Topic:
Country: France
Delegate Name: Mikey Beusse
SPECPOL
Legitimacy of Secession Movements
France
Mikey Beusse
Secession is the process of separating from a pre-existing state usually based on political views, economical views, or warfare. Secession has been something shown throughout history. In 2020, there were roughly 60 active secessionist movements around the world all wanting freedom. There are many different reasons however a group may have for rising a secession movement. Many are brought up based on citizens not being treated fairly or not having equal rights or representation. Others are based on political disagrances that practically divide themselves to the point of secession. However, there has been debate over legitimacy of certain secession movements. The debate on whether or not those reasons for secession are necessarily valid or not. That brings up the debate over what reasons are legitimate to cause a secession movement. France supports secession upon the reason of unfair and unequal treatment towards a select group.
France has not had many issues concerning secession movements and this issue does not directly relate to France. France’s main experience was in the American Revolution when they were supporting the seceeding party (The United States) against Great Britian by supplying army and troops over to the continental army. France supports secession in this case because in this case they believed that the state was not being treated fairly from its larger pre-exisiting state (Great Britian)
The UN has mad the ‘Declaration of Principles of International Law’ which states that all states must comply with each other in a way of respect and corresponding with international law in order to maintain international peace and security. The UN is trying to draw lines stating reasons of secession from this by stating how no states should be treated in an unkidnly or unlawful way corresponding to international law.
France believes that secession may be necessary to states who have not been treated with respect or have not been treated equally. It is important to understand that there are some cases where secession is necessary but there is a certain degree to when secession can take place. Secession should not be caused by smaller actions but should be a resort of just plain inequality and disrespect a groups pre-existing state.
