Topic: Reducing Violence Associated with Conflict Minerals
Country: Pakistan
Delegate Name: Georgia Bayerl
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Pakistan position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
The violence associated with acquisition of conflict minerals grows more and more severe as technological advances require more and more minerals such as gold, tin and tungsten. The desire for precious metals and jewels such as diamonds, gold and silver also influence and incite these kinds of violence. The United Nations knows that it cannot stand idly by as innocent African civilians are forced at gun point to mine minerals for the western world. It is one thing for a nation’s commodity of minerals to allow for a steady economy but the money being made from these so called conflict minerals is not going towards the well-being of the people, but rather towards insurgents who are using this revenue to promote violence and inhumane acts against the people forced to mine for them.
Pakistan as a country does not rely on these minerals, but we are still concerned with any actions taken towards reducing violence associated with them. In 2009 a combination of the Taliban’s and some Islamic militants spread their control from the western border, pushing it closer to the capital. By 2009, this insurgency posed a serious threat to the safety of our civilians. Then Pakistan launched a head-on fight to take back the militant-held regions. With strong public support in the offensive against the militants the army unleashed air and ground attacks. The people in the militant-held areas are at risk of being forced to mine conflict minerals. The safety of our civilians being victimized from this violence is a very serious concern in Pakistan, as is the continuation of violence in other countries suffering from the same violent actions.
One of the methods the United Nations has currently incorporated in their previous attempts to stop violence over conflict minerals is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. This certification process helps ensure that only diamonds mined through humane and legal operations can be imported or exported by any country. Pakistan would be in full support of an extension of this system to include other minerals important to the world economy that may be conflict minerals. We do not however support any sort of United Nations military action as it requires great organization and detailed planning to ensure the security of the civilians in these areas, which only an individual nation is capable of providing for their people. Relief aid is something that Pakistan would consider as an option to minimize the effects of this violence on civilians, however we believe that the most important thing to end the ability for continued violence over these conflict minerals is for every country to ensure that their minerals were mined legally and humanely within their borders.
