Mesaieed International School Model United Nations Forum: General Assembly 1 Issue: The Question of reducing threat posed by nations possessing nuclear Weapons. Student Officer: Subhan Khan Position: Deputy Chair Introduction The issue of nuclear weapons has been an ever-present issue within the world and was the first issue adopted by the UN (United Nations) in 1946. Nuclear armaments when detonated have devastating effects both environmentally and socio-economically via the fallout that it left behind from the bomb exploded. Many nations throughout the world are working to combat the issue, and the dismantling of all these weapons would be the perfect solution to all these issues, but this would be very difficult to do. Over 14,900 reported missiles remain on the Earth, and the decommissioning of all these weapons would be a feat for the human race. There is also the issue that nuclear weapons provide a sense of security and defence to a nation as they can pose a severe threat to any potential adversaries looking to harm a country. The decommissioning of nuclear weapons is an effort to preserve peace in the world and eradicate further complications that are to arise due to the threat of atomic weapons. Nations such as the US (United States) and formally the Soviet Union are unwilling to decommission their nuclear arsenals due to the risk of an attack that may occur at any point with the invention of ICBM’s (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles). Definition of Key Terms WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Regarded as a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapon that is capable of causing great damage to humans, infrastructure and biological systems in the vicinity of its deployment. Research Report | Page 1 of 8 Mesaieed International School Model United Nations NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) A treaty that was negotiated by the UN in 1968 that banned signatory countries from developing nuclear weapons of any calibre and also pushes for the decommission of any active nuclear weapons in all nations. Nuclear Weapons A device that explosively releases nuclear energy as the result of nuclear chain reactions involving fission, or fission and fusion, of atomic nuclei. Sometimes referred commonly as atomic bombs; or boosted fission weapons (a fission-based weapon deriving a slightly higher yield from a small fusion reaction); or thermonuclear weapons (weapons deriving a significant portion of its energy from fusion reactions) such as hydrogen bombs. Fissile Material A type of fissionable material that upon the absorption of low-energy (or thermal) neutrons is capable of sustaining a chain reaction by undergoing fission. Uranium-235, Plutonium-239 and Uranium-233 being the most predominant fissile materials for peaceful and nuclear weapons purposes. Dirty Bomb A regular explosive device that has been combined with fissile material to release radiation into the area along with the explosion of the regular explosive. Background Information Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons have come into widespread development across many of the de jure NWS (Nuclear Weapon States) after initial testing in the Second World War which has exempted them from the NPT that prohibits signatory nations from developing nuclear weapons but are legally obligated to fully disarm any nuclear arsenal in their possession. Nuclear weapons mainly consist of three types, and although are mainly reported there are issues with countries that state the use of fissile material such as weapons-usable highly enriched uranium or separated plutonium for peaceful nuclear energy research purposes. Page 2 of 8 | Research Report Mesaieed International School Model United Nations The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) sends agents to nations that state the use of fissile material to ensure that the material is indeed being used according to strict guidelines placed by the IAEA internationally and confirm that the aforementioned fissile material is only being used for peaceful and energy creation purposes and development is occurring only for that purpose. Regional Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) have been established to fortify global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament norms and unite international efforts towards peace and security. Regional Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) Previous Consequences of Nuclear Explosions As previously seen the aftermath of a nuclear explosion is not only devastating but very deadly to both humans and the biological ecosystems. Even nuclear bomb test sites are left barren and the land scorched from the immense energy in the form of heat that is released from the detonation of such a weapon. Hiroshima & Nagasaki The world has seen first-hand the adverse effects of the two atomic bombs dropped onto the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th of August, 1945 respectively. The ‘Little Boy’ bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima vaporized 90% of the population of the city just from detonating ~3200m above the city and the repercussions of the atom bomb releasing so much nuclear and thermal energy causing the 5 mile radius to be pulverized into a dust and the radiation that was left behind causing tens of thousands of deaths on top of the 80,000 that were killed initially in the days following the first atomic bombing. Three days after the detonation of the ‘Little Boy’ the ‘Fat Man’ bomb was dropped onto the city of Nagasaki causing 40,000 deaths, although the ‘Fat Man’ was twice the weight of the “Little Boy’ and had the explosive blast force of 22kilotonnes, the number of deaths was greatly reduced due to geological features of the city mainly the surrounding mountains shielded the explosion from spreading any further than the ~4200m area. The effects of the atom bombs dropped more than 7 decades ago can still be felt as the government of Japan has placed a restriction that prevents any civilians from staying near the ruins of the city due to the excessive levels of radiation that are detrimental to human health. Research Report | Page 3 of 8 Mesaieed International School Model United Nations Major Countries and Organizations Involved Global Zero Global Zero is an international organization aimed at eradicating nuclear weapons by 2045. The website states that in 1986 there were 70,300 nuclear weapons and now that count has been greatly reduced to 14,485 weapons and aims to have the number down to 0. It aims to do this through a 5 phase action plan; consisting of two parts and lays out the plan that the organization proposed to have a nuclear weapon free world in our lifetimes. The organization was set up in 2008 in Paris and is comprised of 300 world leaders and 500,000 citizens across the globe. The company also has a large international student following as the action plan is based very much around the redaction of all nuclear weapons within this generations lifespan. UNODA (United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs) The UNODA was established in January 1998 and referred to as the Department of Disarmament Affairs and was renamed multiple times before finally settling on the United Nations office for Disarmament Affairs in 2007. The organization has a vision to make disarmament a social norm; it states that they strive to get civilians into the mind-set of disarmament. It believes that the potential effects from the use of weapons of mass destruction – specifically nuclear weapons – demand their elimination. The organisation strongly believes that the very possession of these weapons provides an elevated level of risk within the world. It is recognized that disarmament on its own won’t result in world peace. Yet they also maintain that the advancements of both peace and development goals would come from the elimination of weapons of burgeoning weapons stockpiles, mass destruction and illicit arms trafficking. China By 1953 the Chinese, under the façade of ‘peaceful uses of nuclear energy’, initiated research into the development of nuclear weapons. Before 1956 the decision to develop an independent nuclear force was made. In September 1956 the Eighth Congress of the CCP was audience to a presentation on the Twelve-Year Science Plan in which the nuclear weapons research was to be implemented. The 1953 technology transfer agreements initiated with the USSR acted as a catalyst the formation of the development program designed to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery systems.1951 marked the year Peking signed a secret agreement with Moscow through which China supplied uranium ores for Soviet assistance in the nuclear field. The Chinese and Soviets signed an agreement in mid-October 1957 on new technology for national defence that included establishment for additional Soviet nuclear assistance along with the Page 4 of 8 | Research Report Mesaieed International School Model United Nations furnishing of some SAM (surface to air missiles) and SSM (surface to surface missiles). The Chinese were provided assistance in building a major gaseous diffusion facility for production of enriched uranium from the Soviets. China’s nuclear development began in the late 1950s with significant Soviet assistance. Of the assistance provided, most significant to China's current strategic nuclear capability were facilities for processing uranium, a cyclotron, an experimental nuclear reactor, and some equipment for a gaseous diffusions plant. France In 2014 the Arms Control Association reported about 300 nuclear warheads in France’s possession, designed mostly for delivery by SLBM (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles). The rest designed to fit the Air-Sol Moyenne Portée (ASMP) missiles carried by Rafale, Mirage 2000N and Super Étendard planes. Previous estimates had proposed an arsenal of about 350 weapons. France called for other countries to follow when in February 2015 Francois Hollande showcases how the nation stopped the nuclear tests and production of fissile materials which were peacefully replaced by simulators. Hollande also revealed the make-up of France’s nuclear arsenal via a transparency drive, saying that the country possessed less than 300 nuclear warheads; 54 medium-range air-to-surface missiles and three sets of 16 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.