Dear Delegates,
On the behalf of the Secretary General, we would like to invite you to join Economic and
Social Council held at Stettin Model United Nations 2013. We, namely Jakub Karaszkiewicz
and Marek Bieława, are honoured to be the Chairs of the committee.
The Economic and Social Council is one of the six principal organs of the Stettin Model
United Nations taking place from 24th to 26th October 2013. The essential role of our
committee is identifying the problems related to trades, unemployment and health care. The
purpose of that action is finding beneficial solutions for the society and the international
economy. The committee also supports international cooperation in the area of culture and
education,
and propagates basic human rights and freedom.
This year the conference will give the chance to debate on the problems of the Middle East.
The following topics will be discussed:
1. The dispute over Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
2. Arms trade as a source of problems in the Middle East.
3. Manipulation of petrol prices by OPEC.
We encourage all Delegates to familiarize yourselves with the topics of the debate. It is also
highly recommended for you to become acquainted with the attitudes of the countries you are
representing towards those notions.
We wish you all the best with preparations for our conference. We hope that, thanks to your
genuine engagement, the debate in the Economic and Social Council will be enriching and
stimulating.
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.
Best Regards,
Jakub Karaszkiewicz, the Chair
Marek Bieława, the Chair
contact: [email protected]
contact: [email protected]
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1) Dispute about Israeli settlements in the West Bank
Since the dawn of time, Jews had to fight for their place of living. They struggled in the past,
they still struggle now. Since 63 BC, the Israeli country did not exist on any maps. The
immigration of Jews to these territories led to tensions and bloody slaughters of the
immigrants. The State of Israel returned into being after WWII, when UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution no. 181 about the division of Palestine into two states: Jewish
and Arabic. Up to the day of foundation of Israeli State, the rule over it was in the hands
of the British Government.
The Arab League, however, did not accept the resolution and stated that they will be
“compelled to intervene for the sole purpose of restoring peace and security and establishing
law and order in Palestine.” On 14th of May, united armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan
and Iraq invaded what has just ceased to be the British Mandate. Israeli Defense Force
repulsed them from these territories, leading to 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel
and their neighbors. However, 20 years later another conflict emerged. It lasted for less than a
week but still is fateful…
Photo 1.
Israeli settlement at Gilo,
East Jerusalem.
As a result of 1967 Six-Day War Israel took the West Bank and Gaza. Later Jordan waived its
rights to West Bank. To prepare for the next break-out, Israeli strategists invented a line of
settlement, which in case of next attack would take the first hit. Increase in quality of life in
this area was accompanied by this process. These settlements were (and still are) founded in
the perimeter of Arabic villages. They can be called ghettos – only Israeli citizens live there.
However, in contrast to the ghettos from WWII, today ones are islands of prosperity,
with modern infrastructure.
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The process of foundation settlements on Palestinians territories leads to many controversies.
Palestinians perceive it as the act of colonization of their own land which makes the creation
of Palestinian state impossible. When in 1994 the Palestinian Authority came into being,
Israeli settlements became hotspot in all Israeli-Palestinian talks. The Israel Defense Forces
secures the settlements, which often are deep into Palestinian territories.
Photo 2.
IDF soldiers and settlers guarding a
settlement.
As a result in the Palestinian land there are Israeli roads and places inaccessible by the
Palestinians (they are enclosed by special fences). In many cases modern infrastructure is
available only for inhabitants of the settlements, while in Arabic places there are breaks in
supply of water lasting for several days.
The problem is unique since the presence of Jews always triggers strong emotions due to their
culture and lifestyle (crowding in closed Diasporas, alienation and stereotypes about usury).
Probably in no other conflict the emotions play such significant role in formation of views.
Great majority of people supports either of the sides basing on their attitude towards Jews:
philo- or anti-Semitism. What’s more, it is difficult to judge who triggered the domino of
events.
Jews possess money, Arabs have oil. This is the reason why the conflict is chronic and
important for the rest of the world.
Suggestions for further reading:
1) http://www.fmep.org/reports/archive/vol.-23/no.-2/PDF
2) http://www.science.co.il/Arab-Israeli-conflict-2.asp
3) http://www.britsforpeacenow.com/why-are-settlements-a-problem/
2) Arms trade as a source of problems in the Middle East
Problems in the Middle East are connected inter alia with the lack of money, which should be
spent on necessities of life products and services. In fact governments, local authorities,
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people supplying the city with products and intermediaries, purchase large amounts of
weapons, military technology and equipment.
Nowadays the level of armaments and military quality has become one of the main elements
of the politics in the Middle East. This area is perceived as a constant battle, which is the ideal
place for governments, arms dealers and manufacturers. Millions of people suffer from the
direct and indirect effects of the irresponsible arms trade: thousands of people are killed,
victims of torture, raped, subjected to ill-treatment, starvation, disease and disability. Part of
them are forced to flee from their homes, often permanently, and many others to live under
constant threat and fear. Violence and arms reach places wherever conflict breaks out, with
greater ease than the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Behind the statistics specific people or organizations
are hidden. For example one of the most powerful
arms smuggler Viktor Anatolyevich Bout, supplied
most of the military arms in the world.
Photo 3.
Viktor Anatolyevich Bout - Russian arms smuggler
of Ukrainian origins
Also a lot of MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries) from Europe, Asia and
North America sell weapons to the war engulfed states. Amnesty International has identified
10 countries whose governments have allowed the supply of arms, ammunition and related
equipment for the Libyan regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and domestic conflicts in
Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria since 2005. These include Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Russia,
Spain and the United Kingdom.
But how do traffickers or countries transport (make smuggling) large loads of weapons? They
use bribes, contrabands or just legally sell the products. For example France in mid-2011
threw off cargo (with anti-missiles dropped, automatic rifles and machine, and Milan antitank missiles) to the insurgents in the mountain Jabal Nafus (south of Tripoli).
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Photo 4.
UK arms and sales to the Middle East.
Amnesty International report about “Arms transfer to the Middle East and North Africa.
Lessons for an effective arms trade treaty” shows that dozens of MEDC do the business on
sustaining the conflicts in the Middle East. The most visible effect of the above-described
problem is a notorious misconduct by some Member States outside the set limits production.
Suggestions for further reading:
1) http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT30/117/2011/en/049fdeee-66fe-4b13a90e-6d7773d6a546/act301172011en.pdf
2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/feb/22/uk-arms-sales-middle-eastnorth-africa#_
3) http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Mar-27/211567-united-statesmain-obstacle-for-arms-trade-treaty-clause.ashx#axzz2TrpAhHtg
4) Movie “Lord of War” (2005), written and directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Nicolas
Cage, Bridget Moynahan and Jared Leto.
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3) Manipulation of petrol prices by OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was founded at Baghdad Conference in 1960.
The foundation act was signed by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Later nine
more Middle-Eastern and Latin American nations joined it. As it is said in OPEC Statute, the
main goal of an Organization is to ensure “stabilization of prices in international oil markets
with a view to eliminate harmful and unnecessary fluctuations.”
Photo 5.
The OPEC Flag.
The true motives, however, may be different. Contrary to the Organization’s policy statement,
the idea was formed by the Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Mines Juan Pablo Pérez
Alfonzo,
who made an attempt to break up the “Seven Sisters” oligopoly. The term was used when
talking about international petroleum cartel comprising of seven oil producing and selling
companies,
mainly Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now BP), Shell, Texaco (now Chevron) and Socony
(today ExxonMobil). In the period between 1945 and 1973 the group controlled about 85% of
the world’s oil reserves.
Prior to 1973 oil crisis, the percentage part of area controlled by Seven Sisters was shrinking
mainly due to shrinking reserves in OECD countries and rise of state-owned oil companies in
Less Economically Developed Countries. In 1973 it was clearly known that OPEC wasn’t
founded to coordinate the trend of prices and stabilize them, but to increase members share in
international oil market and to improve relations with the West.
That year the Organization put at embargo on the U. S. and Western Countries supporting
Israel in the Yom Kippur War. The immediate results were dramatic – quadruple of gasoline
prices (rise from 25 cents to over a dollar), many American gas stations were out of fuel for a
week. After that time Arabs began ship oil to the western countries again but at higher prices.
Economic shrinkage, 10 per-cent inflation and peaking unemployment – these were the longterm effects of year enduring ban on supplying the west with fuel. Politically unstable
countries soon recognized that they are capable of using their resources as weapons in
political and economic issues.
However, 1983 was a turning point in OPEC history. That year, laws of the market
manifested themselves. There were more players in game, therefore, repeating the 1973
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embargo would be less gainful for Middle east. Nigeria, one of the poorest countries both in
Organization and the world, had to sell its crude oil below $30 per barrel in order to maintain
its level of incomes. That was contrary to the rule “the less the oil in market, the greater the
power of OPEC”. Organization authorities decided to create a size of limits of production.
The verdict was: members must shrink their production. Saudi Arabia, one of the greatest
exporters, could not agree on this and violated the quotas. That’s because they had to have
even a minimum of oil revenue to keep state economy running. Two years later they officially
rejected the upon-decided quota system, and started selling crude oil very cheaply.
Such mechanism of varying production quotas allowed members to make the world their
oyster, but also prompted Western countries to find the other distributors, conserve energy
and support other sources of energy. What’s more, Petrol Exporting Countries were defeated
by their own weapon - high prices of the 1970s prompted an increased production, which was
now available on the market.
In 2002 OPEC proclaimed the policy of keeping the prices in certain range. If the prices were
below, OPEC would shrink production, if above – increase it. However such central planning
affects members’ economies. For most of them crude oil trade is the only thing that gives
revenue. Therefore, many disputes take place because of production limits. One such dispute
occurred in 2008 when Saudi delegates walked out of negotiation session in which there was a
vote on reductions. Despite the fact Saudi Arabians endorsed new agreement, they claimed
not to treat it and stated willingness to support the needs of the market.
Today OPEC is considered to be capable of some control over the prices: it can stop them
from declining, but cannot do it in case of rise (because of the production peak), which is not
very favorable situation. What’s more, there is new player in the court – The New Seven
Sisters – who also shows leading abilities…
Suggestions for further reading:
1) http://www.envirothonpa.org/documents/The1973OilCrisis.pdf
2) http://stefan-schaller.com/2011/05/22/how-opec-tries-to-control-the-market%E2%80%93-and-fails/
3) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/publications/OS.
pdf
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermajor
5) http://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_files_project/media/downloads/publications/OS.
pdf
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