Topic: Combating the Illicit Small Arms Trade
Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Elizabeth Butterfield
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Egypt position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Given its own struggle with small arms, the Arab Republic of Egypt supports the U.N.’s efforts to eradicate the illicit small arms trade. Following our recent revolution in February of 2011, our state has been faced with instability and growing uncertainty. Our government’s current struggle to reorganize itself has become increasingly difficult as many rival groups struggle to rise to the top. Tensions are rising between our current established military and the Muslim Brotherhood. Many in our nation believe that the Arab Republic of Egypt should support the Muslim Brotherhood and become an Islamic state. However, this view does not hold with all citizens of the nation. With frequent demonstrations occurring, and a general unrest among our people, the threat of violence is omnipresent. Radicals are using the small arms trade to obtain firearms and other weapons; and without any opposing forces, they are using those weapons to massacre civilians in the streets. In the past, our state has dealt with controlling the arms trade; but, given our most recent circumstances, Egypt is more at risk than ever. As a nation, the illicit small arms trade must be eliminated to prevent any further destruction of order in our country.
In the past, as in the present, illegal trafficking of small arms has threatened not only our nation’s people, but also visitors to our country. In 1997, a terrorist attack ensued in Luxor when six terrorists with assault rifles, pistols, and knives, killed 58 tourists (Federation of American Scientists). This attack threatened our foreign relations with many countries, and left innocent people dead at the hands of radicals. Today, our nation struggles with the same issues. Recently, an anti-Islamic video was released from a man in the U.S. Since our nation is predominantly Islamic, the video sparked outrage across the state. Although this video did not express the ideas or views of the American people (and only those of a radical), this was not understood by many in our country. Now, uprisings have started, and the risk of violence has once again increased. Angered citizens have armed themselves with weapons, and threaten not only the country, but our foreign relations. The situation in our country has grown out of control.
The Arab Republic of Egypt feels that in order to create a safer nation, it is necessary for the United Nations to intervene and to help us control the illicit small arms trade. We ask that the United Nations create a set of guidelines and recommendations for controlling the arms trade, and that these regulations be suggested for all countries; because, illegal arms not only pose a threat to our country, but people everywhere. Egypt does not see the benefit in using U.N. diplomats to suppress the arms trade, because often times, it is those who are foreign to unstable nations like our own, that are targets for violence. However, the Arab Republic of Egypt requests that the U.N. give our country some guidance as to possible ways to suppress the small arms trade.
