UNSC

S T U D Y G U I D E

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1 ) L E T T E R O F T H E S E C R E T A R Y G E N E R A L

2 ) L E T T E R F R O M T H E C O M M I T T E E C H A I R

3 ) I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E S E C U R I T Y C O U N C I L

4 ) H I S T O R Y A N D O R I G I N O F T H E T O P I C

5 ) C U R R E N T S I T U A T I O N

6 ) B L O C P O S I T I O N S

7 ) Q A R M A S

8 ) B I B L I O G R A P H Y 0 1 Letter from the SecGen

Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors,It has not been too long since Casuarinas Team was created, and along with the effort made by teachers and students, our delegates have been able to gain experience in National and International debate competitions. Although we are still new at the Model UN circuit here in , I am glad to announce the first Casuarinas Model United Nations Conference.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing quarantine that have paused economic and social activities in our country have represented a challenge for the organization and execution of Casuarinas Model UN. However, because of the effort of teachers and students from our school, we were able to adapt our project and systems in order to make an online conference possible.

This is why I would like to thank all the directors, assistant directors, and volunteers that offered to willingly share their time with us to host the different committees, developing comprehensive study guides for all the committees, and assisting with the inner organization of the whole conference. Finally, I would like to point out that as an MUN conference we deeply encourage all delegates to participate actively in the debate, and learn as much as possible in these two days. If any delegate has doubts regarding schedules or online meetings, feel free to ask CASMUN staff.We will look forward to having your presence at the Conference!

Mickaella Ramos [email protected] 0 2 Letter from the Chair Dear Delegates,It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the first edition of the Casuarinas International College Model United Nations! My name is Jorge Lazo and I will serve as your committee director for the United Nations Security Council alongside Carlos Elias and the Crisis Room for the committee, Hugo Contreras and Rodrigo Salazar. Having debated for almost 5 years now, I can say without a doubt that MUN has taught plenty of valuable lessons. However, the fact that each time I suit up for a conference is a completely different experience to the previous one is what keeps me away from hanging my classic bow ties and retiring.

On a more personal note, I am currently a sophomore law student at Universidad de and part of Peruvian Debate Society (PDS) since 2019. I am also the biggest basketball nerd you will ever encounter, spending several hours of my spare time watching games, analysing and discussing all things NBA- related on platforms such as reddit and instagram. Finally, if you have any doubts regarding the procedure of the committee, or the flow of the debate we will be following, do not hesitate to send an email to my personal address: [email protected]. We are really looking forward to meeting you in committee, stay safe out there!

Yours sincerely, Jorge Lazo L. 0 3 Letter from the Chair

Dear delegates,My name is Carlos Elías, and I am so excited to be one of your directors by the side of Jorge Lazo, Hugo Contreras and Rodrigo Salazar on the Security Council committee from the first edition of the Casuarinas International College MUN. I have been participating in different conferences of Model United Nations since 2017, being the last one Harvard National Model United Nations 2020 at Boston alongside Peruvian Universities (PU).

Outside of MUN, I am a second-year law student at University of Lima who is a big fan of watching series and playing video games. Moreover, I enjoy practicing mostly any kind of sport. Nevertheless, the competition I am most into it is basketball.We are sure that you are going to do your best during the committee, just remember to always keep your feet on the ground at the time of proposing creative solutions for the issue in discussion. Despite the difficulties due to the pandemic, I cannot wait to feel all of the energy that this conference will bring since every Model United Nations is entirely different from another. Finally, if there are further questions, don't hesitate to contact me in the following e-mail:

[email protected].

See you soon, Carlos Elías. 0 4 Introduction to the Security Council

The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, and came into force on October 24th, 1945. It established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council. It gives primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet whenever peace is threatened. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

An amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased council membership to 15, including the original five permanent members and 10 non- permanent members. The composition of the

Security Council has been a contentious matter, particularly since the end of the Cold War. 0 5 Between the late 1980s and the early 21st century, the council’s power and prestige grew. Beginning in the late 1980s, there was a surge in the number of peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council: between 1948 and 1978 only 13 missions had been authorized, but between 1987 and 2000 some three dozen operations were approved, including those in the Balkans, Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Somalia. In the conflicts of the 21st century, the Security Council was a much less effective body. Beginning in 2003, Arab militias backed by the Sudanese government carried out a terror campaign in the region of Darfur. In spite of the presence of an African Union peacekeeping force, hundreds of thousands were killed and millions were displaced in what was called the first genocide of the 21st century.

During committee work, we expect delegates to be able to analyse the main flaws in the Council’s functioning as well as to fully understand what its powers and faculties are. Though we will be making use of directives, secret actions and press releases, we encourage you to participate in the activity, because a secret dynamic will be revealed later on. 0 6 History and Origin of the Topic

Cold War Era During the Cold War the conflict and tense relationships between the and the ended to be a worldwide concern. One of the important historical events during this period to bear in mind is the incident between both world powers regarding the measure taken by the USA against the postwar Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe due to America's fear of a controlling the world, known as the “containment”.

The “containment” was a US defense strategy against the URSS threat, since that moment the US adopted the policy to “support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures", which would shape American foreign policy. This new country´s policy provided the sudden arms buildup in the USA arguing that it was in order to contain communist expansionism that could occur anywhere, increasing investment in weapons from its budget, including the development of atomic weapons and the beginning of an arms race. 0 7 Moreover, with the implementation of the Reagan Doctrine from the part, providing financial and military support to every anti communist government, the USA made and showed to the world the “benefits involved if you were on their side”, and “what happens” with the ones that are not.

Even prior to the creation of the Reagan Doctrine, several ‘proxy wars’ took place all around the world because of each side’s intention to defend its ideology. The middle east was no exception to this rule, as with the aftermath of World War II, it became a main strategic point for geopolitic moves. This was highlighted during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when in retaliation to the USSR’s threats, the Kennedy administration decided to place nuclear warheads in .

This created a concept known as Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), and reinforced the International Community’s mission to advocate for the de-escalation of nuclear weapon programs, including the Security Council. Proxy wars in the Middle East included the root causes for the Israeli-palestinian disputes, the Soviet-afghan War and, of course, the Islamic Revolution. In the decades prior to this last event, the United States were supporters of a Iranian regime that oversaw an authoritarian political system and a deeply rooted capitalist economy. This was later overthrown by a protest movement supported by the Soviet Union. 0 8 Islamic Revolution It is undeniable that the Iranian foreign relations established with most of the western countries changed completely in 1979. The Islamic Revolution marked a turning point in Iranian history with the fall of the Shah, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, whose dynasty had been in power since 1941; ending a period of closeness with the western powers, characterized at all times by dictatorial measures.

Obviously, this process of change in powers had popular and army support. From White Revolution to Black Friday, the head of the Muslim Community in , Ayatollah Khomeini, was a symbol of insurrection and dissidence. The desire to form an islamic state guaranteed the support of the muslim community. The pieces of the puzzle were put together on September 8th , 1978, better known as Black Friday, the day that government forces as a whole opened fire on thousands of protesters in Tehran.

After years of protests, in early 1979 the shah left the country at the mercy of the protesters. On February 1st , Ayatollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran and assumes as the country's obvious leader. However, the fall of the government of the shah occurred officially on February 11th of that same year with the fall of the prime minister, last defender of the shah. As it was expected, the introduction of a Islamic Parliamentary Republic in

Iran gave way to the presence of a supreme leader with the mission of extending the power and influence of islam in the world. 0 9 Hostage Crisis, 1979 After having his regime overthrown by the Islamic Revolution, Mohammed Rezah Shah Pahlavi had to escape his former kingdom amid the death threat that represented remaining in Iran, where revolutionaries and a large portion of the population, including several authorities and members of the new government were calling for his trial and execution in Iranian lands. In October that year, the United States gave him asylum, also pursuing treatment for a cancer he had been diagnosed with. This, of course, reignited Iranian’s hatred towards the western power, with newly appointed Ayatollah Khomeini being one of the main voices behind this movement, still supported by soviet political forces.

On Novemberth, 4th 1979 youthful Islamists, calling themselves Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, invaded the US embassy compound in Tehran and seized its staff. The students held 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days, which played a role in helping to pass the constitution, suppressing moderates, and otherwise radicalising the revolution. Despite its efforts to employ diplomacy for the negotiations in an almost exclusive way, the Carter administration was not able to reach an agreement, with Iran, who had its priorities straight: they wanted the economic sanctions to be vanished, as well as american troops withdrawn from its borders, even several months after the death of the former Shah. 1 0 With the economic crisis in Iran leading to a breaking point, each day that passed meant more pressure on the government, as the USA refused to withdraw the economic sanctions against them. This also meant the application of pressure to their security forces, leaving them almost defenseless amid a possible invasion (which years later ended up happening) by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. One of the main reasons, however, of the multiple failures in military intervention that centered on the rescue of hostages, was the presence of soviet troops in afghan-iranian borders. At long last, the Algiers Accords were signed in January 1981 and the hostages were released under custody to the United States, shortly after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the new president in office.

Nuclear proliferation in Iran Mohammad Reza Shah initiated Iran's nuclear program during the 1950s with assistance from the U.S. Atoms for Peace Program. Establishing the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in 1974, the Shah had ambitious plans to construct 20 nuclear power reactors, a uranium enrichment facility, and a reprocessing plant for spent fuel. However, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini deemed the nuclear program "un-Islamic" and ordered it terminated. In 1984, Khomeini reversed course on the issue of nuclear power and sought international partners to continue building the Bushehr reactors. Currently, Iran has complete nuclear fuel cycle capabilities including uranium mining, milling, conversion, and enrichment facilities. Iran's extensive enrichment program, which could be used to produce highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon, has been particularly controversial. 1 1 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors found Iran in non-compliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in 2005, and the UN Security Council passed seven resolutions demanding that Iran halt its enrichment and reprocessing activities. Beginning in 2002, Iran, the IAEA, and various groupings of world powers— first with , Germany, and the United Kingdom, and later accompanied by China, Russia, and the United States—made numerous attempts to negotiate a settlement to the dispute. Negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran yielded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015, a comprehensive 25-year nuclear agreement limiting Iran's nuclear capacity in exchange for sanctions relief. On January 16th, 2016, all nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were lifted in response to its progress meeting key metrics of the deal.

The United States re-imposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran in November 2018, and Iran responded with phased reductions in its compliance with the JCPOA throughout 2019. On January 5th 2020, following the U.S. assassination of Soleimani, Iran announced it would no longer be bound by the JCPOA’s limit on centrifuges. However, Iran maintains that it would return to full compliance with the JCPOA if nuclear-related sanctions were lifted. Iran has steadily increased its stockpile of enriched uranium, but has continued to implement other nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA and to cooperate with the IAEA in verification and monitoring of the agreement. 1 2 Current Situation

Trump announced on May 8th , 2018 that the US was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA). The US on May 21st demanded Iran make sweeping changes - from dropping its nuclear programme to pulling out of the Syrian war - or face severe economic sanctions. The US on August 7th reimposed the first round of sanctions on Iran. On November 5th, the US announced a new round of sanctions. On April 8th, 2019, Trump announced he was designating a powerful arm of the Iranian military, the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign "terrorist" organisation. On June 17th, the Pentagon authorised the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East. On June 20rh, Iranian forces shot down a US military drone. On June 29th, the US Air Forces Central Command said in a statement that F-22 Raptor stealth fighters were being deployed in the region "to defend American forces and interests". On August 30, the UN said Iran was still exceeding limitations set by its nuclear deal with world

powers, increasing its stock of enriched uranium

and refining it to a greater purity than allowed in the agreement. 1 3 On December 31th, enraged members and supporters of pro-Iranian paramilitary groups in Iraq broke into the heavily fortified US embassy compound in Baghdad, smashing a main door and setting parts of its perimeter on fire. Meanwhile, on January 2th, 2020, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said there were "some indications" that Iran or groups it supports "may be planning additional attacks" on US interests in the Middle East. In a predawn air raid in at Iraq's airport in Baghdad on January 3rd, the US struck and killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or PMF. Iran's UN ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi in an interview with CNN on January 3rd said that "the response for a military action is a military action." In a Tweet on January 4th Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites "very hard" if Iran attacked Americans or US assets. Iraq's parliament passed a resolution on January 5th calling on the government to expel foreign troops from the country and to cancel its request for assistance from the US-led coalition which had been working with Baghdad to fight the ISIL (ISIS). On this same day, Iran stated it will no longer abide by the enrichment limits in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. In the early hours of January 8th, Iran launched a series of missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing US troops. Later on that same day, Trump said Iranian missile strikes on bases in Iraq did not harm any US troops stationed there and damage was minimal, an outcome he said showed Tehran wanted to de-escalate a standoff. 1 4 Bloc Positions

It is well known that the relations between the western powers and Iran have led to an endless number of events that have made the Middle East one of the areas with the greatest conflicts on a global level. Then, the following chart is presented as a previously used method to simplify the alliances in the area. Nonetheless, the information presented in this chart is just a little piece of what delegates must bring to the committee. As a recommendation, take in mind the interests of nations in all the aspects of the conflict.

Regarding the topic specifically these are a few examples on the issue:

United States of America Unlike other administrations, the Trump government is having a rather unorthodox approach to the Middle Eastern affairs. Precisely, the current president took office in 2016 under the platform of reducing US military interventionism in the world, especially in the Middle East, qualifying the interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria as unnecessary disasters. Thus, the Trump foreign policy allowed a deescalation in the Korean Peninsula and reducing massively or even retiring completely US soldiers from Afghanistan and Syria. 1 5 Nevertheless, the administration could not avoid all the goals of this neo-isolationist US attitude towards the world, especially after appointing John Bolton (a well known Washington hawk) as National Security Adviser. Since then, the Trump government is following a rather uncertain path. For example, the overall approaches to Syria and show a conjunction between non- interventionist and interventionist policies. Therefore, Soleimani was terminated by a US drone attack without any military retaliation to the Iranian attacks in response.

Iran According to Samuel P. Huntington, the main Iranian goal is achieving a status of central power within the Islamic World. Nonetheless, the US and its allies fundamentally opposed to this idea, resulting in the murder of Qassen Soleimani. This ignited the Iranian rhetoric, setting the US and its allies as imperialist and terrorist enemies of the 1979 regime. As a consequence of the aftermath of the Iraq war, the Teheran regime expanded its influence throughout the region by cooperating with national governments (e.g. Syria, Iraq) or by directly funding and controlling armed militias (e.g. Popular Mobilization Forces, Hezbollah, Houthis).

Unlike other nations, Iran is holding a rather pragmatic international policy. The theocracy is basing its policies on certain fundamental premises such as disregarding the US, condemning the Israeli existence and exporting the effects of the revolution, but is cooperating with states with fundamentally opposite positions such as

Russia and Syria, depending more on faithal and geostrategic ties than. 1 6 Russia After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia commenced a policy of securing the so-called “Russian influence area”, in order to avoid lessive presences around its borders. This policy is constantly reflected in the Middle East. For this reason, Russia has a rather pragmatic and not ideological approach to the foreign affairs. This allowed to specially strengthen the bonds with Iran as a counterweight to the Western influences in the Middle East. For this reason, Moscow responded to the killing of Qassem Soleimani by rotoundly condemning it and qualifying this act as a key to further escalation in the region.

The West and China Not regarding the fundamental differences between the Western (NATO, European Union, UK, , , New Zealand) and Chinese policies, both actors have had a rather mediating role for the issue. Despite having been active supporters of the US interventionist policy in the Middle East, in the last few years the West adopted a more measured approach to this region, prioritizing negotiations, sanctions and diplomatic responses to Iranian aggressions. China, not having this fundamental opposition to the Iranian foreign policy, also has had a long tradition of non-interventionist policy, in order to maintain peace and de-escalate tensions.

Therefore, both the West and China appealed to maintain peace, begin a dialogue and avoid further confrontations. 1 7 Iranian Allies Soleimani was the key member of the Iranian army responsible for training, funding and arming Pro-Iranian non-state militias such as Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. Under the general’s command, a complex network was created in order to secure the Iranian sphere of influence in the region, often by cooperating directly with the local governments like in Syria and Iraq, but also by helping to topple Anti-Iranian regimes like in Yemen. By eliminating Soleimani, the US left a big power vacuum in the area which ended up in further escalations in the region, as Hezbollah and Houthi forces mobilized to Iraq in order to strengthen the Shiite assistance after losing the main link between Iran and them. Iranian state allies such as Iraq and Syria responded by rotoundly condemning the attack. Iraq particularly even called upon the immediate retirement of US troops in its territory as more and more Iranian troops began entering the neighbouring territory. However, the power vacuum after Soleimani’s death could also mean a severe loss of influence in the region, which can be captured by nations such as Russia.

The Persian Gulf and others With the sole exception of Qatar, the Persian Gulf is characterized for being the Saudi sphere of influence. has been the main competitor to the Iranian geopolitical struggle in the region, also trying to become a central state in the Islamic World according to Huntington. Nonetheless, the Saudi reaction to the killing of Qassem Soleimani was not specially pleasant, but prudent. As Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farham stated, the

Middle East was under real danger from the Saudi point of view. Thus the country and its allies began applying defensive preventive measures. 1 8 , with a similar position towards Iran, also adopted a package of defensive-preventive mechanisms, but accompanied it with a very belligerent rhetoric, publicly applauding Soleimani’s death and condemning all previous and future Iranian actions.

Summary of the Isssue This section will be focused on the main parts of discussion in the committee. Conflicts in the Middle East are characterised not only because of the deep historical reasons that acted as a staple to their origin, but also because of the complex political engagement acts parties have between them. Posing most of the time as a domino effect, there are some geographical areas that represent a bigger risk to the International Community than others.

Previously in the study guide, we have discussed the role of US allies within its tensions with Iran. Under that same context, it is important to acknowledge the particular role that Turkey fulfills in the conflict. During the Cold War, it quickly became a member of NATO due to it acting as a geographical, political, and cultural bridge between Europe and the Middle East, in a time where the Israeli- Palestinian was still recent to the world. Likewise, it is no secret that both Turkey and Israel have doubled their efforts in increasing their military power in recent years. Moreover, a clear demonstration of the role both states fulfill was presented during the Golf War, acting as military and strategic bases to the US and the rest of the NATO coalition. Fast forward to the present day, thousands of troops are still deployed, posing as a tool of quick response to several conflicts in the region, such as the Syrian Civil War. 1 9 On the other hand, a quick escalation of the conflict is also a possibility if immediate decisions are not undertaken, due to the fact that Iranian government acts as an ideological, political and economic influence to regional state and non-state actors alike. Definitely, one of the core aspects of the issue is the threat that violent non-state actors present in the proliferation of the conflict. That would threaten to reignite armed conflicts that had been on decline for the past couple of years. Of course, more instability in the region could mean total disaster to the already worrying situations in countries such as Yemen, Syria and Iraq. Economic and humanitarian consequences are the main points of concern in said countries, as the lack of a silver lining in their respective conflicts could pose as a certain point of inflexion for state failure. 2 0 Finally, perhaps the biggest threat to international security will be that of Iran’s nuclear agenda. After failed initiatives by the US to ensure a transparent process of disarmament in Iran’s nuclear programme, the situation has taken a turn for the worse, after the recent death of General Soleimani.

We will rely exclusively on directives and secret actions to put in place measures to mitigate the situation For that reason, we will expect very fast paced and coordinated action. We will not accept any form of plagiarism in any of the documents, in line with the conference’s policy.

Instructions on how to deliver the crisis notes will be handed over to the delegates in the following weeks. 2 1 QARMAS Position Paper email: [email protected]

What is the role International Courts should fulfill as a third party in this conflict? Should the assassination of General Soleimani be classified as a violation against International Humanitarian Law? What should be the approach towards the JCPOA? Should it still be considered as an efficient treaty to decrease the proliferation of nuclear arsenal and weapons of mass destruction in Iran? Will new negotiations need to be held in order to reach an agreement over a new deal? What is the impact that economic sanctions have on Iran? Should neutral countries in the committee push to withdraw them or to impose further sanctions? If measures are not put in place in order to mitigate the conflict, will the escalation of new proxy wars in the region be a possibility? What measures should be undertaken in order to prevent violence in already existing zones in conflict such as Syria?

What should be the plan of action in order to

enhance state capacity building against violence non-state actors? 2 2 QARMAS

How can state accountability be enhanced in order to decrease the probability of a failed state? Amidst the concern of the UN in regards to the status of security in the region, could a military intervention be considered in order to prevent terrorist groups and other violent non state actors from acquiring political and military power in the region? If so, what would be the legal basis for this? What measures should be put in place in order to monitor the enforcement of the decisions taken in the committee? Is the threat of the use of force always the answer?

Should there be a proper response from the Security

Council to the humanitarian crises in the region in order to mitigate instability? 2 3 Bibliography

Google.com.pe. 2020. US-Iran Tensions: Timeline Of Events Leading To Soleimani Killing. [online] Available at: .

Turak, N., 2020. 'Dangerous Escalation' And 'Severe Revenge': The World Responds To The US Killing Of Iran's Top General. [online] CNBC. Available at: .

BBC News. 2020. Qasem Soleimani: US Kills Top Iranian General In Baghdad Air Strike. [online] Available at: .

Gigova, R., 2020. Trump And Rouhani Trade Warnings After Killing Of Top General. [online] CNN. Available at: .

Nytimes.com. 2020. What To Know About The Death Of

Iranian General Suleimani. [online] Available at:

. 2 4 Bibliography

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 2020. Statement By The Department Of Defense. [online] Available at: .

NBC News. 2020. Trump Authorized Soleimani's Killing 7 Months Ago, With Conditions. [online] Available at: .

Chulov, M., 2020. Impact Of Suleimani's Death Is Playing Out In Unexpected Ways. [online] the Guardian. Available at: .

Middle East Institute. 2020. The Killing Of Qassem Soleimani: Analysis From MEI Experts. [online] Available at: .

Washingtoninstitute.org. 2020. Does Soleimani’S Death Matter? Findings From A 2019 Workshop. [online] Available at: .

Nuclear Power in Iran - World Nuclear Association. (2020, junio). World Nuclear Association. https://www.world- nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g- n/iran.aspx

The Cold War Era (2020). https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/leps101.pdf 2 5