Topic: Situation in Egypt
Country: New Zealand
Delegate Name: Tatum Culhane
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All New Zealand position papers GLIMUN 2013 committees
In the recent years, beginning during the “Arab Spring,” Egypt has been in a constant state of commotion. It began with opposition to President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011 and rapidly intensified until his resignation in February 2011. After Mubarak’s resignation, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took over until the upcoming elections. In June 2012, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected President of Egypt. Following the election, it appeared that the transition of power to Morsi would be uneventful and Morsi would restore Egypt to stability. However, Morsi and his administration soon began to make major changes to the governmental system. In November of 2012, Morsi declared that he was authorized to take all necessary measures to “preserve the revolution.” Throughout the rest of 2012 and into 2013, Morsi and his policies were the target of major protests. In July 2013, the Egyptian military removed Morsi from power. Egypt has been looked after by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces ever since. The Muslim Brotherhood continues to demonstrate against the military and in favor of Morsi, leading to military action. While the military allows peaceful protests, many of them have become violent. With the Muslim Brotherhood behind most of the protests, the crackdown on the party has been significant. With the political future uncertain, Egypt has received international attention.
New Zealand recognizes the fact that there must be a stop to the violence in Egypt. New Zealand has been in relation with Egypt for many years and recognizes Egypt as a major center in the Middle East region. However, New Zealand is a country who believes in peace. Innocent people are caught in the violence during the protests by the Muslim Brotherhood each day. This violence goes against New Zealand’s beliefs. Also, if the conflict continues, the trading partnership between New Zealand and Egypt could possibly be affected. New Zealand has identified a problem and sees a need for a solution.
The nation of New Zealand would like to see a resolution in Egypt. At the moment, the problem is not being resolved as it should be. If the violence and unrest continues, the results may be disastrous. New Zealand is willing to offer support to any resolution that stops violence and starts the conversation about peace in Egypt. In the near future, New Zealand would like to see a resolution put into place.
