Topic: Elimination of Xenophobia and Racism
Country: Argentina
Delegate Name: Marina Cox
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Argentina position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
Discrimination exists globally today without any relationship to geography, and it significantly affects the lives of millions. Major steps have been taken to improve the lives of these individuals. For example, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was created by the UN to, for the first time, lay out basic human rights that must be universally protected. This remains crucial in the global fight against racism. Although changes have been made to combat discrimination, racism and xenophobia bear negative effects on these groups to this day, and it is an issue that the UN must eliminate.
Due to Argentina’s homogeneous population, incorporating minority groups has proven difficult, and racism is often seen. For example, the notion of European supremacy was followed by even the Argentine government. Minority groups remain small and were previously looked down upon. The Argentine government did not see it necessary to address the situation since the groups were so small and powerless. Antisemitism, a prejudice against Jews, has been accounted for in Argentina as well due to the mainly Roman Catholic population. Although Argentina has seen a history of racist beliefs, we are changing. We are currently trying to remove racism and discrimination from our country through various efforts. For example, the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) was created in 1995 by federal law. The INADI is a state agency which is charged with receiving complaints and pursuing charges against citizens accused of acts of discrimination or hatred. It promotes inclusive policies and organizes community workshops. Argentina is now a country of immigration, and we welcome people from all nationalities. The ‘Patricia Grande’ plan was even created to regularize the situation of undocumented immigrants.
Argentina seeks to eliminate racism both nationally and locally in our country. We believe an organization similar to the INADI should be created by the UN to expand upon the UDHR which lays out our undeniable rights. This organization will better monitor counties and handle all complaints of discrimination. Overall, Argentina wants to increase globalization and improve the lives of the discriminated. We believe that the UN should play a major role in this, and it should take more steps to ensure racism and xenophobia are no longer an issue.
