Osbourn Park High School Model United Nations  October 16-17, 2015

Disarmament & International Security Committee (DISEC)

Topic 1: Militarization of the Arctic Topic 2: Geopolitical Tensions in the Senkaku Islands


Introduction

The Disarmament and International Security Committee, or DISEC, is the First Committee of the United Nations. This committee deals primarily with issues of international security, ranging from nuclear disarmament to efforts against international terrorism. DISEC is a General Assembly, and parliamentary procedure is similar to that of other large-scale committees like SPECPOL and SOCHUM.

Topic 1: Militarization of the Arctic

Background and Current Situation

In recent years, the militarization of the Arctic has become a topic of contention between world powers. As the global economy continues to grow and ice masses continue to melt due to environmental pressures, the need for rapid marine trade routes has increased significantly. Also, there has been an increase in Arctic tourism as Arctic lands become more accessible to visit due to the growth of navigable water routes. Consequently, a few countries have looked towards a ‘Northern Passage’ through the Arctic to ease transport. The Arctic is currently ‘occupied’ by several nations, all of which have claims on sections of the Arctic landmass and in surrounding islands and archipelagos. Countries with territorial claims in the region include the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Several of these nations are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and as a result any intra-organizational tensions over territory have not led to any significant issue. However, Russia has committed several aggressive moves towards militarization of the Arctic in the past two years, to the condemnation of the international community. In December 2014, Russia unveiled the development of a new military command center in the Arctic. Russia also deployed the new Northern Command, which was created to ensure Russian military supremacy in the Arctic. Territories of Norway, Denmark, Canada, and the United States are all within close proximity to the new military command center. Additionally, Russia is also constructing a year-round airbase in the Siberian Islands archipelago. This airbase is expected to be constructed by 2025, and could be responsible for housing bombing-capable aircraft. Aggression in the Arctic has also encountered criticism on the grounds on environmental conservation. It is estimated that 30% of the world’s remaining natural gas reserves and 15% of the world’s oil reserves are stored in the Arctic seabed. If militarization of the Arctic became permissible, then there would surely be an outbreak of competition among nations for access to these vital energy resources. While Russia has been the primary culprit in militarization, public opinion has been reluctant to endorse any militarization in the Arctic. According to a 2013 poll from Kremlin-supported Public Opinion Foundation, 69% of the Russian public is “convinced that the territories should remain neutral and outside the boundaries of any country”. Public opinion aside, aggression and militarization in the Arctic continue to threaten international stability. It is up to this committee to determine what role DISEC should play in facilitating peace in the North Atlantic.

Russian aggression has been concentrated in this region of the Arctic. (picture courtesy of Business Insider)

Questions to Consider in Your Research

1)Should DISEC discourage drilling, tourism, trade, or any other form of development in the Arctic? What developments, if any, are permissible?

2)Should the extraction of energy resources in the Arctic seabed be prohibited? How can we restrict private drilling that is not sponsored by any national government?

3)How can DISEC work with other agencies that focus on environmental conservation in order to lessen the impact of global warming on the Arctic Sea?

4)What consequences should countries face if they continue to illegally intervene in the Arctic without permission from the international community?

Topic 2: Tension over the Senkaku Islands

Background and Current Situation

Geopolitical tensions in the Western Pacific region have recently created contention between members of the international community. There are several territories in the West Pacific that are claimed by more than one nation, which has created territorial disputes that have severely weakened stability in the region. For example, the Senkaku Islands are a cluster of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that have attracted international notoriety since the 1970s. After being administered by the United States between World War II and 1972, the islands were returned to Japanese administration following three decades of foreign occupation. However, both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan dispute Japan’s sovereignty over the islands, arguing that the islands are a Chinese possession that should have been returned after Japan’s loss in WWII. All three nations refuse to recognize the other’s claims, which has complicated negotiations. Additionally, research has indicated that there may be oil fields surrounding the islands, and those vital energy resources would be a significant economic boon for whichever country formally acquired the islands. Another aspect of the Senkaku Islands dispute is the United States’ military commitment to Japan. Japan and the US share a Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, which guarantees military assistance if either nation was attacked. In 2014, American President Barack Obama stated that the Treaty applied to the Senkaku Islands as well, essentially assuring the Japanese government American assistance if China or Taiwan was to ever militarily intervene in the Islands. This move irked the Chinese and Taiwanese governments, as the United States has been criticized in both nations for unfairly intervening in the Pacific. Tensions reached a high point in 2013, when the People’s Republic of China created an Air Defense Identification Zone around the islands. This move required all aircraft traveling within the zone to submit their identification and flight plan to the Chinese defense system. Public opinion in China and Japan has also exacerbated conflict as there are significant anti-Japanese sentiments in China, and similar anti-Sino sentiments in Japan. Anti-Japanese protests over the Japanese occupation of the islands erupted in China in 2012, and a record eighty-five Chinese cities witnessed anti-Japanese violence, arson, and vandalism. Diplomatic efforts have been largely ineffective. In 2009, a military hotline was agreed to between Tokyo and Beijing so both the PRC and Japan would have a direct source of discussion. However, following heightened tensions in 2012-2014, it was never implemented. The threat of armed conflict still persists in the region even two years after a resurgence of tensions. A poll from PRC-based newspaper The China Post has indicated that 91% of Chinese citizens agree that warfare should not be ruled out in order to protect the integrity of the Senkaku Islands, which is an astonishingly high figure considering both the social and economic cost of going to war. Public opinion in Taiwan, China, and Japan remains a major obstacle to peace in the West Pacific, and this committee must decide how to properly address the Senkaku Islands dispute.

Questions to Consider in Your Research

1)What should be the political fate of the Senkaku Islands? Which territorial claim does your country view as the most legitimate?

2)How can DISEC work to facilitate negotiation among China, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States?

3)Should the United Nations condemn China for its recent aggression towards the Senkaku Islands? Or should the United Nations condemn Japan for its unjust seizure of the islands from Chinese control?

4)How can DISEC restrict unfair developmentof energy resources in the East China Sea without infringing on national sovereignty?

5)What role does public opinion play in the Senkaku Islands dispute? How can DISEC operate to lessen tensions amid such fervent national opposition to negotiation?

Works Cited

"Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project | History | North Pole Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s)." Beaufort Gyre Exploration Project | History | North Pole Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s). Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

Bender, Jeremy. "Russia Is Militarizing The Arctic." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 2 Dec. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Most Russians Believe Arctic Should Remain Neutral - Poll." Most Russians Believe Arctic Should Remain Neutral - Poll. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Russia's Arctic Militarization 'Disturbing,' US Lawmakers Say." Defense Tech RSS. 12 Mar. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"United Nations, Main Body, Main Organs, General Assembly." UN News Center. UN. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

______

"Chinese Government Ships Spotted off Disputed Senkaku Islands - News." Chinese Government Ships Spotted off Disputed Senkaku Islands - News. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Japan Suggests Hotline to Beijing over Island Spat." South China Morning Post. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Second Day Of Anti-Japan Protests Rock China." NPR. NPR. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Who's Behind Asia-Pacific's Growing Tensions? Curbing China's Rising Power." Global Research. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

"Will There Be War over the Tiaoyutais?" . Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

1

United Nations Disarmament & International Security Committee