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SOCHUM-A-1 Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM)

Sponsor: Argentine Republic

Topic: The Sustainability of Slums

Deeply saddened by the sheer volume of people forced to live in slums, approximately 1 billion

worldwide and 33% of the Argentine population,

Disturbed by the violence heavily concentrated within slums, specifically stemming from the

drug industry,

Recognizing the Argentine Government’s past lack of assistance in aiding those who live in

slums, both worldwide and within Argentina,

Grateful for the past assistance from outside organizations,

Acknowledging that deeply impoverished areas are most often the result of an impoverished

government, and that governments themselves may not be able to assist those living in slums,

1. Endorses the collaboration of nations in solving the problems at the root of Vila Aliança,

Vila Autodromo, Dharavi, and Kibera;

2. Requests that a foundation be formed with the purpose of uniting states in tackling this

issue together:

a. That the foundation be titled the United Nations Slums of Hope Fund (UNSHF)

b. That all members of the UNSHF contribute monetarily to the fund in some way:

i. That this amount be in direct correlation with the economic state of the

country, being greater for highly developed countries, and lower for less

developed countries

ii. That this amount be established for each nation by all members of the

UNSHF, through debate

c. That the primary focus of the fund be on converting the four case studies from

slums of despair into slums of hope by the year 2021:

i. That over the course of those five years, the most effective methods for

resolving each unique issue be determined

ii. That after the year 2021, the project extend to assisting nations with a

slum population of at least 25% of the overall population, using strategies

found helpful in Vila Alianca, Vila Autodromo, Dharavi, and Kiberia

3. Suggests that this foundation be sponsored by not only the World Bank, but also by

volunteer and other humanitarian groups worldwide, such as Doctors Without Borders

and the Cities Alliance;

4. Further suggests that the foundation focus on building schools and health centers, in order

to educate and provide proper care to the next generation

5. Recommends that greater legal action be taken in order to attack the drug industry and

the human trafficking industry, both of which are large causes of violence within slums.


Sponsor: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia


Deeply Disturbed by the horrid conditions of urban slums in less developed areas of the world,

Alarmed by the lack of sanitation in these urban slums including contaminated water, unreliable

electricity, and readily spreadable disease,

Noting with approval for the actions taken by organizations such as the cities’ alliance, which

Ethiopia is a key member of and whose cause it fully supports,

Aware of just how severe urban poverty can be, having experienced the pit of it itself,

Noting with satisfaction the sheer drop in poverty rates in Ethiopia since the start of the new

millennium, and the steps the Ethiopian government has taken to get there,

1. Calls upon the enforcing and further developing the proposals of the slum upgrading

project launched in 1999 by South African president Nelson Mandela, by:

a. Preventing slums from happening at all in the first place, which can be done

through:

i. Accepting the fact that there is not much governments can do to stop

urbanization

ii. Actively planning for the influx of urbanization and where new residents

of a city will live

b. Legalizing properties in slums and thereby bringing more secure land tenure to

residents

c. Improving infrastructure to ensure that basic needs for slum-dwellers are met

d. Striking a fine balance between having some law and order in slums while

making sure that law enforcers are not oppressing people in slums

e. Coordinating both economic and political activities in slums that will reverse the

downward spiral in those areas;

2. Emphasizes the need to improve infrastructure in slum areas by

a. Having more good doctors in slum areas to improve access to health care by

working with:

i. The World Health Organization (WHO)

ii. Doctors without Borders

iii. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for conflict

areas

b. Improving electrical infrastructure so that it is safe and reliable for citizens in

slums

c. Building footpaths for slum-dwellers to safely get from point A to point B;

3. Further requests decreasing spread of disease in urban slums through:

a. Ensuring that slum residents have access to safe drinking water, which can be

done through:

i. Improving pipe infrastructure so that sewage pipes do not cross paths with

water pipes

ii. Making sure water pipes are not contaminated with lead

iii. Increasing the number of areas that residents can access safe drinking

water

b. Having better access to healthcare in slums, as mentioned above

c. Increased use of birth control to prevent spread of sexually transmitted diseases;

4. Further calls upon the adopting of Ethiopia’s idea to relocate slum dwellers to more

sanitary areas just outside of cities; these dwellings would:

a. Be about four stories high, thereby housing multiple families

b. Be made of concrete and steel, thereby being economically efficient

c. Not take up too much space but be large enough to prevent cramped, unsafe

conditions d. Be more sanitary and spacious than squatter settlements inside

cities

d. Have common laundry and bathroom areas

e. Have over a quarter of these houses be only for women

f. Decide their residents through the process of a lottery if there was to be an influx

of applicants;

5. Decides to remain actively seized on the matter.


Sponsor: Republic of Croatia


Aware of the rising poverty in not only third world countries but all countries, including richer

first world countries,

Informed of specific cases of slums in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai, and Nairobi,

Informed of the lack of sanitation, electricity, and other essential needs in slums,

Noting with deep concern the problems that occur in slums such as rape, disease, illegal activity,

drug trade, and child labor,

Reminding all nations that every human has the right to basic needs,

Urging nations to fix their own slums and poverty with their own funds,

Recognizing Croatian humanitarian aid such as Caritas Croatia and the Croatian Fraternal Union

(CFU),

Recognizing Croatia’s own problems with poverty and slums,

Utilizing the United Nation Habitat’s definition of slums and belief of housing for all,

Always according to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights,

1. Calls upon states to recognize reasons behind the formation of poverty and slums by

addressing the reasons why poverty is formed rather than how;

2. Asks states to provide humanitarian-aid specific funding for slums:

a. Such as Croatia’s Caritas Croatia or CFU, which both use grants and government

money to provide aid to its citizens

b. Use state funding before reaching to funding from other nations

c. Also pushes for the use of grants, volunteer funds, and worldwide funds such as

UNICEF and charities such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;

1. Provide citizens living in slums with basic needs such as:

a. Access to clean water either with water brought to the slums or devices that can

purify water (water boilers, chemicals, filters, etc)

b. Provide electrical and gas lines for sanitation and food purposes

c. Provide adequate sanitation:

i. Where adequate is defined as any form of sanitation that removes human

waste from the toilets and provides access to water for hygiene purposes

d. Provide sustainable resources:

i. Such as sustainable toilets that utilize the waste and recycles it for

methane gas to power slums

ii. Improve the transportation of water to slums

e. Provide vaccines for diseases that can be caused by unsanitary conditions as well

as HIV/Aids vaccinations:

i. Consider vaccines that will not expire or require temperature control, or

ii. Consider sustainable technology to keep vaccinations temperature

controlled

f. Provide clinics and medical personnel near slums to administer vaccines and

provide food and water;

2. Encourages nations to promote volunteering and education on slums and poverty;

3. Asks countries to provide military or peacekeeping officials to reduce crime levels in

slums and also provide military raids for slums with extensive drug trafficking or human

trafficking:

a. Asks countries to prosecute offenders of crime the same as any citizen;

4. Educate on the benefits of doctors and health personnel to help with slums:

a. Encourage students from within the state and from other states to participate in

mission work or study abroad with service in slums

b. Encourage doctors from other nations to participate in Doctors Without Borders to

help health conditions in slums;

5. Asks nations to respond to slums by:

a. Providing funds to individuals in slums

b. Not turn a blind eye and actually respond to situations where there are crises,

unlike Brazil’s response to the slums in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics;

6. Begs nations to not excavate slums until every individual in the slum has access to a

homeless shelter or housing;

7. Asks nations to improve job opportunities as loss of jobs causes more poverty, as proven

in Croatia;

8. Remains open on the matter as long as a nation is willing to put forth effort to eliminate

poverty and slums.


Sponsor: Ukraine


Recognizing a slum as an area which lacks sanitary systems, a reliable source of safe water, and a

large economic output which negatively affects the people calling these areas home,

Emphasizing slums as regions that require increased infrastructure to function as a productive

component of the global community,

Fully aware that these changes will require considerable resources and monetary aid from

countries who implement the suggested measures,

Convinced that the lack of education and protection of women plays a large part in the instability

of slums.

Keeping in mind that the population of slums is on the rise, rendering the situation in need of a

quick and effective solution,

1. Encourages the creation of the Agency for the Productivity and Sustainability of Slums

(APSS) and that it be delegated the following responsibilities:

a. The education and protection of women in slums

b. Increased access to safe and affordable healthcare

c. Providing more widespread access to education of all those who inhabit slums

d. Improving the economic status of slums;

2. Recommends that the APSS begin providing education for women and the community as

a whole by creating a system of seminars and classes that would be attended by those

living in slums:

a. One of these seminars would be open only to women and focus on their education

and empowerment

b. Another would be concentrated on a schooling system for school-aged children

i. This schooling would take place in a school building that would be

constructed through the collection of voluntary donations and loans

ii. A third group would be specifically for adults wishing to receive a quality

education as well;

3. Suggests the implementation of a system by APSS to ensure a greater access to

healthcare throughout slums:

a. Safe healthcare facilities would be constructed at closer distances to ensure that

healthcare accessible:

i. These facilities would be constructed with the use of the aforementioned

voluntary donations and loans

ii. For the purposes of this resolution, a safe healthcare center is defined as

one that has the ability to provide trained personnel, proper shelter, and

access to hygienic medical equipment

iii. These facilities would also provide training opportunities to hopefuls in

the medical field that desire to receive an education in the field but lack

the means to do so;

4. Invites participating countries to allow APSS to create a system to fund the

entrepreneurship of select individuals within the slums:

a. Applications would be used to determine a number of candidates, which would

depend greatly on the amount of monetary donations received by APSS

b. To receive a grant to pursue career goals:

i. These grants would be able to be rebuked if the money was found to be

used for a purpose other than what it was intended for;

5. Seeks to find a plan that will be plausible for a large number of countries in respect to

their economic statuses.


Sponsor: Hungary


Addressing the condition and sustainability of slums along with the welfare of their residents,

Recognizing slums are overcrowded urban areas with poor sanitation, lack of drinkable water,

and home to those living in poverty,

Fully aware that certain nations may find it financially difficult to supply funds,

1. Implores countries to increase the funding towards the maintenance and improvement of

slums, and the welfare of their residents:

a. The funding will go to both slums of hope and slums of despair with the later

receiving a higher percentage

b. This is to ensure that slums of hope do not relapse into slums of despair, and to

begin improving slums of despair;

2. Recommends the integration of an effective infrastructure:

a. This includes accessible streets, parks, companies, and community centers

b. Additions such as these can bring in investment and can assist in keeping children

from participating in crime:

i. An adequate infrastructure will also improve sanitation, increase the

amount of drinkable water, and contribute to economic growth within

slums;

3. Supports the use of community centers to lower crime rate, provide safety, and to provide

an education;

4. Requests the creation of a system that will assist and support entrepreneurs:

a. New business can aid in economic growth, and help combat poverty;

5. Encourages that multiple sanitation facilities be placed in slums:

a. This will slow any outbreak of disease, and decrease the chances of an outbreak b.

In addition, medical assistance should be available for those in need.

SOCHUM-B-1 Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM)


Topic: Conflict Diamonds

Deeply Disturbed by the use of diamonds and other minerals as weapons by rebel groups, Fully

Aware of the tactics that rebel groups use to get their hands on these minerals, Emphasizing the

boosts that mining can provide to the economies of less developed nations,

Recognizing both the helpful actions taken by the Kimberly process as well as its lack of action

in some instances,

Noting with satisfaction Ethiopia’s ASM system, which transfers the gold that it mines to banks

around the world without falling into the hands of rebel groups,

1. Takes note of the few accomplishments of the Kimberly Process as well as the many

things that it has not gotten done, such as:

a. Having a good system for preventing diamonds from falling into the hands of

diamond smugglers rebel groups in the first place

b. Having an organized system of transacting diamonds from mines to banks c. Not

giving the proper care to those effected by conflict diamonds

c. Having a wider scope of what constitutes a conflict diamond, because:

i. The Kimberley process considers many diamonds mined in conflict zones

to be “conflict Free”

ii. Global witness, the nonprofit organization that helped to launch the

Kimberley process, is not even affiliated with it anymore because of its

lackadaisical cause;

2. Redefines conflict diamonds as:

a. A diamond mined in any area of violence or political unrest

b. A diamond that is used as a weapon by any kind of rebel group

c. A diamond that is not protected by the government and that has no proper

transaction from the mines to the bank

d. Diamonds that are referred to by the Kimberley Process as “conflict-free” when

actually these diamonds have been mined in areas of violence and unrest;

3. Encourages the adopting of Ethiopia’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining System (ASM),

they system it uses for its mined gold (though it can work for any mineral), or something

similar to expand on the Kimberley process and make it so it will perform its duty more

thoroughly; some things to integrate from ASM are

a. A careful transaction of the mineral from the mine to the bank; these steps would

include:

i. Minerals go straight from the mine to a licensed on site buyer

ii. Minerals go from the licensed on site buyer to a licensed regional buyer

iii. Minerals are safely exported by the licensed regional buyer to countries

around the world

iv. The governments of these countries would ensure the careful transaction

of the minerals it has imported to banks

v. Individual banks handle everything in a secure fashion

b. The requirement that all buyers on site as well as regional buyers must be

licensed; this license must be difficult to get so it would decrease the probability

of the minerals:

i. Falling into the hands of illegal diamond smugglers

ii. Falling into the hands of rebel groups who then use these minerals as

weapons

c. The division of mining gold or diamonds into two separate categories, which

would ensure that large companies do not exploit workers in mines; these

categories would include:

i. Manual mining done by individual and small-scale workers

ii. Commercial mining done by large companies;

4. Recognizes that not everything is perfect with ASM either; some things that have to be

improved include:

a. Environmental regulation

b. Making it harder for regional buyers to get a mineral handling license so terrorist

groups will not get licenses

c. Having extra-secure methods of preventing minerals from falling into terrorist

hands

d. Helping those effected by conflict diamonds and other minerals around the world;



Sponsor: Republic of the Sudan


Noticing that too often, the world’s diamond mines produce not only diamonds – but also civil

wars, violence, worker exploitation, environmental degradation, and unspeakable human

suffering,

Emphasizing that diamonds with violent histories are still being mined and allowed to enter the

diamond supply, where they become indistinguishable from other gems,

Having examined previous wars fueled by diamonds have taken about 3.7 million lives,

Deeply regretting when diamond miners are killed or physically harmed by their own

governments, or by security guards working for mining companies, the Kimberley Process rarely

takes action. Instead, it certifies these diamonds as conflict free and allows them to be shipped to

consumers worldwide,

Affirming that because they lack government permits, miners and their families say they are

routinely beaten and shaken down for bribes by soldiers and private security guards, and in

extreme cases, killed,

Taking note of when military forces commandeer these diamond mining fields, they do so by

many violent tactics such as torture and rape, to force the local population into mining for

diamonds on its behalf,

Observing further that this may be because a thorough, unimpeded investigation into human

rights practices for many of the diamond miners has never been conducted,

1. Calls attention to Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “No one shall

be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;

2. Calls attention to the Kimberly Process doing an insufficient job of regulating the

abatement of conflict diamonds and therefore the UN must step in to expedite the

process;

3. Emphasizes that security forces frequently abuse irregular migrants during expulsions;

4. Acknowledges that countries have the right to expel migrants should they declare so;

however, they do not have the right to deny the migrants of their basic human rights;

5. Requests that the UN be given the opportunity to investigate the claims of countries who

state that they have looked into the allegations of mistreatment miners have expressed

due to the lack of veracity;

6. Declares conflict diamonds, or any diamonds that are mined must become government

property:

a. Will prohibit incidents like the Marange district of Eastern Zimbabwe where the

government massacred their people for the property on which the diamond

deposit was found

b. Makes mining a government job

c. Gives government the right to survey and check on workers

d. No underage civilians may participate

e. Government will regulate where the diamonds are going at all times and the

mining sites;

7. Declares accordingly an affidavit for regulating conflict diamonds;

a. If the country has a history of conflict diamonds, they must open up thorough and

credible criminal investigation for diamond miners should the situation call for it

such as:

i. Death and/or massacre including natural disaster and murder

ii. Torture

iii. Forced labor or child labor

iv. Sexual Violence

b. Countries and their governments must acknowledge that they have met the

minimum ethical standards of a profit for their country for the purchase of these

diamonds and that the diamond miners are not subject to human rights abuses

c. Government may not use violence against their people should there be an

aggregation of citizens at a diamond site, they must be cooperatively escorted

away

d. Should governments use any form of violence on their people, there will be a fine

(decided on a case by case standard) issued on that government and UN has

authority to intervene and regulate the mining of the conflict diamonds:

i. The diamonds that were produced while citizens were harmed will become

blacklisted on the diamond market and shipment or export must be halted

e. Mining must be environmentally modulated so that there must be a limit on the

pollution output

f. Authorities should protect migrants from abuse, rein in security forces, investigate

allegations of serious abuse, and prosecute those responsible

g. Government must provide clean facilities and an adequate salary to the diamond

miners.


Sponsor: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


Acknowledging the current definition of conflict diamonds as “diamonds that originate from

areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized

governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in

contravention of the decisions of the Security Council,”

Deploring the inhumane practices of the conflict mining industry, instigated by rebel forces or

other groups, which force populations into brutal conditions for need of survival,

Recognizing the significant impact of the Kimberley Process on the diminution of the conflict

mining industry since its creation in 2003, and continuing to adhere to its standards,

Asserting that the Kimberley Process and governmental approaches to conflict diamonds require

revisitation so that these humanitarian violations are permanently terminated,

1. Requests that conflict diamonds be redefined under the Kimberley Process to account for

diamonds produced in inhumane conditions so that the presence of humanitarian abuses

in the mining industry prevents such diamonds yielded from receiving a Kimberley

Certificate;

2. Urges nations that are not participants in the Kimberley Process to reassess according to

the blatant humanitarian abuses committed in the mining of rough diamonds, and

contends that KP participants consider refraining from engagement in diamond trade with

nations that do not recognize the authority of the Kimberley Process;

3. Requests the creation of an international campaign to heighten consumer awareness by

encouraging customers to request certification papers and to only buy diamonds from

companies that verify conflict-free practices:

a. This would allow a reduction of power from companies that do not verify

conflict-free practices without direct governmental interference in business

b. The campaign should be extended to multiple platforms, including but not limited

to:

i. Social media campaign to stretch across various platforms

ii. Regular media, such as television broadcasts and advertisements

iii. Printed media, including newspapers and posters

iv. The encouragement of grassroots efforts on a nation-to-nation basis

v. Coverage of prominent government advocates;

c. Nations should likewise prompt their related civil service organizations to

collaborate with conflict-free businesses to centralize the issue to the public;

4. Entreats member nations that have ratified the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

to run regular checks on their intranational systems of diamond regulations to ensure that

the KPCS is being correctly and fully enforced;

5. that nations that have not ratified the KPCS may be compelled to undergo international

investigations into the importation and exportation of diamonds within the nation,

authorized by the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee;

6. Expresses its hope that the committee develop a comprehensive solution so that all

aspects of the situation may be addressed and these humanitarian abuses resulting from

the conflict mining industry be halted in perpetuity.


Sponsor: The Federal Republic of Nigeria


Defining conflict diamonds as originating from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to

legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in

opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council,

Highlighting the severe political and social repercussions conflict diamonds fuel,

Acknowledging the many human rights violations that usually characterize the mining and sale of

such conflict diamonds,

Supporting the ideal objective of the Kimberley Process to eliminate conflict diamonds from

funding rebel groups and giving national governments more revenue from state-run mining

ventures,

Stressing the flaws of the Kimberley Process in dealing with human rights issues regarding

conflict diamonds,

Pointing out the loose checking system of the Kimberley Process in regard to the diamond

industry,

Noting the general laziness of the international community regarding reform of the Kimberley

Process,

Taking note of the lack of transparency in some countries about their diamond revenue,

1. Encourages countries to tighten regulation on diamond companies by:

a. Imposing taxes on mines in the respective country used by mining corporations

b. Setting up investigative committees into the respective diamond company in

question;

2. Proposes changes in the Kimberley Process to center more on human rights violations by:

a. Rewriting the definition of conflict diamonds to include the violation of the

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

i. Disregards past human rights records of countries when regarding

membership to mitigate the process of reforming the Kimberley Process to

include human rights for countries with past human right violations

ii. Encourages countries that reject such definition change outright but still

want to work to combat conflict diamonds to apply to be an observer

b. Requiring members to take part in assessments in human rights in mining

industries:

i. Members will be subject to a triennial human rights examination on that

respective country’s mining industry by an independent nonpartisan entity

ii. Current members will be given a two year period after ratification of the

new Kimberley Process requirements to prepare for the first assessment

iii. Random assessments will be a possibility on the discretion of a committee

composed of all member states

c. Demanding no child under 13 will be allowed to work in a diamond mine;

3. Supports the transparency of national government revenue regarding mining and

diamonds;

4. Stresses the importance of the international community in dealing with conflict diamonds

and the difficulties that arise from them.


Sponsor: French Republic


Reminding that conflict diamonds call into question human rights violations against men,

women, and children,

Highlighting the atrocious circumstances in conflict-zone mines including but not limited to

Disease-ridden or lack of drinking water, Malnutrition, Risk of injury, and Forced labor,

Recognizing the present United Nations definition of ‘conflict diamond’ as: “diamonds that

originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally

recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those

governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council,”

Calling for further legislation to protect the rights of those peoples affected by the mining of

blood diamonds, not only directly but also through the lower rates of education and literacy due

to child miners who are not in school and increased risk for disease due to the unsanitary nature

of mining camps,

Recognizing the effects of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, both helpful and

detrimental,

Stressing that current measures regarding conflict diamonds are in dire need of improvement,

1. Redefines, for all United Nations purposes, a conflict diamond as, “Diamonds that are

mined by peoples controlled or otherwise influenced by forces or factions opposing

internationally recognized governments, in order to fund the military action of opposing

said governments, or any forces breaching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or

any forces in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council”;

2. Re-affirms the power and authority, and processes of the current Kimberley Process

Certification Scheme committee;

3. Calls for the formation of an independent coalition comprised of non-partisan individuals

selected by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme U.N. Officials for the purpose of

judging and monitoring diamonds being exported;

4. Mandates that said the number of people in fore-mentioned coalition should decrease or

increase in order to maintain the necessary preponderance of monitors to sufficiently

gauge the validity of the diamonds;

5. Declares that all member states of the Kimberley Process Certification System be re-

evaluated by the new coalition to determine their fitness to export or import diamonds

before trade can begin.

SOCHUM-C-1 Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM)

Sponsor: Republic of Croatia

Topic: The Rights of Surrogates

Understanding that surrogacy is a right for couples who are infertile or are unable to carry a child

within the parameters of certain circumstances,

Adopting the definition of a surrogate mother as a woman who carries a baby after successful

natural or artificial insemination, or after an in vitro fertilization, based on a pre-pregnancy

agreement for and with an infertile couple with the intention of handling the child to the couple

who acquire parental rights and responsibilities,

Defining commercial surrogacy as any form of surrogacy achieved for financial compensation

and altruistic surrogacy as any form of surrogacy done without financial compensation on a

voluntary basis,

Abiding by the Republic of Croatia’s specific laws regarding surrogacy to draft this resolution

and international regulations such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and

Cultural Rights, the Health Care Law, Article 21 of the Additional Protocol to the Convention

for the Protection of Human Rights and the Dignity of the Human Being and other legislation not

mentioned,

Understanding the illegal activity relating to human trafficking, exploitation, and refugee/asylum

issues associated with surrogates with regards to Croatia’s Criminal Laws and Constitution,

Declaring its ratification of the Rights of the Child,

Hoping to set international regulations regarding surrogacy and the rights of the surrogate mother

and donating couple,

1. Asks states to distinguish between altruistic and commercial surrogacy before any

legislation is passed regarding the former:

a. Condemns commercial surrogacy as it can lead to:

i. Human trafficking and exploitation of women

ii. Loaning of organs for money

iii. Exploiting women of lower social classes

iv. Unethical choices, as it is considered unethical in the Republic of Croatia

b. Makes note of Article 21 of the Additional Protocol to the Convention for the

Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being which defines that

the human body and its parts cannot be a source for acquiring financial gain,

meaning that surrogacy for financial reward is unethical

c. However, does agree that if sovereign states want to allow commercial surrogacy,

that the surrogate mothers must be voluntary and other no circumstances be

forced or bribed by money to do so:

i. Surrogate mothers should be doing surrogacy out of volunteerism or

altruism, not for their own financial benefit;

2. Recommends that states set restrictions on surrogate mothers and their candidacy by:

a. Providing a age minimum and maximum for surrogate mothers, with a

recommended age at 20

b. Setting restrictions on the donor pool for both surrogate mothers and sperm/eggs

c. Require legal marriage between couples before surrogacy can be considered

d. Require that surrogate mothers must be evaluated physically and psychologically

by a designated medical personnel before undergoing surrogacy

e. Require that surrogacy must be volunteered if commercial

f. Requires that the family using a surrogate have a psychological evaluation so to

assure a sound mind and good intentions;

3. Requires states to implement specific medical regulations and protocols for both

surrogate mothers and the donors/family by:

a. Proving counseling for information to the surrogate mother and the family/donors

such as:

i. Health information with surrogacy, requirements of the surrogate mother

and the family, complications with surrogacy, rights of the surrogate

mother (ITEM 4), rights of the family (ITEM 5), and legal requirements of

the state

ii. Counsel the family on other methods for infertility before deciding on

surrogacy

b. Provide all necessary medical evaluations for both the surrogate mother and the

family

c. Provide details to the surrogate mother on health requirements, prenatal and

pregnancy health, and all details a pregnant woman would get from doctors, as in,

surrogate mothers should not be treated differently than biological pregnant

mothers

d. Provide financial compensation to the surrogate mother, but only for medical

expenses, including but not limited to:

i. Compensation for prenatal nutrition

ii. Compensation for all doctor’s appointments

iii. Compensation for birthing, delivery, and any hospital bills

iv. Compensation for any health problems that are put on the surrogate

mother from the pregnancy;

4. Emphasizes that nations should set regulations for the rights of surrogate mothers in full

detail, including but not limited to:

a. The right that the surrogate mother is the official mother of the child until the

biological parents’ legally declare the child as their own

b. At birth the child is legally the biological mother’s child

c. Surrogate mothers do have the right to understand everything that is happening to

their bodies and do have the right to communicate with the family using the

surrogate to help make decision

d. Sets medical regulations that:

i. Eggs and sperm can be frozen but embryos cannot be frozen

ii. Only three embryos can be put into the uterus

iii. Legislation must provide for the medical responsibilities of both the

surrogate mother and medical personnel

e. Surrogate mothers do not have the right to abort the child and only the biological

parents of the child do. However, if the biological parents decide to abort the

child, the surrogate mother does have a say in the abortion as this is her body:

i. The Republic of Croatia would like to report that abortion is unethical, and

that any abortion after 10 weeks of pregnancy is completely immoral and

condemned

ii. Abortion is highly discouraged in surrogacy

iii. If the family using the surrogate decides to abort the child but the

surrogate mother does not want to abort, the surrogate mother can legally

adopt the child as her own

iv. The Republic of Croatia would formally like to state that it does not agree

with Roe vs. Wade;

5. Emphasizes nations that families using surrogate mothers have rights as well, such as:

a. The ability to abort the child, only if consulting with the surrogate mother:

i. Please note the Republic of Croatia’s above notations about abortion

ii. If the family decides to abort the child, the surrogate mother can keep the

child as her own if the family does not want the child

b. The ability to monitor the surrogate mother before and during the pregnancy by:

i. Background checking the mother, being aware of any physical or

psychological implications of the surrogate mother

ii. Asking the surrogate mother to perform certain tasks or adhere to certain

health requirements for the wellbeing of their child

iii. Has the right to decline the surrogacy before officially fertilizing the

surrogate if they do not feel that surrogate is the appropriate candidate

iv. Must sign a pre-pregnancy agreement with the surrogate mother if they

choose to use her as a surrogate

c. The understanding that the surrogate mother cannot be left with the child unless

the family decides to give up the child and the surrogate mother states she is

willing to provide for the child, thus legally adopting it as her own:

i. Also understand that if a family leaves a surrogate with the child with no

agreement to legally give the child up, legal actions will be taken place as

charges such as abandonment and neglect on the family

ii. If a family does not want the child and the surrogate mother does not accept

the child, the family is legally obligated to put the child up for adoption

iii. The surrogate mother does not have legal responsibility for the child after

it has been born;

6. Encourages nations to design legislature with guidelines above to protect surrogate

mothers and the families involved;

7. Pleads that countries understand the ethical dilemmas associated with commercial

surrogacy and understand the associations with human trafficking as well as abortion;

8. Asks nations to agree on certain standards of surrogacy as a national body so that

international surrogacy can be safe for the surrogate mother and the child.


Sponsor: Ukraine


Believing that surrogacy is acceptable in all of its current existing forms,

Realizing that the existing system could be improved upon to provide increased rights to

surrogates carrying children,

Convinced that commercial surrogacy is an essential aspect of the sustainability of certain

surrogates in low income communities,

Concerned that although commercial surrogacy lends financial assistance to surrogates who may

need it, unfair treatment could result from the practice,

Keeping in mind that the rate of global surrogacy is on the rise globally, demanding that

regulations be decided on in a timely manner to avoid any misfortune,

Noting with concern that the amount that the rate of surrogacy has risen cannot be agreed upon,

indicating that numerous cases of surrogacy go unreported or that the system at which the cases

are recorded is not properly organized,

1. Calls upon nations to create an overarching surrogacy agency deemed the Agency for

Protected Surrogacy (APS) that would function to serve as a type of “data base” per say

for petitioning parents to find reliable surrogates:

a. Applications would be collected to record and check surrogates applying to be

entered into the program, ensuring reliability and organization:

i. The applications would rely mainly on information regarding the health of

the person wishing to be a surrogate to secure that the health of the baby

being carried would not be threatened

ii. In addition, basic information such as the level of safety of the typical

environment of the applying surrogate would be collected to make certain

that the baby being carried would not be put in a harmful situation that

could produce birth defects

b. Both commercial and altruistic surrogacy would be permitted and monitored by

APS and be decided upon before the conception of the child:

i. Both the potential surrogate and petitioning parents would agree upon the

terms of the surrogacy, and a document would be signed to prevent any

breaches of said agreement

ii. The amount of monetary compensation would be decided in such a

meeting and would not be subject to change after it is finalized by both

parties

iii. These meetings and verdicts would be monitored and approved by APS

officials with many of these officials would be trained citizens of the

country that they are actively serving in to promote trust between APS and

the global community;

2. Designates APS as an agency that will also have influence in the providing of proper

medical care to surrogates:

a. Basic checkups on a regular basis will be given through APS to confirm the

wellbeing of both the child and the surrogate

b. These services will be conducted in facilities identified by APS as safe healthcare

centers:

i. For the purposes of this resolution, a safe healthcare center is defined as

one that has the ability to provide trained personnel, proper shelter, and

access to hygienic medical equipment

ii. These facilities could also serve as places of employment and training for

those with or wishing to obtain a medical degree in these often low

income areas

3. Recommends that APS be funded by voluntary donations and loans from countries or

philanthropists that choose to do so as the proportions of these donations that are received

by each participating country will be determined by need;

4. Emphasizes the fact that this resolution is strictly on a voluntary basis and has the utmost

respect for national sovereignty:

a. APS would not be permitted to have influence in countries that deemed the

program to be unacceptable:

i. If the reasons for such a refusal were rooted in financial burden, a system

of financial aid could be agreed upon based upon the number of loans and

donations received by APS.


Sponsor: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


Recognizing surrogacy as an increasingly desirable option for parenthood,

Deeply concerned with the great number of conflicts, legal and domestic, that have resulted from

discrepancies in surrogacy arrangements,

Considering the varying levels of willing surrogates and national profits among member states,

which may dissuade some nations in which surrogacy has stimulated domestic economic growth

from international cooperation,

Further recognizing the outdated nature of the United Kingdom’s Surrogacy Arrangements Act,

as well as that of many international legislatures concerning the issue of surrogacy,

Emphasizing the need for comprehensive and explicit national and international legislative

reform,

1. Requests that the committee create a series of international guidelines on the issue of

surrogacy, which may include the following propositions:

a. Parental orders should be legally authorized prior to birth so as to be conferred on

the intended parental parties only:

i. This will allow the surrogacy arrangement to be enforceable

ii. The surrogate mother would then not automatically be the child’s legal

mother, nor her partner the legal father, a context which has caused

conflict in numerous surrogacy arrangements

b. The formality of surrogacy arrangements should be increased so the agreement

between intended parents and surrogate mothers is both clear and binding, which

will allow parties to abstain from future complications

c. Intended parents should be able to request access to maternity and/or paternity

leave upon legal recognition child’s birth by the surrogate mother

d. The guidelines may be modeled from the successes of preexisting legislatures,

such as those of the United States and Canada;

2. Avows that such a system would decrease the number of legal complications resulting

from international surrogacy arrangements through the creation of worldwide legislative

consistency;

3. Asserts that while the United Kingdom opposes commercial surrogacy, these guidelines

should not endeavor to rule commercial surrogacy illegal, as such an ethical debate

dividing the committee would halt the possibility of collaborative and expeditious action;

4. Encourages nations to enhance international educational systems on the topic of

surrogacy, through methods such as:

a. The inclusion of the topic of surrogacy in school curriculums

b. Nationwide campaigns to ensure the general public are clearly informed of their

surrogacy rights as citizens

c. Campaigns by civil service organizations that focus on providing information and

connections within the national sphere of surrogacy

d. Engagements by governmental authorities with civil service organizations and the

general public to stimulate debate on both the ethical and legal issues of surrogacy

to gain a more comprehensive perspective on the legislative reforms necessary;

5. Further invites proposals and collaboration from member states that would allow

surrogacy disputes to decline and produce precise and contenting solutions.

SOCHUM-C-4 Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural

Sponsor: Malaysia

Topic: Rights of Surrogates

Recognizing altruistic and commercial surrogacy are imminent requests for some individuals,

Further recognizing the lack or legislation regarding the care of children produced from

surrogacy,

Taking into consideration innate and irrevocable sovereignty, and the religious belief of nations,

Bearing in mind the urgent need of rights to protect the mothers of the child produced through

surrogacy,

Recommending the following provisions,

Defining surrogacy - a surrogate arrangement a woman agrees to become pregnant and bear a

child for another person/persons and to surrender it at birth,

1. Calls upon all nations to develop a list of requirements regarding the permitting of

individuals to qualify to have a surrogate;

a. Commissioning parents must be legally joined in matrimony regarding sovereign

law

b. Both parents must be of 25 years

c. Must provide reasoning behind wanting a child born from surrogacy

d. Approved mental and physical health according to the standards of government

provided doctors:

i. Must have a medical or psychological degree

e. Be able to show sufficient means to provide for the child/children

f. Any bribes/forced surrogacy will result in termination

g. Surrogate mother must be of 25 years and be approved (mentally and

psychologically);

2. Declares a set of rights for surrogate mother and child/children;

a. Married surrogate mothers must keep baby and the child/children will take

citizenship of matrimonial father if married surrogate

b. Unmarried surrogate mother have total legal control over child unless given into

adoption

i. Child/children will take citizenship of surrogate mother if unmarried

surrogate, considered illegitimate

ii. Commissioning parents may choose to adopt child if given into adoption

c. Surrogate mother will be able to terminate contract if choosing to keep child:

i. Must be able to show sufficient means for child

ii. If a psychological attachment is found, reason is provided for wanting to

keep the baby

iii. If medical bills payed for by commissioning parents, must be able to pay

back completely;

3. Designates all nations to set up Children of Surrogates Agency to monitor the conditions

of children who are kept by the surrogate mother and/or disabled (mentally or

physically):

a. Disabled children must be taken care of by guardian and may not be given up for

adoption unless guardian proves unable to physically/mentally take care of child

b. Monthly checkups to ensure the well-being of child and to ensure no abuse as

these

c. Officials shall be selected by state government and must be qualified with

standards regarding a degree in psychology.




Alarmed by the recent influx of surrogates in nations around the world, particularly less

developed countries, and the number of abandoned surrogate children that have resulted from it,

Taking into consideration that all forms of surrogacy are considered illegal in Ethiopia and many

other nations around the world,

Having ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Deeply disturbed by the lack of hope for surrogate children around the world,

Noting with satisfaction the steps that the Ethiopian government has taken toward decreasing

poverty and surrogacy alike within its borders,

1. Requests that most nations around the world will make surrogacy illegal within its

borders, except those where it is a major part of the nation’s economy, because:

a. Surrogacy causes nothing but trouble; it has led to an influx of abandoned

children

b. The practice of surrogacy is widely considered unethical, and for very good

reason because:

i. A baby should be had by one man and one woman only

ii. It is unethical to pay someone to have a baby

iii. Couples paying a surrogate often do not even want the baby in the end;

2. Expresses its hope countries that cannot make surrogacy legal due to economic reasons

should make the practice looked at as shameful in that particular country; that way even

if surrogacy is legal it will be minimal;

3. Further recommends that both surrogates and couples paying surrogates to have a baby

be punished in countries where it is illegal; these punishments would:

a. For surrogates:

i. Not violate their human rights in any fashion

ii. Come with a warning first, after that, it would most likely be a short prison

sentence

iii. Have a prison sentence that was longer for surrogates that have performed

more often than surrogates that have performed less often

iv. For long-term surrogates, not violate their human rights, but be harsh

enough so that they will not perform the deed again

b. For couples paying surrogates to have a child:

i. Be harsher than punishments for surrogates, but still not violate human

rights

ii. Be a medium length to longer prison sentence at a minimum of one year

iii. Be longer for parents that have had multiple children through surrogates

iv. Be longer for parents that have neglected and abandoned children they

have had through surrogates;

4. Draws the attention to the rights of surrogate children, many of whom are left abandoned

by parents, who had no say in how they were born; the committee must help these

children through:

a. Finding them good homes where they will not be neglected; this can be done

through:

i. Giving more funding for orphanages and adoption agencies

ii. Opening more of these to prevent overcrowding

b. Giving them access to mental health centers, because many of these children are

depressed from stress and neglect

c. Giving them proper access to health care, especially those in less developed

nations

d. Giving them access to a good education;


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