HRC: pp. 2-3.

CNN and BBC offer distinctive perspectives on the developments within the Council, yet various questions remain

unanswered.

G-20: p. 10.

The first Press Conference of the session concerned youth unemployment. Can cultural differences pose a challenge to a

consensus-searching?

GA: p. 7.

While the GA impatiently awaits its Saturday‘s Press Conference, we have been gathering “brief“ news from the meeting.

Historical Summit: pp. 8-9.

Reporters of Al-Jazeera and CNN provide their views on the contentious issues that have arisen during the discussiions on the establishment of a successive organ to the League of Nations.

G-20: p. 4.

Can we “tailor“ youth unemployment measures to country-specific needs?

UNSC: p. 5.

BBC correpondent tackles the issues of the lack of trust, financing, and differing regional perspectives on the post-conflict development.

by Anna Conrad, CNN

The first day of the summit proved to be quite intense for the NATO, considering the highly conflicting opinions held by the respective member countries. Whilst assessing the responsibility of NATO in the Sahel, two groups with opposing views have formed. Whilst Hungary, Croatia, Albania, Slovakia, Canada and Lithuania have agreed on wanting

to send arms and assistance packages to the African Union, the major military powers USA, UK, France, and Germany have opposed this objective.

At the beginning of the debate, the US stressed that the NATO as a “global body“ should be determined to find a solution to the situation in the Sahel. The Lithuanian delegate proposed that

NewsletterModel United Nations of The Hague 2014

NATO ATTEMPS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON SENDING ARMS AND ASSISTANCE PACKAGES TO

THE AFRICAN UNION

April 19, 2014, The Hague

Page 2

by Robert Cummins, CNN

the primary focus should not be military intervention, buttackling the root causes of the instability in the territory. Canada joined in and believed that especially counterterrorism measures need to be taken. According to Slovakia and a few other member states, however, pinpointing the root causes seemed less to be NATO‘s responsibilities, but rather those of the United Nations, given that many of them are of economic or social nature. In an unofficial statement, Denmark mentioned the importance of a „bottom up approach“ in the Sahel region. The situation especially “needs to be looked at as an African problem with an African solution”, the Danish delegate continues. He also pointed out that it was NATO’s duty to support the African Union as the key actor, and to “shield the wall around the developments that are designed by the African Union“.

Addressing the main issue of sending Arms and assistance to the African Union in order to stabilize the Sahel, delegates had problems achieving a consensus. France especially stressed the risk of weapons sent by NATO to fall into the hands of terrorist groups. Germany prepared to completely oppose the sending of arms to Africa, believing the situation required a far more complex solution than that. Lithuania stressed that it is essential to send training experts into the region, and Slovakia believed it is even a “matter of trust“: NATO should give the African Union the opportunity to do things right in order to build a future trust.

Canada then proposed to send NATO officers into the region in order to oversee the training operations and to secure equipment, which would be a worthwhile measure to possibly reduce the corruption feared by the opposing member states. Whilst the states in favour of sending weaponry released a draft in which they thoroughly expressed their viewpoints, the countries of France, US, UK and Germany believed it would be more efficient and less risky to only send defensive equipment to the African Union.

The HRC with the US led alliance progressed on pushing for a “humanitarian consensus” - ini-tially coming with “peacekeeping” intentions. This approach has been based on a pre-empti-ve and short term solution adopted to the Syri-an crisis. The UK was a vocal supporter of this alliance, and pushed through several formal/informal debates to achieve these intentions.

Despite the clear objective of the alliance, it has been overheard that some of the present delegates were not overly supportive of the proposed soluti-on, with one pointing out: “The UK is evil, right?” As the session progressed, representatives did in-deed question the notion of what a “peacekeeping” mission should actually entail, with China in par-ticular expressing concerns that such a measure equates to military intervention. However, many

THE CONTENTION OF PEACEKEEPING

OPERATIONS IN THE HRC

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by Rabia Yesildag, BBC

The Human Rights Council gathered on the 18th of April to discuss the protection of the rights of political refugees with a special attention to the Syrian case.

The pressing civil conflict is facing the severest refugee crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the revolutions in Eastern Europe. The beginning of the session of the Human Rights Council appeared to be promising. There seemed to be a consensus about military intervention not being an option and humanitarian and monetary aid to the neighbouring countries to relieve the financial burden being one of the best options.

However, that atmosphere of agreement changed as the session progressed. There were several points that spurred discussion: Should the conflict be solved by countries in the region, or should it be handled globally? Which countries should host the refugees from Syria? Is it best to host them in a country where the culture and language are similar to make the integration easier? What exactly is a political refugee? Are countries obliged to accept to welcome the refugees or can they deny them access? T

he Human Rights Council was unable to come to a consensus on these topics and to formulate a resolution. The debates continue today.

firmly believe that democracy and freedom are values that we should encourage. The af-ternoon session saw the addition of the Jordan ambassador as a guest speaker who sho-ne a light on the realities of the situation on the ground, with over 1.2 million Syrian refuge-es forced into Jordan which itself holds the population of only 3 million. As a consequence, a real economic hardship is being felt by Jordan. It will be interesting to see how this de-velopment adds to the realities of the debate and how a concrete consensus can be made

“FUN developments of the day”

China believes that “The Rule of Law is fundamentally a Western value” and that Human Rights are indeed flexible depending on the context. The CNN holds the genera-lly promoted rule that Human Rights shou- ld be always represented equally. Montenegro got in a beastly fight of unequal‘s with Russia that it was not the Assad regime that released chemical weapons, but the rebels, Russia would

like to initiate a new commission on this. It is also worth pointing out that the delegates from Kazakhstan and Russia offered great support to the CNN team without having obvious allegian-ces to us, and we thank them for enriching the material.

“China believes that “The Rule of Law is fundamentally a Western value” and that Human Rights are indeed fle-xible depending on the context.“

IN THE HRC, A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS REMAIN UNSOLVED

Page 4

After a long day of debates and discussion, the G-20 committee ended its day with the creation of a working paper, which was scrutinised in a formal/informal debate by the delegates, the President, and Vice-President.

The session commenced with all delegates stating their countries’ positions on the topic of the school-to-work transition. Due to the cariety of countries represented, it was initially very difficult to come to a consensus, with

many disagreements and miscommunications appearing, a problem which both Chairs also observed.

It was generally agreed, however, that it would not be simple to find an overall policy that would be suitable for every country facing the problem of unemployment. More than one delegate mentioned the idea of the development of a general framework that can be tailored to suit whichever country it is used in.

Many also mentioned the success of the German model – gaining education and practical experience at the same time – and questioned whether it could be implemented in other countries as well.

Later during the day, a formal/informal was held about a submitted working paper, which categorised youth as those between the ages of 16 and 24 years, and also stated that in evaluating unemployment, the background of the youth – reasons for their unemployment, their upbringing, and past education – should be examined as well.

The working paper also underscored the fair distribution of educational resources, equal accessibility of higher education for everyone, as well as an overall equal quality of education.

The Vice-President Rajiv Daryanani, however, expressed his disappointment with the fact that up to this point, no concrete solutions had been offered, that delegates have merely “reaffirmed their commitment”, and invited the delegates to continue their work on the working paper. He also wished to see them incorporate international organisations, such as the International Labour Organisation, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, into the already existing framework.

The discussions of the G-20 committee are a long way from a completion, and today they will tackle the issue of the labour market.

by Anna Adima, BBC

G-20 AND THE YOUTH

UNEMPLOYMENT: TOWARDS A FINAL

SOLUTION?

Page 5

One more time the Security Council proves its inefficiency. Usually the problem lies with the veto power: one of the five permanent countries chooses to veto and thus forbids the committee resolution. However, today, the UN Security Council did not even step into agreeing on any term.

Different interpretations of the human rights were discussed. Launched by China’s statement about human rights’ flexibility, this topic was spread around the conference and reached the UN Security Council and, as the result, the delegates negotiated this topic. The UK representative Mr Aartsen mentioned that the interpretation of human rights is quite relative.

Later on, the discussion moved to the regulation principles for the post-conflict

regions. The UNSC received a proposal from the delegate of Argentine to specify the terms of the PBC interference, stages of the post-conflict regulation, time and certain actions that have to be taken at each stage. From that point the debate was turning around this issue.

However, the investigation of the conflict’s nature is much more important than the actual actions that are to be taken as there might be deep differences between internal interests of the particular country and the UN interests; and that is exactly the statement the delegate of the Russian Federation constantly emphasized.

Research on the foundation of the conflict is one of the most vital stages of the whole approach to conflict regulations. Besides, it

by Anna Katasonova, BBC

THE UNCS: A FURTHER DEVELOPMENT DEPENDS ON TRUST

Page 6

it may happen that the reason behind a conflict is as a result of certain measures not eliminated, but onlly repressed. In these terms, the elimination of the problem is the key factor for the success of the whole operation in the long-term scale. The present countries reached an agreement on this particular subject, although it seem to take on a very vague and unspecific form as the terms themselves were not brought up for the discussion.

The next topic which was briefly covered was the “rule of law“. A small internal argument was aroused by the problem of the relationship between the financial aid and the rule of law. According to the opinion of the Chinese representative, rules cannot be implemented without some financial support and investments. The UK delegate confronted the Chinese delegate on the grounds that the financial aid prevents the rule of law from implementation: private investments generate ridiculously enormous rates.

Mr Aartsen also noticed that safety and security should have come as the first priority, and the establishment of the rule of law should come as second. “Next come the opportunities,” said Mr Aartsen, “The rule of law is not a purely British concept. And development derives on trust”.

However, the trust itself is something that the UNSC is lacking and the lack of the trust is the core reason why the represented countries cannot reach an agreement.

At the end of the day, neither a resolution nor a draft were submitted, and even the terms themselves did not seem to be discussed in a proper order. The overwhelming majority of the problems pertaining to the topic remain unsolved. D

uring the afternoon press conference with selected representatives of the UNSC, the UK delegate underlined that the UK still has questions concerning the implementation of the post-conflict “rule of law“, as has been pointed out earlier on.

The mood of the member countries seems to be rather pessimistic. More and more frequently the journalists have heard the stamp answer “We have not agreed on that yet“. Also, the Chinese representative made a statement saying that “China respects the rule of law” which, when reflecting on the previous discussions, sounded controversial to say the least. The US delegate seemed to be in an open disagreement with this claim of China.

The BBC channel will keep you up-to-date with the developments within the UNSC. Stay tuned.

Page 7

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

A potentially contentious issue has emerged when the delegation of Austria claimed that it is being

repeatedly denied the right to voice its opinion during

formal debates.

BRIEFLY

Page 8

Today several main topics have been discussed in the Summit on the Creation of a Successor Organ to the League of Nations. These include the number of seats in the Security Council, the voting system (especially the right of veto) and the question of permanent membership in the Security Council.

There is a clear division between delegates in favour of 11 seats and delegates in favour of 15 seats. It has become clear that Liberia, Iran, Abyssinia and Yugoslavia are in favour of 15 seats. They argue that representation should be as broad as possible. 11 seats are favoured by the USA, the USSR, and Egypt. They want a compact Security Council that can act decisively. Some states (France, Afghanistan and the Netherlands) argue for a dynamic amount of seats, dependent on the general membership of the UN.

Secondly, the issue of the right to veto has been discussed. Some countries, including the P5, reaffirmed their commitment to the right of veto and a permanent membership in the Security Council. Yugoslavia has proposed itself to become one of the Coucil‘s permanent members.

Other opinions include the establishment of non-permanent membership in combination with veto powers, as proposed by Egypt and agreed upon by Liberia. Agreed upon is a long term membership of five countries, to be revised after 15 years in order to mirror the current establishment of the international order.

Generally agreed upon is a short-term membership of 6 to 10 countries. The nature of the voting procedures is elaborated on,

with a choice between a simple majority, 2/3 majority, or a complete consensus.

There is a distinction being made between substantial and procedural matters in the voting system; this shall be further discussed tomorrow. Procedural matters are expected to not fall within the veto power. Recommendations made by the Security Council will neither be a subject to the veto power.

Furthermore, two events are important to discuss in this newsletter:

- There has been a threat of a coalition of Norway and the USSR invading the Kingdom of Sweden. This rumor, announced by two anonymous diplomats, has been rejected by the USSR and Sweden. The issue seems to be resolved.

- The USSR has confirmed to be willing to engage in direct conversation with the Republic of China, but if and only if China takes the initiative. The Republic of China is not willing to engage in such direct conversations, or any other form of diplomatic contact.

Yugoslavia has proposed itself to become one of the Council‘s permanent members.

by Jacco-Pepijn Baljet, CNN

THE UNDICISIVE SUMMIT: TOO MANY ISSUES AT HAND AND TOO

LITTLE TIME

April 19, 1945

Page 9

„The debate in the Historical Summit is only one-sided“ remarked the delegate of Iran. „The discussion is mainly focused on the veto system within the UNSC and in what way it should be applied.“ The delegate of Iran wishes to focus on the cooperation between the GA, in which all countries are represented, and the Security Council, where the representation is limited.

The debate has actually covered several topics, but tended to focus in the above mentioned direction: on the veto power system and the designation of permanent member states. Several delegates, such as the delegates of Liberia, USA or France, are in favour of the veto system. Other delegates, such as the delegates of the Netherlands or Belgium, are strongly against the veto power.

Most delegates, for example the delegate of Yugoslavia, wish to “redefine“ the veto system. According to the Chair of the committee, the delegates are nevertheless working in a cooperative manner in order to solve the issue.

The possible invasion of Sweden is no longer a discussed matter. Whether this means that further conspiracies are inexistent is yet unclear. While several delegates were forming a power block in order to discuss the matter of the veto power, the delegates of Norway and the UK were supposedly talking about “moon landings“. The reason behind this paculiar discussion has not been specified and it might signal a cover up for an actual Earth-based opetaion. Currently, the delegates are creating working papers, which proves that the debate is reaching a consensus.

by Alexandra van Walraven, Al-Jazeera

1945: ONE-SIDED DISCUSSIONS AND PROSPECTIVE “MOON LANDINGS“ MARK THE

SUMMIT

Page 10

by Alexandra van Walraven, Al-Jazeera

Five delegates of the G-20 were present during Friday‘s Press Conference on the Youth Unemployment. The delegate of the Russian Federation provided a summary of the previous debate. The G-20 is working rather well and other delegates are cooperative according to his statement.

The heads of the states try to tackle the problem at question by focusing on both short and long run solutions through the adoption of educational and labour market measurements. The emphasis until now has been specifically placed on the educational measurements and various work-transition improvements.

All delegates insisted that international cooperation is the key solution to the overall problem of youth unemployment. Australia

added to this that there have been discussions on labour market incentives and legal regulations. The delegate of the UK gave as an example the financial support allocated to employers who would hire young people.

Yet, there are still many cultural problems which hinder a global solution to the problem of the youth unemployment. This has been pointed out by the delegate of South Korea, hereby referring to different versions of discrimination.

The G-20 is trying to fight unemployment on the G-20 level, but the final propositions that these delegates will come up with will provide a framework on valid on the international level. This could influence nations beyond the G-20 to implement similar measures.

G-20 CALLS THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE SESSION

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Editor-in-Chief:Kristina Stonjekova

Assistant to the EiCh:Anna Pocs

Journalists:

BBCAakanksha Manjunath

Anna KatasonovaAneta Jelinkova

Anna Adima

Al-JazeeraKyndylan Nienhuis

Alexandra van WalravenRabia Yesildag

CNNJacco-Pepijn BaljetRobert Cummins

Anna Conrad

Photojournalist:Marieke Pot

PRESS TEAM OF THE MODEL UNITED NATIONS OF THE HAGUE 2014