Security Council Chairs: Olivia Fratangelo and Athena Kalavanos

Dear Delegates, Welcome to the United Nations Security Council! As your chairs, we would like to first begin by clarifying the unique structure of UNSC in order to most effectively ensure a smooth and productive committee experience. You may note that security council is smaller than a typical GA committee with only 15 countries present at a given meeting. This includes the 5 permanent seats held by the P5 (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) as well as the 10 non permanent seats held by rotating members who serve 2 year terms and can be re-elected to serve more than one term. The regional breakdown of the members of the security council is specific to ensure fair global representation. The powers of the security council include making the decision to deploy UN peace operations, monitoring the status of ongoing UN peace operations, settling/investigating disputes within the international community, and applying military action or economic sanctions in response to an aggressor. This is also different than general assembly, which is called to make suggestions and handle matters of UN charter. The powers held by security council explain the specificity and nature of your topics: the Kashmir territory conflict and the clashes. Parliamentary procedure in security council has some differences from parliamentary procedure in traditional GA committees. These differences in procedure are in roll call and voting procedure. The P5 have veto power. This means that if one P5 member votes against a resolution, the resolution fails regardless of the other members’ votes. Therefore, the P5 members must be present as opposed to present and voting when roll call is taken at the beginning of each committee session so they have the ability to abstain. A typical security council meeting starts with the informal consultations of the whole. This entails reaching consensus on the president’s agenda (deciding what order the topics will be discussed in). Then, we will move into the real meeting. As far as the different documents that can be produced, you are not limited to just resolutions although the passing of resolutions is still the ultimate goal of the committee. You may also produce closed directives which will be answered and returned to

delegates from the chairs or open directives which will be read out loud to the committee. Open directives have all of the same components of a resolution besides preambulatory clauses. Closed directives may be individual or joint and have no specific format; a closed directive is simply a declaration of an action to be taken. This year’s UN Security Council will be chaired by Olivia Fratangelo ‘21 and Athena Kalavanos ‘22. Hello, delegates! My name is Olivia Fratangelo and I am a junior at St. Francis Prep. I am thrilled to be chairing my third Prep MUNC and can not wait to see what this conference has in store for us! I am a singer in two choirs and have traveled to England in 2018 and will be traveling to France in 2020 with my school’s music department. I love music and have taught music as an intern at Gold Coast Arts Centre’s summer camp last year. I am also involved in campus ministry as a retreat leader for sophomore retreats. I joined Model UN my freshman year because one of my friends had recently joined and told me he thought I would enjoy it. At first, I was unsure, but I can say with confidence that it is now my favorite thing I have chosen to do in high school. It has truly allowed for me to have so many amazing opportunities, meet some of my best friends, develop crucial skills such as public speaking and cooperation, and broaden my perspective. I wish you all the best of luck in your preparation and debate. Hello delegates! I am Athena Kalavanos and I am a sophomore at Saint Francis Prep. This will be my second year in Model UN and my second time chairing with Olivia, and I am so excited to see the solutions that arise in committee! I am in two clubs other than Model UN, the liturgical choir and Little Portion, Prep’s literary magazine consisting entirely of student work. I am also an art student, and am currently learning technical and commercial arts. I joined Model UN in my freshman year because my brother (who is chairing NATO) said that he enjoyed it and thought I would as well. At first, I was apprehensive because I wasn't very well versed in politics and I wasn't a good public speaker. However, after attending my first conference, I found that I could not bring myself to leave the club. The skills that I have learned from participating in club meetings and committees have affected multiple aspects of my life. I became a much better speaker, I learned valuable research skills, and I became more aware of world news and events. Other aspects of Model UN that have improved my life is the ability to speak from perspectives different from my own, and the ability to be accepting of those that disagree with my viewpoint.

I learned all of these skills while having fun, which is a definite plus, and I hope you have fun as well. Happy researching!

Overviews 1. Kashmir Territory Conflict - Kashmir is a region in southeast Asia that has been the ​ location of much unrest. Kashmir was allocated as part of India in the partition of India in 1947. However, there have been several wars and military skirmishes between India and Pakistan, as both countries claim to have full control over the area. India currently controls about 55% of the area, Pakistan controls 30%, and China controls the remaining 15%. Recently, a strict curfew has been put in place that has taken a toll on the mental and physical health of the citizens. Many organizations claim that India has committed human rights violations against the people of Kashmir.

2. - Sinjar is a region in northern that has been the site of much conflict ​ over the past few years. In Sinjar, the majority of the citizens are , a religious minority group in Iraq. Since 2014, many groups have been oppressing and persecuting the Yazidis. There have been several clashes between the forces supporting the Yazidis, and the pro-PKK forces that have been terrorizing the area. Sinjar first became unstable because of the influence of the Islamic State.

Topic A - Kashmir Territory Conflict Statement of the Problem Today, the mountainous Kashmir region in the northernmost part of India is the most densely militarized zone in the world. Both Pakistan and India have claims to the territory, resulting in decades of violence and two major wars. Theoretically, the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of the region are divided by a “line of control,” but neither nation recognizes these boundaries. Pakistan at first aggressively opposed the influence of India in Kashmir, but the UN intervened to assert India as rightfully having partial control over Kashmir. However, India’s rule over Kashmir has become increasingly authoritarian and India has exercised brutality

1 over the people of Kashmir and toward Pakistan over the years .​ ​ Currently, the situation has been furthered and tension in this region has reached its peak since India’s interior minister announced to parliament that the government would revoke Article 370, which gives Kashmir the right to make its own laws. However, this goes against a UN resolution and violated the Kashmiris’ right to self determination. This poses the threat of new armed conflict in the region perpetrated by the Kashmiri people against India. The situation was not helped by India putting the Kashmiris in their administered region under curfew, moving troops into the region, and cutting off Kashmiris’ internet access following this decision. Therefore, Pakistan called off diplomatic relations with India in outrage and called its allies in

2 the global community to take its side .​ ​

History of the Problem Kashmir’s partition has colonial origins: when the Indian subcontinent became independent of British rule, it was partitioned into India and Pakistan based on religious majority. Kashmir had a Muslim majority, meaning it would have been part of Pakistan, but Kashmir’s Hindu ruler initially chose to remain independent, then chose to join India in 1947. Pakistan was angered by this and the first of the wars revolving around the Kashmir territory conflict began. The end of this war was what led to the division of the region into Indian and Pakistani controlled areas.

A second war occurred later on, known as the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. This started with Pakistan’s attempt at insurgency against Indian rule by infiltrating forces into Kashmir to which India retaliated with military action in Pakistan. Both nations failed to gain support in this war from their western allies, leading to India developing a relationship with the Soviet Union and Pakistan with China. The war eventually proved generally unproductive in solving the conflict, but reached a ceasefire as called for by the United Nations. There was also a third minor military confrontation in 1999 when both nations were confirmed to be nuclear powers. Therefore, the Kashmir is now claimed by both countries in full but referred to in parts as “Indian-administered Kashmir” and “Pakistani-administered Kashmir.”3 ​ There has been a notable amount of chaos and atrocities in Indian-administered Kashmir; whether this can be attributed to Pakistan or India itself is highly debatable. India claims that Pakistan has caused issues by deploying militants into the Indian region, but Pakistan denies this. Pakistan has previously exposed India for their brutality against their own people in Kashmir, but it is not just Pakistanis reporting this violence. Indians themselves have reported their own people raping Kashmiri women and blinding children with pellet guns. Kashmiri leaders have also reported chemical weapons and cluster bombs being used by Indians against unarmed Kashmiri people. These extreme actions that have persisted and continue to persist under Prime Minister Modi’s regime in India pose a threat not only to Pakistan and Kashmir, but to the entire global community if no action is taken.2 ​

Past UN Action The UN first intervened in the Kashmir conflict in 1948 by adopting resolution 39 which established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to investigate the territory conflict. After this investigation, the UNCIP suggested the use of observers to stop the fighting and India and Pakistan obliged, singling the Karachi agreement to establish a ceasefire line supervised by the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). The UNMOGIP’s function was to observe the situation and report ceasefire violations. The UNMOGIP continued its involvement in facilitating peace within the two nations through the war in 1965, which the UN called for a ceasefire to end in 1965. Then, the

United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM) was established the observe the ceasefire. Nonetheless, the ceasefire did not hold, so the UN Security Council called for both nations to cease all military action and cooperate with the UN with the implementation of resolution 215. The UNIPOM was eventually disbanded in 1996 due to withdrawal provisions of a UNSC by both India and Pakistan being fulfilled.4 ​ UN action and discussions about Kashmir have decreased in recent years to the point of neglect. In September of 2019, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, urged the United Nations to do something about the people of Kashmir under curfew due to the Indian government. In the 1970s, the UN agreed to take care of future differences through bilateral negotiations and has stepped back in terms of international involvement, but the UN Security Council has expressed its disapproval for Modi’s actions in Kashmir. Still, UNSC needs to do more than simply express sentiments. They have not due to individual nations’ fears of losing important partnerships with India, but the humanitarian crisis presented truly is far more important.5 ​

International Opinion South American countries such as Brazil and Venezuela have remained silent and apathetic to the issue of Kashmir. While the South American nations are often scrutinized for this, there are regions both cultural and geographic. The affinity between South America and South Asia is scarce with the stark differences in religion (Muslim/Hindu versus Christian), large distance between the regions, and the language barriers. Furthermore, South America is heavily influenced by Western media outlets, which often portray Russia and China as the villains in terms of humanitarian issues, but are not so quick to penalize India due to its free market

6 democracy and its strong defense relationship with the United States .​ However, despite this ​ United States-India relationship, the United States has sought to maintain relative neutrality over the years in order to avoid war, but recently, United States-India relations have strengthened while the United States and Pakistan have a relationship marked by distrust and animosity due to the Trump administration decreasing nonmilitary aid and security assistance to Pakistan. Still, the Trump administration has taken a different approach to the Kashmir issue as opposed to the

past assertiveness, since now there is a hands-off policy that makes US Congress wonder if there is a diplomatic or other role the US should be playing in the issue, and if the USA is prepared to deal with this crisis among other international crises to which the Trump administration has taken a similar approach.7 ​ On the opposite end of neutrality and excusing India’s atrocities, and China have taken strong pro-Pakistan stances and have actively spoken on the issue. China, in fact, reportedly offered complete support to Pakistan should the matter be taken to the UN Security Council. China’s stance on this is also particularly important since despite India and Pakistan’s claims to the entirety of the Kashmir region, both countries only actually control part of it with China controlling the other 20%. China has had its own share of territory disputes with India due to this and due to India’s aggression in dealing with these disputes. China and Pakistan are connected via the Karakoram Highway in the Kashmir region and trade along this highway, participating in an economic partnership which also includes China contributing to Pakistan’s

8 infrastructure and energy projects more than any other nation’s .​ This partnership has in the past ​ and continues to help Pakistan solidify claims to Kashmir. As far as Turkey’s involvement and support of Pakistan, the president of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has praised Turkey for being the “only country that can understand and defend the Kashmir issue.” Pakistan has criticized Muslim countries specifically for remaining silent, but has acknowledged that Turkey has not and has instead defended Pakistan.9 ​

Topic Objective The UNSC must come up with a solution that stops the violence that has persisted for decades. The goal is to create peace and settle the dispute in a way that avoids war. As a committee, you must take immediate action on this issue which has been ignored for far too long. Revise your previous sentiments on the issue to accommodate how the situation has escalated to its current status. You must also hold India accountable for its brutality against Kashmiris and decide what to do with the Kashmiris currently under curfew.

Questions to Consider

● Does your country have any economic or military alliances with Pakistan or India that may affect your stance on the issue? ● Has your country previously taken any action to create peace within this region? ● If your country has previously remained neutral or not spoke on the issue, what were the reasons for that?

Citations 1. Parker, C. “India’s clampdown on Kashmir Continues. Here’s What You Need to Know.” Washingtonpost.com. August 13, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/08/05/india-revoked-kashmirs-special-status-heres -what-you-need-know-about-contested-province/

2. Hassan, R. “If the World Doesn’t Intervene To Stop Brutality in Kashmir, All Will Suffer.” Courierjournal.com. September 4, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2019/09/04/kashmir-brutality-world-must-interve ne-stop-india/2195928001/

3. BBC News. “Kashmir: Why India and Pakistan Fight Over It.” bbcnews.com. August 8, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.bbc.com/news/10537286 ​

4. United Nations. “India-Pakistan Background.” peacekeeping.un.org. n.d. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://peacekeeping.un.org/mission/past/unipombackgr.html ​

5. The Editorial Board. “The UN Can’t Ignore Kashmir Anymore.” nytimes.com. October 2, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/opinion/editorials/kashmir-india-pakistan-un.html

6. Lopes, D. “Brazil’s Shameful Silence About Kashmir.” thediplomat.com. June 16, 2017. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/brazils-shameful-silence-about-kashmir/ ​

7. Kronstadt, K. “Kashmir: Background, Recent Developments, US Policy.” fas.org. August 16, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R45877.pdf ​

8. Purohit, K. “How Far Will China Go To Support Pakistan’s Position on Kashmir?” dw.com. December 8, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.dw.com/en/how-far-will-china-go-to-support-pakistans-position-on-kashmir/a-4999 3550

9. Erkus, S. “Turkey Only Country That Understands, Defends Kashmir Issue.” hurriyetdailynews.com. September 20, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-only-country-that-understands-defends-kashmir-issue- azad-kashmir-president-146734

Useful Videos Kashmir, India, Pakistan, and Article 370- all explained (CGTN America) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_IxmyfbpxXQ

The Kashmir Conflict in Under 4 Minutes (TRT World) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GbtyfvnGafk

Topic B - Sinjar Clashes Statement of the Problem Sinjar is a town in Northern Iraq where tensions are high and conflicts have been frequent over the past years. The PKK is the Workers Party. Pro-PKK forces stationed in Sinjar include the and the Êzîdxan Women’s Units. Sinjar is a crucial region for and has become instrumental in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) since thousands of minority Yazidis (indigenous Iraqis) were tortured, killed, or forced to leave the area by IS when they took over Sinjar in 2014. Therefore, this was why the Turkish-based PKK (seen by Turkish authorities as a terrorist entity) sent their fighters to protect their Iraqi Kurdish brethren in Sinjar. These two rival Kurdish groups battling amongst each other continue to hinder their overall goal of fighting against the Islamic state, since even after IS fled Sinjar in 2015, PKK forces refused to evacuate the area. Since Sinjar is semi-autonomous, PKK forces have been met with conflict and backlash from the Kurdistan regional government and the mayor of Sinjar who stated, “These PKK-affiliated fighters are destabilizing the Sinjar region. They do not belong here.”1 ​ The most recent of the Sinjar clashes occurred in March 2019. The Iraqi military reported that these clashes resulted in two deaths and five wounded Iraqi soldiers. The PKK soldiers were denied access through an army checkpoint which therefore drove them to proceed to attack the checkpoint into a soldier with their vehicle. Events like this occur often and cause significant damage.2 ​

History of the Problem Sinjar was made a district in northwestern Iraq in 1934, and is considered an important crossing point into Syria. Throughout the district’s history, it has been subjected to many occasions of demographic manipulation. Kurdish families had their property confiscated, demolishing villages, selling confiscated property to friends of the president, and prohibiting Kurds from owning land while allowing Arabs to own property. The border between the two sub-districts, al-Shamal (Sinone) and Qayrawan (Ibleech), was established in 1977, abolished in

1987, then re-established in 1994. This was done to further manipulate the demographics of either district.3 ​ Several skirmishes have occurred over the past few years. In 2014, Sunni Muslim extremists overtook the Kurdish forces stationed in Sinjar. The Kurdish fighters, known as peshmerga, had been poorly equipped to defend the almost 650 mile border they shared with the Sunni militants. The lack of peshmerga forces occurred because the group wanted to allow citizens a chance to leave the area after overnight fighting. About 200,000 citizens were forced to

4 leave the area due to instability. In​ March of 2017, more clashes occurred in Khanasor when ​ peshmerga forces moved closer to the Syrian border, where PKK-affiliated territory was held.

5 Dozens were left dead after the clashes. ​ In March of 2019, PKK-affiliated militants drive ​ 2 through a military checkpoint, leaving two Iraqi soldiers dead. ​ Two days later, clashes in the ​ Om Diban region near the Iraq-Syria border left one Iraqi soldier dead and several injured on both sides.6 ​

Past UN Action The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was established by the Security Council in Resolution 1500 in 2003. The group was revised by Resolution 1770 in 2007, and has continued to be extended on an annual basis. UNAMI encompasses several aspects of Iraqi wellbeing that need assistance, including facilitating inclusive political dialogue, encouraging cooperation between Iraq and its neighbours, and promoting the protection of human rights and gender equality. In 2013, Resolution 2107 revised the mandate to allow UNAMI to promote and support the repatriation of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, and the reuter of all Kuwaiti property. In June 2015, the UNDP established a Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS) to prove funding for stabilizing areas liberated by the Islamic State. FFIS has worked in over 31 areas in Iraq, helping in infrastructure, housing, income stability, and the economy.7 ​ On September 21, 2019, Resolution 2379 was adopted unanimously by the UNSC. The resolution called for the creation of an independent investigative team that would collect information on the Islamic State that could be evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity,

and/or genocide. The group will be headed by a Special Advisor, and would work with victims

8 of crimes committed by the Islamic State. ​ About a year after the group was formed, the Special ​ Adviser delivered his first report to the Security Council. He said that the team can only be effective if it gains the support of Iraqi citizens. Despite the lack of support, the group has found a plethora of evidence that the Islamic State has committed crimes against the Iraqi people.9 ​

International Opinion There have been several examples of the international community providing help to the Yazidi people. The Norwegian-based NGO Defend Internationals was co-founded by Dr. Widad Akreyi in 2014 to focus on human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. The group was the first and only of the time to publish a multifaceted strategy to raise awareness about the plight of

10 the Yazidis. ​ After the mass killing of Yazidis in Sinjar in 2014, President Obama provided ​ 11 humanitarian aid to the area. ​ In addition, Turkey provided shelter to almost 1,000 Yazidis that ​ had fled across the border. The turkish foreign ministry has called the state of the Yazidis a human tragedy.12 ​ Aside from these cases, the international community has been rather silent on the genocide of the Yazidis. In 2014 after a mass exodus of Yazidis from Sinjar, Farhad Atrushi, the governor of the Kurdistan province of Dahuk, said there were still thousands of Yazidis in need of assistance. He strongly encouraged the international community to focus on the Yazidis and provide aid. At the time, President Obama had declared that the Yazidis were no longer in need of aid, which Atrushi disagreed with.11 ​

Topic Objective As the UN Security Council, delegates must decide what course of action to take in order to demilitarize and stabilize Sinjar. The security of Sinjar has been threatened by the presence of the various armed groups and therefore must be made peaceful and safe for the people living there. You must decide your course of action and first steps in removing these armed groups and making sure no further clashes occur. Delegates should also discuss if any of the groups were

justified in their actions and if not, what should be done about this regarding these groups outside of in Sinjar itself.

Questions to Consider - How does your country view the PKK? - How does your country view the Islamic State? - Is your country equipped to help Sinjar in any way? - What are some ways you can help Sinjar militarily, economically, etc?

Citations 1. Kajjo, S & Hussein, R. “Battles Among Kurds in Sinjar Could Hinder Fight Against Islamic State.” voanews.com. March 3, 2017. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/battles-among-kurds-sinjar-could-hinder-fight-agai nst-islamic-state

2. Wallis, D. “Two Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Clashes With Kurdish PKK: Military.” reuters.com. ​ March 17, 2019. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security/two-iraqi-soldiers-killed-in-clashes-with-kurdish -pkk-military-idUSKCN1QY0XU

3. Kurdistan Government. “Report on the Administrative Changes in Kirkuk and the Disputed Regions.” perleman.org. December 2007. Accessed December 12, 2019 from http://perleman.org/files/articles/130508111135.pdf

4. Morris, L. “Islamic State seizes town of Sinjar, pushing out Kurds and sending Yazidis fleeing.” washingpost.com. August 3, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2019 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/islamic-state-seize-town-of-sinjar-pushing-out-kurds-an d-sending-yazidis-fleeing/2014/08/03/52ab53f1-48de-4ae1-9e1d-e241a15f580e_story.html

5. Coles, I. “Rival Kurdish factions clash in northwestern Iraq.” reuters.com. March 3, 2017. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-kurds-sinjar-idUSKBN16A0HV

6. Ali, S. “Iraq deploys 3 army brigades to Sinjar, new clashes with Yezidi fighters affiliated to PKK.” kurdistan24.net. March 20, 2019. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/228a623f-3d8d-4925-baf1-3fc1b835e57a

7. United Nations. “UNAMI: United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.” dppa.un.org. 2019. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://dppa.un.org/en/mission/unami ​

8. United Nations. “Security Council Requests Creation of Independent Team to Help in Holding ISIL (Da’esh) Accountable for Its Actions in Iraq.” un.org. September 21, 2017. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc12998.doc.htm ​

9. United Nations. “Trust and support of Iraqis essential for success of UN’s Da’esh terror investigation.” news.un.org. December 4, 2018. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/12/1027601

10. Clark, M. “The Yazidi Community Five Years After Islamic State Massacre.” religionunplugged.com. August 3, 2019. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://religionunplugged.com/news/2019/8/3/qampa-with-dr-widad-akreyi-advocate-for-yazidi- community-five-years-after-sinjar-massacre

11. Sly, L. & Whitlock, C. “Most Yazidis have been rescued from a besieged mountain in northern Iraq.” washingtonpost.com. August 14, 2014. Accessed December 12, 2019 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/yazidis-still-reported-trapped-on-mountain-in-northern-i raq-despite-us-assessment/2014/08/14/d85337fb-c5d2-4b82-b53a-410467e0db90_story.html

12. Naharnet Newsdesk. “Turkey Gives Sanctuary to Hundreds of Yazidis Fleeing Iraq.” naharnet.com. August 7, 2014. Accessed December 12, 2019 from http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/142273

Useful Videos Reclaiming Sinjar: Pushing Back the Islamic State (VICE News) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OF18oX0kM-Y

Iraqi Forces Deploy in Sinjar After Turkish Threat to Attack Kurdish Rebels https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9pmmzN8YOh8