ColegioAmericano de Durango Model United Nations
(CADMUN)
The American School of Durango
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Topic B: Countries Rights Over International Oceanic Resources
Director: Alejandra Canales Barragán
Moderator: Luisa Fernanda Cervantes Palencia
I.
Committee Background
General Assembly (GA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and
it is the only one in which all member nations have equal representation. The General
Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United
Nations. ​General Assembly is a branch of the United Nations, known for its central
position as the chief deliberative, who makes recommendations to States on international
issues within its competence. Established in 1945 with the purpose of reaching specific
goals to attain peace, security and disarmament along with development and poverty
eradication; to safeguard human rights and promote the rule of law. Its powers are to
supervise the budget of the United Nations, appoint the non-permanent members to the
Security Council​, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations and make
recommendations in the form of General Assembly Resolutions. The first session was
convened on 10 January 1946 in the ​Methodist Central Hall in ​London and included
representatives of 51 nations.
II.
Introduction to the Topic
The Ocean is the lifeblood of our planet. It is a vital and complex ecosystem that
billions of people depend on for their daily lives. The over-exploitation of oceanic
resources (fish, petroleum, minerals, etc.), and pollution from fertilizers, plastics, and
waste, are weakening its resources. Nowadays ​the significance of maritime boundaries has
grown; as consequence of how countries tend to ignore oceanic laws when there exist any
kind of business in between. ​63% of the world's oil production moves on maritime routes,
which explains the existence of the ocean law and oceanic struggles, and ​50 percent of the
trade is found in the Indian Ocean Region and South China Sea.
The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention have required all coastal and island nation to delimit
new maritime boundaries with all of their neighbors for preventing international crisis. The
law of the sea is the set of treaties and international agreements by which governments
maintain order, productivity, and peaceful relations on the sea. This law says that every
nation can extend 12 nautical miles from its shores and it secures a 200 nautical miles of
exclusive economic zone where a country has ​sole rights to exploration, use of marine
resources, and energy production.The only condition is that the land must be habitable, that
is to say it must be able to sustain human economic life on its own. ​Maritime boundaries
are link with ​the concept of maritime security, which involves the security of sea lines of
communication (SLOC), to protect trades between nations.
III.
The Polemic/Problem
The United Nations General Assembly has, during the last few years, placed high
emphasis on the topic of countries’ rights over international oceanic resources; thanks to
piracy, territory invasion, illegal commerce, oil extraction, new islands proclamation, use of
military forces over waters and other over mostly the Indian Oceanic Region and the South
China sea.
The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is struggling with constant fights looking for the
stability and security of gulf petroleum, and commerce through the entire region. ​The
Indian Ocean is the world's third largest body of water and has become a growing area of
competition between China and India, because both are dependent on energy resources
transported via this area. They are seeking to strengthen ties with smaller regional states to
protect their respective security and economic interests.
The IOR provides critical sea trade routes that connect the Middle East, Africa, and
South Asia with the broader Asian continent to the east and Europe to the west. ​The Strait
of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca are the world's most important strategic chokepoints
by volume of oil transit. ​Blocking a chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to a significant
increase in total energy costs and world energy prices. Chokepoints also leave oil tankers
vulnerable to pirates, terrorist attacks, shipping accidents that can lead to disastrous oil
spills, and political unrest in the form of wars or hostilities. ​Despite the competition
involving China, India, and other states, it also takes place in the IOR issues as piracy,
disaster relief, and drug smuggling. There is an external threat towards the possibility of
insurgents attacking sea ports and vessels that can lead to floating bombs, stagnancy and
collapse of regional and international trade. Insurgents can smuggle weapons, drugs and
conduct human trafficking operations violating any countries law.
During the last decades China, Malaysia, Philippines Taiwan and Vietnam have
been in constant fight for the South China Sea, which are ​i​nternational waters that no
country can claim as their own, where is ensure freedom of trade and navigation for all.
China has been claiming that “The islands and reefs in the South China Sea are Chinese
territory since ancient times. They are left to us by our ancestors.” Nonetheless,
international sea law does not recognize such uncertain, ancestral claims. Analyzing the
situation we can conclude that the main reason is stopping the US from controlling
international trade in the Indian Ocean and Pacific, preventing a monopoly of trade control.
China has embarked on a massive island construction campaign, to fight for its suppose
land.Since 2014 it has created 9 artificial islands and furnished them with naval equipment,
landing strips, and military facilities. In 2012 China invaded Philippines territory waters by
fishing there. After a military standoff both countries must stay in neutral area, China did
not respect the agreement and militarized the island promoting protests across Southeast
Asia. In 2014 China moved and oil rig into waters claimed by Vietnam violating
international oceanic boundaries. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, (ASEAN),
called the Chinese land reclamation program a threat to “peace, security and stability” of
Southeast Asia and the littoral countries.
IV.
Key Players
China: As it is stated above, this country is fighting for international waters that
does not form part of their actual territory by creating military islands to intimidate their
opponents or neighbors. China is in a constant fight with the US for obtaining the complete
monopoly of water commerce. illegal invasion and extraction of natural sources (oil, fish,)
is another of china's actual conflict with Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and Philippines.
Malaysia: This country has shares international waters with China, consequently
they are in a constant fight of sources. Malaysia fishing market contributes a big percent to
the national economy; cause of many countries water invasions.
US: Fighting to create a commerce monopoly by controlling every checkpoint at the
Indian Oceanic Region and the South China sea. Proclaiming oil rings at other nations
territory for complete extraction of petroleum without the nation approbation. Preparing
and “ending plan” for china's military islands.
India: ​Dependent on energy resources transported via the Indian Oceanic Region,
which is in fight between China and the US.. Having territory at a chokepoint of real
importance influence the country participation at commerce and their economy.
Singapore: Piracy is a word well known in this land. Singapore water are struggling
with pirates who assault boats with merchandise for them to sell it to a better bidder.
countries fear their water territory for their ships to suffer a lost, nations wants them to
control or restore water security at their territory.
Vietnam: Oil extraction is well know to be done in this land of prosperity. They
suffer of constant invasion and piracy looking to obtain the black gold ( petroleum). China
moved one oil ring into Vietnam territory looking to extract some of this natural resource.
The UN ask both countries to stop the struggle and respect the oceanic boundaries,
nonetheless China did not move their oil ring.
V.
Possible Solutions
Oceanic problems are increasing daily, therefor General Assembly calls for all
countries to debate about this topic. The oceanic law of 1988 must be well established and
respect in every country. Countries must have perfectly delimited their maritime boundaries
and if not they must look to limit them with the purpose of preventing struggles between
nations. Piracy must come to an end with the creation of programs as “The Contact Group
on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), where they have special naval vessels that
escort merchant ships, provide protection, conduct rescue operations and confiscate
contraband and also the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) organization, which
facilitates the exchange of military views to improve communication and transparency
across the region’s naval forces​. ​ Every nation must agree with the International Ship and
Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that
defines methods and procedures of how governments can address security threats that are a
violation to the law. It is essential to declare in which conditions a country can proclaim
maritimal territory and when they can not. Every country need to enforce their maritime
security to prevent any commerce struggle. Declaring some “maritime security treaties”
between countries where checkpoints are located.
VI.
Works Cited
Anthony Cordesman. "The Indian Ocean Region: A Strategic Net Assessment." ​Rowman
and Littlefield. Rowman and Littlefield, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016
"U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and
Analysis." ​World Oil Transit Chokepoints - International - Analysis - U.S.
Energy Information Administration (EIA). Eia Beta, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 11
Dec. 2016.
Mohid Iftikahar. "Maritime Security in the Inidian Ocean: Challenges for
Pakistan." ​Https://www.ssrresourcecentre.org/2015/06/03/maritime-security-in
-the-indian-ocean-challenges-for-pakistan/. Security Sector Reform, 3 June
2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2016.
"Dangerous Waters: Meet the New Face of Piracy." ​CNBC. CNBC, 20 July 2016. Web. 11
Dec. 2016