Finland - Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction
Ensuring global non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is essential to peace and security for all nations. These weapons have the world in a chokehold. With one detonation, hundreds of thousands of lives could end and millions more could be devastated. The nation of
Finland is dedicated to not only protecting people from the horrors of these weapons but also eradicating the sources of discontent that bring them into existence. The key to both human protection and arms dismantling is education. Finland advocates bolstering education systems within all countries in order to destroy current stores of weapons and prepare for future challenges, Technology and weaponry are growing and advancing every day, and it is of vital importance that world defense organizations, such as the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), Chemical Weapons Committee (CWC) and our own committee here in the UN, keep pace with such changes. Finland, despite having no weapons of mass destruction, and a low incidence of terrorist attacks, understands the need for a greater sense of security around the world, and will do everything in its power to help the UN, and accompanying organizations, move toward peace.
The first measure that should be taken to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction is to more thoroughly train countries that possess them in safe dismantling strategies and modern day science and technology. Countries need to invest in improving their education systems to produce more scientists and engineers that can safely dismantle any nuclear weaponry. The debate needs to focus on improving a nation’s standard of education more than its firepower. This will also help defense departments stay up to date on what the new threats are. New weapons are being created every day; this means the defense system needs to be discovering them at the same pace or risk becoming obsolete. Finland’s national authority, the Finnish Institute of Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, VERIFIN, has provided training for more than 800 chemists and officials from 130 different countries, with a strong focus on providing more educational resources to developing-country States Parties.
Finland has always tried to make it’s expertise available internationally with resources like the
Finnish Blue Books which covered the recommended operating procedures for analysis in the verification of chemical disarmament and have been distributed internationally. Finland would like to continue to provide such materials. Finland has also worked alongside the United States in the past by providing over 500,000 US dollars to organizations that worked in the middle east to improve radiation detection, shutting down plutonium production reactors in Russia, minimizing smuggling of weapons and providing other equipment and training. Finland is willing to supply more resources to this cause and similar programs.
Safety is more important to Finland than chemical companies’ profit. Finland is a strong advocate of nuclear power for electricity, but within its own borders ensures that every safety and security precaution is being taken to prevent this technology from getting into the wrong hands. Any toxic chemical that is being misused is a weapon. If chemical companies must continue to transport dangerous chemicals, Finland believes transport protocols should be much more rigorous as imprecise movement of dangerous materials is an easy breach for terrorists. Education also plays a strong role here. Everyone working around these chemicals needs to know how to protect themselves and the chemical so as to not increase danger. The ideal situation would come through working with chemical companies to develop stricter

Finland - Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction regulations and better training for all their employees.
A require ment to Finland’s cooperation with the UN is that disarmament is carried out as peacefully as possible. Dismantling weapons is the first step and eases the immediate threat, but helping people is the end goal. Most terrorists were once victims of awful upbringings and corrupt cultural norms. Education is required not only for our scientists, but also for the people in these struggling countries. Fighting hatred that has been instilled in people’s minds from an early age with force will only raise a new generation of rage filled fighters. Education and the economic development that comes with it, will raise a generation with more hope. Finland advocates reaching out to countries and cultures where most terrorist groups form and working with the country to create an environment that encourages freedom of speech and different opinions, but does not tolerate violence. Understanding where terrorists come from is an important part of understanding how to stop terrorist organizations. Without agreement to a peaceful resolution to these issues, Finland will not provide financial and informational support and will instead turn towards more cooperative associations.
Through education, peaceful resolutions and chemical regulations a real change can be made in the accessibility of weapons of mass destruction. Finland believes we cannot take a passive attitude towards such matters. We must keep planning for the future and instituting new safeguards and aforementioned programs or risk losing hold of the situation entirely. Finland is dedicated to this mission and will provide funding, training and full cooperation if the UN creates a cohesive plan. Finland suggests a three step process. First - educate all members of WMD committees on the science behind the weaponry and how to safely dismantle them. This creates a team that can effectively and efficiently dispose of nuclear weaponry. Second - create stronger regulations with chemical companies. Safety measures and security procedures are of the utmost importance. Cutting off chemical supplies stops weapons before they can even be built. The third and most involved step is helping the people. The UN should strive to locate areas where terrorist groups often form or recruit and find ways to make that area less prone to viole nce. Terrorism does not start with weapons, it starts with people. It starts with one person’s decision to use a weapon. The UN should use its power and abilities to help cultures find peaceful resolutions. These are the steps Finland will be taking through its own national committees, but the only way to truly eradicate such a global problem is through universalization.
The United Nations has the ability to bring the world forces together to make the world a much safer, more peaceful place. Finland hopes this opportunity does not go wasted.