Sarah Kline
Cherry Hill High School East
Country: The Netherlands
Committee: United Nations High Commission for Refugees
Topic: Intra-State Ethnic Conflicts
Rutgers Model United Nations 2006
Intra-state ethnic conflicts occur in all parts of the world. They span from
minority groups rioting to full out civil war. Such conflicts are fueled by racial, political
or religious animosity. They most frequently occur in newly created states, where
minority and majority groups will fight for government control. Currently intra-state
ethnic conflicts plague Sri Lanka, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Chechnya and other
countries. Intra-state conflicts affect everyone with in the country, and those surrounding
it. The security of citizens and those in neighboring countries is jeopardized. The
government of the country can become incapable of protecting its people, and refugees
flooding into neighboring countries can cause concern amongst that government. After
World War II, when the European colonization of Africa was halted, the principles selfdetermination and nationalism caused ethnic groups, such as Tamils’ in Sri Lanka, to
revolt demanding their own self-determination. Ethnic rivalries fueled conflicts in postindependent states. Again, after the break up of the Soviet Union, similar ethnic rivalries
caused civil war, as in the case on Tajikistan. Although ethnic tensions may seem
impossible to ameliorate, the international community can make strides to help improve
the conditions in war stricken countries, to help prevent future conflicts, and to assist
those newly developed countries seeking assistance.
The United Nations system is engaged in both operational prevention, which deals
with an imminent crisis, and structural prevention, which involves measures to address
root causes of conflict so that crises do not emerge. An important element of structural
prevention entails improving political and economic governance. Free and fair elections
are key in conflict prevention and post-conflict peace building. The countries of Liberia
and Burundi held a series of successful elections during 2005. Along with the UN, the
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was created by Algeria, Egypt,
Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to
develop an integrated socio-economic development framework for Africa. The goals of
NEPAD are to eradicate poverty, place African countries, both individually and
collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development, halt the marginalization of
Africa in the globalization process and enhance its full and beneficial integration into the
global economy, and accelerate the empowerment of women. The UN supports
NEPAD’s agenda, and will continue to do so until conflicts have been subdued.
The Netherlands agrees with all the UN is doing to eradicate intra-state ethnic
conflicts. It agrees with the goal of NEPAD, which included ending such conflicts by
2010. The Netherlands feels that the UN is and should remain the pillar of support for
NEPAD. The Netherlands celebrates NEPAD for taking the initiative with in its own
continent to prevent further devastation. The Netherlands also feels that greater effort is
necessary to effectively address youth unemployment, the devastating social, economic
and political impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the illicit exploitation of natural resources,
and the illegal flows of small arms. The Netherlands suggests that this be added to the
NEPAD agenda with support from the UN. The Netherlands also recognizes the role of
the media in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace building, and
therefore encourages the continuation of such journalistic efforts. Furthermore, the
Netherlands regrets any disruption they occurred after World War II in Africa. Lastly, the
Netherlands urges African leaders to continue to lead normative and regulatory
innovations on a regional level, development and good governance, and promotes the
continued support of the international community through generous financial assistance
and technical support.