UNHRC Study Guide

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    NOTTINGHAM INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE 2011

    STUDY GUIDE

    UNITED NATIONS HUMAN

    RIGHTS COUNCIL (UNHRC)

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    CONTENTS

    Committee Personnel & Contact

    Agenda Item 1:

    The creation of a coherent framework for human rights and environmental issues

    Introduction Background Key Issues

    Agenda Item 2:

    Human rights and the removal and resettlement of individuals

    Introduction Background Key Issues

    Bibliography

    COMMITTEE PERSONNEL & CONTACT

    Committee President: Maral Shafafy

    Head Chair: Bhaktimayar Nair

    Vice Chairs: Okyanus Akin and Ilkiz Orhon

    Committee Contact: [email protected]

    ABBREVIATIONS

    DRC Democratic Republic of Congo

    ECHR European Convention of Human Rights

    ECOSOC Economic and Social Council

    EU European Union

    UN United Nations

    UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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    AGENDA ITEM 1:

    The creation of a coherent framework for human rights and environmental issues

    man has a fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an

    environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-beingPrinciple 1 of the Stockholm Declaration 1972

    INTRODUCTION

    A significant element of human rights is the empowerment of individuals and the creation of

    minimum standards that all human beings should be given during their life. Whilst these are

    certainly two key elements it is important to review the context in which these rights exist.

    The exercise and maintenance of human rights are affected by not only individuals

    themselves in the way they interact with others but also under legal systems, employment

    and even the environment. This is not an exhaustive list however it is important to

    emphasise that all of these areas are interrelated.

    The issue of the environment and primarily climate change has dominated politics over the

    last twenty years or so. It is arguable that the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 resulted in a more

    forthright move to international regulation and monitoring of the environment. However it

    was not until 1995 and the creation of the Berlin Mandate, that the international

    community began discussing environmental issues extensively.1

    Indeed, this Mandate led to

    the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the continued emphasis on environmental issues

    subsequently. The implication of the environment on human rights then came to the fore of

    the agendas of the then United Nations Commission for Human Rights and UNEP when they

    joined together to discuss this issue between 2001 and 2002.

    2

    BACKGROUND

    Slow beginnings (1940s-1980s): in 1949, the UN Scientific Conference on the conservation

    and utilisation of resources was the first UN body to address the depletion of those

    resources and their use. The focus, however, was mainly on how to manage them for

    economic and social development, and not from a conservation perspective. It was not until

    1968 that environmental issues received serious attention by any major UN organs. ECOSOC

    was the first to include those issues in its agenda as a specific item and decided to hold the

    first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.3

    In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was convened in

    Stockholm. It delivered a simple, yet profound message, that the maintenance of the

    environment was critical to the enjoyment of basic human rights. It emphasised that even

    1http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdf

    2http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htm

    3http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll

    _articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=true

    http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdfhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdf
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    the right to life itself hinged on the maintenance of the environment.4

    However whilst this

    conference presented a step towards recognising the impact of the environment on human

    rights some have argued it was more about the environment itself.5

    Evidence to support this

    argument can be seen by the actions of the then European Community after the

    conference. In 1973, the first Environmental Action Program was created by the European

    Community and it has continued to discuss environmental issues.6

    Over the next 20 years, as part of efforts to implement the 1972 decisions, concern for the

    atmosphere and global climate slowly gained international attention and action. In 1979,

    the UNEP Governing Council asked its Executive Director, under the Earth Watch

    programme, to monitor and evaluate the long-range transport of air pollutants.7

    However

    progress was slow and it was not until 1987 that real impetus was given to environmental

    issues in the global agenda as the UN General Assembly adopted the Environmental

    Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond.8

    This again was another statement of aims and

    objectives for the environment but there was still a limited view as to the impact of the

    environment on human rights.

    Paving the way to a new century (1990s): the principles highlighted in Stockholm appear to

    have been taken on board by countries but then forgotten about. This was certainly true

    until the early 1990s when the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 45/94. This

    Resolution called for a more concerted effort to create a better and healthier environment.9

    This was then taken forward, in procedural terms at any rate, into the discussions at the

    Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janiero in 1992 and Principle 10 of

    the Rio Declaration is the first clear evidence of a link being made between human rights

    and the environment.10

    It is important to emphasise that between 1991 and 1998 there were eleven separate

    international conventions or conferences relating to the environment all with a differing

    emphasis on human rights. These instruments are:

    Protocol on Environmental Protection on the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna andFlora

    Framework Convention on Climate Change Protocol to amend the International Convention on the Establishment of an

    International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage

    4http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htm

    5Bjrn-Ola Linnr and Henrik Selin, The Thirty Year Quest for Sustainability: The Legacy of the 1972 UN

    Conference on the Human Environment, Paper presented at Annual Convention of International Studies

    Association, Portland, Oregon, USA , 25 February 1 March 2003, p. 36http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environment

    7http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll

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    _articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=true9http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htm

    10http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htm

    http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htmhttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htm
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    Protocol to amend the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil PollutionDamage

    Convention on Biological Diversity International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing

    Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa

    Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety ofRadioactive Waste Management

    International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connectionwith the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea

    Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses Joint Protocol to amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage

    and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy

    Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for CertainHazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

    However these international instruments, whilst covering a wide range of topics, do not

    truly appear to focus on the principles of Stockholm.

    The impact of the environment on human rights can be seen

    by the growth of litigation around the right to privacy and

    family life during the 1990s. This was no more prevalent than

    in Europe, where the ECHR has been successfully invoked to

    combat environmental impact. One such case was Arrondelle

    v. United Kingdom in which the claimant argued that the noise

    from a nearby airport and motorway breached their right to

    privacy. This case was eventually settled with a payment being

    made to the claimant of over 7,000.11

    However the primary

    case in this area, which highlights the power of human rights

    to protect the environment is Lopez-Ostra v. Spain and this is

    for the primary reason that the claimant was not required to

    exhaust all administrative remedies under national law to

    bring their legal claim but only needed to do this in respect of the human rights element.12

    Creating the better environment imagined in 1972 (2000s): in 2007, the United Kingdom

    led the way in bringing the issues of the environment and security to the fore during its

    presidency of the UN Security Council. This was the first recognition, at the top level of theUN, that environmental issues transcend mere talk of climate change but could affect the

    vary make up and fabric of the international community.13

    This presents a problem for

    human rights and their maintenance as if the fabric of the international community breaks

    up, these rights may fall away and become an afterthought.

    11http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp2.htm

    12http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp2.htm

    13http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4825?ctnscroll

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    In July 2011, the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban-Ki Moon stated in a speech to the fourth

    meeting of the Parties of the Aarhus Convention that its focus on human rights and enabling

    individuals to impact on their governments was important for ecological protection.14

    However the Aarhus Convention merely facilitates a dialogue between people and their

    governments and does not necessarily prompt governments to consider human rights

    alongside environmental policies.

    KEY ISSUES

    It is necessary, as a preamble to these key issues to stress that the environment is not

    merely climate change and global warming but rather a mixture of both natural and man-

    made ones that often collide. The issues highlighted below are not exhaustive however they

    should be considered, along with others in the context of the natural environment.

    Working environment

    Often the industries that people work in have an impact not only on their health but alsothe surrounding environment. This can certainly be seen in the aftermath of the Chernobyl

    disaster in 1986. Significant areas of land and plants were destroyed by radiation and

    livestock suffered either through the increase in the size of their thyroids leading to death or

    the stunting of their growth. Beyond this the effects of Chernobyl are still being felt across

    Europe, despite the passage of some twenty-five years. For example, of the over 440,000

    wild boar killed in Germany in 2010 over 1,000 were found to have significantly high levels

    of radiation within them above and beyond the limits for radiation put in place after

    Chernobyl to reduce residual exposure.15

    Industry itself can also pose problems both on an environmental level through pollution butalso by affecting the people that work within the respective industries. Under Article 23 of

    the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all people are guaranteed the right of just and

    favourable conditions at work. However, it is questionable how far this right has been or is

    being upheld. In June 2011 it was reported that a battery factory in the Zhejiang province of

    China had exposed its workers to high levels of lead poisoning. The factory also caused the

    surrounding environment to suffer, with children also succumbing to lead poisoning. There

    were reports of more than 300 people being diagnosed with lead poisoning. 16 Other

    industries, such as the mining of gold, have also led to increased problems for the

    environment and the people that work in them. The ideal right of a person under Article 23

    is often seen in stark contrast to the actual reality. Gold mining in countries such as Nigeriaand Papua New Guinea often uses the artisanal technique and through this process the

    miners are exposed to high levels of mercury. Mercury is a highly deadly metal however

    despite an international prohibition on children working with it, they continue to do so and

    e exposed to it through their parents.17

    Residential environmentliving standards and resources

    14http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919

    15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

    16http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=all

    17http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-miners

    http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919
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    There is a great disparity between views on living standards across the world. In the more

    developed north there is a presumption that individuals will have a comfortable home with

    furniture, whilst in the developing south there is a presumption that individuals will be

    building makeshift houses with little in the way of luxury and security.

    However, despite this presumption there will always be competition for resources and this

    is where much contention can arise between citizens and immigrants or even betweencitizens of the same country themselves. The competition for resources may mean

    increased resentment between the various populations in a particular area or country or

    even greater environmental impacts that impact on everyone within a state.

    One key area where there is often competition for resources is in basic materials such as

    wood, coal and water. For example, between 1994 and 1996, approximately 36,000 million

    trees were cut down within the Virunga National Park in the DRC. Much of this was removed

    for fuel to ensure life in the local area however a significant proportion was also removed to

    build shelters and housing. It is important to note however this deforestation was not as a

    result of the increased need by the local population but rather as a result of the introductionof refugees to the local area. At its peak, the rate of deforestation reached removal rates of

    770 tons per day. This story can also be seen in the Kivu province of the DRC where within

    three weeks of the arrival of refugee populations, almost 38 square kilometres of forest

    were lost.18

    One key problem that deforestation, for example, then poses is soil degradation. This comes

    in two forms. Firstly, as soil erosion by the sun, wind and water. The erosion of the soil

    prompts a degrading of the top soil in the local area which causes difficulties for growing

    crops and successfully grazing animals.19

    Secondly, the erosion of soil gives rise to an

    increased risk of flooding. This risk does not become evident until the rainy season occurs.

    Where a camp is situated in an area of raised terrain, such as Bukavu in Zaire, then mud

    slides are an ever present danger and can be caused as a direct result from large levels of

    rainfall. These risks may not be remedied by the mere movement of refugees from the area

    in which the camp is located but rather through the rehabilitation of the area.20 To further

    18Prof. J.O. Oucho, Environmental Impact of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Sub -Saharan Africa

    2007African Migration Alliance Biennial Workshop on Climate Change, Environment and Migration, p. 1219

    Prof. J.O. Oucho, Environmental Impact of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Sub -Saharan Africa

    2007African Migration Alliance Biennial Workshop on Climate Change, Environment and Migration, p. 11,

    Table 320

    A.K. Biswas & C. Tortajada Quiroz, Environmental Impacts of Refugees: A Case Study 1996 Vol. 14 Impact

    Assessment, p. 31

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    highlight this issue, in the mid-1990s a study was conducted into the changes in the

    ecosystem of the Senegal River Valley. It was found that due to changes in land cover and

    the alteration of the vegetation make-up of the region through various deforestation and

    clearance actions that there had been an alteration in all ecological zones along the river.21

    Changes to countries

    All countries are dependent upon

    the environment and their climate

    to maintain their local flora and

    fauna. This is critical to the survival

    of ecosystems as well as the survival

    of countries themselves. This is

    especially important in relation to

    island nations. An increase of just

    half a metre in sea level would put

    at risk the very survival of thehuman population of many Pacific

    Island nations.22 Countries that are

    already seeing the impacts of

    climate change include The

    Maldives and other potential targets for risk to the human population through climate

    change include Papua New Guinea. Above and beyond the mere threat of rising sea levels is

    the potential for increased competition for resources. The 2006 Stern Review predicted that

    there would be a greater competition for resources, should sea levels rise and there be

    environmental threats to populations, than at any time since the end of the Second World

    War.23

    The consequences of climate change are far reaching and can strike at the very heartof the security agenda: flooding, disease and famine, resulting in migration on an

    unprecedented scale in areas of already high tension; drought and crop-failure, leading to

    intensified competition for food, water and energy in regions where resources are already

    stretched to the limit.24

    To put this into some context it is appropriate to look at one country that is within the

    danger zone of the Pacific Island nations. Tuvalu is made up a series of narrow islands, with

    Funafuti, the capital, a mere 600 metres wide at its widest point and the land is less than 2

    metres above sea level. The environment of Tuvalu is changing. It is already being noticed by

    the local population that beaches have disappeared, small islets have been washed away,coral reefs are starting to die and crops are dying from salt-water intrusion.

    25

    21Black and Sessay, Refugees, Land Cover and Environmental Change in the Senegal River Valley 1996 41(1)

    GeoJournal22

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    A recent report Oxfam has suggested that the costs of adaptation to changes in the

    environment and local climates will total around $50 billion per yeara figure far higher

    than previously considered and greater than those suggested by the World Bank.26

    The disappearance of nations, such as Tuvalu, does prompt a serious question: where willthe citizens of these nations go when the nations themselves disappear? As there are

    numerous rights to citizenship and the right to residency in a state, should these rights be

    used to force other countries to become the foster homes of unintentionally stateless

    people?

    Legal environment

    The most recent example where human rights issues have clashed

    between a legal and residential environment was a case involving

    an asylum seeker in Greece. In 2011, the laws of the EU relating to

    asylum seekers were called into question by the European Court ofHuman Rights. As a result of the decision in MSS v. Belgium and

    Greece27 the application of the EU asylum laws by Belgium and

    Greece were deemed to contravene the ECHR. The Court stated

    that the return of an asylum seeker from Belgium to Greece

    contravened Article 3 of the ECHR namely the right to freedom

    from torture, inhuman or degrading treatment. This decision was

    based in part on the conditions that the applicant asylum seeker

    argued that they would be returned to if they were placed back into the custody of the

    Greek authorities.28

    AGENDA ITEM 2:

    Human rights and the removal and resettlement of individuals

    INTRODUCTION

    For centuries there have been various instances of the removal of people from one area or

    one country to another, all for various reasons. There have also been either coupled with

    this removal or indeed as part of a different policy to resettle people. This is of no surprise

    as humans have continuously competed for supremacy over each other and have usedthese mechanisms as a means to exert such supremacy.

    26http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll

    _articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=true27

    Application 30696/09 (http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-

    greece.pdf)28

    Application 30696/09, p.56 (For These Reasons, The Court)

    (http://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdf)

    http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4824?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=true
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    In 2006, it was estimated that there were over 50 million people living outside their home

    country as a result of forced removal, resettlement or migration. Often forced migration is a

    result of internal struggle, especially war, or it is as a result of a humanitarian emergency.29

    However, during a removal and/or resettlement of individuals are their human rights

    upheld, suspended or merely ignored to satisfy the purpose of the policy or as a matter ofexpediency.

    BACKGROUND

    The historical context (pre-1945): it is historically proven that resettlements have occurred

    to remove races or religions which appear to threaten the established population or religion

    in a specific country. The removal of the Jewish population from England during the reign of

    Edward I to the removal and resettlement of Plains Indians to reservations in America are

    just two examples of forced removals and resettlements that were undertaken for differentpolicies. There was often an element of demonization of the people to be removed and

    resettled, which can be seen in the Russian pogroms of the late nineteenth century. The

    start of the pogroms is often traced to the assassination of Czar Alexander III and the riots

    arising during this time continued to force people to resettle elsewhere.

    It is however hard to discuss the forced removal and resettlement of individuals without

    discussing the Holocaust and the use of concentration camps to remove the lesser races

    from the conquered lands of Nazi Germany especially the Jews, Gypsies and Slavs. The

    policy of looking to create an Aryan race and the inherent racism of the creation of a

    Greater Germany ideal led to the forced removal and resettlement of millions of people.

    Much of the context for the pre-1945 forced removal and resettlement of people was borne

    out of fear-mongering or using them as a scapegoat for wider social, political or economic

    problems. This can again be seen acutely in the propaganda of Nazi Germany throughout

    the 1930s and early 1940s.

    Post-war resettlement (1945-1999): as a result of the preceding history and especially as a

    result of actions of Nazi Germany, the international community looked to create a

    framework in which the rights of individuals were not just the concern of states but the

    concern of the entire international community. This is certainly a policy that can be seenbehind the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Whilst it is a statement of

    all of the basic rights that individuals have and should have upheld, there is an inherent

    tension within it. This tension is between the right to reside in a state and the right to obtain

    asylum. This tension can be found between Articles 13 and 14. The debate that surrounded

    these provisions saw the USSR wanting to qualify the rights to leave and the USA looking to

    remove any obligation on states in respect of asylum.30 Subsequent to this the international

    29J Mertus & J W Helsing, Human Rights & Conflict: exploring the links between rights, law and peacebuilding

    (2006), p. 40530

    J Mertus & J W Helsing, Human Rights & Conflict: exploring the links between rights, law and peacebuilding

    (2006), pp. 408-409

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    community revisited the issue of removed persons under the 1951 UN Convention Relating

    to the Status of Refugees. The 1951 Convention is arguably more Euro-centric than the

    Universal Declaration of Human Rights but it does provide for the application of basic

    human rights to refugees who are within a new state.31

    Resettlement in the new millennium: whilst therehave been developments in the protection of

    removed and resettled persons, the most effective

    protection frameworks are those applicable to

    people who have crossed borders namely

    refugees. It has thus left those who have been

    forcibly removed or resettled in their home country

    with little protection. This situation has however

    altered over the last decade. The presence of the

    UN and its agencies during conflicts that have caused the forced removal or resettlement of

    people within their own country or another one has helped to ease the transition ofmovement. However, there is not necessarily a fully co-ordinated effort, nor is it always as

    easy to make this transition as could be suggested.

    Much of the emphasis has been on strengthening the position of internally displaced

    persons rather than continuing to bolster the position of refugees to provide cover for

    internally displaced persons.

    KEY ISSUES

    Lack of protection for internally resettled persons

    The lack of protection for internal persons stems from the unwillingness of states to infringe

    national sovereignty and by virtue of that having governments tell other governments what

    to do. This affects wide range of countries, from Russia and China with their inherent veto

    power to Somalia and Liberia, with their lack of an accountable government of authority to

    provide security to citizens.32 This raises the question of how to combat this problem.

    Where states are unwilling to intervene when there is a mass internal displacement of

    people a vacuum is created whereby the international framework does not necessarily

    provide the protection of basic rights that these people need, nor does the national law

    want to provide protection to citizens.

    Competition for resources

    When introducing more people into an area, whether resources are scarce or not, will result

    in competition between the indigenous populous and the new residents. This can be acutely

    seen in the context of refugee camps. At Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, there have been

    conflicts between refugee and local communities. These conflicts have focused on the

    31J Mertus & J W Helsing, Human Rights & Conflict: exploring the links between rights, law and peacebuilding

    (2006), p. 40932

    J Mertus & J W Helsing, Human Rights & Conflict: exploring the links between rights, law and peacebuilding

    (2006), p. 411

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    depletion of forestry and forestry resources, giving rise to tensions between the refugee

    population and the pastoralist communities.33

    In Tanzania this has been taken further where

    there has been competition to obtain access to the resources of the countrys

    infrastructure, such as transport links, as well as goods and the use of grazing land and

    water sources.34

    One of the resources that is consistently competed for is water. As refugee

    camps often do not have their own water supply, refugees have to travel sometimes longdistances to obtain water. There is a staunch range of water consumption among camps

    from 11.1 litres at Kibumba to 5.3 litres at Kituku. Bringing water into camps from outside

    sources could result in health problems by introducing diseases to the camp including

    dysentery and cholera.35

    Criminal activity and political radicalism

    Many people who resettle in other countries are coming from war zones and when they

    enter host countries they are coming with weapons.36

    These weapons are a remnant of this

    situation they are leaving rather than a direct attempt to cause unrest in their host country.

    However, these weapons are a real threat to others and could be used during unrest in arefugee camp or to commit criminal acts. Criminal activity ranges from the small and petty

    to serious crimes including murder, robbery and possession of arms. These crimes, if they

    spill over into the host community, can have dramatic effects on indigenous people. It is

    possible for internal displacement of families and communities or whole villages to occur as

    a result of criminal activity spilling out from resettlement communities. This situation is

    often exacerbated by the location of host countries namely close to the conflict.37

    Most recently however, in the United Kingdom, a serious debate erupted around the

    traveller population of Dayle Farm. The land that comprised the farm belonged to the

    travellers however they had constructed a travellers site on it without expressed planningpermission. This situation flared into protests and eventually led to a mass forced eviction of

    the site. It has been argued that both sides, the travellers or the police and local authorities,

    were breaking the law by undertaking this forced eviction. The travellers were seen as

    criminal by having breached planning regulations and not complied with a request to leave

    the land. The police and local authorities were seen to have contravened human rights by

    commissioning and carrying out this forced removal.

    Poaching is a prevalent issue in host communities. The issue of poaching however is not as

    widely appreciated. In some instances nearly thirty per cent of the game population in

    resettlement areas was poached. The actions of poachers are felt the worst in respect ofrare wildlife. Some of the worst examples of poaching have included the decimation of the

    33http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-

    environmental-challenges-in-refugee-camps34

    P.A. Ongpin, Refugees: asset or burden?35

    A.K. Biswas & C. Tortajada Quiroz, Environmental Impacts of Refugees: A Case Study 1996 Vol. 14 Impact

    Assessment, p. 3536

    http://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htm37

    Dr. B. Rutinwa, Dr. K. Kamanga and K.L.L. Washoma, Impactof Refugees in North Western Tanzania 2003

    Center for Study of Forced Migration, University of Dar Es Salaam, pp. 3-4

    http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-camps
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    populations of the eastern plain gorilla, the roan antelope and the eland. With these species

    being rare, their decimation pushes them closer and closer to extinction.38

    Political radicalisation often leads to civil unrest and conflict either between inhabitants of

    the refugee camp or between the camp and wider community. The best example of this can

    be seen in the experience of refugees. This was certainly seen in the Nahr-el-Bared camp in2007 when fighting broke out in the vicinity of the camp itself with skirmishes occurring on

    the outskirts of the camp between Islamic militants and the Lebanese army in May that

    year. The Lebanese army placed the camp under siege and attacks were launched on the

    camp during June and August. It was not until September that the camp fell and the

    militants within the camp were brought under control of the authorities.39

    Spread of conflict into country of resettlement

    There are numerous instances of conflict spreading as a result of the removal or

    resettlement of people. This is so even if this removal or resettlement is forced or voluntary.

    Throughout Africa there have been various instances of conflict spreading. For example,during the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s the countries at the borders of Rwanda saw

    influxes of Rwandan refugees and conversely some also provided shelter to militia attacking

    people in Rwanda.

    38Prof. J.O. Oucho, Environmental Impact of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Sub -Saharan Africa

    2007African Migration Alliance Biennial Workshop on Climate Change, Environment and Migration, pp. 14-1539

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Lebanon_conflict

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Lebanon_conflicthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Lebanon_conflicthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Lebanon_conflicthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Lebanon_conflict
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    BIBLIOGRAPHY

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    Pictures

    Right to life, liberty and security of person:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlewin/2534766402/sizes/s/in/photostream/

    Houses:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-

    buyers-income.html

    Favela:

    http://www.hatw.org.uk/default.asp?section=2

    Map of Tuvalu:

    http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/tuvalu/

    http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdfhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdfhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlewin/2534766402/sizes/s/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlewin/2534766402/sizes/s/in/photostream/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-buyers-income.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-buyers-income.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-buyers-income.htmlhttp://www.hatw.org.uk/default.asp?section=2http://www.hatw.org.uk/default.asp?section=2http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/tuvalu/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/tuvalu/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/tuvalu/http://www.hatw.org.uk/default.asp?section=2http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-buyers-income.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-485821/Average-British-house-costs-times-buyers-income.htmlhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanlewin/2534766402/sizes/s/in/photostream/http://www.jha.ac/articles/a050.htmhttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/esaro/_news/?2417/Eastern-Africa-Tackling-environmental-challenges-in-refugee-campshttp://www.statewatch.org/news/2011/jan/echr-judgment-mss-v-belgium-greece.pdfhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/27/global-mercury-reduction-treaty-protect-health-gold-minershttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/world/asia/15lead.html?pagewanted=allhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disasterhttp://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38919http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Conference_on_the_Human_Environmenthttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/pid/4819?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/index.htmhttp://unfccc.int/resource/docs/tp/tp0200.pdf
  • 8/3/2019 UNHRC Study Guide

    15/15

    15

    All are equal before the law:

    http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/t

    hesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ct

    nlistpagination_articleContainerList=true

    Refugees:

    http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpg

    http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpghttp://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpghttp://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpghttp://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpghttp://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2011/2/4/refugees-held-in-libya-pic-ap-350407388.jpghttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=truehttp://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/cache/bypass/home/archive/issues2007/thesolidarityofpeoples/eliminatingracialdiscrimination?ctnscroll_articleContainerList=1_0&ctnlistpagination_articleContainerList=true