Topic: Legally Required Response to Genocide
Country: Albania
Delegate Name: Katie Saxe
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Albania position papers GLIMUN 2007 committees
Genocide in Albania solely exists due to the Kosova and Serbian acts of repression along its borders. After the revocation of Kosova's sovereignty, Serbia instituted a regime of systematic oppression of the Albanian population in Kosova, and flagrant violations of basic rights of Albanians occurred frequently. Although mass genocide is not the chief conflict in Albania, the turmoil alongside our country’s boundary is still a major concern that must be dealt with in the near future.
The modern rules that pertain to genocide are stated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). Taking effect in January 1951, about 80 member states of the United Nations have passed legislation that incorporates the provisions of the CPPCG. This facilitates in creating an international definition to what genocide is. Genocide occurs in 8 common steps: classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial. The Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania, Special Part, Chap. 1, Crimes Against Humanity, Article 73 states the following: the execution of a premeditated plan aiming at the total or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group directed towards its members, and combined with the following acts, such as intentionally killing a group's members, serious physical and psychological harm, placement in difficult living conditions which cause physical destruction, applying birth preventing measures, as well as the obligatory transfer of children from one group to another, is sentenced with no less than ten years of imprisonment, or with life imprisonment, or death penalty. We currently stand firm with this form of action, but we would strongly like to see more punishment to the violators of genocide.
Albania believes that a new resolution must be drawn up to clearly state consequences for countries that employ in genocide. There can no longer be a question of whether or not a nation committing genocide can be punished, or if the fact that the genocide is occurring within the nation outlandishly exempts it from prosecution. We resolve to resolutely establish genocide as a crime and demand that penalties be established for it. We must not allow nations to take advantage of a weak document; instead, we must ensure that acts of genocide are stifled.
Many nations share these goals with our country. For example, the Untied States of America, in particular, has been an immense ally to us on this issue, as have numerous other European nations. In the approaching future, we hope the United Nations will help us to enact stronger reprimands to countries committing this unnecessary evil.
