ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 The Bandung Conference London International Model United Nations 19th Session | 2018 Table of Content 1 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 Table of Contents Introduction Letters ........................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to the Bandung Conference ........................................................................ 5 Introduction to the topic: Developing a treaty framework for the creation of the Non- Aligned Movement ............................................................................................................. 7 History until 1955 ............................................................................................................... 9 Imperialism and the Afro-Asian Community .................................................................................... 9 History of Decolonisation – Timeline ............................................................................................. 10 Previous Conferences ................................................................................................................... 12 Topic to be discussed ..................................................................................................... 14 The Non-Aligned Movement ......................................................................................................... 14 Decolonisation .............................................................................................................................. 15 Internal Divisions/Potential Crises ................................................................................................. 16 Economic links .............................................................................................................................. 17 Cultural links ................................................................................................................................. 18 Country positions ............................................................................................................ 19 Questions a Resolution Should Answer ........................................................................ 26 Sources ............................................................................................................................. 27 Conference Information .................................................................................................. 30 2 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 Introduction Letters Director – Aditya Ranjan Political discourse is dominated by our opinions of the present, and our hopes and concerns for the future. We have subscribed to an idealism that forms our world view - that any problem can be solved through debate, diplomacy and compromise. At some point we lose this idealism, getting jaded as the realities of politics wear us down. But that's when we must turn to the past. In the past lie the chronicles of our successes, as well as those of our failures. Documented are the arguments we've while shaping our identities and the values to which our society has subscribed. The laws of nature governing how we behave don't change, only circumstances do. There must then be a strength in our history that can answer the question that I have twice asked in the last couple of years as I woke up at an ungodly hour to observe the results of what was incorrectly termed 'an unprecedented vote‟: "What the hell is going on?" Airlines drown in technical debt as they grow and forget where they came from. The legacy of a tyrant government acts as a chip on the shoulder hindering attempts at legislative gun control in some counties. Pop music in the 2010s bears the signature of Schubert's work in the 1800s. All of this goes to show that the present and our future in every avenue are just so indelibly linked to our past, and so is the identity that allows us to know who we are. I hope that attending this historical simulation will serve as just one of many initiatives that you undertake to learn from the past. My colleague Niels and I will take immense pleasure in stepping back with you into the „50s and throwing at you a range of ever-evolving circumstances to challenge your commitment to the values of the country you represent. 3 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 I am a German of Indian origin living in the UK. I studied Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London, and have been working at Oliver Wyman (management consultancy) for the last year and a half. I support various airlines on strategic issues related to fleet, network and crew planning. I have also worked on other interesting topics – preventing financial crime and money laundering, and the impact of Brexit on corporate treasuries and payments between the UK and EU27 countries. Outside of work I enjoy music, theatre, food and driving, and am working towards a Private Pilot's Licence. I've been engaged with MUN since middle school, attending conferences in Asia and Europe. I served as President of Imperial College MUN and Under Secretary General of Chairing for LIMUN 2016 while at university. MUN has helped me develop a lot of the skills that university and consulting have required of me. For this reason and for the lasting friendships that I have built through MUN, I greatly value these experiences. I look forward to welcoming the delegates of the Bandung Conference to LIMUN 2018, and to supporting the Secretariat in providing an equally valuable experience to them. Assistant Director – Niels Boender I am a 2nd Year History Student at the University of York, especially interested in the history of imperialism and decolonisation (so this committee is right up my alley). In terms of MUN, I have attended over a dozen conferences, especially interested in historical committees and organizations like NATO. Beyond MUN, I love debating, Judo and strategy gaming. I am really excited about LIMUN, because it promises to be a great opportunity for myself and delegates to learn, but also because simulating the Banding Conference is a really fascinating and unique MUN opportunity. I expect delegates to really engage with their countries‟ historic position in 1955, but also be willing to change history and make a better future. 4 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 Introduction to the Bandung Conference The Bandung Conference was a momentous meeting between the leaders of formerly colonised peoples, dedicated to promoting Afro-Asian unity and bringing a definitive end to colonialism. The conference was hosted by Indonesia‟s president Sukarno and was attended by 29 independent Asian and African nations, with observers from several national liberation movements also in attendance (Mackie, 2005, 30). Since many countries particularly in Africa were still subject to colonial rule, delegates in attendance took it upon themselves to speak in their interest. The conference ended with attendees formalising their intent to fulfil a set of concrete objectives, which are out of the scope of this simulation, but may serve as interesting background reading. Core to the conference were five guiding principles: political self- determination, mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non- interference in internal affairs, and equality (US Bureau of Public Affairs, 2017). LIMUN delegates participating in this simulation are encouraged to consider what these principles mean in the context of the 1950s, as well as in awareness of their own country‟s state of affairs. The 1955 conference served as an avenue for forward-thinking debate about the place of the global „South‟ in international affairs, with divisions between and internal issues within the states coming to the forefront. Most importantly, the term „non-aligned‟ came into public usage as a result of the conference even if the earnest founding of the movement was still some ways away. The course that the Cold War would take was fundamentally impacted by the existence of this third power bloc. 5 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 Every country at Bandung is represented by their actual leaders (for instance Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo of Indonesia) or by delegates working with full plenipotentiary powers (like Nguyen van Thoai for South Vietnam) (Mackie, 2005, 77). Therefore, there are no concrete limitations placed on the delegates‟ authority. Unanimity is not required – if a country does not accept an eventual resolution, their country simply does not participate in the agreement. The presence of countries such as North and South Vietnam that found themselves in vehement disagreement would preclude unanimity in any case. Delegates are encouraged to start with a framework based on common guiding principles and tackle individual issues in the form of amendments resting on that framework. Some of the individual issues that delegates are encouraged to consider are outlined in this guide. Leaders at Bandung in 1955 (NewAge, 2017) 6 ZZ LONDON INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2018 Introduction to the topic: Developing a treaty framework for the creation of the Non- Aligned Movement The topic that we will discuss is related to the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement, specifically in the Afro-Asian context, pulling in all the issues discussed at the real-life Bandung Conference. This was a critically pressing issue for the world in 1955 because it allowed for the transition of nascent states