Topic: UN's Role of Addressing Sectarian and Ethnic Conflict within a Nation
Country: Holy See
Delegate Name: Caitlin Donnelly
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Holy See position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
The Holy See recognizes the dramatic consequences sectarian and ethnic conflict has caused the entire globe. This harsh reality of turmoil has been apparent for as long as diverse and contrasting ideas have been on earth. This conflict is a result of different dominations of a religion, different factions of a political movement, or diverse ethnicities. All of these things occur within one nation or member state and usually involve such gruesome things as genocide. So far, the UN has been unsuccessful with it’s efforts to put and end to this problem. Some areas of quandary the UN is currently dealing with include East Timor, Yugoslavia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, Rwanda and Iraq. These nations are just a sliver of the entire pie that makes up the nations that are experiencing sectarian violence all around the world. Some of the UN’s attempts in addressing and intervening with the conflict have not lessened the continuation of genocide in Darfur and the Rwandan genocide that occurred when refugees returned in 1994. The UN has made many efforts to address the problem with some resulting in epic failures like these, while few others have pushed the world closer to peace by extenuating the underlying causes of sectarian conflict. As this problem unacceptably increases around the world, it is the duty of the UN to do what it can to end such conflicts in as many places in the world as possible.
The Holy See itself is a great example of how sectarian conflict is unnecessary to nations facing different dominations of religion or any other difference. The See has faced some difficulties of Papal control of the state in the early twentieth century, but these were resolved without violence following the cessation of Papal states by signing the Lateran treaty in 1929. The Holy See believes it would be in best interest of all parties if the UN continues to serve as an open forum for diplomacy between any nations experiencing conflict and seeking help and ideas to end their struggles. The UN, however, should not place or enforce dramatically strict regulations on any nation causing these problems. This contradicts with the idea of peace among the international community and is not an ideal way of transforming social attitudes. The UN’s role should be as a mediator, hopping on any ethnic tensions that come about at any point in conflict (before, after or during). The UN’s aid and interference must also be accepted by both parties for them to be an influential peace-keeper. The belief of a higher-power helping to resolve this issue is also an idea of the Holy See.
Countries in this committee which will support my policy include those that see the UN as a peaceful mediator in these conflicts and want to take a less-aggressive, but more detailed approach in creating peace between any nations experiencing sectarian or ethnic conflict. Most countries, however, will probably agree for they see the Holy See as a peaceful use of conscience for the body to follow. Those countries that do agree with my policy will be able to help achieve the goals of the Holy See. Since the Holy See is an observer and unable to vote, they can do this by keeping in mind what we believe is the right way of action to take on this topic and voting for resolutions we would agree with and against those we would not.
Any country who envisions a more belligerent way of handling the conflict will oppose my policy, for that is everything we stand against. Countries that believe the parties involved should be “punished” in any way will not sponsor the Holy See’s goals dealing with the mediator role the UN must take to address the sectarian and ethnic conflict consuming our world. Some documents that the Holy See will reference include past resolutions, related to this topic, issued by the UN that have failed ( Security Council Resolution 955), those that have been successful, and the treaty that made the Holy See an independent state (Lateran Treaty).
