Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Model United Nations Conference XI

February 8-10, 2019
Boston, Massachusetts
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Dear ASEAN Delegates,

Welcome to the MITMUNC Association of Southeast Asian Nations!

My name is Kristen, and I’m a junior physics major. I loved doing Model UN throughout high

school, and I really enjoyed chairing the Human Rights Council at MITMUNC for the past two

years. I’m looking forward to co-chairing ASEAN for the first time this year!

My name is Stephanie, and I’m a junior majoring in math with computer science. I was on the

debate team in high school and first started participating in Model UN during college. I was one of

the ASEAN chairs last year and look forward to being one again!

We hope you find this background guide informative as a starting point for your research. However,

please make sure to seek additional sources, particularly those pertaining to your specific country.

Our committee will be much more interesting with a variety of perspectives!

When writing your position papers, remember to use your own words unless quoting, and as always,

cite your references. Of course, please feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have any

questions or concerns. We look forward to reading your position papers and meeting you all at the

conference!

Best,

Stephanie L. Yuen and Kristen M. Surrao

 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Topic I: Preventing Regional Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking: Introductory Definitions

As defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Trafficking in persons is the

acquisitions of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of

exploiting them. Smuggling of migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material

benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident.”1

For the purpose of this conference, we will be focusing on human trafficking with the aim of

exploiting them – such as for prostitution or factory work – rather than the smuggling of migrants.

Another way to better understand human trafficking is to look at the Action-Means-Purpose

(AMP) Model. As stated on the Polaris Project (an initiative working against human trafficking)

website, “[h]uman trafficking occurs when a perpetrator, often referred to as a trafficker, takes an

action, and then employs the means of force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of compelling the

victim to provide commercial sex acts or labor or services. At a minimum, one element from each

column must be present to establish a potential situation of human trafficking.”2 Yet it is also

important to note that whenever a minor is involved in commercial sex or the sort, it is immediately

considered human trafficking, regardless of whether any of these elements are present.

Human trafficking for these purposes can be separated into two categories: sex trafficking

and labor trafficking. As provided on the Polar Project website, examples of sex trafficking include

those for escort services, pornography, illicit massage business and brothels, while examples of labor

trafficking include those for agriculture, domestic work, restaurants and cleaning services.3

1
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/index.html?ref=menuside
2
https://polarisproject.org/human-
trafficking?gclid=Cj0KCQiA28nfBRCDARIsANc5BFDNMkTefztHjKSneqeSK6SrNi9EO62mzV5vHnBgR8BWk
mmnNShEPDcaAsB8EALw_wcB
3
https://polarisproject.org/human-
trafficking?gclid=Cj0KCQiA28nfBRCDARIsANc5BFDNMkTefztHjKSneqeSK6SrNi9EO62mzV5vHnBgR8BWk
mmnNShEPDcaAsB8EALw_wcB
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

While many people believe that human trafficking is violent, with movie scenes depicting

young girls getting snatched off the road and dragged away in sketchy dark vans, the reality is that

most human trafficking cases occur in a less dramatic fashion. As can be seen in the definition,

human trafficking includes people that were coerced or manipulated into exploitative situations.

Traffickers use psychological tactics to convince their victims that there is no way out of their

situation – despite the illegality of the circumstances that they are being put into. A large majority of

people are only aware of sex trafficking, due to its publicity in the news and in movies. They are not

aware that labor trafficking exists, so victims might not even know that they are prey to human

trafficking. Trafficking can occur in the victim’s own hometown, and sometimes even in their own

home. People are forced to work at restaurants, for cleaning services, in construction and more. A

false belief is that once someone initially agrees to a situation, it can no longer be considered

trafficking. However, as long as there was any force, fraud or coercion (or if the victim is a minor),

the person is still a victim of human trafficking. These people may be capable of physically leaving

their situation, but are often so manipulated by their traffickers or so afraid of their situation that

they are incapable of escaping.4

Current United Nations’ Initiatives

The European Union, along with the UNODC, jointly launched a Global Action to Prevent

and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO. ACT), which will work

with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICF) until 2019. While the UNODC is focused on the criminal justice aspect of these crimes,

current rules and regulations regarding these are contained within the United Nations Convention

on Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC) and its protocols. The statement of purpose for

4
Ibid.
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

this convention “is to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime

more effectively,”5 and the UNCTOC the first global body to legally define human trafficking.

Drug Trafficking Statistics

According to the Polaris Project website, around 24.9 million people are victims of human

trafficking in Asia and the Pacific alone. Due to the varied types of human trafficking, this crime is

not limited to female victims as some would suspect. Instead, a recent study indicates that around

half of the victims and survivors are male, and other studies even contend that this percentage is too

low.6

Specifically, in Asia, human trafficking is extremely prevalent. As published by the Global

Slavery Index, 0.61% of people in Asia and the Pacific are victims of modern slavery. Forced labor

is much more prevalent than sex trafficking, with 4 of every 6.1 people being subjugated to forced

labor. Common methods of retaining victims include using debt to force victims to remain under

the traffickers control – in fact 55% of victims of forced labor were held using debt bondage.

Of all victims of human trafficking, Asia and the Pacific have the highest percentage –

accounting for 73% of sex trafficking (of which 68% are forced to by the state), 64% of labor

trafficking and 42% of forced marriages. Yet even within the region, the crimes predominantly

occur in North Korea, Afghanistan, India, China and Pakistan. However, as expected, most

countries afflicted with widespread trafficking do not conduct track these crimes. In fact, the only

country in East Asia that has conducted a national survey on the topic is Mongolia.7 The following

table, provides estimates on a few relevant countries:

5
https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNTOC/Publications/TOC%20Convention/TOCebook-e.pdf
6
https://polarisproject.org/human-
trafficking?gclid=Cj0KCQiA28nfBRCDARIsANc5BFDNMkTefztHjKSneqeSK6SrNi9EO62mzV5vHnBgR8BWk
mmnNShEPDcaAsB8EALw_wcB
7
https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/findings/regional-analysis/asia-and-the-pacific/
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Rank Country Estimated Estimated Population

prevalence absolute
(victims per number of
1,000 victims
population)
1 Korea, Democratic 104.6 2,640,000 25,244,000
People's Republic of
(North Korea)**
2 Afghanistan 22.2 749,000 33,736,000
3 Pakistan 16.8 3,186,000 189,381,000
4 Cambodia 16.8 261,000 15,518,000
5 Iran, Islamic Republic of 16.2 1,289,000 79,360,000
6 Mongolia 12.3 37,000 2,977,000
7 Myanmar 11.0 575,000 52,404,000
8 Brunei Darussalam 10.9 5,000 418,000
9 Papua New Guinea 10.3 81,000 7,920,000
10 Lao People's Democratic 9.4 62,000 6,664,000
Republic
11 Thailand 8.9 610,000 68,658,000
12 Philippines 7.7 784,000 101,716,000
13 Timor-Leste 7.7 10,000 1,241,000
14 Malaysia 6.9 212,000 30,723,000
15 India 6.1 7,989,000 1,309,054,000
16 Nepal 6.0 171,000 28,656,000
17 Indonesia 4.7 1,220,000 258,162,000
18 Viet Nam 4.5 421,000 93,572,000
19 Bangladesh 3.7 592,000 161,201,000
20 Singapore** 3.4 19,000 5,535,000
21 China** 2.8 3,864,000 1,397,029,000
22 Sri Lanka 2.1 44,000 20,714,000
23 Korea, Republic of (South 1.9 99,000 50,594,000
Korea)**
24 Hong Kong, China** 1.4 10,000 7,246,000
25 Australia 0.6 15,000 23,800,000
26 New Zealand 0.6 3,000 4,615,000
27 Taiwan, China** 0.5 12,000 23,486,000
28 Japan** 0.3 37,000 127,975,000
**These are likely underestimates as there is substantial data missing from these particular sub

regions.8

8
https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/2018/findings/regional-analysis/asia-and-the-pacific/
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

More information on specific cases can be found in the Case Law Database organized by the

Human Trafficking Knowledge Portal, which aims to make information on human trafficking more

easily accessible for the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Key Countries

Next, we will provide brief overviews of some countries where human trafficking is a large

issue to provide more perspective on the positions of these major countries. More information can

be found in the Trafficking in Persons Reports that are published yearly. Additionally, there is also

data on each country as well as specifications for what the United States Department of State

recommends for the particular country in order for it to conform with tier one standards for aiming

to prevent human trafficking.9

A Brief Overview of Key Countries

Pakistan

Pakistan is not only a source of human traffickers but also a transit location and destination

for many of them. Most victims of this crime are forced to labor, most of which occur in the Sindh

and Punjab regions, where agriculture and brick production are prevalent. Victims in these

situations are given no choice but to work, as if they were to speak out they risk kidnapping. Yet,

forced laborers are not just adults who fear for their families’ safety, but oftentimes children that are

bought, sold, rented, and kidnapped. Traffickers take advantage of the young age of these children

and force them to participate in illegal begging rings, prostitution, agriculture, and more. The

traffickers then turn and charge the parents of these children high fees by maintaining that they will

find decent work for their children.

Trafficking of females is also pervasive in this region. Women (including young girls) are

forced into marriages and their “husbands” sometimes even move them across the border, where

9
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2018/index.htm
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

they are subject to prostitution. However, women are not always moved across the borders

unwillingly – in fact both men and women migrate to the Gulf States, Iran, Turkey, South Africa,

Uganda, Greece and other European countries, where they hope to find low-skilled employment.

Once on foreign land, many of these people, unable to find jobs, are given false promises and

charged high fees by labor agents and even sometimes subagents of licensed Pakistani Overseas

Employment Promoters. These migrants quickly become victims of labor trafficking. These agents

often seize travel authorizations and other important documentation to prevent laborers from

leaving the country.

Yet, human trafficking is not always so obvious or clear-cut in this region. There are also

cases where militant groups coerce parents into sending their children, who are as young as 12, to

spy, fight and even die as suicide bombers. They then retain the children through psychological

means and coercion to convince them of their cause.

The Government of Pakistan has made some progress in terms of law enforcement targeting

human trafficking. In 2009, they enacted several laws, in the Pakistan Penal Code and Prevention

and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance (PACHTO). The implementation of this has been

somewhat helpful, with 385 criminals convicted in 2009 as compared to the 25 in 2008.10

China

China is considered a tier 3 country in terms of working to improve human trafficking

conditions. The government has “not fully [met] the minimum standards for the elimination of

trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so [… Yet d]espite the lack of significant

efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including by cooperating with

10
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142761.htm
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

international authorities to address forced and fraudulent marriages in China – a key trafficking

vulnerability for foreign women and girls.”11

A major issue in China is the prevalence of state-sponsored labor and sex trafficking. In the

2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, the US Department noted that China did not publish data

regarding trafficking victims. It also mentioned that Chinese authorities often detained women that

were suspected of prostitution and then returned foreign victims back to their trafficking conditions

even after they had escaped and reported the crimes. To worsen the situation, they would then try to

extradite Chinese and Taiwanese individuals abroad that were victims of forced labor and then indict

them as criminals.

China continues not to comply with the international definition of human trafficking when

reporting statistics, making it difficult to obtain a comprehensive overview of the country’s

problems.12

Cambodia

While Cambodia has a large human trafficking problem, its government is making significant

progress to change this. There are a few main issues that the government still needs to face to make

its efforts effective:

(1) Deal with the pervasive corruption throughout law enforcement

(2) Formally lay out rules for undercover investigative techniques to identify and indict members

of trafficking operations

These two points combined with government inefficiency make it easy for businesses to exploit

forced laborers.

11
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282800.pdf
12
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282800.pdf
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

The government, however, has implemented some laws aiming to reduce these crimes. For

example, in 2008, it enacted the Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Commercial

Sexual Exploitation, which punished traffickers with seven to fifteen years of imprisonment. They

also created the Anti-Human Trafficking (AHTJP) which aimed to garner information on

investigated cases; however, this entity ultimately failed to collect comprehensive data (especially

from provincial courts). The government also implemented the National Committee for Counter

Trafficking (NCCT), which managed to convict at least 129 traffickers in 2018, an improvement

from the 100 convicted in 2016. Although this improvement may sound great, in reality, the court

continually concluded sex trafficking cases with monetary settlements. This was largely due to the

fact that victims who received out-of-court settlements then often changed their testimony, making

it difficult to properly continue dealing with the case in a legal manner.13

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

The DPRK does not demonstrate any effort to address human trafficking. In fact, the

government continues with state-sponsored human trafficking – forcing laborers to work in prison

camps and for foreign companies. Funds from these activities are then given to the government.

These labor camps exist on the regional, local and sub-district levels and laborers are of all ages. All

children above 14 years of age are forced by schools to work for no pay on a farm for up to a

month, twice a year. Those who fail to do so are physically punished. Furthermore, schools push

students to work on farms and construction sites.

This abuse is not only contained within the country. The DPRK often sends workers

abroad with “minders,” to ensure that they are properly doing their work. The conditions are often

hazardous, and the workers are forced to stay for up to three years. These workers than only receive

13
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282800.pdf
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

a portion of the pay provided to them by the foreign company and are of course punished if they fail

to meet their minimum work requirements. Some NGO reports even claim that the DPRK retains

seventy to ninety percent of wages these workers earn.

This government has not made any reasonable anti-trafficking law enforcement alterations,

with their current laws no criminalizing all forms of human trafficking as defined by the UN. Fair

trials and persecution do not exist in DPRK.14

Iran

Iran, along with many of the other countries summarized here, is a tier three country. The

government is not making any significant efforts to reduce human trafficking in the region, but has

made some minimal steps towards improvement. These steps include ratifying the UN Convention

against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). Despite this, the government is not disclosing

information regarding its overall efforts.

In this country, victims are subjected to punishment, including death, for actions committed

while they are being trafficked. Allegedly, government officials aided in pushing Afghan men and

boys, as young as 13, to volunteer for the Iranian-supported militias operating in Syria. Officials also

supported militias fighting in Iraq that were comprised of child soldiers. And yet, despite clear

evidence of such activities, the government has not made any moves to indict these high-ranking

officials or discourage such behavior.

In 2017, the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) reported that officials

managed to identify 800 female victims of trafficking, yet the government did not disclose whether

any steps were made to protect these women. In fact, the government continued to punish victims

for acts committed despite them not having control over their actions. Females part of sex

14
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282802.pdfa
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

trafficking are often punished through “lashing, public shaming, forced confessions, and

imprisonment.”15

Mongolia

Although Mongolia does not meet some of the minimum standards required of a tier one

country in fighting human trafficking, the government is making clear efforts to change this. The

country has increased trafficking investigations initiated throughout the year, utilizing a fund that is

dedicated to assisting Mongolian victims overseas. It has also adopted the new National Anti-

Trafficking Program.

While these are clear steps in the right direction, this past year, they have not made any

changes that indicate their efforts. With a new criminal code, prosecutors dismissed up to 26 in-

process trafficking cases rather than looking at each case again. Along with these dismissed cases,

the new criminal code negatively affected victims by barring them from seeking shelter until

prosecutors “initiated cases against their alleged traffickers, further restricting access to Mongolia’s

already limited protection services.”16 Furthermore, the new codes meant that female trafficking

victims caught during raids on illicit establishments were also indicted, despite their actions being

forced. Thus, it is clear that the country has stopped its upward trend and is now regressing in terms

of effort to address human trafficking.

Mongolia is both a source and destination for human trafficking victims. Mongolian citizens

are often brought to Turkey, Kazakhstan, Norway and Sweden for labor trafficking. They are

brought to South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Germany, Sweden, Belgium,

Turkey and the United States for sex trafficking.17

Further Research and Actions

15
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282801.pdf
16
https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282802.pdf
17
Ibid.
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Delegates should further research their countries’ current situation and stance by looking

through the Trafficking in Persons Report for their specific country, but they should keep in mind

this provides a very biased perspective as it is published by the US Department of State. As

members of the United Nations, delegates should try to find a more neutral representative

perspective and also determine how their home countries’ government stand and whether it has

published any legal documents regarding the topic. If a country’s primary issue when dealing with

human trafficking is corruption, consider questions such as: How should countries deal with

corruption and penalize officers engaged in human trafficking? How can we have more uniform

laws across the region that justly punish human traffickers and protect victims from undue

indictment?

Topic II: Conserving Natural Resources in the Face of Urbanization, Industrialization, and

Natural Disaster

Definitions

We begin with some preliminary definitions to provide context for this topic.

Conservation: “a plan for avoiding the unnecessary use of natural resources such as wood, water, or

fuel” [1]

Urbanization: “the process by which large numbers of people become permanently concentrated in

relatively small areas, forming cities” [2]

Industrialization: “the process of converting to a socioeconomic order in which industry is dominant

[3]

Natural resources: “the natural wealth of a country, consisting of land, forests, mineral deposits,

water, etc.” [4]

Natural disaster: “a sudden and terrible event in nature (such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood) that

usually results in serious damage and many deaths” [5]

 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Therefore, the purpose of this topic is to discuss how we deal with the effects of urbanization,

industrialization, and natural disaster in terms of preserving access to food, water, minerals, and

other natural resources. There are many potential points of discussion for this topic. We discuss

some of them below, but please do not feel limited as you search for more information and

brainstorm potential solutions.

Climate Change and Natural Disasters

In 2017, about 8.6 million people in Southeast Asia and the Pacific were displaced due to

natural disaster, most notably in Indonesia and the Philippines [6]. For instance, a number of people

were displaced during Typhoon Haiyan and Tropical Storm Kai-tak, displacing primarily

impoverished communities. In being displaced, these communities faced many challenges, including

lack of healthcare and education [6].

Some of the greatest current consequences of global warming are droughts and a lack of

water. For example, El Niño caused a drought in many areas, leading to various problems. In

Vietnam, over two million people -- three quarters of which are women and children -- are in need

of humanitarian aid. The Philippines incurred $19.2 million in agricultural damage, and over 2.5

million people in Cambodia face food insecurity [9].

Efforts have been taken in an attempt to improve responses and alleviate the aftermath of

natural disasters. For instance, Canada funded $7.5 million USD project titled “Building Resilience

to High-Impact Hydro-Meteorological Events through Strengthening Multi-Hazard Early Warning

Systems in SIDS and Southeast Asia,” benefitting countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the

Philippines, and Vietnam [7]. A few goals of the project include improving risk analysis and weather

forecasting, strengthening communications within governments, and providing tools and guidance

to various organizations involved in these countries [7].

 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Moreover, many areas of the world have regional climate outlook forums, including

Southeast Asia’s ASEAN Climate Outlook Forum. The tenth session of this forum was organized

by the Malaysian Meteorological Department. The forum discussed many topics of concern

involving climate change and natural disasters in Southeast Asia, particularly the El Niño Southern

Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole [8]. The forum also discussed predictions for the monsoon

season, as well as the possibility for above average temperatures in much of central and eastern

Southeast Asia [8].

Urbanization and Industrialization

Over the past three decades, Southeast Asia has seen large growth in population, along with

a large rural to urban migration [10]. This has led to a great deal of unsustainable development in

urban areas. Due to financial constraints, sewage systems, waste disposal, and water supply are all

lacking proper infrastructure [11]. With this population shift has also come a transformation of

forest to agricultural and urban areas, leading to a depletion of natural resources [11].

Regarding urban water problems, there is an interesting dilemma regarding how these issues

arise. On one hand, many resources are underdeveloped, but on the other hand, activities aimed at

economic development also lead to issues with natural resources and water [11]. Thus, any potential

solutions must carefully balance these two contributors to water issues. Yet another issue with water

sources is the large amount of waste disposed in rivers. For example, in Kuala Lumpur, only 75% of

households have formal garbage disposal mechanisms [11]. Therefore, more funding toward

improved waste disposal mechanisms are needed to combat this phenomenon.

Reference 12 does an excellent job of outlining some of the major environmental issues and

potential solutions in Southeast Asia. We outline a few of them below, but see the full reference for

more details:
 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

1. Air pollution has led to over 200,000 deaths and cost over $280 billion USD. Solution:

Invest in better public transportation.

2. Shrimp farming in Thailand has destroyed over half of the areas providing coastal

protection. Solution: sustainable fisheries management.

3. Deforestation has led to increased effects of flooding. Solution: sustainable management

of natural forests.

4. Fossil fuel usage is expensive and unfriendly to the environment. Solution: Reform fossil

fuel subsidies.

Again, we highly encourage you to read through all of Reference 12 for more context surrounding

environmental issues and solutions in Southeast Asia.

Potential Questions/Topics to Consider:

In looking at natural disasters, there are two potential avenues for solutions:

1. How can we prevent natural disaster by mitigating human-induced climate change?

2. How can we deal with the aftermath of natural disasters? In particular, how can we ensure

that displaced people still have access to necessary resources--both natural and

humanitarian?

With regard to urbanization and industrialization, we may consider the following:

1. How can we better allocate funding toward infrastructure such as garbage disposal,

sewage systems, and water purification?

2. What rules/regulations can be imposed in order to reduce the effects of deforestation

and transformation of lands with natural resources?

3. How can we control the growth of cities to prevent unsustainable development, but also

not impede economic growth?

 MIT MODEL UNITED NATIONS X 2018 | ASEAN

Please refer to the references below for more information regarding this topic. You are encouraged

to seek additional country-specific resources for more information.

Topic I Sources:

1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/conservation

2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/urbanization

3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/industrialization

4. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/natural-resource

5. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20disaster

6. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30346865

7. https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/southeast-asia-strengthens-multi-hazard-early-

warning-systems

8. http://asmc.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ASEANCOF-10-Outlook-

Bulletin.pdf

9. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/impact-and-causes-disasters-and-migration-southeast-

asia

10. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-94-009-1748-4_6.pdf

11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479705800519

12. https://www.oecd.org/dac/environment-

development/Final%20SE%20Asia%20Brochure%20low%20res.pdf