Topic: Determining the Legitimacy of Secession Movements and Obligations of Parent States
Country: Sweden
Delegate Name: Madeline Vonk
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Sweden position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
In 1814, Norway separated from the Kingdom of Denmark and was forced into a union with Sweden. Norway had realized that they were never going to be recognized as a country, so they agreed to Swedish Crown Prince Charles John Bernadotte’s proposition that stated Norway could be recognized as an official state if they promised to conjoin with Sweden. The monarch promised to grant “perfect equality” to the two kingdoms, but cultural and economic factors kept that from happening. Each country had their own constitutions. The only thing binding them was their king. Norway attempted to secede three times between 1817 and 1821. Every time, their attempts were shot down by the king’s veto. After years of conflict, Norway declared independance once more in 1905. The king vetoed it again, but this time the Norwegian legislature resigned. The king was unable to appoint a new legislature leaving the two countries officially separated. Imagine if Norway had been able to utilize the United Nations and/or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help it to separate from Sweden. Years of conflict could have been avoided.
Sweden believes that the United Nations can work with the parent state to negotiate the legitimacy of the secession. States may look to secede if they are subject to a tyrannical government. They may not secede for economical reasons unless the United Nations has calculated the effects on the parent state to avoid leaving the parent state in a depression. The same idea transfers to the seceding state. It cannot leave the parent state if its economy does not project significant growth. The seceding country should also have a population pyramid graph that is wider on the bottom, which signifies the growth of a developing country. Most of all, the seceding state should have had the majority of its people vote in agreeance to its secession. The requirements are to secure the welfare and prosperity of the people.
Once the seceding states have met at least one of the above requirements, their issue should be recognized by the United Nations or International Monetary Fund. From there, the UN or IMF will work with the parent country and the rest of the nations to decide whether or not the state is legitimate. In those meetings, the seceding state should be prepared to list potential trade deals, form of government, currency, etc. The parent state and seceding state should also attempt to negotiate before resorting to warfare in order to save lives. To avoid conflict, interactions between the parent state and seceding state should be regulated by neutral party. Then, the UN/IMF may declare the seceding state legitimate. The UN or IMF will work with the two states as a neutral party to sort out land claims to avoid conflict in the future and to avoid what happened in the aftermath of South and North Sudan’s split. The parent state and seceding state do not owe each other anything once the secession has been declared legitimate, only to accept each other’s rights and boundaries. Sweden would also like to see SPECPOL discuss the issue of secession without taking away the parent country’s dignity since Sweden knows what it is like to have a part of their union slip away and the struggle of attempting to keep it.
In conclusion, Sweden asks that the parent state and seceding state work together with the UN or IMF to negotiate without conflict. Sweden will not recognize a seceding state until it has been recognized by the UN or IMF because of its commitment to neutrality.
Works Cited
Pike, John. "Military." 1814-1905 – Norway Under Sweden. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
