Hello Delegates,
HSMUN is fast approaching. We have received several position papers and have sent back our input. Remember that you may re-submit them for additional feedback up until the 15th of February. If you not have sent in your position paper, do so now. We will not be very happy or impressed if we get an email 12 hours before the conference.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in a few days!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
7 DAYS!
(Since it is 2am...HSMUN is officially 7 days away)
Delegates--you have until tomorrow (February 11th) to submit your position papers! They will be reviewed and sent back before the 14th. Again--anyone who submits before the 11th will have the opportunity to re-submit their position paper to be considered for the award. Anyone who submits their paper after this date, up until the 15th of February, will still receive feedback however will not be eligible for the award for the best position paper.
hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
As always, please review the blog entries especially within the next week. More information about the happenings, HRC resources etc will be posted. Any questions, please email us or comment on this blog and we will do our best to answer!
Delegates--you have until tomorrow (February 11th) to submit your position papers! They will be reviewed and sent back before the 14th. Again--anyone who submits before the 11th will have the opportunity to re-submit their position paper to be considered for the award. Anyone who submits their paper after this date, up until the 15th of February, will still receive feedback however will not be eligible for the award for the best position paper.
hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
As always, please review the blog entries especially within the next week. More information about the happenings, HRC resources etc will be posted. Any questions, please email us or comment on this blog and we will do our best to answer!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
A Primer on Transnational Corporations
Howdy Delegates:
Transnational corporations is a sticky topic, there are lots of issues. When I get hit by a big topic, I like to break it down. It helps to know what the issues are, but more importantly I think, is to know why they are issues, how they become issues and what can be done to address their causes. Some interesting ideas come up and probably need some explanation.
Alien Tort Claims Act of 1793
To simplify this a little: Tort claims are a fancy name for compensation, the claims basis is showing that harm has been done to you, by the willing action or willful negligence of the defendant, and you should be compensated for that.
The ACTA is in the United States, and this act offers a very interesting avenue of stopping abuses by transnational corporations because it allows foreign nationals to make claims. If this system could be extended, there would be a strong framework for litigation.
There are limitations however, mainly being that, as always, national borders hinder the pursuit of justice. Only entities with significant assets in the US can be affected. If it could be extended to other nations however, the safety net of abusive corporations (where they can hide their money from litigation) would be hindered. There is also great difficulty in making the cases clear cut: the principle of reasonable doubt means that the cases are also rarely successful. This is another avenue that can be explored for helping to rein in abusive corporations: making a stronger framework for investigating and clarifying what actually constitutes abuses by transnationals. Those are some ideas to think about; how can you make that happen?
On the topic of what are the limitations of transnationals, another sticky, long article: Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations. The preamble gives you some great context for previous resolutions that you can look into. The operative clauses are mainly just a rehash of the preamble, but a good summary of all the documents already passed if you don't want to go through them individually. What is incredibly important though, is at the end. The definitions are very useful, and things you should all know for this topic!
In fact, they're so important, I'll put them here.
For a touch of realism, it might also be interesting to check out this article on the United Nations and Transnationals, which does a good job of highlighting some of the issues that really make this contentious. Something that can be summarised a bit crudely in saying that it is bad for business when countries have laws against business doing whatever it wants to get the best profits. This is of course an absurd argument for blocking all human rights relating to corporations, because it is also bad for business to have human rights violations taking place for a lot of reasons. In fact one of the greatest strengths of the ATCA (see above) is the extra publicity you can garner for a cause. You may not get compensation, but if you can garner enough interest you hurt their ability to do it again, or continue doing so. Remember that balance is a key aspect of international relations: finding the happy medium between (in this case) profit and dignity; if the world were black and white there wouldn't be any need of the UN. Come ready to compromise, come ready to discuss.
Some cool initiatives from people you should pay attention to, the Human Rights Watch.
Corporate Responsibility is a very cool concept. Don't forget that while you are representing States, you can put pressure on your corporations and societies. One of the best ways to get corporations to follow human rights is by encouraging people contracting them to make it a necessary part of awarding and maintaining the contract.
Corruption exists everywhere despite a lot of States being capable of cracking down on it. A lot of ways that corporations get away with abuses is through weak requirements for accountability. This can be another avenue of exploration for protecting workers.
So to summarise, some key issues:
Accountability - How do you discipline someone?
Transparency - How do you keep people honest?
Incentives vs Regulation - How do you make someone want to be good? How do you make someone have to be good? Where do you draw the line between the two?
Definitions - Who are you talking about? What are they doing?
What I hope you've taken away from this, and that HSMUN continues to get into your head are a couple key lessons:
Firstly, that there is no black and white, find the balance and you'll find a resolution that works.
Secondly, that addressing the problem more often involves solving the root issues behind them, not cracking down on the symptoms. I recommend reading about the labours of Heracles: you need a means not only to cut off the heads, but also trap the body and stop them from coming back. Ingenuity is key.
Thirdly, and this is something key to the United Nations' existence: the best way to solve a problem is together. Cooperation is the best solution to global issues. Building cooperation and consensus is the most important part of this conference.
Finally, don't feel intimidated by complicated topics and complicated problems. When faced with something you don't understand, take a breather for a minute. Sit back, try not to think about the specifics but ask yourself why, what, who, how? Framing a topic with simple questions and strong definitions helps immensely in understanding them.
I apologise for the length of this article, but I hope it helps those of you who have the time to read it better understand a bit about transnationals, why this is an issue and maybe given you some ideas on where to go in this conference. I know it sounds boring, but it's actually quite interesting.
- UNHRC Dais
Transnational corporations is a sticky topic, there are lots of issues. When I get hit by a big topic, I like to break it down. It helps to know what the issues are, but more importantly I think, is to know why they are issues, how they become issues and what can be done to address their causes. Some interesting ideas come up and probably need some explanation.
Alien Tort Claims Act of 1793
To simplify this a little: Tort claims are a fancy name for compensation, the claims basis is showing that harm has been done to you, by the willing action or willful negligence of the defendant, and you should be compensated for that.
The ACTA is in the United States, and this act offers a very interesting avenue of stopping abuses by transnational corporations because it allows foreign nationals to make claims. If this system could be extended, there would be a strong framework for litigation.
There are limitations however, mainly being that, as always, national borders hinder the pursuit of justice. Only entities with significant assets in the US can be affected. If it could be extended to other nations however, the safety net of abusive corporations (where they can hide their money from litigation) would be hindered. There is also great difficulty in making the cases clear cut: the principle of reasonable doubt means that the cases are also rarely successful. This is another avenue that can be explored for helping to rein in abusive corporations: making a stronger framework for investigating and clarifying what actually constitutes abuses by transnationals. Those are some ideas to think about; how can you make that happen?
On the topic of what are the limitations of transnationals, another sticky, long article: Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations. The preamble gives you some great context for previous resolutions that you can look into. The operative clauses are mainly just a rehash of the preamble, but a good summary of all the documents already passed if you don't want to go through them individually. What is incredibly important though, is at the end. The definitions are very useful, and things you should all know for this topic!
In fact, they're so important, I'll put them here.
19. The term "transnational corporation" refers to an economic entity operating in more than one country or a cluster of economic entities operating in two or more countries - whatever their legal form, whether in their home country or country of activity, and whether taken individually or collectively.
20. The phrase "other business enterprise" includes any business entity, regardless of the international or domestic nature of its activities, including a transnational corporation; the corporate, partnership, or other legal form used to establish the business entity; and the nature of the ownership of the entity. These Responsibilities shall be presumed to apply, as a matter of practice, if the business enterprise has any relation with a transnational corporation, the impact of its activities is not entirely local, or the activities involve violations of the right to security as indicated in paragraphs three and four.
21. The term "stakeholder" includes stockholders, other owners, workers, and their representatives, as well as any other individual or group that is affected by the activities of the business. The term "stakeholder" should be interpreted functionally in light of the objectives of these Human Rights Responsibilities and include indirect stakeholders when their interests are or will be substantially affected by the activities of the transnational corporation or business enterprise. In addition to parties directly affected by the activities of business enterprises, stakeholders can include parties which are indirectly affected by the activities of businesses such as consumer groups, customers, governments, neighboring communities, indigenous peoples and communities, NGOs, public and private lending institutions, suppliers, trade associations, and others.
22. The terms "contractor," "subcontractor," "supplier," and "licensee" include any natural or legal person who enters into any agreement with the transnational corporation or business enterprise to accomplish the enterprise's activities.
23. The phrases "internationally recognized human rights" and "international human rights" include civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights, as set forth in the International Bill of Human Rights and other human rights treaties, as well as the right to development and rights recognized by international humanitarian law, international refugee law, international labour law, and other relevant instruments adopted within the United Nations system.
For a touch of realism, it might also be interesting to check out this article on the United Nations and Transnationals, which does a good job of highlighting some of the issues that really make this contentious. Something that can be summarised a bit crudely in saying that it is bad for business when countries have laws against business doing whatever it wants to get the best profits. This is of course an absurd argument for blocking all human rights relating to corporations, because it is also bad for business to have human rights violations taking place for a lot of reasons. In fact one of the greatest strengths of the ATCA (see above) is the extra publicity you can garner for a cause. You may not get compensation, but if you can garner enough interest you hurt their ability to do it again, or continue doing so. Remember that balance is a key aspect of international relations: finding the happy medium between (in this case) profit and dignity; if the world were black and white there wouldn't be any need of the UN. Come ready to compromise, come ready to discuss.
Some cool initiatives from people you should pay attention to, the Human Rights Watch.
Corporate Responsibility is a very cool concept. Don't forget that while you are representing States, you can put pressure on your corporations and societies. One of the best ways to get corporations to follow human rights is by encouraging people contracting them to make it a necessary part of awarding and maintaining the contract.
Corruption exists everywhere despite a lot of States being capable of cracking down on it. A lot of ways that corporations get away with abuses is through weak requirements for accountability. This can be another avenue of exploration for protecting workers.
So to summarise, some key issues:
Accountability - How do you discipline someone?
Transparency - How do you keep people honest?
Incentives vs Regulation - How do you make someone want to be good? How do you make someone have to be good? Where do you draw the line between the two?
Definitions - Who are you talking about? What are they doing?
What I hope you've taken away from this, and that HSMUN continues to get into your head are a couple key lessons:
Firstly, that there is no black and white, find the balance and you'll find a resolution that works.
Secondly, that addressing the problem more often involves solving the root issues behind them, not cracking down on the symptoms. I recommend reading about the labours of Heracles: you need a means not only to cut off the heads, but also trap the body and stop them from coming back. Ingenuity is key.
Thirdly, and this is something key to the United Nations' existence: the best way to solve a problem is together. Cooperation is the best solution to global issues. Building cooperation and consensus is the most important part of this conference.
Finally, don't feel intimidated by complicated topics and complicated problems. When faced with something you don't understand, take a breather for a minute. Sit back, try not to think about the specifics but ask yourself why, what, who, how? Framing a topic with simple questions and strong definitions helps immensely in understanding them.
I apologise for the length of this article, but I hope it helps those of you who have the time to read it better understand a bit about transnationals, why this is an issue and maybe given you some ideas on where to go in this conference. I know it sounds boring, but it's actually quite interesting.
- UNHRC Dais
11 DAY COUNTDOWN & INFORMATION
1) Position Papers are due by February 8th, however the HRC will be extending this deadline until February 11th. Any position papers submitted before this date will be reviewed and feedback will be provided. Delegates will have a second opportunity to re-submit their position papers for consideration of the award for best position paper. Papers submitted after this time period will not be considered for this award but will still be accepted until February 15th. The position papers are essential to allow you to make the most out of the conference.
email: hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
2) Please review the past blog entries as they contain important information to helping you with either your position papers, draft resolutions, and general rules and procedures for this conference. For additional information, please access the general High School Model United Nations webpage.
3) During the conference:
-Formal Attire is required throughout the three day conference, so please no jeans/sweats/tank tops/revealing outfits.
-No laptop use will be allowed during committee session, however you are allowed to use them before, or after committee and during your breaks.
-Cell phone use will also not be permitted during committee session. Delegates caught using their cell phone will be asked to read the text aloud to the committee unless it is from their mother, in which case this fact must be stated; alternative punishments may also be considered for repeat offenders.
4) For the Banquet:
-Formal dress only, delegates arriving in casual clothing will be turned away by hotel staff.
-Comfortable shoes must be worn. The hotel will eject delegates not wearing shoes on the dance floor or in the banquet hall, this applies especially to the girls: do not wear high heels if you can't wear them for the whole night.
5) Please do not come to committee with pre-written resolutions. These will be generally discarded as it is important to draft resolutions after discussion in committee. However, we welcome you to come with many ideas!
If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to email us at hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
email: hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
2) Please review the past blog entries as they contain important information to helping you with either your position papers, draft resolutions, and general rules and procedures for this conference. For additional information, please access the general High School Model United Nations webpage.
3) During the conference:
-Formal Attire is required throughout the three day conference, so please no jeans/sweats/tank tops/revealing outfits.
-No laptop use will be allowed during committee session, however you are allowed to use them before, or after committee and during your breaks.
-Cell phone use will also not be permitted during committee session. Delegates caught using their cell phone will be asked to read the text aloud to the committee unless it is from their mother, in which case this fact must be stated; alternative punishments may also be considered for repeat offenders.
4) For the Banquet:
-Formal dress only, delegates arriving in casual clothing will be turned away by hotel staff.
-Comfortable shoes must be worn. The hotel will eject delegates not wearing shoes on the dance floor or in the banquet hall, this applies especially to the girls: do not wear high heels if you can't wear them for the whole night.
5) Please do not come to committee with pre-written resolutions. These will be generally discarded as it is important to draft resolutions after discussion in committee. However, we welcome you to come with many ideas!
If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to email us at hsmun.hrc@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A rather biased article on transnational corporations
No Court is Supreme
http://www.opednews.com/articles/No-Court-is-Supreme-by-Trutha-Diver-100122-15.html
http://www.opednews.com/articles/No-Court-is-Supreme-by-Trutha-Diver-100122-15.html
Friday, January 29, 2010
News Articles Topic 2
The ongoing war between Google and China has come down to email hacking. Journalists in China face email Hijacking.
- Burma jails journalist
-Transnational Corporations
Related to the issue of human rights but not the topic 1 or 2:
Vietnam Jails Democracy Activists
Don't forget to mail your position papers to hsmun.hrc@gmail.com before the conference so they can be looked over.
Have a great weekend.
- Burma jails journalist
-Transnational Corporations
Related to the issue of human rights but not the topic 1 or 2:
Vietnam Jails Democracy Activists
Don't forget to mail your position papers to hsmun.hrc@gmail.com before the conference so they can be looked over.
Have a great weekend.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Papers/General Info/Resources
For all of you who have not started their position papers...better late than never right? (Not).
Here are some more links that might help you out.
Position Paper
Position Paper 2
A Quick Overview of the UN (essentially an Idiot's Guide)
Tricks of the Trade: Nuances, Tactics and Strategies of the UN
United Nations Resources:
(I shamelessly stole this from Harvard National Model United Nations page)
Official UN Organizations
The United Nations
Visit the official home page of the United Nations, including links to the various departments and bodies within the organization.
UN Member States
Information about all 192 member states is available here.
UN General Assembly
The General Assembly is the main body of the United Nations, encompassing all 192 member states.
UN Economic and Social Council
The Council coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and its agencies and institutions.
UN Security Council
Look up Security Council resolutions in addition to information about its membership, responsibilities, and powers.
Fundamental Documents
Charter of the United Nations
Read the document that established the United Nations on 24 October 1945, for details on its powers and responsibilities.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The General Assembly adopted in December 1948 this resolution proclaiming basic human rights and calling upon all nations to uphold them.
(THIS ONE IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL)
UN Documentation Center
A compilation of resolutions, press releases, and other documents issued by the committees of the United Nations.
Once again, Good Luck and see you February!
Here are some more links that might help you out.
Position Paper
Position Paper 2
A Quick Overview of the UN (essentially an Idiot's Guide)
Tricks of the Trade: Nuances, Tactics and Strategies of the UN
United Nations Resources:
(I shamelessly stole this from Harvard National Model United Nations page)
Official UN Organizations
The United Nations
Visit the official home page of the United Nations, including links to the various departments and bodies within the organization.
UN Member States
Information about all 192 member states is available here.
UN General Assembly
The General Assembly is the main body of the United Nations, encompassing all 192 member states.
UN Economic and Social Council
The Council coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and its agencies and institutions.
UN Security Council
Look up Security Council resolutions in addition to information about its membership, responsibilities, and powers.
Fundamental Documents
Charter of the United Nations
Read the document that established the United Nations on 24 October 1945, for details on its powers and responsibilities.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The General Assembly adopted in December 1948 this resolution proclaiming basic human rights and calling upon all nations to uphold them.
(THIS ONE IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL)
UN Documentation Center
A compilation of resolutions, press releases, and other documents issued by the committees of the United Nations.
Once again, Good Luck and see you February!
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