Security Council B

Welcome to SUNS 2009!

Committee: Security Council

Topic B: Nuclear Disarmament

Director: Sebastian Zepeda

Moderator: Mariana Estrada Jose

IMPORTANT WORDS:

Heavy Water Reactor: A neutron moderator in which nuclear power is converted from nuclear fuel. Heavy Water is also described as deuterium oxide. The reactors are used in nuclear power plants to produce nuclear power from nuclear fuel.

Light Water Reactor: The opposite of a heavy water reactor it works as a cooler to cool down the deuterium oxide. Also it’s considered a common used thermal reactor which does not produce a heavy amount of energy.

Weapons of Mass Destruction: A weapon used in war which can cause heavily proportional damage to the territory which is launched
(examples: Nuclear missiles, Biological Weapons.etc.)

Non proliferation Treaty: A treaty which was signed by 189 countries. This treaty establishes that no other country except the 5 veto powers can posses Nuclear Weapons to its use, and only if it is necessary to be employed at war.

Nuclear Proliferation: The spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and warfare applicable nuclear technology and information

HISTORY OF THE TOPIC: (WHEN, WHY, WHERE, AND HOW DID THE PROBLEM STARTED?)

When: The problem originated when the world realized the damage that nuclear bombs caused in Japan in 1945. 23 years later the NPT was signed with 43 countries that agreed that only the 5 veto powers of the Security Council would be authorized to have nuclear weapons to be used ONLY IF NECESSARY. By now 189 countries have signed the NPT actually there are 6 countries (Libya, India, Israel, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea) that posses nuclear weapons, although they have not launched any public threat to international security, the world fears many countries posses nuclear arsenals by the simple reason that it could bring the world as we know it to a dooms day war.

Why: The NPT is based upon three pillars, which consist in:

1.Non Proliferation: Only five countries (Russia, UK, China, US and France) are authorized to have nuclear arsenal. The proliferation of nuclear weapons has caused that many countries that are not authorized to have nuclear weapons nowadays have nuclear arsenals that threat international peace.

2.Disarmament: Even though there are original and rectified possessors of nuclear weapons , there are many other countries that posses nuclear weapons independently from what was stated in the NPT) there are actually six countries that posses nuclear weapons that are either rectified by the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) or the Disarmament Committee. The S.C veto powers headed by the U.S. have stated that allowing more countries than necessary to have nuclear weapons is futile and the simple fact that countries with a twisted political view posses nuclear weapons is a threat to safety.

3.Peaceful use of nuclear energy: The third pillar allows the countries that signed the NPT, to trespass, work with, and to manage, nuclear energy. However this has some regulations. The NPT along with the IAEA verifies that the use of nuclear energy is for CIVILLIAN USE ONLY.

ACTUAL CONFLICTS (now this is what happens today!)

Currently the race to have nuclear energy is very narrow, and every country wants to posses nuclear energy because it’s cheaper and it’s easier to use. Also nuclear energy has its dark side. The production of nuclear weapons will ensure any country respect and fear in the international community. Up to now there are problems that threat international peace, but the two that are closest to provoke an international. conflict are Iran and North Korea.

IRAN:

In the region of Middle East in where Iran and Israel are fighting because of the Arab-Jew conflicts. The worst part came when it was suspected that Iran had nuclear weapons. This brought the possibility of a nuclear war that could wipe out the entire country of Israel. The situation got worse when the USA interfered to Israel’s side and menaced Iran to back off or to suffer the consequences. Iran continued threatening Israel. This made that the U.S move their troops. The S.C worked priory on Iran to make them reconsider and to resolve Israel’s conflict by the means of speaking and negotiating, Iran refused and continued the threats. In 2007 it was rumored but not confirmed that the U.S was supplying nuclears to Israel to defend themselves in case of an attack by Iran that in those times seemed imminent. Iran which reached the news that Israel possessed nuclears, backed off but continued with the threats and insults to the Jewish country.

NORTH KOREA:

After the war in Korea, North Korea began to develop nuclear technology with the help of the Soviet Union just with the purpose of intimidating the USA and its ally South Korea. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union North Korea continued with the remaining of the program and built a high scale nuclear weapon arsenal that according to North Korea it would be used merciless if they are provoked, The USA has tried to convince North Korea to reduce its nuclear arsenal by a 25% which North Korea refused and stated that their arsenal is only for when it is needed. The world deeply fears what North Korea can do because in May 25 of this year North Korea tested a nuclear bomb underground that was a as powerful as the bomb that the USA dropped on Hiroshima. North Korea demitted this and declared that the bomb didn’t reach the scale that Hiroshima’s bomb did. Instead they declared they are only testing low power bombs. North Korea declared that they would like to begin a third world war. The whole world fears what North Korea can do without any control whatsoever.

INDIA AND PAKISTAN:

India and Pakistan had held a very rough relationship due to the mixing of cultural and political ideas. Another thing they fight for is because they came from the same independent territory. In 1947 India gained its independence from Britain in 1947. Then the territory of India was divided into India and Pakistan. This countries have sustained in a long fight that in the past years has provoked that they launched sever al threats which involved the attack with nuclear weapon. The USA interfered along with the UN with peacekeeping troops that insured peace in that region which until now has maintained the conflicts between both countries in line. But the internal conflicts have not been suppressed and continue to be what threats the region.

LIBYA:

When Libya Joined the IAEA they were seen as a very dangerous country and a serious candidate of having nuclear weapons. With time passing on, Libya decided to quit on possessing nuclear weapons. However in 2003 there was discovered a nuclear plant near Tripoli which was capable of designing nuclear weapons. Later on the CIA confirmed that this plant was a Soviet donation and that the first nuclear weapon would be developed in 2007. It has not yet been fully confirmed that Libya´s weapon is ready. Libya until now is asking for external science technology that would help them complete their first nuclear weapon.

Disarmed Countries…

South Africa:

South Africa was the only country of Africa that openly accepted that they had nuclear weapons and they would use them only if their nation was in real danger. South Africa later accepted that having nuclear weapons could bring more instability to the international community and in 1999 South Africa had all of its nuclear weapons facilities dismantled South African government believes that it is better a disarmed but well prepare government than a heavily armored but not prepared nation.

POINTS OF VIEW:

USA: the United States, an original signer and rectifier of the NPT is against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Because it states that the more countries posses nuclear weapons, the harder it would be to impose an order in the whole world. George Bush said in 2005 that: The attack in Hiroshima was a disastrous consequence for Japanese acts, and that if it is needed to maintain peace in the world the US WOULD NOT DOUBT IN DOING IT AGAIN.

UK: The UK another signer and rectifier of the NPT is against of losing their nuclear arsenal, all of this because this process could cost £76 billion and in the actual state the world is going through, it would be fatal to the world’s economy.

France: Also an original possessor of nuclear weapons rectified by the NPT. France is in favor of nuclear disarmament. In fact France has committed itself to reduce its nuclear arsenal. France’s goal is to reach the international nuclear disarmament under the dictation s of the VI chapter of the NPT.

Russia: Along with the USA Russia signed the NPT in 1968, when the USSR broke off Russia assumed all the responsibilities of the former Soviet Union. Russia possesses the second largest arsenal of nuclear weapons just behind the USA. Russia has suministrated countries with small arms but never with nuclear weapons affirmed Vladimir Putin president of Russia. Russia as the USSR was in the edge of a nuclear war with the U.S but the breaking of the USSR prevented it, now Russia is more committed to international peace and security.

China: China is not fully immersed in possessing or not nuclear weapons. The only thing that China confirmed is that they possess the few nuclear weapons to defend their independence and sovereignty. China is against sanctions applied to countries that want to develop their nuclear arsenal. China states that it should be respected the decision of countries to have a nuclear arsenal.

SUMMING UP...

The Non Proliferation treaty specifies that only the five veto powers can posses nuclear weapons. For their defense and only for that and when the situation extremely requires it, the problems start when countries that were not authorized to have nuclear weapons, acquire them and the five veto powers recur to their authority to disarm them. The problem is that when countries that are armed expose their reasons or give reasons to be or not disarmed they generate a lot of controversy. Either if they should conserve their program or not, It also is a big problem because armed countries have countries that oppose or support them.

QUESTIONS FOR THE DELEGATE:

-Did your country sign the NPT?

-Is your country in favor of nuclear proliferation?

-Does your country have nuclear weapons?

-Does your country plan to use its weapons?

-What are your country’s solutions to the proliferation of nuclear weapons?

-Does your country posses declared or not declared weapons?

-What can your country propose to speed up nuclear disarmament?

-Is your country in favor of disarming not authorized countries?

-Does your country think to acquire or to build its own nuclear arsenal?

EXTRA FACTS!

-France was the country that took Iran’s case to the S.C