Disarmament and International Security Committee- Day 3
The final day of the Disarmament and International Security Committee commences, and it’s only the beginning of the debate on regulating the use of unconventional weapons. There is large consensus between the countries that nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons (the three main categories of unconventional weapons) need to be kept out of the Middle East and away from terrorist organizations. Even countries from the Middle East such as Egypt and Iran agree on this point, and Israel consents on the one condition that all members of the United Nations finally recognize it as a country. As the debates pick up it is necessary for the UN to outline which countries are included in the Middle East and would therefore be affected by this nuclear weapon free zone. Israel is named as a country, but Argentina points out that the Pakistani government is allegedly in league with terrorists and Pakistani scientists have met with Al Qaeda. Because of this Argentina believes it is prudent to include Pakistan in the Middle East, ridding it of all nuclear weaponry if this idea is ever passed. Pakistan is still excluded from the treaty as a country in the Middle East.
The resolutions have begun to be drafted and we come up with three main papers by Russia, the United States of America, and Japan. All three outline ways to deplete the number of unconventional weapons worldwide as well as including a clause on a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East. As discussions on ways to merge the papers make way, Egypt mentions how nuclear weapons can be used on or against terrorist organizations and not just against civilians. These weapons can be used for good he says; although many countries had doubts that dropping nuclear bombs on terrorist organizations would solve the problems at hand. The delegates take off for lunch, despite the efforts of Kazakhstan to force everyone to stay in the debate room forever for his own spiteful enjoyment.
After lunch the delegates manage to combine their working papers. There is a disturbance on the definition of unconventional weapons, because the current description is vague enough to include such weapons as firebombs, something that has seldom been considered unconventional. The debate pushes through and five amendments are added which include the creation of a panel of experts on unconventional weapons, voluntary reports on the current status of a country’s stock of weaponry, as well as additions to the preamble and edits to the resolution. After a long day the debate is voted to close and the resolution is passed with only two countries in opposition: Israel, because she was not recognized by all countries in the UN, and Syria, just to go against the US. After three long days the delegates of DISEC have made great progress on passing two resolutions on major issues. The only hope is that progress will continue at next year’s conference.
Lucy Brock
Anna, Representative of Canada
Anna is from Philadelphia, PA in the United States of America. She is currently attending School Year Abroad France in Rennes. Her motivation for doing SPRIMUN was that she likes talking to people about politics and wants to study international relations at University. As for Canada’s goals, it wants only to promote peace and security, deplete stocks of weapons, and support cooperation between countries. In Anna’s opinion the debate’s going really well. The resolutions are being drafted quickly and people are working efficiently, playing the parts of their countries all the time. She says she loves Rennes; “it’s a very cute city, although the weather could be improved.” She is currently sponsoring a draft resolution to create a nuclear free zone in the Middle East.
SPRIMUN 