Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: France
Delegate Name: Vincent DelRosso
Great Lakes Invitational Model United Nations
Delegation of France
Disarmament and International Security Committee
Indiscriminate Weapons
From landmines to biological warfare to civilian bombings, there is no doubt that indiscriminate weapons are a terrible biproduct of war’s brutality. This is despite the drafting, propositions and installation of numerous treaties and plans to combat the issue. Yet the issue is still extremely prominent in countries that were recently or currently in conflict. As for active conflicts, the biggest problem of indiscriminate weaponry is the bombing of densely populated areas. We see densely populated areas commonly targeted in most if not all active conflicts, a major example being in the Russo-Ukrainian war, where an unimaginable 12,000 people have been killed and another 20,000 injured. (Gadzo). In a long-term sense, a form of indiscriminate weapons that lingers for years following a conflict is the danger of planted landmines. Since the 1989 conflict in Afghanistan, the United Nations (UN) have been actively managing the usage and detonation of concealed land mines in conflict zones, seen with the genesis and usage of the United Nations Mine Actions Service (UNMAS), yet unfortunately, anti-personnel landmines are still being deployed in active conflicts, which is classified as a war crime. Recently in 2022 it was reported that there are an estimated 4700 new casualties from remnants of war throughout 51 different countries, seen highest in countries such as Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen. (Landmines)
The French Delegation recognizes the concerns around indiscriminate weapons, especially indiscriminate explosives. This concern comes alongside a major belief of the delegation, the priority of the civilian’s wellbeing. Most cluster-bombing takes place in densely populated urban areas. Inadvertently, a consequence of this is not only a high number of civilian casualties, but also essential infrastructure being damaged and, in some cases, destroyed. These actions directly oppose the viewpoints of the French delegation and its allies, as indiscriminate weapons call into question the safety and security of the civilian. (Protection). Most if not all of France’s allies are in agreeance on this issue, as such they have sponsored and contributed to a multitude of different resolutions combating the issue of indiscriminate weapons that have made its way onto the general assembly floor. Granted, there is the minor exception of Ukraine, who is allied to France, yet has seen usage of indiscriminate weapons amidst the Russo-Ukrainian War.
To eliminate the general usage of indiscriminate weapons, it is important to eradicate the individual types of weapons which act indiscriminately, one of which is the concern of landmines. Using resources like the UNMAS, we can declare populated areas with a high density of landmines unsafe and inaccessible to the public. Once closed off, the land can be safely and efficiently swept for mines, without any risk to civilian wellbeing. For landmines in active zones of conflict, it is important to ensure that landmines are not being used in conflict, as the usage of landmines is considered a war crime per The Ottawa Treaty (1997). Another form of indiscriminate combat is the cluster bombing of urban areas. It is hard to outright ban the usage of cluster munitions, as they are still used as an instrument of war within the confines of a battlefield. Instead, the French delegation proposes setting a minimum population density threshold upon an area to classify cluster-bombing as a war crime. Finally, another major indiscriminate weapon actively used is chemical weapons. Like landmines, chemical weapons are illegal to use in combat, yet some countries still possess a surplus from wars past. The Delegation of France proposes all nations with history of chemical weapon actively report amounts of chemical weapons, while reducing the said amount. The Delegation of France calls upon the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for assistance in the execution of this plan
References:
Gadzo, Mersiha. “Record High Deaths in the Russia-Ukraine War: What You Should Know.” Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 16 Oct. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/16/russia-ukraine-wartime-deaths
“The Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.” France ONU, onu.delegfrance.org/The-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
