Security Council

As you may or may not know, BMUN 58 is a waste neutral conference. In committee we’ll be having a no disposable water bottles policy, so if you plan on bringing water to drink during committee you should bring a canteen or cooler. There will be water fountains near committee to refill your canteen/cooler with.

We will also be selling some awesome BMUN steel canteens during Saturday’s delegate dance for $10, along with other BMUN goodies like t-shirts. I’ll get back to you on the booty shorts.

One day until BMUN 58! See you guys tomorrow!

-Jason

China is still holding on to its policy of no sanctions against Iran. And why wouldn’t they? Does drafting sanctions against Iran help Chinese interests abroad, especially with a foreign policy known to be centered heavily around the two goals of energy and access to markets? Would Chinese reluctance to a resolution calling for strict sanctions undermine the “international solidarity” that the US has called for, and in either case, what repercussions could this have on the implementation of stricter actions against Iran in the future? If sanctions fail to impede Iran’s nuclear ambitions, what is the next logical, (possibly) diplomatic step? Would global solidarity be a factor in this case?

I’m glad to see more comments on news posts. Keep them coming! Although there isn’t an official point system for blog posts, the comments are “unofficially” weighed into awards consideration and are included when we deliver an overall evaluation of a delegate’s performance before and during committee.

Only 8 more days until BMUN 58!

-Jason

Due to an incorrect listing of the emails, i’ll be extending the deadline of the position papers for our committee only. Position papers will be due 1 week from today (March 3). Please email them to bmun58sc@gmail.com

If you have any other question regarding position papers (anything really), feel free to email us.

- Sohail

Amidst reconstruction in Haiti and potential election fraud in the Ukraine, the president of Niger has recently been apprehended during what appears to be a coup orchestrated by the Nigerian military. While the article linked above is relatively ambiguous, this is news is still quite disturbing as the entire governmental structure of Niger is disassembled and seems to be approaching a failed state. While no statement has yet been issued from the UN or African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has declared that should the Nigerian government collapse, it would intervene “as quickly as it could to ensure order was maintained and constitutional order restored as soon as possible.” What jurisdiction does the Security Council have in resolving this issue? If Niger is indeed declared a failed state, will the UN have a prerogative to intervene or cooperate with Ecowas?

-Kareem

Just a very, very brief update on the Ukraine elections. Apparently, reality has dealt the Ukraine an ominous yet all too familiar hand: Tymoshenko, the once heroine of Ukraine’s famed 2004 Orange Revolution, has refused to resign her position as Prime Minister, citing election fraud in her loss to leader of the opposition Viktor Yanukovych.

As in the last update, keep the foreign policy implications of Yanukovych, a self-proclaimed Russian sympathist, in mind. However, the real crisis is now one of the Ukrainian democratic system. Post-election conflict is nothing new in the Ukraine, but thought to have been part of an era past the present state system. Think about what implications the failure of democracy in the Ukraine, one of the more influential democracies in the region, will have on the rest of Eastern Europe. How will this crisis, in every possible outcome, shift the balance of a lingering east-west tension in Europe? The EU and Russian Federation are undoubtedly paying close attention as the situation develops.

The Security Council has yet to discuss this issue, but given Ukraine’s geopolitical stature in the region, it is not because it is thought to be an unimportant topic. Stay tuned.

-Jason

Important moments in little Ukraine as the presidential elections come to a close. Leader of the opposition Viktor Yanukovich is all but set to come to power pending an official announcement from incumbent Yulia Tymoshenko tomorrow. In a state as ravaged by the international economic crisis as any, tough times have helped bring a return to form for Yanukovich’s Party of Regions and its pro-Russian policies.

The foreign policy implications for the region, an important player in gas supply for the region, under Yanukovich, include a distinct paradigm shift for the east-west politics of the region. Think about how this election will affect foreign policy in Europe, and particularly in Russia, where Prime Minister Putin has already made clear a more aggressive shift. Furthermore, this election isn’t done and out yet – what implications can this election, were it to ultimately fail, have on the democratic processes of Ukraine and other emerging eastern European democracies? This isn’t the first time Ukraine has faced a democratic crisis.

Also, the customary Iran update.

As the conference gets closer and closer, I would also like to urge you delegates to become more active in helping out our relative lack of comments. Posting on these blogs rewards you with a number of intangibles for BMUN 58: getting your policy out there, finding friends and allies, and name recognition by your colleagues (and dais) are just some of the reasons why this is a good idea.

Looking forward to the conference!

-Jason

In the recent months, several isolated events revolving around tensions between the United States and China have transpired. Most recently, Barack Obama has finally agreed to meet the Dalai Lama, amidst a whirlwind of protest from the Chinese government, who consider the Dalai Lama a rebellious leader. The White House had earlier refused to hold this meeting in 2009, citing Sino-US relations as concern. What factors do you think have resulted in this policy shift?

By the end of January, the United States had facilitated the sale of roughly $6 billion in weapons to Taiwan (The Republic of China) , a country whose relations with China have been strained since it’s founding in 1945. This also sparked protest from the PRC, stating that this sale would have a “serious negative impact” on relations between China and the US. Again, why do you think the US acted as it did, despite the obvious reaction the Chinese government would issue?

One possible theory is that the US is indirectly reacting to the spree of Chinese cyber attacks into US networks. Several of these attacks have targeted major US corporations, most notably Google and Adobe. However, it has not been proven that any of these attacks were sponsored by the Chinese government, only that they originated from the Chinese mainland.

Given that tensions between two of the world’s most powerful countries, what do you think the Security Council can do to help ease relations between the US and China? As always, your comments are encouraged.

-Kareem

A reminder: position papers are due today if you wish to be considered for a research award. Please e-mail them to bmun58sc@gmail.com. Position papers can continue to be turned in until Feb. 22, but that will only qualify you for a committee award. Email us if you have any questions and/or concerns.

Despite heavy western pressure, Iran’s Nuclear Chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, claimed that they would continue enriching uranium to 20% and will attempt building 10 new enrichment sites during the next year. Further sanctions have been called to be put in place by the Security Council and western powers are trying to take preventative measures.

Consider Robert Gates, the US’s secretary of Defense, statement: “We have to face the reality that if Iran continues and develops nuclear weapons, it almost certainly will provoke nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. This is a huge danger.” Does your country believe this is the case? How does the alleged Israeli MWD inventory as well as the neighboring Pakistan/India nuclear power play into this? How does the issue of sovereignty affect the situation?

For more info, click here.

As recently as December 2009, the Security Council (the real life one) examined the continuing struggle in Congo. Eastern Congo is an area plagued by human trafficking, weapons trafficking, and ethnic warfare. The Kivu conflict origins root from the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and the ethnic conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu continue. The Tutsi militia, ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers and led by Laurent Nkunda, have been scrutinized for their alleged Human Rights violations that were reported by Human Rights Watch during the 2008 Nord-Kivu campaign.

Is the MONUC effective as an organization? Should the UN look for a different approach in Congo?

Check out HWR’s 2007 report here.