DNMUN

Background

Guide

United Nations Security Council

The Security Implications of

Non-State Actors.

Prepared by Abhijna.G.S, Aditi. R,

Riddhi Rajan and Harsh Jaju.

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The Security Council

One of the main characteristics of the UNSC, which contrasts with other UN organs, is that it is the only committee whose resolutions are binding upon all member states, regardless if they are current members of the UNSC or not, making the burden upon its shoulders all the more heavier. Moreover, it is also in the Council’s mandate to authorize the use of force through peacekeeping operations or military coalitions and to impose economic and military sanctions, but always as a last resort when all negotiations have failed (especially in the case of military action) Therefore, the UNSC’s first actions when a complaint related to a threat to international peace and security is brought before it is to recommend to the parties to try and reach a peaceful solution. It may also help ceasing of the dispute by investigating or mediating the conflict.

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Statement of the problem

“The role of the intellectual cannot be to excuse the violence of one

side and condemn that of the other.”

~Albert Camus

The 21st century has seen an increase in the number of actions against the

non-state military actors. Even though there is no such thing as an

universally accepted definition on these groups, some features are

commonly adopted when dealing with this issue: an organized group with,

at least, a basic structure of command; its operations happening outside

state control; the use of force to achieve political objectives; the irregularity

of its military actions, in opposition to the most common military doctrines

of regular armies; among others.

Non State Actors may fight for a variety of causes and display varied

attributes, but the ones we will be concerned with are those that use

violence. Even within this category, groups vary immensely.

Most non-state military organisations (or NSMOs) start out as being formed

by states. They are usually part of said states’ paramilitary forces and

militias, until a faction breaks off to form an NSMO. Examples of this include

militias in Serbia, Colombia and Sudan. Alternatively, some NSMOs- like the

ISIS- begin as being part of an established insurgent group, and then split to

form their own coterie. The ISIS was initially a part of the al-Qaeda, but

broke off to form a radical caliphate-centred group by themselves.

Most NSMOs claim to stand for a larger goal, and to represent certain

suppressed sections of people. They claim to be fighting for a larger cause

and for the greater good of humanity. ISIS, for example, claims to be fighting

for Islamic rights and wishes to establish an Islamic caliphate to achieve

this. However, it is the means that these groups take up to attain said goals

that make them inherently different from other groups.

One of the most complex facets of non-state military organizations is their

relationship to the governments of the nations in which they operate. Five

different such relationships are possible:

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1) The non-state actor is so intertwined with the state that it may be

considered an extension of the state itself

2) The non-state actor is receiving some form of support or assistance from

the state

3) The non-state actor is independent of the state but has the state’s

consent to operate within its territory

4) The state claims to have no ties or to have given consent to the non-state

actor, but is unwilling to intervene

5) The state is unable to prevent the non-state actor from operating within

the territory, even though it disapproves of its activities

The question of whether a state is responsible for the actions of non-state

actors is central to this topic.

A state that hosts rebels often has political reasons for doing so. If a nation

has a hostile relationship with its neighbour, allowing rebels a safe haven

within its borders can be an alternative to using direct force against a

political enemy. Indeed, some countries have been known to give material

supplies to foreign rebel groups to assist them in undermining their home

nation. Nations can therefore help to instigate a civil war in a foreign

country. Rebels have even been known to mobilize from refugee camps,

although this action can be minimized if the host country provides the

rebels with security and encourages them to develop productive

livelihoods. Even countries that are not hosting escaped rebels sometimes

lend support to rebel organizations.

The internationalization of non-state groups is another major concern

when discussing non-state military organizations. As the world becomes

increasingly interconnected, groups that were once limited to one nation

are able to connect to those with similar beliefs in other countries. This has

many implications for non-state military groups, and creates the potential

for damage on an even larger scale than has been previously possible.

Extraterritorial military bases allow rebels to recruit and train more

fighters in addition to those available within state borders. They also

provide a safe haven to which group members can flee during combat and

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where they are difficult to locate. Although most states have established

domestic intelligence networks, their foreign ones are usually less capable.

States can also become indirectly involved with non-state military groups in

other countries.

For example : In several Western countries indirectly propelled bloodshed

in Sierra Leone buy purchasing diamonds whose profits supported rebel

groups present there. Transnational rebels can therefore create conflict

between states.

A number of factors contribute to the existence of rebellious, anti-

government organizations. Some states are too weak to prevent the

mobilization of rebels, and weak neighbours often cannot prevent their

entrance. Democratic nations that permit some dissent from their citizens

are less fertile ground for violent rebellion than are authoritarian regimes

that suppress all opposition.

It is important to recognize that non-state organizations vary immensely,

and although the media lavish attention on only a handful of groups, many,

many more exist. Contrary to some Western perceptions, many of which are

reinforced by the media, non-state military organizations are not all

religious and do not all originate in the Middle East. Regardless of a group’s

country of origin, its members and supporters, as well as its victims, may

hail from nations around the world.

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HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM: The Timeline of Recurring Violence The history of ‘non state actors’ is as old as humans' willingness to use violence to affect politics. It dates back to the first century with the formation of the Sicarii,a Jewish group who murdered enemies and collaborators in their campaign to oust their Roman rulers from Judea. The Hashhashin, was also another assassin group prevalent in the 11th century,which marked the beginning of this violent history.However assassins and zealots do not really form the foundation or substance of the term non state actors,at-least not in the modern sense. 18th century violence The word terrorism comes from the Reign of Terror instigated by Maxmilien Robespierre in 1793; following the French revolution He justified his methods as necessary in the transformation of the monarchy to a liberal democracy: Robespierre's sentiment laid the foundations for modern terrorists, who believe violence will usher in a better system.

1950s: The Rise of Non-State Terrorism: The rise of guerrilla tactics by non-state actors in the last half of the twentieth century was due to several factors.These included the flowering of ethnic nationalism (e.g. Irish, Basque, and Zionist), anti-colonial sentiments

in the vast British, French and other empires, and new ideologies such as communism.Terrorist groups with a nationalist agenda have formed in every part of the world. For example, theIrish Republican Army grew from the quest by Irish Catholics to form an independent republic, rather than being part of Great Britain.Similarly, the Kurds, a distinct ethnic and linguistic group in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, have sought national autonomy since the beginning of the 20th Century. The Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), formed in the 1970s, uses terrorist tactics to announce its goal of a Kurdish state.

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1970s: Terrorism Turns International: International terrorism became a prominent issue in the late 1960s, when hijacking became a favoured tactic. In 1968, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked an an El Al Flight. Twenty years later, the bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, shocked the world.The era also gave us our contemporary sense of terrorism as highly theatrical, symbolic acts of violence by organized groups with specific political grievances.

1990s: The Twenty First Century: Religious Terrorism and Beyond

Religiously motivated terrorism is considered the most alarming terrorist threat today. Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds- Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah—come to mind first. But Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have given rise to their own forms of militant extremism. In the view of religion scholar Karen Armstrong this turn represents terrorists' departure from any real religious precepts. Muhammad Atta, the architect of the 9/11 attacks, and "the Egyptian hijacker who was driving the first plane, was a near alcoholic and was drinking vodka before he boarded the aircraft." Alcohol would be strictly off limits for a highly observant islamic.

Atta, and perhaps many others, are not simply orthodox believers turned violent, but rather violent extremists who manipulate religious concepts for their own purposes.

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CURRENT SITUATION:

SPECIFIC NSMOs

Delegates are expected to know their country’s stance on these NSMOs-

whether they recognize them, fund/support them and actions being taken

on that account. However, these are only a few of the thousands of NSMOs

active in the world today. Delegates are required to know about all or most

NSMOs relevant to the regions being discussed in committee.

IS-

The Islamic State- still commonly referred to by its

former name (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant

or ISIS), broke away from the al-Qaeda in Iraq in

April 2013. It is an unrecognized state and a jihadist

group. It has since been disowned by the al-Qaeda for

being too extremist. Starting out as a jihadist entity

fighting the governments of Iraq & Syria, ever since, it has grown in power

and magnitude and has begun to take over parts of both countries slowly.

Its self-stated goal is to bring much of the Islam-inhabited regions of the

world under its direct political control. Having declared itself a sovereign

state, it aims to establish a caliphate over much of the Middle East with Abu

Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph.

The UNSC as well as the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Indonesia & Saudi

Arabia have officially designated the ISIS as a foreign terrorist organization.

HEZBOLLAH & HAMAS-

The Hezbollah is a (primarily) Shia Islamist group and

political party originating from Lebanon. It was

conceived by Islamist clerics, and was primarily formed

to represent the Palestinian- synonymous with the Arab-

ideology and oppose the Israeli occupation. Initially trained by the Iranian

Revolutionary Guards and followed by the followers of Ayatollah Khomeini,

its 1985 manifesto listed its objectives as the expulsion of "the Americans,

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the French and their allies definitely from Lebanon, putting an end to any

colonialist entity on our land".

Hezbollah receives military training, weapons, and financial support from

Iran, and political support from Syria. The Hezbollah is also currently

fighting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad against Syrian rebels.

The Hamas was conceived essentially for the Palestinian

liberation movement. It originally had a dual purpose of

carrying out an armed struggle against Israel - led by its

military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades - and

delivering social welfare programmes. Hamas is

designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, EU,

Canada and Japan due to its long record of attacks and its

refusal to renounce violence. Under the group’s charter, Hamas is

committed to the destruction of Israel.

Currently, Hamas- along with the Palestinian Liberation Organization- is the

only legitimate representation for Palestinian people and the Gaza Strip.

Deemed a terrorist group by Israel, it is the sole reason for Israel’s lack of

will to negotiate with Palestine.

BOKO HARAM-

Translated as “Western Education is a sin”, Nigeria's militant Islamist group

Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's

most populous country through a wave of bombings,

assassinations and now abductions - is fighting to

overthrow the government and create an Islamic

state.Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam

which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims

to take part in any political or social activity

associated with Western society. Its political goal

was to create an Islamic state.

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HUMANITARIAN REPERCUSSIONS

Delegates must know their respective countries’ humanitarian initiatives,

both within the country and outside.

The humanitarian repercussions are endless, but these are some that could

be discussed during the course of committee:

Death tolls and casualties due to NSMOs. Increasing weaponisation. Use of WMDs and their health implications. Recruitment of minors and their forceful arming.

POSITION PAPER REQUIREMENTS:

Your position paper should have three components: the first is how this

topic relates to your country, the second is what actions your country has

taken to address this topic, and the third is what kind of resolution on this

topic your country would support.

Position papers should be one page, single-spaced, in 12-point font, Times

New Roman. Please include the name of the committee, your country, your

school, and your name on the top left corner. If you have any questions

about position papers, please do not hesitate to email us. Position papers

must be emailed to sc.dnmun@gmail.com.

QARMA (Questions a Resolution May Answer)

Resolutions and working papers must address as many of these as possible:

1. Establishing a comprehensive definition of NSMOs 2. Question of varying relations with NSMOs 3. What kind of framework should be in place so that the

international community can effectively dismantle non-state military organizations on a global scale?

4. Which international laws are relevant to dealing with non-state military organizations? Should any of these laws be revised?

5. Who is responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to victims of non-state military groups?

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A Few Guidelines

1. Delegates need to work together, attain consensus and formulate

practical and comprehensive solutions that will solve every aspect of

the crisis.

2. Delegates should be aware that though accusations are essential and

controversial statements are inevitable, there should be effective

solutions put forward in the end.

3. The executive board may question delegates regarding the action or

steps taken for the purpose of understanding and also to point out

any ineffective solutions being passed.

4. Members of the committee, who are parties to a dispute, will refrain

from voting when resolutions underChapter VI are adopted, in

accordance with the UN charter.

5. Article 30 of the UN charter extends to this committee and thus

committee may adopt its own rules of procedure if necessary.

6. Delegates should be aware of various organizations, their mandates

and treaties such as ICJ, ICC, IAEA, NATO, EU, AU, World Bank, IFRC,

WHO, WFP, WTO, UNESCO, UNDP, IMO, UN peacekeeping missions,

NPT, CTBT, Kyoto Protocol, Outer Space Treaty, UNFCC, Montreal

Protocol, IPCC, Mandate of the SC, and the list just goes on.

7. Delegates must note that Wikipedia will not be entertained as a valid

source at any point in committee. Delegates may also use their

respective country’s government portals, news agencies etc. Past UN

Resolutions on NSMOs will also prove extremely useful. Also note that

if asked to quote their source, delegates may not use the background

guide as a source.

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SOURCES

http://www.academic-foresights.com/Non-State_Armed_Groups.html

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04202009-

185313/unrestricted/Fitzalan_Gorman_Thesis.pdf

https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/Civil%20Military%20Guid

elines%20for%20Iraq%20(31%20July%202008).pdf

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24179084

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/12/world/meast/who-is-the-isis/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4314423.stm

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-13331522

http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739