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Dear Delegates,
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee of Harvard World Model United Nations 2012! My name is Gillian Farrell and I am thrilled to have the privilege to serve as your Chair for this conference. A bit about myself – I am a junior at Harvard concentrating in Chemistry. Originally from Long Island, New York and Dublin, Ireland, I have had the chance to grow up in two different areas of the world and to travel extensively – opportunities to which I attribute my love of international affairs. I have been a part of Model United Nations since my freshman year of high school (WorldMUN 2012 will be my nineteenth conference). In my time spent apart from Model UN, I work at the Harvard College Admissions Office and at the Harvard Business School and enjoy running and playing lacrosse.
As the Conference approaches, I hope that you are becoming more and more excited to participate in one of the most thrilling committees of the General Assembly. I hope you will come to Conference ready to engage in passionate debate, to learn from your fellow delegates, and most of all, to have a rewarding and fun few days. During our committee sessions, you, as delegates, will be debating some of the most heated and complex issues the United Nations has faced. The topic of civil war and the creation of new states is one of the most nuanced faced by SPECPOL, as one must consider not only political, but also economic and humanitarian implications of self-determination and separatist movements. In addition, the question of Palestine is one that has plagued the international community for decades and continues to threaten the security of the Middle East.
As you prepare yourself for conference and begin on your research, I encourage you to keep in mind the viewpoint of your country as well as the global implications of the topics. The study guide is a great starting point for research but I hope you will continue gathering information so that you can come to conference with a strong foundation with which to enter debate. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me. I look forward to meeting all of you in March!
Sincerely,
Gillian Farrell
Chair, SPECPOL
World Model United Nations 2012
specpol@worldmun.org
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Topic Area A: The Palestinian Question
In 2007, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon asserted, “The Palestinian people still yearn for the freedom and dignity denied them for decades. The Israeli people yearn for long-term security. Neither can achieve their legitimate demands without a settlement of the conflict. Today, we are at a critical juncture in efforts to move beyond crisis management and renew efforts toward genuine conflict resolution.” However, nearly half a decade later, the international community and the United Nations are still faced with the quandary that is the Palestinian question.
The Palestinian territory was originally under the control of Great Britain. However, in 1947, Britain decided to terminate its mandate over the area and asked the General Assembly to recommend a plan for the future of the territory. The General Assembly recommended the division of the land into two states, Jewish and Arab, with the greater Jerusalem area under international control. However, Palestinian leadership did not accept this suggestion and almost immediately, civil war ensued. The violence that erupted in the region has continued until this day. Since 2007, the governance of the contested land of the Gaza Stip and the West Bank has been split between Hamas and Fatah, two rival branches of Palestinian authority, respectively. However, there are nearly half a million Israelis living in the West Bank, and in addition, since Israel controls Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters, many international organizations consider Israel to be the true authority in Gaza although it is inhabited by mainly Palestinians.
The United Nations continues to be faced with the issue of how to bring about a peaceful, yet lasting, resolution to question of Palestine. This committee will consider the political, economic, and humanitarian aspects of the issue and a final resolution will incorporate a short and long-term plan for Palestine and its place in the international community.
Topic Area B: Civil Wars and the Creation of New States
Time and again, the international community has witnessed the splintering of established nations and the creation of new states as a result of a quest for self-determination of ethnic minority groups or the confrontation of different political factions. There have been innumerable occasions throughout history during which these minority groups have either attempted to assert their independence and their right to self-government, or alternatively have been oppressed by the majority or governing group. Often times, these cases involve rebellion and violence from either or both sides of the conflict, escalating the initial political disagreement into a civil war, yielding economic and humanitarian crises. Furthermore, if the separatist minority group is in fact successful in forming a nation state, stabilizing a sustainable government and economy can become an even greater challenge in today’s modern society.
One of the various roles of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee is to establish the legitimacy of the minority groups seeking independence or official recognition by a government or state, protect the rights of these peoples, and to ensure the economic sustainability and human rights practices in these non-self governing territories. However, in cases of civil wars, this task may be more challenging than it appears. This committee must first consider how the United Nations should go about distinguishing between legitimate separatist movements and radical rebel miscreants and if the United Nations has the right to recognize separatist states or even become involved in the internal conflicts of nations. Furthermore, delegates will deliberate the rights that should be given to these separatist groups as well as a means preparation and prevention of atrocities such as ethnic cleansing or the rise of radical extremists from the ranks minority groups. Finally, the committee must address the ways in which the United Nations can ensure that the newly created states can grow and develop successfully.