Topic: Territorial Dispute in the South China Sea
Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Maggie McKinney
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Different countries, including The People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Taiwan, have claimed parts of the South China Sea, along with the Paracel and Spratly Islands. This proves problematic, as conflict has broken out between countries that both claim ownership of the territory. Countries are territorial of the South China Sea region due to significant shipping routes that pass through and it’s valuable natural resources such as oil reserves. Nations are going as far as building islands to grasp a claim on the sea. Tension between states is rising and becoming aggressive as competing countries infringe on the territory other countries have claimed in the region, and the UNCLOS and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea have proved insufficient in solving some problems. The Special Political Committee must find a solution to the growing issues centered on the South China Sea that will extinguish the territorial disputes that come of it.
Colombia understands some of the nations’ frustrations with the aggressive territorial disputes in the South China Sea. As Latin America’s fourth largest coal supplier, Colombia’s economy depends heavily on its mining exports, so it needs access to the important shipping routes throughout the body of water. Because China is Colombia's second largest export destination, finding a solution that will extinguish some of the disputes over the region will allow our ships to sail the routes that pass through the South China Sea without the major concern of aggression from territorial countries. On another note, Colombia has recently begun to invest more work into making greener environmental changes, as seen in their partnership with the US to dual host the first Solar Decathlon in Latin America. With this environmental stance, Colombia is against the building of manmade islands to better claim more territory in the South China Sea, which alters natural ecosystems. However, Colombia sees China’s and other territorial countries’ point of protecting their claims. The fourth largest oil producer in Latin America, Colombia understands that a territory’s resources, such as oil, should belong to the country that has claimed the territory. Other nations and states should not be allowed to trespass and take these valuable resources, but a territorial country cannot be causing aggressive conflicts.
Colombia will look for a solution to the problem that can more clearly define the territories of the South China Sea and who they belong to. The UNCLOS is a start, but in order to de-escalate the growing territorial conflicts of this region, more needs to be done. As part of the Special Political Committee, Colombia will support solutions that will keep international shipping routes in the South China Sea open, and more importantly safe, to all states without depriving countries who have claimed territory of their rights to resources. Colombia, set on cleaning and bettering the environment, will also search for solutions that won't jeopardize the ecosystems in the South China Sea.
