Topic: UN's Role of Addressing Sectarian and Ethnic Conflict within a Nation
Country: Georgia
Delegate Name: Evie Atwater
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Georgia position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
One of the largest and most prevalent problems plaguing our world today is the horrible scourge of ethnic and sectarian conflict. While some evolved from deep-rooted feuds, many other forms are sparked by recent events and therefore very preventable and solvable with the proper steps taken. The UN has not been involved enough in preventing and solving ethnic and sectarian conflict, and Georgia has a strong plan for increasing involvement.
Georgia wishes to see definitive action taken in the UN to prevent and effectively solve problems arising from ethnic conflicts. We have drawn up a basic framework for action, and we hope to receive much cooperation from other member nations in tailoring and perfecting it. Our plan calls for the sponsoring of talks between feuding groups, the containment of conflict should it arise, and a worldwide investigation into areas where ethnic and sectarian conflict exist or are very likely to erupt. With a comprehensive view of the world in these terms, the UN can better distribute their preventative programs and specifically target these “conflict hotspots.” We also wish to prevent fractious leaders and opposition groups from attaining weapons, and in place use diplomacy and negotiations to come to the resolutions of issues. We will only support documents that provide a firm, structured, and involved plan for preventing, containing, and ending ethnic and sectarian conflict.
The United States of America, Israel, the United Kingdom, and most of the European Union will support and add to our initiative. We also hope to work with countries that are very dedicated to peace, stability, and taking action to prevent or solve ethnic conflict. This issue of addressing sectarian and ethnic conflict will not be solved by itself, and we believe that our stance on it is the best way to make progress.
Opposition to our plan will come from countries that do not care about preventing and quickly solving sectarian and ethnic conflict. Their laissez-faire approach that merely hopes the factions will fix themselves is completely unacceptable to Georgia. The International Declaration of Human rights is one of the world’s most important documents, and the UN should do everything in its power to end issues that violate it rather than sit around and let countries plead “sovereignty” as an excuse for genocide. In hope for a more peaceful world, Georgia wishes to create a comprehensive plan for making the UN more involved in addressing ethnic and sectarian conflict.
