Topic: Determining the Legitimacy of Secession Movements and Obligations of Parent States
Country: Lebanon
Delegate Name: Francesca Duong
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Lebanon position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
Secession is an inevitable occurrence that has and will happen. Some examples from the past would be the Civil War, when the Confederacy seceded from the North, or when South Sudan seceded. Even today, the UK’s Brexit might inspire others to follow their example and break away. The problem with seceding is the war that could possibly happen and the legitimacy of the nation. Even today, there is still much debate over whether or not Palestine is a state, even though 136 countries officially recognize Palestine. Also, the function of the parent state gets called into question.
In the history of the Lebanese Republic, or Lebanon, there has been many sectarian conflicts involving religious groups such as Maronite Christians, Druze, and Muslim groups. Today, we have managed to achieve a stable country that includes diversity. Lebanon consults with all main groups to give everyone a voice. For example, the National Pact of 1943 ensures that Sunnis, Shi’ites, and Maronite Christians will all be represented. Under this pact, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister must be a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament must be a Shi’a Muslim. In Lebanon we do our best to maintain peace and promote happiness throughout the country. Therefore, Lebanon ultimately believes in peace and justice.
The right to self-determination is one that has been guaranteed in Article 1, paragraph 2 of the United Nations Charter, which states, “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.” It is the UN’s mission to guarantee those rights. Dr. Nawaf Salam of Lebanon said “ We congratulate… on having created an independent State through the exercise of their right to self-determination”. Lebanon firmly believes in the right to self-determination for peace. For a long time, we have supported South Sudan’s secession and we continue to support South Sudan.
To clarify our stance, we would like to say that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is well on its way to getting ratified in Lebanon. We believe that if these rights in the treaty are violated, then the state should have the right to self determination to secede. Lebanon is a country that believes strongly in human rights, and if the parent country is harming its inhabitants, then they deserve the right to secede. In the immediate aftermath, we believe that the state that seceded and the areas around it should be monitored closely by the UN or regional organizations.
