Emergency Session on the Current Situation in the Middle East (1967)
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Historical Security Council l UPAMUN 2018 Topic: Emergency Session on the current situation in the Middle East (1967) . President: Paola Zárate Aragón VicePresident: Claudia Pamela García Ortega Historical Security Council l UPAMUN 2018 Content Disclaimer: ............................................................................................................................ 2 General description of the Problem: ....................................................................................... 2 Antecedents ........................................................................................................................... 3 Legal Support ........................................................................................................................ 4 Agenda .................................................................................................................................. 5 Delegations ............................................................................................................................ 5 R2P ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Additional research links ..................................................................................................... 12 References ........................................................................................................................... 12 Disclaimer: The following committee has been thought under the dynamics of a counterfactual exercise; the idea is not to recreate the exact same situation, but to innovate inside the possibilities of what could had happen; to that purpose some events have been slightly altered to open new lines of possibility (you will be informed of this and other changes through the footnotes). Be creative but remember to respect your country's official posture at the time of the events. Good Luck. General description of the Problem: In May of this year the United Nations received a formal petition from the United Arab Republic1 to withdraw the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) from their territory (and the Gaza Strip). Since this is the only neutral force that prevents a mayor collision between Israeli and Arab forces, the petition has been denied2, so it will be called for a debate in the Security Council, given the fact that the petition still reflects that nation’s intentions and the unsolved disputes between Israel and the Arab countries; even more, this is a clear indication on the ongoing situation of conflict in the Middle East. It is important to recognize the 1 Egypt’s official name at the time. James P. Jankowski, Nasser's Egypt, Arab Nationalism, and the United Arab Republic. (United States: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002). 2 This event has been altered, in reality former secretary general U Thant decided the withdrawal of UNEF, without consulting the rest of the UN. (This happened during the second week of May of 1967, the 6 Day War has not happened, If a delegate brings up an event or document occurred after this period of time, they will be subject to a warning). Historical Security Council l UPAMUN 2018 situation as an effect of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, and the lack of action from this committee at that time. The mayor concern now is the growing tension in the region and the way the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems to be extending over time. The longer3 this conflict remains in the agenda the harder it will be to find a solution that brings real peace to all parties involved, and the more complex it will become. In this regard, the objective of this discussion is to find an alternative solution to change the conflictive narrative in this region, which brings us to the reason why, is important to include this kind of topics in this committee’s agenda. The Security Council must concentrate on strengthening its ability to create a lasting peace rather than merely observe a ceasefire during a peacekeeping mission; as well as on developing the ability to prevent potential conflicts. Antecedents In July 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal Company, later, in October of that year; the Security Council adopted a resolution setting forth certain principles for the operation of the Canal. Consultations on the implementation of those principles were been discussed when new hostilities broke out in the area. On 29 October 1956, Israeli forces launched an attack on Egypt and occupied Sinai and the Gaza Strip. A few days later British and French troops landed in the Suez Canal Zone. The Security Council was unable to act due to the vetoes of France and the United Kingdom. Under the "Uniting for Peace" resolution, the matter was then referred to the General Assembly, which met in emergency special session from 1 to 10 November. 3 You must discuss this issue, keeping in mind that the 6 Day War was at the time one of the main reasons why the Arab-Israeli Conflict still remains unsolved to this day (2018) “UN Secretary-General U Thant's decision to abruptly remove UN forces, in response to Egyptian President Gamal Abdal- Nasser's demand, is seen as one of the factors that led to the 1967 War, as well as to a failure in peacekeeping. This article discusses the rights and wrongs of that choice and also the role of the UN and other countries in the crisis” Michael K. Carroll, “From peace(keeping) to war: The United Nations and the withdrawal of the UNEF” The Middle East Review of International Affairs, June 2005, Volume 9, No. 2, Article 5. Historical Security Council l UPAMUN 2018 The Assembly called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from occupied territories, and it also established the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) to secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities. Following the dispatch of the Emergency Force to the area, European forces left the Suez Canal Zone by 22 December 1956 and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces was completed by 8 March 1957. In May 1967, a request from the Egyptian Government, has informed the Secretary-General that it would no longer consent to the stationing of the Force on Egyptian territory and in Gaza. Due to the manner this situation compromises international security (as it has already been shown through the constant hostilities between Israeli and Arab forces since 1947) this shall be one of the main topics in the agenda (other topics will be describe later in this document). First, it is important to understand that the motivations behind Egypt’s request, corresponds to a series of complexities and constant hostilities, that have been unleashed by the Arab- Israeli Conflict in the Middle East since 1948. The war of that year was but a symptom of the illness itself and the General Armistice Agreement of 19494 was just a superficial remedy that has not being of much use in the most important area; bringing real peace to the region. Legal Support According to the United Nations Founding Charter, chapter V, Article 24, the Security Council has the responsibility to maintain international peace and security under the conformity of this organization’s principles. Chapter VII contains provisions related to “Action with Respect to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace and Acts of Aggression’ The Security Council’s invocation of Chapter VII in these situations, can be seen as a statement of firm political resolve and a means of reminding the parties in conflict of their obligation to give effect to Security Council decisions. The Emergency Force (UNEF) established by the General Assembly through resolution 1001 (ES-I) of 7 November 1956 4 After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, a set of set of armistice agreements were signed between Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Israel in order to officially end the hostilities and also to establish the new de facto borders of the State of Israel (the Green Line), the armistice agreements or General Armistice Agreement has been repeatedly violated until October of 1956 when it collapsed completely when Israel and two major Powers occupied large portions of Egyptian territory, what started the Suez Crisis. "Glossary: Israel", Library of Congress Country Studies Historical Security Council l UPAMUN 2018 Agenda ❖ Revision of the status of the UNEF, emphasizing the importance of achieving its main goal: permanent peace in the region ❖ The current status of the “Green Line” as opposed to the boundaries of the 1948 partition plan (according to resolution 181) ❖ Revision of resolution 194 of the General Assembly in the matter of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees ❖ The Arab-Israeli conflict as a matter of international security and also an indication of the failure of united nations in the consolidation of a lasting peace ❖ The Security Council’s responsibility to prevent mayor conflicts5 Delegations China (Republic of China, Taiwan): During the 50s and the 60s the, the Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang) occupied the representation of China in the Security Council due to the support they received from the United Statas during that time; their foreign policy as a whole during this period was not very proactive, they did not tend to get involved with international conflicts, their main interest is for their own case to be revised by the UN6 United Kingdom (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland): Britain built a strong bond with Israel during Harold Wilson's government, providing them with weapons of different types as well with Centurion, British battle tanks, which