“
The Space Race “ 1. Letter from the Secretary General
2. Letters from the Directors
3. Introduction of the committee
4. Introduction of the topic
5. history of the topic
6. Context of the topic
7. Past International Actions
8. QARMAS
9. Position paper Guidelines
10. References Letter From the Secretary General
Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors,
Last year the Casuarinas Debate Team organized our first Model United Nations conference called CASMUN, and once again it is an honor to have you back with us.
It has not been too long since the Casuarinas Debate Team started, and since then having our own Model UN competition was a goal: a difficult one, but not impossible to achieve. In 2020, we were planning to organize the conference at our school, following the measures for what appeared to be only a 3 month quarantine. However, because of the Covid-19 pandemic we were forced to organize a virtual conference, which we were able to accomplish through the hard work of our Faculty Advisors and the Casuarinas Debate Team.
This year is no different, and with much more experience in hand, we are organizing another virtual conference full of dedication, enthusiasm and transparency in order to offer all delegates a suitable space for self expression and formal discussions. Casuarinas Model UN is the result of the effort of many people, including our Faculty Advisors, your committee chairs, and all the members of our Secretariat who volunteered to participate. Personally, I would like to thank them all in advance for their commitment.
Finally, I would like to point out that Model United Nations is about having fun and learning not only about global issues, but also acquiring and improving soft skills that will benefit delegates in the long term. This is why we encourage all of you to actively participate in your committee sessions and make an effort to take advantage of the experience CASMUN has to offer.
We will look forward to having you at our Conference!
Letters From the Directors
Dear Delegates,
My name is Emilio Sopprani and alongside Kiyomi, I will be one of the chairs for this DISEC committee. I'm in my last year studying in the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, about to obtain my BSc in Biology. Furthermore, I really enjoy all kinds of debate and public speaking activities. Even though there was a really prominent MUN environment at my alma mater Newton College, I didn't get involved with MUN until 2018, when I joined the Peruvian Debate Society, and had my first encounter with Crisis and DISEC committees, which I would continue to cherish until today.
I hope that I will get to know you a little bit better in this committee, so I will share some bits about myself so you can also get to know me better. In my free time, I enjoy playing MOBAS and Shooters with my friends (even though I'm kind of trash at shooters). I used to be really sporty and active, but my schedule has become so tight and now I barely have any time to workout anymore so instead I spend way too much time on tiktok and watching series whenever I can, which usually means at around 3 a.m. in the morning. Not that it matters, but my favourite junk food is hamburgers and if you know any good burger places out there you should definitely let me know, as I am looking for the best burger out there...
Moreover, as a delegate, I expect you to be able to come up with creative but realistic solutions to properly regulate space laws. Remember that with a historical committee such as this one, you have the advantage of being able to “look into the future” as that is our present, so I look forward to you recognizing the flaws in the real Outer Space Treaty, and for you to be able to implement solutions to fix these during the committee. I value the leadership skills that the delegate displays in committee, encouraging dialogue and refraining from toxic actions like monopolizing the word or manipulation through deception.
I'm really looking forward to meeting you and hope that you enjoy this committee as much as Kiyomi and I enjoyed when preparing it.. Finally, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any kind of help.
Sincerely, Emilio Sopprani [email protected] Letters From the Directors
Dear Delegates,
My name is Kiyomi Murakuki and alongside Emilio, I will have the pleasure of serving as your chair for this year’s DISEC committee. I am a second-year Law student at Universidad de Lima and a former member of Peruvian Debate Society. I was introduced to MUN in high school where I fell in love with international politics, however, my favorite committees to debate were historic ones! I am passionate about anything that can lead to long conversations, I love to see people who are genuinely interested and invested in something (honestly, anything).
A little extra information about myself: In my free time you can find me binge-watching Marvel movies or drowning myself in Edx courses (there is no in-between). In this year’s endless quarantine I learned that the study of the Cosmos was a big passion of mine, ergo, I am extremely excited to discuss the regulation of our amazing universe (or multiverse). No, it is not a Marvel reference I swear, I am a true believer of this theory (and many others).
This topic was the chosen one among a brainstorming session we had, it represents an important period in history that shapes modern science and the study of space as we know it. Our primary goal is to set a dynamic committee, don't stress about making the perfect speeches or trying to impress us, just make sure you are interested in working and creating solutions. The virtual world of debate comes with challenges, we don´t want a dead committee, we are always expecting someone to talk or propose something. It is extremely important for you to do your own research outside the study guide! My overall recommendations are: have fun, prepare, and don't ignore us when calling speakers (I will be sad if you do). If you have any doubts regarding the committee do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help!
Best Regards, Kiyomi Murakuki [email protected] Introduction of the Committee
DISEC was the First Committee of the General Assembly and it is one of the most popular GA-style committees in Model United Nations. Since the General Assembly is the main organ of the United Nations and has representation from every UN member state, it is able to discuss a wide variety of different world issues. As a result of this it is comprised of six different committees: DISEC, ECOFIN, SOCHUM, SPECPOL, the Administrative and Budgetary committee, and the Legal committee.
DISEC deals with topics that center around disarmament, global issues, and threats to peace that jeopardize international security. It works under Article 11 of Chapter IV of the UN Charter, “The General Assembly may consider the general principles of co-operation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armament.”
Some of the main topics that DISEC discusses are: ● National, Regional, and Global Security ● Biological, Chemical, Technological, and Nuclear Weapons ● Arms Trade Key considerations when researching the topics above include national capabilities and limitations, mitigation of conflict, and oversight and monitoring mechanisms. Because of the nature of these topics, delegate research and resolution writing must be very detailed in nature, and focus on the operationalization of ideas. Additionally, because of the divisive nature of many of the themes listed above, the most effective ideas and delegates will be inclusive and focus on international cooperation. Introduction of the Topic
The Cold War helped shape many of the aspects of modern life we are used to, and it was also responsible for the space race. Some even consider it a really important milestone in human development due to the impact it had on how we deal with politics and technologies. In this committee, you will have the chance to change history and influence the world by being in charge of discussing the Outer Space Treaty.
Remember that any rules or regulations you make will have a real time effect on the events happening outside of the committee, so be prepared to react and adapt. Expect the unexpected, because you never know what might be going on outside committee doors. History of the Topic
Honestly, it would be very hard to summarize the history of the 20th century but we all know it goes something like this: War, Revolutions, Depression, War, Nukes, Cold War, almost WW3, and the “end” of the Cold War. We would be focusing on the Cold War period, especially the Space Race and its impact on the international community. Our main goal would be to craft an international regulation system towards the use of outer space. As a historic committee, the starting date of the session would be located sometime before January 27th, 1967, the date on which the USA, USSR, UK signed the Outer Space Treaty (based on the former Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space). Despite the history of the century being excruciatingly long we will try to explain the main events that led us here.
Third Reich and The USSR
A megalomaniac named Adolf Hitler tried to make Germany great again (I bet this sounds familiar). He tried to complete what Charlemagne and Otto Von Bismark once did, and as we know our mustache man (luckily) failed on his quest to greatness. Hitler may have been a mad lad but he sure knew how to sneak and form alliances to consolidate his plans. In 1939, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Joachim von Ribbentrop met with the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov; they signed a non-aggression pact, Nazi-Soviet Pact, witha secret clause: They both will invade Poland and split it in half.
The USSR helped the Nazi regime until our madman snapped and decided to carry out his: I did not learn from the frozen Napoleon plan, and Operation Barbarossa was launched in 1941. The USSR had been betrayed and decided to enter the allied coalition. Despite Churchill’s initial rejection of the USSR, he realized it was a good ally to have at the eastern front. The GPO (Generalplan Ost) was going to take place now in Soviet territory exterminating Slavs in Siberia and other locations. Ambitious Hitler thought he was going to make it. Long story short, he did not. Fast forward to May 8th, 1945, the Nazis surrendered.
The Japanese and The USA
Meanwhile, in the pacific, a different war was being fought. Emperor Hirohito, wanted to expand Japan as he thought that Asia would be better under his rule. He first had to eliminate his big threat on the other side of the big pond, the USA. The war here didn't start until Pearl Harbor where a massive airstrike was launched to destroy the American ships located in Hawaii, as our emperor thought that all the warships were located there (big mistake). After that, the US formally entered the war against the axis powers, and the world entered into a state of Total War. FDR was the president at the time and he had already been sending aid to the allies before PH, as he signed a lend-lease act. The war in the pacific was pretty brutal as the imperial army was not afraid to commit atrocities as they advanced in their quest. Sadly, FDR passed away and Truman stepped up as Commander in Chief. The Japanese were the last to surrender, they only did so after two atomic bombs were blasted into the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their surrender was signed by General McArthur and Mamoru Shigemitsu at the U.S.S. Missouri. Context of the topic
International Tension
When the war ended there was a clear division between the USSR and the USA, they both wanted to expand their spheres of influence. The red country was led by Stalin and the USA was at the hands of Truman, both of whom hated each other’s ideologies. In fact, when FDR was still in office, he had a different approach towards the USSR. Churchill, UK’s prime minister during the war, always pushed FDR or the American delegation to be harsher towards combating communism. The first conference where they talked about post-war order was in Soviet-controlled Iran. Once again, The Polish Question was raised (it exists since the Congress of Vienna in 1815). Basically, it questions the consolidation of Poland as an independent state and goes back to the repartition of the territory between the Prussian, Austrian and Russian (Czarist) empires. Poland was considered a strategic buffer state and maintained the balance of powers in Europe, that is why everyone wanted to have it.
During these conferences, they took into consideration various aspects of the world order: Demilitarization of Axis Powers (FDR proposed this plan with the aim to stop the axis future plans) and the Morgenthau's Plan, the US secretary of the treasury, proposed the elimination of all German arms industry, and he proposed the first repartition of Germany in Three Zones: International, North German States, and the South German States. Yalta was the following conference here, they further discussed the self-determination of the conquered territories; This is a controversial point if we take into account what happened years later during the cold war. Here we begin to see moves that lead to a tense Potsdam conference.
The Potsdam Conference: there were prior conferences to this one such as Yalta and Tehran, but here is where the true colors of the USSR came to light (well everyone already knew but let's pretend it was a big surprise). This was the post-war conference where the faith of Germany and conquered Europe was going to be decided, and so it did. Remember when we talked about the Soviets occupying Poland? Well, they didn't want to return the territories they gained during the war. They all still acted as allies when in fact they were preparing themselves for a period we would know as the Cold War. Context of the topic
Iron Curtain
"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an "iron curtain" has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow." -Winston Churchill, Missouri, March 5, 1946
This speech was made by former British Prime Minister, Churchill. The cold war is a complex yet very fun topic to discuss, basically, two rivals were presented: the USA & USSR. Each had completely different ideologies: Capitalism vs. Communism. And they represented a big influence towards the nations they decided to absorb under their sphere. By the Cold War, we understand a tense situation that emerges with force from the immediate post-war period that would be faced by two superpowers, later to be extended to a planetary dimension. Although the state of permanent tension, the coldness would avoid a generalized confrontation. All of this leads to a series of fights and races within both nations, this is where our topic is born. Context of the topic
Space Regulation in the Cold War
During the last decades of the 19th century and the early 20th century many new theories regarding the study of
space-time were discovered, this allowed modern scientists to understand how vast the universe was and opened a huge possibility to study space. However, due to the context of the wars in this time period there was not much interest in investing the space, as they were focused on the creation of bombs and missiles that worked on Earth.
So when the Cold War started they did now have the incentive to try something new. Both the USA and USSR had developed nuclear weapons, now they wanted to pursue the great beyond. As this was a new field of experiments and practices there was a lack of regulation, if nowadays there are still people who think the Earth is flat just imagine how it was back then.
The USSR was the first super power that launched an artificial satellite that orbited the Earth on October 4th 1957, it was designed by missile scientist Sergei Korolev, who developed the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM’s). This first satellite did not carry any life in it, but Sputnik II launched one month later, carrying the first dog that visited space, Laika. The USA had also attempted to launch a satellite, but failed twice. In January 1958, they successfully positioned the explorer into space. Funny thing,the USA had former Nazi Scientists working on the development of this new technologies. With the launch of the first satellite to space the race had begun, and progressed into many new quests that now scientists led. At the time the USA operated its space missions in the Army Ballistic Missile Agency and as part of the Committee of Aeronautics. In 1958, they decided to create a new national agency: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or as we all know it NASA.
“In addition to launching the first artificial satellite, the first dog in space, and the first human in space, the Soviet Union achieved other space milestones ahead of the United States. These milestones included Luna 2, which became the first human-made object to hit the Moon in 1959. Soon after that, the U.S.S.R. launched Luna 3. Less than four months after Gagarin’s flight in 1961, a second Soviet human mission orbited a cosmonaut around Earth for a full day. The U.S.S.R. also achieved the first spacewalk and launched the Vostok 6 mission, which made Valentina Tereshkova the first woman to travel to space” -National Geographic
Of course, then we have the Apollo missions from the USA that marked a huge milestone for humanity. The first man on the moon, Neil Amstrong landed the Apollo 11 mission on the moon in December 1968 (this has not happened yet). Both superpowers faced a race that allowed them to position themselves as superior one to the other. Past International Actions
The Outer Space Treaty
The Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1962 and it set one of the first grounds rules for space law. This treaty would later be used as reference material for the Outer Space Treaty and the other four treaties that shaped modern space law. The declaration emphasized nine points: 1. The benefit of all humanity. 2. Free explorations according to international law. 3. No national appropriation of celestial and space bodies. 4. Follow international law and the United Nations Charter. 5. Nations carry responsibility for their activities in outer space. 6. The principle of cooperation. 7. The jurisdiction of launched objects. 8. Liability of launching an object into space. 9. Astronauts as envoys of humanity.
In 1966, the Outers Space Treaty was agreed upon by the General Assembly. This treaty entered into effect in 1967 and was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of Outer Space. This new treaty was pushed through for signature by the Russian Federation, The United States and the United Kingdom in January 1967 and entered into action in October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty includes the following guidelines: ● The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind; ● Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States; ● Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means; ● States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner; ● The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes; ● Astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind; ● States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities; ● States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and ● States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
Amongst others who can be reviewed here: - https://www.unoosa.org/pdf/gares/ARES_21_2222E.pdf - Future Resolutions: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties.html QARMAs
1. What reforms does the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space must have? Should they be according to international law or should they be treated under other premises? 2. What institution should regulate the exploration and possible militarization of outer space? If so, is the United Nations one of them? What would be the possible liabilities of international outer space exploration? 3. How should private entities be regulated under Space Law? What jurisdiction should they answer in case of an accident? What are their responsibilities to the international community? 4. Thinking about our future, is the weaponization of space allowed in case of an outer space threat? How would this be handled? Are outer space threats relevant? 5. Should nations be able to have their own space armed forces? Is the international community (as a whole) allowed to weaponize the space? Position Paper Guidelines
Every nation-state is asked to submit a position paper where they detail the policies of their country regarding the matter that will be discussed at the conference. Position papers should comply with the following format:
First paragraph: A brief introduction to the committee’s topic and how it relates to your assigned country or delegation You should mention quotes statistics and information that establishes that you are aware of the Topic’s Background. In here you should also mention some laws or measurements that your country has implemented.
Second paragraph: A summary of the past international actions taken by the UN, regional organization, or any international entity and your country’s position towards it. Here you can also mention some of the actions taken by your country or delegation.
Third paragraph: Your proposed solutions to the issues that your committee tries to address. You need to be concise, specific, realistic, and measurable. To write better solutions ask yourself these questions:
● What is my proposal about? ● What is the objective of my proposal? ● How will it work? ● Who will provide the funding? ● Who will supervise it? ● Can the UN do this?
The format of the document must be Times New Roman size 11 with regular margins and single spacing. And it must be no longer than 1½ pages, including references. Please, consider that the deadline to present the position paper is April, 8th and should be sent to the following emails:
- [email protected] - [email protected]
Thank you. References
1. Unoosa.org. 2021. The Outer Space Treaty. [online] Available at: