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Table of Contents Crisis in Kashmir……………………………………………………………………….………...2

Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia………………………………………………………………...8

Crisis in Venezuela……………….……………………………………………………………...16

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Crisis in Kashmir History

Jammu and Kashmir is

the northernmost region in the

Indian subcontinent, a land

historically influenced by

Buddhism and Hinduism and

ruled by the Sikhs and Muslims.

During British rule of India, it

was bought by the British by the

Treaty of Amritsar, however after

the partition of British India in

1947, the territory has current-

day claims from Pakistan, India,

and China1. In 1947, the

Maharaja, or Prince of Kashmir,

signed the land over to India with

the provision that autonomy

would remain2. Because this area

was Muslim majority, Pakistan

sill held its claims to the land and

war broke out over the territory3.

India then took the issue to the

UN Security Council in 1948. Resolution 47 calls for a referendum, Pakistan to withdraw its

troops, India to keeps its military presence to a minimum, and implements a ceasefire which

results in a partition of the state4. In 1951, elections only in the Indian administered state of

Jammu and Kashmir favor accession to India, however the UN and Pakistan push for the

referendum to be representative of all people in Kashmir. After this, because Sheikh Abdullah,

chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, took a pro-ratification stance in this issue, he was

dismissed from his position and replaced with a new government that ultimately defined the

Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir as part of India under the Indian constitution in 1957.

During this time, China is gradually occupying the Aksai Chin region, control of which is

solidified after a brief war with India in 19625. Between India and Pakistan, the ceasefire line is

violated time and time again. There was a war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir in 1965,

and from 1971-72. The latter results in the Simla Agreement of 1972 which calls for the

ceasefire line being referred to as the line of control6. After this, the Opposition Plebiscite Front

in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir dropped their demand for a referendum in return for

extensive autonomy in 1974, and Sheikh Abdullah comes back in power. In 1984 the Indian

1 Vindu Goel, What Is Article 370, and Why Does It Matter in Kashmir?, The New York Times 2 Ibid 3 Kashmir Profile, BBC News 4 Ibid 5 Ibid 6 Ibid

3

Army seizes the Siachen Glacier, which is an area not defined by the Line of Control, and

Pakistan makes numerous attempts to capture the area7.

Tensions start to escalate when India accuses Pakistan in 1987 of despatching fighters

across the Line of Control, which Pakistan denies. The Indian Army Killed around 100

demonstrators at Gawakadal Bridge, and attacks and threats resulted in almost all Hindus in the

Kashmir Valley moving out of the state. Then India Imposes the Armed Forces Special Powers

Act in Jammu and Kashmir in 19908. There is increased violence against civilians by both sides

in Kashmir and Kashmiri militants are deploying hundreds of thousands of troops across the

area. This results in another war in 1999 after these militants crossed over from the Pakistan

administered region to the Indian administered region. India breaks off relations with Pakistan

after accusing them of being behind the attack. The Indian army killed a demonstrator in 2010,

which caused another series of protests to erupt in the Indian side of Kashmir9. The issue of

demonstrators being killed is becoming increasingly prevalent in the region, and Chief Minister

Omar Abdullah grants amnesty for the 1,200 men who threw stones at security during anti-

government protests in 201110. The Indian State Human Rights Commission then confirms the

presence of 2,000 unidentified bodies in unmarked graves near the Line of Control, which is

suspected to be those people who were arrested by security. In 2013 Prime ministers of Pakistan

and India meet to try and reduce violent incidents at the Line of Control, as this is a recurring

point of conflict. However, future talks were canceled when Pakistan consulted Kashmiri

separatist leader in advance of the 2014 talks, which prompted India to accuse Pakistan of

interfering in its internal affairs and of waging a proxy war against India in Kashmir. Violence

continues across the border11.

In 2016, India imposes an indefinite curfew in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, which

a month later is reduced to schools, shops, and banks remaining shut and cellular/internet service

remains suspended. Obviously, this was met with heavy protests resulting in over 9,000 people

injured during 50 days of violence. Later that year Human Rights Watch appeals to end the

burning of schools in Jammu and Kashmir, as the number reaches 2512. In recent years, protests

have escalated because open fire across the Line of Control does not cease to happen13. In 2019,

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked article 370 from the Indian constitution, the

article which granted autonomy to the Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir region. This is one

of the more problematic and destabilizing recent actions on the region14.

7 Ibid 8 Vindu Goel, What Is Article 370, and Why Does It Matter in Kashmir?, The New York Times 9 Goel, What is Article 370, The New York Times 10 Ibid 11 Ibid 12 Kashmir Profile, BBC News

13 Kashmir Profile, BBC News

14 Goel, What is Article 370, The New York Times

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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report

on Kashmir July 8, 2019, detailing serious human rights abuses. The UN has suggested that India

and Pakistan take the report seriously and produce generative debate instead of continued finger

pointing.15 This report follows a deadly attack in 2018 in which a Pakistan-based armed group

targeted Indian security forces and killed 40.16 Indian security forces have been found guilty of

“continued use of pellet-firing shotguns” that have caused the deaths of many Kashmiri

protestors. The UN has stated India should publicly order it’s security forces to abide by UN

basic principles on the use of force.17 The report also condemned the lack of justice in past

instances of murder and enforced disapearances as well as alleged sexual violence perpetrated by

Indian security forces.18 India’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act has prevented its security

forces in Jammu and Kashmir from being prosecuted in civilian courts, which the report calls an

obstacle to accountability in the region.19 The UN has also decried India’s Public Safety Act,

which allows for detention without charge or trial for up to two years, a measure which has been

used as a tool for political suppression. The OHCHR has also claimed Pakistan has engaged in

similar political suppression in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir through restricting

freedoms, especially of minority groups, and participating in forced disapearances.20 The Indian

Government has rejected the report outright and Pakistan has called for the alteration of pieces

they believe were unfairly reduced in scope

to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The

South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly has

stated, “Authorities in both countries should

use the opportunity created by the UN report

to change course and hold accountable those

who’ve committed serious abuses.”21

Physical and Human Geography

Jammu and Kashmir includes the

Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, the

Pakistani states of Gilgit-Balistan and Azad

Kashmir, and the Chinese regions of Aksai

Chin and Trans-Karakoram22. Located

between the Himalaya Valley and the Pir

Panjal Mountain range, the majority of the

territory is mountainous and the entire

region is prone to seismic activity. the region

is quite beautiful and rich in rice, cotton, fruits, nuts, spices (most notable saffron), timber, and

15 Kashmir: UN Reports Serious Abuses, Human Rights Watch 16 Kashmir: UN Reports Serious Abuses, Human Rights Watch 17 Ibid 18 Ibid 19 Ibid 20 Ibid 21 Ibid 22 William Kirk, Economy, Encyclopædia Britannica

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fish. With limited fossil fuels, the majority of the exported goods are produced, and the major

industries include metalware and handicrafts23. Despite being a fruitful region, it is very difficult

to access due to the lack of infrastructure development, specifically the lack of roads. For

example, the cart road that goes through the Banihal Pass, linking Jammu with the Vale of

Kashmir, is a dangerous and often impassable road due to severe weather24.

Though the demographics of the people vary depending on the region the official

language is Urdu and two thirds of the population is Muslim while the majority of the remaining

third are Hindu, with minorities of Sikhs and Buddhists25. The majority of the Jammu region,

which also serves as the region’s capital in the winter season, are Hindu, and the majority speak

Dogri. In the Vale of Kashmir, the majority of the people are Urdu or Kahsmiri speaking

Muslims. Ladakh, the northeastern region is usually referred to as “Little Tibet,” and is also

physically divided by the Himalayas. The eastern region of Ladakh primarily has Buddhists of

Tibetan ancestry while the western region is predominantly Muslim26.

Past UN Action

The United Nations has passed three resolutions in the past regarding Jammu and

Kashmir, being Security Council resolutions 38, 39, and 47. Resolution 38 passed in 1948

essentially had the goal of keeping tensions to a minimum and keep the Security Council updated

on activities between India and Pakistan regarding Jammu and Kashmir, as well as mediate

conflict in the region27. Resolution 39 created a committee with three representatives, one chosen

by each Indian and Pakistan and a third party chosen by the two representatives of India and

Pakistan28. Resolution 47 was passed in 1948 and ultimately attempted to provide the most

comprehensive resolution to this issue. It increased the committee created in resolution 39 to five

members, reintroduced the idea of a referendum, and focused on efforts to return refugees, and

release political prisoners for political freedom29. These resolutions evidently did little to

alleviate tensions in the long run. Another attempt to curb the violence, the Tashkent Agreement

of 1966, also failed to prevent new hostilities. This was the agreement between Pakistan and

India to end the second war over Kashmir, repatriate their prisoners of war, withdraw their

troops, and work towards having diplomatic relations30.

Current country positions

UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir have attempted to calm the violence

through asking for India and Pakistan to both make concessions. The focus of these resolutions

was to end fighting in the region and was organized by the United Nations Commission for India

and Pakistan composed of representatives from the former state of Czechoslovakia, Belgium,

Colombia, Argentina and the United States. The United States has historically tried to mediate

the crisis with the help of UN member states and many voices from the European Union. India,

Pakistan and China all claim overlapping parts of Kashmir with Pakistan and India clashing

23 Ibid 24 Ibid 25 Ibid 26 Ibid 27 UNSCR, Resolutions 39 28 UNSCR, Resolutions, 39 29 UNSCR, Resolutions, 47 30 Tashkent Agreement, Oxford Reference

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frequently. The United States vacillates between attempts to mediate the conflict and call for

India and Pakistan to enter into bilateral talks without the intervention of the United States.

What to Include in a Resolution

Citizens of Kashmir face uncertainty and violence on a frequent basis, with little hope in sight.

The struggle for control of the territory has lasted for decades now with three nuclear powers

vying for the right to administer the region. Murders, forced disapearance, extrajudicial killings,

rape and impunity are the reality for many Kashmiri citizens, and without the help of the

international community, these human rights violations will only continue. Delegates will need

to work together to find solutions to these issues facing Kashmiri citizens and develop

resolutions to end the fear and violence that has for so long plagued the region.

Problems To Consider:

The Indian administered territory does not have autonomy. What does this mean in terms of the

people’s rights?

There is little transparency between decisions being made at the government level and what the

people know.

Both countries have nuclear power.

Killing of demonstrators and activists is a very regular occurrence.

Neither side is willing to accept blame or recognize the findings of past UN investigations

India made a new police force in response to revoking rights of Jammu and Kashmir.

Has the abrogation of the Jammu and Kashmir region of broader Kashmir by India stabilized the

region and slowed human rights abuses?

Has it had the opposite effect?

Resources:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Jammu-and-Kashmir/Economy#ref46028 (road and lake

image)

Goel, Vindu. “What Is Article 370, and Why Does It Matter in Kashmir?” The New York Times.

The New York Times, February 27, 2019.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/world/asia/india-pakistan-crisis.html.

https://www.cfr.org/interactive/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-

pakistan

“Kashmir Profile - Timeline.” BBC News. BBC, August 6, 2019.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-16069078.

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/Kashmir-political-map.htm (map image)

“Kashmir: UN Reports Serious Abuses.” Human Rights Watch, August 5, 2019.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/10/kashmir-un-reports-serious-abuses.

Kirk, William, and Rais Akhtar. “Economy.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia

Britannica, inc., October 31, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/place/Jammu-and-

Kashmir/Economy#ref46028.

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“UNSCR Search Engine for the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.” UNSCR.

Accessed December 9, 2019. http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/38.

“Tashkent Agreement.” Oxford Reference, November 3, 2019.

https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803102152668.

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Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is an incredibly private, patriarchal society.31 Saudi men can dress however they

like, have unrestricted access to various public places, and enjoy the highest power in their society.

However, Saudi women have a different destiny, and face a large number of challenges every day.

In the Arab Kingdom, there is a written and strict law: the guardianship law which asserts male

authority over women. 32 It exactly illustrates that women have been treated as minors all their

lives and must be controlled by male guardians, who are either their father, husband, brother or

son, who chaperone all aspects of their lives. Firstly, Saudi girls must get written permission from

their guardians for all things, such as education, work, health concerns and even driving. Secondly,

involving education, even higher education, women do not have the right to make decisions about

their courses unless receiving written permission. If they wish to go abroad, Saudi women cannot

travel alone without the accompaniment of their male relatives. Thirdly, it is socio-culturally

stigmatized if they get permission to work in society after finishing education. Additionally, Saudi

women must wear abayas and full-length robes, to hide the woman's physical features. Veiling a

woman’s face and beauty is believed necessary to protect her and the family's dignity.33 In short,

women’s rights in Saudi Arabia are greatly challenged.

Saudi Arabia is a major oil exporter and has long relied heavily on the oil economy. Since

2014, the international oil price has intermittently fallen, which places strain on the Saudi

economy.34 To aid in stabilizing the domestic economy, the Saudi government announced an

economic plan called the 2030 vision in 2016. Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Saud, who

is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and currently serving as the country’s deputy prime minister,

is committed to implementing the plan in order to reduce the country’s economic dependence on

oil resources. His detailed explanation of this vision is as follows: “It expresses our long-term

goals and expectations and it is built upon our country’s unique strengths and capabilities. It guides

31 Mona El-Naggar, “'I Live in a Lie': Saudi Women Speak Up,” The New York Times (The New York Times, October 28, 2016) 32Megan Specia and Hwaida Saad, “Saudi Guardianship Laws Could Be Set to Change. Here's How Women Are Reacting.,” The New York Times (The New York Times, July 21, 2019) 33Muddassir Quamar, “Sociology of the Veil in Saudi Arabia: Dress Code, Individual Choices, and Questions on Women's Empowerment,” Wiley Online Library (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), May 24, 2016) 34Mohammad Nurunnabi, “Transformation from an Oil-Based Economy to a Knowledge-Based Economy in Saudi Arabia: the Direction of Saudi Vision 2030,” SpringerLink (Springer US, March 28, 2017)

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our aspirations towards a new phase of development - to create a vibrant society in which all

citizens can fulfill their dreams, hopes and ambitions to succeed in a thriving economy.”35 The

plan’s effect on human rights is notable because, the ban on women driving was officially lifted

in June 2018 and as a result, the male-guardianship system was weakened, improving the social

status of Saudi women. Similarly,

History

Because of the guardianship law many women's rights activists, unperturbed by the threat

of the Saudi Ministry of the Interior and the risk of being arrested, launched numerous movements

to protest the gender discrimination and stand up for themselves. Among them, there are some

major and significant movements. The first is the

Women2Drive. In June of 2011, women activists initiated

a Women2Drive campaign on social media websites. They

were brave to face the ban and posted their videos of them

driving in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this movement,

spreading through Facebook and Twitter, is the largest

mass campaign since November 1990 of a protest by 47

Saudi Women of driving ban.36 Perhaps the largest

breakthrough is that the first female lawyer in Saudi Arabia

opened a law firm. She is Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran who

was first issued a law license in October 2013.37 Her law

firm will be committed to fighting for Saudi women’s rights and getting women’s cases heard in

court. “This law firm will make a difference in the history of court cases and female disputes in

the Kingdom,” she said, even though women still are subject to decisions by their male relatives.38

Saudi women still find some ways to flee the country. One pair of sisters fled from Saudi

Arabia to Georgia where Saudi citizens do not need entry visas according to Georgia Ambassador

35 Adrien Faudot, “Saudi Arabia and the Rentier Regime Trap: A Critical Assessment of the Plan Vision 2030,” Resources Policy (Pergamon, March 30, 2019) 36 "‘Women2drive,’ Saudi Activist Earns Her Second License - Morocco World News" 2019 37 “Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran-A Saudi Woman with a Mission,” Fanack.com 38 Fouzia Khan, “First Female Law Firm Opened in Jeddah,” Arab News (Arabnews, February 5, 2014)

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George Janjgava at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in 2016, Saudis can

travel to Georgia without a visa since many suffer from their male relatives violence39. The pair of

sisters feared being tracked by their male relatives and brought back to the Kingdom. In March

2019, two Saudi refugees in Hong Kong were granted humanitarian visas. They fled from their

family when they had a trip to Sri Lanka and hid in Hong Kong for 6 months. Because of the

violence they faced while living with their male relatives, they decided to flee and were afraid that

if they returned to Saudi Arabia they would face harsh consequences if found.40

Current Issues:

1. Specific affairs

a) Saudi Arabia’s ban on driving for women officially canceled

b) Women in Saudi Arabia allowed joining the army

c) Saudi women can now win custody of kids after divorce

d) Saudi female travel restrictions lifted

2. Controversy

a) Women’s free dress

b) Male and female customers dining in the Saudi restaurant

c) The right to marry or divorce at their discretion

d) Difficult for women to get custody of their children in the event of a divorce

e) Women find ways to flee country (no permission from males)

Women face death penalty if they try to leave country to avoid violence from their male

family members (no permission from males)

From the 1990s to the present（the most frequent period of protest）, Saudi women have been

fighting for their own human rights, like lifting the female driving ban. The Kingdom’s first protest

initiated by 47 women against the driving ban, was in the 1990s, which made Saudi women bolder

in asking for the right to drive, even though they were arrested and some lost their jobs after driving

around the Saudi Capital, Riyadh.41

39 Khan "Georgia announces visa-free travel for Saudis and expats" 2016 40 "Saudi Women, Tired Of Restraints, Find Ways To Flee" 2019 41 Ben Hubbard, “Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive,” The New York Times (The New York Times, September 26,

2017)

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One of the most notable “revolutions” is the lifting of the female driving ban. On June 24, 2016,

Saudi Arabia officially legalized women operating a car. Saudi Arabia was the last country in the

world to lift the ban. It took a long time, but women in Saudi Arabia can now operate their own

car and no longer have to reply on other male family members to drive them. Furthermore, in

February 2018, Saudi Arabia opened its military to women for the first time. To enter the military

12 conditions must be passed. Some include: Being a Saudi citizen who grew up in the country

aged 25 to 35, having a high school diploma, being 155 centimeters or taller and having a male

guardian, usually a husband, father, brother or son, who must have a residence in the area of

service. In March 2018, according to a statement from the Saudi Information Ministry, Saudi

women can obtain custody of their children after divorce, as long as there are no disputes between

the parents. In the past, they had to petition courts for custody and had to wait a long time often

without getting a satisfactory result. Beyond that, according to a royal decree issued on August 2,

2019, any Saudi over the age of 21 will no longer need a travel permit. This will mean that adult

Saudi women will no longer need the consent of a “male guardian” to obtain a passport and travel.

Saudi Arabia’s controversial male regulatory system is gradually disappearing, but there is

still a lot of gender inequality in Saudi society. One of the most strict rules is that women’s dress

code is governed by strict Islamic legal interpretation and is enforced to varying degrees

throughout the country. Most of them wear robes and veils. If Saudi women challenge the strict

regulations on women’s clothing, the religious police, who monitor “proper behavior” of women,

will harass women because they think women have exposed too much flesh or wear too much

makeup. The Saudi religious police are different from the general police who function more

similarly to traditional Western enforcement agencies. The religious police (the Mutaween)

operate under the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Their

responsibility is to uphold Islamic law and “enjoining doing what is right and forbidding doing all

that is wrong”. Also, the Mutaween enforce gender segregation, alcohol prohibition, men’s prayer,

non-Muslim demonstrations or rituals, and the modesty of women. For example, in February 2017,

a video of a woman wearing a miniskirt walking around an abandoned fort north of Riyadh, caused

a contentious discussion on the Internet. The woman was summoned to ask questions but finally

acquitted. Moreover, many Saudi people started to criticize these Mutaween due to some heavily

publicized events. For instance in 2002, the Mutaween prevented women from leaving a burning

building because girls were not properly covered. Resultantly, 15 girls were killed in a campus fire

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in Mecca.42 Additionally, Saudi women are not allowed to stay with a male who is not their

relatives for a long time. Therefore, many places in this country have separated areas for different

sexes, such as restaurants, offices, universities, banks, beaches, public transportation and

amusement parks.43 Moreover, women cannot marry their desired partner without permission. In

this case, both parties are subject to criminal prosecution, but women often receive heavier

punishment.44

Nowadays, more and more Saudi women choose to flee their country if they get no

permission from males since Saudi women cannot attain passport and state identification

documents without the consent of a male guardian, even though they may be in danger of being

repatriated or even receive the death penalty. In 2017, 24 year old Dina Ali Lasloo who chose to

flee Saudi Arabia, was stopped while passing through the Philippines, but she has not given up

and has asked for help on the Internet.45 Furthermore, in early 2019, an 18-year-old Saudi girl,

Rhaf Mohammed Alqunun, chose to flee while on vacation with her family in Kuwait, but was

prevented from passing through Thailand. Ms.Alqunun said “They will kill me ” if she was

repatriated. Afterwards, she tried to take refuge in Australia, but eventually have been granted

asylum in Canada via a social media campaign.46 Women flee the country for a variety of reasons,

but they typically revolve around the lack of human rights. A common reason is the guardianship

law. As mentioned before, due to the guardianship law, all women are required to have a male

guardian who have a right to make decisions whether they can get married, travel, etc.47 Saudi

women are not free to do what they want to do, and sometimes they are abused by the male

guardians. Many cannot tolerate the kingdom’s strict female dress code, restrictions on what jobs

they can hold and controls on who they are allowed to socialize with.

42 Pietenpol, Annelise M., Mark Alden Morgan, John Paul Wright, Nora F. Almosaed, Sameera S. Moghrabi, and Fawzia S. Bashatah. “The Enforcement of Crime and Virtue: Predictors of Police and Mutaween Encounters in a Saudi Arabian Sample of Youth.” Journal of Criminal Justice. Pergamon, October 1, 2018. 43 "Things That Women In Saudi Arabia Still Can’t Do" 2019 44 "Saudi Women Still Not Granted Full Rights - Fanack.Com" 2019 45 "Saudi Women, Tired Of Restraints, Find Ways To Flee" 2019 46 Richard C. Paddock and Ben Hubbard, “Saudi Woman Who Tried to Flee Family Says, 'They Will Kill Me',” The New York Times (The New York Times, January 6, 2019) 47 Margaret Coker, “How Guardianship Laws Still Control Saudi Women,” The New York Times (The New York Times, June 22, 2018)

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Current positions

Religious conservatism has been working to ban all recreational activities that may affect

“solidarity” among activists. Claiming to be the reformer, prince Muhammad believed that

women’s struggle for rights and interests is “a key part” of his 2030 vision. He purportedly hopes

to achieve economic diversification and relax social restrictions. Through these reforms, he has

taken steps towards greater rights for women, allowing women to drive and attend entertainment

and sporting events, and taming the kingdom’s religious police.48 However, these are just the

words of this ambitious leader. Just a few weeks before the driving ban was officially lifted, several

activists were arrested, most of them women and several men. Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East

director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement, “The message is clear that anyone expressing

skepticism about the Crown Prince’s human rights agenda faces time in jail.” When questioned

about the political arrests, the Saudi Crown Prince said in an interview with Bloomberg in 2018

that the arrested persons had nothing to do with the driving ban. He said that they were arrested

because they had collaborated with foreign intelligence agencies in an attempt to harm the

country.49 The validity of his explanation is disputed. The Crown Prince has called for a state

governed by "moderate Islam" but maintains zero tolerance for dissent. The authenticity of his

reform has been questioned by the international community. On one hand, Saudi Arabia hopes to

take advantage of the liberation of female labor force to promote its vision of "Saudification,"

hoping to harness the spending power of female consumers to better diversify its economy away

from oil. In addition to violating Saudi women’s rights, these events have revealed the dark side

of MbS, like the war in Yemen, worsening ties with Canada, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, etc.50

Because of his inconsistent record on human rights, his reformist goals are often called into

question by the international community.

The Kingdom enjoys relatively consistent good relations with the United States and the

United Kingdom although received it some backlash after the death of Jamal Kashogi. German

and Canadian relations soured after the death of Kashogi Saudi Arabia has been described to be in

the “pro-Western” group of Arab countries and maintains strong relations with China as well. The

Kingdom does not have a good relationship with Iran but for reasons irrelevant to its human rights

48 "Saudi Arabia Extends New Rights To Women In Blow To Oppressive System" 2019 49 Ben Hubbard, “Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive,” The New York Times (The New York Times, September 26, 2017) 50 Al Jazeera, “Mohammed Bin Salman: The Dark Side of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince,” News | Al Jazeera (Al Jazeera, October 20, 2018)

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record. Saudi Arabia runs many public relations campaigns often targeting the U.S. and the U.K.

with a firm run by the American news outlet Vice in the U.S.51

What to include in a Resolution

● Saudi women insist on fighting for their own power

● Constructive reforms by the rulers to improve Saudi women’s social status

● The support of the international community, such as UN human rights

● Organizations and the positive voices of various countries about women’s rights

Questions to Consider

1. Why did the guardianship law last for such a long time?

2. How do women make their voices heard without being subject to violence?

3. How can the international community hold MBS accountable for the 2030 vision?

4. Is MBS pandering to Western values for an ulterior political motive and how would this

affect women’s rights?

5. What actions of the international community can promote the liberation of Saudi women’s

rights and interests?

Works cited:

Al Jazeera. “Mohammed Bin Salman: The Dark Side of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince.” News | Al

Jazeera. Al Jazeera, October 20, 2018.

Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran-A Saudi Woman with a Mission.” Fanack.com. Accessed November

19, 2019.

Coker, Margaret. “How Guardianship Laws Still Control Saudi Women.” The New York Times,

The New York Times, 22 June 2018

El-Naggar, Mona. “'I Live in a Lie': Saudi Women Speak Up.” The New York Times. The New

York Times, October 28, 2016.

Faudot, Adrien. “Saudi Arabia and the Rentier Regime Trap: A Critical Assessment of the Plan

Vision 2030.” Resources Policy. Pergamon, March 30, 2019.

Hubbard, Ben. “Saudi Arabia Agrees to Let Women Drive.” The New York Times. The New York

Times, September 26, 2017.

51 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Saudi_Arabia

15

Khan, Fouzia. “First Female Law Firm Opened in Jeddah.” Arab News. Arabnews, February 5,

2014.

Khan, Fouzia. “Georgia Announces Visa-Free Travel for Saudis and Expats.” Arab News,

Arabnews, 31 Oct. 2016.

Nurunnabi, Mohammad. “Transformation from an Oil-Based Economy to a Knowledge-Based

Economy in Saudi Arabia: the Direction of Saudi Vision 2030.” SpringerLink. Springer US, March

28, 2017.

Pietenpol, Annelise M., Mark Alden Morgan, John Paul Wright, Nora F. Almosaed, Sameera S.

Moghrabi, and Fawzia S. Bashatah. “The Enforcement of Crime and Virtue: Predictors of Police

and Mutaween Encounters in a Saudi Arabian Sample of Youth.” Journal of Criminal Justice.

Pergamon, October 1, 2018.

Paddock, Richard C., and Ben Hubbard. “Saudi Woman Who Tried to Flee Family Says, 'They

Will Kill Me'.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Jan. 2019.

Quamar, Md. Muddassir. 2019. "Sociology Of The Veil In Saudi Arabia: Dress Code, Individual

Choices, And Questions On Women's Empowerment."

Specia, Megan, and Hwaida Saad. “Saudi Guardianship Laws Could Be Set to Change. Here's

How Women Are Reacting.” The New York Times. The New York Times, July 21, 2019.

"Saudi Women, Tired Of Restraints, Find Ways To Flee". 2019. Nytimes.Com.

"Saudi Women Still Not Granted Full Rights - Fanack.Com". 2019. Fanack.Com.

"Saudi Arabia Extends New Rights To Women In Blow To Oppressive System". 2019.

Bdnews24.Com.

“Things That Women In Saudi Arabia Still Can’T Do". 2019. The Week UK.

"‘Women2drive,’ Saudi Activist Earns Her Second License - Morocco World News". 2019.

Morocco World News.

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Crisis in Venezuela

On July 4, 2019, a human rights report on Venezuela was released by the Office of the

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR), calling for the Government of Venezuela

to take “immediate, concrete measures to halt and remedy the grave violations of economic,

social, civil, political and cultural rights documented in the country.”52 The report claims that the

government has systematically implemented a strategy to suppress, criminalize and eliminate

opponents of the regime. The OHCHR has said it has the government’s commitment to

addressing some of the most urgent issues occuring in the country including torture and

widespread impunity. Nicolás Maduro, the contested president of the country, is engaged in a

violent power struggle with the opposition movement headed by Juan Guiádo. Maduro won the

presidency by a slim margin following the death of his socialist predecessor, Hugo Chavez in

2013.53 Maduro presided over an economy plummeting, mainly resulting from continued

socialist economic policies. Maduro won a second time in 2018 in an internationally and

domestically condemned election in which most candidates were jailed or otherwise effectively

prevented from running.54 In January of 2019, Juan Guiádo declared himself president citing the

outcome of the presidential election as illegitimate. He was immediately backed and recognized

by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany among others.55

Maduro is recognized by Russia, China, Iran, Syria and Cuba among others.56 President Maduro

has ordered the expulsion of diplomats serving countries that have recognized his opponent,

including the United States.

Maduro rules with the might of the Venezuelan military behind him but is forced to

grapple with the opposition controlled National Assembly, of which Juan Guiádo is president.

The National Assembly’s decisions and actions are routinely ignored by President Maduro in

favor of Maduro’s own specially formed “National Constituent Assembly” composed of

government loyalists.57 Venezuela security forces continue to back Maduro as Maduro continues

to shower them with pay increases and special appointments of high ranking officers to

52 https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24788&LangID=E 53 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877 54 Ibid 55 https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/04/americas/europe-guaido-venezuela-president-intl/index.html 56 Ibid 57 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877

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important positions in the Venezuelan Government.58 The U.S. imposed “sweeping sanctions” on

Venezuela in August of 2019, further damaging the already weakened economy.59

Economy

The current socialist government has been in power since 1999 with the election of Hugo

Chávez. Chávez introduced widespread socialist programs to remedy the country’s economic

woes and address the growing inequality. These new socialist policies include nationalization of

the country’s industries including the oil industry, price and currency controls and the massive

expansion of welfare programs that were financed unsustainably, largely through nationalized

industries.60 The nationalization of the agriculture industry caused agricultural production to

shrink by 77% in the two decades since while the population increased by 33%.61 Chávez also

nationalized utilities, oil, banks and other sectors of the economy. The state control of these

industries combined with large scale mismanagement progressively caused failures in all with

water and electricity prices spiking, a decrease in oil production and forfeit of the potential

profits, government industry bankruptcy and water service interruptions alongside consistent

blackouts.62 Overvaluation of the currency was introduced to halt inflation. This was not a

sustainable policy as the government could not afford to continue trading at the correct rate

internationally and had to start printing more cash to save itself from insolvency. This ironically

increased inflation to out of control rates that continue to rise. In November 2018 the annual

inflation rate was 1,300,000% with prices doubling every 19 days. Price controls were

introduced by President Chávez to make basic items more affordable, but backfired when

companies no longer found it profitable to continue producing these items and they became

scarce.63 The poor could no longer afford basic items like food and toilet paper and the few

products that did make it to the shelves were only purchased by the wealthy. The increased

sponsorship of welfare programs also ended in economic disaster for the venezuelan government

and the price of living actually increased. The Chávez government attempted to finance these

programs largely through the export of oil, but the financial strain was so high that even a tenfold

58 Ibid 59 Ibid 60https://economics21.org/how-socialism-destroyed-venezuela 61 Ibid 62 Ibid 63 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877

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increase in oil prices from $10 a barrel to $100 wasn’t enough to finance these programs. The

government responded by printing more money which only increased inflation and made prices

rise across all sectors.64 In response, about 4 million Venezuelans have left the country in order

to afford food and other basic needs. It is one of the largest modern forced displacements in the

Western Hemisphere65

Human

Rights Abuses

According to the report released by the OHCHR, the Venezuelan Government has been

violating political rights of its citizens repeatedly, particularly those critical of the regime.

Gender and sexual based discrimination is rampant, especially among detained individuals as

well as violence and torture.66 Extrajudicial killings are remarkably high with the government

documenting 5,287 killings citing “resistance to authority.”67 Between January and May of 2019,

another 1,569 people were killed according to government figures.68 Deaths during anti-Maduro

protests are frequent and almost 800 documented activists currently sit in prison enduring harsh

conditions.69 There is impunity for violence committed against anti-government activists and

little legal recourse for those imprisoned due to their political persuasion. Indigenous people

64 Ibid 65 Ibid 66 OCHCHR 67 Ibid 68 Ibid 69 Ibid

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have been inordinately affected by the crisis.70 Food shortage and poverty have also come as a

result of Venezuela ceasing oil production. Venezuela sits on the largest oil reserves in the

world, and they are essential to the

functioning of the Venezuelan

economy. However, due to massive

amounts of corruption,

mismanagement, and falling oil

prices, Venezuela was launched into

humanitarian crisis. Hyperinflation

and unpopular government began to

stimulate food and health care

shortages.

Oil

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. The properties of the crude oil

pumped from the ground in Venezuela make it complicated to refine and require international

refineries to assist in their production. Between 1970 and 1985 oil production dropped 50%. As a

result, Venezuela opened their nationalised oil and energy industry, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.

(PDVSA), in 1997 to foreign investment. High levels of corruption continued at the top of

PDVSA, and Chavez socialist aims were not compatible with the concentration of oil wealth

controlled by the elite and not trickling down to the masses. In trying to combat corruption and

strikes amongst employees in the PDVSA, Chavez fired 19,000 strikers in 2003 and employed

70 Ibid

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those loyal to his regime, and

from 2003 and 2007 Chavez

continued to fire oil experts in

the PDVSA.

Chavez also failed to

properly appropriate the funds

and revenues from the oil.

Chavez used much of the

revenue from the oil production

to invest into social welfare

programs, leaving little to

reinvest into further production.

From 2007 to 2018 oil production continued to fall at a rapid pace. Data released from the United

State’s Energy Information Administration showed that in April, Venezuela’s crude oil

production fell down to its lowest levels since January 2003 — when a countrywide strike nearly

brought the state-run oil company PDVSA’s operations to a halt. In April, crude oil production

averaged 830,000 barrels per day, down from 1.2 million in the beginning of the year.

Hyperinflation and Debt

As a result of the oil crisis, the

Venezuelan government under Maduro

began to print more paper notes which

caused a devaluation of the currency

rendering it essentially useless. By

November 2018 the inflation rate was

at 1.3m% and is projected to reach

10m% by 2019 according to the IMF’s

calculations. In November 2018,

$1U.S. = $637 Venezuelan Bolivars. As a result, Venezuelans are able to afford to next to

nothing -- food being the most critical (11).

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To combat the current Maduro regime and its acceptance of human rights violations the

United States levied economic sanctions against Venezuela. From 2014 to the present day the US

under President Obama had levied sanctions on Maduro and his family, his cabinet, supreme

court officials, military officials, police officials, and others in nationalized industries that were

deemed corrupt. In 2018 under President Trump, the PDVSA was sanctioned. The United States

also deems the Venezuelan oil trade to Cuba as suspect and sanctioned Venezuelan transport

vessels transporting oil to Cuba in 2019, because Cuba was supporting the Maduro Presidency

(7). International debt has more than doubled over the past decade and as of March 2019 totaled

$156 billion (8). According to OPEC, oil production in Venezuela makes up for 98% of the

country’s revenue (9).

Food and Water

As a result of Chavez’s extensive investment in importing food from the oil revenues of

the country to the poor fell apart as oil production fell. As a result, much of the Venezuelan

population is left without food. 90% of Venezuelan’s live below the poverty line and

hyperinflation in the country further deepens these effects (10). Workers making minimum wage

can only afford 20% of the food they could afford in 2012 (11). The food shortages have caused

many to die from malnutrition, many of them children. More than 3 million Venezuelan refugees

have fled the crisis (10). Trying to alleviate the issue of food shortages Maduro established the

Local Committee for Supplies and Production schemes, who were responsible for food rations.

Yet, the organization was corrupt and conspired with government insiders to hand out enough to

maintain the shortage (11). The military is responsible for controlling the imports and rations of

food. Maduro appears to keep it this way so that the military is well fed and supports the

Maduro regime (5).

What to Include in a Resolution?

The crisis in Venezuela concerns both citizens and the international community.

Thousands of citizens every day face immediate dangers that threaten their lives as a result of the

mismanagement of the government. Beginning with economic mismanagement Venezuela was

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launched into a considerable recession, exacerbated by hyperinflation. Now, much of the

population is left without medical care for treatable illness as well as a lack of food which is not

reaching the mouths of citizens. The G7 has offered economic relief to the nation of Venezuela,

but Maduro questions the integrity of the action. Many international divides are forming as a

result of this crisis, most notably between Russia and China, against France and the United

States. With no end in sight, the United Nations must work in collaboration to find an end to the

food, health, oil, and economic crisis in the country.

Questions to Consider?

Does your country recognize Nicolás Maduro or Juan Guiádo as the rightful president of

Venezuela?

Does your country have trade with or have sanctions levied on Venezuela?

What can your country do to alleviate the human rights crisis?

What effect does the crisis and mass migration have on neighboring countries in South America?

Is socialism to blame for the crisis or government mismanagement? Can the country continue

under this current regime or is a complete shift in government needed to remedy the crisis?

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(1)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/world/americas/venezuela-protests-maduro.html

(11)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49125575

(2)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/gas-shortages-sky-high-food-prices-plague-venezuelans-

amid-economic-n1016496

(3)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39532&src=email

(4)

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/msfs-work-across-

venezuela?source=ADD190U0U01&utm_source=Adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign

=GooglePaid&utm_content=nonbrand&gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hauXSVV7mi

wJQYHXsKcZJN_0b8BTXJdTAXLOAjQioQ6knK8_av5PCBoCY3MQAvD_BwE

(5)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36319877

(6)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/01/29/charting-the-decline-of-venezuelas-oil-

industry/#6c9f6f7d4ecd

(7)

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10715.pdf

(8)

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/venezuela-debt-explodes-to-156-billion-report-

2019-3-1028013380

(9)

https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/171.htm

(10)

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/venezuelas-food-crisis-reaches-a-breaking-point