1st disec - Cerritos High School Model United Nations

CERRITOS
1ST DISEC
DIRECTOR: KUSHAL PATEL
CERRITOS
1st DISEC
First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Statement ………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………... 2
A Note from Your Director ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Committee Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Background ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
United Nations Involvement ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Bloc Positions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Basic Solutions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Questions to Consider ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Sources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
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C ERRITOS H IGH S CHOOL M ODEL U NITED N ATIONS
Annual Novice Conference • October 10, 2015
W ELCOME S TATEMENT
Justin Cooley
Secretary-General
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Joyce Kye
Secretary-General
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Joseph Shin
Under Secretary-General
of Conferences
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to Cerritos Novice 2015!
It is our highest honor and pleasure to welcome you to our annual novice
conference here at Cerritos High School. On behalf of the Cerritos High School Model
United Nations program we are proud to host another year of this long-standing
conference. Here at CHS, we take absolute pride in this extensive program and its ability
to create new and lasting friendships while also encouraging stimulating and intellectual
discussion for high school students all across the globe.
The CHSMUN program boasts continually being nationally ranked, while our
delegates have the opportunity to compete at conferences all around the nation. Our head
chairs are selected from only the best seniors our program has to offer and they undergo
a rigorous training process to ensure they are qualified to moderate and grade the quality
Sophia Anigbo
Under Secretary-General of debate in each of our committees. Our chairs are the same delegates that represent our
of Delegate Affairs
delegation at universities and conferences to the best of their ability. Our topic synopses
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have been reviewed and revised countless times to ensure that as a delegate you have the
tools and understanding to be successful in committee. Our advisors and staff have put in
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countless hours to ensure you have an amazing experience at our conference and that you
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are encouraged to continue on in Model United Nations at your prospective schools.
of Finance
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With 25 novice committees and 2 middle school committees, CHSMUN 2015 will
provide a quality experience for beginners to learn and develop your skills as delegates.
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Rohan Patel
If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please contact us. We look
Under Secretary-General forward to seeing you at CHSMUN Novice 2015!
of Technology
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Sincerely,
Justin Cooley and Joyce Kye
Secretary-Generals 2015-2016
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C ERRITOS H IGH S CHOOL M ODEL U NITED N ATIONS
Annual Novice Conference • October 10, 2015
A N OTE FROM YOUR D IRECTOR
Justin Cooley
Delegates,
Secretary-General
Salutations DISEC committee members, my name is Kushal Patel, and I am
going to be your Head Chair for the Cerritos Model United Nations Conference 1st
DISEC committee. I am currently a senior, and I have been in MUN for four years! I
Joyce Kye
have been on a dais for two other Conferences, so I have experience with running a
Secretary-General
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committee. I have attended various conferences ranging from Mira Costa, Claremont
McKenna, UC Davis, and even Nationals in New York. Throughout my four year MUN
career, I have done DISEC for the majority of the conferences and Drones have been the
Joseph Shin
Under Secretary-General topic for most of them. So it’s fair to say, that I share an intimate bond with DISEC and
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Drones. Outside of school I enjoy playing Tennis. I consider it to be my passion so it's
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fair to say I can get a little bit competitive. I find joy in shattering my opponents. Good
luck in Committee and have fun!
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Sophia Anigbo
Under Secretary-General
of Delegate Affairs
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Sincerely,
Kushal Patel
Director, 1st DISEC
Betty Zhang
Under Secretary-General
of Finance
C OMMITTEE I NTRODUCTION
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1st Committee (DISEC) is one of the six committees that comprise the General
Assembly. It primarily handles problems relating to disarmament, and threats to Global
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peace. It takes into account solutions regarding disarmament and other global security
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matters under Chapter 4 Article 11 of the UN Charter. The first resolution by DISEC
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was made in 1946 because of the events that had just unfolded in Nagasaki and
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Hiroshima. It addressed global questions surrounding the “Establishment of a
———
Commission to Deal with the Problems raised by the discovery of Atomic Energy.”
DISEC differs from the Security Council in that DISEC doesn’t have the ability to
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directly intervene in issues that affect the world. Rather DISEC offers suggestions or
1st DISEC
Director
recommendations for GA resolutions or advice for the Security Council.
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CERRITOS
1st DISEC
First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
B ACKGROUND
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones have revolutionized the entire concept of warfare, as well
as changed the way that it is conducted. This has brought forth an increasingly controversial topic to the
international community due to Drone’s potential for destruction. Drones and UAVs also have non-military
functions because of their precision, low-cost, efficiency, and remote-operated autonomous capabilities so they
can be used to collect data, explore volatile territory, and carry out humanitarian missions.
Although many nations accept and support the usage of unarmed drones, most countries oppose the
usage of drones because of their unfair advantage over other countries. Drones can be used for intelligence
gathering. For example, to respond to the guerilla attacks in Western African Nations, the UN has used “blue
helmet drones”. These drones track enemy movement and provide this information to nations. Some countries
that employ the use of drones are France, India, Israel, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and the United States.
The bulk of foreign opinion has been turned against the United States who is an active proponent of military
drones. The United States has used drones in its “war on terror” mostly in Middle Eastern Countries such as
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen. Although drones provide many benefits to peacekeeping operations,
there are still several member states who oppose the use of armed UAVs to combat terrorism.
Countries such as China, Russia, and Pakistan have announced their opposition to the United States’ use
of armed drones and drone strikes. According to a report entitled Living Under Drones, due to US drone strikes
in Pakistan, 2,562-3,325 civilians have been killed. This is where the bulk of controversy lies when discussing the
topic of drones; there is a high casualty rate when conducting drone strikes. No more than 2% of these deaths
account for targets that were considered dangerous. One of the most outspoken opponents of drone strikes is
Pakistan, which has presented several cases to the General Assembly for over a decade regarding drones. The
New America Foundation concluded that the United States has carried out about 350 drone strikes within
Pakistan. In addition to the Pakistani case, UNHCR has launched several investigations into civilian deaths
caused by American drone strikes in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan. Drone attacks in Afghanistan and
Yemen have tripled in the coming years. airspace, and that 18% of all casualties caused by UAVs are civilian
casualties.
These drone strikes not only inflict physical damage to infrastructure as well as produce high casualty
rates, but they inflict psychological damage to those who survive these strikes and to those who witness the
devastation of drone strikes. Additionally drone operators also experience psychological damage in the form of
PTSD, more so than troops on the ground. Since they often have to conduct drone strikes which kill a large
amount of people, they overtime become traumatized. Additionally, drone operators can also become
desensitized to killing because they view conducting drone strikes as playing a video game.
U NITED N ATIONS I NVOLVEMENT
Apart from the Pakistani case, the UNHCR has launched several investigations into civilian deaths
caused by American drone strikes in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan. The Special Rapporteur, Ben
Emmerson, noted that drone strikes in Pakistan stopped completely after December 2013.
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First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
Apart from the Pakistani case, the UNHCR has launched several investigations into
civilian deaths caused by American drone strikes in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan. The Special Rapporteur,
Ben Emmerson, noted that drone strikes in Pakistan stopped completely after December 2013.
UAVs have been used by several UN bodies and governments around world for humanitarian and
agricultural purposes. UNOCHA has used UAVs to bring small medical supplies like vaccines and bandages to
civilians who have been displaced by natural disasters in the Philippines and Haiti.
In December 2013, the General Assembly passed a resolution calling on the United States to review all
counterterrorist policies and adjust them in compliance with international law. In October 2013, the Social
Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) discussed the negative effects that UAVs have on human
rights. During this discussion, Christof Heyns, the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary
Killings, released A/68/382, which is a 24-page report concerning the use of UAVs and threat they pose to the
right of life. The report also covered suggestions made to the users of UAVs, which include increasing
transparency when deploying UAVs, consulting other member states before using UAVs, and being accountable
for obligations made in the UN Charter and other internationally recognized documents. The United Nations
Human Rights Council has the authority to investigate incidents regarding civilian deaths that are related to
UAVs. Over the past ten years, the organization has been increasingly active in monitoring the positive as well as
the negative humanitarian impacts that drones have had globally. It works to find and prevent violations by UAVusing countries, and enforces humanitarian and international law through fact-finding missions and reports.
There is no specific international regulation regarding the use of UAVs for military purposes. Armed UAVs,
considered weapons, are legal by definition in an armed conflict. However, the majority of UAV strikes are
carried outside of armed conflict zones, and there is little regulation or action that has been taken by the UN to
prevent these strikes. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) works closely with the United
Nations in order to regulate airspace laws. ICAO made a regulatory framework in 2011 in relation to UAVs/
Drones, but it is seldom mentioned or enforced by its member states. Additionally, there are no UAV-specific
regulatory bodies or agencies officially affiliated with the UN.
For the past ten years only a small amount of discussion has taken place regarding drone strikes in the
UN. The Security Council has failed to take action because of the United States’ veto power. The UN is yet to
implement a resolution which is binding for the countries that use armed drones and UAVs. However in March
2014, the Human Rights Council took the first step towards this goal, they passed the resolution A/HRC/25/L.32
which ensures the use of UAV/armed drones in counterterrorism operations/military operations are abiding by
international human rights and combat laws. However major drone nations such as the US and UK spoke out
against this resolution because they criticized the Human Rights Council’s lack of inability to handle this issue
properly. Most of the reasoning to the rejection of Drone/UAV resolutions has been the fact that there isn’t a
dedicated drone/UAV committee. Only the minor steps have been taken towards solving this issue in the UN, a
detailed resolution has yet to be drafted.
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1st DISEC
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First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
B LOC P OSITIONS
Western Bloc
The US is the main country in this debate because they are the most controversial nation when it comes to using
armed drones. They support the further development of drones. They actively conduct drone strikes and have
conducted drone strikes for preemptive reasons. France is collaborating with other EU countries and the UK on
a project to manufacture drones.
Latin Bloc
Latin American Countries including Argentina and Brazil have drone programs for surveillance, however not for
military actions. The increased use of surveillance drones, sparked conflict in the region, between nations such as
Venezuela and Colombia.
African Bloc
African countries can’t afford to have drones and solutions should be formulated to provide these countries with
drones. Some countries like Somalia have had drone strikes.
Asian Bloc
This bloc has nations that are making great strides in the development of drone technology. Nations like South
Korea are buying U.S. drone technology to augment their own military capabilities, and Japan has innovated
within the field of drones as well. China has drones for intelligence gathering and for military purposes. Russia is
still in this armed UAV race and is thought to have its first armed drone ready by 2020.
Pakistan
Pakistan has been the victim of drone strikes and is an active proponent for stricter regulation of Armed Drones/
UAV.
Israel
Israel is an important country in this topic because they have armed drones and have used it in this latest Gaza
Conflict.
B ASIC S OLUTIONS
Before solutions can be proposed, some of the main issues regarding drones/UAV must be resolved.
Issues like privacy, incentives, funding, expansion, non-lethal uses, national sovereignty issues, ethical and
humanitarian issues, and civilian casualties all arise with the usage of this technology. A set of regulatory
guidelines should be implemented to address these issues. Expansion is also important to this issue because
developing nations don’t want to be left behind as developed nations continue to use drones. This is why it’s
crucial to make drones more affordable through partnerships between developing and developed or UAV
manufacturers. This way drones can be donated to developing nations for agricultural or humanitarian uses.
Incentives could be used to encourage developed countries to participate in these programs. Technological
solutions can also be implemented, for the purpose of making armed drones more efficient, reducing casualty
rates, and preventing drones from being hacked. Humanitarian solutions also need to be implemented so that
people who are traumatized by drone strikes can recover, as well as help drone operators avoid getting PTSD.
Some other humanitarian solutions can include programs to supply drones to countries afflicted by natural
disasters, so that relief can be provided.
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First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
Q UESTIONS TO C ONSIDER
1. Should the use of drones/UAV be restricted?
2. How can civilian casualties from drone strikes be reduced?
3. How can countries be held accountable for the use of their drones?
4. How can PTSD in drone operators be prevented?
5. How can drones be made more efficient?
6. How can the international community prevent unlawful use of drones?
7. How can the international community regulate the use of drones?
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First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
S OURCES
1. Apuuli, Kasaija P. "The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones) in United Nations Peacekeeping: The
Case of the Democratic Republic of Congo." American Society of International Law. N.p., 13 June 2014.
Web. 29 Dec. 2014. <www.asil.org%2Finsights%2Fvolume%2F18%2Fissue%2F13%2Fuse-unmanned-aerialvehicles-drones-united-nations-peacekeeping-case>.
2. "Blue Helmet Drones? UN Prepares to Send Drones over Africa." The Christian Science Monitor. The
Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2013. Web. 05 June 2013. .
3. Levs, Josh. "CNN Explains: U.S. Drones." CNN. Cable News Network, 08 Feb. 2013. Web. 31 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/07/politics/drones-cnn-explains/>.
4. Sale, Jonathan. "The Secret History of Drones." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 Feb. 2013.
Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
5. "UN Passes Resolution on Drone Strikes after Pressure from Pakistan." The Express Tribune UN Passes
Resolution on Drone Strikes after Pressure from Pakistan Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2014.
<http://tribune.com.pk/story/647672/un-passes-resolution-against-drone-strikes-unanimously/>.
6. "UN Calls for Drone Strikes to Comply with International Law." Dawn.com. N.p., 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 06
Apr. 2014.
7. "United Nations Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution Calling for Drone Transparency and Accountability." Just Security RSS. N.p., 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2014. <http://justsecurity.org/8712/unhrc-adopts
-drones-resolution/>.
8. Woodcock, Abagail. "Drones Used for Good - Relief Organization Uses Drones for Typhoon Haiyan Relief
Efforts." MedAir. N.p., 02 Apr. 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Frelief.medair.org%2Fen%
2Fstories%2Fdrones-used-for-good-relief-organisation-uses-drones-to-map-typhoon-haiyan>.
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