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Topic 1: Israeli Occupation of the Golan Heights

According to many religious texts, the Golan Heights area was historically highly contested among the Jewish and Christian populations, as each group had important religious sites in the area. After being seized by various parities including the Turks, Algerians, Sudanese, the Palestinian Colonization Association and the Israeli Colonization Association, the land, including all of Syria, would come under French control in 1922 when the League of Nations split former Syria between the United Kingdom and France; the UK received Transjordan and Palestine and France received modern-day Syria and Lebanon. In 1923 from negotiations between England and France, the northern border between Syria and Palestine was established; the Golan Heights was given to Syria. During Israel’s fight for independence, Syria seized land that did not belong to them; they had crossed the eastern Lake Kinneret border and occupied land that belonged to what would be Israel. In the Six Day War of 1967, Israel retrieved this land back seizing the Golan Heights as well. After the war, a truce was made but the Golan territory remained occupied by Israeli troops. Israeli law was extended to the area, and to this day the Golan Heights remains under their control. 

After much turmoil and strife in an attempt to regain the land, Syria turned to the international community for aid. Though the UN would condemn Israel’s “annexation” of the Golan Heights, Israel continues to occupy the territory. As such, many Syrians living in the area were forced into Internally Displace Persons (IDP) status, approximately 140,000 people. 43 years later, progress has not been made on this issue. Israel remains staunch in its stance refusing to leave. It has now become the UN’s responsibility to take more decisive action. The UN was created with a commitment to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations and promote social progress, and better living standards and human rights. In order for this commitment to be upheld, such a topic must be discussed. If it is not, the strength of the United Nations weakens in the eyes of the international community which could result in more defying actions.

Topic 2: Host Country Policies Regarding Refugee Camps

In 1950 the UN General Assembly created the UN High Commission on Refugees in order to aid displaced Europeans during World War II. With an initial three year mandate, the UNHCR remains as a necessary organization in the fight to aid refugees. 10.5 million refugees had been accounted for at the beginning of 2009. Although such a value is down 8 percent from 2008, addressing issues associated with refugee camps is still necessary.

Refugee camps are usually close to borders of the country in which the refugees originate and are established by host countries or an international organization, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Some camps are purposefully planned, but others emerge spontaneously, out of necessity, despair, and destitution. Fundamental considerations such as geography, resources, policy, or economy are often not taken into account. These camps are considered essential in the humanitarian response to refugees. As a temporary solution most refugees are allowed to remain in safety until it is possible for them to go back to their homes or move on to more permanent resettlement. Issues arise however when many camps become more permanent; some refugee populations are born, live out their lives, and die in their camp. Because these camps arise out of conflict, it is not rare that residents are still confronted with danger; violence is a frequent occurrence in the camps. The living conditions are also favorable to the development of organized crime. Even more so, camps are not always protected from external attacks. This allows for crimes against humanity or genocide to continue.

Because refugee camps are temporary in nature, host countries are often eager to close them as quickly as possible. Due to this, refugees are sometimes forced to repatriate to locations where they are not safe and must face the very people from where they fled.

As time continues, the abundance of refugee camps declines and the remaining camps become overly congested. Congestion causes an environment that is unhealthy and not suited for human occupation. One thousand five hundred people now live in canvas tents on a football field-sized patch of dirt. On another field a few hours away, 200 people sleep each night with no blankets and no roof. These are the situations at two refugee camps outside of Cape Town, South Africa and reflect the conditions of many others as well. As such, the policies of host countries must be discussed.

All UN member states, when granted membership, make a commitment “to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace [as well as] achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion” according to Chapter 1, Article 1 of the UN Charter. Despite this, country policies all too often supersede the aforementioned commitment to maintaining humanitarian aid and international peace.