CERRITOS UNICEF DIRECTOR: SUBHA GAUTAM

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1 UNICEF DIRECTOR: SUBHA GAUTAM

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Statement A Note from Your Director... 3 Committee Introduction 3 Child Trafficking... 4 Background. 4 United Nations Involvement.. 5 Bloc Positions. 6 Basic Solutions... 7 Questions to Consider... 7 Sources

3 HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS Annual Novice Conference October 10, 2015 Justin Cooley Secretary-General Joyce Kye Secretary-General Joseph Shin of Conferences Sophia Anigbo of Delegate Affairs Betty Zhang of Finance Rohan Patel of Technology WELCOME STATEMENT Dear Delegates, Welcome to Cerritos Novice 2015! It is our highest honor and pleasure to welcome you to our annual novice conference here at Cerritos High School. On behalf of the Cerritos High School Model United Nations program we are proud to host another year of this long-standing conference. Here at CHS, we take absolute pride in this extensive program and its ability to create new and lasting friendships while also encouraging stimulating and intellectual discussion for high school students all across the globe. The CHSMUN program boasts continually being nationally ranked, while our delegates have the opportunity to compete at conferences all around the nation. Our head chairs are selected from only the best seniors our program has to offer and they undergo a rigorous training process to ensure they are qualified to moderate and grade the quality of debate in each of our committees. Our chairs are the same delegates that represent our delegation at universities and conferences to the best of their ability. Our topic synopses have been reviewed and revised countless times to ensure that as a delegate you have the tools and understanding to be successful in committee. Our advisors and staff have put in countless hours to ensure you have an amazing experience at our conference and that you are encouraged to continue on in Model United Nations at your prospective schools. With 25 novice committees and 2 middle school committees, CHSMUN 2015 will provide a quality experience for beginners to learn and develop your skills as delegates. If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you at CHSMUN Novice 2015! Sincerely, Justin Cooley and Joyce Kye Secretary-Generals

4 HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS Annual Novice Conference October 10, 2015 Justin Cooley Secretary-General Joyce Kye Secretary-General Joseph Shin of Conferences Sincerely, Subha Gautam Director, UNICEF Sophia Anigbo of Delegate Affairs Betty Zhang of Finance Rohan Patel of Technology Subha Gautam UNICEF Director A NOTE FROM YOUR DIRECTOR Delegates, My name is Subha Gautam and I will be your head director for UNICEF. I am a senior and this is my fourth year in MUN. I love doing humanitarian committees, and UNICEF was my first so it holds a close place to my heart. Aside from MUN, I am involved in clubs at school like Octagon, Drama, and UNICEF itself before it got cancelled. I also took part in the school play, FAME. Outside of school, I do cultural dancing, and volunteer in the community. COMMITTEE INTRODUCTION UNICEF was founded in 1946, in order to provide humanitarian, and development aid to children and mothers internationally. One of the main issues faced by UNICEF is ongoing trafficking of children worldwide. That is why I am really looking forward to committee and discussing the crucial issue of Child Trafficking. I am excited to see the solutions each and every one of you will be presenting. Please use the topic synopsis to guide yourselves, but go beyond it as well. A few tips, be well researched (who, what, where, why, how), know your country's policy, and be ready to debate. Most importantly enjoy the conference, and I hope you all can improve as delegates with this experience. 3

5 BACKGROUND CHILD TRAFFICKING According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the most lucrative crime businesses are narcotics, human trafficking, and arms trade. Behind narcotics, human trafficking generates over $32 billion annually compared $321 billion made through the illegal trade of narcotics. Of the million people trafficked throughout the world, at least two million are children and 40% are sexually exploited. Across the world, hubs for child trafficking include: sporting events in North America, Las Vegas and other areas of legalized prostitution, Mexico, the Caribbean, Brazil, areas of legalized commercial sex trafficking, Israel, Middle East, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and China. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children along with the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime are two of the most influential documents regarding human trafficking in general. Together they aid countries in developing legislation, defining trafficking in persons, establishing a child as anyone under 18, providing victims with safety after being rescued, and measures to prevent trafficking in the future. Although, trafficking does not just happen in person, it happens online as well. Three of four trafficking victims are sold online. Whether it happens in person or online, poverty is the accomplice to traffickers. In order to truly combat human trafficking we must eradicate poverty because poverty causes people to act desperately and in this desperation, they sell their children for extra money and add to the growing number of children trafficked globally. Poverty leads to female infanticide and parents selling their children into the horrific cycle of trafficking. On an annual basis, 200,000 children are sold into slavery, mostly by their parents for $17. At times parents are not aware that their child is being trafficked. Desperate for the extra income due to being extremely poor, the families are fooled and unknowingly give up their children to traffickers, who promise work for the child in urban cities. Because of poverty females have become an economic liability that has led to an unstable girl to boy ratio in many nations involved with child trafficking. The perfect example of this is India, a developing nation struggling with poverty, and child trafficking. Due to India s huge number of victims in child trafficking, the UN has declared it the most dangerous place for a female to be at. Also, 200,000 children are sold into slavery, mostly by their parents for $17, on an annual basis. Through, the expansion of sex trade, India grosses a $343 billion industry in human trafficking. An estimate of 6 to 9 million women and girls are sold due to poverty, kidnappings, and schemes that turn out to be a trap. According to the International Needs, districts in West Bengal make up 78% of the trafficking in India that involves a majority of children. Although much of the trafficking occurs within India s borders, children are continuously trafficked between Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. From Nepal, there is an estimated 200,000 girls under 16 working as prostitutes within India. Other than sexual exploitation children from India are trafficked into the Middle East for sports such as camel racing, to beg in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj, and as live in maids within India. The impact child trafficking has extends beyond nations, to the international community. With children being trafficked, the future of nations is diminished. With no future, a nation starts to struggle, and this becomes a pattern. When a majority of nations start to malfunction, the international community weakens. Therefore, child trafficking needs to be addressed in the most efficient way possible in order to combat the issue. 4

6 UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT The United Nations (UN) has been involved with human trafficking which includes children as well since the start. In 2003, the UN held a convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Trafficking in Persons Protocol. In July 2010, the UN adopted the Global Plan of Action to combat human trafficking. The Global Plan of Action was proposed by Belarus. The plan was supported by Kyrgyzstan, Canada, and Mexico among many more. The most crucial factor of this plan is the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, which was launched in November This fund was created in order to support human trafficking victims through financial, legal, and humanitarian aid.the UN has held many meetings and raised money for the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking. At the start of one meeting in 2012, there were pledges of $1 million, however only half of the pledge in contributions. Soon after Australia had pledged $200,000, Russia pledged $30,000 and Luxembourg pledged 20,000. In 2012, UNODC conducted the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons which showed that there had been an increase in the number of convictions globally in regards to trafficking. Furthermore, the conclusion stated that 25% of countries reported a marked increase in convictions, while remaining countries viewed the situation as stable. In 2013, the General Assembly held a meeting that focused on human trafficking. This meeting revealed the success of the Global Action plan. Mr. Fedotov, UNODC executive director stated that, 83 % of countries have proper legislation to combat human trafficking, whereas in 2009, before the Global Plan, this figure was only 60%. UNODC spreads the word of human trafficking to media through research and papers focusing on trafficking that are published through the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. The Blue Heart Campaign works to raise initiative to fight human trafficking, and its impact on society. Furthermore, Blue Heart works to encourage involvement and motivate people to do something in regards of solving the problem. The Blue Heart campaign is similar to the Red Ribbon which symbolizes HIV/AIDS. However, the blue represents human trafficking, and anyone who puts on the blue ribbon is raising awareness on human trafficking throughout the world. On July 30, 2014 the United Nations marked the first World Day against trafficking. An event was held at the headquarters of UNODC in Vienna International Centre, where the World Peace Choir Festival which consisted of 500 children from around the world performed. Towards the end of the event, each child released a blue balloon which symbolized hope for the victims of trafficking and support for the eradication of trafficking globally. The UN has intervened in many nations that they believed were involved in human trafficking. For example, the UN was suspicious of Thai immigrant officials moving refugees from Burma to human trafficking rings and thus called for an investigation. The UN has also been working with Sudan to decrease the number of kidnappings that lead to trafficking in the nation. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children along with the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime are two of the most influential documents regarding human trafficking in general. Together they aid countries in developing legislation, defining trafficking in persons, establishing a child as anyone under 18, providing victims with safety after being rescued, and measures to prevent trafficking in the future. 5

7 BLOC POSITIONS Western Bloc This bloc consists of nations that are often used as the destination of trafficking. Australia is a destination country for human trafficking. Australian authorities believe that traffickers are primarily of individual operators or small crime groups that often rely on larger organized crime groups to procure fraudulent documentation. The Australian Crime Commission reports that deceptive practices in contract terms and conditions appeared to be increasing among women in prostitution, while deceptive recruiting practices appeared to be decreasing. New Zealand is a destination country for women who are trafficked from Malaysia, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, and other countries in Asia for commercial sexual exploitation. New Zealand has internal trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation. The Prostitution Law Review Committee estimated that approximately 200 young persons under the age of 18 were working as prostitutes in The New Zealand Government was placed in Tier 1 in 2007 by U.S. Department of State s Trafficking in Persons Report for fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Latin and Caribbean Bloc This bloc consists of nations that are the sources, and often transits of trafficking. Mexico is a large source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Groups considered most vulnerable to human trafficking in Mexico include women, children, indigenous people, and people with mental and physical disabilities, migrants, and LGBT Mexicans. Mexican women and children, and to a lesser extent men, are exploited in sex trafficking within Mexico and the United States, lured by fraudulent employment opportunities, deceptive offers of romantic relationships, or extortion, including through the retention of identification documents or threats to notify immigration officials of victims immigration status. African Bloc This bloc consists of nations that are often the sources of child trafficking. Due to the poverty in many nations in this region, many people fall victim to trafficking. Also a lack of education leads to a lack of knowledge on how to prevent child trafficking. Many families in Africa willingly sell their children for money or for work without knowing that the child is actually being trafficked. For example, in South Africa 30,000 children are being used for prostitution and being exploited. South Africa is among many nations in this region that is severely victimized with child trafficking. Asian Bloc The Asian bloc is the leader of all blocs in regards to trafficking. India has become a hotspot for child trafficking with an estimate of 100 million being trafficked, out of which 1.2 million are child prostitutes. Due to India s huge number of victims in child trafficking, the UN has declared it the most dangerous place for a female to be at. Also, 200,000 children are sold into slavery, mostly by their parents for $17, on an annual basis. Japan has become a transit zone for traffickers to import and export people from East Asia to North America. Japan is a destination country for women and children from East Asia, Southeast Asia, Russia, and Latin America. As victims are trafficked into the nation, they are forced into factories, construction and domestic household jobs and in return receive nothing. 6

8 BASIC SOLUTIONS Since child trafficking is one of the most crucial issues faced by the United Nations, it s important to focus on efficient resolutions like rehabilitation, education, awareness, and legislation. One main factor that causes child trafficking is a lack of knowledge, especially in developing countries. In order to raise awareness, campaigns like the Blue Heart can be implemented, or volunteers can be sent through organizations to inform people on preventive measures of child trafficking. A second factor that needs to be addressed is the victims that are now free from child trafficking. Rehabilitation centers can be built in areas most populated with trafficking victims. For example, Dream Center is a safe housing where women who have been trafficked are protected from traffickers, and they learn essential life skills in order to face the world. Another solution is education. By putting more children in schools, where there is supervision there s a less chance of them being trafficked. By keeping children in school without causing poor families the stress of expensive education, many children would be protected against child traffickers. Also to add to protective measures, a course on recognizing and dealing with a child trafficker can be held for both the child and family members. Hundreds of Friends Church is a success story in which they have sent out their members to India itself and have already built 40 schools and sponsored 1,500 children. Furthermore, stronger legislations need to be created and implemented in order to combat child trafficking. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. What if a trafficked child consents? 2. Are there any regulations that prohibit or allow child trafficking in your nation? 3. What should nations take into account while dealing with child trafficking? 4. How do you identify a trafficked child? If so identified, what steps should be taken afterwards? 5. What effect does trafficking have on victims? How are you going to address this? 7

9 SOURCES 1. Reuters, Niklas P. "UN Report Puts World's Illicit Drug Trade at Estimated $321b." Boston.com. The New York Times, 30 June Web. 20 May < articles/2005/06/30un_report_puts_worlds_illicit_drug_trade_at_estimated_321b/> 2. "CHILD Protection & Child Rights» Vulnerable Children» Children's Issues» Child Trafficking." Vulnerable Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May < "Mapping Hubs of Demand." Global Centurion Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May < demand/>. 4. "United NAtions General Assembly: Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime; Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; And Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants By Land, Sea And Air. International Legal Materials 40.2 (2001): Web.20 May "Japan." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 21 May < Iliff, Rebekah. "Sex Trafficking: High Tech's Humanitarian Revolt Against the Johns." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 21 May < -sex-trafficking_b_ html>. 7. Martz, Brent. "Human Trafficking Will Not End until It Ends in India." Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. < will-not-end-until-it-ends-inindia/>. 8. "Rural Poverty Portal." Rural Poverty Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May < "India." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 21 May < j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2014/ htm>. 10. "CHILD Protection & Child Rights» IV. National Mechanisms» Child Related Legislations» Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1986." Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May < Act-1986.htm>. 11. "HumanTrafficking.org Australia." HumanTrafficking.org Australia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May < 12. "HumanTrafficking.org New Zealand." HumanTrafficking.org New Zealand. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May < Zealand>. 13. "HumanTrafficking.org Japan." HumanTrafficking.org Japan. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May < 8