Topic: Legitimacy of Government during Popular Uprising
Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Natalie Ciocca
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Colombia strongly believes that government during popular uprising is completely legitimate. Government is meant to do what is best for the citizens residing within the country and therefore a government should always be legitimate.
Having significant problems in the past with violence and uprisings, Colombia has found that the best way to handle certain situations is to put them down by any means necessary. Being a Republic, the people of Colombia elect who they choose as there is universal suffrage over the age of 18 and therefore, there is no reason as to why the governmental system should not be in legitimate in any case.
As per the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, any uprising which would be put down would be due to the ends that would, "unite our strength to maintain international peace and security." The delegation of Colombia wishes to work towards theses ends and others that are outlined in the Charter of the UN. Colombia has worked with other countries in the past like the US in 2009 with a Military Cooperation agreement. This has been essential in helping to settle some of the unrest that has arisen in the past as the government attempts to retain power in the difficult times it has been faced with in the past.
Solutions to this problem would easily be settled by future agreements such as that of the Military Cooperation Agreement. By acquiring aid from other countries, future uprisings would be more easily put down and governments would retain their power during times of political unrest.
The Republic of Colombia would be open to accept aid from foreign countries to preserve the government which is in place due to the social unrest and potential future uprisings and would also be willing to aid, if resources are available, in settling uprisings in other countries. The UN should aid in the creation of such treaties and also that it should play a role in the attempt to aid the governments during the times of these popular uprisings to promote eventual peace within the country and by extension, the world and ultimately working towards the goals of the UN.
References:
"CIA – The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html>.
"Colombia: Conflict Timeline." Insight on Conflict. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/colombia/conflict-profile/conflict-timeline/?gclid=CKnJ45egyawCFQrHKgodIn3hpg>.
