Topic: Conflict Commodities
Country: Costa Rica
Delegate Name: Kelli Pflug
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Costa Rica position papers GLIMUN 2007 committees
Through its history Costa Rica has been advocate of human rights. It strongly condemns the human rights violations that occur due to funding provided by the conflict commodities and as a member of the UN, believe that it is our duty to end these atrocities.
On September 14, 2005 Resolution 1625 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council. This Resolution was the first to acknowledge the tie between resources and armed conflict shown by the statement “Reaffirming the need to adopt a broad strategy of conflict prevention, which addresses the root causes of armed conflict….” The Republic of Costa Rica has long recognized this phenomenon and has dealt with this issue for numerous years as one of its neighboring countries Colombia is embroiled in a war funded by conflict commodities which has been ongoing for approximatly forty years.
Costa Rica recognizes a conflict commodity as a commodity that is causing inter- or intra- state conflict broadly defined to include renewable and non-renewable resources. Conflict commodities take on many forms; however, most commonly diamonds, oil(natural gases), water, timber, minerals, and drugs. Though, most of the United Nations efforts are focused on the widely publicized issue of conflict diamonds, which has funded civil wars in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Republic of Costa Rica recognizes that there have been positive steps toward the resolution of the issue of conflict diamonds namely the Kimberly Process. We believe that the council is ready to move forward in addressing conflict commodities as a whole. Suggesting that further trade regulations would be an appropriate step; in addition, corporations will assume social responsibility through joining coalitions such as The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative or initiatives such as fair trade labeling or eco-labeling to inform the consumer. Costa Rica would in addition like to remind the Security Council that there are is a large scale conflict commodity induced war occurring in the nation of Colombia. Currently The Republic of Costa Rica has taken steps to limit the influence of this war by signing the Maritime Agreement in conjunction with the United States of America. However, the chaos of Colombia has gone on for approximately forty years with numerous infringements on human rights and Costa Rica thinks that this issue should be recognized.
