The General Assembly
First Committee:
Disarmament and International Security
(DISEC)
© 2009, The Yale International Relations Association, Inc.
This document was prepared by the Secretariat of the Thirty-fifth Session of the
Yale Model United Nations for research assistance by delegates attending the
conference use by all other parties is strictly prohibited. All questions should be
referred to the Director-General at ymun.dg.one@gmail.com, or by mail at P.O.
Box 202144, New Haven, CT, 06520.
Table of Contents
Committee Dais and Staff
Letter from the Under-Secretary General
Committee Overview
History of the Committee
Nature and Structure of the Committee
Topic A: Global Maritime Piracy
Introduction to the Topic
Description of the Problem
History of the Problem
Case Studies
Past UN Actions
Proposed Solutions
Challenges to Proposals
Block Positions
Questions a Resolution Must Answer
Topic B: Space Disarmament
Introduction to the Topic
Description of the Problem
History of the Problem
Case Studies
Past UN Actions
Proposed Solutions
Challenges to Proposals
Block Positions
Questions a Resolution Must Answer
Conclusions
Further Reading
Opportunities to Help
Your committee dais and staff
DISEC A
Filip Savtic, Chair
filip.savatic@yale.edu
Hometown: I was born in Belgrade, Serbia; Grew up in Sony Brook, Long
Island; I just moved to Houston, Texas!
Major: Undecided, but probably Political Science & International Studies
MUN Career: Started Junior year of high school. Currently, I am part of the
Model UN Team at Yale (MUNTY). I served as USG Committees for our
collegiate conference – SCSY.
Favorite thing about Yale: The people are incredible, the classes are interesting,
the parties are awesome, the dorm buildings are breathtaking, and living rooms
are big.
An international concern of yours: I am very interested in the European Union
and its development because it brings to the forefront ideas of post-nationalism
and pooled sovereignty.
Laura Zargoza, Chair laura.zargoza@yale.edu
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major: History
MUN Career: Highschool MUN Delegate, Staffer at SCSY and YMUN
Favorite thing about Yale: The Yale Babylonian Collection
An international concern of yours: Protecting cultural heritage sites.
DISEC B
Emily Sigman, Chair
emily.sigman@yale.edu
Hometown: Denver, CO
Major: Philosophy / International Studies
MUN Career: High school team President, Staffed SCSY and YMUN
Favorite thing about Yale: It’s not Harvard.
Matthew King, Moderator
matthew.king@yale.edu
Hometown: NY
Major: History
MUN Career: High school & College Delegate, SCSY and YMUN
staffer
Favorite thing about Yale: Saybrook, my college.
An international concern of yours: Counter-terrorism and global security.
ASSISTANT SECRERTARY-GENERAL FOR GENERAL ASSSEMBLY (A)
Jonathan Koch jonathan.koch@yale.edu
Hometown: Tr emont, IL
Major: Ethics, Politics & Economics
MUN Career: Two years of high school, SCSY
Moderator
Favorite thing about Yale: The people and the Law
School Library.
An international concern of yours: Underregulated
economic infrastructure and development in China.
ASSISTANT SECRERTARY-GENERAL FOR GENERAL ASSSEMBLY (B)
Kevin Hoffman kevin.hoffman@yale.edu
Hometown: Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Major: Undecided, potentially engineering
MUN Career: 4 years of high school, SCSY staffer
Favorite thing at Yale: The people.
An international concern of yours: Renewable energy.
UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Edgar Melgar
edgar.melgar@yale.edu
Hometown: San Salvador, El Salvador
Major: Comparative Literature
MUN Career: High school, Yale Traveling Team, SCSY &
YMUN Chair
Favorite thing at Yale: Comfy sofas to fall asleep in the
library.
An international concern of yours: Human rights, Public
education, international law, narratives of globalization and
international intellectual history.
From the Committee Director
Dear Delegates,
My name is Filip Savatic, and I want to welcome you to YMUN XXXV and DIESEC A! As
someone who has been very involved with Model UN here at Yale, I am very excited to chair
DIESEC for the first time! I am really looking forward to a great committee that will be both
engaging, active, and a lot of fun.
This year DIESEC has two very unique and interesting topics on the agenda – Sea Piracy and
Space Security. The beginning of the 21st century has seen a dramatic rise in piracy on the high
seas and in 2008 pirates have accumulated over 150 million dollars in ransom from commercial
shipping companies. At the same time, China’s destruction of one of its old satellites has ushered
in new questions regarding the militarization of space. These two topics are at the forefront of
international affairs, and will be very important in the near future. As you write your position
papers, I strongly encourage all of you to keep track of what is going on in the news with respect
to these topics. Ultimately, I am sure that the unique nature of the agenda will make DIESEC a
fascinating committee this year, as you truly have the ability to innovate on very current issues.
To let you know a little bit about me and MUN - in 11th grade I started the Model UN Team at
my high school due to my interest in international affairs and the United Nations itself. I have
continued to participate in Model UN here at Yale, and I am a part of the Model UN Team at
Yale (MUNTY) which competes at colligate conference year round. I am also active in working
on setting up Model UN conferences as a member of the Yale International Relations
Association, and vice-chaired DIESEC last year for YMUN. In addition to Model UN I am a
member of AIESEC, an international exchange and leadership development organization, play
cello for the Saybrook College Orchestra, and am a member of the club swimming team.
I am very fortunate to have a great team working alongside me this year, including veteran
moderator Laura Zaragoza, who will be making sure parliamentary procedure is followed and
that debate flows smoothly. An absolutely awesome person with a lot of experience working on
Model UN committees, Laura will help make DIESEC a great time for everyone. We are both
looking forward to a weekend of exciting, interesting, and unique debate on the very new and
current topics on the agenda. As always, if you have any questions about the topics, the
committee, or the conference in general, please do not hesitate to contact me at
filip.savatic@yale.edu. I encourage you to get in touch with me if you need guidance with
research for your committees or have questions regarding your country’s policy or other matters
that have come up as you write your position papers.
I want to end by saying that we are going to have a great time at YMUN this year so come
excited for an awesome committee! Best of luck and see you in January!!
Filip Savatic
Director, DIESEC Committee A
Email: filip.savatic@yale.edu
Greetings, Earthlings..
My name is Emily Sigman, welcome to DISEC, the best committee at YMUN, and in fact, the
best committee in the entire universe. I am honored and excited to be your Chair for DISEC B,
and thrilled that our topic is so important to the current state of world affairs. I am looking
forward to discussing the importance of space disarmament and protocol, as well as making as
many references to Chewbacca as possible. I encourage you all to do the same.
This is not your grandmother’s model UN, and I’m not just referring to the fact that model UN
didn’t exist when your grandmother was in high school. This committee will be fast-paced,
dynamic, and exciting. And in order for this committee the best that it can be, everybody (and I
mean everybody, including that kid who’s going to sit in the back and pass inappropriate notes to
every member of the European Union) must actively participate in the debate. My hope is that
this will be a fun committee, and that we can debate the topic with the seriousness that it
deserves, while still enjoying ourselves. In order to do this, I urge every participant to do three
things:
1) Learn Parliamentary Procedure. We certainly aren’t going to flog you if you utter a
“point of order” when you meant to say “point of inquiry,” and you certainly shouldn’t
shy away from asking a question if you are unsure about a certain procedure, or the way
we are conducting the conference. We have an excellent Moderator, Matt King, who will
be present the entirety of the conference making sure that parliamentary procedure is
being followed, and he will be well-equipped to answer your questions. However, a
general knowledge of how parliamentary procedure works will be essential to the flow of
the debate, and for everybody having a good time. I mean, really, did you ever think
about how many awesome jokes can be made using the word “caucus?” Point: Learn
Parliamentary Procedure.
2) Research your country’s position and stick to it. Though it may not be in accordance
with your own personal opinions, we want to represent the UN as best we can, with as
many different viewpoints as possible.
3) Relax and have a good time. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand to speak, help introduce a
resolution you worked on, or add your name to a speaker’s list. Feel free to be creative
(so long as you’re still representing your country well), and feel even more free to present
a controversial idea.
With that, I leave you to conducting your research and drafting your position papers. I look
forward to meeting with you in the Spring!
May the Force be with you,
Emily Sigman
Chair, DISEC Committee B
Emily.sigman@yale.edu
Overview of the Committee
The First Committee of the General
Assembly, DISEC, deals with disarmament
and related international security questions.
However, unlike the UN Security Council
that deals with similar issues of international
security, resolutions passed by DISEC are
not binding to any member state. Thus rather
than provide a body to implement direct
military or economic intervention, DISEC
allows discourse on these issues on a wider
policy field than the Security Council.1
At YMUN, DISEC is a doubledelegation,
split
General
Assembly
Committee. Nations whose name, in English,
begins with a letter between A and K
(Afghanistan-Kyrgyzstan) will be part of
SOCHUM A. Nations between L and Z (Lao
Democratic People’s Republic to Zimbabwe)
will be represented in DISEC B. Either
committee may chose to discuss either Topic
Area A or B, and will produce independent
and autonomous resolutions.
Topic Area A: Global
Maritime Piracy
INTRODUCTION TO THE
TOPIC
Over the course of the past year, piracy has
been thrust into the forefront of the
international community’s attention and
agenda. 2008 has seen the number of pirate
attacks on commercial vessels skyrocket to
levels unseen for hundreds of years. At the
same time, the sophistication, complexity,
and capability of pirates has increased,
leading to ever more dramatic captures of
ever larger and more important vessels. The
modern rise in pirate activity has been
entirely based off the coast of Somalia. As a
nation that has essentially been in chaos for
1
http://www.un.org/ga/first/index.shtml
17 years, and with a 4,000 mile coastline
jutting into the Indian Ocean’s major
shipping routes, Somalia has become the
perfect ground for pirates to stage attacks on
international commercial shipping. The
international community has responded to
the rise in piracy, yet their efforts have so far
failed to stem the ever growing rise in pirate
attacks. Already, global economic effects
are being observed, and many complex
issues have risen due to pirate activity, from
legal and jurisdictional questions regarding
captured pirates, to the potential for pirates
to work in conjunction with international
terrorist organizations. Ultimately, it is time
for the United Nations to have a
comprehensive discussion about how to deal
with piracy on the high seas, and the many
interrelated issues associated with the
problem.
DESCRIPTION OF THE
PROBLEM
Over the past year alone, sea-based piracy
has captured headlines on many occasions.
Examples include pirates off the coast of
Somalia capturing several vessels, and
engaging in battles with the navies of even
the United States military. The Italian navy
foiled an attack on an Italian oil tanker only
a few months ago. One extremely recent
example has made the situation even more
complex. In April 2008, pirates off the coast
of Somalia captured a French yacht Le
Ponant, leading to “a dramatic helicopter
raid by French commandos earlier this
month
on
Somali
pirates”
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7358764.st
m”). The pirates captured were taken to
France and have been charged by a Paris
court – with the consent of the Somali
President. The Maritime Law Association
(www.mlaus.org)
offers
extensive
information on actions undertaken by civil
society on the matter.
HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM
Piracy on the high seas has been a problem
faced by nations since antiquity. Piracy has
been prevalent since early accounts of “sea
peoples,” who plundered trade routes linking
ancient civilizations. The period from 1620
– 1720 is commonly called the golden age of
piracy, when the level of global pirate
activities was at its highest. The era
produced the many well known pirate
individuals, such as Calico Jack who flew
the now famous black and white pirate flag,
among others. During the late 1700s and
early 1800s, European Imperial navies,
particularly that of the British Empire made
an extensive effort to eradicate piracy
worldwide. It is commonly noted that the
first war the United States fought was
against the Barbary Coast pirates during the
administration of Thomas Jefferson in 1803.
The international efforts to eliminate piracy
were very effective, and the phenomenon
was considered nearly eradicated by the
early 20th century. Indeed, until the end of
Cold War, piracy ceased to be a major
international issue of concern, although it
was not entirely eliminated.
At the end of the Cold War, a decrease in
the size and patrol of international navies
coupled with a dramatic increase in
international trade made organized piracy
became far easier to execute. The
International Maritime Bureau (IMB), an
agency aimed at maintaining secure
international seas, created a Piracy
Reporting Center (PRC) subdivision which
began to maintain record for piracy starting
in 1995, as several major areas of pirate
activity began to emerge. Despite a global
situation which increasingly favored pirate
activity, after increased activity in the early
1990s, piracy actually continued to go
through a slow decline until the 21st century.
However, beginning in 2005 to the present
day, piracy has suddenly been catapulted to
the forefront of the international conscious
to a level not seen for hundreds of years.
CURRENT SITUATION
In the past few years, the level of pirate
attacks has seen an incredible rise. In
addition to becoming more numerous, pirate
attacks and hijackings of major vessels have
become bolder, more sophisticated, and
more successful. Piracy has also developed
certain characteristics, aiming to obtain
ransoms for captured individuals and vessels,
as opposed to plundering the objects on
board. The entire rise in piracy has been in
the East Indian Ocean, in bodies of water off
the coast of Somalia. The status of Somalia
as a failed state in chaos, where there is no
rule of law or central government, has
allowed for pirates to create a host nation,
with thousands of miles of coastline from
which to base pirate attacks. It is Somalia,
and the rise in piracy off its coast that is has
made piracy a prominent issue in the present
day, and the subject that DIESEC needs to
resolve. Ultimately, 2008 has brought piracy
of the forefront of international attention,
and has shown that the international
community needs to act in a concerted way
to address the current situation.
The International Maritime Bureau statistics
outline the rise in piracy that began in recent
years. In 2006, there were a total of 239
attacks, 77 crew members were kidnapped
and 188 taken hostage but only 15 of the
pirate attacks resulted in murder. In 2007 the
number of attacks rose by 10% to 263
attacks. There was a 35% increase on
reported attacks involving guns. Crew
members that were injured numbered 64
compared to just 17 in 2006. The statistics
indicate that piracy was increasing in
popularity prior to 2008.
2008 has been the year that piracy has come
to the forefront of international attention. As
of the end of October, the International
Maritime Bureau reported that,
A total of 199 incidents were
reported to the IMB Piracy
Reporting Centre (PRC) in
the first nine months of 2008.
The third quarter of 2008 saw
reported incidents spike to 83,
a significant increase when
compared to the 53 reported
in the first quarter and the 63
reported in the second quarter.
The reported acts of piracy
committed to date in 2008
have included 115 vessels
boarded, 31 vessels hijacked,
and 23 vessels fired upon. A
total of 581 crewmembers
were taken hostage, nine
kidnapped, nine killed and
seven missing – presumed
dead.2
This report above does not even take into
account the numerous pirate strikes in the
month of November, which resulted in
several very high profile hijackings.
Major events of the past three months have
been critical in making piracy visible to the
international community. During the last
week of September 2008, pirates stirred the
governments worldwide when they seized
the Ukrainian ship MV Faina, which was
transporting 33 Russian made T-72 battle
tanks to Kenya.3 The event brought attention
to the region given the cargo, and the size of
the vessel captured. The capture of the tanks
2
http://www.iccccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl
e&id=306:unprecedented-rise-in-piraticalattacks&catid=60:news&Itemid=51
3
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7639090.stm
only precluded the several high profile
hijackings that occurred in November 2008.
In the first week on November, pirates
captured a Filipino chemical tanker, with 22
crewmembers. On November 12th, the BBC
reported that a Turkish chemical tanker, the
Kargol was
seized by
pirates as it
passed through
the Gulf of
Aden on its
way to India.4
The next day,
pirates seized
a Japanese
cargo ship in
The Ukrainian MV Faina
the same
Source: BBC News
5
region.
Pirate activity
came to a
crescendo with
the seizure of
Saudi owned
supertanker
the Sirius Star,
thousands of
miles into the
The Saudi Supertanker Sirius Star
Source: BBC News
high seas of
the Indian
Ocean. The
supertanker was carrying $110m of crude oil
heading for the USA via the Cape of Good
Hope at the southern tip of Africa. To
capture the vessel, Somali pirates had to
haul themselves up ropes tied to grapnel
hooks the height of London’s Big Ben, with
the 330-metre (1,100 feet) long ship pitching
in the tropical swell. The feast was
accomplished fully 450 nautical miles off
the coast of Kenya. The supertanker was the
biggest ever catch by any pirate, anywhere
4
5
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7725372.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7731920.stm
in the world.6 Soon after the capture, US
Navy officials said the hijacking was
unprecedented and marks a fundamental
shift in their capabilities.7
Only further emphasizing the dramatic
newfound power, the capture of the Sirius
Star was followed by several other
hijackings by Somali pirates, including a
Thai tuna boat, a Turkish chemical tanker,
an Iranian freighter loaded with wheat and a
Greek bulk carrier. The AFP reported the
following soon after the occurrences:
"What we have seen in these
last few weeks is an
abnormal increase in violence
and ships being hijacked
despite the increased security
in the area," said Noel
Choong, head of the
International Maritime
Bureau's piracy reporting
centre. "The situation is
already out of control," he
told AFP. "The United
Nations and the international
community must find ways to
stop this menace."8
Ultimately, it has become clear to the
international community that the threat of
piracy needs to be addressed. The current
situation off the coast of Somalia has clearly
demonstrated that piracy has become a
major issue for the 21st century. The
situation in Somalia as a nation, and the
broader effects of the new found ability of
pirates need to be taken into account as well.
Due to 17 years of
almost continuous
civil war in the
country, piracy
has been able to
entrench itself as a
norm in the war
torn country. With
poverty rampant,
the $150 million
that pirates have
collected in
ransom for
captured vessels
has made piracy a
lucrative and
attractive business.
9
In fact, pirates
Map outlining locations of pirate attacks
from January to November 2008. Specific
are oftentimes
events are indicated.
those most
Source: BBC News
wealthy in Somali
society, with large
houses and cars.10 When vessels are
captured, most companies, afraid of
insurance costs, and fearing for the safety of
crew, end up paying ransom fees, fuelling
the piracy problem and allowing for pirates
to become more sophisticated in their
attacks. Similarly, international navies have
been wary of attacking captured vessels for
fear of putting hostages at risk. Only adding
to the problem is Somalia's vast coastline of
over 4,000 miles, which is virtually
impossible to monitor completely, even for
modern warships, making it even more
difficult to effectively combat the piracy
phenomenon. Overall, the situation in
Somalia has become a true boon for pirates,
and has created a very difficult problem for
the international community to face.
THE SITUATION IN SOMALIA
6
http://www.economist.com/world/mideastafrica/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12650244
7
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7733482.stm
8
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeq
M5hgcW-hJr9rimSAOfhfaPmV_RU9RA
9
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/21/pira
tes.ransom.payments/?iref=mpstoryview
10
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7650415.stm
Somalia as a nation has been at the center of
the rise in piracy over the course of the past
year. Piracy has in fact, reopened major
questions regarding the chaos that has
enveloped the nation for the past two
decades.
organizations arose to fight the federal
government. The political situation still
remains tenuous, although a semblance of
order has been imposed by Ethiopian forces
who support interim Somali President
Abdullah Yusuf Ahmend.
In the early 1990s Somalia entered a major
civil war as different factions competed for
power, while the humanitarian situation of
the country completely deteriorated. The
United Nations authorized a peacekeeping
mission UNISOM to the country to restore
order. The mission was ineffective until the
United States lead a coalition of forces to
stop fighting between different factions.
Although initially successful, the effort
failed when a faction lead by Muhammad
Aidid began to directly combat international
forces. By 1996, international efforts to
restore order in the country were withdrawn.
Civil war led to the declaration of
independence of the northern region of
Somaliland, which is still de-facto in effect
today. Other regions, including the
expansive state of Puntland declared
autonomy from the federal government until
order is restored. Unrest in the country
continued as no central government was able
to gain authority over the entire nation.
Continuous conflict has lead to complete
chaos throughout Somalia. The country’s
people are among the world’s poorest and
the economy is not functional. The past
years have seen drought and the country was
devastated by the Tsunami disaster of 2006.
The desperate situation of the Somali people
has led the international community to
continue to assist the country through
humanitarian means. The World Food
Program is one of several agencies working
to assist Somalis struggling to survive.
Today, almost half the population is in need
food aid after 17 years of non-stop
conflict.11
In 2006, civil war resumed in Somalia as the
Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and
Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) and a militia
loyal to the Islamic Courts Union (or
"I.C.U.") which seeks to institute Sharia law
in Somalia, began to fight with the secular
Transitional Government forces. After initial
success in capturing the capital, Mogadishu,
the ICU faced a pending invasion of
Ethiopian forces which were mobilized to
support the transitional government. With
United States backing, Ethiopian troops
defeated the ICU, and restored the
Transitional Government. In 2007 and 2008,
however, new Islamist and fundamentalist
The current socio-political situation in
Somalia has allowed for the development of
piracy in the region. With individuals unable
to support themselves, many turn to piracy
for a living. At the same time, the
humanitarian assistance offered to the
Somali’s is being hijacked by the pirates
themselves. Working to resolve the political
and humanitarian problems in Somalia will
go far towards solving the problem of the
rise of global piracy.
INTERNATIONAL ACTION
AGAINST PIRACY
Over the course of the past year, the
international community has come to realize
the growing danger of piracy. Subsequently,
individual national action and coordinated
multilateral efforts have been implemented
to combat piracy. Ultimately, however,
11
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7650415.stm
efforts thus far have failed to stem the
increase in pirate activities, or find a
permanent solution to the root causes of
piracy in the region – namely continued
instability and chaos in the nation of
Somalia.
As a year that has seen an unprecedented
blossoming of pirate activity, 2008 has also
witnessed the growth of aggressive
international action against piracy.
Individual nations with strong naval
capabilities have taken various actions, from
defending commercial vessels, to staging
rescues of hostages and capturing pirates, to
attacking pirate “mother-ships.” In April
2008, French commandoes attacked pirates
who had freed 30 hostages. 12 Recently,
India has become very aggressive in
defending merchant vessels. In late
November 2008, the Indian Navy announced
that it had destroyed a pirate mother-ship in
the Gulf of Aden, garnering international
praise. Earlier in November, Indian
commandoes used helicopters to attack
pirate speedboats preventing the hijacking of
a Saudi Arabian chemical tanker, and an
Indian fishing vessel.13 The United States,
United Kingdom, France, Germany, India,
Russia, and other nations all have naval
vessels that have acted unilaterally to fight
pirate activities and protect important
commercial sea lanes in the region off the
coast of Somalia.
In addition to individual national actions, the
international community has been
increasingly coordinating its response to
piracy. On August 22, a multinational force
of warships carved out a narrow shipping
corridor off the coast of Somalia to protect
merchant vessels from pirate attacks. Since
August, 90% of ships transiting the now
perilous Gulf of Aden have used the corridor,
reducing the number of hijackings that have
occurred in that region.14 Around the same
period, NATO launched its first ever
mission against pirates, sending four vessels
to patrol Somali waters, primarily protecting
UN food aid convoys headed to the troubled
country. The NATO mission is set to end in
December after which point the European
Union will take over similar operations. 15
Given the many European nations involved
in the combating piracy in the region, the
European Union announced a concerted
effort to combat piracy in November.
Operation Atalanta will commence on
December 8th, 2008, and will coordinate the
navies of ten different European nations.
Lead by the United Kingdom, the operation
will consist of roughly 7 naval vessels
supported by extensive air patrols. 16 Russia,
Japan, Pakistan, and Malaysia, all have
naval vessels already in the region, or have
offered to contribute to coordinated efforts
to fight piracy. International action has been
common and prevalent and demonstrates the
urgency most nations feel as piracy becomes
a major threat to the commercial shipping
near Somalia.
2008 has also seen
the United Nations
Security Council
address the issue of
piracy and Somalia.
On June 2, 2008, the
Security Council
14
13
Flag of the International Maritime
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/11/som
Organization: the UN body responsible
alia.pirates/
for resolving international maritime
15
http://www.dwdisputes and issues, including piracy.
world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3804962,00.html
Source: IMO
16
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/12/i
ndia.naval.power.ap/
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gUh2CGJ_4hp
C-tFNErBw-knE9ATg
12
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103537.ht
ml
unanimously approved Resolution 1816,
which announced that all Somali waters
would be designated as the “high seas,” for
six months. The resolution thus legalized the
ability for foreign navies to pursue pirates
and engage in any necessary activities in the
waters off the coast of Somalia to combat
piracy.17 The resolution also framed the
need for cooperation between the
international community and the
International Maritime Organization (IMO),
the United Nations body which guides the
regulatory development of its member states
to improve safety at sea, facilitate trade
among seafaring states and protect the
maritime environment. The United States is
currently looking to extend the mandate
created by Resolution 1816, so that the
international community can continue
operations in Somali waters.18 On November
21, 2008, the Security Council unanimously
adopted British sponsored Resolution 1844
which increased the severity of the arms
embargo currently in place over Somalia.
The resolution creates an advisory council
panel to recommend people and entities
whose financial assets would be frozen and
who would face a travel ban, while also
calling for targeted sanctions such as asset
freezes, and a clamp down on the influx of
weapons into the country, as well as travel
bans against anyone blocking the political
process, violating the arms embargo or
obstructing the delivery of humanitarian
aid.19 Overall, the Security Council has been
active on the matter of rising piracy, while
United Nations bodies have been
continuously involved in data gathering and
advising. However, current actions have not
been very effective at reducing the amount
of piracy, and the international community
needs to do more to resolve the problematic
situation in Somalia
Given the gravity of the problem of rising
pirate activity off the coast of Somalia, the
international community has taken action to
strike back at pirates. However, actions
taken have not worked to stop the ever
growing level of piracy. Despite concerted
actions, the international community has
thus far been unable to stem the increase in
pirate activity, and the growing
sophistication and boldness of pirate attacks.
Many have noted that international efforts to
combat piracy have not dealt with the root
cause of the problem – continued instability
and chaos in Somalia. Many Somalis have
noted their curiosity at why the international
community has expressed such extensive
concern regarding foreigners at sea, while
not taking action to aid millions of starving
and deprived individuals in Somalia itself. 20
Most individuals in Somalia do not see
piracy as a major problem given the many
more pressing issues facing the country. At a
recent United Nations debate regarding
piracy, the AFP reported that:
U.N. Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Peacekeeping
Raisuddin Zenenga reflected
the view of many speakers
when he said: "Piracy, as
well as the recent terrorist
attacks against international
targets, are only symptoms
of the fundamental problem
which is the state of anarchy
in Somalia." He said the
multinational effort being
mobilized to fight the pirates
off Somalia — involving the
European Union, NATO
17
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/KKA
A-7F93FM?OpenDocument
18
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-11-21voa2.cfm
19
Ibid
20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7740417.stm
countries, Russia, India and
others — should be
replicated to mobilize an
international force to tackle
the security problems in
Somalia itself.21
The call by Zenenga reflects calls by many
nations for the initiation of a new
peacekeeping effort in Somalia. The African
Union has been very vocal in calling for a
peacekeeping mission. On November 18th,
African Union's top diplomat, Jean Ping,
said that the United Nations should send
peacekeepers to Somalia urgently to stop the
strife that is fuelling piracy and is
aggravated by feuding politicians in
Somalia.22 The United States and the United
Kingdom, however, have blocked efforts to
initiate a peacekeeping mission by South
Africa at the United Nations Security
Council.23 With major efforts focused on
conflicts in other areas, most western
nations have been against peacekeeping in
Somalia as a way to combat the effort of
piracy.
international community and the United
Nations to deal with the problem.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
PIRACY
The dramatic increase in piracy off the coast
of Somalia and throughout the East Indian
Ocean has the potential to incur high costs
onto the global economy. The disruption of
major shipping lanes is already having a
significant and visible negative economic
effect.
Piracy has the ability to raise insurance
premiums for shipping companies along
with incurring a variety of other costs,
leading to higher prices for a wide variety of
products. The Wall Street Journal recently
reported that,
The Suez Canal via the Gulf
of Aden is the main route for
ships plying their trade from
Asia to Europe and the East
Coast of the United States,
laden with goods as varied as
Christmas toys, clothing and
cars. The increased risk of
hijacking in the area, mainly
from pirates based in Somalia,
has resulted in higher
insurance premiums, crew
costs and security costs. All
of this makes the voyage
more expensive, and these
costs get passed on directly to
consumers.24
Ultimately, the debate over how to resolve
the issue of piracy based in Somalia is very
pertinent to the international community and
the United Nations at this time. Current
international action has not been sufficient
in stemming the continued growth of pirate
activities, and different nations continue to
debate the most effective means to deal with
the problem, as well as the root cause –
instability in Somalia. Side-effects of piracy
only increase the urgency and need for the
21
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeq
M5g6ovEYnh-5OJmt106FLTzdG-9eeQD94J0M7O0
22
Higher costs for shipping companies clearly
have the potential to hurt consumers
worldwide, and increasingly affect global
economies. Perhaps most importantly, given
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL
K71119920081120
23
24
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLJ404653.htm
l
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12275460828105343
5.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
that a large percentage of oil shipping
transverses waters affected by pirates, piracy
will add another degree of uncertainty over
already volatile oil prices, potentially
leading to further economic instability.
Rising levels of piracy will thus clearly have
a negative economic impact.
Due to piracy, customers will see longer
delivery times when less shipping traffic
passes through the Suez Canal as companies
divert their vessels to a longer but safer
journey around the southernmost point of
Africa. Recently, one major shipping
company after another has already
announced changes in shipping routes,
diverting vessels from the Gulf of Aden and
the Suez Canal and sending them on the
longer journey around the Cape of Good
Hope in South Africa. Taiwan's TMT, one
of Asia's biggest shippers, Europe’s largest
ship owner Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk,
Norwegian chemical tanker group Odfjell,
the world's largest tug operator Svitzer, and
a large liquefied petroleum gas carrier have
all already announced decisions to re-route
all of their vessels to a longer shipping route
around southern Africa.25 Decisions by firms
to skirt the Suez Canal and take the longer
journey add an extra 15 days to ferry oil
from the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula
to Mediterranean refiners: twice the normal
time and distance.26 Maersk’s tanker
diversions noted that the new route will
increase journey times and raise fuel bills by
around 20% to 25% for the company.27
Longer shipping routes and time will again
increase the price of various goods for
consumers and have an adverse impact on
shipping companies and national economies.
The Suez Canal will directly see a decrease
in business. Overall, actions already being
undertaken by major shipping firms indicate
that piracy is already having a major impact
on the global economy.
Other knock-on effects of piracy are
possible as well. For example, cruise ships
are increasingly avoiding east Africa to
avoid the threat of piracy in the region.28
Ultimately, all the economic side effects of
piracy remain uncertain. What is clear is that
piracy at large, and the dramatic rise in
piracy off the coast of Somalia is having a
global economic impact.
Diagram for the Los Angeles Times illustrating the current situation re
as of November 20, 2008
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-1120
g,0,4183011.graphic
25
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLP11
2306
26
Ibid
27
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12272095204594506
7.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
28
http://www.economist.com/world/mideastafrica/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11751360
STATUS OF CAPTURED
PIRATES
In addition to its other effects, piracy creates
tricky legal and jurisdictional issues. The
dramatic rise in piracy off the coast of
Somalia has created a need for the
international community to address issues
regarding the legal status of pirates and
national jurisdictions to prosecute pirates for
their actions and crimes. Legal scholars have
noted that many times, “capturing pirates is
not the critical problem; rather, the issue is
how to handle those in captivity.”29 In April,
2008, French commandoes captured several
pirates who had hijacked a French yacht, the
Ponant, off the coast of Somalia. In an
unprecedented move the captured pirates
were taken to France and put on trial. 30
Given that the French actions were
undertaken with the consent of Somali
President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, the
action was accepted by the international
community. However, “western countries
have balked at the prospect of hosting
pirates, even in prison.”31 Recently, eight
pirates captured by the British navy have
been brought to Kenya and have been
charged. The actions of the British and
Kenyan government have been controversial,
as questions of jurisdiction were raised by
many involved in the trial. 32 Legal experts
have questioned whether Kenya has a legal
jurisdiction to try pirates arrested in another
country’s territorial waters, by yet a third
party navy.33 Complicating the trial is the
29
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12270571942283956
5.html
30
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7355598.stm
31
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,457827,00.ht
ml
32
Ibid
fact that the pirates do not speak English or
Swahili, the official languages of Kenya,
and are clearly claiming that they were only
fisherman, not pirates. As piracy has become
more prevalent and the international
community has worked to clamp down on
pirate activities, legal and jurisdictional
questions are bound to arise, as there is an
increasing desire to put captured pirates to
justice.
Somalia,
the home
country
for most
pirates
has not
had a
Eight captured Somali pirates face a Chief Magistrate
judge in Mombasa, Kenya.
Source: Fox News
functioning judiciary since 1991 and is
controlled by a weak transitional
government. Even if there rule of law did
exist in the country, it is likely that pirates
would wield influence over the country’s
nominal government, or over powerful
Islamist insurgent groups opposed to the
government. Given that it is unlikely
Somalia will have the capability to prosecute
or conduct fair trial, the question of who has
jurisdiction over captured pirates is an issue
that is gaining prominence. As nations
continue to actively combat piracy globally,
it may be time for the United Nations to
address this issue while it is nascent so that a
clear legal framework can be followed in the
future.
33
http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_con
tent&task=view&id=11439&Itemid=5860
PIRACY AND TERRORISM
The international community has
increasingly been afraid that the current
network of pirates in Somalia can align with
terrorist and Islamist organizations present
in Somalia, creating a significant setback in
the global war on terror. In the December
2008 issue of Armed Forces Journal, Peter
Brookes, a former CIA operations officer
who also served as Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific
Affairs, wrote that; “while maritime
terrorism and piracy aren’t the same, they
could overlap, especially when it comes to
targets and techniques, providing
opportunities for collaboration.’”34 Many
nations have increasingly recognized that
there is a potential for al-Qaeda or other
terrorist organizations to work with pirates
in pursuing their global agenda. The
prominence of fundamentalist and Islamist
groups in Somalia also furthers concern that
collaboration between terrorist organizations
and pirates can become a reality.
Cooperation can develop in many forms,
and at the very least terrorists may be able to
pay Somali pirates to conduct terror acts on
major shipping lanes. Although no current
links have become evident, it has been
recognized that combating piracy will only
help to lower the potential rise of a new
terrorist threat. The international community
should discuss and create preventative
measures to stop terrorist groups from
working with pirates to create a large
problem in the region, and create a setback
in the global war against terrorism.
QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION
MUST ANSWER
-
34
How should the international
community address the rising level of
http://www.analystnetwork.com/article.php?art_id=2593
piracy occurring in the Indian Ocean,
off the coast of Somalia?
-
Should the UN cooperate with the
European Union and NATO naval
initiatives in the region? If so, how or in
what way?
-
Should there be a new international
maritime force that will combat piracy
in the region?
-
How can the UN resolve the root causes
of piracy? Specifically, how should the
UN address instability and continued
chaos in the failed state of Somalia?
Should peacekeepers be sent to Somalia?
-
How should the UN deal with the
economic side effects of global piracy?
-
How should the UN deal with the legal
and jurisdictional questions regarding
the status of captured pirates? How,
where, and by whom should captured
pirates be tried? What should be the
legal status of pirates?
-
What should be done about the potential
future link between pirates and terrorist
organizations?
CONCLUSION
Over the course of the past year, piracy has
truly become one of the most important
issues facing the international community.
The rapid increase in the number of pirate
attacks worldwide is truly alarming and
action needs to be taken. Although the
international community has already done
much, thus far their actions have been
ineffective, and have not dealt with the full
scope of the problem. In addition to having
to deal with piracy itself, it is imperative that
the United Nations address the many
complex issues that arise as a result of pirate
activities worldwide. As DIESEC, It will be
your mission to create a comprehensive plan
for the international community to deal with
the many problems related to piracy, its rise
and growing sophistication, and its global
effects.
FURTHER RESEARCH
Below is a list of internet resources that can
serve as the starting point for further
research on the topic. The list is relatively
basic and by no means exhaustive so you are
encouraged to go beyond when conducting
your research. News agencies have plentiful
information regarding the subject, and I
recommend you look at footnotes above if
you are looking for more sources.
http://www.un.org/english/
http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions
08.htm (Security Council Resolutions)
http://www.imo.org/
http://www.icc-ccs.org/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the
-world-factbook/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.somali-gov.info/
http://www.wfp.org/english/
http://consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPa
ge.asp?id=1518&lang=en
Topic Area B: Space
Disarmament
INTRODUCTION TO THE
TOPIC
Space: The Final Frontier. It holds
the power to propel us forward, and yet the
demilitarization of outer space is essential,
otherwise space may also hold the power to
completely destroy us. Our task throughout
the committee is to come up with
comprehensive solutions to the issues we are
currently confronting in space, as well as
come up with a framework for the future.
How will the international community
utilize the great beyond? Will it empower
us, or annihilate us? The answer to those
questions, delegates, are in your hands.
Deliberate carefully, for the decisions you
make throughout this conference will affect
the whole of humanity.
DESCRIPTION OF THE
PROBLEM
There are already a number of
international treaties and instruments with
jurisdiction over space activities, but they do
not adequately cover the challenges posed
by space-based weapons and Ballistic
Missile Defense (BMD). Of particular
interest to the Conference on Disarmament
in past years have been those treaties which
restrict the deployment of weapons or use of
force in outer space. The treaties, as they
stand, are limited in scope and coverage, and
have been in the last several years
essentially blocked by the United States.
The existing legal instruments do not
unequivocally prevent the testing,
deployment, or use of weapons other that
nuclear, chemical, and biological in outer
space, nor do they cover the use of force, or
threat of use of force, against a country’s
assets in outer space. Furthermore, though
the deployment of a nuclear weapon in
space is prohibited under many treaties,
there is no treaty which prohibits that launch
of nuclear-warheads or BMD interceptors
from the ground. (Much of this is taken from
“Space Without Weapons,” an article
published by the Acronym Institute. See
further readings for information on how to
obtain the full article)
In January of 2007, China introduced
a new problem with the control of space
when it shot down one of its weather
satellites with a missile from the ground,
without warning. Then, on February 28th,
2008, the United States Navy launched a
missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite.
These actions bring up several issues that
the international community should address.
First, the destruction of satellites causes a
tremendous amount of debris to be scattered
into space. Debris takes hundreds of years to
settle, and even a piece of debris the size of
a marble can effectively destroy a fully
fledged, multi-million dollar satellite, and
endanger astronauts. In addition, the issue
of transparency with regard to a country’s
actions in space needs to be discussed and
regulated, so as to ensure cooperation and
multilateralism not only in the realm of
space disarmament, but as a gesture towards
complete nuclear disarmament as well.
HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM &
PAST UNITED NATIONS
ACTIONS
The UN Committee on Peaceful
Uses of Outer Space (COPOUS) was
established in 1959 by the UN General
Assembly in resolution 1472 (XIV) to
review international cooperation in and
devise UN programmes related to the use,
research, and communication on outer space.
COUPOUS meets every year in Vienna and
their decisions are implemented by the UN
Office for Outer Space Affairs. In June
2007, COUPOUS adopted debris mitigation
guidelines, which had been developed by a
working group on space debris in the
Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
over the past few years. (Space Security
Index; Outer Space and United Nations, A
background on what is being done to
prevent an arms race in outer space at the
UN)
In 1967, the Treaty on Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space (or the
Outer Space Treaty, as it came to be known)
was ratified. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty
bans the stationing of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) in outer space, prohibits
military activities on celestial bodies, and
details legally binding rules governing the
peaceful exploration and use of space.
Ninety-nine countries are states-parties to
the treaty, while another 26 have signed it
but have not yet completed ratification.
North Korea is the only state with potential
space-launch capabilities that has not signed
the treaty.
(http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/oute
rspace). Throughout the seventies, the Outer
Space treaty was continually accepted as the
official UN document which dictated
protocol in outer space. You can find the
specific text of the treaty easily by typing it
into Google, or by searching the UN website.
Ahh, the magic of the internet.
In 1984, at the 97th meeting of the
General Assembly, it became clear that
more was needed in the way of official UN
literature on the subject. More attention
needed to be paid to the specifics of
governing an arms race in outer space, and
this sentiment was reflected in a document I
urge everyone to look up on the UN website,
under A/RES/3959. (The direct link is
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/paros/docs/
res39-59.htm)
The result of the resolution was a
decision made in 1985 by the Conference on
Disarmament, which established an “ad hoc
committee” on the Prevention of an Arms
Race in Outer Space (PAROS) to “examine
and identify through substantive and general
consideration, issues relevant to PAROS.”
The committee lasted until 1994, though it
made little progress. Reports suggest that
the Western group of states, particularly the
United States, had been blocking
negotiations of a treaty banning weapons in
space or a treaty banning anti-satellite
weapons. .” (Space Security Index; Outer
Space and United Nations, A background on
what is being done to prevent an arms race
in outer space at the UN)
The Comprehensive Test Ban treaty
was established in 1996, which essentially
ended the demand for an ad hoc committee
on PAROS, but despite the deadlock, certain
states (Russia and China) have continued to
push for more negotiations on PAROS. The
text of the treaty is fairly lengthy, and can be
found at
http://disarmament.un.org/WMD/ctbt/A-501027-CTBT-English.pdf.
A great deal of working papers and
treaties have been attempted in the last
twenty years, however those are all detailed
in other parts of this topic paper (namely in
the section on bloc positions). To save trees,
and to ensure everybody reads the rest of the
topic paper, I will not replicate that
information here.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
-Create a new, comprehensive treaty which
aims to make the complete disarmament of
space legally binding upon all states
-Create a comprehensive document outlining
specific space protocol (like the 1967 treaty,
but dealing more explicitly with
transparency and communications)
-Revamp existing treaties/multilateral
agreements, making them more explicit and
legally binding.
-Create a permanent committee within the
Conference on Disarmament that deals
solely with issues of outer space.
-Provide financial incentive for the
development of safe, approved outer-space
development.
-Do nothing.
Each of these proposals faces challenges
from members of the committee. Those
challenges become clear when we examine
the block positions, listed below.
BLOCK POSITIONS
ChinaChina has been one of the major
players in the initiative to prevent a nuclear
arms race in outer space. In 2000, 2002, and
2005, China spearheaded working papers
dealing explicitly with the non-proliferation
of nuclear weapons in space. China has also
used almost every Conference on
Disarmament since 2000 as a platform to
push it’s space-safety initiatives. Given the
ardency with which China has pursued the
issue, the unannounced launch of the antisatellite in January 2007 came as a shock to
the entire international community.
Since the launch, China has
continued to stand by its working papers and
push for a comprehensive, legally-binding
way to secure the complete demilitarization
of space. In response to the outpour of
criticism China faced after the destruction of
the satellite, China’s UN Ambassador Cheng
Jingye issued the following statement, which
sums up China’s position nicely:
China has all along
maintained that the conference should
negotiate a comprehensive instrument to
prevent an arms race in outer space…China
wished to point out that if members were
indeed concerned about enhancing peace
and security in outer space, they should
change their negative attitude about the
work taking place in the Conference on the
issue and not block the work on this issue
[N.B. He is referring to the United States].
Furthermore, the issue of debris was an old
one. Space debris was there before mankind
began its exploration of it. China was
responsible for only a small portion of that.
Of the more than 10,000 pieces of in outer
space, the United States had had the honor
of creating some 41.6%. (This is taken from
a briefing published by the United Nations
Office at Geneva, published Feb 13, 2007.
It can be found on the UNOG website,
www.unog.ch)
China further maintains that the antisatellite issue is closely linked to the
development of other anti-missile programs,
and believes to be the result of the
disappearance of the Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty.
RussiaSince the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia
has been one of the world’s biggest
proponents of demilitarizing outer space. In
October of 2004, Russia became the first
country to pledge that it would not use
weapons of any kind in space, and has
consistently supported a moratorium on
testing anti-satellite systems. Above all,
Russia is seeking to close the loopholes in
current international space law and “achieve
a new and comprehensive international legal
agreement, which would block opportunities
to deploy any type of weapons in space, or
use force or threat of force, with respect to
spacecraft.” (Anton Vasiliev’s address to the
2005 Conference on Disarmament)
Russia has uttered several on-the-record
statements, much like what Valery
Loshchinin (Russia’s UN Ambassador) said
at the 2007 Conference on Disarmament,
“recent developments suggest we will have
to prohibit an arms race in outer space
instead of preventing it.” President Putin
himself issued in a speech in February of
2007 that the “demilitarization of outer
space could have unpredictable
consequences for the international
community and provoke nothing less than
the beginning of a nuclear era. Security in
outer space has to be guaranteed.”
As such, Russia is pushing for heavy handed,
iron-clad agreements and negotiations that
will ensure the complete and unimpeded
security of outer space in the strongest sense
possible. Russia co-sponsored China’s
working paper in 2002, and presented, along
with China, at the 2007 Conference on
Disarmament the “Compilation of
Comments and Suggestions to the
Conference on Disarmament PAROS
Working Paper (CD/1679). The idea of the
working paper was, essentially, to begin
working on a treaty on the prevention of the
placement of weapons in outer space, and
against the threat or use of force against
outer space objects. In February of 2008,
this working paper was submitted as a draft
treaty to the UN-Sponsored Geneva
Disarmament Conference. At its
presentation, Sergei Lavrov, the diplomat
from Russia, made two points very clear:
First, that the current international law does
not prohibit non-mass destruction weapons
from being deployed in space, and second
that he very much hoped to persuade the
United States of the need to prevent the
deployment of weapons in space.
United StatesThe United States is facing a decent
amount of resentment from the international
community as a result of its constant refusal
to vote affirmatively on resolutions aimed at
preventing a nuclear arms-race in space.
Each year in the First Committee on
Disarmament and International Security, and
then again in the General Assembly as a
whole, a resolution on the prevention of an
arms race in outer space (PAROS) is
introduced and adopted by an overwhelming
majority of UN member states. In fact, for
the past three years, every country in the
world voted in favor of negotiating a treaty
on PAROS, except for the US which has
voted ‘NO’ and Israel, which has abstained.
The US administration argues that the
existing multilateral arms control regime is
sufficient and there is no need to address a
non-existent threat. As Christina Rocca, US
UN Ambassador, said “There is no—repeat,
no—problem in outer space for arms control
to solve…Negotiating new multilateral
agreements (are) unnecessary and
counterproductive. Rather, the
(International Community) should be
seeking to gain universal adherence to, and
compliance with, existing agreements.”
(Space Security Index)
With regard to the US position on
China’s anti-satellite launch, the US issued a
statement at the 2007 Conference on
Disarmament chastising the Chinese
government for what it called “a discrepancy
to which an explanation is owed to all spacefaring nations.” In an official statement the
US ambassador said, “It was regrettable that
China has conducted the anti-satellite
demonstrations, endangering hundreds of
satellites with the resulting debris. It was
also regrettable that China continued to call
for an arms control arrangement which
would not ban its anti-satellite activities nor
address the fears that its activities had
stoked.” The US further pointed out that
though China’s actions did not violate any
law of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (since
the missile was launched from the ground,
and not from space), that the US as well as
other space-faring nations deserve the right
to protect its infrastructures and resources in
space, and that China’s actions jeopardized
that right. The US has also consistently
argued that all states must maintain their
right of self-defense, though has stipulated
that the US was not out to claim space for its
own or to weaponize it. (These facts are
taken from various reports from UNOG,
again, I urge you to search the site)
On a final note, the US has kept
fairly mum about its own launch of antisatellites, and upon questioning, maintains
that its actions were transparent and
statements were made to the international
community before the launch took place.
European UnionThe European Union has been fairly
united in its attempts to help curtail the
developing arms race in outer space. The
EU unanimously voted in favor of the
General Assembly resolutions on
transparency and confidence-building
measures in outer space activities and on
prevention of an arms race in outer space in
the sixty-first General Assembly.
Since the launch of China’s antisatellite, the EU has mostly turned towards
initiatives that would draw up a “code of
conduct” and “rules of behavior” in space,
as well as those which would strengthen the
relationship between the work in the
Conference and the Committee on the
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Bernhard
Brasack, the delegate from Germany at the
2007 Conference on Disarmament,
maintains, “The recent test of an antisatellite weapon should serve as a wakeup
call in that regard and remind us of the
urgency of the matter and the responsibility
to act.”
The EU will likely stand by Russia
and China in their initiatives to pass a new,
comprehensive treaty, and will likely begin
to put more pressure on the United States to
accept such a resolution.
AsiaAsian member states have, for the
most part, never opposed any treaty
implemented for the safeguarding of space,
yet until 2007 seemed more interested in the
discussion of general disarmament and
nuclear non-proliferation than space-specific
disarmament.
The Conference on Disarmament in
2007, however, heard from many Asian
States, wanting to discuss explicitly the
regulations of space, and in particular the
consequences of China’s anti satellite launch.
Delegate Dong-Hee Chang of the Republic
of Korea reiterated the need to “promote
universal adherence to and ensure the full
compliance with existing agreements and
arrangements, such as Registration
Convention and the Hague Code of Conduct
by space-faring nations.” He also stressed
the importance of transparency and
confidence building. Sumio Tarui of Japan
likewise stressed the failure of the ad hoc
committee on the prevention of an arms race
in outer space, and called out China
specifically, stating, “Japan requests that
China display greater transparency in its
outer space activities, as well as its military
activities as a whole.” After that statement,
some right of reply action ensued, and Japan
and China duked it out a bit; ultimately what
became clear is that the Chinese antisatellite launch drove a fairly significant
wedge in the relationship between China and
the rest of the Asian States.
AfricaAfrica is neither an opponent, nor an
ardent supporter in the demilitarization of
space. The African member states will
usually cast their votes affirmatively for
resolutions dealing with the issue, but tend
not to make grandiose gestures or statements
in either direction. However, the African
Nations have a vested interest in those
treaties which would limit their abilities to
conduct their own space programs, or even
develop their own space programs.
Establishing a space-program is difficult
enough for a third-world country; add
further UN-Sanctioned stipulations to the
mix, and the development of a space
program might well become impossible.
Throughout our conference, the
African Nations will play an important role,
as they represent the constituency of
member states which, for the most part, are
not considered to be “Space-faring” or
“space capable” nations. Understanding and
discussing how these types of States will be
affected by a treaty or resolution is
important and should not be avoided.
Middle EastThe Middle East, with the exception
of Israel, has stood firmly behind many of
the initiatives to promote the security of
space, and many member nations have
signed on as sponsors of the sequence of
Sino-Russian working papers on the
prevention of an arms race in space. The
Arab nations of the Middle East have also
seized this topic as an opportunity to oppose
Israel in front of the international
community, since Israel can be counted on
to abstain from voting on most Space-related
resolutions. The fact that Israel will not
support the initiatives is even further proof,
to many Middle Eastern nations, that Israel
is developing a dangerous and
comprehensive nuclear weapons program,
and as such is a threat to the nation and the
world, and must be stopped.
Israel, on the other hand, like the
United States argues that there are more
pressing issues to be discussed, namely
issues that Itzhak Levanon, Israeli delegate
to the 2007 Conference on Disarmament
referred to as “realistic short-term objectives
aimed at discerning the most urgent and
imminent threats to international security
and stability.” In Israel’s view, the most
important issues to be addressed are
terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction.
Latin America-
Despite the recent spike in
discussions pertaining to weapons in outer
space, the Latin American initiative has
continued to steer mostly toward nuclear
non-proliferation, specifically in terms of the
placement of weapons. Since Latin America
was proclaimed a nuclear-free zone, within
the General Assembly and at subsequent
Conferences on Disarmament, Latin
American states have, generally speaking,
tended more towards implementation of
those policies, and have shied away from the
discussion of outer space.
That being said, Latin American
countries have voted affirmatively on most
resolutions and treaties discussed dealing
with the demilitarization of outer space.
Latin America certainly does not wish to be
a deterrent to the war against an arms race in
space, yet will likely not emerge as one of
the major players in the battle. Suffice it to
say that Latin America views outer-space
disarmament as a piece of a whole picture,
wherein the ultimate goal is to demilitarize
the human race.
QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION
MUST ANSWER
-To what extent are the treaties in place
effective, and to what extent must they be
reformed/rewritten?
-What specifically should be done regarding
the launch and testing of anti-satellites?
-What are the risks/benefits of space
currently facing humanity and what is the
role of the UN in attending to those
risks/benefits?
-How do we make sure that treaties are
adhered to and enforced?
-Is the international community safe from a
nuclear arms race? If so, how do we
maintain that safety? If not, what steps does
the international community need to take?
-What is the reality of a world free from the
dangers of space?
Conclusions
This information is meant to serve as
a guideline and is by no means a complete
representation of all the subtleties involved
in the battle of space. There is plenty of
contradicting information to be found out
there, and I encourage you to seek it out and
decide for yourself what position your
country will take. Be sure to make sure that
whatever further research you do is reflected
in your position paper, and most importantly,
get excited! YMUN is going to be out of
this world.