The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing the situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them. The Human Rights Council was created by the General Assembly on 15 March 2006 by its resolution 60/251, replacing the Commission on Human Rights. The Council held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. Today, UNHCR works in 137 countries. They provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. They defend their rights to reach safety and help them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, they work with countries to improve and monitor refugee and asylum laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld.

 

Organised crime thrives worldwide, affecting governance and political processes, and weakening the advancement of the rule of law. It encompasses, inter alia, illicit trafficking of firearms, drugs, protected species, among its most severe manifestations, human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants. It also includes the laundering of proceeds of crime and obstruction of justice.

 

Moreover, with all forms of organised crime shifting ever more to being dependent on or incorporating online aspects, including the use of virtual assets, its reach and capability of harm is increasing. The Infamous Dark Web has also gained traction, being a platform that harbors multitude of illicit transactions and selling. Human trafficking has plagued the platform, inflicting a blatant abuse of human rights. This occurs in anonymity forcing states to increase their intelligence forces to apprehend the perpetrators. It is also noteworthy that human trafficking is conducted on a massive scale and daily basis worldwide, and involves forced labor or the sexual coercion of the individuals, most of whom lack the basic personal and legal means to protect themselves.

 

Threats arising from transnational organised crime in Southeast Asia are becoming more deeply integrated within the region itself, as well as with the neighbouring and connected regions. At the same time, criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia have achieved global reach, trafficking unfathomable quantities of high-profit methamphetamine, increasing the range of counterfeit consumer and industrial goods. They also continue to engage in the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation.

 

At JYC, the Committee intends to deliberate upon the causes, networks, and effective solutions to curb the menace through international collaborations.

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Executive Board - UNHRC