Topic: Territorial Dispute in the South China Sea
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Delegate Name: Norah Fanning
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Trinidad and Tobago position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Like most of the other countries represented in this delegation, Trinidad and Tobago is a peace-loving and peace-seeking country, As the third richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita in the Americas after the United States and Canada, we look forward to working closely with these countries to ensure that the economic investments of the Americas as whole are protected in this area. Also, as an important partner of the US, Trinidad and Tobago seeks to protect any US investments in the area.
The conflict in the South China Sea is obviously a dangerous one. With the exception of China, the claimants of the South China Sea have attempted to justify their claims based on their coastlines and the provisions of UNCLOS. China uses only loosely based historical rights and legal claims. An important piece to consider when dealing with ambiguous area in the sea is how this situation could be used to deal with future disputes. If any country, but the US especially, fails to uphold international law and norms could do irrevocable damage to their interests in the region and beyond.
Another important goal for Trinidad and Tobago is ensuring freedom of navigation. China continues to develop ways to inhibit foreign militaries from accessing the area. Currently, militaries must seek advance permission to sail the area, possible evidence of China’s intentions to block all navigation in the future. Trinidad and Tobago fully supports the use of U.S. military presence in the region (as do most other countries in the region) as a way to allow decision-making to be free of intimidation by other naval superpowers. Without the US providing protection, these countries that are already unstable would further destabilize in a race to build up arms to compensate for the demands of China. This being said, Trinidad and Tobago believes that the UN Laws of the Sea should be updated to the liking of all signing members so that the Laws will be more effectively followed. This should also include a more specific course of action should these laws be violated. By open communication and reasonable demands from both sides, Trinidad and Tobago is confident we can reach a better understanding.
