Committee Description

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Committee (UNHCR) data suggests that 10 million people in the world today are stateless, meaning they do not hold the nationality of any country. Without a nationality, stateless people are often denied their fundamental rights, from access to education, health care, and economic opportunities, to freedom of movement and protection from abuse. The vulnerability created by these human rights violations can result in higher rates of exploitation and incarceration of stateless people, also putting them at greater risk of gender-based violence and mental health issues. These phenomena spread beyond the individual scale as they are often root causes of widespread poverty, social unrest, displacement and conflict, making statelessness a scourge on society as a whole.  The challenge awaiting UNHCR delegates will be twofold, as their mission will consist in finding solutions to both eradicate statelessness and protect the rights of stateless people in the process. In order to address those weighty issues, delegates will be expected to come up with innovative, long-lasting solutions, finding the right balance between creativity and viability. From changing laws that create statelessness in the first place to protecting the social and economic rights of stateless people, the challenges of this committee will be manifold and require the support of local and international actors. Hopefully, the delegates will be up to that daunting task!

Topic | MUN Refugee Challenge – Statelessness

Chairs