UNRWA Background Guide
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NEW YORK, NY 20 - 24 March – Conference A 27 - 31 March – Conference B NMUN•NY nmun.org/nmun_ny.html UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST BACKGROUND GUIDE 2016 Written By: Estefani Morales, Stéphanie Toschi Contributions By: Amanda Wong NATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE associationTM © 2015 National Model United Nations THE 2016 NATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION 20-24 March (Conf. A) & 27 -31 March (Conf. B) • www.nmun.org Kristina Getty & Beatrice Soler Dear Delegates, Secretaries-General Ardis Smith & Welcome to the 2016 National Model United Nations Conference in New York (NMUN•NY)! We are very Cara Wagner Deputy Secretaries-General pleased to introduce you to our committee, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This year’s staff is: Directors Estefani Morales (Conference A) and Stéphanie Doug Arseneault & Sara Johnsson Toschi (Conference B). Estefani completed her B.A. in International Relations at San Francisco State University Chiefs of Staff in 2011, and spent a year studying abroad in Florence, Italy, learning about European Politics and Italian Nguyen Cao & language and culture. She recently completed her M.Sc. in Environment, Politics and Globalization at King’s Camille Ellison College London. This is her second year on staff. Stéphanie received a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology Assistant Chiefs of Staff from the University of Bonn, Germany, and is currently completing her M.A. in International Relations, with a Sonia Patel & Felipe Ante focus on international law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. This is her second year on staff. Assistant Secretaries-General Sabrina Grover & The topics under discussion for UNRWA are: Patrick Parsons I. Addressing the Needs of Palestinian Women and Girls in Gaza Under-Secretaries-General General Assembly II. Improving Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and Relief for Palestinian Refugees in Syria III. Strengthening Access to Education through the Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Tolerance Dinah Douglas & Lauren Shaw (HRCRT) Policy Under-Secretaries-General Economic and Social Council UNRWA is an important organization within the UN system, as it plays a vital role in providing relief works and Michael Buechl & population development services to Palestinian refugees around the world. Established by the UN after the 1948 Andrea Wong Under-Secretaries-General Arab-Israeli conflict, the Agency is primarily focused on the direct delivery of services to Palestinian refugees Development within its five fields of operation: Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. These services include the Moritz Müller & provision of educational facilities and health services, as well as emergency relief services during times of crisis. Claudia Sanchez Under-Secretaries-General Human Rights and Please note that UNRWA is a report-writing committee, and will thus produce a report, rather than resolutions, in Humanitarian Affairs its work at the conference. The work of the committee will be programmatic and policymaking in nature. Allison Chandler & Information about report writing can be found in the Delegate Preparation Guide. Clarissa Manning Under-Secretaries-General Peace and Security We hope you will find this Background Guide useful as an introduction to some of the most pressing issues Markus Petermann & UNRWA is facing. However, please use this document as merely a starting point from which to build individual Carl Dionne research. We highly encourage you to richly explore your Member State’s policies, especially in regards to the Under-Secretaries-General support they have given to UNRWA in the past, and the Annotated Bibliography and Bibliography. In Conference Services preparation for the conference, each delegation will submit a position paper. Please take note of the NMUN NCCA BOARD of DIRECTORS policies on the website and in the Delegate Preparation Guide regarding plagiarism, codes of conduct, dress code, Prof. Eric Cox sexual harassment, and the awards philosophy and evaluation method. Adherence to these guidelines is President mandatory. Prof. Kevin Grisham Vice-President The NMUN Rules of Procedure are available to download from the NMUN website. This document includes the Prof. Chaldeans Mensah long and short form of the rules, as well as an explanatory narrative and example script of the flow of procedure. Treasurer It is thus an essential instrument in preparing for the conference, and a reference during committee. Prof. Pamela Chasek Secretary If you have any questions concerning your preparation for the committee or the conference itself, feel free to Jennifer Contreras contact the Under-Secretaries-General for the Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Department, Moritz Raymond J. Freda Müller (Conference A) and Claudia Sanchez (Conference B). You can reach either USG by contacting them at: Rachel Holmes [email protected]. Amierah Ismail Prof. Markéta Žídková We wish you all the best in your preparations, and look forward to seeing you at the conference! Members Ex-Officio Sincerely, Michael Eaton Executive Director Conference A Conference B Prof. Richard Murgo Past President Estefani Morales, Director Stéphanie Toschi, Director Prof. Richard Reitano President Emeritus The NCCA/NMUN is a Non-Governmental Organization associated with the UN Department of Public Information, a UN Academic Impact Member, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of the United States. Table of Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 United Nations System at NMUN•NY ........................................................................................................................ 4 Committee Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Governance, Structure and Membership ............................................................................................................................ 6 Mandate, Functions and Powers......................................................................................................................................... 6 Annotated Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 I. Addressing the Needs of Palestinian Women and Girls in Gaza ....................................................................... 14 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14 International and Regional Framework ............................................................................................................................ 15 Role of the International System ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Education, Training, and Labor........................................................................................................................................ 17 Women’s and Girls’ Health Needs ................................................................................................................................... 18 Violence Against Women and Girls ................................................................................................................................. 19 Case Study: UNRWA’s Women’s Programme Centers ................................................................................................... 20 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Further Research .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Annotated Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 22 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................... 23 II. Improving Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and Relief for Palestinian Refugees in Syria ........... 29 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 29 International and Regional Framework ............................................................................................................................ 30 Role of the International System .....................................................................................................................................