unga- disec study guide

UNGA- DISEC STUDY GUIDE
AGENDA: PROHIBITION OF
PRODUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND
STOCKPILING OF NUCLEAR,CHEMICAL
AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Greetings Delegates!
Welcome to the UNGA DISEC at SRMRMUN 2016. We are glad to be a part of the
conference.
Your Co Chairpersons for the conference will be Anirudh Vaidhyaa and Brahadeesh
Srinivasan and your Vice Chairperson will be Karthik Sivjay. We would also like to welcome
Zain Shariff, who will be your Director for the conference.
Delegates to move on to the point quickly, we advise you to not just limit your research just
to this guide. It is merely a starting point of your research.
Moving onto what you can expect from us at the MUN- all of us are rather friendly and
approachable, we are always open to any queries from your side. The format to be followed
will be according to the UNA-USA Rules of Procedure. The ROP, considering the fact that
this will be council with many beginners will be largely flexible; however do try to read up
on the ROP. We will be glad to clear any queries regarding the same.
The QARMA provided in this guide is also merely a simple outline to what might need to be
done in committee and not a set boundary. Please feel free to research further. There is never
too much research, and on that note here is what we expect from youBe well prepared, read, read and read! In fact we’d suggest you spend the evening before the
conference solely for your research, again this is a suggestion and not a rule. That’s about
what we want on a non-negotiable basis. Don’t be rude and we should be good to go!
Most importantly- Have a ton of fun while you are at it!
All the Best,
Anirudh Vaidhyaa,
Co Chairperson
Brahadeesh Srinivasan
Co Chairperson
Karthik Sivjay,
Zain Shariff, Director.
Vice Chairperson
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Introduction
From the diseased animal carcass hurled over the wall of a besieged castle to the nuclear
suitcase bomb carried by a clandestine operative, the threat of unconventional weapons has
always been a feature of warfare. Today's danger comes mainly from the potential use of
nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by
international terrorists or rogue states. False alarms and misinformation about these weapons
have abounded in the jittery post-9/11 atmosphere. To understand and deal with the actual
threat posed requires basing response plans, policy, and reporting on actual facts.
The question arises “What is a weapon of mass destruction?”
A weapon that can cause widespread destruction or kill large numbers of people, especially a
nuclear, chemical, or biological weapon.
As we know, numerous treaties and conventions that have been formulated, to regulate the
use, use development and possession of various types of WMDs. Notable among these are:

THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
This treaty commonly known as the NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is
to prevent the proliferation of Nuclear weapons. This treaty was introduced in 1968
and has been extended indefinitely. While it has been widely accepted there are
countries who have not yet signed the treaty.. There is also another significant
Initiative known as New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) primarily
between the United States and the Russian Federation.


CONVENTION ON THE PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL
(CPPNM)
The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material sets safety standards as far as
the international transport of nuclear material is concerned. It also has provisions including
punishable offenses that the parties will commit in case they breach these standards.

THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY (CTBT)
The Comprehensive Nuclear test Ban treaty which was signed in 1996 but has yet to
enter into force. This multilateral treaty set to ban nuclear explosions, to safeguard
humans and the environment, and to take a step towards a systematic process to
achieve nuclear disarmament. This treaty affirms the adherence of all stated to
contribute to the prevention of proliferation of nuclear weapons.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC)
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It prohibits the use and production of chemical weapons by a state. It has been signed
by almost all counties except a few such as Angola, North Korea, and Somalia to
name a few. This treaty urges member nations to gradually destroy all chemical
weapons and the infrastructure needed for their production. The implementing arm of
this convention is the OPCW.

BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (BWC)
It has the same goals as the CWC, but pertains to the use and production of biological
weapons. Counties like Israel, Pakistan etc., have not signed this treaty. However,
unlike the CWC it does not have an organisation to monitor and verify biological
weapon destruction. Therefore one can question the effectiveness of this convention.
Has this committee been forgotten?
Along with the above mentioned treaties/conventions, the Executive Board expects delegates
to familiarize themselves with the following:
1. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and
Use of Chemical Weapons and on their destruction
2. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development. Production and stockpiling of
Bacteriological and toxin weapons and on their destruction
3. Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit
4. SC resolution 1540
5. International Conventions for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism
Basic categories of WMDs:
There are three types of WMD’s: Biological, Chemical, and Nuclear. While there is only one
recorded WMD attack by the Taliban, there is a long history of such methods being used.
Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction
Biological WMD’s were first used the United States in 1763 when British officers planned to
distribute blankets with smallpox. Attempts such as this continued during war as soldiers
were steadfast in killing off their enemies. Today, however, the use of biological weapons
have been used primarily by individuals, rather than groups. Types of biological weapons
include bacterial, which is plague, anthrax or Q fever. Viruses, including small pox, hepatitis,
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the avian influenza, and toxins, such as botchalism, ricin and staff. There are three ways
biological weapons work: One is contact with the skin, two is gastrointestinal, and three is
pulmonary. This type of weapon is quite hazardous and easy to create or get a hold of. A
biological attack on the United States could cause casualties not only locally but globally as
well due to the issue of spreading.
Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction
Chemical WMD’s go back as early as 1000 BC, when the Chinese used arsenic smoke. They
were used extensively in World Wars I and II. More recently in 1995, sarin was used to
attack subway trains in Tokyo byalm. And ricin was found in a motel room in 2008 in Las
Vegas. Types of chemical weapons include blister agents, blood agents, choking hazard
agents, nerve agents, tear gas, vomiting agents and psychiatric compounds. Chemical
weapons work by either making contact to the skin or through consumption. This type of
weapon is not as dangerous as biological weapons due to the inefficiency, the need for
significant amount of the chemical, and as it relates to a lower number of casualties. The
main difference however, between biological and chemical weapons is that chemical is
immediate. Nevertheless, a chemical attack would have to have a very sophisticated delivery
system in order to have a significant effect.
Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction
Of the three types of WMD’s, nuclear weapons represent the greatest threat. There are a few
ways to acquire a nuclear weapon: smuggling such weapon into the US, combining
radiological materials with a conventional explosive device across a wide area, utilizing
conventional explosive attacks, nuclear facilities, and or materials already in the US, and
acquiring a chemical that can be weaponized and deployed against a population. While
WMD’s instill fear in the American people, there are a few reasons that keep terrorists from
actually using such methods: organizational capabilities, financial resources, and logistical
resources, knowledge, skills, and acquisitions, materials and technology acquisitions,
production, weaponization, and delivery. State sponsorship terrorist groups may decide to
acquire and use WMD’s for ideological reasons to enhance their state's or group's prestige in
a region of the world, provide a country with more leverage in the world community or for
strategic motivational factors. Regardless of their actual decision, WMD’s can be destructive.
There are nine countries possessing nuclear weapons, numerous countries possessing
chemical and biological weapons, and 29 countries are suspected to have or had biological
chemical weapons programs. For this reason there remains the potential for terrorist groups to
cause mass casualties and disrupt a nation's or region's economy.
CASE STUDY: ISIS
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Most of the declared chemical weapons (CW) material has been removed from Syria in the
past few months and destroyed. However, there are indications that some material still
remains in the country and is potentially accessible to ISIL. In addition, the Organization for
the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) suggested that chemical material not
qualifying as CW and not subject to being declared under the CW convention, such as
chlorine, has actually been used by the Assad regime in the fight against the Syrian
opposition. Some press reports indicate that ISIL might have done the same.
Even more worrying, ISIL actually controlled the so-called Al Muthanna site in Iraq for some
months during 2014. At this site, according to UN reports, bunkers from the past Iraqi CW
programme contained “2,000 empty artillery shells contaminated with mustard agents, 605
one tonne mustard containers with residues and heavily contaminated construction material”.
Iraqi forces claim to have retaken possession of the site. However, the fragile state of these
buildings makes it too dangerous for regular Iraqi forces (but not necessarily for ISIL
“martyrs”) to enter the bunkers and check whether any looting has taken place. While it is
reported that the stored material would be of limited toxicity due to its age, it can still be used
to create panic.
Also, no one is able to tell how much material so far has landed in the hands of ISIL.
According to most recent reports in the New York Times, in mid-2000 the CIA repeatedly
purchased nerve agent rockets from a secretive Iraqi seller but that the relationship “dried up”
in 2006. Nobody knows with certainty how much material is still out there. Libya, where
ISIL is establishing a new stronghold, has still not destroyed all its chemical materials from
previous programs. They could also fall into ISIL’s hands.
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COUNTRY PROFILE
ISRAEL
Israel is thought to have between 100-400 nuclear weapons and is recognised as having a
production capability for chemical and even biological weapons.Israel has refused to join, not
only the Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT] and that covering biological weapons [BTWC] but
also the production of new sources of fissile material for nuclear weaponry – the so called
fissile cut off treaty [[FMCT]. Although it has joined the Chemical Weapons Convention and
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, it has not ratified either.On the other hand; every Arab
state is a member of the NPT.
RUSSIA
The collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 left the Russian Federation in possession
of the vast majority of the USSR's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) complex.

Russia has implemented arms control agreements and participated in threat reduction
programs that have dismantled and downsized substantial parts of its arsenals and made
inventory numbers more transparent.

Russia, as the successor of the Soviet Union, is a nuclear weapon state party to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and one of the three NPT
depository states. According to estimates by the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC), by 1991 the Soviet Union had approximately 35,000 weapons in its stockpile, down
from a peak in 1986 of approximately 45,000.

Russia inherited the declared Soviet stockpile of 40,000 metric tons of CW munitions
and agents stored in bulk. In November 1997 Russia ratified the Chemical Weapons
Convention (CWC), but financial and other difficulties have been an impediment to the
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timely destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile. Moscow announced in January 2015
that it had destroyed over 84% of its stockpile – nearly 34,000 of 40,000 metric tons – and
anticipates adequate financing for complete destruction by December 2020.
SYRIA
According to on 2013 report, Syria had chemical weapons stored at an estimated 40
locations across the country.
Syria was believed capable of producing several hundred tons of CW agents per year.
Syrian production facilities are notoriously small in comparison to other CBW facilities in
other states and are difficult to conclusively identify. Presently there are four suspected
sites. One located just north of Damascus, and the second near the industrial city of Homs.
The third, in Hama, was believed to be producing VX agents in addition to sarin and tabun,
and a forth near Cerin. Several other sites are monitored by intelligence agencies and are
listed only as suspect.
IRAN
Iran has been a non-nuclear weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons (NPT) since 1970, and has an advanced nuclear program that was the
subject of international negotiations and sanctions from 2002 until implementation of a
comprehensive nuclear deal began in 2016. Iran is not a member of the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR), and is actively working to acquire, develop, and deploy a broad
range of ballistic missiles and space launch capabilities. The scope and status of Iran's
chemical and biological activities are unknown, but the most recent Western intelligence
estimates have downgraded the likelihood that Iran maintains significant offensive chemical
and biological weapons programs.
India
India is the only known country with nuclear weapons that has not signed the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. It has continued to make nuclear deals with several countries on a
bilateral level enabling it to maintain its current WMD status quo.
Although the country has declared a nuclear no-first-use policy basing its nuclear doctrine
on minimal deterrence, its recent nuclear developments pose a risk to global security given
the historical tension between India and Pakistan.
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USA
The United States of America has assigned the highest priority to combating Weapons of
Mass Destruction and Violent non state activities making it one of its primary goals. The
Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD), is given the charge of handling cases
related to WMD non state activities and WMD proliferation. They have a clearly defined
National Strategy to Combat WMDs based on non-proliferation measures as well as on
consequence analysis and impact preparation. The USA has taken this initiative extremely
seriously and moved with purpose towards the implementation and enforcement of this
strategy.
Questions a Resolution Must Answer
1. Propose practical and innovative methods that can be put in place to prevent non state
actors/ state actors from acquiring arms and funds.
4. What kind of efforts is required from the World Community to inhibit support of
terrorism in the Middle East and the rest of the world?
5. What kind of Constraints do Governments face while designing and implementing
various measures to restrain terrorists from amassing WMD‟s?
6. What has been the greatest impediment to the various attempts of the International
Community to Deal with the threat of WMDs?
7. How does the existence of uncontrolled territories promote the transfer of WMDs and
how can it be dealt with?
8. What are the consequences if ISIS does get hold of WMDs and what is the plan of
action against that?
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