LAIMUN XXII December 3-4, 2016

Topics: The Illicit Arms Trade in the Mediterranean Region; Terrorism in Southeast Asia

Chaired by: JJ Packer and Kelsey Dubinsky

1st DISEC General

Assembly

CONTENTS

Letter from the Secretariat1

,

Incoming Delegates:

Welcome to LAIMUN XXII! We are thrilled to put on our twenty-second conference – now with both Advanced and Novice committees.

Our chairs intend to hold all delegates, novice and advanced, to high standards of research, solutions, speech, and diplomacy.

With regard to resolutions and amendments, we have a strict no pre-written policy. All of your work must be original, created following the start of the first committee session.

We hope that you will get as much out of this experience as possible. While we do wish to run a professional conference, that should not hold you back from enjoying spirited debate in each committee.

If you have any questions, procedural or otherwise, you may direct them to ga@mchsmun.org. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any inquiries or concerns. We wish you all the best of luck and look forward to seeing you in December!

All the best,

Eliza Davis and Matthew Dumont Tooba Wasi Secretaries-General Under-Secretary General

Introduction to the Dias2

Hello everyone!My name is JJ Packer and I will be one of your co-chairs for this year’s Novice 1st

Disec Committee. I am a current Senior at Mira Costa High school and I have been in our Model UN program for all 4 years of my high school career now. I have had the privilege of travelling to conferences such as PAMUN in Paris, NHSMUN two years in a row, and Brown Model UN as well. Outside of Model UN, I am on the Varsity Lacrosse Team and I am also in clubs such as NHS and Together We Tutor. Outside of school I am in a community service group called Amigos Unidos and I am avid member of the Rebel Alliance fighting to free the galaxy from the clutches of the Empire. I can’t wait to see what all you wonderful delegates bring to the table for this debate.

Best wishes,JJ Packer

Hi Delegates!I’m Kelsey Dubinsky and I’m currently a senior at Mira Costa. I’m so happy to be co-

chairing this year’s Novice 1st DISEC Committee. I have been apart of my school’s Model UN program for four years and have been able to go to some amazing conferences like NHSMUN 2015 and 2016 in New York and DMUNC 2015 at UC Davis. Aside from Model UN, I am apart of clubs like Together We Tutor, UNICEF Club, PACE, and NHS. Outside of school, I love to travel the world and explore new places. I also go to summer camp in Malibu and just finished my year of being a counselor-in-training. I’m so excited to see you amazing delegates in debate and can’t wait to see the great things you’ll accomplish!

See you in debate!Kelsey Dubinsky

Please email your papers and any questions you may have to disec.novice.laimunxxii@gmail.com . We look forward to seeing you in debate. Good luck!

Committee Description3

The First Committee deals with disarmament, handles threats to peace that affect

the international community, and seeks out solutions to the challenges facing international

security. The general principles of DISEC are the cooperation in the maintenance of

international peace and security, and principles to strengthen the lower levels of armament

maintenance. Thus, this committee works to promote disarmament and prevent violence in

order to secure the international peace. However, unlike the Security Council, the DISEC

committee does not have the authority to take action against arms dealings or utilize

sanctions of any kind. DISEC also works in close cooperation with the United Nations

Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament. The First

DISEC Committee meets in October after the annual General Assembly meeting. When

voting on resolutions in this meeting, all member nations receive one vote, observer states

can not vote, and the outcome is decided by a simple majority. The main achievements of

DISEC can be seen in the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which works

to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, promote proper and safe nuclear

energy use, and disarm the world’s nuclear weapons. The DISEC committee has also

found success in creating nuclear free zones in Antarctica, Latin America, the South

Pacific, Africa, and Central Asia. Additionally, the Disarmament committee succeeded in

creating the Partial Test Ban Treaty, which prevents the testing and setting off of nuclear

weapons in both outer space and underwater.

4

I. Background

The illicit arms trade is the global buying and selling of illicit or small arms, most

often in conflict areas. In military situations, a small arm is classified as anything with a

bore size smaller than 20-millimeters. These kinds of arms are seen in all kinds of military

situations including internal security forces, and are most commonly used for short to

close ranged combat or self defense. Their small size allows them to be easily transported

and less easily tracked, making them more susceptible to illegal interactions than with

larger, heavier military grade weaponry. The broader topic of the small arms trade

encompasses both legal and illegal markets for weapons and ammunition. In conflict

regions, both legal and illegal forms of arms trade occur, with legal trading often

involving two nations and the following of strict national or international guidelines, and

illegal trading involving black market trading with private organizations and bodies

operating outside the international regulations. The most prominent forms of illicit arms

trade take place on the local and regional levels, most commonly through the “ant trade”

of a small number of weapons over a long period of time in a single, concentrated area.

In the Mediterranean Region, the main nations that come into contact with the

illicit arms trade include those that are part of the Mediterranean Partners, who cooperate

with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), made up of

Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. While other nations are involved,

these six nations have recently been taking action in working with the OSCE to reduce the

trafficking of illegal arms in the Mediterranean Region. In the Mediterranean, the most

5prominent areas of arms trade occur in the African and Middle Eastern nations

bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria. With multiple

conflicts brewing in the Mediterranean, countries such as Algeria are often used as the

“middle-men” for arms trafficking routes. However, arms trade can also be seen in more

northern nations as well, such as France, where arms trafficking may have provided

terrorists with the necessary tools to attack the city of Paris in 2015. With isues in nations

like Libya and Egypt, the illicit arms trade has flourished in the mediterranean region.

Despite the Libyan conflict having reached peace, there are still roughly 15.5 firearms per

100 people due to the aftermath of problems in Tripoli and Benghazi. The growing amount

of illicit small arms trafficking has prompted the UN to take more decisive action in order

to prevent the spread into other areas.

II. UN Involvement

The main UN body which deals with the international illicit arms trade is the

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). This body’s main goals are

ensuring nuclear disarmament, strengthening disarmament regimes, and disarming

conventional weapons. This body also promotes and practices proper disarmament

measures for conflict regions in order to prevent the flow and spread of illicit arms in at

risk regions. The treaty that was released by the UNODA committee is known as the Arms

Trade Treaty, with ratifications from 81 countries and 130 signatories. This treaty is the

guideline for the international trade of arms and has been in effect since 2014. The Security

Council has also passed numerous resolutions regarding the trade of small arms, with the

most recent being from May of 2015. This resolution, S/RES/2220, calls for more active

UN regulation of arms trade, more stringent following of the Arms Trade Treaty, as well as

the use and implementation of UN embargoes.

6Currently, the major UN body involved with the Mediterranean Region is the

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This is due to the fact that the mediterranean

region is sending numerous amounts of refugees into other nations due to the conflicts in

that region. The UNHCR has been forced to take action regarding the masses of refugees

forced to leave countries such as Syria and Libya. Furthermore, the UN Security Council

debated the trading of illicit weaponry, and nations such as Algeria began discussion on the

role of the illicit arms trade on conflicts in the Mediterranean Region.

III. Topic-Based Sections

How the Illicit Arms Trade Expands the Influences of Terrorism

The illicit arms trade is one of the largest contributors to the growth and expansion

of terrorism around the world. The trafficking of illicit arms provides many terrorist

organizations around the world not only funding, but advanced weaponry. A recent study

showed that of the terrorist attacks committed in the last year, roughly half were committed

with small or light arms, most of which were illegally trafficked. Such small arms are often

transported through Mediterranean nations to other sites for terrorist activity, such as the

attacks in Paris, or the attack on the Tunisian Hotel. Terrorism is fueled in part by the flow

of illicit arms through the black market, just as the flow of illicit arms is in many ways

made greater by the effects of terrorism.. The higher percentages of terrorism concentrated

in a region, the more arms are required to be trafficked into said region. Delegates should

first focus on how the illicit arms trade works with terrorists to allow them to reach their

goals, while also focusing on how terrorism is a main contributor to the illicit arms trade,

as well as how specific Mediterranean nations contribute to fueling terrorist activity

through this illegal trading.

Illicit Arms Trade in Conflict or War Torn Regions

The Mediterranean Region currently is rife with conflicts, with previous wars in

7Libya and current conflicts in Syria contributing to the region’s problems. In many cases,

these conflicts involve one or more armed militia style groups, with little to no formal

access to weapons, ammunition, or other equipment necessary for wartime actions. The

illicit arms trade in Syria often funnels small arms along trade routes into other nations

such as Jordan. Therefore, the illicit arms trade becomes the perpetuator of much conflict

in the Mediterranean. Delegates should focus on conflicts in the Mediterranean region that

are affected by the increase in the illicit small arms trade as well as the effects a conflict

region can have on increasing the amount of illicit arms trafficking that is taking place.

Perpetuation of Poverty and Human Rights Violations

The illicit arms trade, in addition to causing increased amounts of violence in

conflict regions, also increases poverty and human rights violations. A great deal of funds

must be spent protecting victims of small arms violence and aiding the wounded rather

than improving economic standing and sustainability in conflict areas. Furthermore, in

regions where conflict is involved in the small arms trade, governments work to fight off

militia and small arms forces which are involved in the conflict rather than promote

economic growth and development for the lower classes of society. Delegates should thus

focus on how poverty is increased due to fluctuations in the illicit arms trade.

In addition to poverty, the illicit arms trade also affects human rights on an

international scale. In areas where militias are involved in conflicts, arms trade can often

lead to increased civilian casualties and injuries. In many cases, militias recruit civilians in

order to bolster their numbers for fighting against a more powerful regime or military

force. Thus, the illicit arms trade provides militias with a way to recruit civilians through

fear and violence. Furthermore, if a regime in place is a function of the illicit arms trade,

meaning that the illicit arms trade has been able to fund a dictator or leader with both

money and weapons, that regime can also use weapons such as those from trafficking in

8order to further commit human rights violations against citizens. For example, part of the

reason that Bashar Al Assad in Syria is able to continuously defeat the militia with superior

firepower is because the Ukraine and the Soviet union is funneling illegal arms into his

regime. In this case, delegates should focus on combatting regimes and forces which use

illicit arms as perpetrators of human rights violations, as well as how the protection of

human rights can affect the illicit arms trade.

IV. Case Study

Letfallah II

In April of 2012, a trading vessel known as the Letfallah II was prevented from

leaving port by Libyan authorities. After being stopped by authorities, UN experts were

able to determine that this ship was one transferring illegal arms from Libya to another

destination. Aboard this ship were 23 Kalachnikov type assault rifles, 14 FN FALs, as well

as other weaponry and equipment like ammunition and sights. The UN and other officials

attempted to question Tom Enders, the CEO of the company that produces the Milan

missiles being shipped, but he refused to cooperate with them or other authorities, claiming

that countries are responsible for dealing in weapons, not companies. When the authorities

then went to the French government, the nation who was dealing with the weapons, for

information, the nation refused to provide the destination of the weapons shipment. This

case reveals how both companies and governments involved in the arms trade, both legal

and illegal, often “forget” legal and ethical standards when dealing in arms. Ensuring

companies and nations don’t forget vital information regarding arms trade is very

important to combatting the effects of the illicit arms trade in Mediterranean nations as

well as others.

9V. Guiding Questions

1. In what ways can the illegal arms trade perpetuate the violence of specific

Mediterranean conflicts like those in Syria or Libya?

2. How does the growing use of technology and technological innovation change the

way the illicit arms trade works?

3. How does the effects of the arms trade in the Mediterranean region create different

results in developed nations as compared to underdeveloped nations?

4. In what ways do the authorities in these nations contribute to the growth of the arms

trade? In what ways can they be effective in fighting the effects of this arms trade?

10Works Cited

"Overwhelming Majority of States in General Assembly Say 'Yes' to Arms Trade Treaty

to

Stave off Irresponsible Transfers That Perpetuate Conflict, Human Suffering |

Meetings Coverage and Press Releases." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 22 May

2016.

"Unregulated Arms Availability, Small Arms & Light Weapons, and the UN Process."

Unregulated Arms Availability, Small Arms & Light Weapons, and the UN Process.

N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Mine Action (MA)." NATO. N.p., n.d.

Web. 22 May 2016.

"OSCE." Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Human Cost of Illicit Flow of Small Arms, Light Weapons Stressed in Security Council

Debate | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web.

22 May 2016.

"Nieuwsbrief." Illegal Arms Trade Legalised. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"The Illicit Trade Of Small Arms | Geopoliticalmonitor.com." Geopoliticalmonitorcom The

Illicit Trade Of Small Arms Comments. N.p., 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 22 May 2016.

"NATO Co-operation." Arms Trade and Military Cooperation between Europe and Israel.

N.p., 2010. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Neum: Mediterranean Conference on the Topic "Illicit Trade in Small Arms." Sarajevo

Times. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Fleeing Conflicts, Record Numbers of Migrants and Refugees Crossed Mediterranean so

Far in 2015 – UN." UN News Center. UN, 2015. Web. 22 May 2016.

7Topic B: Terrorism in

Southeast Asia11

I. Background

Terrorism in Southeast Asia is primarily caused by mutual distrust created by

conflicting religious groups. This type of violence is not new to the area, though. Starting in

the Cold War, many religious extremist groups posed an internal threat to the region’s

stability. Because of the events unfolding in Iraq and Syria, terrorist organizations are now

looking to expand their operations into other countries, like Indonesia. Southeast Asia is

home to approximately 15 percent of the world’s Muslims. This makes them a prime target

for these extremist groups because of conflicting values. The Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) denounces all acts of terror in the Southeast Asian region. In order to

prevent this violence, chat rooms and social media websites utilized by radicals are being

monitored by countries. This is to protect the safety of the citizens, because many radical

groups are starting to recruit their members from websites like Facebook.

Citizens of the Southeast Asian area are rapidly joining these radical groups, making

the region more susceptible for terrorist attacks. The support for these groups differs within in

each nation. In the Philippines, Muslims account for 5-11% of the population. Two of the

major Islamic groups pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State. In Indonesia, there is a

banned support for the Islamic State, however, this does not stop some Indonesians from

becoming Islamic State fighters. Thailand has police heightening security measures for public

places, especially places visited by Westerners. These actions show how the threat of the

Islamic State not only affects the country’s citizens, but tourism in Southeast Asia as well.

12Many nations in Southeast Asia are attempting to look out for their citizens. With the

success of these terrorist groups, it is easy for the nations to be drawn in and potentially carry

out terrorist actions. These terrorist groups provide a seemingly good future for the residents of

Southeast Asia. They join these groups and train to fight with them. People returning from these

areas can also bring with them skills that they will instill on locals of the country, posing a threat

to the home nation.

II. UN Involvement

The United Nations has put great efforts in to tackling terrorism in general. The

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was created to help counteract the amount of

terrorism in these nations. In 1999, this association adopted an Action Plan to Combat

Transnational Crime. It was not until 2001, however, when heads of states came together to

implement the ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism in response to the 9/11

attacks in New York. The goals of this declaration included strengthening national mechanisms

to combat terrorism, deepening cooperation among ASEAN’s law enforcement agencies, and

developing programs to enhance ASEAN nation’s abilities to detect and report terrorist attacks.

In light of the worldwide terrorist attacks, the Security Council also adopted a resolution

condemning violent extremism in 2014. This resolution also prevents the recruiting of

individuals from another state to partake in terrorist activities.

III. Topic Based Sections

Assisting citizens who choose to join radical groups

Many citizens join radical groups for money, a job, or education, all of which these

groups provide. These people are promised better lives by these terrorist groups with more hope

for the future, so naturally, they are incentivized to join. This creates problems for the home

13nations of these people because, oftentimes, these people want to return. Many

citizens did not know what they were joining before they signed up to join these radical

groups. Some nations take them back in and simply prosecute them. Other nations are trying

to find ways to prohibit these people from reentering. For example, French law stops a

citizen from going abroad. Germany can take away passports and the Netherlands can revoke

Dutch citizenship is a person has volunteered with a terrorist organization. In regards to this

debate, delegates should focus on their country’s policy regarding citizens trying to re-enter

their home country after joining a radical group. Keep in mind the security of the Southeast

Asia region.

Radicalization of Children

Terrorist groups like ISIS are starting to target young children in Southeast Asia for

youth recruitment into the frontlines of the conflicts. There are training camps stationed

around the region for the sole purpose of getting these children ready to fight. These groups

have many ways of getting to the youth, the most prominent one being propaganda videos.

Videos like these are posted to various social media websites, especially ones commonly

used in Southeast Asia, and incentivize the youth to join their groups. This is not hard to do,

considering a child’s brain is underdeveloped and expresses itself freely in a quest for

cognitive certainty, which terrorist groups seem to offer in their videos. Finally, it is not

uncommon for terrorist groups to kidnap children. This is most prevalent in large, poor

families, which there are many of in Southeast Asia. Delegates should find solutions on how

to help the children that are radicalized and prevent this problem from escalating.

Immigration into nations in Southeast Asia

Many countries in Southeast Asia experience immigration, emigration, and transit

migration. People typically travel from less developed countries to destination countries that

are more advanced; however, they stay in this region. Immigration can also jeopardize the

14international community. Many terrorist groups will immigrate into countries and carry out

terrorist actions. This is common in Southeast Asia because everything is in close proximity.

Terrorists could have immigrated legally too. Oftentimes, the only instance of illegal

immigration relating to terrorism is when a terrorist overstays their work visa. In countries in

Southeast Asia, it is a lot easier to obtain a tourist visa instead of a work or study visa.

Delegates focus on keeping countries safe, while still maintaining a proper immigration

system.

IV. Case Study

Jakarta Attacks

This past January, Indonesians faced a terrorist attack in the business district of

Jakarta. There were multiple explosions, all within the vicinity of a United Nations

Information Center. At least eight people were killed during the attack and 23 were injured.

According to authorities, an Indonesian extremist, Bahrun Naim, was behind the attack.

Naim is an ISIS-linked extremist who praises the 2015 Paris attacks. Indonesian forces were

able to arrest twelve people linked to the attack. President Joko Widodo also made a speech

about the attack, highlighting on the fact that “[Indonesia] is not afraid”. This mantra was

taken to social media and was used widely among Twitter users. Regarding international

help, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations condemned the attacks and supported

Indonesian forces to bring the criminals to justice.

V. Guiding Questions

1. What characteristics of Southeast Asia make it a prime region for terrorism?

2. How does the expansion of technology and social media affect the spread of terrorism

in Southeast Asia?

15 3. Seeing as how most countries in Southeast Asia are not as developed as other

countries, by what means can they protect themselves from these terrorist groups?

4. What precautions should countries be able to take in order to keep the internet safe

without violating media freedom from their citizens?

16Works Cited

"ASEAN Efforts to Combat Terrorism, by S.Pushpanathan, Phuket, Thailand - ASEAN | ONE

VISION ONE IDENTITY ONE COMMUNITY." ASEAN. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May

2016.

The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"The Evolving Terrorist Threat to Southeast Asia." : A Net Assessment. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May

2016.

"Government of Timor-Leste." Solidarity with Indonesia «. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"The Islamic State and Southeast Asia - Foreign Policy Blogs." Foreign Policy Blogs. N.p., 16

Oct. 2014. Web. 22 May 2016.

Makhzoomi, Khairuldeen Al. "Terrorism in Southeast Asia and the Role of Ideology." The

Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region." Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 10 July 2009. Web. 22 May

2016.

Person, and Ben Otto. "Tendrils of Terrorism Spread Through Southeast Asia After Jakarta

Attack." WSJ. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution Condemning Violent Extremism,

Underscoring Need to Prevent Travel, Support for Foreign Terrorist Fighters | Meetings

Coverage and Press Releases." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

Sengupta, Somini. "Nations Trying to Stop Their Citizens From Going to Middle East to Fight

for ISIS." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 May

2016.

"Terrorism and Illegal Immigration in the United States." Open Borders The Case. N.p., 05

May 2012. Web. 22 May 2016.

17"Understanding Youth Radicalization in the Age of ISIS: A Psychosocial Analysis « ISN

Blog." Understanding Youth Radicalization in the Age of ISIS: A Psychosocial Analysis

« ISN Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.