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Minsk International Model United Nations 2012 Global Security: Motion to stable future Instructional Guide ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC DEAR PARTICIPANTS, Welcome to the MINTMUN 2012! This year the general topic is devoted to the Global Security: motion to stable future. We are George Borisov and Hanna Aranovich, chairmen of the Economic and Social Council. My name is Hanna Aranovich. I’m a student of Belarusian Economic State University of marketing faculty. I’ll try to do my best to create profitable atmosphere, so that it could be unforgettable for all of us. Hi, my name is George Borisov and I will be one of the chairmen team of ECOSOC of the MINTMUN 2012 conference. I'm a 5th year student of the BSU, Faculty of International Relations. It will be my 8th MUN conference and for me MUN is some kind like a mafia: if you came in, no one can simply go out. But seriously, to my mind it's a good possibility to improve yourself. It’s a pleasure you have chosen this Council, the only body which face with real problem of common people and could impact on receiving economic and social needs and improve everyday life all over the world. This year we have two issues: Rehabilitation of former prisoners in social life; Ways to satisfy economic and social needs of postconflict countries. 2 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC 1. Rehabilitation of Former Prisoners in Social Life I went to prison, I paid my bill George Michael ‘Rehabilitation’ means literally ‘re-enabling’ or ‘making fit again’ (from the Latin rehabilitare). In the prison context it means readying prisoners to rejoin society, as useful and law-abiding members of the wider community. The rehabilitation of former prisoners released from the places of imprisonment is the most complex and important part of the process of former criminals ’re–integration into the society. Social and psychological rehabilitation of former prisoners will not lose its importance in the civilized society as long as such kind of criminal punishment as imprisonment is used. The isolation of criminals to some extent helps to fight crime, but the effects of imprisonment on a person are contradictory. On the one hand, the isolation prevents antisocial activities, but on the other hand former prisoners have trouble acting independently when released. For this reason people released from prison need some relevant psychological assistance. The topic of prisons and prisoners clearly affects the governments and yet it is not given due attention. It is regarded as a negative issue in 20th century societies and is sometimes put aside. The public is badly informed and this makes it difficult for the governments to undertake the necessary reforms. Rehabilitation regimes around the world comprise a number of different types of interventions which are employed in varying degrees to provide purposeful activity for prisoners, challenge offending behaviour, provide basic education to tackle illiteracy and innumeracy and equip prisoners with life and work skills. The most common interventions are: Needs assessment to identify the offender’s needs and classify the types of intervention required. This is a core ingredient in sentence and resettlement planning. Education to address the prisoner’s educational deficits. Behavioural and cognitive skills programmes to challenge offending behaviour and offending-related risks, and provide treatment for substance misuse. Vocational training to provide transferable and recognized skills to increase prospects of employment on release. Work to give prisoners—often for the first time— experience of the working day and increase prospects of employment on release. Resettlement to provide assistance to prisoners with finding accommodation and employment after their release. 3 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC What sometimes happens in several countries is that there are no programmes or rules to support the social rehabilitation of prisoners once they have served their sentences. Here are some examples of support organizations of different countries for those recently released from prison: I. Age Concern Older Offenders Project - Age Concern Older Offenders Project (ACOOP) aims to offer social care, advice and support to older prisoners and their families, both in prison and within the wider criminal justice system. http://www.recoop.org.uk/pages/home/index.php II. Caring for Ex-Offenders - Caring for Ex-Offenders’ vision is to reduce reoffending by reintegrating ex-offenders (of any faith or none) into society through the local church. Through training and advice, CFEO equips churches and enables them to support ex-offenders to live changed lives. We believe that by breaking the cycle of crime, individuals, families and neighbourhoods can be transformed. http://www.caringforexoffenders.org/ III. Futures Unlocked – Its mission is to support ex-offenders in leading crime free lives. To contribute to building safer communities. Reducing crime, protecting the public and consequently reducing the numbers of victims of crime. To support ex-offenders to break the cycle of re offending, working with the full range of statutory, private, and voluntary sector Services. http://www.futuresunlocked.org/ IV. Republican Association "Hope" - Provides assistance to former prisoners (a flophouse, it is given a temporary residence permit, provided medical and material assistance. In a hearing on the rehabilitation of former prisoners organized by the EPP Group, MEP Salvatore Iacolino urges concrete action on rehabilitation before, during, and after the period of imprisonment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo_c-qhQ8CQ There can be 3 main questions every delegate should think over from the position of the country (s)he represents: I. Are an adequate number of educational, vocational and work programmes being provided to rehabilitate prisoners? II. Are the programmes having an effect in reducing re-offending? If not, what should be done differently? III. Are certain groups of prisoners—remand and short-term prisoners, women prisoners, young offenders and prisoners with mental health problems—receiving adequate rehabilitation? The main thing everyone should remember is best way of reducing reoffending is to ensure that prisoners on their release have the ability to get into work and a home to go to. 4 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC Here are some UN resolutions concerning the topic of prisoners that can be available to read and study then. 1997/36. International cooperation for the improvement of prison conditions http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/res/1997/eres199736.htm 45/111. Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/45/a45r111.htm 2006/22 Providing technical assistance for prison reform in Africa and the development of viable alternatives to imprisonment http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2006/resolution%20200622.pdf 2002/15 United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2002/resolution%20200215.pdf 5 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC 2. Ways to satisfy economic and social needs of post-conflict countries Forty percent of post-conflict countries return to violence within a decade. In the urgent rush to help, donors do a tremendous amount of good for many people, but nearly half the time they fail to do what is needed to prevent a return to violence. USAID1 Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, southern Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Timor- Leste: These are just a few of the many countries in which nowadays are implemented programs in the aftermath of conflict. It has become increasingly clear that economic development and poverty reduction can significantly reduce the incidence of conflict. This is of particular importance for countries recovering from violent conflicts, considering they are often among the poorest even compared with other developing countries, and are extremely vulnerable to slipping back into violence. Economic development therefore plays a key and interrelated role – along with political development and the maintenance of security – in postconflict peacebuilding processes aimed at creating lasting and sustainable peace. Clearly, the needs of post-conflict transition countries vary according to their situations. The overriding priority in those countries emerging from complete collapse such as Liberia and Somalia is to restore stability and security. Where institutions are still intact to some degree, efforts can concentrate more on improving economic and social conditions by establishing effective, accountable governance mechanisms. In addition to the omnipresent threat of relapse to violence, post-conflict countries are afflicted by a range of other serious risks and capacity deficits, including political instability, severe security problems and a lack of institutional capacity. In developing countries generally, and even more so in post-conflict countries, weak institutions are known to hamper entrepreneurial investments, exacerbating underdevelopment. Physical infrastructure is often damaged or unavailable, including electricity, water, transport and access to land. Corruption is often endemic, while transparency and the rule of law are either absent or extremely weak. These are all strong limiting factors on economies shattered by conflict, and deprived of skilled labour as they struggle to cope with the effects of brain drain and capital flight. Accordingly, the challenges of post-conflict economies are very different to those of developed, and even of other developing economies. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has played an “avant1 United States Agency for International Development 6 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC garde” role in developing mechanisms to respond to the problems facing by countries emerging from conflict and thus helping to prevent the deterioration of human security. In 2002, the Council established the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Groups to help define long-term programmes of support for countries emerging from conflict and created two groups on Guinea-Bissau (created in October 2002) and on Burundi (created in July 2003). While the mandates of the two Groups have been terminated as the peacebuilding challenges of these countries are now being addressed by the Peacebuilding commission (PBC), the Council retains its role in providing advice to Haiti on a long-term development strategy to promote socio-economic recovery and stability through the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. The first Advisory Group on Haiti was created in response to a request by the Security Council, using Article 65 of the United Nations Charter to request advice from ECOSOC. Organizations in the “avant-garde” of resolving the problem: ECOSOC – United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is responsible for coordinating the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, their functional commissions and five regional commissions; PBC – United Nations Peacebuilding commission – an intergovernmental advisory organization that supports peace efforts in countries emerging from conflict; PBF – United Nations Peacebuilding Fund – the Secretary General’s Fund to support activities, actions, programs and organizations that seek to build a lasting peace in countries emerging from conflict. Resolutions on the topic: ECOSOC resolution – Support to South Sudan – (29.07.2011) http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2011/res%202011.43.pdf; Review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture (25.10.2010) http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/65 /7; Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council – (09.01.2007) http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/61 /16. 7 Minsk International Model United Nations High School Conference 2012 ECOSOC Useful links: Here are some links, which can help you in the preparing for the debates. 1. Rehabilitation of Former Prisoners in Social Life: ECOSOC - http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/; PBC - http://www.un.org/en/peacebuilding/index.asp; NACRO - http://www.nacro.org.uk/; ICPS - http://www.prisonstudies.org/links.html; Re-entry — Prison Fellowship International http://www.pfi.org/cot/ex-offender/re-entry. - 2. Ways to satisfy economic and social needs of post-conflict countries: PBF – http://www.unpbf.org/; Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Post-Conflict Countries – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KS3gukuWsc; Ad Hoc Advisory Groups on African Countries emerging from conflict – http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/adhocmech/conflict.shtml; Post-Conflict Economic Recovery – http://relooney.fatcow.com/SI_Expeditionary/Post-Conflict-EconomicDevelopment_75.pdf. 8