Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Welcoming Letter 3
Chair Introduction and Remarks 4
Disclaimer for the Delegates 5
Introduction to the Council 5
Differences to General RoP 6
Introduction to the Topic 6
Current Situation at the Start of the Council 7
Key Terms 9
Past Actions 10
QARMAs (Questions a Resolution Must Answer) 11
Recommendations for Further Reading 11
Welcoming Letter
From the Secretary-General
Distinguished Delegates,
Welcome to the inaugural Jakarta Historical Summit, and I am more than
thrilled to serve as your Secretary-General.
I have never seen the Jakarta Historical Summit as a project, or an event. I
have always seen it as a labour of love from a team of curious and open-
minded individuals who want others to experience the same sort of
development and maturation as they have. That is why, here, you will do
three things: you will question, ponder, and reflect.
It is my belief that to ponder means to think, to imagine. Imagine what will
happen, and what could happen, if we take responsibility for what happens
around the world. You delegates, in the WHO, will be responsible for the
fate of thousands of victims around the world that did not deserve the kind
of treatment they are currently experiencing. The delegates of the JCC, you
will be facing each other head on in a war where morality will be thrown out the window. The delegates of the
UNSC; you will be there, during a volatile time, where you shall shape the future of Rwanda and the African
continent as we know it. Last, the delegates of the Presidium. You will fight and choose who is fit to replace your
great leader, the one who led you to victory in World War II.
Second, to question. One of the reasons why we created this summit was so you can ask: what if we were there?
Would we be better than them? Would Vietnam be communist, capitalist, or would it stay split like Korea? How should the general
public view HIV? Should the UNSC intervene in Rwanda? Who deserves to hold Stalin’s baton? You hold the answer.
Third, to reflect. Reflect, remember, and reminisce: your memories in past MUN conferences, those good times.
Remember what made you who you are. For the more seasoned delegates, remember in your first conference,
there was that one kid, awash with fear, yet awash with ambition. That was you.
Have you grown?
For the beginners, reflect on your decision, why are you here? to find a new hobby? To fulfil a hidden ambition?
Or just to try this Model United Nations thing out? Just know one thing. If you hold this handbook, you are
ready. Whenever you feel nervous or unsure of your place in the conference, just remember: those with the best
delegate awards, chairing experiences, and even the Secretary-Generals had their awkward first time too.
So with that, I wish you the best and I hope that you will have an unforgettable time with us.
Yours Sincerely,
Muhammad Arrassya Bimasenna Ariatmojo
Secretary-General
Chair Introduction and Remarks
Stefi Komala, Head Chair
Hi! My name is Stefi and I am a student from the Mentari Intercultural School Jakarta. I
turned 17 this February, but I joined my 1st public speaking competition way back when I was
13. This competition was the World Scholar’s Cup. Recently, I decided to give MUN a shot
too! Though challenging, the experience has been highly rewarding. In short, I follow a “work
hard, play hard” policy—I devote a lot of free time to my extracurriculars, but I spend even
more time relaxing. I relax by reading Shounen manga and listening to musicals such as
Hamilton and Mamma Mia—though I have the voice of a frog, I will gladly sing both
soundtracks non-stop.
Above all, I’m someone who values hard work and perseverance. I admire the determination
of all the delegates who have committed to this activity, and cannot wait to chair this online
conference with Arsya!
Arsya Aryana, Co-Chair
Greetings delegates, my name is Arsya Aryana and I am currently a grade 10 student in
Mentari Intercultural School Jakarta. I’m honored to become a part of the JHS’ Board of
Dias and am delighted to chair all of you alongside my dear friend & long trusted MUN
partner, Stefi. Throughout my MUN career, I’ve attended 11 conferences and chaired twice,
gaining multiple awards along the way. I also just got elected to become the Secretary General
of the MISJMUN club for the school year 2020-2021. If I have some free time, I tend to
spend it by practicing piano compositions and trying new coffee from different cafes. My
favorite time of the day is within the afternoon, so you can either see me swimming or having
an afternoon tea with my friends before the Pandemic hit. Anyways, I hope the delegates in
this council can engage in fruitful debates, experience something new, establish connections,
and most importantly have fun!
Disclaimer for the Delegates
Each delegate would be representing their own respective country. They should always align
their speeches, statements, and solutions based on their country’s stance. Take note that this is
a historical council discussing a historical issue. Henceforward, all delegates need to keep in
mind that they need to represent their country’s stance at the time of the creation of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not necessarily their country’s stance within today’s
society. Everything that your particular country has done after the establishment of the
UDHR (the year 1948 onwards) would be considered invalid.
Keep in mind that the context of this study guide and the current timeline of the council
would refer to the beginning of the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the current situation of the world during that particular time period.
Introduction to the Council
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was first founded on February 16, 1946
as a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in
which its work was assisted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR). For this reason, it’s one of the first two “Functional Commissions”
of the early UN structure. The UNCHR was essentially created for the purpose of
developing conventions on a wide range of issues which include the discussion of an
international bill of rights, civil liberties, the status of women, freedom of information, the
protection of minorities, the prevention of discrimination in regards to race, sex, language, or
religion. Fundamentally, the commission was created to address any concerns relating to
human rights.
The commission is also responsible for being the UDHR drafting committee to discuss the
creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the biggest, most dreadful war
mankind has ever seen - World War II. At a time when the world was divided into Eastern
and Western blocs, finding common ground and creating a resolution that satisfies all
member states won’t be easy. However, with the same goal of preventing conflicts (such as
World Wars) and with a united mindset to protect innocents from a chaotic society, perhaps a
Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be successfully adopted with the help of the
Drafting Committee.
Being a commission and a subsidiary body of ECOSOC, its mandate is to examine, monitor,
and publicly report on human rights situations within specific countries or regions, as well as
to discuss the protection of human rights and to resolve human rights violations worldwide.
Nonetheless, the draft resolution that passed the commission needs to also pass through the
voting procedure within the General Assembly in order to be implemented.
Differences to General RoP
The committee of the UNCHR would still apply the default rules of procedure of a normal
moderated council. There would be no changes towards it and the flow of the debate would
follow the ROP written within the delegates’ JHS handbook.
Introduction to the Topic
During the 1st and 2nd World War, many war crimes and crimes against humanity were
committed. Under Hitler’s rule, the Germans committed massacres and put Jews in
concentration camps; millions were put in gas chambers and exterminated. The war brought
out the worst of mankind, leading to inhumane treatment. This leads us to a major point in
the debate: if human rights apply to everyone, why were certain groups discriminated against
more than others? “In the world the Nazis wished to create, Jews and Gypsies were to be
eliminated as racially, socially, and physically defective. The deaf, the blind, the physically
disabled, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and alcoholics were either to be sterilized or killed
simply because they were viewed as genetically defective”.
Due to the atrocities and innumerable human rights violations that occurred, the UN decided
to write a document outlining the human rights possessed by all individuals, regardless of
factors such as race, religion, sexuality, etc. As we can see, human rights has a lot to do with
countries’ perceptions of equality. In order to improve living conditions for marginalized
groups, the creation of an inclusive declaration of rights is of the utmost importance. The
UDHR will impact the way countries will develop laws: laws that punish groups and
individuals for violating another’s rights, laws that govern the severity of punishments, laws
that allow for reparations, etc.
In order to create a strong basis for future laws governing international human rights, the
delegates of this council must work together to create a comprehensive document. Before
drafting an International Bill of Rights, UN member states must agree on a list of essential
freedoms and basic principles. These ideas will become the concept behind your new
declaration. It is also imperative that we remember the past and the decisions of our
predecessors. For one, the concept of human rights has long been established; as far as 539
BC when the troops of Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. Cyrus freed the slaves and
declared that all people had the right to choose their own religion, as well as to establish racial
equality.
Throughout the decades, people have been raising their voices and acted to promote human
rights. However, violations are still occurring due to concepts of supremacy and
ethnocentrism. Now, with the idea of declaring universal human rights, the international
community hopes that progress could be made to promote equal practice of human rights.
But why are there human rights violations in the first place? Why do we have slavery, forced
labor, and all of these inhumane acts? We can’t deny that within every conqueror’s, warlord’s,
or colonizer’s mindset is the desire to be respected. And when they do want to be respected,
cruel practices and punishments would occur as an effort to make people afraid of them;
those in power used fear to command others.
A term emerged from this - supremacy, as it is called. It is the state or condition of being
superior to all others in authority, power, or status. When the mindset of supremacy and
greed have been ingrained within people’s mindsets, slavery, forced labor, and the like will
become more common. The first recorded act of slavery was in 6800 BC when the world’s
first city-state emerged in Mesopotamia; which resulted into the enemies being captured and
forced to work. Henceforward, there is no denying that slavery and other violations of human
rights have been taught and practiced since ages ago. It has been within a ruler’s mindset to
maximize the available human resources regardless of the practice being done. Due to this
fact, the realization that each and every one of us is equal in terms of human rights should be
further promoted to lessen violations.
Current Situation at the Start of the Council
After the end of World War II, the international community vowed to never allow atrocities
like those of that conflict to happen again, which is why they created a multi-governmental
international organization, the updated version of the League of Nations - the United
Nations, along with its organs. To assist the UN Charter, the UNCHR has been designated
the task to create a declaration that will promote human rights; at the start of the council, the
entire international community is aiming to establish and implement the UDHR. However:
the member states are not only trying to prevent the violation of human rights as in the killing
of innocent lives, slavery, or forced labor. They’re also aiming to address evident social
injustices within society.
At the times of WW2, countries were racing for mobilization and in expanding their own
respective army, trafficking people to work for the nation. At the same time, they would like to
constantly keep building their colonies worldwide, resulting in forcing natives to do their work
for them. Here comes the term, forced labor. Essentially, forced labor means any work or
service which people are forced to do against their will (under threat of punishment). A good
example during the course of WW2 would be Nazi-enabled forced labor. Over 12 million
people from different regions were brought and trafficked to Germany as forced laborers,
including two million prisoners of war and over a half of a million concentration camp
prisoners.
Millions of men, women, and children were forced to work for the German Reich as they
were also the ones who kept the agricultural supply and arms production going. When
children also need to work against their will, this is called child labor - work that deprives
children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical
and mental development. Another example of forced labor would be the act of Romusha and
Kerja Rodi in Indonesia. Forced laborers were never granted sufficient food, proper
accommodation and living, yet they were the ones who did all of the work - an explicit
violation of their individual rights to food, shelter, and living needs. However, keep in mind
that forced labor differs from slavery: the condition where a human being is owned by
another. They’re considered as one’s property. Though, slavery would always include a certain
sense of forced labor. Being a slave means you’re entitled to someone else and not to yourself.
WW2 was the deadliest military conflict in the history of mankind, resulting in an estimated
total of 70-85 million people killed including 50-55 million civilian deaths. Besides the bloody
wars fought on the frontlines, mass murder and genocide happened. The Holocaust, for
example, was the systematic killing of the European Jews by Nazi Germany and its
collaborators. They’ve killed an estimated number of six million Jews - around two-thirds of
Europe’s Jewish population. People were murdered solely because of their religion. They lived
in fear and couldn’t continue with their lives in peace - a violation of their human rights.
During the 1940s, jobs were still strictly segregated by gender and routine repetitive work is
categorized as women’s work for women’s lower wages. It became a norm within the society
that men go to war and women do the chores, as well as industrialized work.
There was also a norm known as the Marriage Bar, where married women are barred from
certain occupations like teaching and clerical jobs; those working are sacked upon marriage.
Women couldn’t freely follow their passions and fulfill their lives to the fullest because of these
restrictions. In most countries around the world, women couldn’t access full education due to
inequalities caused by gender, race, and income. The struggle for equal pay is also still very
much evident in society; women are paid less than men (gender pay gap). Moreover, the
wages earned by white people are much greater than those earned by the non-white
population. Henceforward, it could be concluded that during the 1940s the issue of gender
inequality and racial discrimination are factors that affect the upholding of one’s human
rights.
Women tend to be more socially discriminated against, raped, and abused - especially low-
income PoC. As the majority of them become sex slaves. A good example of this tragedy
would be Comfort Women: around 200,000 women from Korea, China, and other Japanese
colonies were forced to become the nation’s military prostitutes within its military brothels.
Even after this tragedy, forced prostitutes are still very common in a society that further abuses
women because of their gender; yet gender discrimination is not the only issue that must be
addressed. Racial discrimination is also frequently practiced.
An example is what’s currently going on in the United States regarding the practice of racism
towards African-Americans. The country itself has performed the act of segregation in the
1940s in which they cannot enjoy the same freedoms as their white counterparts. However,
after WW2, the nation witnessed black and white soldiers fighting together. They also saw
what horrific forms state-sanctioned racial superiority could take during the Holocaust. Thus,
the United States is willing to contribute to the creation of the UDHR. Nonetheless, racial
discrimination and unequal practice of rights are still endured daily by African-Americans,
supported by many complex racial norms evident within its society.
Acts of slavery, forced labor, child labor, genocide, gender inequality, the gender pay gap, sex
slavery, and racial discrimination are only a few of the many human rights violations that
continue to occur. The world needs to address the importance of human rights and the equal
practice of it towards every single individual. Hence, the world expects the commission of the
UNCHR to create the UDHR in its most effective and comprehensive form as an effort to
create a better world for everyone.
Key Terms
Human right: A right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person.
Slavery: A condition in which one human being is owned by another; one’s property.
Forced labor: Any work or service which people are forced to do against their will, under
threat of punishment.
Child labor: Work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their
dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
Genocide: The deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular
ethnic group or nation.
Gender inequality: Legal, social, and cultural situation in which sex and/or gender
determine different rights and dignity for women and men, which are reflected in their
unequal access to or enjoyment of rights, as well as the assumption of stereotyped social and
cultural roles.
Gender pay gap: Percentage of men’s earnings and represents the difference between the
average gross hourly earnings of female and male employees.
Sex slave: A person who is forced to perform sexual acts, and who is not free to leave the
place where they are being kept or to stop the work that they are being forced to do.
Racial discrimination: When a person is treated less favorably than another person in a
similar situation because of their race, color, descent, national, or ethnic origin or immigrant
status.
PoC: People of color (referring to an individual with colored skin/without white parentage).
Supremacy: The state or condition of being superior to all others in authority, power, or
status.
Racial equality: The belief that individuals, regardless of their racial characteristics, are
morally, politically, and legally equal and should be treated as such.
Past Actions
Prior to the creation of the UN, there were existing documents detailing the rights of man.
Examples include the Magna Carta (1215), the English Bill of Rights (1689), as well as the
French Declaration on the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789). Unfortunately, these efforts
were not universally accepted, nor were they inclusive of all groups. PoC, women, and
marginalized groups were often excluded from the conversation; majority of the people
drafting and ratifying these documents were white men. The US Constitution and Bill of
Rights (1791) is another popular example with controversies of its own. The 2nd Amendment
has to do with gun control, and it reads: “A well regulated militia being necessary for the
security of a free state; the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Essentially, this gives all individuals the right to own guns (bear arms) in order to ensure safety.
This could lead to the creation of lax laws on gun control in America, which has the potential
to cause multiple disasters. For example: school shootings could become a common
occurrence. This would violate the right to life, liberty and security for many youths across the
nation. At the same time, guns are used for self-defense millions of times per year. Though it
is true that firearms can protect one’s own right to security, those with malicious intentions
can easily use them to commit unlawful acts. This is why we must be careful when drafting
the foundations for human rights law.
Eventually, countries worked together to establish the International Labor Organization (ILO)
in 1919. It was created “to oversee treaties protecting workers with respect to their rights,
including their health and safety”. As one of the first international efforts to curb violations,
the ILO spearheaded international projects that required constant communication and
cooperation. As of today, the ILO continues to play a critical role in the regulation of
employees’ working conditions. The organization brings people together so that they can
discuss and develop policies that will improve labor standards, minimum wage laws, etc. Up
next was the League of Nations, a failed predecessor of the UN.
It was the 1st intergovernmental organization ever, and had a goal of maintaining world
peace. Though they aimed to promote human rights, its early disbanding meant that none of
these objectives would be achieved. Thus, we must also consider the longevity and relevance
of a universal declaration on human rights. Failing to do so means that our efforts will end up
like the League of Nations: unfinished and unaccomplished. In simpler words, how do we
create a document that encompasses all people, and how do we make sure that it applies
regardless of what period in history we are entering? How will we ensure that it remains
relevant in the long-term? These are questions that you, the delegates, must answer.
QARMAs (Questions a Resolution Must Answer)
● How can we establish a document of human rights that is inclusive? How can we ensure that
all groups - especially minorities - will benefit?
● In the case of a future war, how can we make a declaration that protects people from war
crimes and crimes against humanity?
● How can our work address the basic freedoms of people, especially those who are threatened
by oppressive governments?
● How can we protect children?
● How can we create a declaration that is universally accepted whilst taking into account
different cultural norms and values?
● How can we further promote the equal practice of human rights?
Recommendations for Further Reading
Below is a list of articles that discuss the existing UN Declaration of Human Rights. Reading
these may help you identify crucial elements, allowing you to lead a discussion towards the
right direction. Do keep in mind: all the resources we are providing you with are intended to
help you answer the QARMAs!
1. United Declaration of Human Rights
Published by the UN themselves, this is the document you will be re-imagining.
https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
2. Debating Human Rights - Universal or Relative to Culture?
Read this for some debate and discussion revolving around the last QARMA.
https://developmenteducation.ie/blog/2014/02/debating-human-rights-universal-or-
relative-to-culture/
3. The Universal Declaration’s Bias Towards Western Democracies
This is a good follow-up to the previous resource. It discusses the declaration’s text in great
detail, article by article.
https://libertyandhumanity.com/themes/international-human-rights-law/the-universal-
declarations-bias-towards-western-democracies/
4. The Failure of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
This link is rather lengthy, so you can read the final page’s conclusion for a summary!
https://repository.law.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2518&context=umialr
References
Friedman, Ina R. The Other Victims of the Nazis. Socialstudies.org,
www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/5906/590606.html.
“History of the Document.” Universal Declaration of Human Rights, un.org, 2020,
www.un.org/en/sections/universal-declaration/history-document/index.html. 19 Jul 2020.
“What is Forced Labour.” Slavery Today, antislavery.org, 2020,
www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/forced-labour/. 20 Jul 2020.
Hellie, Richard. “Slavery.” Politics, Law & Government, britannica.com, 5 Dec 2019,
www.britannica.com/topic/slavery-sociology/Slave-societies. 20 Jul 2020.
“Nazi Forced Labor.” Forced Labor, zwangsarbeit-archiv.de, 2020,
www.zwangsarbeit-archiv.de/en/zwangsarbeit/zwangsarbeit/index.html. 20 Jul 2020.
“Post World War II: 1946-1970.” Women and Work, striking-women.org, 2020,
www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/post-world-war-ii-1946-1970. 20 Jul
2020.
Blakemore, Erin. “The Brutal History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’” Stories, history.com, 21
Jul
2019, www.history.com/news/comfort-women-japan-military-brothels-korea. 20 Jul 2020.
Vertrees, Brandon. “Human Rights Violations During WWII.” Prezi, prezi.com, 27 Sept
2013,
www.prezi.com/yrau7rhi85zm/human-rights-violations-during-wwii/. 20 Jul 2020.
“What is Child Labour.” International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC),
ilo.org, 2020, www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm. 20 Jul 2020.
“Gender Inequality.” European Institute for Gender Equality, eige.europa.eu, 2020,
www.eige.europa.eu/thesaurus/terms/1182. 20 Jul 2020.
“Gender Pay Gap.” European Institute for Gender Equality, eige.europa.eu, 2020,
www.eige.europa.eu/thesaurus/terms/1196. 20 Jul 2020.
“Sex Slave.” Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org, 2020,
www.dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sex-slave. 20 Jul 2020.
“Know Your Rights: Racial Discrimination and Vilification.” Our Work, humanrights.gov.au,
2020, www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/race-discrimination/publications/know-your-
rights-racial-discrimination-and-vilification. 20 Jul 2020.
Flowers, N. (n.d.). A Short History of Human Rights. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/short-history.htm
“Racial Equality.” History, encyclopedia.com, 21 Jul 2020,
www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/racial-
equality. 21 Jul 2020.
“Slavery in History.” About Slavery, freetheslaves.net, 2020,
www.freetheslaves.net/about-slavery/slavery-in-history/. 21 Jul 2020.
“A Brief History of Human Rights.” Sustainable Development, activesustainability.com, 2020,
www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-development/brief-history-human-rights/. 21 Jul
2020.
