Disarmament and International Security - World Model United Nations

I n t r o d u c t I o n
The Disarmament and International Security Committee,
officially the First Committee of the General Assembly
of the United Nations, is one of the six main committees
of the UNGA. The scope of DISEC’s competences and the
significance of the issues it deals with – from security to
international law – make it one of the most crucial organs of
the United Nations.
The topics that will be discussed at our session at WorldMUN
2012 could serve as paragons of the caliber of the issues that
the First Committee usually addresses. The problem of safety
and security of nuclear materials is a relatively long-lasting
concern that has recently gained some urgency due to a
combination of several geopolitical factors in the modern
world. The proliferation of nuclear weapons that are now in
possession of at least four countries outside of the original
five-power nuclear club, combined with concerns over the
protection levels of non-military nuclear materials, seem
to justify these concerns. This global problem merits the
attention of the general membership of the United Nations,
and the First Committee is the most appropriate venue to
address it. The other topic, the militarization of the Arctic,
is a long-unsolved regional issue that has global implications
because of the direct involvement of some of the world’s
mightiest powers – the United States, Russia, Canada,
Norway, and Denmark. In view of the international status
of the area, as well as the conflicting interests of the nations
involved, it is crucial that the questions of territorial claims
and military presence in the region be addressed by the
General Assembly of the United Nations.
As delegates to the Disarmament and International Security
Committee, you have an opportunity to discuss these issues
of supreme importance and to work collectively on designing
viable solutions through the process of negotiation and
compromise.
H I s t o r y of tHe commIt t e e
The United Nations was established at the United Nations
Conference on International Organization in San
Francisco, at which representatives of 50 independent states
congregated to discuss the creation of ‘a general international
organization to maintain peace and security.’ The Charter of
the United Nations was written and ratified there, and the
Organization was officially formed on 24 October 1945.
The Disarmament and International Security Committee,
also known as the First Committee of the General Assembly of
the United Nations, is a consensus-building body that gathers
representatives of all 192 member states to collectively discuss
issues pertaining to world peace and to handle all questions
relating to security and international law. Initially established
as the Political and Security Committee (POLISEC), the First
Committee was reorganized in the late 1970s in response
to a growing number of additional political matters, and
the Special Political Committee was created. In view of the
progress of decolonization movements and the declining
number of issues to be addressed such as trust territories,
the functions of the Special Political Committee were later
merged during the 1990s into the Fourth Committee, which
initially dealt with Trusteeship and Decolonization matters.
The Disarmament and International Security Committee,
just as any other of the six committees of the General
Assembly, allows every nation represented to suggest or
consider proposals relevant to the substantive topics covered,
and to recommend resolutions for adoption by the General
Representatives from all Member States convene at a
Disarmament and International Security Committee
meeting to debate key security issues. http://graphics8.
nytimes.com/images/2006/09/18/world/18un.l.jpg
Assembly. While these resolutions are not legally binding, the
fact that each of them represents an agreement of the majority
of the member states implies that resolutions adopted by the
General Assembly have a significant normative role. This
means that they can indicate the establishment of common
standards, customs and guidelines for the behavior of
Harvard WorldMUN 2012
Disarmament and International Security 2