Security Council. Topic 1: Dispute over the Senkaku Islands. Topic 2: International Protocol on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Transcription

1 Security Council Topic 1: Dispute over the Senkaku Islands Topic 2: International Protocol on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 1

2 Letter from the chair: Hello Delegates! My name is Michael Gilger and I am this year s chair of the Security Council. I am a Junior at Lyons Township High School. First off, I wish to cordially welcome you to LYMUN I and the Security Council. My Political Officer and I have been working very hard and delicately since this summer to plan this committee. It has been a very eventful and exciting year in international politics so we should have no shortage of topics to debate. The Security Council will run using parliamentary procedure. The Security Council is the smallest and most powerful United Nations committee. The topics we use will be used as guidelines for debate, however crises may occur. The Security Council is a United Nations body, which means topics must be resolved through a comprehensive and well written resolution. What is unique to the Security Council that you must keep in mind is the permanent five members (China, France, Russia, The United Kingdom, and The United States). These five members have the power to veto any resolution that is written. To deal with situations that require a quicker response, the committee may also pass action orders. These require 2/3 majority to be passed, the veto power still applies. Delegates will be required to know their country s policy on both topics as well as writing a position paper which may be handed in the day of committee or ed to me at gil500754@student.lths.net. My political officer and I hope to see every nation work with one other, friend or foe, in an effort to bring the committee together. We also hope to see each and every one of you prepared with material to share and contribute to the committee so we, as a body, can carry out quality debates in a timely fashion. I wish you all good luck in your research and I am looking forward to seeing you in February. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to me at gil500754@student.lths.net. Sincerely, Michael Gilger 2

3 Topic 1: Dispute over the Senkaku Islands If the United Nations once admits that international disputes can be settled by using force, then we will have destroyed the foundation of the organization and our best hope of establishing a world order. -Dwight D. Eisenhower Brief Overview Sino-Japanese Island disputes appear frivolous, especially If the 5 small islands and 3 rocks in question are uninhabited. The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands are a manifestation of many years of war, patriotism and ethnic strife. For China and Japan, these islands are very symbolic and obtaining these islands would signify power and pride throughout the nation. Recent development of the issue that apparently eased relations are actually making relations grow more and more tense. Early History ( ) Early history of these islands date back to the 15th Century, when Ming Dynasty cartographers recorded the islands as part of their islands. Many Sailors also used these islands as a navigation marker. Historically these islands were used for fishing by many Chinese and Japanese fisherman. After the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894, Japan seized control of these islands. The Japanese used them as a military checkpoint. The Potsdam Declaration ordered Japan to return all except the four main islands to China. The islands fell into the hands of the United States government after the surrender of Japan in World War II in In the late 1960 s, the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) discovered possibly undersea oil reserves in the area of the 3

4 Senkaku Islands. This spiked a lot of economic interest in the area. However, the Okinawa Reversion Treaty passed the U.S. Senate, returning the islands to Japanese control in Later that year, the Taiwan government (not recognized as a sovereign state) and the People s Republic of China officially began to declare ownership of the islands. The Kurihara Purchase In 2002, The islands were then sold by Japan to the wealthy Kurihara family to finance many rebuilding projects of post-war Japan. The islands were renationalized at a very high cost. The islands were purchased from the Kurihara family in 2012 for 2.05 billion. Soon after, China s foreign ministry declared that its territorial integrity not be violated anymore. After the Kurihara purchase tension neared a boiling point. Throughout 2013, both China and Japan have escalated territorial rhetoric and military actions, including unmanned aerial vehicle and ship exploration. Anti Japanese protestors have become angrier and more violent in China, including flag burnings, boycotting Japanese goods and attacking Japanese tourists. The citizens of China are showing fierce nationalism and representing the Chinese public in regard to the issue. Current International Arguments Japan claims that early Japanese sailors, explorers and cartographers surveyed the islands in the late 19th century and found them to be barren. China accepted the Japanese sovereignty until China claims evidence prior to late 19th century shows that the islands belonged to the Chinese and that the land known as the Senkaku islands should be returned to China. These documents were very early documentations and are deemed as not very reliable documentation by the Japanese due to legibility and thus, Japan refused to give the islands back. 4

5 The United States have not announced an official position on the issue. However, the islands are included in the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, meaning that if a military defense was necessary, the united states must come to Japan s aid. In late 2013, China established the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone which allows for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and all other aircraft entering the zone which includes the Senkaku Islands to file reports on any unusual actions they come across. Japan reacted by calling this action very dangerous. Since then, China has sent out drones, air force jets, including fighter planes, to carry out patrol missions. No incidents have occurred. Conclusion The complicated nature of the web of claims treaties, and international law is evident. Which is why we call upon you, nations of the Security Council, to judge the fate of these islands. A decision won t necessarily solve this issue, but a multilateral voice for peace may quick start peace talks between the two nations. War is the last option, but it might seem inevitable. This issue does not have one clear solution. Handle it delicately. 5

6 Questions to Consider: 1. Which land claim seems the most lawfully reasonable? 2. To what degree should Japan start to intervene with China s invasions of territorial integrity? 3. Should the United Nations intervene much militarily, if at all? 4. Should investigations be started on early documentation? 5. What considerations must be made before any rhetoric or military action be started? Bibliography GLOSEC. "Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands." Military Info. Global Security, n.d. Web. 15 Aug Lee, Joyman. "Senkaku/Diaoyu: Islands of Conflict." History Today. History Today, n.d. Web. 15 Aug "Senkaku Islands Dispute and History." Web log post. Rekishi Nihon Japanese History. N.p., 28 Nov Web. 15 Aug TOI. "Japan Defence Paper Warns over China's 'dangerous Acts' in Sea, Air - The Times of India." The Times of India. TOI, 5 Aug Web. 15 Aug Helpful Links:

7 Topic 2: International Protocol on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Security Council The very precision of drone strikes and the necessary secrecy often involved in such actions can end up shielding our government from the public scrutiny that a troop deployment invites. Brief Overview -President Barrack Obama The usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV s), more commonly referred to as drones, and the issues that are associated with these UAV s are very prevalent to the the United Nations Security Council s goal of maintaining international peace and security. UAV s are used for a variety of missions. Although typically these missions have been limited to surveillance missions used domestically and militarily. However, recently these drones have been used as a way to perform targeted killings. Controversy has grown over these drones with human rights agencies who state their concern over the civilian deaths that have come along with these UAV s. Questions on international law from concerned countries have been much more common as nations use these drones across their borders. Pakistan has seen a lot of US drones infringing on their sovereignty and has requested the United Nations Security Council to address unmanned aerial vehicle policy. This committee must analyze drone policy while generating an international protocol on drones. The United Nations Security Council must keep in mind the many liabilities drones carry with them, however they must also keep in mind the many domestic applications that drones have and the benefit they have to technology. 7

8 Background on Drones The first idea of pilotless aircraft began in the 1800s when Austria bombed Venice with an unmanned bomber balloon. Modern drones saw their beginning around the 1980s. At this time, electronic and computer sciences had advanced far enough along to allow man to control an aircraft from the ground. The early drones were originally used as surveillance and exploration purposes. However, it was not long until military application of drones came into relevance. In 1982, Israel used drones to aid in the destruction of Syria s Air Force in Lebanon. The United States soon followed by using these drones on the battlefield in the Persian Gulf War. Soon after, drone quickly developed the reputation as an effective way to reduce the amount of casualties in time of war and all scenarios associated with war. The use of drones in the middle east didn t start until 2000, originally for surveillance. However, after the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, these surveillance drones became armed. In 2002, the CIA used a Predator Drone to target Osama Bin Laden. This was the first targeted attack by a drone. This quickly gained world wide attention to drones. International outrage sparked. This being especially common among humanitarian groups because of the civilian casualties. See figure below. 8

9 Current Issues Regarding UAVs Currently, some 87 countries have access to drone technology, 26 of those 87 have purchased or developed dangerously sized drones, including the MQ-1 Predator, the model used by the United States for strikes. About half of those countries are looking to arm them militarily. This has created a sense of uneasiness. The United States and United Kingdom uses these drones because they believe they are a very important counterterrorism mechanism. With drones, raids are unnecessary. The USA has used drones to kill around 50 senior Al Qaeda members, causing a lot of dysfunction to occur within the group. Drones have been used to monitor drug trades in Mexico and provide disaster relief in Haiti. In January 2013, the UNSC approved the use of drones in DRC to aid in a peacekeeping mission. Conclusion The permanent members, The United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France reserve the right to veto any resolution put forward by the committee. The prevalence of drone programs cannot be abolished with this system, thus, a compromise between delegates is necessary. Good luck. Questions to Consider 1. When should drones be legal? 2. How can drones benefit the world? 3. What role do drones play in the future? 9

10 4. Should armed and unarmed drones be treated differently? How? 5. How can the UNSC go about enforcing a drone program? Bibliography Airforce Technology. "Predator RQ-1 / MQ-1 / MQ-9 Reaper UAV, United States of America." Predator RQ-1 / MQ-1 / MQ-9 Reaper UAV. Airforce Technology, Web. 27 Aug Kuvoldina, Anastasia. "US Drone Warfare in Middle East to Usher in New Era of Global Chaos - Expert." - News. Voice of Russia, Web. 27 Aug Parker, Tom. "US Opposition to Drone Use Growing." Human Rights Now. Amnesty International, 12 June Web. 27 Aug Serle, Jack. "Drone Strikes in Pakistan The Bureau of Investigative Journalism." The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The Bureau of Investigation Journal, Web. 27 Aug Helpful Links: