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Model UN/Seminar SoSe 2016: The UN and the Responsibility to Protect

News vom 11.04.2016

For students and refugees under the
Welcome@FUBerlin Programme

At the 2005 World Summit, UN Member States endorsed the concept of the Responsibility to Protect, affirming that each State has the "responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity". Where States are manifestly failing to assume this responsibility, it shifts to the international community to take collective actions through the UN Security Council to ensure the protection of the population. The responsibility to protect remains controversial among UN Member States, as debates surrounding the crisis in Libya and recent events in Syria show. For the Security Council many questions arise: In which cases does the responsibility to protect apply? Which are the appropriate measures to be taken? Under which circumstances is a military intervention authorized by the Security Council legitimate? Does the responsibility to protect encompass regime change?

We like to invite you to a simulated Special Session of the Security Council to discuss these and other issues involving the Responsibility to Protect and the main organ responsible for international peace and security according to the Charter of the United Nations: the Security Council. Class sessions prior will give you an ample overview of the topic. With this class we hope to deepen your knowledge about the functioning of an international body, various aspects of international diplomacy, negotiation techniques, and also hopefully the roots and causes of the diverging opinions on the subject among UN-Member States.

You will be asked to represent one of the members of the Security Council or an invited State and take an active part in the class and negotiations. Participants are expected to research their respective countries position independently and take over the presentation of a topic listed below by preparing a 4-6 page summary on the subject and a handout for the presentation (up to 3 presenters per topic = team work). Delegations are also asked to prepare a one-page Position Paper. Each Delegation will consist of 1-2 persons.

 

Please note that the seminar/conference language will be English. It is possible to receive 5 ECTS-credits (Schlüsselqualifikationsschein oder Fremdsprachenfachkompetenz, FB Rechtswissenschaft). All faculties are invited to apply.

 

 

Applications are to be sent via email until 17 April 2016 to Peggy Wittke

 

Your application should include:

  • Personal Details (Name, Address, Phone, Email)
  • Short CV, including field of studies and number of semesters
  • Short letter of motivation
  • 3 country preferences
  • 2 topic choices

 

Members of the Security Council 2016: Angola, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

 

Invited States: Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan

 

 

Topics

  1. The Genocide in Rwanda (1994)
  2. The Massacre of Srebrenica (1995)
  3. The Deadlocked Security Council I: The Case of Kosovo (1999)
  4. The International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS), Report "The Responsibility to Protect" (2001)
  5. The High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, Report “A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility” (2004)
  6. The World Summit Outcome Document (2005)
  7. The Situation in Darfur/Sudan (2006)
  8. The Situation in Kenya (2007)
  9. The Situation in Libya and Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011)
  10. The Deadlocked Security Council II: The Situation in Syria

 

 

Preliminary Schedule

 

Class takes place in Room 4405, Boltzmannstr. 3, 16 - 18h (if not announced differently).

 

 

Date

Session

1

20 April 2016

Introduction to the United Nations System

Peggy Wittke

 

2

27 April 2016

Peace and Security I

Peggy Wittke

 

3

4 May 2016

Peace and Security II

Peggy Wittke

 

4

11 May 2016

The Genocide in Rwanda (1994)

 

The Massacre of Srebrenica (1995)

 

5

18 May 2016

The Deadlocked Security Council I:
The Case of Kosovo (1999)

 

Research and Speech Training

6

25 May 2016

International Commission on Intervention and
State Sovereignty (ICISS),
Report "The Responsibility to Protect" (2001)

 

The High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges
and Change, Report “A More Secure World:
Our Shared Responsibility” (2004)

 

7

1 June 2016

The World Summit Outcome Document (2005)

 


8

8 June 2016

R2P put into Practice:

The Situation in Darfur/Sudan (2006)

 

The Situation in Kenya (2007)

 

9

15 June 2016

The Situation in Libya and Security Council
Resolution 1973 (2011)

 

10

22 June 2016

The Deadlocked Security Council II:
The Situation in Syria

 

11

29 June 2016

Position Paper Writing

 

12

6 July 2016

The Rules of Procedure of the
United Nations Security Council

 

 

7 July 2016

Deadline Position Papers –
please send to
peg@zedat.fu.berlin.de

13

14 July 2016

Thursday

 

10.00 – 18.00 h

Senatssaal

Henry-Ford-Bau

Garystr. 35

 

Special Session of the United Nations Security Council
on the Responsibility to Protect

14

15 July 2016

Friday

 

10.00 – 18.00 h

Senatssaal

Henry-Ford-Bau

Garystr. 35

 

Special Session of the United Nations Security Council
on the Responsibility to Protect

15

20 July 2016

Feedback Session

 

 

 

For further information please contact:

 

Peggy Wittke

Model United Nations / Model European Union

Freie Universität Berlin

Boltzmannstr. 3, 14195 Berlin

Phone:  (030) 838 547 05

Email: peg@zedat.fu-berlin.de

 

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