Topic: Conflict Commodities
Country: Palestine
Delegate Name: Jermayne Hairston
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Palestine position papers GLIMUN 2007 committees
On behalf of the country of Palestine, we feel that the results of the sell of conflict commodities such as timber, cocoa and most famously diamonds should be controlled. Wars are fueled by money. Without money war cannot exist and without money from conflict commodities many of the most brutal wars would not exist. These commodities fund rebel armies and militias that terrorize whole nations. To make progress in this field, we must create and enforce strong trade and arms laws. But before we can attempt to rid the world of conflict commodities we must recongnize their affect. They have fueled violence, rebellion and terror. In Sierra Leone, for example, the local average age expectancy sank to 25.9 years due to a civil war paid for by illegal timber. My country knows the pain of war and devastation it brings and would pray that no nation feels this anguish. As dreadful as the results of conflict commodities are , they do provide finacial stability to many a country. Before this problem is cured a soultion must be created that brings the world at peace but does not leave half the world in finacial ruin. Many countries need the profits of conflict commodities to survive. By taking these away we might be taking the driving force in a nation's economy. We must be sure to give them other finacial options. The profits of these commodities reach all across the world so we need to continue this flow of money legally. We must provide industries a reason to better monitor where and how their products are manufactured. We must ensure that changes are made and progress will continue. By ending the sell and profit of conflict commdoities we are protecting ourselves and our world.
