Renewing the mandate of UNDOF and reevaluating its mandate protocol in the Golan Heights conflict.

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1 Forum: Issue: Security Council Renewing the mandate of UNDOF and reevaluating its mandate protocol in the Golan Heights conflict. Student Officer: Pahul Singh Bhasin Position: Chair Introduction The world progresses through consensus and appreciation of others. The opposite applies in the case of turmoil and conflict, where growth and productivity comes to a halt due to the lack of security. The Golan region s inhabitants are shackled from their sovereignty due to the lack of security that has threatened human rights in their environment. Such tensions have been recognized to take action and solve the crisis since 1967 as Security Council itself discussed the Resolution 242. Since then, there has been a lot accomplished in the region, yet a lot more needs to be done as it is still deemed to be in a state of unrest. The extent of the conflict tends to expand from, according to the Palestine Chronicle, the unequal distribution of resources such as water (favoring Israelis), to the violation of cease-fire agreement between the two parties. The region further remains controversial due to different religious influences in the region. According to the locals, even though the divided parties don t share their opinion in order to maintain peace, extremist groups have tend to target the area and utilize the tension of the region. Involvement of such groups has given both Israeli and Syrian forces reason to violate the cease-fire agreement and tends to worsen the condition of the state. The mandate of the UNDOFs in the region has been valuable as the forces provide security and attention needed in the region. Yet the safety of the UNDOF officers also remains in question as well as the increasing risk of third party armed forces operating in the free zone established by the disengagement agreement. This issue needs to focus on the roles of UNDOFs in the area and to come to a decision to renew their mandate in the region. This is controversial due to TCC s (Troop contributing Countries) concerns on the regarding issue. Main Conflict: The debate needs to address whether the mandate of the UNDOF needs to be renewed for the next 6 months as the Syria side of the mandate is under constant threat from third parties. The debate also needs to address the responsibilities the UNDOF should have and the actions they can take against possible threats while maintaining the sovereignty of the nations. This is due to the rising risks on the UNDOF personal and the violations of the cease-fire agreement. Chair Report Page 1 of 7

2 Definition of Key Terms UNDOF: United Nations Disengagement Observer Force TCCs: Troop contributing countries Disengagement Agreement: Providing an area of separation and for two equal zones of limited forces and armaments on both sides of the area of the Golan Heights, as well as an agreement on cease-fire. Golan Heights: The region where the ceasefire zone has been maintained between Israel and Syria. Historical development and Timeline 1948 The first UN peacekeeping operation arrived in the Middle East in order to supervise the Armistice Agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war The Mix Armistice agreement was set up between Israel and Syria Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria as a pre-emptive strike before the Arab states could October 1973 The Yom Kippur War broke out when Egypt and Syria launched coordinated attacks on Israeli positions in the lost territories October 1973 Security Council adopted resolution 338 calling for a ceasefire between the parties and implementation of resolution May 1974 Syria and Israel signed a disengagement agreement over the Golan, providing an area of separation and for two equal zones of limited forces and armaments on both sides of the area. Security council established UNDOF to implement the disengagement agreement. November 1974 On 30 November, the initial six-month mandate of UNDOF expired. Yet the mandate keeps on becoming extended to ease tensions. December 1981 The Golan Heights was annexed by Israel. The international community has not recognized this. October 1991 Peace talks took place between Syria and Israel at the Middle East peace conference in Madrid. The talks remained stalled over the issue of the Golan Heights. Chair Report Page 2 of 7

3 1996 Yangon Model United Nations 2018, IX Annual Session The assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin halted peace talks as different interpretations of his final decisions on conflict were made. January 2000 Us facilitated in the peace talks between Israel and Syria. September 2007 Israel launched an air strike against a site inside Syria. The Israeli government remained silent about the incident. May 2008 Indirect peace negotiations took place through Turkey s mediation. May 2009 The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations undertook a technical review of UNDOF UN renewed UNDOF s mandate in the Golan Heights region 2010 The Security Council again renewed UNDOFs mandate for another 6 months and reported that the cease-fire agreement had kept maintained. June 2011 UNDOF was again renewed as their lack of presence resulted in increase in violence in the Golan region. The infrastructure and equipment was also upgraded October 2012 UNDOF had observed an exchange of weapons between groups crossing the border into Syria from Lebanon as well as deadly incidents involving armed elements from Lebanon and Syria in the UNDOF area of operations. March UNDOF peacekeepers by armed Syrian opposition fighters were detained. Council members condemned the event and demanded the unconditional and immediate release of the peacekeepers. All of them were released unharmed into Jordan. Troop contributing countries to UNDOF requested better communication strategies to the UN. Council members met informally with the UNDOF TCCs to address their concerns. Grave concerns were addressed over continued violations of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement and called on all parties to respect the safety and security of UNDOF personnel. September 2013 Council members were informed that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was generally maintained although there were violations attributable to the ongoing conflict in Syria. December 2013 The Council adopted another resolution renewing UNDOF for six months after considering the Secretary-General s latest report August 2014 The Council condemned the detention of 43 UNDOF peacekeepers by armed opposition groups and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. The Council also condemned continuing attacks Chair Report Page 3 of 7

4 on UNDOF positions, the detention of 44 Fijian peacekeepers by armed opposition groups and 40 Filipino peacekeepers surrounded by armed opposition groups, demanded their immediate and unconditional release as well as safe passage and welcomed news that 32 Filipino peacekeepers were extricated to safety Syrian forces from which 72 peacekeepers escaped detained 117 peacekeepers. The UNDOF s mission had been consulted and had been discussed to change the traditional mandate to minimizing the risks to the personnel more by incorporating technologies requiring minimum human interaction. June 2017 Council members met with UNDOF TCCs. Council members held consultations on the Secretary- General s report on UNDOF. Key Issues The security issue of Golan has worsened with many great threats such as extremist groups being predominant in the area. This has made the full return of UNDOF to the Syrian side unlikely in the foreseeable future. As it is a priority requested by TCCs of the UNDOF. This is a significant issue as it constrains the mission s ability to carry out its monitoring tasks. Without the aid of UNDOF in maintaining sovereignty of the nations, the conflict could further worsen. Another ongoing issue for the Council is the violation of the ceasefire on numerous occasions. Such cases include the presence of Syrian heavy weapons in the area of separation monitored by UNDOF, and Syrian and Israeli airstrikes. No military forces other than those of UNDOF are allowed in the area of separation according to the Disengagement agreement signed by both parties. The issue at hand is that the Council is limited in determining the options of UNDOF. It was at first established as a Syria-based mission, however has faced multiple safety hazards for the personnel of the UNDOF. The roles of UNDOF need to focus on how it operates, including the use of enhanced equipment or new technologies, which is subject to the disengagement agreement. Any changes require agreement by Israel and Syria, which is unlikely making it a controversial issue. Major Parties Involved and Their Views Israel Israeli law states, Golan Heights is part of Israel since it s annexation in According to Aljazeera, Israel is attempting to get International recognition and persuade countries especially US and Russia to resolve the conflict in favor of Israel by recognizing the Golan region as Israel s. In a press conference held in 2016, the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, stated, "The time has come," he continued, "for the international community to recognize reality, especially two basic facts. One, whatever is beyond the border; the boundary itself will not change. Two, after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel's sovereignty Chair Report Page 4 of 7

5 permanently." Their religious argument to the claim of the land still remains as the driving perspective Israel has. Syria The Syrian government and political parties, even though with it s own internal disputes and conflicts, believe that the Israeli s has wrongfully annexed the land and the land, which rightfully belongs to them. Syrian s do not approve of the Jewish state occupying the Syrian soil in the manner they are by taking up their resources. Extremist Groups Extremist groups such as the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant have become a major threat in keeping peace in the tense environment. These radical groups have known to interfere with UNDOF personnel and have initiated in violation of the disengagement agreement. Both Syria and Israel return fire, which violates the agreement completely and further worsens the relationship of the two communities. Solutions of maintaining the UNDOF mandate as safe as for the troops needs to consider the involvement of such groups. US and Russia United states and Russia being part of the permanent 5 in the security council as well as holding a lot of International power tends to be seen as the decisive audience which fuels the solution to favor a side of this conflict. Representatives of these nations pay a crucial role in mediating the conflict in hand, and also the manner such actions are taken place. United States tends to support Israel in the conflict and provides oil rich incentives to them. Russia has shown support to Palestinian militants in the past as part of its political strategies. TCCs Troop contributing countries have a weighing perspective in the utilization of their resources contributed in resolving the issue at hand. These nations provide concerns that need to be addressed by the council to take reasonable actions. Following detainment of the peacekeepers forces by Syrian based militants, the TCCs have further weighed their opinions in the process of the mandate. Evaluation of Previous Attempts to Resolve the Issue The establishment of the UNDOF is one of the primary attempts used to reduce conflict in the targeted area. This action by the council stands to be a progressive action taken and has brought some extents of resolution in the conflict faced in the Golan region, Yet the safety of the UNDOF personnel still remains in question and causes a TCCs to reconsider their aid in the UNDOF department. Another issue Chair Report Page 5 of 7

6 with UNDOF is the dependency of the region of UN moderation as the mandate of UNDOF in the region has been consistently renewed since the movement had begun. This further question if such a solution is self-sustainable in the future to come, or further involvement through International states is still required. Past notions of peace treaty and agreements have been established such as the Oslo accords yet they have failed to resolve anything in the recent years. Negotiations should still continue yet that should not be the dependable solution that the nations to be depended on as they are unreliable as shown in the past. Possible Solutions The resolution of the issue needs to be focused on reevaluating the roles of UNDOF and it s responsibilities in the Golan region. The plausible solution to the conflict could address the need for UNDOF to have further technical assistance and infrastructure to tackle the issue. The horizons of UNDOF set by the UN could expand by ways such as also providing educational services to stop conflict causing propaganda. The sovereignty of the nations involved will be challenged due to the controversial topic of UNDOF s roles, yet it is in the hand of the Council whether to decided what flexibility needs to be met to resolve old disputes and bring them to an end. Questions a Resolution should Answer How does the suggested protocol effectively mandate the region as well as provide a safer environment for the UNDOF to work in? Want precautions does the resolution address to the threat of the involvement of religious militants in the conflict? Is utilizing UNDOF in this conflict the best alternative? Why or why not? Bibliography and Further Reading To further deepen your understanding of the issue, you may read the sources of this report by going on following the links provided. Chair Report Page 6 of 7

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