Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Nova Wilson
Committee: Disarmament and International Security Committee
Topic: Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
School: Forest Hills Central High School
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly advocates for full disarmament and international peace. The only time that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea believes that indiscriminate weapons should be used is as a deterrent to prevent further international conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross defines indiscriminate weapons as any weapon or attack that is not directed at a specific military objective, that employs a method or means of combat that cannot be directed at a specific military objective, and as a consequence, are of a nature to strike civilians or military objects without distinction. Due to this lack of distinction between militant and civilian objects, indiscriminate weapons infringe upon the right to life that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea strongly believes in. In the UN Human Rights Committee periodic review’s 131st session a general comment on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea policy and practices regarding the threat or use of nuclear weapons, “ [t]he threat or use of weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, which are indiscriminate in effect and are of a nature to cause destruction of human life on a catastrophic scale, is incompatible with respect for the right to life and may amount to a crime under international law.“
Further, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea resolutely objects to the use of nuclear weapons. Due to their wide range of impact, nuclear weapons fall under the title of indiscriminate weapons. As shown through the signing of the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration and the 2018 Singapore Summit joint statement, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is actively reducing its usage of nuclear weapons. Included in the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, which is an agreement between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and The Republic of Korea, the countries agreed to cease all hostile actions against one another in every domain including land, air, and sea. Along with this, they agreed to transform the demilitarized zone into a zone of true peace. This is one of many actions that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in committing to transparency and future peace.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea encourages international law to be strengthened in order to prevent the use of indiscriminate weapons in future conflicts before cleanup efforts by increasing the transparency surrounding indiscriminate weapons. This would allow other nations to be aware of what they are facing while entering a conflict or during civilian activity. To accelerate the removal of landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict areas, the United Nations should create a task force dedicated to locating and safely removing them for the safety of nearby civilians. These transparency measures also allow nation-states to establish a framework for addressing the challenges posed by new military technologies. The transparency measures will further allow nations to be aware of the presence of indiscriminate weapons in other States.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea looks forward to creating international frameworks for promoting peace on the world stage.
