Situation in the Middle East

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Angola
Delegate Name: Mallory Snyder
School: Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy

The Middle East is currently becoming more and more unstable. Refugees fleeing affected countries, numerous terrorist attacks, and the ongoing violence is simply an abhorrent situation that has befell this precarious region. The country of Angola would like to acknowledge the two most prevalent issues facing this region: terrorism and humanitarian aid.

Currently, the most prevalent issue in the Middle East is the existence of radical extremist groups. We wish for a peaceful balance between economic, political, diplomatic, and military action. The minister for External Relations of the Republic of Angola stated, “Terrorism is today the most direct threat to the security of our countries, as one can conclude from the attacks that in the last two years killed thousands of civilians in the United States, in Russia, in Africa and in Asia.”

The main goal of the United Nations should be to limit the recruitment of more people to these radical extremist groups, not to mobilize troops. We appreciate Russia withdrawing its troops from Syria, and we believe this is a step in the right direction. Angola can only hope that other countries follow suit, as the instability of the Middle East is only increasing. Social media plays a huge role in the recruitment of new people to radical groups. Perhaps limiting, or at least impeding access to popular social media websites will decrease the number of new recruits. We should increase political, diplomatic, and economic action, and decrease military action. Diplomatic dialogues should always be open to any of the countries that are experiencing turmoil, and they should never be closed for any reason. Angola would like to clearly state that military action is not the answer, and will simply escalate the conflict.

Continued military action will only cause more humanitarian issues, as we can see from the current refugee crisis. Currently, an estimated 13.5 million people, including 6 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance. 600,000 of those people are in besieged areas, making the delivery of humanitarian aid extremely difficult. 11.5 million Syrians go without basic health care, 12.1 million require clean water, and 5.7 million children are in need of elementary education. About 2.48 million people have unstable sources of food, and 1.5 million have been rendered homeless and are in need of shelter. These numbers are reflected in other tumultuous countries, such as Yemen and other surrounding countries. This council as a whole should work together to cooperatively remove political and diplomatic obstructions that impede humanitarian aid from reaching the people.

We wish for peaceful cooperation between all nations involved, and continue to hope for the return of stability to this volatile region.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: China
Delegate Name: Olivia Venus
School: Kalamazoo Central High School

There is a continuing tradition in Chinese foreign policy of sustained support for international efforts without the commitment of military troops. Military support through the Security Council has only fueled alliances and led to escalation of issues beyond the point at which they were before. The Middle East is war-ravaged and complicated enough without the pledge of additional military action, and this is precisely why China believes instead it is the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to take action on issues of refugees and rebuilding infrastructure within the region to create a safe environment for citizens despite continuing disputes. China will not pledge military support to any international counter-terrorism coalition, but will work alongside the body to create a comprehensive plan which instead provides aid for the citizens of these nations and ensures long-term stability.

The current United Nations efforts to support citizens in the Middle East have been feeble and had little impact on the situation, leading to even more radicalization and refugee crises. The recent halt of United Nations aid to the Middle East is even more concerning as conditions worsen. Recently, it has been reported that fewer than thirty doctors remain in Aleppo to assist wounded citizens who suffer among continued bombings of the city. We have seen many cities similarly flattened and reduced to masses of rubble and miserable refugee camps. The threat of terrorism is in fact very real, and we cannot simply fight terrorism with military involvement, aid, and alliances. We must work to rebuild infrastructure within the region as best we can to allow citizens greater access to education and resources that will prevent them from becoming radicalized, displaced, or harmed. Educating young adults and providing them especially with the resources they need to survive and thrive would create a solid basis for slow reconstruction of the Middle East. Through education on their own culture, these young adults can begin to understand how terrorist groups ostracize themselves from the true cultures and beliefs of Islam and the former Arab states and empires that stood strong and provided stability. These groups work to create a caliphate that never was and can never be; tearing down monuments that have stood thousands of years and ripping through the foundation of cultures that have existed since the foundation of Islam itself. By educating young citizens of their own rich culture and history compared to ISIS’ skew of something completely other, we can make a solid difference in the rate of radicalization of young people and their allegiance to ISIS.

It is of course daunting to face the task of creating a resolution strong enough to withstand the longevity of time and the continued threats of terrorism that ISIS poses to the world. As the United Nations Security Council, a body meant to uphold peace, it is our sole duty to reform the aid programs we have in place and address more pointed issues such as continued radicalization of young adults, growing ethnic conflict, and strengthening alliances that fuel this fire. By attempting to take on impossible goals that we as a supranational body cannot enforce or tackle, such as a change of the regime in Syria or taking on terrorism as a whole, we set ourselves up for failure. It is truly important in this time that we ask ourselves who the true victims are and what this organization is truly meant to do.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Olivia Decker
School: Royal Oak High School

The current issue in the Middle East has hit close to home for Egypt, who holds close ties with many of the countries that are suffering from internal instability in the region. Our primary concerns lie with the people of Syria, Libya, and Yemen, who are experiencing the most damage from these conflicts. Bombings, the use of chemical weapons, and militant forces are causing the most devastation for the citizens, and Egypt therefore believes these must be stopped immediately.

First, we must note our disapproval of the Assad regime and its inherent contribution to the current instability, but we believe that a removal of Assad by force will disrupt the region further, and, at worst, give leverage to the radical militant groups such as ISIS and ISIL. We would like to see a resolution that promotes a negotiation between the United Nations and the Syrian government and seeks to reevaluate Bashar Al-Assad’s presidency within a time to be decided within committee.

We’d also like to see a cessation of hostilities in the affected regions in order to resume the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in need. We’ve successfully negotiated cessations of hostilities before, and this will have to be a necessary aspect to a good resolution. Primarily, we will have to see agreements between the United States, Russia, and Syria to stop bombing. On this note, Egypt would like to state its strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons.

We’ve also seen increasing problems concerning refugees. These people have to be relocated across the world in order to be safe, and expectations that everyone can safely find shelter outside of Syria and the Middle East region is naive. We should focus on structuring secure, internal refugee camps and sending aid to those areas. A necessity in these camps will have to be education for minors, specifically on the political situation in Syria, in order to avoid further Assad regimes, and, more prominently, reduce the recruitment of minors and young adults into militant groups.

The delegation of Egypt understands the urgency of this issue and we are prepared to work with the other delegates of the Security Council to solve it. We are confident that, if open minded and knowledgeable, we can come to sound conclusions and form a concrete, effective resolution.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: France
Delegate Name: Charlie Buckley
School: Williamston High School

Tensions across the Middle East have been on the rise for many decades now. However only when the United States pulled out of Iraq in 2011, which coincided with the Arab spring did events really start to unravel. The start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 split the country into warring factions, with the Islamic State being one of the deadliest and most fanatical. Although the Islamic State is mainly in Syria and Iraq, they also have official campaigns in Libya and Egypt despite the lack of success compared to Syria and Iraq. The Islamic State has also either inspired or taken direct responsibility for terrorist attacks across the Western world, from Germany to Australia and Denmark to Nigeria. The Islamic State uses terror and repression to keep control of its territory, beheadings and being thrown from rooftops are a very common form of execution. They are also able to recruit more Jihadists through an elaborate system of propaganda videos and other sorts of online activity which reaches new members from around the world. This is also one of the most important parts of the Islamic State, because without new members to fill their ranks then the self proclaimed “caliphate” would not be able to stand long. The Islamic State in part manages to recruit so many young eager people through promises of money and a life of luxury. Although this could not be farther from the truth, preplanned air strikes on several key locations have made the Islamic State cut back in almost every category. Although however lethal, terrorizing and outright inhumane the Islamic State is, the international community must not forget that there are other problems throughout the Middle East which also need our attention.

In regards to France, the nation has had a difficult time dealing with the Islamic State. This is because up to this point France has suffered from 16 major terrorist attacks all across the country. From bombings to mass shootings, and even mass hit and runs, the people of France are sick and tired of being treated as the enemy by a people that most of them have never even met. All of this along with the ever present migrant crisis and the attacks that are becoming easier to commit because of it, are turning many people to France's more right wing and conservative movements. France has also had to respond to the ever increasing number of terrorist attacks by taking the fight to the enemy in the form of airstrikes and supplies. The supplies are going to what the French government currently deems its main ally in Syria, or more commonly known as the Kurds.

In addition, France sees many paths to victory over the issues which have plagued the Middle East for years. France believes that the first step to overcoming terrorism across the Middle East, is to come to a consensus on who are our enemies, and our allies. Along with making it clear that Syria is not to be a showdown between rivals of any sort in the form of a proxy war. Cutting the supply of funds in and out of the Islamic State is also a major goal of France. Along with that France believes that through increased airstrikes and communications with Turkey for the coordination of securing their southern border, we can severely limit if not completely stop the Islamic State's revenue from black market oil sales.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Peyton Klochack
School: Grand Blanc High School

All throughout recorded history, the Middle East has been a place of conflict. From the Unification of Egypt, to the Crusades, to the rise of the Ottoman Empire, to the many revolutions, uprisings, takeovers, and overthrows that we have today, all have led up to this point. The main point of contention now is the threat of ISIS, the Syrian Migrant crisis, and the Syrian Civil war and the Aleppo siege. Mind the Taliban and other Jihadi groups across the Middle East are still at large. All of these issues are complex and most be looked at carefully and individually, as many actions of the international community have led to awful repercussions that have affected everyone. The history of this conflict is very complex, but over-simplified is this: The Arab Spring causes protests across the Middle East in which the people of these nations called for expanded democracy. Then, many dictatorships across the region began to be overthrown and unrest has led to numerous wars and fighting among the region, the most prevalent being the Syrian Civil War, in which many factions are involved. The Assad regime being the government forces, the Syrian rebels trying to overthrow Assad, however, they have become increasingly hard to back, as they are being mixed with jihadists. Then there is ISIS, who has been causing international incidents by inspiring and causing terrorist attacks in their goal to establish a global caliphate and currently has territory in Iraq and Syria. Finally, the Kurds, which are an ethnic group in northern Syria, chose to break off this portion as they have been trying to form their own country for years. However, there are also international figures at play as well. Iran and the Russian Federation continue to back Assad with airstrikes and the Iranian Hezbollah. Many Sunni Arab nations fund and back the rebels, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The United States also backs the rebels after Assad used chemical weapons on their civilians and the rebels; however this could change on how much the U.S. choses to involve itself with the recent U.S. presidential election. Turkey also sees the Kurds as terrorists and fights them as well and is recovering from an attempted coup that took place this year. On top of that, all this fighting has affected a total of 13.5 million people and 4.8 million people are refugees in other countries and 6.5 million are displaced within Syria.

As the people of the world can see, there are many issues facing the Middle East. Japan has reached out to many Middle Eastern and has pledged millions of dollars to these countries for the purpose of antiterrorism and nonmilitary aid and refugee humanitarian aid. We have not and will not join in the fight against ISIS as we believe in a peaceful solution to this crisis and believe that we can help countries with their fight in the form of monetary aid. While we did have 2 civilians executed by ISIS back in 2015, we pledged back then that the perpetrators shall be brought justice and we shall hold true on that promise.

Solutions are not clear as this is a deep and complex issue, but there are things Japan does support. We support the eradication of ISIS from the face off the Earth. We encourage peace talks between the U.S. and Russia to bring the violence to an end. We support prosecution by the ICC to bring those who have committed war crimes in the Syrian Civil War. We support peace and shall be advocates for peace in this committee.

Sources:

http://thediplomat.com/2015/02/post-hostage-crisis-what-is-japans-role-in-the-middle-east/

http://thediplomat.com/2015/01/japans-mercantile-realism-in-the-middle-east/

http://time.com/4195411/japan-isis-conflict-shinzo-abe/

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Malaysia
Delegate Name: Lukas Sznewajs
School: Roeper School

The issue that addresses the international community in the Middle East is not one of humanitarian aid or conflict resolution, as every member state on the Council can agree that aid and peace are necessary and beneficial to citizens of the world. Malaysia believes that planning humanitarian assistance for the people of the Middle East in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other war-torn nations is essential to our mission of peace and strongly supports these efforts, however, the United Nations cannot safely and reliably provide and deliver aid until violence can be reliably controlled. Less than two months ago, all UN aid in Syria and Iraq was suspended until a cease-fire could be agreed upon and implemented; this was the result of a dozen UN aid workers being killed and supplies for 78,000 civilians destroyed in the bombing of humanitarian aid trucks in Syria, which were commissioned by this Council. Fingers have been pointed in all directions by nations on this Council, and Malaysia believes that we, as nations of the international peacekeeping community, have a duty to the civilians whose lives have been destroyed in the Middle East to bring peace to the region. Thus, the discussion and establishment of a ceasefire, mediated by the United Nations, between warring parties in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria should be the focus of the nations on this committee. The eradication of extremism, which uses Islam to divide and destroy communities and lives, instead of to unite as it is intended, is imperative to bringing about peace not only in the Middle East, but throughout the entire world.

Malaysia has a unique position on this Council; as a long-time American ally, an Islamic nation, a successful and rapidly developing nation, and a strong supporter of many Russian policies across the world, we are the only nation on this Council that has the relations and reputation to mediate the discussion of conflict resolution. By initiating this minimally-biased conversation, Malaysia hopes to bring a foreseeable end to the bloodshed throughout the Middle East, and to eventually begin the process of rebuilding the area, which has seen countless lives lost to gruesome war over the past decades. Malaysia welcome the United States’ enthusiasm and desire to end the violence that has destroyed the lives of so many people, and hopes that both the US and Russia might be willing to compromise to a reasonable extent so that progress towards peace might be employed.

Malaysia strongly condemns the indiscriminate bombing of civilians, the violation of cease-fires (particularly those that intended to provide aid to civilians), and the threat of death or destruction of aid efforts that has characterized the nature of assistance in the Middle East in recent years. Malaysia calls upon fighting parties to temporarily put aside regional conflicts so that the lives of innocent people in war-torn and blood-stained areas (who have no way to escape) might be saved from senseless and gruesome attacks. Peace efforts, whether temporary or permanent, must be made to assist the civilians who have been caught in conflict. It is entirely unacceptable that civilians are dying from hunger, thirst, disease, heat, or violence when they have done nothing wrong.

Malaysia will extend its position of nonalignment in the fight against extremism regarding the broader, NATO-Russian conflict, but will continue to support the elimination of ideologies which threaten the safety of those across the region and world. Islam is a religion of peace, and these extremist groups are using Islamophobia, which is incredibly pervasive in non-Islamic culture, to fuel their calls to fight against foreign intervention. Malaysia strongly encourages nations to explore education on the peaceful and nonviolent nature of Islam, particularly in nations which accept refugees or have a history of extremism and Islamophobia. As our ambassador to the UN said on 5 May 2016 to this Council:

“Throughout the Holy Qur’an, the message of peace, justice and honorable conduct features prominently and constitutes the very essence of Islam. Indeed, the very definition of Islam is peace. To illustrate, allow me to quote from verse 224 of Chapter Two in the Quran, where Allah says:

‘And make not Allah’s (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth all things.’

Meanwhile, on justice, Allah says, in verse 8 from Chapter Five:

‘O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.’

In light of such clear commands in the Qur’an, we strongly denounce the terrorists’ claims that their barbarity is sanctioned by Islam.”

This COuncil has a responsibility to provide civilians with assistance and to protect them from carnage, and the only way to do this is to find peace.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: New Zealand
Delegate Name: Noah Alderton
School: Fishers High School

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant poses a threat to the global community. New Zealand has seen first hand the expansive influence the Islamic State can have with the spread of propaganda. In an effort to combat ISIL, New Zealand has authorized 143 personnel for the purpose of training Iraq security forces at the Taji Military Complex. With the assistance of Australian forces, our two nations have jointly trained approximately 3000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel. It is fundamental that the Security Council take immediate action to create a peaceful solution for the region.

The nation of New Zealand believes the number one priority of this Security Council is to limit the number causalities as a result on the conflict. While it is important to stop all fighting in the region, at this point, it is more achievable to simply limit the number the impact the fighting has on civilians. Currently, New Zealand believes the best way to assist in the fight against ISIL is to provide additional training for the ground forces currently combating the group. It is important that the international community takes a passive role in the actual combat, as it is important to not repeat of the situation following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where the military of Iraq was not properly equipped and trained for the rising terror threat. Furthermore, it is important to limit the international influence of the Islamic State. The Islamic State has a very strong social media presence, as well as a powerful propaganda capability. It is fundamental to limit this ability in an effort to prevent more individuals from traveling to the region for the purposes of fighting with ISIL. A component of limiting their influence is to limit their financial capacity. The United States Treasury Department estimates that ISIL makes $500 million annually in oil sales. While the coalition airstrikes have begun targeting the group’s oil reserves, there have not been significant reductions in the amount of revenue ISIL is making from oil reserves.

It is in the belief of New Zealand that the best way to combat the instability in the Middle East is to provide substantial support to the militaries currently combating the Islamic State. The joint effort between the Australian and New Zealand governments to train the Iraqi Security Forces has proven to be highly successful. It is in our belief that expanding the training operations with more nations would benefit the efforts to provide stability to the region. While New Zealand does not actively participate in airstrikes against the Islamic State, we are not opposed to other nations actively using their air forces to strike military targets. Eventually, it should be a goal to unify these nations conducting airstrikes to provide better coordination in the fight against ISIL. However, recently these military air strikes have been abused, and have resulted in many civilian casualties. In the city of Aleppo alone, 275,000 civilians are being threatened by these air strikes everyday. The use of airstrikes in civilian sectors need to be immediately suspended to allow for humanitarian aid to be accessible to the people of Aleppo and to prevent any more innocent civilians from being killed. The current state of this region of the world is devastating, and it is the role of the Security Council to provide a comprehensive solution.

Works Cited

Bockemuehl, Carsten. “UN Security Council: New Zealand Must Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Victims of War Crimes.” Amnesty International NZ, Amnesty International New Zealand, 28 Jan. 2016, www.amnesty.org.nz/un-security-council-new-zealand-must-stand-shoulder-shoulder-victims-war-crimes.

“Counter Terrorism.” New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, www.mfat.govt.nz/en/peace-rights-and-security/international-security/counter-terrorism/.

Cullinane, Susannah. “New Zealand Confirms Iraq Troop Deployment.” CNN, Cable News Network, 24 Feb. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/02/23/asia/new-zealand-troops-iraq/.

Greenwood, Phoebe. “Rape and Domestic Violence Follow Syrian Women into Refugee Camps.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 July 2013, www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/25/rape-violence-syria-women-refugee-camp.

“How Much Does Targeting Oil Sales Hurt ISIS?” CBS News, CBS Interactive Inc., 11 Dec. 2015, www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-makes-40-million-monthly-oil-revenue-selling-to-syria-bashar-al-assad-government/.

Leslie, Demelza. “Brownlee to Attend Intl Meeting on ISIS.” Radio New Zealand, Radio New Zealand, 21 Oct. 2016, www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/316259/brownlee-to-attend-intl-meeting-on-isis.

McInnis, Kathleen J. “Coalition Contributions to Countering the Islamic State.” Federation of American Scientists, Congressional Research Service , 24 Aug. 2016, www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/r44135.pdf.

Moir, Jo. “John Key: Australia Has Every Right to Launch Airstrikes on Islamic State.” Stuff, Fairfax New Zealand Limited, 9 Sept. 2015, www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71905536/john-key-australia-has-every-right-to-launch-airstrikes-on-islamic-state.

Nichols, Michelle. “New Zealand Pushes to Break U.N. Security Council Deadlock on Syria.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 12 Oct. 2016, www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-un-iduskcn12c2qh.

Paton, Callum. “New Zealand Isis Supporter Shouts Allahu Akhbar as He Is Jailed for Spreading Torture Videos.” International Business Times RSS, IBTimes Co., Ltd., 23 June 2016, www.ibtimes.co.uk/new-zealand-isis-supporter-shouts-allahu-akhbar-he-jailed-spreading-torture-videos-1567035.

Trevett, Claire. “John Key: Softer Stance Matches New Zealand's Position on Bashar Al-Assad's Regime.” The New Zealand Herald, NZME. Publishing Limited, 28 Sept. 2015, www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11520282.

“UN Security Council: Syria.” New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 8 Oct. 2016, www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/ministry-statements-and-speeches/un-security-council-syria/.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Russia
Delegate Name: Noah Weller
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has expressed deep concern over the situation in the Syria, warning that foreign powers supporting insurgent factions and removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power could "plunge the region into total chaos." Entering into a civil conflict on the side of the insurgents is a disastrous strategy; while the initial goal of regime change may be achieved, it is not done so without creating a power vacuum. Civil wars are not a simple good-versus-evil scenario; instead, they are a multi-faction affair in which numerous sectarian, political, and economic ideologies come to blows in vies for power. A foreign nation that supports a single insurgent faction runs the risk of replacing a government with a group that represents only a minuscule segment of the populace. Conversely, a foreign nation that provides aid to multiple or all insurgent factions will often find these factions firing upon another, as well as on the government. The only scenario that results in a stable government is allowing the current administration to continue existing. It is only from stability that any changes can be made, that rights can be granted, that the will of the people can be carried out; in order for reforms to occur, there must be a government competent and strong enough to carry out those reforms. A political solution to a governmental problem will almost always have greater results, will almost always have the greatest chance for meaningful lasting reform, than a military solution; only a continuous government will have the ability to redistribute power and provide liberties without the power vacuum or oppression that so often comes with a militarily forced transfer of authority.

This mistake of hasty, forced regime change was made in early 2000s Iraq. In response to misguided principles and dubious information, a number of NATO members took it upon themselves to “liberate” the Iraqi people from a leader who had successfully governed the nation for nearly a quarter of a century. While the Hussein administration was destroyed and Hussein himself executed, the people of Iraq were far from saved. Soon after the invasion, while the United States and its allies sat rejoicing at the arrival of “democracy” in Iraq, a number of factions and militias — representing multiple interests from the former Baathist government to Shia Islamism to Sunni radicalism — began to spring up throughout the country. These factions’ fighting led to a civil war that continues to this day, created an ineffectual, disjointed government and military, and even caused the rise of the Islamic State. So said Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2006, “Well, we really would not want the kind of democracy they have in Iraq.” Now, a coalition of nations from NATO members to Gulf States is desperately trying to take back swaths of Daesh-held territory, in an unrelenting conflict of which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked, “We warned long ago that the affair that the Americans and the Britons stirred up there wouldn't end well.”

This scenario is at serious risk of being replicated in Syria, and already has been to an extent. Many have called the conflict a proxy war, with the legitimate Assad government, aided by Russia, being assaulted on all sides by a NATO-backed hodge-podge of rebels, from ethnic separatist movements to Sunni Islamists to a crumbled alliance of mutinous Syrian military officials to the Islamic State that arose as a result of United States-led intervention in the area.

It is for this reason that the Russian Federation opposes any and all efforts by any nation, military, militia, political party, or any other such entity, to attempt to undermine the political and/or territorial integrity of the Assad government. Instead, Russia demands an immediate condemnation of any and all rebel and separatist groups within Syria, as well as any foreign nation that chooses to support these rebels. Chapter 1, Article II, Section 4 of the United Nations Charter strictly prohibits any use of force — military or otherwise — to upend the territorial integrity or inherent sovereignty of a United Nations member state. Is this not exactly — by proxy, of course, in order to allay any suspicion or condemnation the United Nations may have to offer — what the United States and its allies are attempting in the region?

Rather than forcing a regime change and allowing a power vacuum to once again collapse the region into chaos, Russia believes that it is in the best interest of all parties — the Assad administration, the numerous insurgent factions, and even the foreign entities backing those factions — to allow the current, stable, rightful government of Syria to continue unobstructed and instead encourage the creation of a new constitution that is fair to all domestic parties to the conflict.

The demands that the Russian Federation and the Assad government immediately cease the Aleppo offensive and allow Fatah Halab and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Army of Conquest to continue their slaughter of the innocent civilians that Russia and Syria are so desperately trying to evacuate, are absurd, insulting, and hypocritical. A United States-led coalition is currently performing a similar operation outside and in the Iraqi city of Mosul, evacuating citizens and taking back territory currently held by the insurgent Islamic State. It is unclear to Russia as to why this coalition feels they can execute the Mosul offensive whilst simultaneously condemning the Aleppo offensive.

In addition, Russia is deeply concerned with the proposals of NATO member state officials including United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Their calls for a no-fly zone over Syrian territory directly violate the sovereignty of the Assad government and are an affront to the Russian military presence in Syria. Any such attempted disruption in the coordinated operations of the Syrian and Russian militaries will only lead to a prolonged conflict — and with it, more innocent civilian deaths. Russia would also like to make it clear that it is not the responsibility nor the prerogative of any nation-state besides Syria to decide who can or cannot fly in its airspace. Trespassing upon the sovereignty of the Syrian government over its own land is an act that will not be tolerated by the Russian Federation.

The Russian Federation strongly opposes the use of chemical weapons, and is very pleased with the progress made by the Syrian government in their total destruction of these weapons. However, the Russian Federation also emphasizes that the restrictions placed upon the Syrian government’s production and use of chemical weapons by such Security Council resolutions as S/RES/2118 (2013) should be extended to all parties to the civil war, including such entities as the former Free Syrian Army, Daesh, and Rojava, as well as reaffirmed to all foreign governments involved in the conflict.

The length and severity of the conflict in Syria has displaced millions of people from their homes or has otherwise led to great suffering for those who remain. Many nations in the West are taking it upon themselves (likely due to guilt regarding their ravaging of the Middle East) to house and support refugees and those displaced by the conflicts in the Middle East. To resettle nearly ten million individuals abroad and to provide social and economic support to them is a fanciful logistical nightmare. To expect them to instantaneously integrate into their new culture, to think that the relationship between them and those in their new countries will be completely peaceful, is foolish and narrow-minded. Instead, efforts should be focused on internal relocation and local humanitarian aid. Many nations, such as France, Sweden, and Germany struggle to deal with the influx of refugees they hastily decided to shelter, developing a severe housing shortage, seeing massive increases in crimes including sexual assault, resorting to building walls around refugee camps, and even creating veritable war zones within their own borders. Meanwhile, the Russian government, in cooperation with the Assad government, has been making enormous strides to provide aid to those who remain in Syria, providing humanitarian corridors to evacuate residents from dangerous towns and delivering more than one hundred tons of food, clothing, and medicine to stricken areas.

Russia wishes for an end to soon come to the Civil War in Syria, but has serious doubts as to the chances of this happening due to the seemingly vested interests of NATO member states to perpetuate the conflict. A short-sighted tunnel-vision approach to the conflict in Syria seems to cloud their judgment as hubris prevails over logic and they seem to fatuously forget or arrogantly disregard the effects that their previous crusades have had upon the region. The Russian Federation vows to protect the stable, competent, and rightful government of Syria against all threats, domestic and foreign, and on this matter it remains actively seized.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Senegal
Delegate Name: William Kelly
School: Grand Rapids City High School

The delegation from the Republic of Senegal is of the opinion that the role of the United Nations should be most deeply involved in the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. While both the crises of the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIL are some of the largest humanitarian dilemmas of the past century, the United Nations is very limited in their ability to affect these conflicts. Opposing sides, conflicts of interest, and ongoing involvement of individual nations in the region allow for nearly no change to be effected, and it is for these reasons I believe the upcoming conference should be most strongly invested in the Yemeni humanitarian crisis. The number of those in the nation requiring aid is 21.2 million- a shocking number in itself even before one understands that this amounts to over 80 percent of the population of the entire region. Even now, with those in dire need of assistance from foreign benefactors (and many not receiving it) making of the majority of the country, the number of those affected by the conflict only continues to grow. It is projected that within two years this number will surpass 90%, as the conflict within the nation grows only greater and the malicious intents of its neighbors grows only greater. It seems that, should we fail to take action, we will soon have a second consecutive refugee crisis- this time into a international climate that is much more hostile towards refugee populations. At this time, it seems there is no clear solution in sight, and only the collaboration and cooperation of the major powers of this world will allow for a positive outcome. I hope that rather than waste our limited time writing instant-veto proposals, we can come together to make the greatest possible changes to the reason–– saving millions of lives in the process.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Spain
Delegate Name: Julien Levesque
School: Forest Hills Northern High School

The Middle East–as a whole–has not seen absolute and total peace for many years. With the recent injection of ISIS and ISIL forces into an already destabilized region, the deteriorated has been allowed to further recess towards chaos. With the Syrian Civil War fueling itself as territory is continually fought over, it is imperative that all surrounding nations recognize the volatility that a governmental void such as that can leave, and the effects it can have on bodies around it.

It is Spain’s most important sentiment to recognize the threats that a destabilized region can pose on more than just itself. The primary enforcers of violence, specifically the non-governmental military forces such as ISIS and Hezbollah occupying regions, pose a real national, as well as international, threat.

It is to be noted that terror-incurring and dictator-lead governments have been just as damaging to the region as a whole. With Bashar Al-Assad being accused of instituting chemical warfare into his repertoire of suppression, Spain would like to emphasize the nature of chaos in warfare.

It is the nature of all things to deteriorate, whether people, land, food, or assets, objects will eventually fall further and further towards separating into their component parts. The situation in the Middle East is not entirely dissimilar. Every act of egregious violence or violation of international war law, such as the use of chemical weaponry, is to be expected, because situations will deteriorate just as other things tend to do. However, with that being said, the United Nations must recognize that a destabilized region in escalation will continue to escalate, just as natural things will further decompose. The danger of the Syrian conflict and the injection of terror-forces into a destabilized region does not come with the actions at hand, but rather, the potential actions in the future as they continue to escalate if left untold.

Within the past five years, a void has been left in the Middle East where Spain has seen indescribable violence, and a mass of people caught between. It is Spain’s opinion that the UN reach a conclusion to intervene in some manner within the situation, in order to stave the decomposition of the situation. If it is left without any effect to it, The United Nations will see an even greater danger to surrounding nations such as Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey. Whether we delegate to send Peacekeepers into the region to penetrate the unrest, or encourage neighboring nations to involve themselves in the re-stabilization of the region, Spain will undoubtedly support.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Clayton deJong
School: East Grand Rapids High School

It is without a doubt that terrorism in the Middle East is one of the gravest issues facing this council. Ukraine is determined to work with its allies in NATO, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the EU to successfully solve this issue while preventing further Russian aggression and recklessness in the Middle East and Eastern European Regions. Ukrainian president Poroshenko has stated, “These days aggressors are landing in hundreds in Syria, inspiring more violence in the Middle East and provoking ever growing exodus of people.” It is the duty of the Security Council to promote peace, and Ukraine is fully committed to achieving this goal.

First, it is essential that the UN fulfill its duties to global citizens across the Middle East in order to achieve the goals set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Charter. As Ukraine has supported the Security Council’s resolutions on providing aid to Middle Eastern civilians such as 2165, which was renewed by Resolution 2258, both providing aid to civilian victims of the Syrian Civil War. Ukraine approves of both these resolutions, particularly the need for convoys crossing into Syria that assist in the facilitation of the humanitarian aid. While we are aware that these resolutions have since been suspended because of the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the Syrian Civil War, going forward, we must continue these efforts with reinforced protection in the form of the UN convoys that will allow for even more lives to be saved.

Furthermore, Iraqi Civilians are also in perpetual danger, which is why Ukraine approves of Resolution 2299, which extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), while emphasizing the importance of efforts to support the country’s stabilization especially in areas threatened by ISIS like the city of Mosul. The ongoing Mosul offensive to remove ISIS from the city has continued to succeed incrementally and should be further supported by the UN. There is a new camp for the over ten thousand displaced women and children from Mosul in the past weeks in Hassan Sham which must be supported by the UN in order to continue the success of the aid. Peshmerga military commanders agree that the city should be back under the Iraqi Government’s control in the next two months. That being said, our humanitarian effort should be more robust than ever in order to protect the human rights of the civilians occupying this region.

However, because these humanitarian aid efforts have come at an increasing financial burden on member states, and since the Ukraine does not have funds to spare when it comes to supporting them, it is also important to consider the contributions that Non-Governmental Organizations could make to this cause. They were not accounted for in either of the two previously mentioned resolutions and since many are charities and do not require funding from the UN, they are a sensible way to contribute to our ongoing efforts in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere. These would certainly need to be protected from the terrorists that have previously impeded aid missions, which could be provided in accordance with the methods that Security Council Resolution 2258 sets out.

While it is certain that humanitarian aid needs to be contributed to the civilians caught in the crossfire of this crisis, Ukraine has neither the monetary nor the military resources to provide this. Ukrainian Parliament member Andriy Illienko states, “It is a crime to take refugees from other countries if your own country is at war and struggling with economic crisis. We have to take care of the migrants from Donbas.” However, part of how terrorist groups have remained prominent is the modernization of their recruitment techniques. Part of the attraction of members to ISIS stems from the success that ISIS has had thought the oil trade. Ukraine approves of resolution 2253, which has strengthened UN restrictions on trade with ISIS. Therefore,the economic benefit of joining ISIS will be further weakened. Part of the issue of recruitment that has not been solved yet by the UN is how ISIS uses the internet to gain membership. Today, according to the Pew Research Center there are as many as 90,000-200,000 pro-terrorism social media posts daily. Additionally, investigations have confirmed that ISIS often uses the internet to communicate between its members.

Recently, Ukraine has also experienced cyber-security issues and since then we have taken decisive action to solve these problems. Our government agencies have been subject to anti-government cyber insurgency, so we have created a cyber-security strategy that will, according to our state department, “create conditions for the safe operation of cyberspace for the benefit of [everyone].” This strategy will empower a number of Ukraine’s 100,000 IT experts to join upholding our democratic government’s authority.

This same strategy can be applied to ensuring that ISIS does not take advantage of the internet to strengthen its terrible grip on the institutions and citizens of the Middle East. A cyber security task force composed of the foremost experts from participating UN member nations would come together to monitor ISIS’s activity over the internet across the globe.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Oscar Luna
School: Instituto Educativo Olinca

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a terrorist organization that comes from Al Qaeda. Through out the last years, the organization has grown to become a mayor peril to the stability of the Middle East. To this day ISIL control vast part of Iraq and Syria. This group originated as part of AL Qaeda, but since 2011 Daesh got independence and started to create a Caliphate.

Although there has been an international coalition to stop the threat of Daesh, this coalition has proved ineffective because of the different approaches of the members of the Security Council. Furthermore, the intervention of the Coalition has provoked that the Islamic State started making terrorist attacks to the counties of the Coalition. For example, the attacks to Paris and Nice and the threats to the malls in USA.

Iraq, with the help of the Kurdistan Pershmergas and the Aircrafts of the coalition has successfully defeated Daesh in cities like Kirkuk but Mosul, the second biggest city in the country still remains under the control of the Islamic State that has proclaimed it their capital.

(POSITION)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a permanent member of the Security Council and as a member of the International Coalition firmly believes that ISIL represents the biggest threat to the free world and will continue attacking with the Aircrafts.

United Kingdom does not support the actions of Russia President Putin in helping the government of Bashar Al Assad as UK believes that his presence has only helped to worsen the conflict with ISIL as well as condemned the attacks to rebel city of Aleppo.

As it was reflected in the Brexit and as one of the ideologies of the new government of Theresa May, The United Kingdom will not accept any solution that implies taking more refugees.

(PROPOSITIONS)

United Kingdom proposes:

•To keep the Coalition together and continue with the bombing of strategic points of Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

•Not to support the Russian and Syrian way to fight ISIS since UK considers that many innocent people have died because of the brutality of Al Assad government.

•In order to prevent the massive causalities that an invasion would cause, to support the Peshmergas (Kurdish armed force) that have proved to be the most effective way to fight ISIS.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: United States
Delegate Name: Daniel Slaw
School: Forest Hills Central High School

As President Obama said in 2014, “Our objective is clear: We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism strategy.” ISIL has been a major problem to international peace and security in Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East.

The United States “will not hesitate to use lawful and necessary force unilaterally to systematically degrade and destroy violent extremist groups.” The United States has “aggressively hunted down terrorists across borders, killing Osama Bin Laden and decimating Al Qaeda’s senior leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We have done the same with many of ISIL’s top leaders, as American fighters, bombers, drones, and artillery are routinely now pounding ISIL targets. The 66-member coalition that President Obama has marshaled has carried out more than 11,500 airstrikes to date, not only hitting ISIL fighting positions, bunkers, and staging areas, but also degrading ISIL’s ability to move fighters and materiel; and targeting the oil production, industrial base, and money-storing facilities that ISIL needs to finance its violence.”

“We recognize that force cannot be the only – or even the primary – way we advance our interests.” The United States firmly believes that – specifically in eastern Aleppo – force through airstrikes and bombings are not the best plan of action. The United States will do whatever we can to find a political solution to this conflict and end this violence.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism has declared that the Assad regime and ISIL have used chemical weapons against the Syrian people. The United States wishes to remove and stop all chemical weapons from being used in the area. It is precisely this which strengthens ISIL. “No single factor has been a bigger boon for the recruitment of groups like ISIL than the horrors committed by the Assad regime. Each time the Syrian military has gassed a civilian neighborhood; or barrel-bombed a school, hospital, or bread line; or cut off another community from vital humanitarian aid, starving helpless men, women, and children to death – every time the Assad regime has not just succeeded in inflicting tremendous suffering on Syrian people, it has fueled the hatred that ISIL and extremist groups use to draw more fighters to their cause, including thousands of foreign fighters holding American and EU passports.” Thus, we must come together and prevent the Assad regime from committing any more humanitarian atrocities.

The United States strongly encourages Russia and Syria to stop all bombings in this area immediately. The United States notes that France is also strongly for this policy of a stoppage of all bombings. Russia temporarily paused bombing for an eight-hour “humanitarian pause” previously. “However, Russia’s total unwillingness to coordinate this unilateral pause with the United Nations and other partners prevents humanitarian partners from organizing any deliveries of aid. And as the United Nations has made clear, an eight-hour pause does not even begin to address the city’s humanitarian needs. The last delivery of food there was on July 7. The remaining food stocks are nearly depleted. So a population of hundreds of thousands is about to run out of food, at risk of literal starvation. Strikes from this offensive carried out by Russia and the regime have destroyed or damaged every single hospital in eastern Aleppo and killed doctors and first responders. The siege keeps medicine out, and traps at least 200 critically injured Syrians who desperately need medical evacuation in. The UN has said that there is food and medicine available in western Aleppo – mere meters away – but the Assad regime will not give permission to deliver it.“ Yet, the United States also realizes that Russia is unlikely to just stop all bombings. The United States is very willing to work with Russia in forming an agreement.

As noted in UN Security Council Resolution 2170, “terrorism can only be defeated by a sustained and comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all States” Therefore, our first priority is to encourage others to join in this important endeavor.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Uruguay
Delegate Name: Nikolas Zazula
School: Vicksburg High School

The delegation of Uruguay recognizes the drastic threat that ISIL has posed the UN’s mission to promote international peace and security in the Middle East. While there is a significant amount of international involvement on various sides fueling the conflict, it is of the utmost importance to the United Nations to focus on the detrimental effects that the conflict in Syria has on its inhabitants. The Assad regime in Syria has demonstrated itself to be an oppressive force of government, one that is corrupt and that is not acceptable by the United Nation’s standards. However, we must look at the effects of both Assad and the involvement of other nations in the conflict, and how these encourage the actions of ISIL.

The oppressive behavior of Assad and the Islamic State have had a great contribution to the conflict at hand, and have consistently violated international law. Through the use of chemical weapons, and by starving and bombing their citizens, the Syrian government has not only destroyed their international image, but has on all account committed heinous acts of horror and violence that fuels the cause of revolutionary groups. The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF) has originated from this conflict in order to fight the oppression they face in the middle east. However, both the oppressive behavior exhibited by Assad and the violence caused by the intervention of other forces in the region has also furthered support of groups like ISIL. The mess of violence in Syria has to stop with both an end to the oppressive behavior of the Assad regime, and the embargo of arms by outside nations to groups in the region.

The delegation of Uruguay strongly advocates for the support of a ceasefire, although that would only be a short-term solution. Placing embargoes on trade with the parties involved in the conflict and putting sanctions on the Syrian government would be a method of reducing the conflict overall, but would only increase the suffering of the Syrian people, and wouldn’t deescalate the tension overall. Our best option is to support the installation of a stable, democratic form of government that doesn’t act violently against its civilians such as we’ve seen with Assad. By putting an end to the violence incited by the Syrian government, we can deescalate tensions and violence in the region, and adequately provide more reliable aid to those in Syria. This will allow us to then shift our focus to providing a stable form of government that discourages acts of terrorism.

Groups like ISIL and other terrorist organizations don’t purely act out of random hatred, they believe their actions are justified and necessary. The oppressive behavior shown by both the Syrian government and intervening forces have only furthered the cause of these dangerous groups, and the violent behavior must come to an end. The delegation of Uruguay looks forward to working with other nations in the Security Council to best find comprehensive and effective actions to take in de-escalating conflict, and providing aid to the Syrian people.

Topic: Situation in the Middle East
Country: Venezuela
Delegate Name: Eric Payerle
School: Mattawan High School

The Middle East is currently rife with turmoil. It is an area of constantly warring factions and dangerous insurgencies. The most recent of being ISIS. They captured large swaths of Iraq and Syria before being slowly pushed back by Iraqi and coalition forces. Even as Iraqi forces slowly take Mosul back from ISIS they are still a credible threat to the stability of the region. The threat of ISIS, the civil war in Yemen and Syria and other regional problems prevent stability from being found. This lack of stability prevents humanitarian missions from reaching those impacted by the violence and severely prevents the development of the region. This has created a dire humanitarian situation with vast numbers of refugees fleeing to other nations. This tide of refugees has created problems such as terror attacks and strain on governments to relocate and care for so many migrants at once.

The Middle East is crucial in the economy of the world. They hold over half of the world’s proven oil reserves and this creates significant economic influence. Instability in the middle east leads to instability in oil prices which impacts many aspects of today’s economy. This is just one example of how regional instability can impact the whole world. War is preventing middle eastern economies from developing and becoming reliable trading partners with the rest of the world. Oil is an important component of the Venezuelan economy and unstable oil prices creates trouble for our people. There are a number of nations that share this predicament. Those fleeing from violence are straining national governments and creating another humanitarian crisis. The threat of terror attacks influenced by insurgents in this region is felt all around the globe. These are issues that impact every nation in the globe in a variety of ways.

Venezuela wants to see this council take steps towards promoting stability and getting the middle east to a point where it is feasible to resume sending humanitarian aid. The most important thing we can do is help bring stability back to such a region. With stability, humanitarian missions can begin again and economies can begin to grow. Venezuela believes that helping to promote legitimate governments and create opportunity for peace talks will help create stability. It is essential that we work to lessen fighting by supporting legitimate national governments and helping them work towards ceasefires and negotiations instead of outright conflict. While working towards peace, we must support governments that are battling insurgencies looking to create chaos. At the end of the day, we must support the sovereignty of legitimate middle eastern governments while fighting insurgencies and bringing stability to the region.