Topic: International Cooperation in Combatting Piracy
Country: Syria
Delegate Name: Peter Ellinger
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Syria position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Modern-day piracy is a dangerous and destructive business that has become prevalent in several areas of the world. In 2011, a study estimated the cost to the world economy from disruptions to international trade at around 12 billion dollars. The UN has addressed this issue in several ways. Through the unanimous adoption of charter VII in 2014, the council called upon states regional organizations that had the capacity to do so to fight ongoing sea crimes by deploying naval vessels, arms and military aircraft and through seizures of boats, vessels and weapons used in the commission of those crimes. By doing this the committee placed direct responsibility on the countries to fight off the piracy that is occurring off their coast. They created this resolution primarily due to the increased piracy off of the horn of Africa in Somalia. This is a step in the right direction, yet we believe there needs to be more urgency placed on the issue of piracy worldwide.
In 2010, Somalis captured a Syrian sugar vessel named the Syrian Star off of the Horn of Africa. 22 of the 24 crew members were Syrian. Later that year, Somalis captured a United Arab Emirates vessel and took three of the Syrian crew members ransom until 2013. Syrians as well as crew members from across the world are in direct danger from this piracy. It is feared that ISIL may become the modern day pirates off of the coast of Syria in the mediterranean, however due to Russia's, the United States, and our commitment to stop ISIL we find that very unlikely.
Although there has been talk of a Middle Eastern naval task force needs to be formed to combat this issue, due to Syria's location in the Mediterranean, it is difficult for us to directly support the problem. In addition, due to the current civil war there are no vessels or men that can be currently expended to the war on piracy. We need the UN to increase the support of foreign vessels that patrol the waters off of Somalia for pirates.This would make larger countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia to increase their use of naval vessels off the horn of Africa.
