History of the United Nations Security Council

Transcription

1 United Nations Security Council Chairs: Frances Skinner and Olivia Duprez History of the United Nations Security Council The Security Council of the United Nations is established under chapter 5 of the UN Charter. Under this charter, the UNSC has four main tasks: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. 1 The Council itself is comprised of 15-member states. Five, being the Republic of China, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and France all maintain permanent member status. The five permanent members also hold veto power within the council and may block any potential resolution before the body should they so choose. The other ten members are elected two twoyear terms and may not be immediately re-elected. Whilst other bodies within the United Nations make recommendations to member states, the Security Council has the sole authority to pass binding resolutions, which all member states are obliged to follow under the UN Charter. 2 The Security council may use several measures to accomplish its tasks, including but not limited to: economic sanctions, travel bans, arms 1 UNSC, What is the Security Council, 2 UNSC, Functions and Powers,

2 embargoes, peacekeeping missions, issue investigations, sever diplomatic relations, or even take direct military action. What is the UN Charter? The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the United Nations. The Charter of the UN was signed on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco and came into force on October 24, The UN Charter addresses economic, social, health and related problems. Article 103 of the Charter states that obligations to the United Nations prevail over all other treaty obligations. There are currently 193 countries that are members of the United Nations. 3 The Security Council shall act in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations (refer to Chapters Vi, VII, VIII, and XIII in the Charter of the United Nations). The Security Council shall submit annual, and when necessary, special reports to the General Assembly for consideration. The committee shall adopt its own rules of procedures, including the method of selecting its President. Any member of the United Nations that is not a member of the council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council whenever it is considered to affect their interests. Any state which is not a member of the United Nations, may participate, without a vote in discussions if deemed appropriate by the Security Council. Current role of the United Nations Security Council? In this session of the Security Council, member states will be tasked with addressing the rising tensions between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as Ending the violence and persecution of the Rohingya People in Myanmar. While both the situations in Ukraine and Myanmar have escalated in recent times, this session provides the Security Council with the opportunity to prevent any further upsurges of violence. 3 Member States. Retrieved from

3 Resources UN Website: CIA World Factbook: Journal of the UN: Best Delegate: Topic 1:The rising tensions between the Russian Federation and the Ukraine How did the situation begin? Since 1991 relations between the Russian Federation and the Ukraine have been volatile. Changes in policy, state leaders and times of war left the countries with only formal interactions. As of 2010, Former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych had built cooperative relations with Russia through trade agreements. However, in November of 2013, mass waves of civil demonstrations, referred to as Euromaidan, broke out in Ukraine s capital city of Kiev after the Ukrainian President decided to end conversations regarding a Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement. 4 Following this announcement, peaceful protests occurred for several months. Russophone citizens in eastern and southern Ukraine (the traditional base for Yanukovych s support) began to push in favor of building closer ties with Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAU), which is a political and economic union of states located in central and northern Eurasia. On November 30, 2013, Berkut Special Police forcefully dispersed student-aged protestors with truncheons (police batons). This event sparked additional protests focused less on the European Union Agreement and more on anti-government corruption. The Ukrainian government responded to the protests with state security forces which resulted in the Ukrainian Revolution of Protestors demanded the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych from power. The President claimed that the actions were a coup and he fled the country. On March 16th, 2014, a controversial referendum was held on the status of Crimea. Crimea is a peninsula, almost completely bordered by the Black Sea and is in close proximity to the Sea of Azov (which are Russian controlled waters). 5 The referendum was held by the 4 Bilash, B., II. (2016, February 23). How it all happened Page 2 of 4. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from 5 Kim, L. (2018, November 28). Why The Crisis Between Ukraine And Russia Has Taken To The Sea. Retrieved from

4 Autonomous Republic of Crimea the local government of Sevastopol (both subdivisions of Ukraine) to determine whether the local populations wanted to join Russia or if they wanted to restore Crimea as part of Ukraine. An overwhelming percentage of voters in Crimea supported joining Russia. 6 The Russian Federation took advantage of Ukraine s weak state and the referendum by seizing control of Crimea. 7 President Putin made claims that he was protecting the rights of the Russian citizens and speakers in Crimea and southern Ukraine. The aftermath of Euromaidan... The 2014 Ukrainian Revolution led to The War of Donbass in April of Pro-Russian activists stormed the Security Services Office (SBU) in Donetsk and Luhansk, taking control of the SBU armory. Protestors in Luhansk and Donetsk, declared independence from Ukraine, naming their new proto-states as The Luhansk People s Republic (LPR) and the People s Republic of Donetsk (DPR). The LPR and DPR claimed their unification in Russia upon declaration of independence. Russia provided LPR and DPR with military and humanitarian aid, but along with other UN countries, Russia still did not officially recognize these people's republics. 8 6 Morris, Chris. Crimea Referendum: Voters 'Back Russia Union'. BBC News, BBC, 16 Mar. 2014, 7 Shaw, A. (2015, March 09). Vladimir Putin boasts of planning Ukraine invasion as he vowed to bring Crimea back to Russia. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from 8 Socor, V. (2018, November 26). Russia Recognizes the Donetsk-Luhansk 'Republics' in Russia's Own Hybrid Way. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from

5 Along with the Ukrainian government, many world leaders and organizations condemned the annexation of Crimea, considering it to be a violation of international law. Russia has signed agreements with Ukraine such as the Belavezha Accords 9, the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurance 10 and the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership 11, which all were intended to safeguard the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Members of the Group of Eight (G8), which is an inter-governmental political forum, chose to suspend Russia indefinitely following the annexation of Crimea in In February of 2015, France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine brokered a cessation addressing the violence in Ukraine through the Minsk Accords. This agreement included a cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy weaponry, and all full Ukrainian government control throughout the conflict zone but ultimately this resolution was unsuccessful. A round of sanctions were placed on Russia by the United States, the European Union, and other countries and international organizations and these sanctions have contributed to the collapse of the Russian ruble and the Russian financial crisis, but sanctions also affected a number of EU countries. According to Ukrainian officials, sanctions on Russia have undermined their military advances in the Crimea region. International Interference... In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling upon all states and international organizations to continue denying the Russian annexation of Crimea, considering the seizure to be only temporary. 12 Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin, opposed the annexation label claiming that Russia was complying with the self-determination of the Crimean people to be integrated into Russia. Self-determination is an international law stating that people, based on respect for principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to choose freely their sovereignty and international political status with no interference. 13 Additionally, NATO announced that the alliance would be deploying battalions that rotated through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to prevent potential future Russian aggression. 14 Ukraine reported that Russia had increased its military presence along the demarcation line which, is the 500-kilometers political line or geopolitical border separating Ukrainian forces 9 Iliopoulos,Thomas. (1991, December 8). Belavezha Accords. Retrieved January 30, From 10 (1994, December 5). Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved (2018, November 26) United Nations. (1997, May 31). Treaty on friendship, cooperation and partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Retrieved 12 General Assembly of the UN. (2014, April 1). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 March CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/a_res_68_262.pdf 13 U. (2017, September 21). Self-determination. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from 14 Council on Foreign Relations. (2019, January 25). Global Conflict Tracker. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from

6 and Russian-backed separatist rebels. 15 In response, Ukraine deployed more troops closer to the Crimean border. Tensions rose as altercations resulting in injury and death occurred. Over the year, Russia continued border infiltration but saw resistance from Ukraine was the first full calendar year in which Ukraine lost no territories to the separatists who supported the Crimean region leaving Ukraine. By 2017, Crimea was fully integrated into the Russian media sphere and ties with Ukraine seemed to hardly exist. On February 20th, a ceasefire between Ukraine and the separatists had been agreed upon but according to the Ukrainian army, separatist attacks continued. 16 Throughout the coming months, there was a back to school ceasefire, a Christmas ceasefire and more ceasefires that were not be upheld. In January of 2018, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill to regain control over the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. The bill labels Russia as an aggressor and claims that the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces are still just temporarily occupied territories. 17 According to Ukrainian political analyst Kyrylo Sazonv, the bill recognizes the occupation of our territory, meaning that from now on Russia is responsible for everything that is happening on this territory--for water supplied, gas supply, pensions, food supplies [Russia] will now be responsible for rights violations against any individual there. 18 However, the Russian government denounced the bill claiming that it killed the Minsk Peace Accords that Ukraine is privy to and that failing to uphold it would be preparation for a new war. The Russian Federation seized the Kerch Strait connecting Russia and Ukraine to the Black Sea. The strait controls a significant amount of imports and exports for both Russia and Ukraine. Power over the Kerch Strait has allowed Russia to occupy the Azov Sea and has given them leverage over Ukraine. On November 25th, 2018, the Ukrainian navy began voyages across the Sea of Azov. Although one voyage was deemed successful by government officials, more recent Ukrainian attempts have been beaten down. The Russian s seized Ukrainian boats and crew members, with claims that Ukraine needed to request permission from Russia before moving their ships through the sea. World leaders such as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and French President, Emmanuel Macron, have demanded that Ukrainian sailors be released, but Russia claims that the navy personnel crossed the Russian border illegally. 19 What has the security council already done? On November 27th, 2018 the United Nations Security Council held a meeting regarding the Ukrainian ship attack. The Secretary-General stated that he was greatly concerned with the 15 Ukraine: The Line. (2016, July 26). Retrieved January 29, 2019, from 16 Paauwe, C. (2017, April 20). Another Failed 'Ceasefire' in Ukraine. Retrieved from 17 (2018, January 19). BBC - Homepage. Ukraine crisis: Kiev defines Russia as 'aggressor' state - BBC News. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from 18 Rfe/rl, and Ukrainian Service. Ukraine Moves To Restore Control Over Separatist-Held Areas. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 19 Jan. 2018,

7 incidents occurring in the Crimean Peninsula involving both Ukrainian and Russian vessels. The Secretary-General stressed the immediate need to avoid any risk of further escalation of the situation and he urged both parties to exercise maximum restraint and to take steps to contain the incident and reduce tensions through peaceful means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. 20 Where is the situation going? In May of 2018, President Vladimir Putin led a convoy of trucks over the 12-mile Crimean Bridge for its official opening. The Crimean Bridge, also referred to as the Kerch Strait Bridge, directly links Crimea to Russia over the Kerch Strait. The bridge was developed with the intention of reducing Crimean isolation and increasing ties with Russia. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, pushed for the vehicular portion of the bridge to be ready for the summer season in 2018 but additional construction on the bridge, such as the train tracks, are not expected to be fully completed until The land where the bridge was constructed is still internationally recognized as part of Ukraine by many states. Ukraine President, Petro Poroshenko, called the bridge s construction illegal and a disregard for international law. According to the World Health Organization, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine has affected 4.4 million people, and more than 1.6 Ukrainian people have been displaced due to violence in the country. Of those affected, 3.4 million are still in need of humanitarian aid. 22 Resources have become scarce and many are forced to choose between food, medicine or paying for heat. Organizations such as the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have been increasing distribution of aid to Ukrainians but it is not sufficient, it only temporarily masks the Euro.who.int. (2019). Health response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. [online] Available at: Accessed 30 Jan

8 needs of refugees. 23 Ukraine is coming up on its 6th year of conflict and the United Nations believes that the international community has failed to communicate and support the significance of this crisis. According to United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ursula Mueller, the human toll of armed conflict includes roughly 2,530 civilians killed and over 9,000 injured. Thousands of homes, as well as hundreds of hospitals, schools, water and electricity facilities have been damaged. Countless ceasefires have failed to be effective and interfering organizations and states have failed to find legitimate resolutions for ending conflict. 24 Four years ago, Ukraine had no need for humanitarian assistance. Key Questions 1. What is the scope of the Security Council s abilities in regard to this conflict? 2. Should a referendum be held for people of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Crimea regarding the legitimacy of Crimea s reunification/annexation? 3. How does the migration of the 1.6 million Ukrainians affect member states on an international and local level? 4. Does seizure of the Kerch Strait affect international economy and trade? Resources UN News, Ukraine crisis forgotten by the world, senior UN relief official says, urging greater global support: France 24/7 A look at key dates in the Ukraine-Russia crisis: Council on Foreign Relations, The Conflict in Ukraine: Live Interactive Map: Ukraine Latest News on Live Map, https: //liveuamap.com/ 23 UN Refugee Agency. (2019, January 17). This is what it's like to live through freezing winter in a war zone. Retrieved from 4c4b3677b5c0 24 Ukraine crisis 'forgotten by the world,' senior UN relief official says, urging greater global support UN News. (2018, March 1). Retrieved January 29, 2019, from

9 Topic 2: Ending the violence and persecution of the Rohingya People in Myanmar What is happening? There is a long and brutal history between the Rohingya people in Myanmar (previously called Burma) and the Government/Military of the country. The first [Myanmarese] military campaign against the Rohingyas was codenamed Dragon King (Nagamin) and was carried out in 1978, forcing more than 200,000 Rohingyas over the border. The Myanmarese government later succumbed to pressure by Muslim country members of the UN and took back all refugees under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-led Shwe Hintha operation in Sadly this was only the first of many attacks on the Rohingya people that continues today. In 1982 the Citizenship Act of Myanmar was created and its purpose was to require a person s ancestors belong to a national race or group present in Myanmar prior to the British rule in 1823 or else that person would not be considered a citizen of Myanmar. 26 The second military campaign against the Rohingya people happened in 1991, it created more than 250,000 Rohingya refugees and triggered strong international reaction. Talks brokered by the UN once more and they resulted in an agreement by the Myanmarese government to repatriate Rohingya communities that had fled. Myanmar also allowed international aid into the communities that were affected. Four years later in 1995, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees succeeded in convincing the Myanmar military government to provide documentation to the Rohingya population in the form of a Temporary Registration Card (TRC) that remained in use until recently. However, the card did not include the bearer s place of birth and therefore provided no official evidence of birth in Myanmar or any basis 25 Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung (2016) The politics of indigeneity in Myanmar: competing narratives in Rakhine state, Asian Ethnicity, 17:4, , DOI: / Engy Abdelkader Rutgers University. The history of the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya. The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2018

10 for a claim to Myanmarese citizenship. The Myanmar Government claims the Rohingya people are not citizens of Myanmar and instead are illegal immigrants. Without proper documentation of the place of birth or citizenship for the Rohingya people, the ethnic group will never be rid of their status. Who are these Rohingya people and why has there been discourse between them and the Myanmarese government for four decades? Rohingya refers to the Sunni Muslim minority who live in a concentrated area in the Rakhine state (also known as the Arakan state). The majority population that live in Myanmar are Buddhist as well as the majority of the military. Most of the Rohingya people are Bengali immigrants from the eastern part of India, but many of them have lived in Myanmar for generations. Rohingya is actually a controversial term and it stems from an unresolved and ongoing dispute over the legitimacy of the Rohingya claim as an ethnic nationality of Myanmar. 27 The current crisis has only worsened after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (which is a rebel Muslim based group in Myanmar) attacked the Myanmar Military on August Today at least half a millions civilians have fled their communities and have sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. 29 The Rohingya refugee crisis is the world's fastest developing refugee emergency today. The victims have been interviewed and from their experiences there has been numerous accounts of violations of human rights including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the presence of landmines and sexual violence. Most villages and all three of the former internally displaced persons camps have been burnt to the ground. 30 Today the Rohingya people are the single largest group of stateless people in the world. Without citizenship, they are deprived of basic rights such as access to health services, education and employment. In addition, they have been denied the right to worship freely and face restrictions on the right to marry, move freely and own property. Without legal status, they cannot go to school, travel or buy property and the police can also arrest and imprison them just because of their religious and ethnic identity. Even though Rohingya population growth has decreased, Rohingya couples are allowed no more than two children. Those who break the law risk imprisonment, and the government blacklists their children. 31 Until restrictions such as these are lifted from the Rohingya people, they will enjoy no basic rights and will continue to live in the poorest of conditions. In September 2017 Myanmar authorities committed to use the framework established in the 1993 Joint Statement of the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh and Myanmar to facilitate the 27 Engy Abdelkader Rutgers University. The history of the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya. The Conversation, 2 Feb (2017) Remarks at open debate of the Security Council on Myanmar Secretary-General. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2018, from 29 ibid 30 ibid 31 Engy Abdelkader Rutgers University. The history of the persecution of Myanmars Rohingya. The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2018

11 return of the Rohingya refugees. As of today, the attempts to reintegrate the Rohingya refugees have been without progress. The UN has repeatedly encouraged Myanmar to revise the Rohingya people s citizenship status and documentation to be in line with international standards. 32 Actions such as these are believed to be critical for the reintegration of the Rohingya people. To the current refugees that reside in and around Bangladesh the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a special appeal to help those who have had to leave the country. 33 Although the aid that has reached the refugees is still not close to enough. What has the UN done? The UN needs to work towards a durable solution that will alleviate suffering, prevent further instability and address the root causes of the situation. The UN report in 2017 gave Myanmar authorities three steps to alleviate the crisis, first by ending the military operations; second, to allow unfettered access for humanitarian support and third, to ensure the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the refugees to their areas of origin. To meet this end Myanmar has engaged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for desperately needed humanitarian assistance. 34 Further aid has come from the international donor community which gave more than $344 million USD to the Rohingya refugees in In response to this crisis the people of Myanmar have been alienated for their actions towards the Rohingya community and this has fueled their resentment. According to Jacques Leider, (Arakan historian) the international media have rhetorically encased the Muslims in a status of overall victimhood, devoid of any agency, while discrediting Buddhist Rakhine, who are portrayed to be incompetent to articulate their points of view, their discontent and their longheld grief, [and] for their violent and aggressive anti-muslim acts. 35 The other side to the Rohingya crisis (the Buddhists) has been largely ignored by the international community, this may be a large contributor as to why the crisis continues today. An attempt was made by the UN to prevent such mistakes and to inquire as to what is exactly happening in Myanmar and what actions can be taken to mitigate the crisis. It was the Human Rights Council that established this international fact-finding mission on Myanmar in its resolution 34/22. In accordance with its mandate, the mission focused on the situation in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States since It also examined the infringement of fundamental freedoms, including the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and peaceful association, and the question of hate speech. The mission established consistent patterns of serious human rights violations and abuses in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States, in addition to 32 United Nations. (n.d.). Donors pledge over US$344 million in response to Rohingya refugee crisis. Retrieved November 27, 2018, from 33 What is happening in Myanmar? - CBBC Newsround. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2018, from 34 Remarks at open debate of the Security Council on Myanmar Secretary-General. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2018, from 35 Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung (2016) The politics of indigeneity in Myanmar: competing narratives in Rakhine state, Asian Ethnicity, 17:4, , DOI: /

12 serious violations of international humanitarian law. These are principally committed by the Myanmar security forces, particularly the military. 36 The conclusion of the mission was to investigate and prosecute in an international criminal tribunal Myanmarese military senior generals, it was recommended to the UN that these generals be held accountable for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. To this day such tribunals have not taken place and the same acts that have been recorded and condemned continue. The solutions to this crisis are well known to the international community. For nearly three decades, five consecutive special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Myanmar have presented an annual report to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, with detailed recommendations for all stakeholders. Similarly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has formulated concrete recommendations, as have many international and national civil society organizations. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State also presented a detailed report. 37 These recommendations should be implemented by the Myanmarese government to alleviate the situation if there is ever hope for peace once more. However, this crisis in Myanmar has resurfaced multiple times across the country s history. Unless there can be real change within the communities in Myanmar and the way they perceive the Rohingya people, there can be little hope for long lasting peace. Key Questions 1. What can the security council do that it has not yet already done? 2. How can international and non-governmental organizations get involved? 3. What will happen if the security council cannot take tangible action within the next ten years? Where will this crisis be by then without progress? 4. What resources or guidance can be given to countries that have taken in refugees such as Bangladesh? 36 Human Rights Council. (2018, September 12). Report of the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar ibid

13 Resources The BBC The Myanmar Profile: Amnesty International, Myanmar: Crimes against humanity terrorize and drive Rohingya out: International State Crime Initiative 2015, Countdown to Annihilation: Genocide in Myanmar: VERSION.pdf The UN Refugee Agency, Rohingya Emergency: The Guardian, Rohingyas to be repatriated despite UN genocide warning: Aljazeera, Bangladesh, Myanmar to start returning Rohingya in November: