Topic: Trade in High-Tech Weapons Systems
Country: Uganda
Delegate Name: Emma Ellefson-Frank
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Uganda position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The most important issue in the trade if high-tech weapons is the trade to illicit parties. This can result in terrorist attacks and civilian death. Many counties have already recognized the issue of high-tech weapons ending up in the wrong hands and have made an effort to control who is able to obtain these weapons. As a second response, the nations selling the weapons have made lower quality equipment for the nations buying them. This strategy is so that the producing countries can always have “a leg up” on the consuming countries or state parties. An example of this is when the United States sold armoured vehicles to Iraq. The vehicles sold to the Iraqis had much less advanced armor making them substantially more vulnerable.
Uganda is very interested in stopping fraud in trading high-tech weaponry because Uganda as a country does not have the resources to build all of their own weapons. Therefore Uganda relies on other countries with the utilities to make these weapons. In addition to the inequality of weapons trading, trades of goods and materials between Russia and China have become severely unbalanced within the last three years. This can cause unhealthy relationships between countries. As a nation that trades with many countries, it is important to Uganda that other nations remain legitimate when trading. Many countries and state parties have already signed the Arms Trade Treaty which recognizes the need to eradicate the trade of weapons to illicit parties.
In an effort to resolve the issue of trading weapons to illicit parties, Uganda proposes that more countries sign the Arms Trade treaty. As for the issue of trading inferior weapons, Uganda proposes to institute an inspection of the weapons. This would help by reducing the difference between the weapons being traded. It would also help benefit countries that rely on other nations for some of their weapons, some of these parties would include Kenya and South Sudan. If the weapons provided to all the countries without the means necessary to make them were significantly inferior, these countries would struggle to protect themselves, that is why it is important for them to have adequate defense. Uganda would expect Kenya and South Sudan to agree with them on many of their main points.
