Topic: Protecting Humanitarian Workers in Conflict Zones
Country: Venezuela
Delegate Name: Vincent Hayes
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Venezuela position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
The 66th General Assembly of the UN states in the second committee section B: *Maintenance of International Peace and Security* part 62 that, “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.”
Although this resolution was made official just over 2 months ago, the UN has done next to nothing to help reduce and prevent the deaths of humanitarian workers, NGO’s specifically, in conflict zones. In 2008, 260 humanitarian workers were killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in violent attacks-making it the highest yearly toll ever. Also in 2008, the death toll of humanitarian workers from malicious acts alone surpassed the total death toll of UN peacekeeping soldiers. Only one NGO, the Red Cross, has seen a decrease in attacks on their humanitarian workers over the past few years. The sad part about these attacks is that the vast majority of them are politically motivated because the people native to these conflict zones believe that the international aid organizations that offer their assistance do so out of “Western geopolitical interests.” It is so overwhelmingly sad that the majority of humanitarian workers killed are NGO’s because the acronym NGO stands for “non-governmental organization,” making their political views irrelevant and there cause even more just.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has close mutual allies with the Somali Republic so the persistent acts of xenophobic-esque violence directed at humanitarian workers is alarming and must be immediately taken care of. While it is important that we maintain our support for Somalia to become a more diplomatic state, we must their government an ultimatum or deadline for trying to help us solve their problems. It appears in Somalia that every time the country takes a step forward, then end up taking two steps back. Even with help from multiple international aid groups the violent situation in Somalia does not appear to get visibly better. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela urges every member nation to contribute in some way, shape or form to the advancement and political makeover that Somalia so desperately needs.
If the UN shows us again that they are incapable of properly mediating a war-torn land, ala Rwanda, than it must be the moral obligation of every member nation to assist Somalia in unifying its people and eradicating the racial and political bias’ that scourge its land. If us member nations must call upon ourselves to initiate Somalia’s political transformation, we must convey that our intervention is not for political gain but for imminent the societal evolution of our fellow member nation. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will always offer its unconditional support to the allies of our allies, no matter how grave the ordeal.
