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VIMUNC V

MARCH 2ND TO 3RD, 2018 HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL

THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

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VIMUNC V HOSTED BY LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL

MARCH 2ND-3RD 2018

ADUMENONSECRETARY-GENERAL

NICKHODGE

LAURENFAHLBERG

EMIGARDNERDIRECTOR-GENERAL

UNDER-SECRETARYGENERAL

UNDER-SECRETARYGENERAL

AUSTINHANLEYCHIEFOFSTAFF

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the fifth session of the Virginia Invitational Model United

Nations Conference! Langley Model United Nations is incredibly excited to

host you all at our Model UN conference, VIMUNC V, on March 2nd- 3rd,

2018. We hope to create a unique experience for each and every one of you

this year.

This year at VIMUNC V, our goal is to provide an incredible delegate

experience through our wide variety of committees and incredible college

chairs. Ranging from conventional General Assemblies to unconventional

crisis simulations, we know that VIMUNC V will surely be unique! Through

our fifteen committees – General Assemblies, Specialized Agencies, and

Crisis Simulations – we are sure that each delegate will be challenged with

tackling important issues. From resolving the Syrian Refugee Crisis to

combatting eco-terrorism, it is our hope that our topics will stimulate your

minds and creativity! Position papers are required in all committees for

delegates to be eligible for awards.

As it is our fifth annual conference at Langley High School, we are

working hard to give all of you the best experience possible. In recent years,

our club has expanded exponentially, and we are using our numbers to

provide the best crisis staff, typing staff, and hospitality staff possible.

Through our conference schedule, we have been able to observe successful

conferences held by both high schools and colleges, which we strive to model

VIMUNC after.

We hope that you have fun preparing for VIMUNC! Please feel free

to email us at vimunc@gmail.com or look on our website at langleymun.com

if you have any additional questions or concerns.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMITTEE

Formed March 22nd of 1945, the Arab League is a regional body composed of Arabic speaking

countries whose stated goal is to “consider in a general way, the affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.

Each member nations has one vote, and is bound by any agreement they choose to vote for. The body has 22

members, including Palestine, which the League recognizes as a state. Meetings are held twice a year unless

otherwise requested by two or more member states. In the past the council has struggled to act unilaterally due

to internal divisions, and there have been many instances of members being suspended. However, the League

has taken notable action in the past, such as the adoption of The Arab Charter on Human Rights, and a

multitude of military agreements, the most notable of which would be the terms established in the charter which

declare an attack on one member country to be an attack on all. In addition, the council has had some success

preventing violence in the Middle East, such as the Taif Agreement, which helped to end the Lebanese Civil

War. Most fruitful, perhaps, have been smaller scale efforts to reform education and infrastructure throughout

the Middle East, with new curriculums being adopted throughout the Gulf, and massive upswings in

construction projects, especially in the Levant.

With the start of the Arab Spring the League entered a new chapter of its existence, taking action to

overthrow Gaddafi in 2011, and then concentrating efforts towards the war in Syria. After numerous human

rights violations, the League called for Assad’s resignation, and called for the general UN to broker a resolution

to this effect. However, the newfound effectiveness of the League is threatened by rising tensions between the

two main sects of Islam, Sunni and Shi’a. Relations with the United States are also in danger after American

recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Any agreement reached by the League at this time must be

reached in spite of these complicating factors if the League is to succeed in its goals.

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TOPIC 1: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MODERNIZATION IN THE ARAB WORLD

Topic Overview

Bringing the ideals of culture of Arab/Islamic society into the modern world has been a critical topic of

discussion in the Middle East since the 1940’s and has recently become of concern to Western nations as well,

due to the looming threat of terrorism facing those societies. Scholars contend there have been “Three waves of

Modernity” in the Middle East’s attempts to march in step with their neighbors to the West.: Imitation,

Nativism, and Liberalism. In the initial push for social and cultural overhaul, leaders and philosophers

attempted to inject Western values and concepts into existing cultures, often with little regard for

harmonization. This wave culminated in parliaments and constitutions in nations throughout the Middle East.

The driving force behind these changes were often young intellectuals, who formed secret societies, and pushed

for a social transformation towards the more liberal tendencies of the west. These young intellectuals were not

just looking for a changed

government, but a

fundamentally different

culture: as such, the greatest

changes were occurring in

cultural hallmarks such as

literature, fashion, visual art,

etc.

Figure 1.1: The third oldest mosque in the world, Al-Masjid an-

Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia combines ancient tradition with

contemporary innovations.

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New, Western genres and structures were adopted in poetry, the foundation of Arab artistic tradition,

and content and focus began to shift towards more traditionally western topics. These first wave activists tended

to view art as a tool, rather than art for art’s sake, and as such, many works out of this period are not as

highflying developed as those that had previously come out of the Arab World.

A second wave modernization focused on nativism and was strongly influenced by leftist tendencies. No

longer stunned by the advancement of western technology, the Arab world was swept up by the anti-colonial,

Marxist fervor that was rapidly spreading in the developing world. In this post WWII world, Arab intellectuals

focused on domestic sources of culture and philosophy, although they were heavily influenced by leftist

literature out of the Western world. In wake of this newfound dedication to Islam and Arab culture, came fierce

opposition to European culture and

values, which many, such as Muslim

brotherhood leader Sayyid Qutb, saw as

a source of moral corruption. Instead,

the Middle East threw itself into

nationalism, revolutionizing the

governments of the Middle East. Many

monarchs did not survive this period,

notable exceptions being the gulf

countries and Jordan.

Figure 1.2: The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, UAE.

New dedication to native culture, and self-examination produced serious, self reflective art, that shifted

Arab perspectives. Many of these artists, such as Ahmad Shamloo, had significant leftist leanings that promoted

the nationalist fervor sweeping the Middle East, as well as hostile sentiment toward the West. These

philosophies caused revolutions and fundamental political change in Egypt, Iraq, etc. and gave rise to nationalist

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QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood. The effects of this second wave are evident, and still being felt

today.

The third wave is that of liberalization, which is still ongoing today. It is a push to include the Arab

world in the global economy, with a heavy focus on both cultural reform and economic development. Saudi

Arabia, the UAE, and other Arab countries, have formed strong ties with the United States, and have used their

rich oil reserves to rapidly accelerate the economic growth of their countries. However, the region faces several

series setbacks in their journey, namely social issues and unrest. Many experts agree that an economic boom

would be the best way to ease the Arab World into a more contemporary cultural shift, but this cannot happen

while the Middle East is plagued with unrest coming from terrorism, refugee flux, war, revolution etc. The Arab

spring, a burst of revolutionary fervor in the early 2010s showed a clear desire for change on the part of the

people, but severely destabilized the region. Those countries that are not facing issues with unrest are affected

by falling oil prices, and concern over the borders they share with their more volatile neighbors. Although the

Arab League has set out a series of development goals, and taken steps towards fighting the root causes of these

issues, much remains to be done. A very complicated set of faults must be addressed before the Middle East can

start the serious push into the Modern Age necessary for its success.

1. How can the Middle East modernize its cultural and social values while remaining true to its heritage

and character?

2. What steps can the Arab league take to end the unrest and war plaguing the region?

3. How can the more developed members of the league ensure continued success, while helping their less

advanced neighbors?

4. What new perspectives or ideas does your nation bring to the table? How can you best incorporate those

ideas in committee?

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TOPIC 2: THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

In December 2010 Tunisians began protesting against the then president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after

of the death of protester Mohamed Bouazizi. Bouazizi’s death sparked the Tunisian revolution, which ended in

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s stepping down from office. As a result people in other autocratic countries in the

Arab world also protested against their leaders, inspired by the Tunisian revolution. These rapid, collective

revolutions are known as the Arab Spring; a series of democratic uprisings that arose and spread independently

across the Arab world in 2011.

As a result of the Arab Spring, many leaders in nations around the region stepped down as protests and

criticism reached a fevered pitch, with one exception: Syrian president Bashar Al- Assad. Instead of resigning

he used violence against his own people as a way to diffuse the situation. This only created more problems by

transforming vast swaths

of Syria into a war zone

with several major players

vying for different goals.

Assad, ISIS, Kurds, and

rebels all began fighting,

with their respected allies,

in Syria. Now thousands

of people are fleeing the

country to escape the

violent civil war in Syria.

Figure 2.1: The rapid influx of Syrian refugees worldwide (2011-2015).

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As a delegate, be sure to understand the aims of all of the different groups fighting in Syria and how

they may impact a resolution to the crisis, as well as the situation of the millions of refugees who live both

within and outside of Syrian borders.

The Syrian refugee crisis has placed a massive burden on the social, economic, and political structures in

many Middle Eastern and European countries including Jordan, Turkey, and Germany who take in these

refugees. However, though Syria has been suspended from the Arab League, the organization has done little

else to solve the issue and has no concrete plan in place to end the crisis. The Arab League has not even hosted

any summits on this issue nor has it attempted to provide any temporary assistance for these refugees. Due to

this level of apathy, the Arab League has received backlash from the international community. The only

exceptions of member league states tackling this issue are Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. These neighboring

states take care of 95% of the refugees. Egypt holds 115,00 refugees, Lebanon hold 1.2 million refugees; Jordan

holds 650,000 refugees, and Iraq holds 250,00 refugees. The states of the Persian Gulf have accepted zero

Syrian refugees.

Although the

Persian Gulf

countries are not

part of the Arab

League, this

demonstrates how

the Arab countries

have turned a blind

eye to the Crisis.

Figure 2.2: Displacement of refugees in the Middle East.

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QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

The lack of an Arabs League-led effort to solve the issue has forced the EU and the UNHCR to take this

matter into their own hands. However the EU and the UNHCR were not prepared for a refugee crisis at this

scale and do not share many of the concerns of Arab refugees. As a result, many refugees live in crowded

camps where there is little food and water and diseases are prevalent. Many of the EU members simply cannot

sustain the amount of the refugees. Especially in border countries, such as Greece and Italy where the

economical situation is already poor, the presence of refugees is not welcome and there have been instances of

violence.

The purpose of the Arab League is to strengthen ties between member states and safeguard their

independence and sovereignty, while resolving issues are of great concern to the interests of the Arab countries.

It’s clear that the Arab League has not been fulfilling this purpose with it’s neglect of the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

How, however, at VIMUNC V, the League has decided to take action. It is the goal of this committee to save

the lives and interests of millions by ending the Syrian Refugee crisis once and for all. The time for the League

to take responsibility for the Syrian Refugee Crisis is now.

1. What can the Arab League as a whole do to solve this issue?

2. How can countries insure that refugees are integrated or re-integrated into society?

3. What role will international organizations play in solving this issue?

4. How could refugees be distributed among the Arab League member states?

5. How can the Arab League get more Gulf States to accept refugees?

6. What issues related to the crisis NOT mentioned in the background guide are most concerning to your

nation? What solutions can you develop to end this crisis?

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WORKS CITED

Modernization

Taheri, Amir. “The Modernization of Middle East Is a Sight to See.” Gatestone Institute,

www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10678/middle-east-modernization.

“Projects of Modernization of the Arab League Institutional Framework: the Arab Parliament and the Arab

Peace and Security Council.” Human Right Centre - Università Di Padova | Pins :: Projects of Modernization

of the Arab League Institutional Framework: the Arab Parliament and the Arab Peace and Security Council,

unipd-centrodirittiumani.it/en/spilli/Projects-of-modernization-of-the-Arab-League-institutional-framework-the-

Arab-Parliament-and-the-Arab-Peace-and-Security-Council/151.

“Governance, Economics, and Development in the Middle East.” Governance, Economics, and Development in

the Middle East | Center for Strategic and International Studies, 31 May 2017, www.csis.org/programs/middle-

east-program/issues/governance-economics-and-development-middle-east.

Refugees

Habtoor, Khalaf Al. “Arab League Must Step up to Help Solve the Syrian Crisis.” The National, The

National, 25 Sept. 2015 www.thenational.ae/opinion/arab-league-must-step-up-to-help-solve-the-syrian-crisis-

1.135117.

“Syria Refugee Crisis: Arab League's Inaction Is Shameful.” Al Arabiya English,

english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2015/09/21/Syria-refugee-crisis-Arab-League-s-inaction-is-

shameful.html.

Sharnoff, Michael. “What Is the Purpose of the Arab League?” The Huffington Post,

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 1 Mar. 2012, www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-sharnoff/arab-

league_b_1307390.html.

Ymuntaiwan. “Arab League II: Syrian Refugee Crisis.” Shorthand,

social.shorthand.com/ymuntaiwan/j2ethmc9lqe/arab-league-ii-syrian-refugee-crisis

Jazeera, Al. “UNHCR: Syrian Refugees Cross Four Million Mark.” News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 9 July 2015,

www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/unhcr-syrian-refugees-4-million-150709033023489.html.