Topic: Determining the Legitimacy of Secession Movements and Obligations of Parent States
Country: Malaysia
Delegate Name: Kyler Cousins
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Malaysia position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
For those who are unaware, the legitimacy of secession movements is the world and the United Nations recognizing a recently created state as a legitimate country. They now can be traded with and have a voice in international bodies. However, to this point the new nation must have laws, a stable economy and the ability to fend for themselves. The parent state has the obligation to provide these things if the new legitimate nation has no basis to build upon. To this end, Malaysia is a primary source in precedent to a violent secession movement. From this we know very well how to have this go over smoothly going forward. In 1965 Singapore seceded from us after 23 months as a part of our glorious nation. Before this there were riots between two of our political parties. We recognize now that if any one area of a nation wishes to secede that they should bring grievances to the United Nations for the larger group to determine whether this movement is legitimate. If the reason is oppression, cultural separation or even economic separation then the movement should be ruled as legitimate and the proper action should be taken to bring that area together with the nation it is housed in to have talks on peaceful separation. In doing so, these riots and protests can be avoided quickly and with the backing of an international body. The other benefit of this would be that nations can then recognize them as a new independent state. We now recognize the Kingdom of Singapore as separate but this could have been achieved in a much more painless way if proper procedure for secession had been formed.
The obligation of the parent state is linked to this in that if a new seceded state has no basis of law or government then the parent state with the help of the United Nations should be required to assist said state in formed these things. Legal precedent can be formed from the parent states and then revised from that initial point to speed along the process of nation formation. Thank you delegates for listening to our nation’s humble opinions. Thank you for your time.
