304.
http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/causes-xenophobia

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Position Paper requirements (1 page)
The Chairs expect that delegates present a clear introduction to their stakeholders
stance on the topics and topic areas that will be discussed in the council. The
position paper should illustrate the delegates knowledge of their countrys policies
and interests and present their arguments in a clear and logical flow.
The position paper should include four sections as described below:
1.

Background of the Topic

What are the main elements of the issues to be discussed, and their root causes?
2.

Stakeholder position

What are your nations interests and involvement in the issues at hand?
3.

Past initiatives

What are some national, regional and international solutions to the issue?
4.

Proposed solutions

What does your delegation propose be the solution to the issues at hand?

Position papers are expected to be written in prose. Papers for both issues should
be combined into a single document, and each topic is limited to 2 pages.

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Bibliography

TOPIC 1:
https://www.cpj.org/killed/
https://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php
Attacks on the Press, https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries.php
http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/few-clues-in-chinese-editorsdetention/?_r=0
Keira Lu Huang, Jailed and Refused Bail, Chinese Investigative Journalist Detained
after Exposing High Profile Corruption Scandal, South China Morning Post, October
18, 2015, assessed October 26, 2015, http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policiespolitics/article/1869018/fears-chinese-crackdown-after-journalist-held-suspicion.
Mark Landler, Fruitful Visit by Obama Ends With a Lecture From Xi, The New York
Times,
November
12,
2014,
assessed
October
26,
2015,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/world/asia/china-us-xi-jinping-obama-apec.html.
Constitution
of
the
Peoples
http://en.people.cn/constitution/constitution.html
Media
Censorship
china/p11515

in

China,

Republic

of

China,

http://www.cfr.org/china/media-censorship-

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/freedom-ofexpression/investigative-journalism/
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001567/156773e.pdf

TOPIC 2:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35077448
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/18/africa/south-africa-xenophobia-explainer/
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/diasporas
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/11/china.comment
http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/index.php?chinese-diaspora
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704682604575369390660095122
http://indiandiaspora.nic.in/

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http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/12/donald-trumps-call-to-banmuslim-immigrants/419298/
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/13/politics/donald-trump-muslim-ban-state-of-theunion/index.html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/pope-urges-review-ofmigr/2349236.html
Stakeholders in American Racism: http://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2014/09/22/a-deeperlook-at-stakeholders-and-perpetuating-factors-in-american-racisim/
http://population.sg/whitepaper/resource-files/population-white-paper.pdf
http://population.sg/whitepaper/#.VnBO8Rp94xc
http://population.sg/whitepaper/downloads/exec-summary-english.pdf
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/rapid-growth-singapores-immigrant-populationbrings-policy-challenges
World
Conference
Against
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Conference_against_Racism

Racism: