Topic:
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Miro Alan Alagoz
Background:
The current largest country by land in the world, Russia as an entity has existed within Northern Asia and Eastern Europe since 879. The Russian Federation was established in 1991, adopted its current constitution in 1993, and became a union state alongside Belarus in 1999. Russia is home to over 147 Million people, ~70% Russians in addition to many different ethnic groups like the Tatars and Ukrainians, who have been forced under a Russian identity. Religion though gets a more lenient approach in Russia (Except for Jews, though tolerance has recently risen). And though the majority (~60%) and state hold Eastern Orthodox beliefs, ~25% are non-religious and ~10% are Muslim. Governmentally Russia is a semi-presidential republic that holds elections on a 6-year basis (The next one being in 2024) and consists of Republics, Oblast, Krais, Okrugs, and federal cities (83 recognized, 6 unrecognized in Ukraine), which although differ in how they operate within themselves are seen as equals by the central government. Within that federal government, there are 3 branches (executive, legislative, and judicial), and all are under the control of Vladimir Putin, the authoritarian dictator who through various forms has been in power since 1999 alongside his party “United Russia”. This mass one-sided control has corrupted the said Russian democracy, through election fraud and the silencing of political rivals/journalists. Unofficially though since the mid-1990s, Putin has been advised by a series of “Oligarchs”, billionaires who gained ownership of mass Russian wealth after purchasing large shares of governmental organizations that became private after the fall of the USSR. Their existence though is not primarily bad, due to their help in Russian stability to maintain their international businesses. Yet as Putin became more radical and powerful many oligarchs opposed him, leading to backslashes that towarthed their power through property seizures under fabricated charges and killings. Such repression led to a new type of oligarchs called silovarchs, Putin puppets put in charge of the seized business, or loyalists who obey his rule.
Internationally, Russia has been recognized by the UN since 1991 as the precedent of the USSR, a permanent founding member, and their delegate since 2017 has been Vasily Nebenzya. Throughout its current existence, Russia has been involved in many international conflicts like the Post-Soviet Wars, even acting as UN peacekeepers to this day between Armenia and Azerbaijan; The Russo-Georgian War (2008), where Russia gained control of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia (aka. Alans); The Russian War Against Terror, primarily in the Middle East, Syria, and Mali (Especially since 2015); And the Russo-Ukrainian War (2014 – now), where Russia gained control of the 77% Russian yet historically complicated Autonomous Crimea in 2014 in which it helped establish puppet republics within the diverse yet Russian majority Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, who were annexed alongside bordering lands in 2022. When it comes to wider world relations, Russia has increased its sphere of influence by helping developing and unstable countries in exchange for alliance, as seen with its new endeavor to help build up African countries. Overall though the biggest allies of Russia, especially economically are the “BRICS” countries of Brazil, India, China, and S. Africa. And even though Russia did have feasible relations with multiple powerful nations, most have soured due to “Western” support for Ukraine in the current war, leading to mass financial sanctions being placed on Russia, and their GDP going from 2.3 down to 1.2 Trillion (USD), although its back to 1.8 now.
Topic: Repatriation of Refugees:
After World War 2, the influx of refugees required for the creation of The Higher Commission of Refugees under the Human Rights Committee. The UNHCR has over 18,000 staff in 132 countries and has helped ~59 Million refugees seek a new home with dignity. But as conflicts increase so does mass displacement creating a new challenge of where and how to situate immigrants, an issue that’s further hyperbolized by the funding gap between humanitarian needs and resources, as well as the growing rates of xenophobia. These problems need to be solved ASAP, for according to the UNHCR currently there are ~110 Million displaced people in the world, all of whom are suffering due to the lack of efficiency The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and The Build a Better Future program carry due to their incalculability and underfundation. In this session we have to identify how to fix these issues on a global scale, especially focusing on the conflicts in the Middle East (Israel and Syria), Afghanistan, D.R.C, and Russo-Ukraine.
The Russian Federation has been a keen Allie of refugees as they escaped inhumane conditions. World Bank data shows that Russia before 2022, accepted ~100,000 refugees per year mostly from Russo-Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan; All who after passing brief background checks were let into the country as temporary asylum seekers, in which they could live freely carrying near identical rights to Russian citizens until the unrest in their homelands cleared out. Many though (over ⅔ according to the Russian immigration agency) choose to stay, which they could legally do by applying for permanent residency, and if granted would mean 5 years until Russian citizenship. This approach has stayed the same throughout the past 2 years as nearly 1.3 Million refugees solely from Russo-Ukraine sought asylum within our borders.
Our policies align with, and even further are more welcoming of refugees than what the UNHCR advocates for. These include but are not limited to: The free and equal healthcare and education of immigrants and their children, even for college if academically qualified; The fast and efficient acceptance of refugees into Russia; The fair, equal, and humanitarian treatment of refugees; The temporary mass housing for refugees as they are trained to be integrated into society outside of ghettos; As well as Russia’s commitment to the UN mission as seen by our delegation being the 11th biggest funder (450 Million USD) of the overall budget. But we recognize this approach not being universal, well-paved, or sufficient; Therefore, the Russian delegation urges for a collective and well-structured effort that solves this crisis on a long-term yet flexible basis.
Our proposal is to sign off on a globally funded deal that will set a safe and effective pathway for refugees to seek shelter and even a new home in dignity away from inhumane conditions. To support this we propose a mandatory annual tax based on a country’s GDPPC, which will receive a cut for nations that host a certain amount of refugees. This money will be used not only to advocate but also to support fleeing refugees, providing humanitarian help in their endeavors. We shall also set standards for countries that host refugees to provide them with sustainable and equal resources, programs that get them integrated into society, and a pathway for them to achieve permanent residence. Finally, recognizing the complexity of each crisis, the Russian delegation proposes a new commission under the UNHRC that helps coordinate the fulfillment of each crisis.
