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Chairperson: Legal Counsel: Special Political Committee Discussion Board A.
The role of diamonds in fueling
conflict (13) The
illegitimate diamond industry has been the main support of armed conflicts
for years. All throughout
Africa rebel groups have been exploiting workers and selling the “blood
diamonds” to smugglers to receive thousands of dangerous weapons in
return. The weapons obtained
are used to further the control by the rebel groups which include civil
wars and killing thousands of people in brutal conflict.
The diamonds have also been linked to funding several terrorist
groups throughout the world. Although
the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has been created to assist with
trade regulations, the diamond industry still has not seen vast
improvement with violent controversy.
How can the U.N. control and prevent the use of blood diamonds and
the armed conflicts that results? http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/GA10011.doc.htm
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/diamond/
http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6W73ZM?OpenDocument http://www.gwu.edu/~iar/WS02_Perez-Katz.pdf
B. Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
(25) The 14th of June, 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the so-called end of the Falkland Islands conflict. However, the dispute over the small islands in the South Atlantic, off the coast of Argentina, has lasted most of the past 200 years and continues today. Despite claim by both the Argentine and UK governments, the territory has been under British rule since 1833. On March 23rd, 1982 a fleet of Argentine ships set sail to liberate the islands known in Spanish as the Malvinas. In response, Britain deployed her own ships and troops and invaded the islands to regain control. On June 14th, 1982 Argentine forces surrendered and the Falkland Islands returned to British rule. Since then, Argentine dispute over control of the territory continues and signs of war—namely minefields—remain. The challenge today is in finding a solution acceptable to all parties—including the Falkland citizens—and stemming what some term the “Cold War” of South America. Timeline of the Conflict: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6499565.stm General Information: http://www.falklands.info/index.html Statement by the Falkland Government: http://www.falklands.gov.fk/media/2006-06-15-richard-davies-un-speech.htm 1982 Conflict Info: http://www.falklandswar.org.uk/ 1984 UN Report: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_v21/ai_3073310 C. Assistance in Mine Action (30)Mine Action has over the decades become an increasingly important issue facing the United Nations. Long after wars end, populations still face the risk of losing life or limb if they happen to cross over an unexploded device. 15,000 to 20,000 people—largely civilians and children—are killed or maimed by landmines every year. The populations of 1/3 of the world house approximately 70-80 million landmines. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) was formed in October 1997 to serve as the UN focal point for mine action and to support the UN’s vision of: “A world free of the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance, where individuals and communities live in a safe environment conducive to development, and where mine survivors are fully integrated into their societies.” The presence of these landmines not only threatens lives, but in many cases harms economic development and growth in our worlds most thriving nations. http://www.landmines.org/crisis/landmine_fact_sheet.cfm http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Landmines.asp http://disarmament.un.org/dda.htm http://disarm.igc.org/landmine.html D. Measures
to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction (100z) Perhaps the most serious threat to global security
today is the possibility of terrorist groups or states obtaining weapons
of mass destruction (WMD). These weapons include everything from nuclear
to chemical or biological and have varying degrees of destructive power.
Due to the financial cost and scientific and technological hurdles that
come with obtaining WMD’s it is difficult for even the most
sophisticated terror group to obtain them without outside help. The
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) make it difficult through their safeguards
for the undetected development of any WMD’s but there is concern over
access to these groups and networks through “failed” states or
“rouge” regimes. Russia and Pakistan are also places of concern with
Russia housing the remnants of nuclear material from the former Soviet
Union which has the potential for processing into WMD’s. And Pakistan,
which has had top scientists selling nuclear technology and designs to
Iran and Libya. The Middle East is another area of concern with it holding
the greatest concentration of biological and chemical weapons in the hands
of states with hostile relationships towards their neighbors; with the
Arab-Israeli conflict posing perhaps one of the biggest specific
challenges in this debate. There are also unaddressed challenges like the
Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNW) which are attractive to many terror groups
while at the same time being overlooked in most arm control debates. http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2002/gadis3240.html http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_terrorism/
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