HBHS Novice - hbhsmun
Transcription
HBHS Novice - hbhsmun
UNGA United Nations General Assembly – Plenary Session topics: Nuclear DPRK Terrorism in the Middle East Chaired by the Honorable Grant Feiwell, Katherine Chatman, and Paula Tansescu S i n c e HBHS April 25th, 2015 1 9 7 8 Novice hbhsmun.webs.com Huntington Beach High School Model United Nations General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 Welcome to United Nations General Assembly! Hello delegates! My name is Paula Tanasescu and I will be one of your chairs for General Assembly at the Novice Conference. I am a sophomore at Huntington Beach High School and being part of MUN has been one of my best decisions in high school so far. Outside of MUN, I also make part of the Science and Math Academic Competition Team, and volunteer as a candy striper at Hoag. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our email: ga.novice37@gmail.com, where you will turn in your position paper as well. I can’t wait to see the amazing debate, with the very current topics we have chosen, and all the great solutions you guys will present. Make sure to stay on policy. See you guys in committee! Hello delegates! My name is Katherine Chatman and I will be one of your chairs for General Assembly. I am currently a junior at Huntington Beach High School and this is my third year in MUN. I am also apart of the Musical Theater Department in our Academy for the Performing Arts. I feel that MUN has definitely one of the best decisions I have made during high school, because it has helped me not only become more aware of what is going on in the world around us but also helped me become a more confident speaker and performer. I can’t wait to see all of you in committee! Hello delegates! My name is Grant Feiwell and I will be one of your chairs at the Novice Conference in the General Assembly. I am a junior at Huntington Beach High School and this is my third year in the Model United Nations Program. MUN has been one of the greatest life experiences, opening my eyes to the world and helping me become a better speaker. Outside of MUN I am a member of the Associated Student Body and I play both school and club lacrosse. As the General Assembly and the main policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, it will be your job to establish fundamental solutions of peace and security for the topics that will be discussed. See you all in committee! Position Papers must be submitted to your Dais’s central email no later than 11:59 PM on April 19th, 2015 to be considered for a Research Award. Research Awards will be presented during committee; please be sure to follow the HBHSMUN Position Paper format available on our website. 2 Your Dais’s central email is: ga.novice37@gmail.com 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 I. Nuclear DPRK Topic Background Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In 1993, after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) charged North Korea with violating the NPT due to the fact that they did not comply with the safeguard agreements by the IAEA, they demanded special inspections to be carried out in two North Korean nuclear waste storage sites; this demand was denied and furthermore met with hostility by North Korea who threatened to abandon the NPTvi. In 1991, the United States declared its withdrawal of nuclear weapons from South Korea; this led to North Korea and South Korea signing the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. This declaration bound both sides to halt testing, production, manufacturing, or usage of nuclear weapons and set up bilateral inspections, but it ceased to be implementedvii. In 1994, the US and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework, which led to the United States of America supplying North Korea with lightwater reactors in exchange for international cooperation with the IAEA and its safeguards agreements, while remaining part of the NPT, and freezing some facilities viii . Panic struck the international community, when in 1998 North Korea launched a rocket that flew over Japan proving their capabilities. From that year on, talks have been held between the United States and the DPRK. In January 2002, George W. Bush labeled Iran, North Korea, and Iraq an “axis of evil,” and later in October of the same year US intelligence confronted North Korea on their violation of the 1994 nuclear agreement by operating a nuclear weapons project. Within the same Nuclear development is a goal that many countries strive to achieve. While nuclear weapons are desired by nations, their capabilities are devastating. A nuclear weapon is “the most dangerous weapon on earth,” as the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs explains, with the capability to destroy whole cities, killing millions and damaging the surrounding environment. i Beginning in 1963, North Korea asked the Soviet Union for help in developing nuclear weapons, and later in 1964 pursued China for the same request, due to the nuclear weapon movement by the United States of America into South Korea, however their requests were rejected by both nationsii. Nevertheless, North Korea and the Soviet Union signed an agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy and development that provided North Korea with Soviet assistance in the training of nuclear scientists and the help to develop a nuclear research complexiii. The Yongbyon Nuclear Research center rose from this North Korean and USSR cooperation, which now stores their first nuclear research reactor, the IRT-2000 provided by the Soviets, and is one of the four major nuclear-related organizations under the General iv Department of Atomic Energy . Beginning in the 1980s, North Korea took a leap on their nuclear development program by initiating their uranium fabrications while simultaneously testing high explosives that are necessary for building the triggering mechanism for a nuclear bomb v . North Korea’s international nuclear recognition journey began in 1985 when they joined the 3 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 year US claimed that North Korea admitted to having highly enriched uranium programs, which led to North Korean retaliation in which they lifted their freeze on their nuclear facilities, expelled IAEA inspectors, and withdrew from the NPTix. In 2004 the Six-Party talks among China, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, and the United States began, with no major outcomes. In 2006 North Korea conducted their first nuclear test. Immediately the international community took steps in the Security Council by passing Resolution 1718, condemning North Korea’s actions and imposing sanctions on the country. In 2007 during another round of Six- Party talks North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactor in exchange for aid which led the US to unfreeze $25 million of North Korea’s funds it was named the Second Action Plan. After countless failures to comply and submit data to the international community, tension continues with no further progress. Presently North Korea has continued its nuclear development and testing, threatening the safety of nearby countries such as Japan and South Korea with the launch of missiles off their coast. Other sanctions that were enforced by this resolution intended to prevent the DPRK from expanding their nuclear program. These sanctions include: trade bans on nuclear technology, large-scale weaponry, as well as luxury goods. The only issue with this resolution was that some countries did not support this resolution and therefore did not follow its guidelines. China was a country that did not support this resolution and as a result, the DPRK continued to trade with China. In order to attempt at monitoring, the Security Council put in place a group of 15 members of the Security Council that were to review the sanctions and violations of the sanctions and provide a report every 90 days. The next resolution, Security Council Resolution 1874, was implemented after North Korea performed another nuclear test in 2009. This new resolution was put into place in the attempt to strengthen the previous resolution. The Security Council urged the DPRK to return to Six Party Talks and negotiations. They also strongly urged North Korea to rejoin the Non-Proliferation Treaty. This resolution expanded the embargoes placed on the DPRK, while also allowing states to search exports and imports from North Korea that were within their country on land, sea, or air if they were suspected to be associated with their nuclear program development. In order to regulate this resolution, the Security Council established a panel of seven experts that would assist the sanctions committee. After North Korea launched a satellite in December of 2012, the Security Council unanimously agreed to implement Resolution 2087 in 2013. This resolution reminded the DPRK of their obligation to completely abandon their nuclear program United Nations Involvement As of 2013, the United Nations Security Council has three major resolutions in place that deal with the nuclear issue North Korea. These were put into place after the DPRK continued to develop its nuclear program. The first resolution, Security Council Resolution 1718, was passed in 2006 after the DPRK nuclear tests. This resolution was put in place to prohibit North Korea from performing any further testing of nuclear or ballistic missiles. 4 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 Taepodong missiles xii . Most recently, a satellite analysis suggested in the summer of 2014, the DPRK is creating submerged missile launch platform. North Korea possessed more than 1,000 missiles with varying capabilities. Short-range missiles pose a threat to neighboring nations including South Korea. The short-range missiles include the KN-02, which can reach up to 120 km, as well as the Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6, which have longer ranges of up to 500 km. The Nodong missile is the next step in North Korea’s missile program. This missile has the range of 1,000 km, with the potential to target Japan according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Lastly, the strongest missile that the DPRK possesses to international knowledge is the Taepodong-2 or Paektusan-2, with a range varying from 5000-15,000 km xiii . Unlike Iran, which has demonstrated that it hopes to establish better international relations, North Korea is intentionally isolated, explicating their lack of fear of losing allies by progressing their nuclear and missile reserves. As North Korea’s arsenal continues to expand, the nation stands as a great threat to the international community as a whole, and it will not stop until it is seen as the world’s dominant power. and be cooperative with the IAEA. It also promised that if North Korea did not halt future programs and stop what they were working on currently, they would take stronger actions. Moreover, this resolution gave permission to countries to destroy any products or materials that were suspected of going to the DPRK to help further their nuclear programx. Case Study: Missile Crisis Since 1965, when Kim Il Sung desired to seek an indigenous ballistic missile production capability, 30% of the North Korean state budget went towards fueling its missile program and military. North Korea has tested nuclear explosive devices in 2006, 2009, and 2013, making them a great threat to the international communityxi. Although nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons are prevalent within the DPRK, North Korea has served as a major exporter of complete ballistic missile systems since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The missile crisis seems to pose the biggest risk to the people of North Korea and the world as a whole. It began in April 1984, when North Korea tested a Scud-B ballistic Missile. Since then, North Korea has deployed over 600 Scud missile variants, 200 Rodong missiles, and 50 Musdan and 5 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 II. Terrorism in the Middle East Topic Background This group was a radical Shia group that was formed in Lebanon and was severely anti-Western and Anti-Israeli. Hezbollah was responsible for many terrorist attacks against the United States such as the suicide truck bombing of the Embassy in 1983. In the 1990s, Osama Bin Laden created a transnational mujahedeen network called Al Qaeda. This group’s goal was to “reestablish the Muslim State”, overthrow corrupt governments in the Middle East, and remove the Israelis and the Americans. In 1998, Bin Laden stated that it was the duty of the Muslims to kill all American citizens whether they are civilians or militaryxvi. One of the most prominent and oldest Islamist groups in the world was formed in Egypt in 1987, it was known as the Muslim Brotherhood. This group’s goal is to dismantle all governments across the world that are non-Islamic and implement Shari’a Law—a goal that is clearly stated in their credo, “God is our objective, the Koran is our Constitution, The Prophet is our leader, struggle (jihad) is our way, and death for the sake God is the highest of our aspirations.” The Muslim Brotherhood is a strong supporter of jihad; their founder Hasan al-Banna stated himself, “Jihad is an obligation from Allah on every Muslim and cannot be ignored nor evaded It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its laws on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planetxvii.” The “Islamic Resistance Movement,” also known as Hamas, was formed in Palestine. Hamas is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and their goal is to destroy Terrorism, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aimsxiv. It is also associated with power, gaining power, and using it to achieve political change xv . Such a definition of terrorism is the epitome of what is currently occurring in the Middle East; however, this is not a recent occurrence, as it has been an ongoing issue since 1968. The modern idea of what international terrorism is began in 1968 when there was a movement of Marxist and Anti-Western ideas throughout the Middle East. During this time, groups such as Al Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine started to target innocent civilians outside of their typical zones of conflict. These radical Palestinian groups were able to become international due to modern communication and transportation technology, upon which they started launching hijackings, bombings, and kidnappings—even kidnapping and killing the Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. These Palestinian extremists were able to create a transnational networks comprised of various sponsors such as the Soviet Union, various Arab nations, as well as various criminal organizations. From 1979-1989, there was a large increase in terrorist groups; this was partly due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the anti-mujahedeen war that followed. One of these groups that became prominent during this time was known as Hezbollah, who were the first to use suicide bombers in the Middle East. 6 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 Israel. Suicide bombers throughout the 1990’s bombarded Israel and from 2007 on they controlled the Gaza Stripxviii. In June of 2014, a splinter group of Al Qaeda became more prevalent in North Iraq; they are today known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Their goal is to create a caliphate in all the Sunni areas throughout Syria and Iraq. This group has already taken over a large amount of land, controlling territory from the Mediterranean side of Syria to the south of Baghdad. Moreover, ISIS has become notorious for its killings and executions. In August of 2014, they posted a video to YouTube of the beheading of American journalist James Foley. Later, in September, ISIS posted another video of themselves executing American journalists Steven Sotloff. In March of 2015, Boko Haram pledged his allegiance to ISIS; therefore, ISIS has now spread to Northern Africaxix. those areas. Although the conflict was suppressed, it did not prevent the further expansion of violence throughout the Middle East. Furthermore, the Syria-Lebanon conflict also served as a major spark to the upsurge of terrorism in the region xxii . As a result, the Security Council passed Resolution 1701, which addressed Hezbollah terrorist attacks on Israel. Nuclear terror served its first appearance in the Iran Iraq War seen through the implementation of SC/Res/612 in 1988, which condemned the use of chemical weapons in both nations xxiii . Furthermore, SC/Res/1762, called for a mandate for weapon inspectors in Iraq for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC)xxiv. Libya has also been targeted as a major source of the terrorism growth in the Middle East. This failure of compliance began when Libya failed to Cooperate in Pan Am Flight 103 Investigations xxv . Most recently, Iran has become one of the largest international threats due to its Nuclear Proliferation. Although the UNSC has passed Resolution 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, and1929, they have all failed in freezing the Nuclear Proliferation and International threat that Iran poses. The General Assembly has adopted a multitude of Counter-terrorism conventions including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons and the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages xxvi . Recently, through the addition of the framework of the Ad Hoc Committee on Terrorism as well as the Sixth committee, there has been great progress in regards to counter-terrorism including the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism xxvii . Although great action has been taken, terrorism in the Middle East United Nations Involvement The United Nations approach to the Middle East began in 1947 when it decided the future government of Palestine. However, the first real act towards counter terrorism was seen in 1948, through GA/Res/194, which called for the protection of holy places including Jerusalem and Nazarethxx. This action was taken in order to insure the security of these religious settlements from acts of terror by Arab and Jewish extremists following the Arab-Israeli War. In addition to this conflict, Security Council Resolution 242 was passed following Israeli capture of the Golan Heights, West Banks, Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsulaxxi. As a result, Israeli armed forces were called to withdraw territories and respect the political independence of 7 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 remains a high threat to the people of the Middle East and the international community as a whole. It is vital that the UN take greater action against strengthened terrorist groups including the Sunni terrorist organization ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hamas, and a multitude of other radical groups in order to maintain international security.xxviii Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines, British humanitarian aid worker Alan Henning, American aid worker Peter Kassig, as well as the live stream video of Jordanian pilot, Moaz al-Kasasbeh, being burned alive, and the execution of 20 Egyptian Copts.xxx Within the year 2014 ISIS has claimed over 5,000 Iraqi civilians’ lives, as well as a total of 24,000 lives or injuries according to a UN released report.xxxi In a recent report released March 12th, ISIS announced its acceptance of Boko Haram’s allegiance pledge. xxxii Along with this, ISIS has also been able to feed off of the instability of the Syrian civil war, gaining utmost support from oppressed Sunni in the land who were being targeted by president Al-Assad and his use of chemical weapons xxxiii . With more power, controlled land, and majority support, ISIS is strongly developing and strengthening through Syria and Iraqxxxiv. ISIS is not only pursuing the conversion of every person across the Middle East and the Levant, but it is also destroying antiques in Iraq, wiping out over century old statues xxxv . Beheadings, recruitment of child soldiers, executions of women and children, and persecution of non-Sunni followers are all the extreme measures that ISIS will continue to carry out until their ultimate goal of a caliphate including the Middle East, Balkan regions and Eastern Europe is complete xxxvi. Case Study: ISIS The international community has been battling terrorism within the Middle East for more than 50 years. While there are many small terrorist groups within the Middle East that conduct suicide bombings and random attacks on civilians, the international community has shifted its focus to the most horrendous group yet. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), an AL Qaeda based terror organization, has recently made headlines throughout the world, with active execution of war crimes and human rights violations such as: televised beheadings, executions of women and children, and forceful Sharia Law enforcement. ISIS possesses over 2 billion dollars worth of assets, and controls several key cities in Syria such as Raqqa where Isis controls over half of Syria’s oil assets and Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. xxix Currently ISIS is making headlines with the beheadings of American-Israeli journalist 8 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 Questions to Consider Nuclear DPRK: 1. How can the international community take proactive steps towards resolving the human rights situation in North Korea, when the DPRK threatens nuclear warfare towards humanitarian aid groups who are not recognized by the government? 2. Should China’s role in the DPRK be considered unlawful? What actions, if any should be taken against them? 3. How can the international community drive North Korea to denuclearize without signing the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? 4. While many agreements have been drafted, they have failed to be implemented. How can countries come up with solutions and successfully implement them without breaching the sovereignty of North Korea? Terrorism in the Middle East: 1. How are the actions of terrorist groups, specifically ISIS, affecting the Middle East and the world? 2. How does your country deal with terrorism, and what is their involvement internationally on battling these groups? 3. Does your country support the Al-Assad regime? Does it support any Middle Eastern countries that have terrorism prevalent in them? How does this impact your solutions? 4. What solutions can lead to the stabilization of the region and the end of radical groups? i http://www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Nuclear/ ii http://www.japanfocus.org/-Lee-Jae_Bong/3053 iii http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/nuclear/ http://www.nti.org/facilities/777/ v http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/nuclear/ iv vi http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-timeline---fast-facts/ vii http://www.nti.org/treaties-and-regimes/joint-declaration-south-and-north-korea-denuclearizationkorean-peninsula/ viii http://www.nti.org/media/pdfs/aptagframe.pdf?_=1316553697&_=1316553697 ix http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/nuclear/ x http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/UN-Security-Council-Resolutions-on-North-Korea xi http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/ http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/delivery-systems/ xiii http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17399847 xiv http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/terrorism xii xv http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hoffman-terrorism.html xvi http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/modern.html 9 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com General Assembly – Plenary April 25th, 2015 xvii http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printgroupProfile.asp?grpid=6386 http://www.dw.de/islamist-terror-groups-in-africa-and-middle-east/a-17739751 xix http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/ xx http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/C758572B78D1CD0085256BCF0077E51A xxi http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/7D35E1F729DF491C85256EE700686136 xxii http://www.irinnews.org/report/95724/analysis-bound-by-conflict-the-syrian-lebanon-crisis xxiii http://www.un.org/press/en/2006/sc8808.doc.htm xxiv http://www.cfr.org/iraq/un-security-council-resolution-1762-iraq/p27590 xxv http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/world/pan-am-flight-103-fast-facts/ xxvi http://www.un.org/en/terrorism/ga.shtml xxvii http://www.un.org/en/sc/ctc/docs/conventions/Conv11.pdf xxviii http://www.dw.de/islamist-terror-groups-in-africa-and-middle-east/a-17739751 xxix http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/09/world/isis-explained/ xxx http://time.com/3718470/isis-copts-egypt/ xviii xxxi http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/world/middleeast/un-reports-at-least-26000-civilian- casualties-in-iraq-conflict-this-year.html?_r=0 xxxii Surf City Position Paper http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/13/isis-accepts-boko-haram-allegiance- pledge/ xxxiii Surf city position paper- Paula Tanasescu Surf City Position Paper- Paula Tanasescu xxxv http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/26/middleeast/isis-antiquities-vandalism/ xxxiv xxxvi http://www.bustle.com/articles/38192-what-does-isis-want-exactly-the-terrorists-stated-goal- has-been-made-clear/ Surf City Position Paper- Paula 10 1905 Main Street Huntington Beach, CA 92648 I hbhsmun.webs.com I ga.novice36@gmail.com