Schedule for General Assembly 10:00-10:15 Opening of general assembly 10:15-11:00 Committee on Development 11:00-11:45 Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety 11:45-12:00 Fika 12:00-12:45 Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II 12:45-13:00 Transfer to school 13:00-14:00 Lunch 14:00-14:15 Transfer to GA Venue 14:15-15:00 Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality 15:00-15:45 Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 15:45-16:30 Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs 16:30-17:00 Fika 17:00-18:00 Closing Ceremony
General Assembly Procedure
1. Board reads the topic sentence 2. Silent reading of the operative clauses (2 min) All members of the General Assembly (GA) read the operative clauses for themselves, there will not be a reading from the podium. Everyone should have read the operative clauses beforehand. 3. Resolution Debate (30 - 40 min) a. Proposition Speech (3 min) During this time one member of the proposing committee will go to the podium and deliver a speech on the resolution. The proposing committee presents the rationale and context of the resolution and their solutions rather than defending it to the GA. b. Position Speech(es) (2x 2 min) The Position Speech is a speech held by any other committee but the proposing. The speech can either agree with the proposed resolution or the speech can thoroughly disagree with the proposed resolution. In either way the rationale behind the position should be elaborated on. The Position Speech should not pick at individual clauses or details but rather is used when a delegate fundamentally agrees or disagrees with the content of the resolution. Like a Proposition Speech, the Position Speech is held from the podium. c. Response to Position Speech(es) (90 sec) A delegate from the proposing committee has the chance to respond to the Position Speech(es). The response will be delivered from the floor. d. Open debate Any committee with a point or a question on the resolution can raise their committee placard and, when recognised by the Board, pose it to the proposing committee. The Board will take 4-5 points from the floor before allowing the proposing committee to respond to all of them. During each debate, committees must raise the placard with their committee name to show that they want to speak and wait for the Board to recognise them. There will be 3 rounds of open debate and the first two will be answered from the floor by the proposing committee and the last round will be answered from the podium. 4. Answer to rounds of debate and Summation Speech (4 min) a. Two delegates will approach the podium. The first delegate will have the opportunity to answer to the last round of open debate and summarise the whole debate. b. During the Summation Speech, a delegate from the proposing committee has the final chance to use all rhetorical energy and skill to convince people to vote for their resolution. The time allocated is to be divided by the speakers amongst themselves but the microphone can only be passed once. 5. Voting on proposed resolution.
General Assembly Placards
Committee Placard Direct Response (2x per debate) Each committee has, once per debate, the chance to directly reply to the point that was last made. Therefore, if a Chairperson raises the “Direct Response” placard, the committee will be immediately recognised by the Board. If two or more committees request a Direct Response, the Board will decide which committee to recognise. Point of Personal Privilege This placard may be raised by a Chairperson if a member of the Assembly requests to repeat a point that was inaudible. Point of Order This placard may be raised by a Chairperson if a committee feels that the Board is not following appropriate parliamentary procedure.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT Overbooking the planet: With child mortality rates decreasing, resulting in lower fertility rates in the past few decades and therefore contributing to a decreasing population growth rate, how can the EU further address human development issues by tackling child mortality on the African continent in order to positively affect a decline in population growth?
Submitted by:
Abdallah Ahmad (St Eskils gymnasium), Khaleel Al-Abdulridha (Prins Wilhelmgymnasiet), Josephine Akinlaja Schnackenburg (Hersby Gymnasium), Moa Tornberg (Enskilda Gymnasiet), Magdalena Zaczek (Kungsholmens Gymnasium), Tim Hultman (Chairperson, SE).
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Bearing in mind that maternal health has significant impact on the health of the child, B. Conscious that inadequate education, infrastructure, and healthcare systems in African countries lead to higher rates of child mortality, C. Recognising that low levels of education and sanitation lead to a higher child mortality rate, D. Concerned by the fact that the child mortality rate is larger for orphan children than for the rest of the population, E. Noting with regret that corruption and inefficent governance in African countries results in inadequate functioning healthcare systems, F.
Alarmed by the fact that due to insufficient infrastructure many African women give birth at their homes without the presence of educated medical personnel,
G. Noting with regret that the living conditions in developing countries do not allow for many people to prioritize education before work, H. Realising that pension systems of African countries do not cover the needs of elderly citizens resulting in a higher fertility rate; 1.
Encourages companies, NGOs, individuals, and other private bodies to donate or invest capital in healthcare, education, and infrastructure in sub-Saharan countries;
2.
Urges African countries’ governments to focus on improving education, sanitation, healthcare, infrastructure and eventually pension systems;
3.
Encourages African countries’ governments to make vaccination available at public hospitals by increasing their funding;
4.
Asks the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development1 (DG DEVCO) in cooperation with African countries’ governments to introduce a program providing contraceptives as well as information on their usage;
DG DEVCO is responsible for designing European international cooperation and development policy and delivering aid throughout the world. 1
5.
Asks DG DEVCO to cooperate with African countries’ governments on ensuring fair living conditions in orphanages;
6.
Urges African countries to prohibit sex-based discrimination in schools;
7.
Recommends African national banks to lower the interest rates of loans.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY I The talks continue: With the upcoming Climate talks in Madrid in December, mainly tackling the Paris Agreement. What stance should the EU take and what role can it play during the negotiations?
Submitted by:
Filip Lindström (Västerviks Gymnasium), Azahel Miranda (S:t Eskils Gymnasium), Hampus Sundholm (Prins Wilhelmgymnasiet), Mikaela Skår (Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet), Mona Yassin (Wildcard), Louise Sabek (Chairperson, FR) Louisa Theunissen (Chairperson, NL).
The European Youth Parliament, A.
Concerned by the spreading of misinformation and misleading advertisements about the Paris Agreement on media platforms,
B. Alarmed by an increasing denial of climate change, C. Aware of the fact that developing countries are still industrialising, D. Fully aware that industrialisation contributes to the greenhouse gas emission, E.
Noting with regret the lack of collaboration between different states when drafting climate agreements,
F.
Taking into account that when signatories withdraw from the Paris Agreement it could cause more signatories to withdraw,
G. Realising that the withdrawal of signatories from the Paris Agreement leads to a decrease in funding for combating climate change, H. Observing that financial difficulties in some Member States lead to difficulties in ratifying climate ruling; 1.
Recommends the European Commission to launch a social media campaign on the Paris Agreement that targets people 40 years or older;
2.
Recommends the European Commission to educate youth on the Paris Agreement through an educational booklet;
3.
Further invites European companies to prioritise sustainable and fair trade manufacturing;
4.
Welcomes the regional, national, and international political spectra to open-mindedly collaborate on future climate agreements;
5.
Calls upon the European Commission to instruct Eurostat to gather data on countries that: a) are unlikely to meet the Agreement’s goals, b) may potentially withdraw from the Agreement;
6.
Urges the European Commission to create a Climate Agreement Compliance Fund supporting Member States unlikely to meet the Agreement’s goals;
7.
2
Advises Member States to implement Pigouvian taxes2 on unsustainable market activities.
Pigouvian taxes are taxes on market activities that generate negative externalities.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY II Bee my guest: It has been over a year since the EU passed a ban on three pesticides that were considered harmful to bees. While this was a good first step, it is nowhere near enough to help a declining bee population recover. What more can European countries do to protect these creatures that are essential to our ecosystem? Submitted by:
Eugen Aparece (Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet), Viktorija Lutere (Wild card), Allan Jonathan Mauritz Sager (Västerviks gymnasium), Gustav Sund (Prins Wilhelmgymnasiet), Alexander Svanberg (Hersby gymnasium), Bechr Birkdar (Chairperson, SE).
The European Youth Parliament, A.
Acknowledging monoculture3 reduces biodiversity,
B. Alarmed by the use of industrial pesticides, containing neonicotinoids4, directly harming bee colonies, C. Taking note of Varroa mites5 spreading diseases and causing deformation amongst bee colonies, D. Deeply concerned that Europe lost 25% of its bees since 1985, E.
Further deeply concerned that the bee population is consistently decreasing,
F.
Taking into account that the demand for more agricultural lands has caused deforestation and a loss of beehives,
G. Bearing in mind that in the last two decades one third of all commercial bees have disappeared due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), H. Observing that approximately 70% of the crops we consume are pollinated by insects with bees amounting to 80% of all pollinators; 1.
Urges the European Crop Protection Agency (ECPA) to publish an agricultural guideline which strongly advises against growing the same crops on the same fields for three seasons in a row;
2.
Further urges the ECPA to publish an infrastructural guideline in which farming lands bigger than 50 hectares are split by ten-meter-wide roads;
3. Encourages the European Commission to ban pesticides containing neonicotinoids in outdoor settings; 4. Suggest the European Commission to publish a guideline urging beekeepers to use miticides6; 5. Request the European Commission to ban aerial applications of pesticides; 6. Further encourages Member States to dedicate funding to the research, development, and usage of GMOs; Monoculture is the farming of a single type of crop in a particular area. Neonicotinoids are active substances used in plant protection products to control harmful insects. 5 Varroa mites are parasites that attack and feed on honeybees. 6 Miticides are substances that kill mites. 3 4
7. Recommends the Member States to fund research on the causes of CCD.
..
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY Equality for all: While gender and development are typically associated with women’s rights, men also face gender-specific problems such as lower education attainability, inflexible work conditions, lower life expectancy and strict gender norms. What measures should be taken to reduce gender inequalities without forgetting either side of the equation?
Submitted by:
Elliot Hermansson (Hersby Gymnasium), Linn Danielsson (S:t Eskils Gymnasium), Louise Schneider Ulving (Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet), Malva Nasiell Nauckhoff (Kungsholmens Gymnasium), Vera Hagman (Enskilda Gymnasium), Beata Świątek (Chairperson, PL).
The European Youth Parliament, A.
Bearing in mind that the ratio of early leavers from education and training, in 2018 in the EU, was 3.3% higher for young men than for young women,
B. Deeply concerned by the fact that men’s life expectancy is lower than women’s, reaching up to almost 9 years of a difference in Eastern Europe, C. Observing that men are more likely to perform self destructive behaviours such as the forming of gangs, the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and furthermore the development of mental illnesses, D. Deeply disturbed by the fact that men make up the majority of deaths through suicide in all Member States, E.
Deeply concerned by the fact that the existence of toxic masculinity in media and pop culture causes depression and suicidal behaviours among men,
F.
Alarmed by the fact that paternity leave is mandatory only in Belgium and Italy,
G. Nothing with regret that paternity leave, provided to men postnatally, is limited to 10 days, while maternity leave is granted for 14 weeks, H. Noting with approval that fathers spending time with children benefits both parties; 1.
Encourages Member States to establish study grants for those who are not able to continue their education due to financial instability;
2.
Suggests all Member States to follow the example of Sweden and establish: a) educational institutions which offer online and standard teaching at alternative hours, b) an educational system which gathers teachers who work during custom hours throughout the evening and night;
3.
Invites private companies, which sell goods directed at male consumers, to cooperate with the European Commission on creating a media campaign directed at male audience targeting strict gender norms;
4.
Urges the European Commission to create a fund which aims at reducing gender inequality;
5.
Suggests the European Commission to include the coverage of 15% of the costs of private companies’ advertisements, if they include the promotion of healthy masculinity, within the previously mentioned fund;
6.
Further recommends the Member States to oblige employers to pay 100% of the employee's salary during the mandatory 10 day paternity leave;
7.
Encourages the Member States to create additional meetings placed in schools on primary, secondary, and high school level involving the promotion of seeking help while struggling mental health.
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY A double-edged sword: Considering that nuclear power with its pros and cons makes up around one fourth of the European Union’s (EU) energy production, how should the EU brace for the cross-border risks associated with nuclear power?
Submitted by:
Isak Ahlqvist (Kungsholmens Gymnasium), Anuella Easho (S:t Eskils Gymnasium), Oscar Eneroth (Enskilda Gymnasium), Angelica Jonsson (Västerviks Gymnasium), Jubilee Priar (Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet), Ayesha Younas (Prins Wilhelmgymnasiet), Constanze Sendler (Chairperson, DE).
The European Youth Parliament, A.
Regretting the severe public disinformation and mistrust in nuclear power,
B. Realising the potential of nuclear power production to tackle the global climate crisis, C. Concerned by the fact that 18 reactors within the EU operate illegally as they exceeded their predicted maximum operational lifespan of 40 years, D. Aware that the shared competence character of nuclear power results in varying legislation and regulation amongst Member States, E.
Concerned by the outdated technology used in reactors currently operating within the EU,
F.
Regrets the decline in research and development (R&D) of modern nuclear technology over the course of the past 40 years,
G. Aware of the difficulties in distinguishing covert nuclear weapons programs from the peaceful use of nuclear power, H. Viewing with appreciation the first permanent civilian deep geological repository7 in Finland; 1.
Suggests the Member States to include education on the safety of nuclear power in secondary education curricula;
2.
Calls upon the European Atomic Energy Community to publish reports listing the pros and cons of nuclear power;
3.
Urges the European Commission to draft a revised Nuclear Safety Directive which aims to ensure an increased safety of nuclear power plants within the EU;
4.
Asks the European Court of Justice to ensure the equal application of the Directive across the Member States;
Whilst the vast majority of Member States uses temporary ground storages, Finland stores its nuclear waste in waste-repositories in bedrocks. 7
5.
Urges the national safety regulators to perform regular stress tests8 on nuclear power plants;
6.
Further recommends the European Commission to establish a Nuclear Compliance Fund that supports Member States which are financially incapable of meeting the goals in the Nuclear Safety Directive;
7.
Encourages the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen cross-border transparency-oriented communication and cooperation;
8.
Encourages Member States to implement strategies on nuclear waste storage similar to that of Finland;
9.
Asks the Member States to preventatively prepare for nuclear catastrophes by: a)
handing out free of charge iodine medication to its citizens,
b)
informing its citizens on how to equip basements to be immune against nuclear radiation;
10. Invites the European Commission to request the cooperation of the Joint Research Centre and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group on the research and development of: a)
the Thorium reactor9,
b)
the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor10.
Stress tests measure the ability of nuclear installations to withhold extreme events. They were carried out in 2011 and 2012 as follow-up on the Fukushima-disaster. 9 The Thorium reactor is a modern energy supply which is almost impossible to be abused for nuclear weapons and additionally holds the potential of solving the problems of radioactive waste. 10 The ITER is an experimental reactor operating in the South of France, which facilitates nuclear fusion instead of nuclear fission. 8
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS Nationality is a human right: With an estimated 600,000 stateless people living in Europe today, how should the European Union (EU) assist Member States in safeguarding the fundamental rights of stateless people and providing them with access to public services and opportunities?
Submitted by:
Ali Alonzo (Enskilda Gymnasiet), Daniella Berglund (Hersby Gymnasium), Anna Yolanda Bellon Cramling (Kungsholmens Gymnasium), Alina Modrzejewska (S:t Eskils Gymnasium), Jack Nassri (S:t Eskils Gymnasium), Eja Thellman (Västerviks Gymnasium), Thomas de Monchy (Chairperson, NL)
The European Youth Parliament,
A. Noting that there are over 600,000 stateless people in the EU and over ten million globally, B. Concerned by the deprivation of stateless people’s fundamental rights, C. Acknowledging that 24 Member States have signed the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, D. Bearing in mind that 19 Member States ratified the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, E. Disturbed by the fact that some of the countries that signed the aforementioned UN Conventions have not implemented them, F. Regretting that a state’s discriminatory nationality laws can lead to the deprivation of nationality or the prevention of naturalisation, G. Conscious that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has not provided a definition of statelessness, H. Aware of the existence of non-liquets11 in national legislation, I.
Pointing out that some children do not receive citizenship at birth despite the implementation of the Ius Soli12 principle by the respective Member States,
J.
Keeping in mind that stateless individuals have to prove their statelessness in front of governmental courts,
K. Alarmed by the lack of awareness, among EU citizens, regarding statelessness in Member States; 1.
Urges Member States, who have yet to ratify both the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless
Non-liquets are legislative gaps/grey areas that prevent stateless people from being protected by the law, as there is, effectively, no law for their situation. 12 The Ius-Soli principle entails that governments grant children citizenship in the state that they are born in. 11
Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, to do so; 2.
Urges Member States to review their Ius Soli laws and revise the non-liquets within them;
3.
Urges the ECJ to initiate the creation of a definition of statelessness following the handling of a case on statelessness;
4.
Asks Member States to ensure that both national and lower courts are given the responsibility of proving a person’s statelessness;
5.
Encourages the European Commission to offer support and resources to NGOs who are involved with the gathering of data concerning statelessness;
6.
Suggests the Members States to introduce the topic of statelessness to their school curriculum;
7.
Encourages the European Commission to create a social media campaign informing on the consequences and facts about statelessness via advertisements.
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