Shubh - UNHRC Position Paper

Country: United Kingdom
Committee: UNHRC
Topic: Securing the fundamental human rights of incarcerated populations
Delegate Name: Shubh Mehta
School: Hill Spring International School
In the UNHRC, the United Kingdom is committed to the promotion and protection of human
rights for all individuals, regardless of their circumstances. We believe that the human rights
of incarcerated individuals must be respected and upheld, and that the rights of prisoners
should not be curtailed simply because they are deprived of their liberty. The UK is
committed to upholding the standards set out in the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules. These rules provide a
comprehensive framework for the treatment of prisoners and ensure that their rights are
protected while they are in detention. We also recognize that the human rights of incarcerated
individuals are often at risk due to overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and other
conditions that can compromise their well-being. The UK is committed to addressing these
issues and working to improve the conditions of detention for prisoners.
As the evidence of the blatant human rights violations in Xinjiang grows, the British Foreign
Secretariat are bringing in action various measures to ensure that this egregious torture is
stopped in its tracks. The Secretariat has imposed strict travel sanctions and asset freezes on 4
Chinese government officials suspected of being involved in the Uyghur torture, they are not
allowed to travel into the country and any assets of theirs within the country will be attached
forthwith. The Government has also put forward measures that can help businesses and
consumers review the supply chain of products and eliminate any association with the forced
labour in Xinjiang, these measures will help make sure that the UK is not responsible for any
abuse or mistreatment of the Uyghur Muslims. In the case of the detainees of the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the officials of the UK have spoken out against the
extreme injustice against them time and time again, during Former President David
Cameron’s visit to the USA in 2015 he brought up the case to President Barack Obama and
ensured that the last British detainee in Guantanamo is freed at once. The British Government
also announced a payment of millions of pounds to all British detainees who were held in
Guantanamo Bay as a settlement for their inhumane treatment.
In the UK we believe that such bestial and barbaric acts are absolutely heinous and should be
deemed absolutely culpable. We feel that the abuse of human rights in prisons is secondary,
and the primary issue that should be tackled is wrongful conviction. Most of the people in
Xinjiang and Guantanamo Bay have not been convicted of any crime and are absolutely
innocent, they are not allowed any lawyer and are forced to stay there and be tortured. A
possible solution for this could be to get top-ranking policemen, leading judges and the best
prison guards the top developing countries in the Chinese and American system, this way
they can ensure that these crimes stop and also train their local counterparts. We also think
that the prisons should not be kept so unobtrusive and government officials from other
countries should be allowed to visit the prisons and take note of the conditions at will. Since
the USA is already a powerful democracy, the UK in partnership with powerful democracies
such as the USA itself could try to impose democratic values onto China so that religious
prejudice is eliminated. In conclusion, the UK is committed to upholding the human rights of
incarcerated populations and ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect. We
believe that by upholding these rights, we can create a more just and fair society for all.
Works Cited
“Guantánamo Bay Detainees to Be Paid Compensation by UK Government.” The Guardian,
16 Nov. 2010, www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/16/guantanamo-bay-
compensation-claim.
“Guantánamo Bay Files: Britain Joined Renditions despite Knowing of Torture.” The
Guardian, 26 Apr. 2011, www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/26/guantamano-files-
britain-knew-torture.
“House OKs a Bill barring Imports of Goods Produced by Forced Labor of Uyghurs in
China.” NPR.org, www.npr.org/2021/12/08/1062479381/house-approves-a-bill-
barring-imports-of-goods-produced-by-uighurs-in-china. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.
Possible, We Will Respond as Soon as. “UK Sanctions Perpetrators of Gross Human Rights
Violations in Xinjiang, alongside EU, Canada and US.” GOV.UK,
www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-perpetrators-of-gross-human-rights-
violations-in-xinjiang-alongside-eu-canada-and-us.
“Press Corner.” European Commission - European Commission,
ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_5415.
“Treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang: Foreign Secretary’s Statement, 22 March
2021.” GOV.UK, www.gov.uk/government/speeches/xinjiang-foreign-secretary-

statement-to-house-of-commons-22-march-2021.
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Country: United Kingdom

“Guantánamo Bay Detainees to Be Paid Compensation by UK Government.” The Guardian,

16 Nov. 2010, www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/16/guantanamo-bay-

Guardian, 26 Apr. 2011, www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/26/guantamano-files-

China.” NPR.org, www.npr.org/2021/12/08/1062479381/house-approves-a-bill-

barring-imports-of-goods-produced-by-uighurs-in-china. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

Violations in Xinjiang, alongside EU, Canada and US.” GOV.UK,

“Press Corner.” European Commission - European Commission,

“Treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang: Foreign Secretary’s Statement, 22 March

2021.” GOV.UK, www.gov.uk/government/speeches/xinjiang-foreign-secretary-

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