Topic: Mechanisms for Peacefully Resolving Border Disputes
Country: Kazakhstan
Delegate Name: Arthur Woodworth
School: Kalamazoo Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Kazakhstan position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
Border disputes are prevalent with the former Soviet republics such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, China’s territorial claims, and with the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.
Kazakhstan has a history of peacefully resolving border disputes, such as with China, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, regarding the establishment of borders following the collapse of the Soviet Union. These conflicts were resolved with minimal military activity.
Border disputes, as compared to cross-border conflicts, are disputes about the border between two countries rather than disputes occurring over a defined border. These border disputes do not necessarily imply the use of military force, whereas cross-border conflicts are inherently military in nature.
As international law currently stands, border disputes are not resolved efficiently or effectively. The conflict between India and Pakistan demonstrates this well, as both states are member nations and have been involved in a military standoff for a long time over a section of land that is highly contested. The Assembly has called for the conflicting parties to reach an agreement on numerous occasions, resulting in no drastic change in the situation.
Kazakhstan believes that border dispute resolution could be resolved more effectively through direct meditation between the conflicting parties and a minimal number of third parties. Kazakhstan resolved its border disputes with China, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan through simple treaty negotiations between Kazakhstan and the conflicting party. Kazakhstan respectfully suggests that the United Nations should be involved when necessary, as all member nations are ultimately bound by international law, but the Assembly should be more firm on the matter of helping member nations resolve their border disputes.
