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Catalan Independence Referendum, 2017 c Catalan Independence Referendum, 2017 CRISIS BACKGROUND GUIDE Vancouver Model United Nations The Twentieth Annual Session | January 29–31, 2021 Benvolguts delegats, William Tsai Secretary-General My name is Mikael Borres and it is my honour to serve as the Director of the Advanced Crisis Committee (ACC), which was once described to me by a delegate last year as “Cutthroat Island”. That description is perhaps a testament to the abundance of turmoil, scandal, and revelations previous ACC delegates faced. From the power Vivian Gu struggles within Macedonia after Alexander the Great’s death to the formation of the Director-General USSR, the ACC has never feared delving into history’s most contentious times and challenging delegates of all kinds. This iteration of the committee will certainly follow Derek Wu that tradition. Chief of Staff Tyler Rosenzweig For this iteration, the ACC will be tackling a pressing situation that has been Director of Logistics developing in recent years: the Catalonian independence movement. After centuries of Spanish control, the question of independence has increasingly become a prevailing issue that has divided the autonomous region. Taking on the role of Catalonia’s Executive Council, the committee must strike the balance of maintaining stability and Joyce Chen unity whilst taking diplomatic, administrative, and perhaps militaristic initiatives to USG General Assemblies advance the interests of the region. At the same time, delegates have the unique opportunity of making new history, which may see a distinct and resilient people finally Ethan Jasny freed from Spanish supremacy. After all, to quote a famous Catalan proverb: "It is USG Specialized Agencies better to be alone than to be with bad company." Vivian Liang Throughout its run, the ACC can only be successful when delegates utilize their USG Conference creativity, acumen, and fearlessness to overcome the hurdles they are given. Therefore, it is imperative that delegates prepare by reviewing the backgrounder and exploring Jonah Ezekiel innovative strategies. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email me at USG Finance [email protected]. I, alongside Joyce and Ethan, look forward to challenging your skills of hard-pressed diplomacy and passionate debate. Laura Choi USG Communications Welcome to Cutthroat Island. Armaan Jaffer Sincerament, USG Delegate Affairs Mia Tsao Mikael Borres USG Delegate Affairs ACC Director Position Paper Policy What is a Position Paper? A position paper is a brief overview of a country’s stance on the topics being discussed by a particular committee. Though there is no specific format the position paper must follow, it should include a description of your positions your country holds on the issues on the agenda, relevant actions that your country has taken, and potential solutions that your country would support. At Vancouver Model United Nations, delegates should write a position paper for each of the committee’s topics. Each position paper should not exceed one page, and should all be combined into a single document per delegate. For the Advanced Crisis Committee, position papers are mandatory, especially for a delegate to be considered for an award. Formatting Position papers should: — Include the name of the delegate, his/her country, and the committee — Be in a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman) with a 12-point font size and 1-inch document margins — Not include illustrations, diagrams, decorations, national symbols, watermarks, or page borders — Include citations and a bibliography, in any format, giving due credit to the sources used in research (not included in the 1-page limit) Due Dates and Submission Procedure Position papers for this committee must be submitted by midnight on January 22nd, 2021. Once your position paper is complete, please save the file as your last name, your first name and send it as an attachment in an email, to your committee’s email address, with the subject heading as your last name, your first name — Position Paper. Please do not add any other attachments to the email or write anything else in the body. Both your position papers should be combined into a single PDF or Word document file; position papers submitted in another format will not be accepted. Each position paper will be manually reviewed and considered for the Best Position Paper award. The email address for this committee is [email protected]. Catalan Independence Referendum, 2017 .................................................................................................. 2 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................2 Timeline ...................................................................................................................................................................3 Historical Analysis .................................................................................................................................................5 Beginnings of Catalonia (700 BCE-1137 AD) ................................................................................................5 Catalan Integration into Spain (1137-1716) ..................................................................................................5 La Renaixença (1716-1898) ..............................................................................................................................8 Temporary Autonomy for Catalonia (1898-1936) ........................................................................................9 Catalonia Under Francisco Franco (1936-1975) ........................................................................................ 10 Transition to Democracy (1975-2006) ........................................................................................................ 11 Re-Emergence of the Catalan Independence Movement (2006-2017) .................................................... 12 Current Situation ................................................................................................................................................ 13 The Question of Independence for Catalonia ............................................................................................. 13 Economic Ramifications ................................................................................................................................ 14 Madrid Politics ................................................................................................................................................ 14 International Relations................................................................................................................................... 15 Inter-Regional Cooperation .......................................................................................................................... 16 Initiating Crisis .................................................................................................................................................... 16 Committee Mechanics ................................................................................................................................... 17 Executive Council of Catalonia ..................................................................................................................... 17 Parliament of Catalonia ................................................................................................................................. 17 Portfolio Overviews ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Party Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 19 Executive Councillors..................................................................................................................................... 19 Parliament Councillors .................................................................................................................................. 22 Non-Government Portfolios ......................................................................................................................... 23 Discussion Questions .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Vancouver Model United Nations 2021 1 Catalan Independence Referendum, 2017 Overview Map of Catalonia and its location in Spain 1 ...Where are you, Spain? I don't see you anywhere. Can't you hear my thundering voice? Don't you understand this language—that speaks of danger? Have you forgotten how to understand your children? Goodbye, Spain! An excerpt from Oda a Espanya (1908), a poem by Catalan writer Joan Maragall. Catalonia is situated on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula and is one of the 17 autonomous communities that make up the Kingdom of Spain. An autonomous community is an administrative division that grants every region of the country (each being ethnically and culture different) limited self-governance, controlling matters such as discretionary spending and social welfare. Although it is part of the Kingdom of Spain,
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