City University of New York

To:Nikolina CubricFrom:UN Security Council(Daniel Hayden, Grace Drewes, Greg Potter and Jonathan Shenkman)Date:May 10, 2015Re:Response Panel Decision - Syrian Refugee CrisisMs. Cubric gave a convincing presentation concerning the severity of the situation facing refugees of the Syrian civil war. It is not exaggeration to state that this problem is unprecedented in terms of the scope and cost. The presentation’s visuals, use of statistics and descriptive language have convinced the Security Council that action must be taken to mitigate the terrible conditions these refugees face.REVIEW OF PROPOSED POLICIES: Option 1: Demilitarize Refugee CampsThe Security Council is divided about this option. Although all agree that more most be done in order to secure safety and health of refugees, we are hesitant to be involved in armed conflict. Demilitarizing the camps would be the ideal situation in a perfect world. Unfortunately, the situation as it currently stands makes this problematic. The following questions were raised:Who would supply peacekeepers for the demilitarization?How would demilitarization proceed?How much would peacekeeping efforts cost?We believe that these questions must be addressed before we could proceed with this proposal.Option 2: Increase Funding to Neighbor StatesThe Security Council believes that this is option is very plausible. However, we have some concerns about supplying billions of dollars to countries with varying levels of instability, especially Iraq and Lebanon. If funding were to be increased we would like to see a system in place that strictly monitors how the money is spent and by whom. Funding can only provide relief to refugees if it reaches them. Although the cost of supporting the refugees sufficiently is staggering, we believe that it is necessary to do all that is possible to lessen this catastrophe. Policy Option 3: Improve Relocation EffortsAs Ms. Cubric explained, only 1% of refugees eligible for relocation are actually being relocated. We unanimously agree that more most be done to remove as many refugees as possible from these horrible conditions. The goal of 20% seems to be a reasonable benchmark for progress, but we would like to encourage fellow Arab states to be the countries offering to provide relocation. We believe this solution gives families displaced by this conflict the best chance to integrate successfully into a familiar culture. Funding for relocation would also have to be provided and although individual members of the Security Council could be prepared to provide some funding, we would again like to see more done by the regional countries, particularly the Arab League.SUGGESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION:It currently seems as this conflict could continue forever. The loss of life and destruction of the country is a terrible tragedy. Perhaps more can be done to peacefully end the conflict. Continuing previous proposals for cease fires or international peace conferences have been previously supported in the past by the UN and the Security Council. An end to the conflict would provide much needed relief to Syrians and could allow families to return home.CONCLUSION:We believe that a combination of Policy Options 2 and 3 - increasing funding for neighbor states and improved relocation efforts - provide the greatest possibility for helping the Syrian refugees. This conflict is complex, but a solution must be found. While more information would need to be provided, we would likely support these policies moving forward. Thank you for your efforts in this matter.

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