GENERALASSEMBLY 3General Assembly 3 (GA3) - SOCPOL

The Third Committee of the Sri Lanka Model United Nations General Assembly is chaired by for its 8th annual session.Membership includes all member states of the UN, who have equal representation as there is only one vote for each country. The General Assembly votes on resolutions brought forth by members and passed if a two-thirds majority of those present and voting are in favor. Resolutions are non-binding due to the lack of the Assembly being able to enforce them however they create political pressure on individuals, organizations and countries.This Committee usually deals with social, humanitarian and human rights (SOCHUM) affairs, however the committee mandate has been amended this session to address pressing social and socio-political (SOCPOL) issues at the discretion of the Secretariat, with unanimous approval of member states.

SOCPOL this year will be dealing with issues that are unique to the 21st century that have an significant impact on society such as climate change, technology, demographic change, health care, and democracy. In this unique session delegates are expected propose and revise modern solutions to tackle these growing problems.AgendaTopicDate

Conference MajorDeepening democracy, promoting good governance and ensuring the rule of law

Conference MinorAddressing youth reproductive rights to achieve a sustainable demography

3rd Practice Debate Discussing the issues of mental health care, with specific emphasis on PTSD in post-conflict societies

2st Practice Debate Evaluating the social consequences of climate change

1st Practice Debate Addressing the impacts of modern technology on social development.

Table of contentsi. Message from the President of the Third Committeeii. Study guide for Practice Debate 1 (Addressing the impacts of modern technology on social development)iii. Study guide for Practice Debate 2 (Evaluating the social consequences of climate change)iv. Study guide for Practice Debate 3 (Discussing the issues of mental health care, with specific emphasis on PTSD in post-conflict societies)v. Study guide for Conference Major Topic (Deepening democracy, promotion of good governance and ensuring the rule of law)vi. Study guide for Conference Minor Topic (Addressing youth reproductive rights to achieve a sustainable demography)

Practice Debate Topic 1: Impacts of modern technology on social development OverviewHumans today cannot function without technology. The rapid changes in technology provide people with numerous benefits such as fast communication, rapid spread of information and data and efficient completion of tasks. However, there are implications of modern technology and we want delegates to examine, discuss and debate these benefits and implications and also the impact modern technology has on social development. Social development is putting people at the centre of development. It promotes inclusion, cohesion, resilience, citizen security and accountability as per the operational principles that define socially sustainable development. Social development promotes better growth, and quality of life through the incorporation of development projects that address a comprehensive range of social opportunities, which includes the poor and takes into consideration the complex relationship between communities. Key issuesAmong the many strategies to facilitate and ensure social development, we want delegates to examine the use of societys most useful and effective tool: technology, as a means of sustainable development. A cornerstone of social development is to recognize the way people interact in society and the norms that facilitate such interactions, shape development processes. Social development implies a change for the better in society, and technology being the main medium for interaction could be the much-needed weapon for change. Progress towards an inclusive society could be in the horizon if technology is used for societys advantage. And we want the delegates of SOCPOL to show us how your countries plan on doing so. .

Practice Debate Topic 2: Evaluating the social consequences of climate changeOverview Climate change is the shift in regional or global climate patterns while global warming is the gradual increase in the earths surface temperature. The Inter-governmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated in their 2007 4th assessment report that climate change occurring is unquestionable, however modern day climate change is most likely due to human activity, such as the large scale combustion of fossil fuels releasing increasing amounts of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. Research and development into methods to limit the social impacts of climate change is inadequate due to the focus on concluding the causes of climate change rather than improving adaptation practices and population adaptive capacity.Key Issues The costs and benefits of climate change Some countries are likely to face costs, such as the Maldives, like coastal flooding while countries, such as Russia will benefit, from more arable land in the north. States must limit the negative impacts and exploit the positives in order to adapt to the effects of climate change on society. Adaptation or mitigation States must provide adaptive and mitigating solutions to tackle climate change. While adaptive techniques help in the short term, mitigation through reducing harmful human activity has to also take place to limit the impact on society in the long run. A combination of these practices is required, ensuring they are inclusive and do not conflict in order to ensure their effectiveness. Health, housing and transport- These are key issues affecting societies as a result of climate change that must be addressed. Health issues include the spread of infectious diseases such as diarrhea and deaths by hazards like heat waves. Housing issues include the displacement of people due to rising sea levels, especially in areas of reclaimed land such as in Hong Kong. Transport issues such as the destruction of railway lines due to the destruction by natural hazards will exacerbate poverty in areas of inaccessibility. Climate change justice- 50 of the least developed countries contribute to 1% of world wide greenhouse emissions. States that contribute the least to global warming are the most at risk; this is especially the case in the continent of Africa. This increases the social impacts due to the vulnerability of these LEDCs to natural hazards trapping them in a cycle of disaster and recovery. Delegates of these vulnerable countries must seek justice against those responsible through methods such as compensation in order to protect their people.Delegates must Focus on the social impacts and their solutions to climate change rather than the causes, however are encourage to seek climate change justice in their resolutions Address all the key issues and may address other relevant social issues related to climate changePractice Debate Topic 3: Discussing the issue of mental healthcare with specific emphasis on PTSD in post conflict societies.

Overview

PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) is a common anxiety disorder/ mild psychosis that develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Family members of victims also can develop this disorder. PTSD can have many negative impacts on society due to its concealment, thereby increasing rape, crime rates and domestic violence while remaining dissembled. An estimated 3.6% of the world's population has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The main issue of PTSD prevails in war veterans and other military personnel due to inadequate debriefing and mental health care being underprovided due to neglect and social stigma associated with mental health care. Delegates must understand that the PTSD situation in Sri Lanka is still contemporaneous and delegates should draw attention to developing countries whilst debating. Key Issues

Anti-anxiety Drugs - The most prominent of anti-anxiety drugs for the purpose of immediate relief are those known as benzodiazepines, this includes drugs such as Xanax. The WHO claims that these should be used with extreme care but admits they have their advantages. They lead to complications such as liver failure and dependency. MDMA was used for treating PTSD before its worldwide criminalization. Delegates must debate on the use of this method to treat PTSD and may propose non-drug alternatives such as using a Low Energy Neuro feedback System. PTSD and Children- PTSD can affect children as well as adults. Children with the condition can have similar symptoms to adults, such as having trouble sleeping and upsetting nightmares but they uniquely experience bedwetting for example. A study in Palestine indicates that 77.4% of the children living in Hebron show symptoms of moderate-to-severe PTSD. Delegates will need to debate the issue of PTSD in regard to its effect on children as well as solutions such as psychological care offered in schools. Treatment gap - Is the difference between number of people needing treatment for mental illness and number of people receiving such treatments. This is especially wide in post conflict countries that have experienced the destruction of large amounts of resources; therefore funding is diverted towards primary health care. Delegates must discuss cost effective ways to close this gap in developing countries. Difficulties in obtaining data and research - Mental health research and resources are difficult to assess in post-conflict countries like Sri Lanka due to many different challenges. Aside from the many gaps in the published literature, there are challenges with recruiting, assessing, evaluating, and intervening in post-conflict areas. Affected communities would be less likely to feel the need to participate in mental health studies as their first priority would be survival. Delegates must find ways to overcome these sampling problems in post conflict areas. Delegates must Use specific case studies and psychological studies when debating such as Noris ET. al (2002) - research on PTSD psychosis development. Propose solutions that are applicable to post conflict developing societies.Major topic: Deepening democracy, promotion of good governance and ensuring the rule of lawOverviewGovernment is the governing body of a nation, state, or community who represent the views of its citizens while governance is the action or manner of governing. Government often refers to the governing body itself, while governance often refers to the act of governing. So members of a government are engaged in governing. The rule of law is a principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced. Through the free and fair election of a democratic government that practices good governance; the rule of law prevails which ensures that all of society enjoys their inherent human rights, granted by the UNDHR, to the fullest extent. Governments are meant to be of the people, by the people, for the people. However some critics claim that certain governments have now become oligarchies, where a small group of people have complete control of the country. A study carried out by Princeton University Prof Martin Giles and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin states that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened. Through deepening democracy we ensure that governments are truly representative of the people. Good governance is when a government is accountable to its actions, fair in its treatment of citizens, and effective by allocating resources efficiently which is done through policies and empowering national and local authorities. For example, Sri Lanka has been suffering from bad governance for decades due to the lack of interest of the general public in politics creating a spiral of decline. The state has attempted to tackle this through a series of constitutional amendments; however this has largely failed due to a lack of awareness amongst the general public and enforcement by state agencies. Establishing respect for the rule of law is fundamental to achieving a durable peace in the aftermath of conflict, to the effective protection of human rights, and to sustained economic progress and development. The principle that everyone from the individual right up to the State itself is accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, is a fundamental concept which drives much of the United Nations work. In this spirit, China is trying to achieve this through legal reforms such as local officials no longer being able appoint judges and only those who are legally qualified can be appointed in contrast to the past. The separation of state and the elimination of corruption and bribery of these institutions are vital for the rule of law to prevail.

Key IssuesElectoral reform Fair elections are the root of democracy. Several UN bodies are involved with assisting in the democratic process in countries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN systems main provider of technical electoral assistance while the United Nations Fair Elections Commission provides international observers to national elections, however these services are only provided on a countries request, creating problems as corrupt election commissions will be unwilling to cooperate with observers. In order to ensure that elections are free and fair, a high standard has to be maintained before, during and after an election; which is achieved through reforms that are enforced to prevent malpractices. Delegates must create and improve methods to limit fraud and introduce possible changes to the common electoral system in order to deepen democracyState and religion Is relationship between organized religion and the state. There are different levels of separation ranging from separation constitutionally promised such as in India to the prohibition of any other religion such as Maldives which is in violation of the UNDHR. Many countries are split on the role between religion and state, for example 57% of Shia Muslims want the law to follow the principles of Islam while 38% of Sunni Muslims believe that Islam should play no role. Delegates must discuss if religion plays a positive role in politics and how big a role it should play in order to deepen democracy.Prisoner votingFelony disenfranchisement is excluding people otherwise eligible to vote from voting due to conviction of a criminal offence. Many countries withdraw voting rights of prisoners depending on the seriousness crime they have committed. A UN report in 2008 strongly urges governments to grant those in prison the vote as it is their fundamental human right to be able to partake in the democratic process. However countries such as the UK strongly disagree with the UN and the European court of human rights as it has refused orders by both groups to allow prisoners to vote. Enfranchising those in captivity will fundamentally change the electorate in countries such as the USA where, 7.7% of the adult African-American population is disenfranchised. Delegates must debate on whether prisoners should be allowed to vote and should all or some of them be enfranchised in order to deepen democracy

Sovereign immunity Is the legal protection that prevents a person or a group of people, often a head of state, from being sued by domestic courts. For example, American courts denied lawsuits after the September 11 attacks as the USA had sovereign immunity. When the crash victims and their families sued the United States, their lawsuits were dismissed because of sovereign immunity. This resulted in Congress passing the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), which states the United States is liable as any private individual, resulting in sovereign immunity being revoked. Delegates must question who should be given these immunities in their country and to what extent are they immune in order to promote good governance and ensure the rule of lawPolice misconduct this is any action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethical, against established employment guidelines, unconstitutional, or criminal in nature. For example social unrest broke out in Ferguson, Missouri over widespread allegations of police misconduct in the death of 18 year old Michael Brown, who in the rioters view had not received justice in the court decision. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein, raised concerns over institutionalized discrimination in the U.S. and added that he was unsure about whether the Ferguson grand jurys decision complies with international human rights law. Delegates must discuss methods to limit police misconduct with special attention to brutality to promote good governance and ensure the rule of law.Judicial independence Separation of powers is a government where powers and responsibilities are divided among the legislative branch (Parliament), executive branch (Presidential), and judicial branch (Courts) and are independent of each other, such as in the USA. Each branch checks and balances each other ensuring no institution can become too powerful and undermine democracy. For example in Argentina the death of a state prosecutor who had been investigating the president was found dead in February leading to protests calling for a judiciary independent of the executive. Delegates must discuss ways to ensure the independence of the judiciary in order to promote good governance and ensure the rule of law

Possible solutions The age of votingIs the age at which a person is old enough to vote in public elections, often the minimum age is 18 but can vary from 16 to 21. Some countries such as Wales hope to reduce the voting age to 16 while countries like Ethiopia already have it at 17. Those who argue in favor of lowering the voting age state that the youth are getting more aware about their rights due to increased access to technology and education and are able to make mature decisions affecting the country. Delegates must decide what age is suitable as the minimum, taking into account that in some countries have relatively low life expectancies and population sizes therefore by lowering the voting age this may compensate the for limited electorate. Voter ID lawsA voter ID law is a law that requires some form of identification in order to vote or receive a ballot for an election. In the USA, 11 percent of Americans do not have proper photo ID and, as a result, could be turned away from the polls on Election Day. Those without photo ID are low-income, differently abled, minority, young, and older voters. However the Republican Party is lobbying for Photo ID laws to prevent fraud at elections. Developing countries such as India have tackled ID problems by issuing election ink which prevents a voter from voting more than once but issues such as during the 2010 Afghan elections the Taliban released threats to cut off anybody's finger who was marked with ink and during the Malaysian general election, (2013) voters reported that the ink could be easily washed off with water. Delegates must evaluate different methods to reduce election fraud such as these and take into account social factors such as safety, inclusivity and costs.Body worn video Body cameras are recording systems used by law enforcement to record their interactions with the public to increase both officer and citizen accountability. They are already being used in countries such as the UK. A University of Cambridge study found that there was a 59% reduction in use of force by officers in Rialto, California after the police department began issuing body-worn cameras to officers, and that complaints fell by 87% compared to the previous year, however some Police unions have been opposed to body worn video systems, citing privacy and cost concerns. Delegates must conclude whether to implement this system with all or some public officials and on what scale.

Statuary limitationsA statute of limitations is a law which sets out the maximum time that parties have to initiate legal proceedings from the date of an alleged offense. This is to make sure that convictions occur only upon evidence that has not deteriorated with time. These statutes can be reduced, extended or removed to ensure a fair trial. The Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory limitations removes statuary limitations on war crimes and crimes against humanity. However some organizations such as Transparency International believe that statuary limitations should be removed on crimes of corruption, especially in cases of cross border corruption which are lengthy and that the time period for prosecution will expire before the end of an investigation. Delegates must debate on what crimes the limitations should be removed or reduced on in order for justice to prevail.

What we want to see from delegates In foreign policy statements Must detail and analyze the political and legal situation in their country with respect to human rights May highlight changes that their state is hoping to make to their policies, laws and system in the future. In committee Must discuss key issues and may introduce other problems relating to their country or another. Must debate mentioned solutions and may introduce new solutions that their country is employing or hopes to implement which is applicable to other states. In resolutions Must address methods to promote all three concepts which are respectful to religions, traditions and cultures Must adapt solutions successfully practiced to be employed universally and introduce new policies. Must use a partnership approach to problems, involving all levels of government, international organizations and civil society

Minor topic: Addressing youth reproductive rights to achieve a sustainable demographyOverviewThe Youth are those aged between 15 and 24 years according to the United Nations. Youth rights are the privileges young people have due to reaching a specific age, while reproductive rights relate to reproduction and reproductive health. Therefore youth reproductive rights govern the ability of the youth to engage in sexual activities, reproduce and maintain their reproductive health. Youth reproductive rights vary from country to country and change over time.The UN estimated in 2010 that the worlds population would peak at 10.1 billion by 2100 compared to 7 billion in 2010. Population growth varies according to region, depending on their position in the Demographic Transition Model (DTM). A stage 1 country such as Afghanistan has a growth rate of 2.4% (2013) while a stage 5 country such as Japan has an ageing and a declining population, giving it a rate of -0.2% (2013). The DTM indicates that overpopulation solves itself over time, however not every country may follow this model, such as LEDCs in Africa where there are phenomena such as AIDS, and there is a danger that population numbers will fall more than required, which is occurring in developed countries, especially in far east Asia.Reproductive rights, especially of the youth, have a key role to play in manipulating population numbers in order to achieve a sustainable size as young people have the highest fertility rates and are the most affected by government policies. Through promoting or restricting youth reproductive rights we can control population numbers to achieve global as well as local targets.Key issuesRecognizing the broadness of the term youthA 15 year old and a 17 year old have very different levels of comprehension and requirements however are often grouped together in both domestic and international legislation. Delegates must address each individual youth age group in policies in order to ensure their effectiveness. Despite the definition ranging from 15 to 24, those who are most vulnerable are under the age of 18 as they are children and therefore are not able to represent and express themselves adequately in comparison to the youth over the age of 18, who are legally adults. The irony being they are the most affected by youth reproductive right changes however have the least say. Delegates must ensure the involvement and acknowledgment of all youth age groups when drafting policies with their responsibilities and needs facilitated and integrated through the creation of appropriate mechanisms. What exactly is the optimum population size? Is the size that produces the best results according to chosen end targets which can include preserving cultural diversity to ensuring universal human rights, therefore the sustainable global population size is controversial. Professor Paul Ehrlick estimated that the optimum amount is between 1.5 billion to 2 billion people; however this outdated, published before the widespread diffusion of technology in the 21st century. Regardless, it still provides us a notion of what size we must globally strive to achieve. Delegates must acknowledge that countries have unique population size targets which are sustainable, for example the UKs is 70 million according to MigrationwatchUK, any larger could be catastrophic for the state, however Migration Observatory argues otherwise stating that policy must be based on evidence rather than unscientific estimates. Population control and human rightsStates must ensure that legislation and judicial precedent in their respective countries relating to youth reproductive rights are compliant with international human rights laws such as the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. During the 1980s Asian countries, like India, chose rapid population control measures over the welfare of women, which led to malpractices such as the improper insertion of intrauterine devices (IUDS) in girls. When coupled with the inadequate provision of safe abortions to minors it resulted in more unwanted pregnancies and therefore increased dangerous backyard abortions. Delegates must ensure that policies targeting the reproductive rights of youth are carefully drafted, taking into account the impacts on the physical and mental health of the young, following countries such as Bangladesh which used a partnership approach to promoting reproductive rightsThe role of religion, culture and traditionReligion has been claimed to decrease as well as increase birth rates in countries depending on the religion, the level of secularization and the amount of economic development. Religious beliefs affect the reproductive rights of the youth as they influence the voter electorate and therefore laws governing these rights. Islamic states have exceptionally high population growth rates, on average of 1.12% per annum. This allegedly has been due to high levels of child marriages and the reluctant use of family planning measures, according to Paul Kurtz, in Islamic culture. This raises the question of Should countries and communities make exceptions to cultural, traditional and religious practices to tackle modern, pressing population issues? On the other hand, in the USA for example, it has been claimed that Christianity being promoted amongst the young has helped combat teen pregnancy rates through condemning sex before marriage. However this may have also occurred due to an increase in atheists and agnostics, resulting in more widespread contraceptive use, curbing underage pregnancies. This raises another question; Can religion be used as a tool to maintain sustainable population numbers or does it hinder effective policies?Those who exercise these rights

Members of the youth who exercise these reproductive rights are often stigmatized and ostracized by society. This deters the young from exercising their existing rights and campaigning to change their rights due to the fear of being condemned or alienated by their community. For example El Salvadors ban on abortion has led to increased suicide amongst teenage girls, often who are victims of rape, resulting in 3 out of 8 maternal deaths being due to suicide of mothers under the age of 19. Delegates must ensure that their policies do not result in catastrophic social consequences such as in increase in crime, national deterioration of youth mental health and greater incidences of gender based violence. Possible Solutions The age of consentIs the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts, which may range from 14 to 18 depending on the country. This is an important tool in manipulation birth rates among the younger populations, however the case can be argued the youth rarely adhere to consent legislation, as well as these laws are poorly enforced so often act as guidelines.

AbortionAn Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy. Many countries have regulations regarding minors and abortions, often requiring parental consent for it to be carried out for girls under the age of 18. Through tightening regulations, birth rates can be increased, however it depends on the situation of the girl in question, therefore in legislation exceptions must be made.

Family planning Contraception is any practice that prevents conception during sexual activity and a key part of family planning along with sex education. However in many countries, especially religiously conservative developing nations, access to what some consider a human right is difficult due to stigmatization of discussions of sex and reproduction. Therefore the awareness and use of contraceptive measures are low in developing countries, with young couples resorting to unreliable, traditional forms of birth control. Through improving knowledge and availability of family planning methods, birth rates amongst the youth can be reduced.

Marriage, separation and divorce This Is the legal union of two spouses. Often marriage is required before sexual acts and reproducing, especially in developing countries. Therefore by reducing state regulations such as the minimum age required of the two spouses or the cost of registration, this could increase birth rates. However these solutions can cause problems such as increased incidences of domestic violence with spouses trapped in unpleasant marriages.

What we want to see from delegates In foreign policy statements Must detail and analyze current domestic laws and practices relating to youth reproductive rights in their respective countries. May highlight changes that their state is expecting to make to their laws and practices in the future. In committee Must discuss key youth reproductive right issues and may introduce other problems relating to their country or another. Must debate mentioned solutions and may introduce new solutions that their country is employing or hopes to implement which are applicable to other states. In resolutions Must address youth age groups, genders and regions specifically in solutions in order to ensure inclusivity. Must attempt to solve youth reproductive right issues on all scales, both domestically as well as internationally Must adapt solutions successfully practiced to be employed universally and introduce new policies. Must use a partnership approach to problems, involving all levels of government, international organizations and civil society Must address short term as well as long term youth reproductive right issues, understanding that the issue is dynamic.