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Dear Delegates,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Montessori Model United Nations Conference.
The following pages intend to guide you in the research of the topics that will be debated at MMUN 2014 in committee sessions. Please note this guide only provides the basis for your investigation. It is your responsibility to find as much information necessary on the topics and how they relate to the country you represent. Such information should help you write your Position Paper, where you need to cite the references in the text and finally list all references in the Modern Language Association (MLA} format.
The more information and understanding you acquire on the two topics, the more you will be able to influence the Resolution writing process through debates [formal and informal caucuses], and the MMUN experience as a whole. Please feel free to contact us if and when you face challenges in your research or formatting your
Position Papers.
We encourage you to learn all you can about your topics first and then study your country with regard to the two selected topics. Please remember that both committee members need to be well versed and ready to debate both topics.
Enjoy researching and writing your Position Papers.
We look forward to seeing you at the Conference!
MMUN Secretariat Team info@montessori-mun.org !
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Background information on the Human
Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.
The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.
The Human Rights Council replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by resolution 60/251. Its first session took place from 19 to 30 June 2006. One year later, the Council adopted its "Institution-building package" to guide its work and set up its procedures and mechanisms.
Among them were the Universal Periodic Review mechanism which serves to assess the human rights situations in all United Nations Member States, the Advisory Committee which serves as the Council’s “think tank” providing it with expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues and the Complaint Procedure which allows individuals and organizations to bring human rights violations to the attention of the Council.
The Human Rights Council also works with the UN Special Procedures established by the former Commission on Human Rights and now assumed by the Council. These are made up of special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups that monitor, examine, advise and publicly report on thematic issues or human rights situations in specific countries.
Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/AboutCouncil.aspx

©Montessori Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
Website: www.montessori-mun.org
Email: info@montessori-mun.org

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Human Rights on the Internet
Topic Background
Outlining human rights is controversial enough in the physical world; on the Internet, defining rights is even more of an ambiguous task. Issues of human rights on the
Internet are extremely nebulous given the size, scope, and borderless nature of the Internet world, which has no pre-set guardians, laws, or norms – a virtual no man’s land. Since the start of the Internet, three hotly discussed violations of rights have included withholding of access, censorship, and freedom of expression.
Since its invention, computer scientists and