Topic:
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delegate Name: Nora Cowen
Ballistic missiles have a long history internationally, spanning all the way back to the 13th century. Such weapons have the ability to accurately deliver over great distances at high speeds, causing ballistic missiles to be an issue of international concern. Systems that place satellites into orbit and carry humans into space, can equally deliver nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction. When nations react by deploying anti-ballistic missile systems to counter threats, this can spur further missile development, creating a vicious spiral with grave implications for international peace and security. Facing the issues caused by ballistic missiles is difficult, there is no current legally binding multilateral instrument that specifically deals with the conflict. Some steps have been made to limit missiles and other missile-related technologies, such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the Hague Code of Conduct (HCoC).
The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently the president of the UN Conference on Disarmament that met in June 2022. DRC previously bought SCUD missiles from Iran in 1999 to help protect itself from invaders. In October of 2022, DRC military troops clashed with rebels along its eastern borders which ended up in the blockage of a vital trading route for the Congo. While the conflict was not directly over missiles, nor involved the usage of any weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the safety of the people is essential in this case. Despite its past actions, DRC has considered signing HCoC with its ally Belgium but has not officially signed the resolution as of November 2022.
DRC would like to continue its state of peace, however, it is strongly for the safety of its borders and citizens. The nation would like to define what the peaceful use of WMD means in an international context and would highly appreciate the continued peaceful use of missiles. DRC encourages collaboration with Belgium and Germany, as well as other pan-African nations to support their ideas.
