Political Committee

Honorable Delegates of the Political Committee,

It is with great honor and joy that we invite you to attend the third edition of the annual IASIMUN conference.

When it comes to politics, one may have already heard a lot of distinct theories throughout the years, from Rousseau`s “Social Contract” to the witty remarks of Will Rogers, who said that “this country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer”.

Whichever your own beliefs are, you must have already been intrigued by the complexity and charm of political debates. And here is your chance to find out more about the life of a high level politician! Among other Model United Nations experiences, delegates will propose resolutions, vote on ammendments, form alliances and stand up for their creative ideas.

Also, just as international relations are diverse, we have chosen for you topics that range from present-day Internet spies to arcane contracts that give rise to conflict. Last but not least, we hope that through these negotiations you will challenge yourself and make the most out of IasiMUN 2011.

Sincerely,
Ciprian Cristea, Ioana Andrei and Amada El-Sabeh, chairs of the Political Committee
political.iasimun@gmail.com

Political Topics

1. Dealing with the Jasmine Revolution

Since the 18^th of December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt; a civil war in Libya; civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman, and minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon,  Mauritania,  Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. Some have named these events The Jasmine Revolution or The Arab Spring. Clashes at the borders of Israel in May 2011 have also been inspired by the regional Arab Spring. The protests have shared techniques of civil resistance in sustained campaigns involving strikes, demonstrations, marches and rallies, as well as the use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Skype, to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and internet censorship. These protests shared a common goal: overthrowing dysfunctional governments. This series of events took the world by surprise. Some of these protests have already degenerated into civil war. We should find a way to prevent or at the very least manage a future civil war which is beginning to seem more and more likely.

Questions to consider:

1. What might cause such uprisings?
2. Should neighboring countries intervene? If yes, how? If no, why?
3. Should other associations such as NATO intervene? If yes, why and how? Should these organizations cooperate with each other and the UN? Who should be in command?
4. Is there a way to prevent such protests from scaling up to civil war? Also can this trend be confined to the Middle East and Northern Africa? How can such protests be prevented without violating any of the articles in the Universal Convention for Human Rights?

2. Reducing international military spending

World military expenditure in 2010 is estimated to have reached $1.62 trillion, which represents a 50% increase since 2001. There is an evident concentration in military spending, seeing as the first 15 countries that pay the largest sums cover 82% of the total. Furthermore, while various sectors of governmental spending have been cut back on a global scale due to the financial and economic crisis military costs seem to be increasing. Military expenditure is a vital part of the state’s strategy of maintaining their global and regional influence, regardless of real or presumed threats. Another side of this issue is nuclear weapons. Seeing as there are many conflicts it is safe to assume that some day one might trigger a conflagration of global proportions. Some countries still possess nuclear weapons and no one can predict whether they will use them or not. They are also quite expensive to maintain and deliver to the target. Perhaps it is time to divert some of the military expenditure into nuclear disarmament.

The irony is that poverty fuels violence and defense spending has a tendency to rise during times of economic hardship. However, there is a tendency for non-developing countries to allocate more funds to military programs such as training, weapon acquisitions or defense schemes, and less to programs that intend to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals.

Questions to consider:

1. How can the UN encourage a reduction in military spending? Can some of the money be diverted to somewhere else?
2. How can we be assured that there aren’t any more nuclear weapons built? Also, how can we encourage nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament?
3. How does the international weapon trade affect military spending? Can it be limited?
4. Military spending is also responsible for peacekeeping operations. Has this sector proven effective or should part of its funds be transferred elsewhere?

3. The conflict between Israel and neighboring countries

In 1963, the Arab League decided to introduce a new weapon in its war against Israel — the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The PLO’s belligerent rhetoric was matched by deeds. Terrorist attacks by the group grew more frequent. In 1965, 35 raids were conducted against Israel. In 1966, the number increased to 41. Israel’s response to the attacks was the 1967 six-day war which it won. Israel took effective control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The war was followed by the Khartoum Resolution, which is known for its “Three No’s”: “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it.” This is followed by the War of Attrition.

In June 1982, Zionists occupy Southern Lebanon. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was created with the purposes of helping the Lebanese Government reestablish itself, help the population and primarily to confirm Israeli withdrawal from the country. The Israeli troops took 62 UN Lebanese soldiers as prisoners. The UNILIF’s mandate expires on the 31^st of August, 2011. There are many other resolutions besides the previously mentioned ones, like Resolution 508 which demands an end of foreign hostilities taking place on Lebanese territory between the Palestinians and Israel.

The casualties and costs of these conflicts are great. Had there been peace and cooperation between Israel and Arab League nations since 1991, the average Israeli citizen would be earning over $44,000 instead of $23,000 in 2010. In terms of the human cost, estimates range from 51,000 to 92,000 fatalities.

The new Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati is supported by the Hezbollah which first emerged in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and it receives financial and political help from Iran and Syria.

Questions to consider:

1. What impact do the wars have on the international community and on what levels?
2. There is the question of Palestine: a one or two state solution?
3. How can the countries involved be encouraged to cooperate?
4. Is there a short-term solution to manage the conflict? How about a permanent one?

Political Committee Co-Chairs:

Ioana Andrei

Ioana has been a fan of IASIMUN ever since the first conference in 2009. Though not possessing enough debating skills in the beginning, at the second conference she discovered the satisfaction and benefits that come with public speaking and solution planning. And so, in her last year of high-school she wants to know how it is to work in the backstage and to help create a proper environment for teenagers to put their minds together and fight for a common goal. She is looking forward to meeting this year’s delegates and encourages them to speak up and stand for their countries.

Ciprian Cristea

Ciprian’s MUN career began in 2009, when he attended the first IasiMUN conference. It continued in 2010 when he participated as a delegate in GalMUN and as a chair in IasiMUN’s Environment Committee. He is excited about this year’s conference, since IasiMUN always felt promising. He hopes that this year’s edition will live up to his expectations, just like in 2010. Ciprian is looking forward to cooperating with the delegates in order to solve the issues outlined in this year’s topics.

Amada El-Sabeh

Amada’s MUN experience began as a delegate of the IasiMUN Human Rights Committee in 2009 and since then her passion for debating and her awareness of the world started to grow. The next year, after being trained by Mr. David Pi, the person who introduced the city of Iasi to MUNs, she became the Deputy Chair of the Human Rights Committee and an organizer of the 2011 IasiMUN Conference. Because her experiences in both years have been great, she chose to continue to be a part of the 2011 team, in which she is a Chair of the Political Committee. Amada is ready to meet the politicians of this year’s conference and hopes for as great a conference as the other ones proved to be.