Seventh Annual Session of the

Gaucho Model United Nations Conference

February 13–14, 2016

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Chair’s Letter

Dear Delegates,

Let me be the first to welcome you to the seventh annual GauchoMUN Conference! My

name is Catt Phan and I have the pleasure of being your head chair for the United Nations

Children’s Fund. I’m a second year Global Studies major and this is my second year in Model

United Nations. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend a good number of conferences during my

first year which include AggieMUN in Sacramento and National MUN in New York City. This

year I’m serving as the Under­Secretary General of Travel Logistics as well as holding positions

in my school’s Associated Students in the Office of the Student Advocate General, Take Back

the Night, and Lobby Corps.

The topics that our committee will discuss are… Whether you are a rookie or veteran to

the MUN world, I strongly urge all of you to push yourselves to create innovative and effective

solutions to the matters at hand. It is completely possible that the solutions in passed resolutions

can be integrated into the real world and I hope you are all are willing to put the effort into

making this weekend one full of passionate and stimulating discussion.

If you have any questions, concerns, or if you need someone to validate your existence,

go ahead and email me! So many people have put long hours into making GauchoMUN a

fantastic experience and it is my sincere hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.

Now, let’s go try and save the world.

Best wishes,

Catt Phan

phan.catt@gmail.com

Co­ Vice­Chairs’ Letters

Honorable Delegates,

It is a pleasure to be a part of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) committee

at the annual Gaucho Model United Nations conference! My name is Arpan Singh, and I am a

fourth­year Political Science major, with an emphasis on International Relations. I will be a

co­Chair for the UNICEF committee at this year’s Gaucho Model United Nations conference.

As a transfer student, I was first introduced to Model United Nations at my junior college

through a group of club members who were recruiting new delegates. Seeing the opportunities

for personal growth, leadership, and travel, I signed up on the spot. As a result, I have had the

opportunity to represent many countries in local and national conferences, including the annual

National Model United Nations Conference in New York. I had a chance to research in depth

important issues that the world is currently facing; from human trafficking and nuclear

disarmament to environmental protection and sustainable development. Finally, I have recently

had the pleasure of co­chairing for the annual Santa Barbara Intercollegiate Model United

Nations conference.

The issues we will be considering in this committee are urgent yet complex. While the

international community largely agrees on the fundamental rights of children, such as through

the Convention on the Rights of the Child (which was signed and ratified by 196 countries);

implementation of such measures has been difficult. Yet, there is still hope that with the mutual

cooperation between Member States, there will be practical solutions that will be acted on.

Dear Honorable Delegates,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Seventh Annual Gaucho Model United Nations

conference! My name is Amy Koo, and I have the honor of co­chairing the United Nations

Children’s Fund committee at this year’s Guacho Model United Nations conference. I’m a

first­year Political Science Major, and this is my first year in Model United Nations.

I was first introduced to Model UN earlier this year during club rush and was quickly

impressed with the leadership, public speaking skills, and genuine excitement the delegates

displayed. Since joining, I have participated in the SOCAL MUN Conference as a delegate and

in the SBIMUN Conference as part of crisis staff. During my time in Model UN, I have

developed my public speaking skills and learned about various issues and crises that affect global

relations.

The issues our committee aims to address multifaceted and complex issues that affect

millions of children across the globe. I hope each of you take an active role in developing

potential solutions to the issues at hand. I believe that we will pass resolutions this weekend that

creatively address the issues and look forward to a weekend of exciting and interactive debate! If

you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email myself, Catt, or Arpan!

Arpan Singh

Vice­Chair, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

arpansingh@umail.ucsb.edu

Amy Koo

Vice­Chair, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

amykoo@umail.ucsb.edu

Structure and Flow of Debate

The structure and flow of the UNICEF committee at this year’s Gaucho Model United

Nations conference will be unique and highly dynamic. We expect delegates to have done

extensive research not only on the two topics but also on their country/bloc’s policies and voting

history on these topics; as well as related current events. The dais will operate the committee on

a traditional set of rules and procedures, according to the rules of the National Model United

Nations Conference in New York. In addition, we expect delegates to conduct themselves in a

diplomatic and formal manner during the conference, with an emphasis on cooperation and

mutual benefit of all parties concerned.

Introduction

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a branch of the United Nations that

focuses on the issues of children and mothers, especially those in developing countries. It looks

at a variety of different issues from hunger, trafficking, and child labor exploitation; to maternal

health issues, immunization, and adequate nutrition of mothers. UNICEF is an organization that

is run entirely by volunteer funds, from those of State governments to over 6 million individual

donors. With these funds, this organization is able to conduct operations in a variety of ways

such as: advocating for children’s legal rights; funding education in developing countries;

providing relief aid in places hit by disasters; advocating gender equality; and providing

immunization.

Topic 1: The Impact of Conflict on Childhood Education

Background

In 1989, the UN ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the exception of

the United States and South Sudan. The Convention states that countries must commit to the

principle that children have fundamental rights just like adults do and that state authorities have

responsibilities to protect those rights. This legally binding treaty requires states to make their

laws, policies, and practices consistent with the provisions of the Convention immediately or

must show effort to live up to the treat over time.

The Convention clearly lays out its mission statement in three tracks. The first is the

child’s right to education on the basis of equal opportunity which means that the primary

education needs to be free and secondary/higher education needs to be accessible. The second

track are the child’s rights to education such as, but not limited to, the right to

non­discrimination, protection from abuse and violence, and the freedom of thought. The final

track includes the child’s rights through education which refers to the ability of the child to know

and understand their rights while establishing respect for all human rights.

Past United Nations Involvement

The UN Security Council has categorized the possible offenses inflicted on children into

six grave violations: killing and maiming of children, recruitment or use of children as soldiers,

sexual violence against children, attacks against schools or hospitals, denial of humanitarian

access for children, and abduction of children.

In July 2005, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was

created to work in conjunction with Security Council Resolution 1612. With 15 Security Council

members, they meet in closed sessions to review reports on children in armed conflict in specific

country­situations, progress made in the implementation of action plans to end violations against

children, and other relevant information. In addition, the Working Group makes

recommendations to parties of conflict, governments and donors, as well as United Nations

actors on measures to promote the protection of war­affected children.

Recent events

The Middle East is currently fraught with civil unrest and war. The Syrian Civil War is

the current and worst humanitarian crisis in the world. 4.3 Syrians are refugees and 6.6 million

are displaced within their country; half are children. In Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, more than

700,000 Syrian refugee children do not have the opportunity to go to school. Due to the influx of

population, national education infrastructure being overburdened and cannot handle the extra

student load.

As of September 2015, about 13 million in the Middle East and North Africa are not able

to go to school do to the surging conflict and political upheaval in these regions. There are many

factors that prevent these children from acquiring their education. Attacks on schools and

education infrastructure is one key reason why many children do not attend class. Countries such

as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya have almost 9,000 schools that are not in use because they have

been damaged, destroyed, used as shelter for displaced civilians, or have been taken over by

parties responsible for the conflict. Another important fact is that fear and paranoia run rampant

in these areas of conflict. There are no teachers because thousands of them are scared to work

and parents are terrified for the lives of their children because school are quickly becoming a

popular target for terror attacks.

Bloc position

African States:

Many African States suffer from large disparities in education due to military conflicts

and lack of access to education. 21 African states have been noted to spend the most of their

GDP on military spending. In Kenya, after disputed national elections in December 2007, civil

unrest displaced over 250,000 people and affected a total of 500,000 persons. The Ministry of

Education statistics indicate 62,848 of primary school going children were affected by the

ensuing violence.

Latin American States:

The majority of Latin American children are not receiving a high­quality and relevant

education. As a result, too many Latin American youth entering the labor force lack the skills

necessary to find dignified work and participate in an increasingly competitive, information­rich

and globalized economy.

European States:

Every European state is legally bound by the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Over

the years, the seven countries under UNHCR Central Europe have shown improvement in

providing young refugees with access to education. UNHCR has launched a project, which

identifies both the positive and negative aspects of educational support across the region. Also,

as part of the project, a regional conference has been organized on the issue that drafts policy

guidelines for national authorities and stakeholders on improving the educational opportunities

for young refugees.

Questions to consider

1. How can State governments incentivize families to send their children to schools, over

getting them involved in child labor?

2. What programs and protective measures can countries implement to ensure children’s

safety at educational institutions?

3. To what extent should the international community get involved in war­stricken areas’

educational systems?

4. Should there be an international standard of education, such as providing free public

education up until the high school level?

5. What further actions should be taken to further implement the Convention of the Rights

of the Child?

Getting help

A wealth of additional information on projects by UNICEF (and other organizations) to

counter the use of child soldiers is available online through a simple Internet search. If you’re

having trouble with your research, your Chair and Co­Chairs are available to help answer

questions. Feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. Good luck!

Topic 2: Addressing the Needs of Children in Armed Conflict

Background

There are various effects of armed conflict on children’s lives. In the landmark report of

Graça Machel, an appointed expert of the UN Secretary General, she highlights some of the

effects on children from armed conflict. Titled “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children,” this

report looks at the following consequences of armed conflict on children with possible solutions:

the phenomenon of child soldiers; refugees and internally displaced children (IDCs); sexual

exploitation and gender­based violence; landmines and unexploded ordnance; sanctions; health

and nutrition; psychological recovery and social reintegration; and education. The Optional

Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2000) focuses on child soldiers, and

highlights abuses faced by children by their commanding officers. This children are used for a

variety of different purposes­from sexual purposes, as spies, messengers, servants, or to lay or

clear landmines. The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

(2000) highlights many such abuses and possible solutions to prevent children from becoming

soldiers.

In general, it states that children should be given special protection during times of

conflict to prevent them from becoming victimized as child soldiers. For example, it gives

special emphasis to development and education not only as means of prevention, but also for the

physical and psychosocial rehabilitation and reintegration of children­­through educational and

informational programs. In addition, Article 3(2) of the Optional Protocol calls for increasing the

age for voluntary recruitment to 18 years of age­­up from 15 years of age in the Convention on

the Rights of the Child. It also requires those states that have age 15 as the minimum age to place

greater priority on recruitment of those who are oldest. These are just some of the measures that

have been put in place to combat the use of child soldiers, but they are not enough. In order to

have solutions that are sustainable in the long term, it is important to take a holistic approach.

For this, organizations of different levels would have to work together with each other and with

affected communities to tackle this problem.

Past United Nations Involvement

The issue of Children and Armed Combat was first addressed on a global scale in the

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The human rights treaty was signed in

1989 and initially implemented in 1990. Two optional protocols were adopted on 25 May 2000.

The First Optional Protocol restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the

Second Optional Protocol prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

In 1997, the General Assembly Committee passed A/RES/51/77, which addressed the

implementation of the Convention of the Rights of Child and reaffirmed the Vienna Declaration

and Programme of Action released in 1993. A/RES/51/77 also addressed the protection of

children affected by armed conflict, the issue of refugee and internally displaced children, and

the plight of street children.

Since 1999, the systematic engagement of the UN Security Council has firmly placed the

situation of children affected by armed conflict as an issue affecting peace and security.

According to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary­General for Children And

Armed Conflict, there are six grave violations regarding children and armed conflict: killing and

maiming, child recruitment, sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals, and

denial of humanitarian access. In 2005, the Security Council created the Monitoring and

Reporting Mechanism (MRM) to monitor, document and report on heinous abuses of children in

situations of concern around the world.

Recent events

Recent events in war­torn areas brought the rights of children in armed conflict back into

the spotlight. According to the 2014 annual report of the Secretary­General on children and

armed conflict, one thousand girls and boys have been abducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and

the Levant (ISIL). In one incident, ISIL abducted approximately 150 young boys on their way

home from school. During the several months they were in captivity, they were physically

abused, indoctrinated, and forced to observe violent practices. ISIL also issued a document

justifying the sexual slavery of Yezidi girls abducted in Iraq at the end of 2014.

In Nigeria, terrorist group Boko Haram is known to kidnap girls, whom it believes should

not be educated, and use them as cooks or sex slaves. Boko Haram has abducted hundreds of

women and girls in Chibok and the country’s north­eastern region. In Chibok, Boko Haram

abducted approximately 276 female students from the Government Secondary School. The

students kidnapped have been forced to convert to Islam and forced into marriages with Boko

Haram members.

Since 2010, Boko Haram has targeted schools, killing hundreds of students. According to

a spokesperson for the terrorist organization, Boko Haram plans to continue these attacks as long

as the Nigerian government opposes Islamic­based education. 10,000 children have been unable

to attend school as a result of activities by Boko Haram.

Bloc positions

African States:

In Sierra Leone, the Lomé Peace Accord was created for demobilization, disarmament,

and the reintegration of child soldiers into society. Under this program, children who were

handed over to UNICEF were taken through a wide variety of programs such as health care

services, psychosocial counseling, and educational and vocational programs. During this time,

efforts were made for family reunification. However, demobilization efforts have failed with

regards to female child combatants, who were often exploited for sexual purposes and found it

extremely difficult to take steps toward demobilization.

Across the border from Sierra Leone, in Guinea, the government has used educational

measures for soldiers on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Optional Protocol, to

bring awareness to the issue of child soldiers. UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Affairs has

implemented this through two­day training seminars to soldiers­in­training on the rights of

children, and has also extended these educational measures to local authorities and religious

leaders.

Morocco is a country that enforces the “straight 18” declaration, which sets the minimum

age of recruitment at 18 years of age.

Latin American States:

The Colombian government has ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of

children in armed conflict. It has adopted the legal age of voluntary recruitment under the

Optional Protocol of age 18, and prevents non­State actors from recruiting children under the age

of 18. It is predicted, however, that the main challenge would be in implementing these

provisions. There has, however, been some success in when paramilitary groups­­such as

Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, and the Bloque Central Bolivar­­handed over about 40 child

soldiers to UNICEF and Colombian authorities in the beginning stages of the implementation of

these provisions.

Paraguay instituted educational measures for teachers, religious leaders, military officers,

and youth throughout the country; and it collaborated with other human rights groups during

such campaigns. In addition, it started a project to reform the State judicial system to be able to

enforce provisions within the Optional Protocol.

European States:

In Belgium, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, in collaboration with

UNICEF, worked for the implementation of the Optional Protocol. Following a conference on

the Day of the African Child, the committee adopted a set of recommendations for the

implementation of the Optional Protocol.

Questions to consider

1. Who in particular should be held responsible for violations of laws that prevent the

recruitment of children under 18 years (or in some states, 15 years) of age?

2. To what extent, if at all, do non­State agencies such as UNICEF have the authority to

implement protocols to prevent the use of child soldiers­when State actors fail to do so?

3. How can non­State agencies like UNICEF work with State governments for the

implementation of the Optional Protocol?

4. What is the minimum time frame for State parties to implement protocols within the

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of

Children in Armed Conflict?

5. What can be done to mitigate the effects of social and economic disadvantages, and

gender, which can make children of certain groups more vulnerable to exploitation?

6. How can non­governmental and UN agencies interact with local communities and local

organizations to affect change?

Getting help

A wealth of additional information on projects by UNICEF (and other organizations) to

counter the use of child soldiers is available online through a simple Internet search. If you’re

having trouble with your research, your Chair and Co­Chairs are available to help answer

questions. Feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. Good luck!

Works cited

Convention on the Rights of the Child, New York, 20 November 1989. Available from

http://www.ohchr.org.

General Assembly Resolution 51/77, The Rights of the Child, A/RES/51/77, 20 February 1997.

Security Council Resolution 1612, Security Council Establishes Monitoring, Reporting

Mechanism on Use of Child Soldiers, S/RES/1612, 26 July 2005.

The Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, New York, 12 February

2002. Available from http://www.ohchr.org.

The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), New York, July

2005. Available at the website of The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; Vienna, Austria; 25 June 1993.