MODELO DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS DE LAS PREPARATORIAS FEDERALES POR

COOPERACION

PREFEMUN 2012

SC

(SECURITY COUNCIL)

Topic C): Save the Children, Plan and War Child Holland have been working in partnership to create the “What is...” series, which consists of a number of information leaflets on various issues related to children’s rights.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action. Its powers are exercised through United Nations Security Council resolutions.

There are 15 members of the Security Council, consisting of five veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and 10 elected non-permanent members with two-year terms.

Veto power

Main article: United Nations Security Council veto power

Number of resolutions vetoed by each of the five permanent members of the Security Council between 1946 and 2007.[7]

Under Article 27 of the UN Charter, Security Council decisions on all substantive matters require the affirmative votes of nine members. A negative vote, or veto, also known as the rule of "great power unanimity", by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal, even if it has received the required number of affirmative votes (9). Abstention is not regarded as a veto despite the wording of the Charter. Since the Security Council's inception, China (ROC/PRC) has used its veto 6 times; France 18 times; Russia/USSR 123 times; the United Kingdom 32 times; and the United States 82 times. The majority of Russian/Soviet vetoes were in the first ten years of the Council's existence. Since 1984, China and France have vetoed three resolutions each; Russia/USSR four; the United Kingdom ten; and the United States 43.

Procedural matters are not subject to a veto, so the veto cannot be used to avoid discussion of an issue. The same holds for certain decisions that directly regard permanent members.

Nowadays, we are facing a world even more interrelated, where the facts lived in one part affects all the international system. The spread of the media and social networks has had an important influence in the Middle East, and the latest events in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Syria represent the best examples of how ideas could change societies (even in security issues).The Arabian Republic of Syria has started a path to democracy; however, different forces in the domestic level are trying to impose violence against protesters, violating human rights in Syria. Since the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people must be addressed through an inclusive Syrian‐led political process that guarantees fundamental freedoms and rights for all,1 the situation in this country must be analyzed.

Although the situation is considered for many countries as a domestic issue, the Security Council urgesto take into actions on the problems, since human rights violations and death of many civilians are taking place.The roots of the problem.Daraa, an agricultural town on the southern borders ofSyria, sowed the seeds of civil strife in Syria against the dictatorship of President Bashar Al‐Assad. It all started when a group of students painted a Protestant graffiti against the Syrian president, which showed dissatisfaction with the shipment of munitions to Muammar Ghadaffi.2 The wave o1f Arab unrest that started with the Tunisian revolution of January 2011, in mid‐March, this revolution reached Syria, when residents of a small southern city took to the streets to protest the torture of students who had put up anti‐government graffiti.The Syrian people say they are protesting against the repressive measures of Assad’s regime, including a tightening of Internet. Censorship expanded use of travel bans and the arrest of political prisoners. Two hundred web sites are inaccessible in Syria and a law was put into place in 2007, which forces Internet cafes to record all the comments users post on chat forums. Assad has permitted the existence of radio stations playing.

United Nations’ actions.The United Nations chief human rights officer has recommended Syria to be considered for investigation at the International Criminal Court, following a month‐long investigation.This investigation reported that the majority of the internal security forces, military groups and militias were principally composed by Alawis. In cities such as Daraa, Jisr al‐Shughur and Maarat an‐Numan, the regime employed tanks, helicopters and heavy machine guns against civilians, while in al‐Rastan, Talbiseh and Bab Amr, security forces used rocket propelled grenades and grenade launchers mounted on AK‐47 assault rifles.

But these are not the first time that the UN investigates Bashar’s political regime since 2005. The first UN report by Mehlis, investigating Hariri's death, was released on October 19th, 2005, and accused the Syrian and Lebanese security services of cooperation.The second investigation was released in December of the same year, this time accusing the Syrian administration of obstruction of justice, intimidating eyewitnesses andinterfering with the investigation. The investigation and potential prosecution of thoseinvolved in the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, former Prime

11 “Syria: Security Council condemns rights abuses and use of force against civilians,” in UN News Centre

(ED,November 3rd, 2011: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39229&Cr=Syria&Cr1).2 “Daraa: The cauldron of Syria’s conflict,” in Storyful(ED, October 25th, 2011:http://storyful.com/stories/1000002435).

Minister of Lebanon, became acase study in the rapid development of international criminal law.

The cause of Hariri’s dead was a huge explosion in Beirut destroyed the motorcade of Rafiq Hariri, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, killing him and a score of other people including innocent bystanders. During the same week the Security Council received the report prepared by the Mission sent to Lebanon by the Secretary‐General to inquire into the terrorist act of February 14, 2005. The Mission headed by Peter FitzGerald, concludedin its report that the Government of Syria bears primary responsibility for the political tension that preceded the assassination of the former Prime Minister […]22

,

On October 4th, the members of the Security Council voted for this resolution; nineof the fifteen members voted in favor, two vetoes and four abstentions. The countries voting in favor of the resolution were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, France, Gabon, Germany, Nigeria, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The countries abstaining were Brazil, India, Lebanon and South Africa. The two vetoes were made by China and the Russian Federation.

The U.N. Security Council has not agreed yet on what to do about Syria's brutalcrackdown on anti‐government protesters. A resolution would have demanded that Syrian authorities immediately stop using force against civilians and allow the exercise of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and other fundamental rights. It would have called for the release of all political prisoners and peaceful demonstrators.

The civilian victims of NATO bombing to Libya and a possible resolution to Syria, where clashes continue between anti-government protesters and security forces, are two topics that the members of the Security Council of the UN can not reach agree.

Statements about the UN ambassadors of the United States, France and Russia have shown the differences and tensions in the security organ.

In the case of Libya, Russia struggles to an investigation ordered by the Council to determine the responsibility of NATO in civilian deaths, a position that the United States and France have qualified as a "trick" to distract public attention from what is happening in Syria.

2“Hariri Assassination,” in Library of Congress (ED, October 30th, 2011:http://www.loc.gov/law/help/hariri/index.php).

"Ah! The pompous and false claims. Welcome to December. Is everybody sufficiently distracted from Syria and the killing is happening before our eyes? "He told reporters Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador.

In response, the Russian representative, VitalyChurkin, who chairs this month the Security Council, convened a press conference today in which he reported that his country circulated a proposed presidential statement to Syria to replace a draft resolution that consensus has been reached.

The proposed text calling on all parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and cooperate with the mission of the League of Arab States will arrive on Monday to Syria in order to find a way to end the violence, said Churkin, however The draft was questioned by several members of the Council and did not achieve the necessary support.

With regard to Libya, the Russian diplomat recalled that his country, like other Council members, said at various meetings of that body that the massive bombing of NATO exceeded the provisions of the resolution of March 17 this year authorizing this force to act to defend civilians in the North African country.

"The response from our colleagues in OTAN countries was that they were taking all measures to avoid civilian casualties, but refused to discuss specific details .... He never spoke of an investigation, or details, the subject always left out, "Churkin said to underline the importance of the investigation that his government request.

Russia submitted to the Security Council a draft UN resolution calling for the cessation of violence on both sides of the conflict in Syria.

The draft was announced by the Russian permanent representative and current Council President, VitalyChurkin, who said the proposal also urges the Syrian authorities to move towards political reforms to end the crisis.

The text also calls on the Arab League continue its efforts and work with the Syrian government to achieve the displacement of an observer mission agreed by the regional mechanism.

The Russian diplomat said the project also expressed concern about the smuggling of weapons by armed groups operating in Syria and using peaceful demonstrations in pursuit of their own anti objectives.

The initiative was announced Thursday at a time which reported the death of 27 members of the Syrian security forces at the hands of army deserters in the southern province of Deraa.

Timeline.12Feb 4th, 2011: the protests started in Tunis.Feb 5th,2011: “ANGER DAY.”Mar 15th, 2011: The Tunisian protest, reaches Syria.Mar 16th, 2011: 25 Protestants were arrested, during a demonstration in the Syrian Interior Ministry.Mar 18th, 2011: First deaths; clashes between Protestants and police.Mar 19th, 2011: Clashes during the funerals of two protesters.Mar 20th, 2011: Third day of demonstrations.Mar 21st, 2011: The Syrian army clears the entries

Mar 21st, 2011: The Syrian army clears the entries of Daraa; five more deaths. Protests continue in Syria for a fifth day.Mar 23rd, 2011: Six more deaths by the security force’s shots; before the attack the authorities cut off the electricity, the phone lines were cut off and blocked the cell phones.Mar 24th, 2011: about 20.000 people protested in Daraa; the government promised further reforms, such as the eradication of the emergency law.Mar 25th, 2011: Demonstrations in other Syrian Cities.Mar 26th, 2011: hundreds of people had burned the local headquarters of the Ba’ath party.Mar 28th, 2011: the security force had fired against hundreds of Protestants in Daraa.Mar 29th, 2011: Bashar al Assad announced to his citizens new reforms and a new cabinet, in an attempt to calm the conflict.Mar 30th, 2011: Bashar al Assad appears before the Syrian Parliament.Oct 2nd, 2011: Creation of the Syrian National Council.Oct 9th, 2011: Syria warned foreign countries not to recognize the newly formedopposition group, the Syrian National Council, and threatened to take “strict measures” against any country that does. Meanwhile, the government’s crackdown on protesters continued.

Oct 12th, 2011: Tens of thousands of Syrians rallied in central Damascus to show support for President Bashar al‐Assad. The turnout in SabaaBahrat Square in Damascus underlined the degree of backing that Mr. Assad and his leadership still enjoy among many Syrians.That support is especially pronounced among religious minorities who fear chaos and reprisals if he falls.Oct 14th, 2011: Syrian security forces clashed with army defectors in southern Syria and killed at least 14 people elsewhere including an 18‐month‐old boy. The Local Coordination Committees, a group of activists in Syria who organize and document demonstrations, said that most of the confirmed killings were in Binnish, in the northern province of Idlib, when troops stormed the town in search of dissidents.Oct 19th, 2011: Large crowds rallied in the northern city of Aleppo in support of thegovernment of President Assad, while Syrian troops kept up an offensive in central Syriaand battled army defectors in the east. The government‐organized rally, with turnout estimated in the tens of thousands, along with one held a week earlier in Damascus showed that Mr. Assad and his government still command support from a substantial part of the population.Oct 21st, 2011: The death of Col. Muammar el‐Qaddafi reverberated across Syria, reviving protests that had begun to stall and focusing attention on the Syrian National Council, which began closing ranks and courting international support in the most concerted attempt yet to forge an alternative to President Assad.Oct 24th, 2011: Robert S. Ford, the American ambassador to Damascus who had played a high‐profile role in Syria since the uprising began there, left the country after receiving “credible threats against his personal safety,” embassy officials said. Since the uprisingerupted in March, he had been vocal in his criticism of the government crackdown, evenposting statements on his Facebook page. The embassy’s charge d’affaires said no datehad been set for Mr. Ford’s return, and cautioned that his departure did not mean theUnited States had formally withdrawn Mr. Ford.Oct 25th, 2011: The Syrian National Council, an opposition group, called for international protection from the government’s military crackdown on protesters, a day before a delegation of Arab ministers, headed by the prime minister of Qatar, was expected to meet with President Bashar al‐Assad in Damascus.Oct 28th, 2011: Syrian security forces killed at least 40 people during antigovernment demonstrations. Most of the deaths occurred in central Syria, the most demonstrations. Most of the deaths occurred in central Syria, the most restive region in the country, with 21 people killed in Homs and 14 in Hama. Over all, the United Nations estimates that 3,000 people have been killed since demonstrations began.Nov 1st, 2011: The Lebanese police have accused Syria of orchestrating the kidnapping of Syrian dissidents in Lebanon, a country that has served as a haven for them since the uprising against the government of President Assad began nearly eight months ago.Nov 2nd, 2011: The violent crackdown against protesters continued within Syria, and two cases of what appeared to be mass sectarian killings added to the sense

that the Syrian uprising and the crackdown by President Assad has ignited simmering tensions among a brutalized people. If confirmed, the wave of 20 deaths could be the most serious sectarian bloodshed since demonstrations broke out in March in the southern town of Daraa.

Questions that a resolution must answer.• What measures, under the Security Council’s functions, could be proposed inthe international level to solve the problem?

• What measures in the national level could Syria implement to promote thecorrect transition to democracy?

• What sanctions could be formulated against Syria because of the events wehave faced lately?

• What are the best strategies to encourage communications with otherinternational organizations to pressure the Syria’s government?

• What kind of repair of damages to society could be implemented?