Disarmament &
International
Security
Committee
(DISEC)
Topic 1: Militarization of the Arctic
Topic 2: Geopolitical Tensions in the Senkaku
Islands
Osbourn Park High School Model United Nations  October 16-17, 2015
Osbourn Park Model United Nations Conference
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Introduction
The Disarmament and International Security
Committee, or DISEC, is the First Committee of the
United Nations. This committee deals primarily with
issues of international security, ranging from nuclear
disarmament to efforts against international terrorism.
DISEC is a General Assembly, and parliamentary
procedure is similar to that of other large-scale
committees like SPECPOL and SOCHUM.
Topic 1: Militarization of the Arctic
Background and Current Situation
In recent years, the militarization of the Arctic has
become a topic of contention between world powers. As
the global economy continues to grow and ice masses
continue to melt due to environmental pressures, the
need for rapid marine trade routes has increased
significantly. Also, there has been an increase in Arctic
tourism as Arctic lands become more accessible to visit
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due to the growth of navigable water routes.
Consequently, a few countries have looked towards a
‘Northern Passage’ through the Arctic to ease
transport. The Arctic is currently ‘occupied’ by several
nations, all of which have claims on sections of the
Arctic landmass and in surrounding islands and
archipelagos. Countries with territorial claims in the
region include the United States, Canada, Russia,
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Several
of these nations are members of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, and as a result any intraorganizational tensions over territory have not led to
any significant issue. However, Russia has committed
several aggressive moves towards militarization of the
Arctic in the past two years, to the condemnation of
the international community. In December 2014, Russia
unveiled the development of a new military command
center in the Arctic. Russia also deployed the new
Northern Command, which was created to ensure
Russian military supremacy in the Arctic. Territories of
Norway, Denmark, Canada, and the United States are
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all within close proximity to the new military command
center. Additionally, Russia is also constructing a yearround airbase in the Siberian Islands archipelago. This
airbase is expected to be constructed by 2025, and
could be responsible for housing bombing-capable
aircraft. Aggression in the Arctic has also encountered
criticism on the grounds on environmental conservation.
It is estimated that 30% of the world’s remaining
natural gas reserves and 15% of the world’s oil reserves
are stored in the Arctic seabed. If militarization of the
Arctic became permissible, then there would surely be
an outbreak of competition among nations for access to
these vital energy resources. While Russia has been the
primary culprit in militarization, public opinion has been
reluctant to endorse any militarization in the Arctic.
According to a 2013 poll from Kremlin-supported Public
Opinion Foundation, 69% of the Russian public is
“convinced that the territories should remain neutral
and outside the boundaries of any country”. Public
opinion aside, aggression and militarization in the Arctic
continue to threaten international stability. It is up to
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this committee to determine what role DISEC should
play in facilitating peace in the North Atlantic.
Russian aggression has been concentrated in this region
of the Arctic. (picture courtesy of Business Insider)
Questions to Consider in Your Research
1) Should DISEC discourage drilling, tourism, trade, or
any other form of development in the Arctic?
What
developmen
ts, if any,
are
permissible
?
2)
S
hould the
extraction
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of energy resources in the Arctic seabed be
prohibited? How can we restrict private drilling
that is not sponsored by any national government?
3)
How can DISEC work with other agencies that
focus on environmental conservation in order to
lessen the impact of global warming on the Arctic
Sea?
4)
What consequences should countries face if
they continue to illegally intervene in the Arctic
without permission from the international
community?
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Topic 2: Tension over the Senkaku Islands
Background and Current Situation
Geopolitical tensions in the Western Pacific region have
recently created contention between members of the
international community. There are several territories in
the West Pacific that are claimed by more than one
nation, which has created territorial disputes that have
severely weakened stability in the region. For example,
the Senkaku Islands are a cluster of uninhabited islands
in the East China Sea that have attracted international
notoriety since the 1970s. After being administered by
the United States between World War II and 1972, the
islands were returned to Japanese administration
following three decades of foreign occupation. However,
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both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan dispute
Japan’s sovereignty over the islands, arguing that the
islands are a Chinese possession that should have been
returned after Japan’s loss in WWII. All three nations
refuse to recognize the other’s claims, which has
complicated negotiations. Additionally, research has
indicated that there may be oil fields surrounding the
islands, and those vital energy resources would be a
significant economic boon for whichever country formally
acquired the islands. Another aspect of the Senkaku
Islands dispute is the United States’ military
commitment to Japan. Japan and the US share a
Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which
guarantees military assistance if either nation was
attacked. In 2014, American President Barack Obama
stated that the Treaty applied to the Senkaku Islands
as well, essentially assuring the Japanese government
American assistance if China or Taiwan was to ever
militarily intervene in the Islands. This move irked the
Chinese and Taiwanese governments, as the United
States has been criticized in both nations for unfairly
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intervening in the Pacific. Tensions reached a high point
in 2013, when the People’s Republic of China created
an Air Defense Identification Zone around the islands.
This move required all aircraft traveling within the zone
to submit their identification and flight plan to the
Chinese defense system. Public opinion in China and
Japan has also exacerbated conflict as there are
significant anti-Japanese sentiments in China, and
similar anti-Sino sentiments in Japan. Anti-Japanese
protests over the Japanese occupation of the islands
erupted in China in 2012, and a record eighty-five
Chinese cities witnessed anti-Japanese violence, arson,
and vandalism. Diplomatic efforts have been largely
ineffective. In 2009, a military hotline was agreed to
between Tokyo and Beijing so both the PRC and Japan
would have a direct source of discussion. However,
following heightened tensions in 2012-2014, it was
never implemented. The threat of armed conflict still
persists in the region even two years after a resurgence
of tensions. A poll from PRC-based newspaper The
China Post has indicated that 91% of Chinese citizens
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agree that warfare should not be ruled out in order to
protect the integrity of the Senkaku Islands, which is
an astonishingly high figure considering both the social
and economic cost of going to war. Public opinion in
Taiwan, China, and Japan remains a major obstacle to
peace in the West Pacific, and this committee must
decide how to properly address the Senkaku Islands
dispute.
A map of the
Senkaku
Islands and of
surrounding
nations. The
Islands are
claimed by
Taiwan,
mainland
China, and
Questions to
Japan (map
Consider
courtesy in
of
Maritime
Your Research
Connector)
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1) What should be the political fate of the Senkaku
Islands? Which territorial claim does your country
view as the most legitimate?
2)
How can DISEC work to facilitate negotiation
among China, Japan, Taiwan, and the United
States?
3)
Should the United Nations condemn China for
its recent aggression towards the Senkaku Islands?
Or should the United Nations condemn Japan for
its unjust seizure of the islands from Chinese
control?
4)
How can DISEC restrict unfair development of
energy resources in the East China Sea without
infringing on national sovereignty?
5)
What role does public opinion play in the
Senkaku Islands dispute? How can DISEC operate
to lessen tensions amid such fervent national
opposition to negotiation?
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Works Cited
"Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project | History | North
Pole Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s)." Beaufort
Gyre Exploration Project | History | North Pole
Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s). Web. 20 Sept.
2015.
Bender, Jeremy. "Russia Is Militarizing The Arctic."
Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 2 Dec.
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2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"Most Russians Believe Arctic Should Remain Neutral Poll." Most Russians Believe Arctic Should Remain
Neutral - Poll. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"Russia's Arctic Militarization 'Disturbing,' US
Lawmakers Say." Defense Tech RSS. 12 Mar.
2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"United Nations, Main Body, Main Organs, General
Assembly." UN News Center. UN. Web. 20 Sept.
2015.
_____________________________________________________
"Chinese Government Ships Spotted off Disputed
Senkaku Islands - News." Chinese Government
Ships Spotted off Disputed Senkaku Islands News. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"Japan Suggests Hotline to Beijing over Island Spat."
South China Morning Post. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
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"Second Day Of Anti-Japan Protests Rock China." NPR.
NPR. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
"Who's Behind Asia-Pacific's Growing Tensions? Curbing
China's Rising Power." Global Research. Web. 20
Sept. 2015.
"Will There Be War over the Tiaoyutais?"
Www.ChinaPost.com.tw. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
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