Topic: Question of Kurdistan
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Elizabeth Liquigli
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All United Kingdom position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
There has been mention of a people called the Kurds for hundreds of years. They are not Arab and so are denied a place within their home: the Middle East. And their shared customs, language, and religions alienate them from other places. Spread out over three major countries— Iran, Iraq, and Turkey— the region referred to as Kurdistan has no definitive borders and no passports. Scattered in refugee camps, and persecuted by those begrudging countries that allow the Kurds to reside within their borders, the Kurds are a people rapidly losing hope.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland believes that the region known as Kurdistan and the Kurdish people need to form a united, democratic, front with which to face the world. In negotiations, especially, between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq, there have been numerous breakdowns in communication. Although progress has been made, and Kurdistan has taken full advantage of the “oil for food” program, it is the opinion of the United Kingdom that if Kurdistan is ever expected to function, either as an autonomous state or as an appendage of the Iraqi government, a more cohesive and democratic front must be formed. Kurdistan must be united in its aims, and undivided in its methods.
The United Kingdom recognizes the transition into democracy and the formation or merging of a government are not easy or quick processes; but the need for the Kurdish people to unite and heal is too great to be ignored. The land that the Kurds claim as their own is rich in natural resources, and is also occupied by other countries. However, through negotiations and diligent communication, some agreement may be reached and the hostilities between the people of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Kurdistan may finally cease.
Since American troops have established a no-fly zone over northern Iraq, there has been a safe place for the millions of Iraqi Kurds who have been forced from their homes in previous years. The United Kingdom would like to commend the United States on its valiant efforts, however more must be done. United Nations intervention and aid is crucial to the survival and success of a peaceful Kurdistan. Even with such gestures from the Iraqi government such as the formation of a new flag, the old hurts left behind by Saddam Hussein have not yet healed. The Kurds need to form a united front and face down the past that haunts them. They must then look to a more peaceful and productive future. The United Kingdom supports the efforts of the Kurds to reach this destination.
