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IHSMUNC’17 UNGA4: SPECPOL
UNGA4: SPECPOL Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC PAGE NO.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON 3
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW 4
TOPIC HISTORY 5
TIMELINE OF EVENTS 8
CURRENT SITUATION
11
BLOC POSITIONS 13
PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTION 15
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 18
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Greetings Delegates!
It gives me great honor to welcome you to SPECPOL, and I hope that you are as excited about
this experience as I am. To the veteran delegates, I assure you that a very enlightening debate
awaits you, and to the novices, I am thrilled to be a part of the beginning of your MUN journey.
So, I’ll let you know a little about myself, I’m currently in Grade 10, but besides that, I love
watching films, reading books, and memorizing random facts. Although most are passionate
about MUN because of its heated discussions, my intentions of still doing MUN is to get the
hang of diplomacy. Some may think of diplomacy as negotiations, while others may say
alliances, but this broad strategic ideology, in any form, in any context, is enough to save the
world from strife.
The crisis in the Ukraine has been a hot topic ever since this nation has been divided between
pro-EU and pro-Russian activists, a situation further aggravated in 2014 after the annexation
of Crimea by the Russian Federation. The tensions within Eastern Ukraine would not have
intensified to the level of military conflict without Russian aggression, which is therefore the
core of the conflict. With the unforeseen consequences in different blocs, and the
involvement of the European Union and the United States of America, peacekeeping in
Ukraine has become crucial. The Executive Board expects the delegates of the committee to
be tactful while respecting other countries’ opinionated views and working around these,
without compromising their own stand, and thereby reaching a unanimously acceptable
solution.
The background guide is intended to familiarize you with the agenda as well as the committee,
however note that this guide is only the starting point of your research and the Executive
Board encourages all delegates to go beyond this guide and grasp all the important facets of
the vast agenda. Represent your allotted country in its best possible way while respecting its
foreign policy and putting in wholehearted efforts in research.
Lastly, please feel free to contact the Director, Prijith, Vice-Chair, Ojas, or myself in case of
any questions regarding the agenda or the committee.
Thank you and I can’t wait to meet you all in December!
Rishika Segireddy Chairperson of SPECPOL IHSMUNC’17 [email protected]
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COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
The Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, Special Political and
Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL), is the mainly concerned with decolonization,
peacekeeping, public information, and refugee crises, but also handles issues such as but not
limited to mine action, atomic radiation, decolonization of space, and human rights.
Established in 1993, the Fourth Committee is a combination of the Decolonization Committee
and the Special Political Committee. Ever since the time of the creation of the United Nations
in 1945, over eighty former colonies have become independent, and today, partly due to this
committee’s involvement, only fewer than two million people live in colonized territories, a
number SPECPOL is determined to dilute.
This committee’s mandate stems from Chapter XI of The Charter of the United Nations
(especially Articles 73 and 74), which consist of principles that commit Member States to
respect self-determination of all peoples and preserve the dignities and rights of people living
in non-self-governing territories. SPECPOL also addresses issues of colonized people,
occupation and subjugation, with the prime objective of helping all countries gain
independence and become self-sufficient from external powers. In addition to this, since
SPECPOL was derived from the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First
Committee), it discusses issues that the First Committee does not address. According to its
mandate, SPECPOL cannot take military action but can pass on suggestions to the Security
Council, which makes the final decision of whether the plan of action will be carried out.
The committee’s foremost goal is to ensure that all countries enjoy the benefits of the
independence to which they are entitled, and only when all countries are economically,
culturally, and socially liberated can the world move forward.
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AGENDA: PEACEKEEPING IN
UKRAINE
The Ukrainian Crisis began as a dispute over a trade agreement, but quickly elevated into a
gruesome conflict in Europe and is almost equivalent to the wars over Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, world leaders managed to shake hands upon
an unsteady peace deal in 2015. But it wasn’t enough to stop the violence in the conflict zone
in Eastern Ukraine-2016 was recorded with an increase in the number of causalities and in
2017, a flare-up of fighting has kicked off.
So how did this conflict begin and how did it then flare-up into a civil war?
TOPIC HISTORY
Ensuing the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the creation of several states, in Eastern
Europe, sowed seeds of prospective conflicts between democratic and socialist forces.
Ukrainian is spoken by 70% of the population, but Russian is the mother tongue of most in the
east. (Source: CNN)
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Ukraine, which borders Russia to the east and Poland to the west, became a battle front for
pro-Russian and pro-democratic forces. Based on its geography, Ukraine was split into the
east, where Ukrainians lean to pro-Russian forces, more than their western pro-European
counterparts. Crimea, a long-contested peninsula, has been an autonomous part of Ukraine
since the split of the Soviet Union. Numerous referenda have been held to settle the status
of the region as a sovereign territory.
Political instability in Ukraine stemmed about seven years ago, when Viktor Yanukovych, a
Russia-backed politician, defeated Yulia Tymoshenko in the 2010 Presidential election. Later
that year, the Ukrainian parliament rejected a plan to become a member of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO), and the following year, Ms. Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven
years in prison. In 2013, Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union (EU), and
this resulted in the eruption of a huge wave of street protests in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine,
dubbed the “Euromaidan”. In response to this, the President, in open resistance to the
movement, ratified laws that constrained the right to protest in Ukraine—which only led to
more clashes with the authority.
In February 2014, Yanukovych was ousted from office, after the parliament voted upon his
removal, and Ms. Tymoshenko was released from prison-this was called the 2014 Ukrainian
Revolution. But the oblasts, i.e. the eastern provinces, were dissatisfied and challenged the
rightfulness and legitimacy of the new government of the acting president, Oleksandr
Turchinov.
In late February to early March 2014, Russian forces slowly began to enter Crimea, whose
population was politically split between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian opinions, and soon
demonstrations from both sides broke out. Ukraine condemned the presence of Russian
troops in Crimea, and the then Ukrainian Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, called Russian
President Vladimir Putin’s action a “declaration of war to my country.” Later that March,
Russia annexed Crimea as part of a referendum in which over 90% of citizens voted to leave
Ukraine. Many countries, particularly in Europe and North America, rejected the referendum
and branded it a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, while many claim that following the
failures of the Yanukovych regime and the establishment of a pro-west government, the
Russian Federation intervened to coerce Ukraine back to the east and into the Russian sphere
of influence.
There were reports of many Russian troops gathering in border areas adjacent to the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine's industrial heartland. On 7 April 2014, protesters occupy government buildings in the eastern cities of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv. Although Kharkiv is retaken the following day, the occupations spread to other cities, and many pro-Russian leaders declare that referendums on granting greater autonomy to eastern regions will be held.
On 11 May, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk declare independence as "people's republics" after the referendums, which were not recognized by Kiev or the West. On 11 May, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk declare independence as "people's republics" after the referendums, which were not recognized by Kiev or the West.
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KEY TERMS AND TREATIES
• Sovereignty: Authority of a political state subject to no higher power, expressed in full
self-determination within its territory and freedom from any outside influence.
• Annexation: The formal act of acquiring something, especially territory, by occupation
or conquest.
• Referendum: It is the submission of a law, proposed or already in force, to a direct
vote of the people, as in superseding the legislature.
• Self-Determination: It is the right of all people to freely decide their own political
status and to freely pursue their own cultural, social, and economic development.
• Minsk Protocol: The ceasefire deal between pro-Russian rebels and Ukraine in Minsk
on 5th September 2014. It failed to stop fighting in Donbass.
• The Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE):
Obliges participating states to “refrain from making each other's territory the object
of military occupation." In addition, the signatories agree to "refrain from any
intervention, direct or indirect, in the internal or external affairs" of another
participating state.
• Budapest Memorandum: In this 1994 agreement, Ukraine agreed to transfer all its
nuclear arms to Russia and in exchange, the US and the UK reaffirmed "their obligation
to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of Ukraine."
• Russian-Ukrainian Friendship Treaty: Ukraine and the Russian Federation signed this
treaty in 1997, which secured the policy of strategic partnership and mutual
commitment not to use its territory to harm the security of each other. The treaty is
still in force.
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TIMELINE OF EVENTS November 21, 2013: President Yanukovych suspends talks of trade deal with European Union
due to pressure from Russia. Thousands of protesters hit the streets.
February 22, 2014: Yanukovych flees Kiev.
March 1, 2014: Russian military forces are sent into Crimea. Two weeks later, Russia
completes its Crimean annexation in a referendum that is considered illegitimate by Ukraine
and most of the world.
April 15, 2014: Kiev’s government launches its first military action against pro-Russian forces.
May 25, 2014: President Petro Poroshenko is elected into office.
June 27, 2014: Poroshenko signs the trade deal with the EU and warns Russia that Ukraine is
determined to pursue its European dreams.
September 20, 2014: Pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine agree to a ceasefire where they pull
back their weapons from the front lines of the conflict.
January 22, 2015: Donetsk International Airport falls to rebels after months of combat with
Ukrainian government forces.
June 22, 2015: The foreign ministers of the EU extend sanctions against Russia, imposed
because of the country's activities in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
August 5, 2016: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released new
figures showing that the conflict resulted in an increase in civilian causalities.
December 1, 2016: As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine carries out missile launches near
Crimea.
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February 1, 2017: The armed struggle escalates in the early days of Donald Trump’s
presidency.
CASE STUDY: Crimea The Republic of Crimea, officially part of Ukraine, lies on a peninsula stretching out from the south
of Ukraine between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It is separated from Russia to the east by the
narrow Kerch Strait.
Crimea has been ruled over by a multitude of countries and the issue of territorial disputes is not a
new one for the Peninsula. Crimea was under the reign of the Ottoman Empire before it was annexed
by Russia in 1783. Crimea was a source of tourism and energy resources for the Russian federation
for almost two centuries before declaring itself autonomous and changing its name to the Crimean
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921. The region saw autonomous rule for almost 25 years
before Joseph Stalin abolished the autonomy of the state post the conclusion of the Second World
War. Stalin justified this abolition as a result of the large Russian population residing in Crimea which
wished to be ‘reconciled with Russia’. This situation is very like the one at hand, with President
Vladimir Putin playing a role analogous to that of Stalin in 1945. It wasn’t until 1994 that Russia
finally recognized Crimea and even pledged to uphold the territorial integrity and
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sovereignty of Ukraine at the Budapest Memorandum Treaty summit the same year. The following
year saw the Ukrainian parliament play a rather tyrannous rule by abolishing the Crimean Constitution
which allowed Crimea considerable autonomy while it was still a part of Ukraine. Ukraine also ousted
its then-President Yuriy Meshkov and deported him from Ukraine in 2011 when he tried to restore the
1992 version of the Crimean Constitution. The referendum conducted by the Russian Federation
recently gave voters a choice to restore the same constitution, however, this referendum was denounced
by the international community and not recognized by the Ukrainian Parliament, as discussed below.
Hence, Crimea has a long history of territorial conflicts and constitutional breaches and recent events
can be compared to Crimea’s long-disputed past.
In early 2014 Crimea became the focus of the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, after Ukraine's
pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was driven from power by violent protests in Kiev.
Russian-backed forces seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, and the territory, which has a Russian-
speaking majority, voted to join Russia in a referendum that Ukraine and the UNGA have deemed
illegal.
The Republic of Crimea addressed the UN seeking recognition as a sovereign state and called on Russia
to integrate it into the Russian Federation. 96.77 percent of the Crimean population voted ‘for’ the
integration in a referendum.
Crimea was declared an independent sovereign state, the Republic of Crimea, on Monday, the
autonomous Ukrainian regional parliament's website stated. The Supreme Council of Crimea
unanimously voted to integrate of the region into Russia.
Russia has argued that the Crimean independence is legitimate as the unilateral declaration of
independence by Kosovo provides legal precedent for such a scenario.
The Obama administration and most European governments argue that the referendum violates both
the Ukrainian constitution and international law. The Ukrainian constitution requires that any changes
to the territory of Ukraine be approved by a referendum of all of the Ukrainian people. The requirement
is consistent with general principles of international law, which respects the territorial integrity of states
and does not recognize a right of secession by a group or region in a country unless the group or region
has been denied a right to "internal self-determination" (i.e., its right to pursue its own political,
economic, social, and cultural development) by the central government or has been subject to grave
human rights violations by the central government. These factors, which could give rise to a right of
remedial secession under international law, are not present in Crimea.
Up to now, the UN has come up with two "major" moves on Ukraine: First, there was a vote in the UN
Security Council, convened in March at the request of the interim government in Kiev, on the draft
resolution condemning the referendum in Crimea that saw it leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. The
resolution was vetoed by Russia, with China abstaining and the rest, including Chad, supporting it
wholeheartedly. And secondly, the UN General Assembly resolution on March 27 which called on
nations not to accept the Crimean referendum and was approved by 100 countries, rejected by 11, with
58 abstaining.
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CURRENT SITUATION
• The Russian president accused Kiev of playing a
dangerous game and said he saw no point in
holding new round of talks about the troubled
peace process in eastern Ukraine on the sidelines of
a G20 summit in China. “The people who seized
power in Kiev ... have switched to terror tactics
instead of searching for ways for a peaceful
settlement,” Putin told a news conference, saying
Russia would not let such actions pass without a
response. “The attempt to provoke an outbreak of
violence, to provoke a conflict is nothing other than
a desire to distract (Ukrainian) society from its
problems,” he added, calling Ukraine’s actions “criminal.” The Russian allegations
follow an uptick in Russian military activity in northern Crimea and heavier fighting in
eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian government troops are battling pro-Russian
separatists. If true, the events - which the FSB said involved at least two armed clashes
on the border between Crimea and Ukraine - would be the most serious escalation on
the contested peninsula since Moscow annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. U.S. and
European Union sanctions to punish Russia for the land grab remain in place, though
Moscow has made clear it has no intention of handing Crimea back.
• However, Ukraine’s president has stated that these Russian claims are preposterous,
with one instance of gunfire at the border being blamed on drunken Russian forces.
“Russian accusations towards Ukraine of terrorism in the occupied Crimea sound as
preposterous and cynical as the statements of the Russian leadership about the
absence of the Russian troops in Donbass (region of Ukraine),” Poroshenko said.
FSB Operatives in Crimea
Poroshenko used his speech at the annual gathering of world leaders for the United Nations General
Assembly to accuse Moscow of not contributing to international security, but of being its “biggest
threat.” The latest hybrid peacekeeping proposal from Moscow is yet another example of Russia’s real
ambition to legalize its proxies and freeze the conflict forever,” he said. “We remain confident that a
fully-fledged peacekeeping operation is the only viable solution to de-escalate and protect the people
of Ukraine.
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CASE STUDY: Situation of the Crimean Tartars
The Tatar people have lived in settlements across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
since the Middle Ages. Crimea has been home to a vibrant Tatar community for over 1,000
years, during which the peninsula has been governed by many rulers. Crimean Tatars have
lived as part of the Russian Empire, as a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire, as a province of
the Soviet Union and as an autonomous republic of Ukraine. During the Soviet era, Joseph
Stalin accused Tartar communities of conspiring with the Nazis and began a campaign of
repressions against the Crimean Tatars, ordering the deportation of some 180,000 of them to
Central Asia in 1944 and many were sent to labor camps.
For a long time, Crimean Tatars have been discriminated by ethnic Russian living in the
Peninsula. However, after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, the ethnic
discrimination has turned into institutionalized persecution. Although international economic
sanctions were imposed on Russia for its ‘illegal’ occupation of Crimea, Moscow ratified a
treaty declaring its annexation ‘legal’. This has left Crimean Tatars in a precarious and
dangerous position: accept the de facto control of Russia in the region, along with its
diminutive view of the Crimean Tatar people, or flee their home. Thousands have already
chosen the latter option, fleeing to Ukraine, Turkey, Poland and elsewhere to avoid oppression
at the hands of the annexation authorities.
However, things are looking upwards with the successful approval of the draft resolution
"Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
(Ukraine)" at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. After consideration at the UN
General Assembly Plenary session in the second half of December 2017, the resolution is
expected to force Russia as an occupying power to stop violations of human rights and
fundamental freedoms. The updated wording of the draft resolution substantially strengthens
the demands of the international community for the occupying power.
CASE STUDY: War in Donbass
ON APRIL 12th, 2014 Igor Girkin, a former Russian military officer, sneaked across the border
into Ukraine’s Donbass region with a few dozen men and took control of the small town of
Sloviansk, igniting Europe’s bloodiest war since the 1990s. To create the impression of strength,
Mr. Girkin, an aficionado of historical battlefield re-enactments, masqueraded as a member of
Russia’s special forces, and had his men drive two armored personnel carriers around every night
to simulate a large build-up.
Having just lost Crimea and lacking a functioning government or military command after the
Maidan revolution, Ukraine was stunned. As Russia massed its forces on the border with Ukraine,
most observers (and participants such as Mr. Girkin) expected a swift invasion followed by
annexation. Instead, the Kremlin created an ersatz civil war, absurdly portraying the Kiev
government as a “fascist” regime and the separatists as freedom fighters. As the Ukrainian army
moved in to try to retake Donbass, Mr. Girkin and his fighters took up positions in a psychiatric
hospital on the outskirts of Sloviansk, using its patients as human shields.
Today, the ruined psychiatric hospital, resembling a scene out of the battle of Stalingrad, is a
symbol of the madness of an essentially theatrical conflict that has cost 10,000 lives and displaced
more than 1.7m people. Yet officially, Russia and Ukraine are not at war. They maintain diplomatic
relations and trade with each other. Ukraine has euphemistically designated the conflict zone an
area of “anti-terrorist operations” (ATO). Most of the people caught up in the war do not care who
started it, or what they call it.
Still, in 2017 the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in far more better shape than they were at the
beginning of 2014. Certainly, the nature of fighting has seriously changed – the active hostilities
four years ago have been replaced by a trench war.
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BLOC POSITIONS
International stances on Putin’s perspective on Crimea
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the ethnic Russians who dominate Crimea are at risk
from the new government in Kiev, an allegation Ukraine denies. He backs the Black Sea
region’s appointed administration. A survey compiled by Bloomberg reveals the following
stances.
China: While Chinese officials have repeatedly urged a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, they underscore their nation’s ties to Russia and oppose sanctions against it.
Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent a cable expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the state-run SANA news agency reported on March 6. He “reiterated Syria’s support to President Putin’s rational approach, which favors peace and seeks to establish a global system that supports stability and combats extremism and terrorism,” the report said.
Venezuela: Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro condemned Ukraine’s “ultra-nationalist” coup, which it said was supported by NATO and the U.S., according to a Foreign Ministry statement March 7. “The installation in Kiev of de facto authorities not only threatens Ukraine’s national unity, but the stability of the entire region as it places in danger Ukrainian citizens of Russian origin and the Russian Federation’s own sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said.
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India: Russia’s ally during the Cold War has refrained from calling for a withdrawal from Crimea and urged talks to address the standoff. Russia remains one of India’s largest suppliers of arm. The dispute should be solved through “free and fair” elections that “meet the aspirations of all sections of Ukraine’s population,” the Foreign Ministry said in a March 6 statement.
France: France called for the meeting of Group of Eight leaders to be suspended until Russia reverses its military intervention in Ukraine.
Germany: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while she prefers avoiding sanctions, events in Crimea “demand a response” by the European Union. “There will be far-reaching change in our relations with Russia, possibly including a broad palette of economic measures, if Russia takes further destabilizing measures in Crimea in addition to those already undertaken, or takes military action,” Merkel said on March 6. “I hope it doesn’t get to that point. We would like to see a diplomatic process.”
Japan: Japan signed the joint statement with fellow G-7 countries condemning Russia’s “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has sought to strengthen ties with Russia amid Japan’s escalating tensions with China, has held off on committing to potential U.S.-led sanctions against Russia. Abe on March 10 called for restraint from all parties involved in the standoff and is sending his National Security Council chief to Russia to convey Japan’s position.
European Union: The leaders of the 28-member European Union suspended trade and visa liberalization negotiations with Russia and threatened “additional and far reaching consequences” should Russia further destabilize Ukraine. The EU is considering a second-stage of sanctions including asset freezes and travel banks of unnamed Russian officials. “We strongly condemn Russia’s unprovoked violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said after the March 6 emergency summit in Brussels. “We call on Russia to immediately withdraw its armed forces; and allow immediate access for international monitors.”
United Kingdom: U.K. argues any referendum vote in Crimea will be “farcical,” “illegal” and “illegitimate” and calls on Russia to de-escalate its aggression and signal it understands the outcome won’t be binding.
United States: The U.S. says that Russia has invaded Crimea in violation of several accords protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. agrees with the new Kiev government that the planned Crimea referendum on joining Russia violates the Ukrainian constitution and that any such vote should be held nationwide. The U.S. wants the referendum to be canceled and Russia to pull back its forces to Russia or to authorized Russian bases in Crimea, where Russia maintains a major naval base that is home to its Black Sea fleet. On March 6, President Obama signed an executive order that authorizes sanctions on individuals and entities “responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, or for stealing the assets of the Ukrainian people.” “President Obama has been clear that we cannot allow Russia or any country to defy international law with impunity,” Secretary of State John Kerry said March 6 in Rome. “There’s no place in the community of nations for
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the kind of aggression and steps that we have seen taken in Crimea in Ukraine in these last days.”
But as of September 2017, the Trump Administration is reviewing whether to send weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself, an option that previous U.S. president Barack Obama vetoed and which is opposed by Russia.
PAST INTERNATIONAL ACTION
Sanctions
When Russia annexed Crimea, and started interfering in Eastern Ukraine, the West responded
with economic sanctions. In July 2014, sanctions were enacted in a coordinated manner by
the European Union, the United States, Canada, and other Allies and partners. These
sanctions were further strengthened in September 2014. EU sanctions, which had been due
to lapse in July 2015, have been extended to January 2016. The US and Canadian sanctions
are open-ended. There are three types of economic sanctions. The first restricts access to
Western financial markets and services for designated Russian state-owned enterprises in the
banking, energy, and defense sectors. The second places an embargo on exports to Russia of
designated high-technology oil exploration and production equipment. The third is an
embargo on exports to Russia of designated military and dual-use goods. The justification for
these Western sanctions is internationally well-understood. But to muddy the waters, Russia
imposed a ban on food imports from Western nations in August 2014. That ban remains in
place.
The European Union extended for another year (June 19, 2017) its trade sanctions on the
Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, and diplomats said
they expected the bloc to do the same for its sanctions on Moscow soon. Moscow’s
annexation of Crimea is not internationally recognized. Along with Moscow’s subsequent
backing of an armed separatist rebellion in Ukraine’s industrial east, it has prompted the bloc
to impose sanctions on the peninsula and on Moscow, in sync with the United States. EU
sanctions on Crimea will now remain in place until at least June 23, 2018. They include a ban
on all imports from Crimea and exports to the peninsula that relate to transport, energy and
telecoms. The sanctions also prohibit EU investment and the provision of tourism services
there. The bloc’s sanctions on Moscow restrict the Russian banking sector’s access to
international money markets and ban most arms trading with Russia, as well as the sale of
some energy-related equipment and technology.
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Peacekeeping
Warring parties in eastern Ukraine have repeatedly failed to implement ceasefire
agreements, allowing hostilities to escalate and the cumulative death toll to exceed 10,000
as the conflict entered its fourth year, a new United Nations report reveals. The report,
published today, covers the three months through 15 May 2017, during which the UN human
rights monitoring mission in Ukraine recorded 36 conflict-related civilian deaths and 157
injuries, a 48 per cent increase from the previous three-month period, according to a news
release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report
finds that there were daily ceasefire violations and routine use of small arms and light and
heavy weapons in the conflict zone. Such attacks and the resulting damage to critical
infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and water facilities, raise serious concerns for the
protection of civilians, the report notes, warning that, as summer approaches, there is a risk
of further escalation in hostilities, as in previous years. From the start of the conflict in mid-
April 2014 up to 15 May 2017, at least 10,090 people, including 2,777 civilians, have been
killed, and at least 23,966 injured, according to a conservative estimate.
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Speaking to the press in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, United Nations Secretary-General António
Guterres called on all sides to fully respect the ceasefire and underscored the Organization's
support to the country and its people. “You can be sure that for us this is something that we
keep in the agenda. It is not a forgotten situation,” said Mr. Guterres at a press conference,
alongside Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine. “The human rights bodies of the UN
are, of course, active in relation to the situation, and, as it is known, the High Commissioner
[for human rights] will be providing also his report on the human rights situation in Crimea in
due time,” he noted.
He added that the UN is ready to support all efforts, including those of the Normandy Four,
the Trilateral Contact Group and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE). In his remarks, the Secretary-General also highlighted the UN's support to
humanitarian activities in the country and said that it would enhance its cooperation with the
Government and that it will work to overcome any challenges in reaching the populations in
distress. Mr. Guterres also said that UN fully supported the reform process of the Government
and that he has closely followed developments in that regard. “As the President mentioned,
we are ready to upscale our cooperation and our presence to support the Government in the
reforms that it will be promoting,” he added. Further in his remarks, the Secretary-General
expressed appreciation to the cooperation between Ukraine and the UN as well as the
country's contributions to the UN peacekeeping efforts and to global peace and security as a
member of the Security Council. “Ukraine has been actively engaged in all processes in
relation to both peace and security, sustainable and inclusive development, and human
rights, and I want to express my deep appreciation for what has been an exemplary
cooperation,” he said. Also in his remarks, Mr. Guterres recalled his link with the people of
Ukraine during his tenure as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “I started to work with
them as High Commissioner for Refugees, and I want to say that I deeply feel the suffering of
the people and I am deeply committed to do everything I can in order to be able to address
their plight,” he stated.
Previous resolutions
15 March 2014 - S/2014/189 – Declared that the Crimean referendum was invalid. Was
vetoed by Russia.
21 July 2014 - S/RES/2166 - This resolution condemned the downing of Malaysia Airline flight
17 and called for an investigation of the crash.
17 February 2015 - S/RES/2202 - This was a resolution that endorsed the “Package of
measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements” signed on 12 February 2015.
19 December 2016 - A/RES/71/205 (General Assembly 71st session) - Situation of human rights
in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine).
14 November 2017 – General Assembly 72nd session - condemning Russia’s “temporary
occupation” of Crimea and reaffirming the United Nations’ commitment to Ukraine’s
sovereignty over the Black Sea peninsula. The draft resolution urges Russia to immediately
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end all abuses against Crimea residents including “arbitrary detentions, torture and other
cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, and to revoke all discriminatory legislation.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER Moving forward into the conference, delegates are encouraged to consider the following
questions:
• How can the question of self-determination be applied to the situation of Crimea?
• Has the international community accounted for the human rights of groups such as
the Crimean Tartars?
• The question of de-escalation of tensions within Crimea in order to prevent tragedies
such as MH-17.
• The question of establishment of peacekeeping initiatives to ensure the stability of
not only Crimea, but also the Black Sea region.
• If majority of the population supports it, can a referendum separate a region from a
country?
• Can the validity of the referendum be questioned, and if so, is it possible to suggest
actions which are feasible?
• How can the international community help in tackling intercountry disputes
associated with aggression diplomatically?
• Keeping in mind that the Russian Federation is a major party, and a P5 nation in the
United Nations Security Council, how does one formulate resolutions that can be
passed successfully in the UNSC following GA4 without vetoes?
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