POSITION PAPER
Name: Yutika Doogar, Dhrriti Jain
School: Lakshmipat Singhania Academy
Committee: United Nations General Assembly Disarmament and International Security
Committee (UNGA-DISEC)
Agenda: Discussing the issues caused by the development and manufacturing of weapons of
mass destruction and new systems of such weapons
Allotment: Republic of Iraq
Statement of the Problm
Background
The development and manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction has not only been a
source of constant violence and chaos in the international community, but also negatively
influenced other fields of economic trade and politics. Major reasons as to why this issue
escalated are:
a) Cold War arms race between the US and USSR:
The Cold War arms race significantly escalated WMD manufacturing as both superpowers
sought strategic superiority. This competition led to rapid advancements in nuclear weapons
technology, with both sides dramatically increasing their nuclear arsenals. The arms race also
spurred the development of more sophisticated delivery systems, including intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) further
fueled this buildup, as each side sought to maintain a credible deterrent. This period saw the
proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries as well, as allies of both superpowers
sought their own nuclear capabilities.
b) Development of the hydrogen bomb:
The creation of the hydrogen bomb marked a significant escalation in WMD capabilities.
These thermonuclear weapons were far more powerful than earlier fission bombs, with yields
measured in megatons rather than kilotons. The successful test of the first hydrogen bomb by
the United States in 1952, followed by the Soviet Union in 1953, intensified the arms race.
This development led to a new phase of weapons manufacturing, as both superpowers rushed
to produce and deploy these more destructive weapons. The increased destructive capability
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of hydrogen bombs also raised the stakes in international conflicts, potentially making their
use even more catastrophic.
c) Cuban Missile Crisis and its impact on nuclear proliferation policies:
The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, highlighting
the dangers of nuclear proliferation and escalation. This crisis led to increased efforts in arms
control and non-proliferation policies. Paradoxically, it also initially accelerated some aspects
of WMD manufacturing as nations sought to ensure their security through strength. The crisis
spurred the development of more secure command and control systems for nuclear weapons.
It also led to increased interest in tactical nuclear weapons, as military planners sought
options
Current Issues
The spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) remains a key challenge to international
peace and security. The issues currently being faced by the international community
• Three nuclear powers remain outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT);
nine countries have not yet joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC); thirty-one are
outside the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC); and—within the nuclear
regime—the current crises with North Korea and Iran are still unresolved.
• The discriminatory structure of the NPT, inherited from the Cold War, is not as well
accepted today; the lack of recent progress in disarmament has become a source of
increasing frustration; and opinions continue to diverge on how to strengthen international
verification mechanisms in the context of an expanding nuclear industry.
• Important gaps remain in national legislation and law enforcement mechanisms to
prohibit proliferation, and much needs to be done to prevent access to biological, chemical,
nuclear, and radiological weapons and related technologies by terrorist groups. There is an
urgent need within the UN system to give higher priority to non-proliferation and
disarmament, and to build a consensus on these issues.
Policy pertaining to the agenda
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Stance on WMDs
The Iraqi government's focuses towards rebuilding and addressing internal security
challenges, including insurgency and sectarian violence. Iraq does not hold any illicit
weapons.
Iraq has signed the Geneva Protocol in 1931, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1969,
and the Biological Weapons Convention in 1972, ratified it until June 11, 1991. Iraq ratified
the Chemical Weapons Convention in January 2009, and is also party to the Additional
Protocol with IAEA in October 23, 2012. This built trust showing that Iraq is committed to
peaceful nuclear activities.
We believe that the Middle East should be a region free of weapons of mass destruction and
urge Israel to join the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and put its nuclear facilities under the
safeguards regime of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency
Iraq is striving to build a democratic State anchored in peace and the rule of law, with all
communities living in harmony, irrespective of their sectarian, ethnic or factional affiliation
Stressing that Iraq had succeeded in getting rid of sanctions and restriction imposed as a
consequence of the invasion of Kuwait by the Saddam Hussein regime, Mr. Talabani
encouraged the international community to seek investment opportunities in the country in
the fields of oil, natural gas and infrastructure.
“The economic policy of Iraq is based on encouraging investments and providing the
appropriate legislative environment to protect investors and their capital,’
Iraqi security forces had proved that they are capable of providing security and combating
terrorism when United States troops withdraw from the country at the end of the year.
Failure of UN-formulated Incentive Structure
Iraq had agreed to admit inspectors in response to Resolution 1441, thus, Baghdad had
admitted UN inspectors and allowed them to operate freely. These inspection leaders told the
Security Council shortly before the invasion that they needed only a short time to complete
their tasks. Nevertheless, on March 19, 2003, the United States led an invasion of Iraq.
Iraq had complied with the resolution’s provisions by the time of the U.S.-led invasion took
place. Moreover, the inspection leaders reported to the Security Council in March 2003 that
their teams had found no biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons in Iraq and as they
claimed: “resolving the remaining disarmament tasks would take only months.”
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U.S. officials claimed, inaccurately, that U.S. intelligence contradicted the inspectors’
findings. Notably, the United States withheld intelligence from the inspectors.
Considering that Iraq had no active WMD programs, the UN essentially failed to achieve
their objectives. In addition to that, a) UN, a peacekeeping force did not prevent the
consequent war, and b) the United States led an invasion of Iraq in March 2003 without
council approval – displaying the shortcomings of the UN in case of security and
peacekeeping. Along with this, there is an inherent inequality in the treaty structures, i.e.,
unfair recognition of only five nuclear states.
Daesh Involvement
Recently, the northern and western parts of Iraq are being affected by ISIS, A.K.A, Daesh
occupation. It is an internationally recognized terrorist group which has been wreaking havoc
ever since the ISG established a foothold in Syria first. They built their capabilities, their
numbers, and conducted gained the capacity to invade Iraq across the northern and eastern
border. They were enabled in Syria, and that spread to Iraq. There were some weaknesses in
Iraq because these areas were not amalgamated together very well.
Solutions
The Iraq experience also suggests that Security Council resolutions may have a better chance
of succeeding if they can adapt to changed circumstances. Maintaining flexibility may be
necessary in order to resolve satisfactorily whatever WMD issues may be of concern,
especially if the target government has satisfied some or all of the resolution’s goals, even
while failing to follow the mandated procedures. Some important measures which can be
taken as proposed by Iraq are:
1. Need to break deadlocks over international instruments, especially give importance to
ratification and entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty thus
providing equal rights to not just 5 nuclear states
2. The P5 must renew their commitment to nuclear disarmament and begin consultation
on nuclear issues together with middle-eastern nations
3. The UN must build on its information sharing and strengthen verification
arrangements for non-proliferation and disarmament, alongside this they must also
take action in case of unapproved actions taken by member-states
Citations
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1. Download the convention. (n.d.). OPCW. https://www.opcw.org/chemical-
weaponsconvention/download-convention
2. UNTC. (n.d.).
https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-
4&chapter=26
3. Looking back: Iraq: Disarmament without resolution | Arms Control Association. (n.d.).
https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2013-01/looking-back-iraq-disarmament-
withoutresolution
4. Saddam Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction | Gunning for Saddam | FRONTLINE |
PBS. (2015, November 18).
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gunning/etc/arsenal.html
5. Timeline: the Rise, Spread, and Fall of the Islamic State. (n.d.). Wilson Center.
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/timeline-the-rise-spread-and-fall-the-islamic-state
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