Committee: Security Council
Topic: Darfur
Country: Kingdom of Belgium
Delegates: Giulia Orazi and Sarah Schiferl
Since 2003, civilians from Darfur have been attacked and forced to flee their homes, but a recent attack on February 8, 2008 has caused unprecedented damage. According to the Human Rights Watch, the attack has caused the deaths of over 150 people and displaced as many as 12,000 people. The continued hostilities in Darfur have left the people helpless, for the Sudanese government is disregarding the safety of its citizens. Belgium believes in the international humanitarian law, which prohibits military attacks on citizens. All efforts should be made to request the Sudanese government to protect its citizens from attack and follow the humanitarian law. Belgium is willing to donate money and supplies, as well as to fund relief efforts to aid the displaced people in Darfur and Chad. The relief efforts are considerably under-resourced, so it is necessary for all members of the UN to assist the effort. Also, it is difficult to keep peace in these countries, so there must be initiatives to discuss the issue in a peaceful location and end the hostilities between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese government.
Committee: Security Council
Topic: Preventing Conflict Relapse
Country: Kingdom of Belgium
Delegates: Sarah Schiferl and Giulia Orazi
Regarding the issue of preventing conflict relapse, Belgium is very adamant that any measures that are taken towards ending a conflict must not only take into consideration ending the conflict expediently, but also must act in ways that will be conducive to long lasting peace. Furthermore, whatever measures the Security Council takes must be practically implemented. Belgium notes that such examples include the ONUB in Burundi, and the UNOL in Liberia. Both of these missions have been successful in their areas, and they have been wonderful means of stabilizing the states of Liberia/ Sierra Leone and Burundi, but Belgium believes that it is not the place of the United Nations to presume that our presence can peacefully remain in these sovereign nations indefinitely. While these peacekeeping missions are excellent, Belgium believes that the Security Council must also devise a system for the nations in which these operations are stationed to gradual take over responsibility for the programs which are currently overseen by the United Nations. The United Nations cannot simply oversee every conflict that arises, for if that were to happen, the respect of the international community would be lost. It is important also to respect the sovereignty of individual nation states. Of course, Belgium is looking first and foremost to promote lasting peace in all areas of conflict, as our nation donates sixty million euros a year to the operation of the UN, a large portion of that going to peacekeeping missions. Clearly this goal is very important to Belgium, and this issue is one that we believe should weigh heavily on the minds of all member nations, as lasting peace is one of the reasons that Belgium helped to found the UN.