Committee: United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees Topic: Sharing refugee burden and responsibility Country: Republic

of Cte d'Ivoire Delegate: Samir Nadim Ghobril Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from prosecution. An article taken directly from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Refugees from Cte dIvoire have witnessed a huge number of abuse in the past few years in most neighboring countries, and it goes without saying that many refugees, other than Ivoirians, have lived through the same abuse. Where you live should not determine how youre treated, and Cte dIvoire has been working hard to ensure that refugees be given the proper treatment they deserve. Cte dIvoire is well aware of the security crisis that had caused the increase in number of refugees, and hence it has taken the required actions to moderate the problem. Ivorian Army Chief of Staff General Soumaila Bakayoko recently spread out army men in western Cte dIvoire, which has greatly reduced the number of terrorizing attacks in that region. The army is also in the process of disarming and taking apart militia groups in towns such as Tiassale and Sikensi. As a way of maintaining peace, the United Nations Operation in Cte dIvoire has aided the country by deploying peacekeeping troops, even after the 2010 elections. Furthermore, as an effort to bring back Ivorian refugees, Cte dIvoires government is working hard to finally reopen universities across the country in September of 2012. The Republic of Cte dIvoire believes that it, as well as other countries, should invest a lot of time and effort to work on an international level to help solve the issue. On 1 December, 2011, Cte dIvoire and Guinea, as well as the UNHCR, signed a tripartite agreement that encourages the repatriation of Ivorian refugees. This wasnt the first agreement related to that issue, since a similar agreement has been signed with other neighboring countries such as Liberia, Ghana, and Togo. Also, due to the help presented by the UNHCR, on the 7th and 8th of December 2011, 546 Ivoirians were successfully taken back to their home country. On the 15th of November, 2011, Liberia and Cte dIvoire also agreed that starting November 22, 2011 and ending on December 22, 2012, two convoys will be sent weekly from Liberia to Cte dIvoire, bringing back home refugees from said country to the other. The African Union, which Cte dIvoire is part of, has provided much-needed help regarding the Ivorian crisis. Earlier in November 2011, an African Union delegation donated $100,000 to the UNHCR, to show their persistence in solving the situation in Cte dIvoire. The path leading to the fair treatment of refugees is a long and tough one. Developed and developing countries all around the world will need to collaborate, putting aside all differences, to reach a reasonable solution regarding the responsibility of protecting and safeguarding refugees. Money, or any resource whatsoever, used to nourish refugees should not be a reason to mistreat or discard refugees. Countries whose people are away from their home should work on reaching and maintaining peace in their land, to ensure the safe return of their countrymen. It is a human right, and not a privilege, to be given the necessary resources to life.

References: AllAfrica (2012, March 5). Cte dIvoire: The State of Security in Nation. Retrieved from http://allafrica.com/stories/201203060949.html UNHCR. (2011, December 26). Cte dIvoire Situation Update. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/4f0bfc749.html United Nations. (2012). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/