United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities

UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON SUPERHUMAN ACTIVITIES

STUDY GUIDE

Yavuz Ülker Yiğit Ülker Under-Secretary-General Secretary-General

Vefa Lisesi Model United Nations Conference March 31st – April 3rd, 2017 Istanbul, Turkey

LETTER FROM UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL

Most distinguished delegates of the United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities,

It is my utmost honour and supreme pleasure to welcome you all to the very first session of Vefa Lisesi Model United Nations Conference 2017. I will be serving as the responsible Under Secretary General of United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities (UNCSA).

To very shortly introduce myself, my name is Yavuz Ülker, I am currently a senior in Cağaloğlu Anadolu Lisesi. This will be my fifth very joyful and successful year of doing MUN and I am proud to participate in this year’s VefaMUN.

With the concept of fictional committees in MUN Conferences becoming more and more preferable, this year’s VefaMUN decided to host a committee in a similar aspect. Having realized my personal interest both in comics and in global politics, I have got together with the Secretariat to craft an ambiance that will allow its participants to debate professionally and have fun simultaneously. The expectations I have from the delegates in this committee to firstly do their research well. The Study Guide is a great material to begin with but by no means to limit your research. Since we will be simulating a committee that is set in an alternate reality, I recommend you to expand your imagination, think beyond politics and expect the unexpected.

Apart from the work, VefaMUN will be an amazing conference for all of us. Observing the enthusiasm and diligence of the Academic and the Organization Team, it is easy to say that we all are going to leave the conference with a vast amount of aspiration.

I would like to stress my thanks to the Secretariat and the Secretary-General himself. It was surely a hard process to create such an extensive Study Guide for the conference. Despite working in harsh circumstances, we dealt with all subjects and prepared the Study Guide you are reading now.

I am looking forward to seeing you all, living the extremity of joy together, and saving the world while starting long-lasting friendships.

Yavuz Ülker

Under-Secretary-General responsible for United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities

1) Introduction

2) Definition of Key Terms

3) United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities

4) Fictional Universe

a. General Overview i. World War II Era ii. Post-War Era iii. Modern Day b. Timeline of Events

5) Superhuman Regulation Protocol

a. Background b. The Problem of Vigilantism and the Avengers

6) Conclusion

7) Further Readings, Recommended Media & Useful Links

This document is based on characters and events published by Marvel Comics and prepared with the purpose of explaining the working of this committee. No copyright infringement is intended.

“With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”

- Benjamin Parker

Introduction

For many years, the fictional world of superheroes and their adventures have become a big area of interest for many people. The concept of heroism was brought to pages with different kinds of people showing different kinds of powers, therefore creating an ideal world presenting what people could do when they scrape themselves from negativity and unite to solve a common problem. In that aspect, comic books have started taking the role of reflecting simple circumstances of a normal life by creating dilemmas among the fictional characters, bringing people together and presenting many concepts such as love, friendship, war, fear and so on. Displaying the good nature of heroes and their accomplishments in their early times, comic books have changed their attributes throughout the years as a result of global shift.

Getting more and more realistic by nature, the books changed the qualities of our heroes as they found themselves in global crises, intergalactic wars, political issues and social unrest. The enemy was nowhere to be seen anymore as it used to be; there were now many different threats which could instantly turn into big problems, threats that our heroes could not overcome only with physical showdowns. In a dark and gritty world, compromising was not something they could run away from. Friends clashed with friends, societies plunged into fear and compelling villains arose. The line that separates the good from the bad, the right from the wrong and the hero from the villain started to get blurry. Consequently, the perception of heroism has experienced a paradigm transformation and necessity of such acts got questioned.

Possessing tremendous abilities and powers have become controversial in society. People who managed to dodge the consequences of their actions and do not face the proper judgment for them have come into the focus of the global authorities. Heroism found itself mixed with vigilantism and a clear distinction was absent. Resultantly, having a superpower turned into a worriment rather than what their bearers choose to do with them. Because each individual with these powers was now a threat, not an embodiment of hope once they used to be.

Is it genuinely possible to see such great power free from great responsibility? What kind of a morality can we talk about if we do not deal with the outcomes of our acts? Because heroism today is lack of such view of liability considering that super-powered people operate candidly for their own personal agendas or against what they call “common threats” such as public villains; since they leave a huge trail of destruction behind them, ignore sovereign borders and feel no obligation to look back. In this context, this problem itself is situated within the shifting dynamics of international responsibility and political instability.1

1 Backe, Emma Louise. “The Politics of Peace in Captain America: Civil War”. The Geek Anthropologist. https://thegeekanthropologist.com/2016/05/19/the-politics-of-peace-in-captain-america-civil-war/

This urge to control and oversight enhanced individuals come with a greater obstacle: trampling civil liberties in order to achieve security.

“The issue has generally been portrayed in broad terms as being a debate between the rights of the individual (to freedom of action and expression etc.) on one side versus the rights of society at large (to safety from danger or harm) on the other. Does the super-powered individual (mutant or otherwise) have an absolute right to their abilities or does society have a right to constrain or at least monitor them and their expression of those abilities?”2

This particular problem has become the main argument of this fictional committee as it contains elements of international diplomacy and has the potential to cause contradictions among many individuals as well as authorities, which creates a splendid atmosphere for the delegates to simulate debating and mutual cooperation. It is the definitive goal of this committee to sustain professional dialog despite oppositions and to preserve an agreement that binds all the parties involved in this problem.

2 http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Registration_Acts

Definition of Key Terms

enhanced individual: An enhanced individual or a superhuman is a legal adult who possesses at least one skill, power, ability, talent, biomechanical improvement or enhanced weaponry that provide capabilities far beyond the range attainable by normal human beings. The mentioned powers and skills can be both inborn or later acquired through experimentation, mutation, genetic alterations or extraterrestrial elements. For instance, an athlete is a normal human in extraordinary physical condition, such as a weightlifter or boxer. A peak human is a person who keeps his bodily functions at the maximum level of human condition, meaning that the person is fast enough to catch-up a moving vehicle or hold his/her breath underwater for minutes. But a person who can lift a car or fly is considered as a superhuman. vigilante: A vigilante is often described as a person who commits an act as a law enforcer without any legal authority. Groups or individuals who execute vigilant activities often try to justify their actions by claiming that legal agencies are insufficient. Violence is a common element in vigilantism. mutant (homo superior): A mutant is someone whose genetic feature allows him/her to naturally develop superhuman abilities. Mutants are born with a genetic oddity called X-gene and manifest their abilities during puberty. atlantean (homo mermanus): The race of aquatic humanoids who reside in the lost city of Atlantis. The total population of homo mermanus has been estimated at over 1,000,000 globally. paramilitary organization: An organization with a partly militarized force. Paramilitary organizations share similarities with professional militaries but often not listed in any state’s formal armed forces.3 collateral damage: A general term for deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target.4

3 "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 4 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collateral%20damage

United Nations Commission on Superhuman Activities

The Commission on Superhuman Activities is an intergovernmental body acting concurrently with the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. It is exclusively dedicated to providing oversight and regulation for the deployment of enhanced individuals with the purpose of reducing regional and international incidents.

The Commission addresses emerging issues, focus areas and new approaches to questions affecting the situation of superheroes, that require timely consideration. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to Security Council for follow-up. Consisting of 8 member parties, the Commission works with both member states and global non-state actors such as the Avengers, SHIELD and the X-Men.

Apart from previous years and sessions, the Commission is going to be responsible for implementing the newly written Superhuman Regulation Protocol (SRP) which will establish the registration process of superpowered individuals and group as well as supervising their actions. Functioning accordingly with the United Nations Charter, the Commission is the final authoritative body on this Protocol; meaning that the scope of this document is global and only the Commission is liable for the ratification of this document.

Fictional Universe

This year’s UNCSA in VefaMUN 2017 will be having its own timeline apart from comics and movies, but containing elements and events from both. This timeline and series of events are explained in this section for the delegates to comprehend the main attributes of the people, groups and individuals involved.

a. General Overview

World War II Era

First superhumans appeared in the early decades of the 21st century, bringing the concept of "superpower" along with itself. Particularly the scientific breakthroughs and experimentations in WWII years serve as an origin point for the interest of the Commission. Canada, the United States, Russia and Nazi Germany have reported being carrying out first known experiments for creating super soldiers both prior to and during the war. This series of experiment and researches caused a heavy disturbance in the world in term of science ethics despite showing a great deal of progress in the field of genetics.

One of the most notable events occurred during WWII is the invasion attempt of Wakanda by Nazi forces. As soon as Hitler became aware of Wakandan vibranium, he ordered an assault on the country in hopes of obtaining some of the famous metal. Wakanda was able to fight off the Nazi incursion with the aid of Captain America, who had been also sent there by the Allied powers. A newly made vibranium was given to him by the Wakandan royals as a token of gratitude. Wakanda soon stepped into the global stage, forming an alliance with the USA and becoming a founder member of the UN.

Post-War Era

After the devastating effects of the war, the world came together to create a new supranational mechanism in order to prevent further wars and oppression. Subsequently, the United Nations was founded in October 1945 with the goal of maintaining global peace. The US-based research organization, Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR), got renewed as Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (SHIELD) and retasked with sustaining international security against advanced threats and terrorist organizations.

A while later, Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN and genetic modification experiments on humans were prohibited in 1953.

Modern Day

SHIELD has been continuing to carry out international operations and resolve security matters around the globe while various terrorist organizations such as HYDRA and AIM have been expanding in numbers and influence since the Cold War.

In a more diplomatic aspect, Latveria and Atlantis have been drawing attention internationally with their vicious bureaucratic behaviors. Relative to their brief conflicts with the Nazis that took place during World War II, Atlantis have disclosed an aggressive approach on international politics after becoming a member of UN. Particularly King Namor, who keeps on insulting statesmen and delegates on a regular basis, have taken a bigoted anti- regulative stance on superhuman matters.

Victor von Doom's rule in Latveria is still being criticised by many Western countries, as his oppression on the Latverian people continues. The Latverian king had previously appointed his son Kristoff von Doom as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations after invading Transia in 1997 and withdrew from international politics.

Recent decades have become certainly interesting as the world saw enhanced individuals started gathering and forming groups, creating new conceptions such as superhero and supervillain teams. Formation of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight in 1984 was one the first examples of such assemblages. Nowadays, the Avengers is the most well-known superhero team in the world.

Although mutants emerged in the 1960s, it was until the 1990s that they had serious impacts within the societies. Charles Xavier opened an institution specializing on mutants in 1992. As a result, X-Men started to represent the American mutant community and became a role model for the others all around the world. Scott Summers and Jean Grey especially came out as public faces for mutants by fighting for mutant rights and gaining diplomatic victories.

b. Timeline of Events

The following events are considered having the biggest impacts on the background of the world’s superhuman problem and detailed chronologically.

1939 - Nazis discover a suboceanic settlement, Namor clashes with Nazi forces 1940 - Formation of Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) 1941 - SSR establishes Project Rebirth and Steve Rogers becomes Captain America 1942 - Nazis produce super soldiers with Übermensch Program - Wakanda steps into the world stage as the nation faces Nazi invasion

1945 - World War II ends and Steve Rogers crashes into the Arctic - United Nations is founded - SSR is recreated as SHIELD, a paramilitary counter-terrorism intelligence organization tasked with maintaining global security 1948 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights is adopted, no articles about superhumans 1953 - Genetic experimentation and modification on humans declared illegal 1960s - First sightings of mutants 1974 - Atlantis becomes globally known, declares itself as a sovereign state, joins UN 1978 - Canada initiates Department H, a government branch that sanctions, supports, and monitors all the superhuman activity in Canada 1992 - Charles Xavier establishes Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters as an educational institution 1994 - Erik Lensherr, also known as Magneto, declares the formation of Brotherhood of Mutants in his cause of mutant superiority over humans 1997 - Latveria invades Transia, an Eastern European country, leading to an ongoing border dispute; innocents perish, UN takes no action5 2000 - Brotherhood of Mutants attacks UN Millennium Summit in New York, X-Men intervenes; many dead and injured 2002 - Formation of the Avengers, the group assembles for the first time - Captain America recovered from suspended animation, joins the Avengers 2003 - The Avengers recognized as a peace-keeping force by the United States 2003 - United States Senate enacts Mutant Registration Act 2004 - Prison break in the Raft, the Avengers interfere and successfully contain supervillains but more than 40 escape, Queens devastated 2007 - Avengers clash with Doctor Doom in India, extensive civilian casualties

5 Eastern Europe map from Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition #15, 1987

2009 - Mutant Registration Act abolished by the United States Senate 2012 - Ultron battles the Avengers in Johannesburg, the city faces massive destruction 2016 - Terrorist organization HYDRA attacks UN Office at Vienna, 12 dead and more than 70 injured

Superhuman Regulation Protocol (SRP)

The full document will be released to the Commission on the first session, giving delegates proper time to grasp its content. SRP consists of different articles, all divided into different sections clarifying a particular scope of the document. For instance, the first section General provisions, namely explaining the main objectives and features of the protocol. The delegates are expected to debate on the implementation of this document while constantly dealing with crises such as alien invasions, robot attacks and brand-new superpowered individuals.

a. Background

The Mutant Situation

As the mutants grew in number and the activities of the terrorist group known as the Brotherhood of Mutants started to become frequent, public concern climbed day by day and the United States government opened up the argumentation of mutants. The Republican senator Robert Kelly introduced a bill which demanded every mutant to register his/her ability and identity for the government to index. The well-known mutant group of X-Men has stepped into the argumentation as they held speeches against the bill publicly. Despite having clearance to operate on US soil and holding a distinctive status both as a superhero team and an institution, representatives of the group accused the US government of being authoritarian during their speeches at the UN. The Mutant Registration Act, also called Kelly Act, is ratified by the US government and enacted in 2003. However, the enforcement process has continued differently than expected as notable number of mutants refused to share personal information with the US government and went underground while X-Men put a lot of pressure on the Bush administration, demanding the repeal of the act. The US Senate decided to abolish the Act on January 2009, claiming that it has lost its validity and applicability.

Although applying only for mutants, this act was the first enaction in the world that required superpowered individuals to register.

The Problem of Vigilantism and the Avengers

Occasions, confrontations and conflict scenes involving enhanced individuals have always been a problem for authorities because of collateral damages. This situation has always been ignored or tolerated by the people and the governments as these devastations were seen as a price for saving lives. But the levels of such destructions have become overwhelmingly unacceptable in the last 15 years. The Avengers has the biggest impact in the shaping of this perception undoubtedly. The global community is already well aware of that they have been putting their lives at stake with great costs but the amount of people who consider their actions as dangerous, irresponsible and unreliable should not be underestimated. American citizens are refusing to cover the damages caused by the enhanced individuals as taxpayers, no matter how large scaled they are. After the incidents in 2000 and 2004 in New York, which houses UN Headquarters, city residents started to necessitate legal undertaking for these endamagements from the mayor and city authorities. According to global media, cross-border operations of the Avengers’ tend to end with vast amount of destruction. The confrontation between the Avengers and Doctor Doom in the Delhi district of India a decade ago, stands as a proof. During the short lasting battle, high number of innocents have suffered due to Delhi being the most densely populated area in the country. The group has ignored international applications many times and their methods of operations bear resemblances to those of vigilantes by the means of avoiding local and regional jurisdictions along with acting as independent law enforcers.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that the world needs superpowered individuals to protect them from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial threats. There is no denying that these individuals are well-intentioned. But these people must also be aware of their moral obligations when they devote themselves to safeguard humanity and remain to the point of absolute accountability.

“Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all.” - King T’Chaka