united nations security council (unsc)

VillaMariaModelUnitedNations2017

PromotoraInternacionaldeDebates(PRIDEPerú) 1

STUDYGUIDE

UNITEDNATIONSSECURITYCOUNCIL(UNSC)

TheRoleoftheKurdishSituationintheSyrianCivilWar



Hello!Welcome to the 2017 edition of Villa Maria Model United Nations. My name is Kai Diaz-AlbertiniNorthcote,andIwillbeyourdirectorfortheSecurityCouncil.IcurrentlystudylawatPontificiaUniversidadCatólicadelPeru.Iamnotworkingatthetime,butIdohaveaparticularinterest for conflict settlement and international law. I have been doingMUN for the pastthreeyears,when Idecidedtoapply to thePeruvianUniversities team,adecisionthat Iwillalwaysconsiderasavaluableone.ThankstothistypeofdebateIhavemanagedtotraveltoSouthKorea,Mexico,Colombia,ItalyandtheUnitedStates,todebateandchaircommittees.Tohighlightsomeevents,IhavebeeninthreeeditionsofHarvardNationalModelUnitedNations-LatinAmerica(HNMUNLA),twoHarvardWorldModelUnitedNations (WorldMUN) and oneHarvardNationalModelUnitedNations(HNMUN).Afterawhile,IunderstoodthatthetruevalueoftheseconferenceswasnottheawardsIgotorthatIcouldhavegotten,butthemoments,friendshipsandanecdotesthatIgotfromtheseexperiences.That is the first thing Iwantyoudelegates to interiorize: this is agame.Play itwell,playitfairandplayitfun.IwasgladwhenIsawthatIwouldchairtheSecurityCouncilbecause I have always looked at it as a challenging and different committee, in whichinteractions are straightforward, negotiation is crucial and policy is determinant to yourperformance.Thetopicisultra-interestingandIhopethateverybodyarrivestothecommitteereadytobringaconcretesolutiontotheKurdishconundruminSyria'scivilwar.Apart fromthat, inmynon-Munself, Idomybest towatchasmanymoviesaspossibleandhearasmuchnewmusicasIcan.Ilikesoccer,IdoterriblejokesandIrecurrentlymakeafooloutofmyself.As a final remark, I can't wait to see you in committee. Pleasecontact me if you haveanydoubts!Greetings,KaiDiaz-AlbertiniNorthcoteCo-Director,[email protected]



Delegates,IampleasedtowelcomeyoutotheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil!AsyourdirectorIcannotwaitforyoutoshareallyourknowledgeandnegotiationskillsonsuchamulti-facetedissue,whilealwaysrespectingoneanotherandfollowingfairplay.MynameisRodrigoAlcortaProañoand,eventhoughIamathirdyearstudentofmedicineatUniversidadPeruanaCayetanoHeredia, I havealwayshad a great interest for history, socialmattersandresolutionofinternationalconflicts.MyMUNlifestartednotlongago,sinceIdidnot have the chance to practice it in high school, even when I was doing the IB program.Nevertheless,lastyearItookoneofthebestdecisionsofmylife:IjoinedPeruvianUniversitiesand starteddebating. It seemed like I couldnot stop.UPMUN2016, IDPMUN2016,and theexperiencewascrownedbyaspectaculartriptoBoston,whereItookpartinHNMUN2017’sDisarmamentandInternationalSecurityCommittee.As you can see, my life has always been a little bit hectic when it comes to my interests.However,Ihavealwaysenjoyedmakingthemostoutofeveryexperience,chasingexcellence,andpursuingitforthepersonalgrowthitcanbringtomeasaperson.Iwishthesameforyou,delegates:to make the best out of this experience not at the cost of another person,buttogetherwith them. I amhonored tochair this sessionof theSecurityCouncil and I seek togiveaverydifferentfocustosuchahighlydebatedtopicliketheSyriancivilwar,bringingintogame a population towards which many countries have strong policies: the Kurds.Onanothernote,Ihavealwayslovedtoreadgoodliterature,listentoalotofmusic(especiallyIndie, Indie Folk,RockandPop)andwatch seriesasdiverseasGameofThronesandGrey’sAnatomy.AlthoughIdisagree,IhavebeentoldthatIcanlooklikeaseriouspersonatfirst,butIamactuallyveryapproachable.Iamveryexcitedtomeetyouincommittee!Goodluck,RodrigoAlcortaProañoCo-Director,[email protected]



I.ABOUTTHECOMMITTEEThe Charter of the United Nations (1945)appointed the United Nations SecurityCouncil as one of its six main organs to“maintain and or restore internationalpeace and security”. As the onlyUNbodywith the authority to produce bindingresolutionsonMemberStates,theCharteralso entitles it to investigate disputes andsituations to determine their potentialdangertothemaintenanceofinternationalpeaceandsecurity.Tofulfill itspurpose, itcan act accordingly by investigating,recommending procedures for peacefulsettlementofdisputes,calluponeconomicsanctions -such as embargoes-, and toenforcemilitarydecisionsifnecessary.Such a wide range of capabilities isimportant to ensure the imposition of“smart sanctions”, which should bedesigned as to minimize detrimentaleffects on civilian population and avoidcontroversyontheirenforcement.TheSecurityCounciliscomposedoffifteenmembers.Tenoftheserotateinperiodsoftwo years, with respective proportionsassigned on a regional basis. Additionally,five permanent states (known as the P5),comprise the council: the Republic ofFrance, the United Kingdom, the People’sRepublic of China, the United States ofAmerica and the Russian Federation. Eachof the latter has veto power over theresolutions and decisions to be taken incommitteethatinvolvesubstantialvoting.Furthermore, in this particularmeeting ofthe Security Council, observer states willtakeanimportantrole.TheseStateswillbeabletoparticipate indebate,but theywillnot be allowed to vote in substantialmatters (e.g. directives, amendments, and

draftresolutions).

II.DESCRIPTIONOFTHEPROBLEMWhoAreTheKurds?The term “Kurd” refers to the 25 to 35millionindigenouspeopleofanethnicandlinguistic group that originated in theMesopotamian plains and highlands andnow inhabit mainly south eastern Turkey,north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia.Thereispoorknowledgeontheprehistoryof the Kurds, but it is believed that theirancestorshave inhabited thesameuplandregion for thousands of years. Theymakeup the fourth largest ethnic group in theMiddle East, and the largest one withouteverobtainingtheirownpermanentnationstate.While beforeWorldWar I (WWI), Kurdishlife was traditionally nomadic and relatedtosheepandgoatraising,theirhistoryhasbeen broad and fluctuating. During themiddleages,theyhadagrowingreputationfor military prowess, both for theirmercenaries and sultan Saladin’s holywarideals in the Crusades. Nevertheless, theyhave been ruled by others for centuries:theywere first conqueredby theArabs inthe 7th century, later, their territory wastakenbytheSeljukTurks,theMongols,theSafavid dynasty, and by the OttomanEmpireinthe13thcentury.Asyoucansee,theKurdshavelonglivedina land that they could not claim as theirown,butKurdishnationalismarisesfromavariety of factors. These include theinfluence of British, American and Sovietinterests in the Persian Gulf and theinstitution of the concept of privateproperty,but it ismostlyenhancedby the



fall of the Ottoman Empire. The latteroccurredattheconclusionofWWI,and in1920 the Treaty of Sèvres projected aterritorial division of the former Ottomandomainthatproposedanautonomouslandfor the Kurds. However, the Treaty ofLausannereplaceditin1923,anditleftoutthe possibility of establishing anindependent Kurdish state by agreementofTurkey, Iranand Iraq.Asa result, thesecaused the arousal of separatistmovementsamongtheKurdishgroupssplituponthedifferentterritories.Thiswasthestart of a feud between some of theMiddle Eastern nations and the Kurdishpopulation that would last until modernday. For instance, they were deprived oftheir identity by the Turkish government,outlawing their language and forbiddingtheir traditions. It continues its policy ofnotrecognizingKurdsasaminoritygroup.In Iraq, after the Kurds backed Iran in theIran-Iraqwarof1980,villageswereraidedand civilians attacked with chemicalweaponsbySaddamHussein’sregime.Theanti-Kurdish measures taken by thecountriescaused,inreturn,thecreationofdifferentKurdishfactionsthatfoughtback.In spite of their similar goals of achievingindependence, these have foundthemselvesseparatedandindisagreementaseriesoftimes.One of the founded groups was theKurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK), whichwas formed in the late 1970s byAbdullahÖcalan.ThegroupharnessedviolenceandradicalismagainsttheTurkishgovernment,and used force against rival Kurdorganizations and other Kurds considered“government collaborators”. In 1980, inthevergeoftheTurkishcoupd’état,somefactions of the PKK dispersed to adjacentcountries,includingLebanonandSyria.ThePKK has committed frequent acts of

terrorist and guerrilla operations againstseveral targets, particularly thosementionedbefore.Yet,manyothergroupshave been created over time, having amuch more peaceful agenda and ways ofaction,whichwewillrevisefurtherahead.TheSyrianCivilWarThe protests that later led to the SyrianCivil war arose in early 2011, but tounderstandwhy they started, we need tolookbacktotheyear2000.Inthisyear,thedictatorial regime of Hafez al-Assad isreplaced by his second son: Bashar al-Assad.Hecametopowerwithreformationandmodernizingpromises,butsoonitwasseenthattheseweremostlyunfulfilledandthat liberalizationofaneconomythatwasstate-dominated,enrichedonlyafew.Thisevolved into an ever more impoverishedpopulation led by an authoritariangovernment that repressed all forms ofdisconformitywiththeState.In this criticalmilieu, protests start in lateMarch 2011 after a group of children andteenagers is arrested for anti-governmentgraffitianddozensofpeoplewerekilledbysecurity forces in a demonstration. TheprotestsexpandnationwidefromDeraa,insouthern Syria, in the following months.While Bashar al-Assad announcesconciliatory measures, army tanks entercities around the country, includingsuburbsinDamascus(thecapital),tocrushanti-regime protests. As a result, theUnitedStatesofAmericaandtheEuropeanUnion strengthen its sanctions against theal-Assad’sgovernment.Ontheotherhand,Iran and Russia, as long standing allies oftheSyrianregime,continuedtheirsupport.From that point onward, the Syriangovernment kept on attempting to shutdownprotestsharnessingviolence,causing



a series of sanctions to be imposed bydifferent organizations, like the ArabLeague for failing to implement a peaceplan, and the endorsement of a non-binding peace plan by the UN SecurityCouncil. Nevertheless, internationaldivisionsariseasChinaandRussiastart toexercise several vetoes to hinder theimplementationofaResolutionthatwouldhavecondemnedAssad’sactions.To face the chaos, the opposition in thecountry organizes and forms the NewSyrian National Council, and the FreeSyrian Army (FSA) arises. In April 2012,SyriapromisestocomplywithaUN-backedceasefire, but pushes forward thecondition that the government was stillunder the right to defend itself againstterrorists. However, this agreements fails,and the hostilities continue. In July 2012,the FSA blows up security chiefs inDamascusandtakesAleppointhenorth.In 2013, the situation further escalates.Basharal-Assad’s regimeblames terrorismfortheviolenceinthecountryandpledgesto continue the fight until they areexterminated. Statements by the IslamicStateofIraqwhichannouncedthecreationof the IslamicStateof IraqandtheLevant(ISIL or ISIS) cause frictionswith Al-Nusra,as it attempted to merge the latterterrorist group. Later that year, thegovernment is accused of using chemicalweapons, and the UNSC unanimouslypassesa resolution to requireall chemicalweaponstobedismantledinSyria.In 2014, Daesh (a substitute for the termISIS or ISIL)1starts to take unprecedentedimportance in theSyrianstage,as it starts

1 For further information about Daesh:http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/what-daesh-mean-isis-threatens-6841468

to seize various territories in the East ofthecountry.TheUSlaunchedaerialattacksto prevent Daesh from expanding to theautonomous Kurdish region of northernIraq. In 2015, Russian airstrikes, allegedlyagainstDaesh, butmostly targeting rebelswereperpetrated.Thecritical atmospherein the country has gone on until 2016,whentherewasashortceasefireaccordedby the Russian and Syrian governments.Nevertheless,itcollapsedshortlyafter.

Aleppo,Syria.August2016.AleppoMediaCenter/picture-

alliance/dpa/APImagesAs you can see, the atmosphere is loadedwith violence and many factions haveimportant roles to play. There are fourmain factions: Starting with Bashar al-Assad’sregime,backedbyitsallies;Daesh,the terrorist organization that seeks toestablish a caliphate; other rebels andterrorist groups fightingagainst theSyriangovernment;andfinallytheKurdishforces.These, it is clear, do not stand alone, andhave various international relations thatsupport or oppose their position, asaforementioned.Oneofthesecomplicatedsituationsisthatof the Kurdish fighters in northern Syria,also known as the People’s ProtectionUnits (YPG), who have proven to bebetween the most effective forces in thefight against Daesh. Nonetheless, theKurdish question has tangled up the



situation in the fight against terrorism:whilesomekeyanti-terroristforcesliketheUS, support the roleof theYPGandotherKurdishfighters,otherregime’sdon’t.ThisisparticularlysalientinthecaseofTurkey,who is opposed both to the PKK, apreviouslymentioned terrorist group, andtheYPG.CurrentDomainsandPowerBetween Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria andArmenia there are, in estimate, between28and32millionKurds,playingakeyroleinMiddleEasternpoliticsandinthepolicyof the nations that have Kurdishpopulation. Theyare consideredanethnicgroup, popularly called “the largest ethnicgroup without a state”, and they have aheavy cultural background, sharingtraditions. They have a diverse religiousbackground, although there is a SunniIslammajority.Kurdistan,theideaofaKurdishhomeland,has been in the agenda of this group fordecades,butthepeacetreatyofLausanne,of1923,whichsettledtheconflictbetweenthe Ottoman Empire and otherbelligerents, therefore setting the bordersofTurkey, cancelled thatpursue.Bydoingthis, the idea of Kurdistan was bypassed,and a constant policy against Kurdishtraditions, plans and, particularly, ideas ofindependence, were found in Turkey(where the Kurdishmajority resides). Onecan consider that Kurdistan exists as anation, whilst not a state, that is dividedbetweenseveralsovereignstates.When focusing on their domains in Syria,one can notice that the north has beentaken, in some extension, by the Kurds.The situation of the Syrian Civil war hascreatedanexpansionontheterritorythey

haveonthisnation.RightaftertheRojavaRevolution, the uprise of Kurds in Syria,they declared the areas of Cizire, Kobaneand Efrin to be of Syrian Kurdistan,although more areas are of their domainrightnow.Asofrightnow,theKurdshaveprotectedtheirpopulationfromDaesh,butthey also have pressure from Turkey, acountrythatisagainstKurdishexpansion(apoint this StudyGuidewill analyze furtherahead), which makes their territorysomewhat static. The ideas of expansionare not the priority as of themoment fortheSyrianKurds,butprotecting their landandconsolidatingtheirmandate.Rojava is a name to highlight. It hasbecome a self-governed area in NorthernSyria,winningautonomyafter theKurdishfight. It even has a federal system ofgovernment,andtries tobringsecularism,equality and more liberal stands in themidst of the conflict. It is in anoverwhelmingmajorityKurdish,althoughitalso has many ethnicities, but theirconstitutionacceptssuchdiversity.Ithasapopulation of almost 5 million people. Itsofficial name is the “Democratic FederalSystem of Northern Syria”. As of theirfirepower and amount of people in Syrianterritory,itisestimatedthataroundtwotothreemillionarecurrentlyresiding,mostlyinRojava,makinguptomorethan10%ofthe population in Syria. The firepower isfound with the YPG – the People’sProtection Units – (a group that will befurther discussed ahead), which hasaround 50,000 fighters, with a lightinfantry force of armored vehicles, smallweapons, anti-tank weaponry and otherweapons. These stats and figures are notdefinite, but a close resemblance to theforcethattheKurdsrepresentinSyria.



Representation And Factions Of Kurds InTheSyrianCivilWarThere are 3 groups to mention regardingthe Kurds in Syria: the PYD (DemocraticUnion Party), the KNC (Kurdish NationalCouncil) and the PKK (Kurdistan WorkersParty):PYD/YPGEasily the biggest Kurd stakeholder is thePeople’s ProtectionUnit. It is a group outof the PYD, a left-wing Kurdish activistgroupthatworksasanoppositionpartyinSyria. The PYD leads the politics in Rojavaandhas multiple contacts with othernations.TheYPGisthemilitarybranchthatprotectsRojavaandentersintofightswithISIS and the Syrian government. The PYDhas tense relations with Turkey, whichfinds both the PYD and the YPG to bestronglylinkedtothePKK.YPGreceivesairsupportfromtheUSAandfromRussia,hasintegration plans to have non-Kurds intheir units and even have a women fightunit.They have been blamed though, to havepossiblyusedchildsoldiersinthepast,andto also promote displacement of people,witheventheTurkishgovernmentaccusingthem of ethnic cleansing (although noevidencewasfoundofthis).Thisgroupisakey actor, and is looking for recognitionfromothernations.Theyhaveanoffice in

Russia and intended to have one in theUSA, another close ally of them. OnlyTurkey has branded the PYD and YPG asterroristsgroups.KNCThe Kurdish National Council is a politicalorganizationfundedbyIraqiKurdistanandTurkey in the Syrian Civil war. It has anopposite view than the PYD and YPG, anddoesnothavethepopularsupportthatthePYD has in Syria. It has received popularbacklashforbeingagainstRojavaandithasa seen a progressive shrinking of itsmembers due to authoritarian andnationalist agenda points. Although rightnowisnotasbigofastakeholder,itistherepresentationofanotherside.Itdoeshasamilitarywing, of over 5000 fighters andhas Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey as allies,fighting ISIS and the PKK in Iraq. The KNChad many allegations of corruption,assassinations andmoney laundering, andit has brought tensions due to theirnegative to work with other politicalparties.TheyhavetriedtofightagainstthePYD and have demonstrated theiranimosity, and their relations are onlyworsening.PKKThe PKK is a leftwing organization,whichwaswagedwaragainstTurkey, lookingforequality and freedom of Kurds in Turkey.NATO, EU, Turkey, USA and many otherscallthisgroupasterrorist.TheUNhasnotcalled them like that, although there isevidence of their involvement in terroristacts.TheTurkishgovernmenthassaidthatthe PKK and PYD are heavily linked,whilenations such as the US and Russia denythese links. If these organizations arelinked, their positions and relations will



changedramatically.

Timeline*Note: This timeline refers to the KurdishoutbreakofrebellioninsideofSyria,linkingthem to the Syrian Civilwar and the fightagainst Daesh. For it, we will considerrelevanttheburstoftheRojavarevolution,till this date. Furthermore, we dorecommend delegates to investigatehistory and relationsof theKurds and thecountriestheyresidein.March/April, 2011: Syrian Civil war startsafterprotestsagainstBasharal-Assadgrowviolent, and violence between factionsbegin. Syriangovernment tries toappeasetheKurdishpopulationbypromotingthemSyriancitizenship.August/December, 2011: The SyrianNational Council attempted to form analternative to the repressive government,but this implodesover fightingand lackofa joint agenda. Therefore, the FSA (FreeSyrian Army) created their armedinsurrection in the center and south ofSyria.2012: Syrian forces, due to the fightingagainst rebels in the center and south,withdrawfrom3areaswithalargeKurdishpopulationandpower, leaving the controlto localmilitary groups. ThePYD andKNCjoin and created the Kurdish Supreme

Committee(KSC)toestablishcontrolintheKurdish inhabited lands in the North. TheYPG is created to protect the populationand territory. Towns of Amuda, Afrin andKobaniweretheirinitialpoint,althoughAl-Malikiyah, Ras al-Ayn , al-Muabbada andal-DarbasiyahsoonwouldalsoformpartofRojava.2013: The PYD disbands from the KNCpartnership and aims to create aprogressive, democratic, multiethnicsociety in Rojava. There is a form ofgovernance and support of population,becoming more of an autonomous organratherthanapeaceoflandcontrolledbyacertain group. During this year, thecreation of the Movement for aDemocratic Society (TEV-DEM) wasoverseen by the PYD, consisting in acoalition of those controlling the lands inRojava.2014: PYD officially announces theirautonomy, as the Jazira, Afrin and KobaniCanton do so aswell. The constitution ofRojava is approved and their governancebegins in an official matter. A policy ofequality, multiethnicity, socialism, withconfederate governments and aspirationsfor democracy begins. But this alarmsDaesh(ISIS).2015:ISISstartsattackingthisautonomousregion,particularly in theTellAbyad townandKobaniCanton.Yet,theYPG,intheTellAbyad offensive, manage one of thegreatestdefensesagainstDaeshandregaincontrol, having only 46 casualties andkilling almost 600 ISIS terrorists. YPGcapturesmoreterritory,oncecontrolledbythe Islamic State. Later, Daesh attemptedto take theKobani canton, but lost to theKurdish forces, backed by the USgovernment. The 2000 Kurd militia



defeated the 9000 ISIS fighters, while theUS killed approximately 2000 Deashcombatants, it is reported that over 4000perisheddue toKurdish forces.Withbothoffensives, Rojava gain a considerableamountofterritory,managingtolinktheirCantons (Map:Growth of Rojava over theyears).2016:AnewconstitutionforRojavawasinthe plans, to organize and expand certainideas. Due to the larger territory and theincreasingthreatofISIS,anewconstitutionwas presented, mantioning al groups inRojava and increasing rights. Kurdishnationalists,suchastheKNC,wereagainstthe point of view of this constitution, asthese want a state of Kurdistan, not thefederation that the constitution looks outfor, remaining part of Syria. 12 Kurdishparties objected, but the constitutionpassed. In the mean time, ISIS has takencontrol of some towns, and there arevariouspointsofbattleinthearea.Extracommentsonthetimeline:

● There has been over 17,000casualties considering all battleshappening due to the Rojavarevolution

● The has been attacks from Turkeyand Iraqi Kurdistan against theKurds in the Syrian Arab Republic,fearing there might be anexpansion,aswellasgoingagainstthe possibility of a Kurdishsovereignstate

● There have also been battlesbetween Syrian governmentofficials and the YPG in differentfronts; yet, there have also beenallegations of the YPG helping theBasha al-Assad regime, althoughthe YPG denied those claims. Infact they are currently fighting in

severallocations.● TherelationsbetweentheYPGand

theFreeSyrianArmyisunclear,assome factions have cooperatedwith the YPG and others are inconflictwiththem.

III.PASTUNANDUNSCACTIONSAND

DOCUMENTS:

Therehasbeenlittle-to-noneactionsmadebytheUnitedNationsregardingtheKurds,particularly by the Security Council. Therehas been several discussions involving theKurds but these regularly end up in aresolution being vetoed due to thedifferent policies found. One can see theUNSC resolution 688, from 1991, whererepresentatives are concerned overrepression ofmonitories in Iraq, includingKurds.The2004UNSCresolution1546alsomentionsKurds in Iraq,but it ismerelyanendorsement.Regarding the Syrian Civil war, there are



severaldocumentsoftheSecurityCouncil.Itvariesfromreports,callingforceasefires,analysis on weapons used, condemningactionsbymember states.Although therehavebeenmanydraftsregardingactionstotakeandpolemictopics,thesehavealwaysbeenvetoed.There have been no resolutionsmentioningtheKurdroleintheSyrianCivilwar,althoughithasbeendiscussedbeforeintheSecurityCouncil.Givingtheirkeyroleas a military and political group in thecountry, as well as a key ally to somenations in the committee, this is a topicwhich needs to have certain actions anddefinitionssothatthereisanofficialstandregardingtheKurds.Ifnot,thepossibilitiesofanextendedcombatwiththisgroupareverylikely.

IV.STAKEHOLDERSINTHESYRIANCIVILWARANDTHEIRRELATIONSWITHTHE

SYRIANKURDS(YPG-PYDFRONT)

USAThe Syrian Kurds are currently one of thebiggest allies that the US has. Althoughthey do not have an office in the UnitedStates, they have worked militaryalongside. The US trusts the PYD,neglecting the possibility that they areterrorists. There is way to know if theAmericanpolicywouldpermittheideaofaKurdstate,ortocontinuethisautonomousregion of Rojava, but they are definitelyallies(whichisodd,astheUSisalsoalliedwithTurkey).RussiaRussia,whichsupportstheBasharal-Assadregime, has also worked alongside the

Kurds, regarding their offensives to DaeshinSyria.TheSyrianKurdscurrentlyhaveanoffice in Russia, and there have beenefforts to include them in discussions. In2016, they proposed to ass the SyrianKurdstotheSyrianGenevatalks,althoughsome “western nations” vetoed suchproposal, according to the Russianrepresentative.TurkeyandIraqiKurdistanThesearethebiggestfoesofthePYD/YPGregion, outside Syria. Turkey has had ahistory of aggressive policies against itsKurdish population, and their fear is thatthe autonomous region created recentlybecomesastateanddecidestohaveplansfor expansion. The PKK, a Kurd terroristgroup,hasbattledagainstTurkeyforalongtime,andtheTurkishgovernmenthastriedto link the PKK and PYD several times,althoughmanynationsdonotseethelink.BothTurkeyandIraqiKurdistan(whichareKurds of a religious faction which theTurkishapprove)have jointly attacked thePYD regime, trying to make it crumble.TurkeyseestheKurdsasmuchasathreatasISISandSyria.Basharal-AssadRegimeAs of right now, there have been severalbattles between the Syrian Kurds and theGovernment officials, although these hasbeen scarce due to their lack of clashing,because of geographical distance. TherearesomeclaimsabouttheBasharal-Assadregime and the Syrian Kurds workingtogether, but there has not been factualevidence about this (there was aphotoshoppedimageoftheflagsofRojavaand Syria together, but it was dismissed).The Russian help to the Kurds make itsuspicious, but these also have the US as



an ally, which makes the situationcomplicated.SyriaLiberationArmyGenerally, the Syrian rebels have workedalongside with the Syrian Kurds in someoccasions, but there is not an universalacceptance of them. Some factions of theRebelsbelievethatthereisalinkbetweenthe Syrian Government and the SyrianKurds, even spiking to clashes betweenboth groups. However, when these aretogether against ISIS, they have shown tobequiteeffective,particularlytheKurds.Daesh/ISISDaesh, at the beginning, saw NorthernSyria as an easy way to get territory, asonlytheKurdsandothergroups inhabitedthat area, but they saw their biggest foe.Almost all conflicts between the SyrianKurds and ISIS have endedwith a Kurdishwin,evennowthattheUSandRussiahelpthemmilitarily.TheKurdsareaforcetobereckoned, when fighting ISIS, as theirassets are not as large, but they haveshown that they are a great line ofdefense.V.NOTETODELEGATESANDFURTHER

READINGRECOMMENDATIONSSome topics we recommend delegates toreadare:

● More history on the Kurds,particularly their policies and howtheyinteractwithsomenations.

● Seehowall of theSyrianCivilwaris developing, as it is the stage inwhichtheTopicisdeveloped

● A detailed look at your nationalpolicy regarding all actors in the

SyrianCivilwar,notonlytheKurds,tohaveacomprehensiveapproach

● Read Chapter 1, 5, 6 and 7 of theUnitedNationsCharter, for you tounderstand certain goals and thewaytheSecurityCouncilworks.

VI.QUESTIONSARESOLUTIONMUSTANSWER(QARMAs)

1. Given the important,andgrowing,

role of the Syrian Kurds in theSyrianCivilwaragainstISIS,shouldthe UN and other countries listentosomeoftheirdemands?

2. What is the future of the RojavaRegion when the Syrian Civil warend? Does the possibility of itremaining autonomous, or evenbecomingacountry,isreal?

3. Should the Syrian Kurds have anyformof voice or representation inofficialpeacetalks,discussionsandother meetings regarding theSyrian Civil war? Should they beinvited to the Security Council asobserversinameeting?

4. Should there be additionalresearch to actions made by thePYD/YPG, due to allegations ofcrimes? Should there be furtherresearch on possible links of thePYD/YPGtothePKKKurdsandtheBasharal-Assadregime?

5. How tight should the relationshipbetween the Syrian Kurds and theUNbe?

6. Are the military actions of Turkeyand Iraqi Kurdistan condemnable?Or are their arguments to attacktheSyrianKurdsconcrete?



VII.GETTINGPREPARED

ResearchThesuccessofyourexperienceinVMMUNwill depend heavily on how muchpreparation you put in before theconference actually begins. Althoughresearchmaynotseemlikethemostfunorexcitingactivityleadinguptoaconference,if you put in the necessary effort, it willdefinitely pay off during the conference.You will be more knowledgeable, moreprepared,andmoreconfidenttodealwithwhatevercomesyourway.Asyoudoyourresearch,youmaywanttokeepapageofnotesonkeyfacts, figures,policies and other important information.Bring a copy of your notes to theconference in order to use them as areference (bear in mind that electronicdevicesarenot allowedduring committeesessions).PositionPapersA Position Paper is a policy statement inwhich delegates clarify the committeetopics, state their representative’sposition, and suggest solutions that fall inline with their national stance. Eachdelegation is responsible for submitting aPosition Paper [email protected] general format of Position Papers isonepage long, single-spaced,with size 11Arial font. Pleasemake sure to cite everysourcethatyouuseinyourPositionPaper.PositionPapersshouldalwaysbeginwithaheader stating the country that thedelegation is representing, thecommittee,the topic area being discussed, and thedelegate’snamesandschool.

RulesofProcedureThe Rules of Procedure will guide thedelegate’s participation throughout thedebate. They contain the rules governingthe debate, speeches, points anddocuments, aswell as the rules governingthe vote. The Rules of Procedure may befound on our webpage:http://www.vmmun.org/substantive-material2.html. Nevertheless, delegatesshallbear inmindthattheSecretariatandthe Committee Directors may providevariationstotheserules.WritingResolutionsThepurposeofthedebate,asstatedinourphilosophy,istoencourageyoutodevelopcomprehensiveandpragmaticsolutions tothe topic being discussed. These solutionsshouldbeembodied in adocument calledaresolution.The process of drafting a resolutionconsists of two main written stages: theWorking Paper and the Draft Resolution.WorkingPapersareapointofreferencefordiscussion in committee that containconcrete ideas on the topic underdiscussion. They do not require a specificformat. Incontrast,draft resolutionsareaformal document in which the committeedeterminestheactionstobetakeninorderto solve the problems under discussion.They have a specific format and mustincludeaspecificnumberofsignatories.

VIII.BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.stratfor.com/image/where-kurds-fit-2017https://www.stratfor.com/forecast/2017-



annual-forecast-middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east-and-north-africahttps://www.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/stratfor_full/public/main/images/syria-iraq-kurds-map-annual-2017-white.png?itok=CYc87QwFhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_involvement_in_the_Syrian_Civil_War#Plans_to_invade_or_interfere_in_Syriahttps://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htmhttp://aranews.net/2016/02/syria-kurds-challenging-traditions-promote-civil-marriage/http://www.warscapes.com/reportage/revolutionaries-bethnahrinhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33690060http://aranews.net/2016/08/knc-leader-arrested-increasing-tensions-rival-kurdish-parties-syria/https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/field/field_document/20150723SyriaKurdsGunesLowe.pdfhttps://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/535-the-pkk-and-the-pyd-comrades-in-arms-rivals-in-politics?.htmlhttp://www.diken.com.tr/in-rojava-ypg-pkk-separate-closely-linked/http://aranews.net/2016/03/us-state-department-emphasizes-ypg-pkk-separate-entities/https://www.trackingterrorism.org/group/peoples%E2%80%99-protection-units-ypghttps://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/10/kurds-rojava-syria-isis-iraq-assad/505037/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/kurds-syria-civil-war-turkey-isis-ypg-us-assad-erdogan-a7222851.htmlhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33690060http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29702440

http://www.rubincenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Hevian-YA-SG-YA-au2-PDF.pdfhttps://www.minnpost.com/eric-black-ink/2014/06/iraq-state-not-nation-kurdistan-opposithttp://bulletin.ids.ac.uk/idsbo/article/view/2730/HTMLhttp://www.unfoundation.org/what-we-do/issues/united-nations/the-un-security-council.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.pe/http://www.mfa.gov.tr/data/Kutuphane/MultilateralConventions/CharteroftheUnitedNations.pdfhttp://www.mmsc.org.msstate.edu/un_background/UNSCHistory.pdfhttps://global.britannica.com/topic/Kurdhttps://global.britannica.com/biography/Saladinhttp://www.infoplease.com/spot/kurds3.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/feb99/kurdprofile.htmhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29702440https://global.britannica.com/topic/Kurdistan-Workers-Party#ref1106897https://global.britannica.com/event/Syrian-Civil-War/Civil-warhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14703995http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/27/world/meast/syria-civil-war-fast-facts/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/02/201225111654512841.htmlhttp://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/20/middleeast/kurds-explainer-us-turkey-iraq/



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