Topic: Status of Defense Contractors and Non-National Combatants
Country: Belarus
Delegate Name: Caleb Grow
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Belarus position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
The status for defense contractors and non-national combatants has recently been disputed during times of contention by numerous countries’ governments. This is an issue that does not specifically define whether the group in question reaches POW status or is under a mercenary status, set forth in the Geneva conference in 1949. However, if it is decided to grant more people Prisoner of War status, it will only encourage people to disregard the status left by the Geneva Convention and cause increasing problems in judgment. The punitive measures taken by a country is one based on the government’s interpretation of the said laws. With the UN’s vague description of what the non-national combatants and defense contractors status is, it should be left up to the country in question to deal with the issue in its own manner until clarification is set forth upon by UN. And until further discussed and determined by the United Nations, Belarus would like to remain impartial until such an issue is officially put into law, feeling that it is an issue of nation law. It is not upon the republic of Belarus to tell other countries how to deal with this global issue and expects that until told by the United Nations of amendments made to the status for defense contractors and non-national combatants that it will remain a domestic issue free from the opinions of other nations. Belarus would however encourage the United Nations for the improvements to laws and protocols dealing with the issue in the hopes of straightening out the situation and global dispute.
