Topic: Trade in High-Tech Weapons Systems
Country: Afghanistan
Delegate Name: Conor Streng
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Afghanistan position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
As every generation passes the example of a “high-tech weapon system” changes. Because of the constant research and development aspect of these systems it’s impossible to find a lasting definition. Also, because there’s no way of determining the weapons of the future we can’t ban them in advance. This is what makes this such a difficult problem to address and to find a solution to. Many less developed countries also depend on this trade for their respective national security purposes as more developed countries depend on it for international political control and as a source of revenue. This issue has many layers that will need to be looked at individually as well as jointly to find a successful solution.
Afghanistan has enjoyed the benefits and then felt the negative effects from trading high-tech weapons systems. During the USSR’s occupation of Afghanistan the United States and Great Britain sent many of what were at the time considered high-tech weapons to patriotic rebels. These primarily included surface-to-air missile launchers. After the USSR was kicked out of Afghanistan though many of those rebels began what is now today the Taliban. The Taliban has defended itself and at times even attacked with those same surface-to-air missile launchers. The Taliban has and uses technology far superior from anything they could have possible produced through trade. This is why Afghanistan is against the trade of high-tech weapons systems. Afghanistan has seen first hand how these weapons only escalate and prolong conflict and does not want to see it happen again in other parts of the world.
As weapon systems become even high-tech they become more deadly. To reduce or cease the trade of high-tech weapon systems will therefore reduce the deaths caused by them and by conflicts. Furthermore, the more high-tech a weapon is the more complex it is which makes malfunctions that much more likely to occur. In war torn areas malfunctions means civilian casualties. Again, the trade of these weapons systems must stop or be severely limited. To do this we can take the drastic step of banning the production of high-tech weapon systems which would in turn stop the trading of them. Another option is to put sanctions on member nations who participate in trading them. A final solution could be to reward member nations who have high-tech weapon systems with monetary or humanitarian aid if they have proof of the destruction of such weapons as well as of not trading them. While none of the solution will be easy to implement the positive humanitarian benefits will far outway the economic gains.
