22nd – 24th April 2019, Sofia, Bulgaria

Resolution 1: The Coral reefs future health

Signatories: Centerpartiets ungdomsförbund- Centre Party Youth

Noting that:

• One fourth of marine life live in connection to the coral reefs.
• 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been effectively destroyed and show no immediate prospects of recovery.
• 24% of the world’s reefs are under imminent risk of collapse through human pressures; and a further 26% are under a longer term threat of collapse.
• Overfishing, pollution, carbon emissions and Global climate change are severely damaging the coral reef and ocean health.

Believing that:

• The destruction of the coral reefs are solely caused by human influence,
• The coral reefs are vital to keep biodiversity in the oceans.
• Environmental issues and oceans pollution is a Global challenge best solved with Global collaboration.

Calls for:

• Global cooperation to save the remaining coral reefs.
• Member organisations to work to prohibit emissions of chemicals damaging the coral reefs on a national level.
• Laws and regulation making companies responsible for their emissions and waste damaging oceans.
• New Global guidelines to prevent further overfishing.

Resolution 2: For peace in the Kashmir region

Signatories: Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya (JNC), Svensk Ungdom (SU), Radikal Ungdom (RU)

Spokesperson: Meritxell Vicheto (JNC)

Considering that:

• The Kashmir region is under territorial dispute mainly between India and Pakistan since 1947, with additional territorial claims by China over time.
• The Indian State and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are empowered by with nuclear capability.
• To date political stability has been maintained by administering the region through the so-called “line of control” established in 1972 by the Simla Agreement, which resulted in a ceasefire between the two countries.
• The two nations have repeatedly violated the territorial sovereignty of the other and have carried out provocative military actions.
• A situation of violence and conflict only harms the Kashmir region and its civil population, which lives in a situation of poverty and abandonment.

IFLRY:

• Condemns the increased violence used on both sides, especially since the terrorist attack on Indian soldiers in early 2019, and stresses the importance to bring all current and future perpetrators in this conflict to justice.
• Claims for the restoring of the respect for the line of control established in 1972.
• Claims for the cooperation among all involved forces to make Kashmir a prosperous and peaceful region, in protecting its citizens basic right to life and security.
• Urges all involved forces to respect the ceasefire established in 2003 and which has been subject to recurring breach from both sides.

Resolution 3: For the protection and conservation of the Arctic

Signatories: Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya (JNC), Radikal Ungdom (RU)

Spokesperson: Pau Vico (JNC)

Considering that:

• The melting of the polar ice caps is an obvious fact caused by the global warming due to climate change that is reducing and transforming the Arctic ecosystem.
• That this thaw is causing the disappearance of the native flora and fauna, such as the walruses and the polar bear.
• That the territorial disputes between countries to control the region along with the ice melting suppose harm for the indigenous populations that inhabit in several regions in the arctic polar circle.
• That there is a military escalation by some Arctic countries to ensure the control of commercial maritime routes and the extraction and exploitation of natural resources, violating the sovereignty of other countries and affecting the ecosystem.

IFLRY:

• Demands the intervention of the United Nations to declare the Arctic as an international demilitarized zone of free circulation, to avoid a potential zone of conflict.
• Demands from the Arctic Council greater cooperation for the conservation and protection of the Arctic ecosystem.
• Calls for the elaboration of an international treaty that regulates the sovereignty of the Arctic and an agreement for its environmental protection, as in the case in Antarctica.

Resolution 4: FridaysforFuture – Let’s tackle climate change through parties and parliaments

Resolution presented by: Junge Liberale

Noting that:

• Recently, a movement called #FridaysforFuture has received global attention: It consists in high school students speaking up about the dangers of climate change, demonstrating for drastic political action in order to tackle it, striking instead of going to school of Fridays. The movement can be traced back to student Greta Thunberg, who began to strike alone and was soon joined by others in her effort. What has once been the resistance of a single girl has developed into a global students’ initiative over the course of several months.
• Meanwhile, thousands of students have joined the movement and continue their strike for the climate on Fridays. While their political demands vary widely, they all have in common that they ask for concrete and fast political action to tackle climate change and to take the interests of their generation into account.

Considering that:

• The reactions by politicians towards the movement varied as much as the political demands by those demonstrating.
• It is very encouraging to see so many young people stepping up publicly for what they believe in: that we cannot wait any longer to protect our planet more rigorously.
• It is very alarming that young students feel the need to go on strike and not attend school in order to be heard with their demands.
• In democratic societies as we believe in, political change is mainly brought about, channelled and organized by political parties.

IFLRY calls for:

• Politicians all over the world to take the demands of young people demonstrating for tackling climate change more serious.
• The students who demonstrate within the #FridayforFuture-Movement to take their demands from the street into the parliaments – by opening themselves to an organized discourse with political parties.
• Political parties to reach out to the #FridayforFuture-Movement and outline the advantages of being engaged in parties, being able to change their agenda and putting political demands into parliamentary action.

Resolution 5: On the immunity of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces

Submitted by: Radikal Ungdom (RU)

Signatories: Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya (JNC)

Considering that:

• Between 2004 and 2016 more than 2000 charges of sexual assault have been filed against UN-peacekeepers, and that the actual amount of assaults is believed to be significantly higher due to the existence of about three times as many victims
• The current rules regarding UN-peacekeepers grant them judicial immunity while they are actively working for the UN, however it is not clearly defined as to when this is, thus giving UN-peacekeepers almost permanent immunity whilst posted on a mission
• Charges filed against UN-peacekeepers are to be investigated in the peacekeeper’s home country, it is not possible for the UN to centrally investigate such charges

Believing that:

• The purpose of UN-peacekeepers is to ensure peace and safety, as well as to protect civilians around the world
• UN-peacekeepers, as well as anyone else, should be accountable for their actions, and should not go unpunished for atrocities such as human-trafficking and rape
• That the current system regarding the prosecution of UN-peacekeepers accused of crimes such as sexual assaults is not sufficient, and instead grants the peacekeepers relative impunity

Calling for:

• The UN to reform procedures regarding the prosecution of UN-peacekeepers accused of crimes against civilians
• The UN to reform the immunity granted UN-peacekeepers to better reflect what it does and does not cover
• The UN to implement preventive measures to reduce the amount of sexual assaults committed by UN-peacekeepers

Resolution 6: On the ability of the International Whaling Commission’s ability to sanction

Submitted by: Radikal Ungdom (RU)

Noting that:

• Despite a 1986 international moritarium from the International Whaling comission (IWC), a small number of nations are continuing the practice of commercial whaling
• The practice is widely condemned but nonetheless continued due to the inability of the IWC to sanction member states
• The current system of controlling whaling is flawed on multiple levels due to the decision-making systems of the IWC making the organisation unable to take action, and making it easy for whaling nations to bribe smaller non-whaling nations to join their case
• That countries like Japan have tried to do this, as well as cover up their whaling in mock-research, which, when unsuccessful, have lead them to leave the IWC to continue whaling

Considering that

• The practice of whaling is generally considered unsustainable, due to the long lifespan of whales, the inability to control the amount of whales caught, and the pain which the process causes the animals to suffer
• Whaling amounts to a very small amount of the combined seafood-economy of whaling nations, and is for most countries unnecessary for the feeding of the population
• Whaling is often not supported by the general population, but rather by small, special-interest groups
• That the IWC would, even with increased capabilities, still allow small scale whaling for cultural reasons

IFLRY calls for:

• The IWC to be given the ability to expel member states who do not adhere to the rules of the moritarium, following an independent investigation into whaling practices and a 2/3rds majority of member states
• To include a clause in the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which would allow member states to sanction non-members who whale on the area of seafood, with tools such as trade embargos
• To increase the scope of research into what can be qualified as research-based whaling

Resolution 7: Legal protection for Whistleblowers

Resolution presented by: Junge Liberale JuLis

Noting that:

• Democratic society thrives on transparency and openness, which makes it necessary to protect those who draw attention to irregularities which serve the public interest.
• The currently missing legal bases and the unclear jurisdiction make it almost impossible for informants to draw attention towards infringements, corruptions or other wrongdoings in enterprises or authorities.
• The case of Edward Snowden showed that there can be situations in which single countries have to fear massive economic and political difficulties if they provide asylum to whistleblowers.

Considering that:

• A fair balance between the public information interest on one side and the protection of commercial interests or possible state secrets on the other side is of crucial importance.

IFLRY calls for:

• Every country to consider a legal framework which states that employees who witness irregularities should first turn to their employer or a comparable body which capable of finding an internal solution to the problem. If the irregularity is not removed on the basis of this solution, employees should be allowed to turn towards a competent external authority. Also, in this case, the employee should have the right to make the matter public if the public interest regarding the information prevails considerably in comparison with the interest of the business to keep their matters private and if the personal rights of individuals are not violated in the process. An analogue regulation should be enacted for civil servants and enable them to turn towards a competent external authority without going through the internal official channels of the authority.
• An international convention for the protection of whistleblowers. Inspired by the United Nations Convention for Refugees, states should take whistleblowers under their wing, if they must fear criminal prosecution in their home countries due to their disclosure of relevant irregularities.