PEMUN Security Council. North Korea: Evaluating Human Rights and the Threat of Nuclear War

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1 PEMUN 2018 Security Council North Korea: Evaluating Human Rights and the Threat of Nuclear War Chairs: Sebastián Bernal, Marciano Sánchez Bretón, Juliana Pasquel 1

2 Welcome Delegates! We would like to welcome you to the 2018 PEMUN. During this United Nations stimulation we wilt debate concerning the following topic: North Korea: Evaluating Human Rights and the Threat of Nuclear War. This is a serious issue that has the world concerned and the Nuclear War is almost imminent. We hope that your participation in this committee will help the UN to find solutions regarding this issue. This packet will provide you with information regarding the debate and will help you to fully prepare about your delegation s position. Also, we recommend you to do further research, this document will include useful resources for your research. We wish you good luck and ask that you come prepared to have a great discussion. If you have any questions or comments prior to the simulation, don t hesitate contacting us. Sincerely, Your Chairs. Contact Information: Sebastián Bernal - sbernal.cu@peterson.mx Marciano Sánchez bretón - augustosanchezb.cu@peterson.mx Juliana Pasquel - jpasquelruiz.cu@peterson.mx 2

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to Committee..4 Introduction to the Issue.4 History of the Issue..5 UN Actions...6 Current Situation.6-7 Controversial Points 7 Possible Solutions Questions To Consider...8 Resources/References

4 Introduction To Committee The United Nations Security Council is in charge of maintaining international peace and security. Also the SC is responsible of accepting new member to the United Nations and changes to the United Nations Charter. Its power includes establishing peacekeeping, international economic sanctions and authorizing military action through resolutions. The Security Council is comprised of five permanent members, The United Kingdom, Russia, China, France and The United States, all of which have a veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly, with a right to vote. At the moment the non-permanent members include: Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden. Furthermore, any member of the United Nations can participate in the discussion if the Security Council believes the country is being affected, yet said country won t have the right to vote in the matter. Introduction to the Issue The Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been facing economic, social and humanitarian instability since its creation in As it is globally known, North Korea remains as one of the very few totalitarian socialist states and the most self-isolated country in the world. Human rights violations, poverty, severe famines and the death of its leaders are examples of the little information international community has heard of North Korea. However, global community started getting more informed in 2009 when North Korea commenced with its missile tests and weapon threats. Furthermore, the response of the United States and its closest allies has directed the international community to focus more on this issue. Assuredly, political powers did not take long to react towards these threats. Importantly, several sanctions were put on North Korea to avoid its economic and nuclear growth.ever since, international diplomacy towards North Korea has been facing constant tensions in order to constructively resolve North Korea s nuclear and humanitarian crisis. 4

5 History of the Issue North Korea began its nuclear program in the early 1950 s. The threat of United States ending the Korean War with the use of nuclear weapons impulsed the DPRK to start its own nuclear program. Although Korea had established different research programs and institutes, the initiative only started working as North Korea established work agreements with the Soviet Union. Through the Cold War and with the support of the Soviet Union, North Korea started expanding its nuclear knowledge in between the population of the country. North Korea had a significant growth in terms of technology and industrialization that will eventually would help in the development of nuclear weapons. In December 1985, North Korea agreed to 1 sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapon state. As the Cold War was ending, the Soviet Union was losing its power and eventually collapsed in 1991, North Korea lost its main ally which left them in a difficult position. Due to this, North Korea s only option was to opt for the development of nuclear weapons. In March 1993, The DPRK announced its withdrawal form the NPT. The collapse in Soviet aid and trade after 1991, together with a series of droughts and floods in the early '90s, collapsed North Korea's food provision system. This caused a deadly famine where approximately between 600,000 and 2.5 million north koreans died. After Kim Il Sung s death, his son Kim Jong II succeeded him. His first action as new leader of the DPRK was the development of the Songun Doctrine. The principal objective of this doctrine was to put the military at the heart of the North Korean state. What does this have to do with the nuclear program? It shows just how central militarism became to North Korean strategic doctrine and because the state thus needed an external threat to justify Songun and the civilian sacrifices it called for. That explains why the North, in the coming years, became so attached to the idea of a nuclear weapon. If the nation's legitimacy depended on the vitality of its military, than acquiring the world's most powerful military weapon became important for more than just foreign policy reasons. 1 The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. 5

6 UN Actions The United Nations Security Council has adopted nine major sanctions resolutions on North Korea in response to the country s nuclear and missile activities since Each resolution condemns North Korea s latest nuclear and ballistic missile activity and calls on North Korea to cease its illicit activity, which violates previous UN Security Council resolutions. All nine resolutions were unanimously adopted by the Security Council and all but Resolution 2087 (January 2013) contain references to acting under Chapter VII, Article 41 of the United Nations Charter. In addition to imposing sanctions, the resolutions give UN member states the authority to interdict and inspect North Korean cargo within their territory, and subsequently seize and dispose of illicit shipments. The resolutions also call upon North Korea to rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it acceded to in 1985 but withdrew from in 2003 after U.S. allegations that the country was pursuing an illegal uranium enrichment program. The Security Council also has called for North Korea to return to negotiations in the Six-Party Talks, which include South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. The Six-Party talks, which took place from , resulted in a joint statement on denuclearization. North Korea also dismantled its plutonium-producing reactor as part of the process, although it has subsequently restarted the reactor. Current Situation Regarding Human Rights: North Korea remains one of the most repressive authoritarian states in the world, ruled for seven decades by the Kim family and the Workers Party of Korea. During his fifth year in power, Kim Jong-Un continued to generate fearful obedience by using public executions, arbitrary detention, and forced labor; tightening travel restrictions to prevent North Koreans from escaping and seeking refuge overseas; and systematically persecuting those with religious contacts inside and outside the country. A 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) report on human rights in North Korea stated that systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations committed by the government included murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, 6

7 rape, forced abortion, and other sexual violence, and constituted crimes against humanity. Regarding Nuclear War Threat: For the past years, North Korea along with Kim Jong Un s regime has been continuously testing nuclear weapons in demonstration of their power principally to the United States and Japan (its main enemies). The United Nations says its political chief and North Korea s foreign minister agree that the current situation on the Korean peninsula is the most dangerous security issue in the world. The tensions have deepened as Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump have traded numerous threats and insults. Over the summer, Trump warned Pyongyang it would be met with "fire and fury" if it didn't stop threatening the U.S. In late September, while addressing the United Nations for the first time, he threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it forced the U.S. to defend itself or its allies. Country Involvement North Korea South Korea China USA North Korea is a main part of the undergoing issue regarding nuclear weapons. Leader Kim-Jong Un has been testing for the paste year his nuclear weapons all along the pacific ocean which signifies the threat of a Nuclear War. Apart from the nuclear weapon issues, several human rights are deprived from the society by the dictator Kim Jong Un in North Korea. The principal "enemy" of north Korea is The United States of America with President Donald Trump. As one of the main allies of the United States and bordering nation with North Korea, South Korea has been involved in issues with the North part since the beginning of the Cold War and the separation of Korea. South Korea has been threatened by North Korea with nuclear tests in the past year to show the United States its Nuclear Power and capabilities. China is North Korea s most important trading partner and main source of food and energy. It has helped sustain Kim Jong-un s regime, and has historically opposed harsh international sanctions on North Korea. Nevertheless, relationships between Beijing and Pyongyang have been affected by Kim Jong Un nuclear tests and missile launches Since President Donald Trump is the President of USA the tensions between North Korea and them have been increasing exponentially. The situation has been increasing to the point of name-calling between Donald Trump and supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Even though the United States haven't made nuclear tests or missile 7

8 Russia Iran Singapore India launches the position is that if North Korea attacks they will counterattack in a stronger way. President Donald Trump has been disobeying recommendations from the international community to try to find a peaceful solution to the issue. Despite rising tensions between Moscow and Washington, Russia and Vladimir Putin have been voting in favor for sanctions being imposed to North Korea by the United Nations. As a permanent member of the UNSC, Russia plays a huge role regarding what decisions and solutions will need to be taken to decrease the threat of a Nuclear War. Iran is one of the main nuclear allies of North Korea's regime. Iran maintains an embassy in Pyongyang and the two countries are said to have close ties. Constant military deployment of U.S army in Iran's territory might might the tensions between Iran and USA to increase causing more nuclear support towards Kim Jong Un. Yesterday November Singapore has suspended trade relations with North Korea. Singapore was one of the principal commercial traders of North Korea. Singapore still retains diplomatic ties and Pyongyang maintains an embassy in its financial district. India and the DPRK have growing trade and diplomatic relations. India maintains a fully functioning embassy in Pyongyang and the DPRK has an embassy in New Delhi. India has said that it wants the "reunification" of Korea. While India is a critic of North Korea's aim of becoming a nuclear power, the country still exports tens of millions of pounds worth of goods each year. France Germany Ukraine Relations between North Korea and France are officially non-existent. France is one of the two countries of the European Union that does not recognize North Korea. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has warned Europe that Kim Jong Un's weapons could hit Europe. Macron also mentioned that the way that Trump's method to tackle the issue is not the best for the world. France is also a permanent member of the UNSC Between Germany and DPRK diplomatic ties are still active, but due to the UN sanctions, Germany has lowered its economic cooperation and has condemned Korea s nuclear activity. German Chancellor Merkel stressed that the situation with North Korea must be resolved peacefully. As a non permanent member of the UNSC, Ukraine stands against 8

9 United Kingdom Egypt Italy Sweden Japan Pakistan Kazakhstan Senegal Bulgaria nuclear weapon and missile launches from North Korea. In September, Ukraine caught 2 north korean spies trying to steal ukraine missile plans Permanent Member of the UNSC, The United Kingdom is critical about Kim Jong Un's nuclear weapon plan but it keeps diplomatic and commercial relations. This year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-sisi refused to enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea. Egypt is one of the non-permanent members of the UNSC for the term. North Korea s ambassador to Italy will be expelled from the country in protest over Pyongyang s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests "I think there is a real potential for Sweden to act as a facilitator in the discussion. Sweden and the US have a good working relationship regarding North Korea, and North Korea views Sweden as a lesser evil among the international actors," Niklas Swanström, director of the Stockholm-based research and policy institute the Institute for Security and Development Policy. Sweden is a non permanent member of UNSC Japan, along with South Korea and the United States, is one of the few countries that has no relations with the DPRK.As of 2017, Japan-North Korea relations are at an all-time low after North Korea, on two separate occasions, test launched nuclear capable ballistic missile into Japanese waters. Pakistan maintains warm diplomatic and trade relations with the DPRK, while still maintaining friendly relations with South Korea. That Pakistan helped North Korea develop nuclear weapons is a theory that s been doing the rounds for years. Non-Permanent Member for the Term, Kazakhstan's anti-nuclear weapons stance does not prevent it from being at the forefront of peaceful nuclear energy. Pyongyang needs to view Kazakhstan as an example of a responsible nuclear non-proliferation state, and as a route out of the current standoff. Senegal has diplomatic relations with North Korea but Senegal hasn't mentioned anything about Kim Jong Un's missile launches North Korea s only friend in Europe is Bulgaria, who became an ally in 1948 during Bulgaria s early communist era. Bulgaria s capital Sofia said it will take all necessary measures to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea. 9

10 Uruguay Bolivia Vietnam Ethiopia Uruguay maintains a neutral position for this issue Bolivia's President Evo Morales has condemned the U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to launch an attack against North Korea that the "world has never seen before", as an insult to humanity. it is unlikely that Vietnam can persuade North Korea, or the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK), to abandon its nuclear program, or would even attempt to. Rather, Vietnam maintains a multifaceted approach to North Korea, maintaining formal friendship while consistently condemning its nuclear ambitions. Ethiopia is said to be working to limit the number of bank accounts held by the North Korean Embassy as well as imposing restriction on entry of North Korean diplomats to the country. Controversial Points Point 1 Retired general David Petraeus cautioned that President Donald Trump's "madman" approach to dealing with a nuclear North Korea may actually be a legitimate strategy though it could ultimately prove disastrous. Speaking at the Intelligence Squared US debate at New York University with the Council on Foreign Relations' Max Boot, Petraeus who commanded US and NATO troops in Afghanistan and served as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency under former President Barack Obama discussed how there may actually be some "merit" to Trump's madman stance, though it can easily "go too far" in a crisis. Point 2 Absurd name-calling battles between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump have only provoked more tension regarding the nuclear arms race between North Korea and United States. Possible Solutions The key to end this source of conflict is the unity of response to destabilize North Korea s military arsenal once and for all. A possible solution, although drastic, may be the cutting off all of North Korea s ties to the rest of the world. By intensifying sanctions and restricting all and every sort of aide coming into the country, it would force the DPRK to open them and their government up to the international community and meet their demands of disarmament; nevertheless, this is severe and far-reaching solution, and might end up hurting the citizens of the DPRK more than it would affect the government. Long term and short term diplomatic resolves must be thoroughly exercised while executing disarmament in order to ensure definite stability within the region and cease immediate conflict. 10

11 Other solutions might include giving North Korea economic and social incentives to re-enter the international community and eliminate their development of nuclear weapons, as North Korea s economy and quality of life is shockingly abysmal and, as a result, negotiation is paramount. The citizens of North Korea are suffering, and action must be taken in order to guarantee the safety of not only the surrounding nations, but also the millions trapped in this isolated, totalitarian state. Furthermore, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role. Programs of social aid for the citizens can be continued and improved according to the country s betterment. The membership of certain NGOs such as the International Labour Organization should be enforced to all UN member states. Thereby, workers worldwide may have the same treatment on their basic human rights. Main North Korean allies should continue working on negotiations and multilateral talks with other nations. The intervention of North Korean allies will more or else secure the DPRK s commitment to solve the discussed issue. Questions To Consider (6 questions that will guide delegates in their research and thinking about solutions) 1. What does the Korean War have to do with today's conflict? 2. How has Donald Trump changed US policy on North Korea? 3. Why is China hesitating to put more pressure on North Korea? 4. Is Russia more than a silent observer? 5. Could diplomacy still work to solve the conflict? 6. What does South Korea make of the situation? Resources and References * Important Information : While researching about your delegation s position regarding the topic look for : (your delegation) position on north korea

12 orea op-russian-diplomat

Security Council. The situation in the Korean peninsula. Kaan Özdemir & Kardelen Hiçdönmez

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