United Nations Human Rights Council

Meet your Director, Kashvi Bokria!

Kashvi Bokria is a junior majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and is hoping to pursue a career in public health. This will be her third UCMUN conference and she is excited to be the director for UNHRC this year. She was an assistant director in 2023, and director of WHO in 2024. Kashvi has been involved with Model UN since high school, where she attended conferences as a delegate and chaired two committees. Outside of Model UN, she is involved in the American Red Cross Club, WiMSE, and is a lab mentor for BIOL 1107. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her friends, reading, and traveling. She is looking forward to the 2025 conference and meeting all the delegates. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to her at kashvi.bokria@uconn.edu. 

Topic A: Human Rights Violations against Rohingya and Kaman Muslims in Myanmar

The Rohingya and Kaman Muslims in Myanmar have faced human rights violations for decades via government policies and military crackdowns. The Rohingya, a stateless ethnic group primarily in the Rakhine State, have been denied citizenship since 1982, restricting their access to education, healthcare, and employment. The country has documented waves of violence, including mass killings, forced displacement, and sexual violence, particularly during the military-led operations in 2017. The situation has worsened–with reports indicating the worst violence in the last seven years–as Rohingya communities endure increased attacks from both the Myanmar military and armed groups. The Kaman Muslims, though legally recognized as citizens, also suffer from discrimination and restrictions such as limited rights and very little individual freedom. Many Rohingya have taken refuge in bordering countries or are trapped in Myanmar, where they live in conditions with little humanitarian aid. For example, 57% of the Rohingya population live in barbed-wire fenced camps or enclosed villages with apartheid-like conditions. International organizations, including the UN, have condemned these violations as crimes against humanity, yet instability within the country delays efforts to help. With its treatment towards these communities, Myanmar is violating multiple of the fundamental human rights that the United Nations recognizes. This raises urgent questions about stateless people, ethnic persecution, and more. Delegates should consider potential solutions to ensure the protection of Rohingya and Kaman Muslims.

Topic B: Addressing Prison Conditions for Women

Prison systems around the world are designed primarily for men, women who are put into those systems face harsh and often inhumane conditions. The number of incarcerated women has risen dramatically in recent decades, yet prison policies still fail to address their unique needs. Many female inmates have to deal with inadequate healthcare, particularly when it comes to reproductive health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment. Pregnant people often receive limited prenatal care, and in some cases, are shackled during childbirth. Additionally, many incarcerated women do not have access to sufficient menstrual products. Though incarcerated women are more likely than men to have histories of traumas like domestic violence and sexual abuse, access to resources such as counseling and rehabilitation programs is limited. For example, studies have found that childhood trauma is found in 90% of women involved in the United States criminal justice system. Overcrowding, unsanitary facilities, and lack of gender-sensitive policies further contribute to poor living conditions. Discriminatory sentencing laws and poverty often lead to the disproportionate imprisonment of women for nonviolent offenses. Additionally, women of color and women living in poverty are incarcerated at a higher rate. This causes them to often end up in worse conditions or situations post-incarceration. Delegates must consider how prison conditions can be improved internationally, including gender-responsive policies and alternatives to incarceration. They must work towards solutions that can be used worldwide and benefit those that are more affected by prison conditions or unjust imprisonment.