Delegate’s Name:
Beldie, Iustin
Nation Represented:
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Committee:
1st committee of the General Assembly - (DISEC)
School:
Nyborg Gymnasium
The issues brought before the 1st committee The issues of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) are the following: i. The development of cyber warfare and possible threat to international security ii. Disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological mass destruction and conventional weapons iii. Combating the use of barrel bombs in conflict situations The delegation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela aims for peace in the region, and for a good relation with its partners. The Republic also aims for solving this issues as best as possible, through diplomacy and debate.
i.
The development of cyber warfare and possible threat to international security Cyberwarfare is a modern way of conducting war, affecting everyone, including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Cyberwarfare is defined by actions carried out by a state or a non-state actor against another state for purposes of disruption or damage. To ensure digital safety, the Bolivarian Republic has supported the Argentine Republic and the Federative Republic of Brazil1 in building a shield for the South American cyberspace. The biggest aggressor in the region are the United States of America, which penetrate the cyberspace without permission. The Federative Republic of Brazil was proven one of the most affected countries. The United States of America also aggress the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 2, by building electronic databases capable of emitting radio signals to interfere with other nations internet network. These databases can cause great damage to the Venezuelan internet network, which is used by more than 50% of the population, and therefore the Bolivarian Republic considers this a threat to its national security. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is currently developing drones for defence purposes3, as the republic has no interest in armed attack. Nevertheless, the Bolivarian
1 http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/brazil-argentina-push-forjoint-cyber-shield-for-south-america/article5386962.ece 2 http://lainfo.es/en/2014/06/05/u-s-prepares-cyber-warfare-against-venezuela/ 3 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18446112 Page 1 of 3
Republic opposes the Unites States’ drone attacks, such as the attacks on the Syrian Arab Republic. In order to solve the possible threat to international security, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela seeks international cooperation against oppressing nations that put the international security at risk, by passing resolutions against unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks. Since UAVs are cheaper than traditional aircraft, and do not require manned support inside them, it is much more threatening to the international security. To ensure that such an event will not happen, The United Nations 1st committee (DISEC) of the General Assembly together with the General Assembly must come to an agreement where drone usage is suitable and where it is not. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would support drone usage for defence purposes, since the republic has interest in protecting its citizens. Regarding cyberattacks, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would like to see international cooperation against this problem. Since cyberwarfare can affect the majority of civilians, it needs to be prevented before it happens. The Bolivarian Republic would also like protection from its enemies and aggressors. ii. Disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological mass destruction and conventional weapons Weapons of mass destruction are highly dangerous and therefore the United Nations are working on disarming them, as seen in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 18874, which restricts the usage of weapons of mass destruction. All of the South American states are considered Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, and therefore claim to possess no weapons of mass destruction. However, since weapons of mass destruction are a global issue, every nation is concerned, including the Bolivarian Republic. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela does not possess any weapons of mass destruction5, and has shown little interest in pursuing development. Since the republic gets most of its energy needs from petroleum, nuclear power is not needed, and therefore nuclear facilities are minimal. The Bolivarian Republic has ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in 1975 and the Tlatelolco Treaty in 1968, proving the republic’s contribution to the international safety. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela condemns all weapons of mass destruction6 and wishes to pass resolutions and treaties in order to eliminate these weapons progressively with no exceptions. The Republic would like to discourage the usage of weapons of mass destruction, and thereby further encourage disarmament of 4 UN Resolution 1887: http://www.cfr.org/international-organizations-andalliances/un-security-council-resolution-1887-non-proliferation/p20316 5 http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/venezuela/ 6 http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/venezuela/index.html Page 2 of 3
these weapons. These arms are can cause immense damage to the planet and therefore threaten the international security. Therefore, weapons of mass destruction have no place in the modern society. However, the Bolivarian Republic wishes to maintain peaceful usage of nuclear power and research.
iii. Combating the use of barrel bombs in conflict situations Barrel bombs are civilian made bombs made of TNT that cause thousands deaths ,because they are inaccurate and highly dangerous. These kind of bombs are mostly used in Syrian Arab Republic by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and since the start of the civil war have caused thousands of civilian deaths. The South øAmerican nations have not used any barrel bombs, but since Syrian refugees are spreading all over the world, this issue needs to be solved. 7
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is not a user of barrel bombs, and does not support the usage of these weapons. The republic was also supportive in resolutions passed against barrel bomb usage, such as Resolution 2139 of the United Nations Security Council8, as long as it did not affect the sovereignty of its partner, the Syrian Arab Republic. Since these kind of bombs are used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which are official enemies of over 60 members of the United Nations (such as the United States of America, the French Republic and the Russian Federation), this issue needs to be resolved The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is willing to pass any resolutions against barrel bombs as long as no interests of the republic or its allies are infringed. A possible solution would be restricting the TNT supply reaching the Syrian region by making a TNT embargo.
7 https://munnyborg.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/ga1i3.pdf 8 Resolution 2139: http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp? symbol=S/RES/2139(2014) Page 3 of 3
