General Assembly – Special Political and …

[Pages:39]UFRGS Model United Nations 2006

General Assembly ? Special Political and Decolonization Committee1

Dear Delegates,

The Special Political and Decolonization Committee's (SPECPOL) Staff warmly welcomes you to the great experience that is UFRGSMUN. The Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has been successfully simulated in our last two editions and we have been dedicating ourselves for several months to achieve an even better result this year. This session's Agenda brings you two extremely interesting issues to discuss: Intelligence Agencies and International Peace and Security ? Questions Related to Espionage (Topic A), and new Paradigms in International Security: Overseas Military Bases Realignment and Closure (Topic B). SPECPOL's Staff is composed by five competent students, who strongly believe in the importance of our simulation. Christian Perrone, Director, is a third-year student of UFRGS Law School. He was part of the UFRGSMUN's 2005 Staff, and has attended several other Model United Nations around the country. Lucas Welter is the other Director. He attends UFRGS Architecture School and is also an experienced staff member: he has also worked as an ID Director at UFRGSMUN for three years and has attended other simulations around the globe. Camila Vicenci, Hendel Machado and Paula Torres are the Assistant-Directors. Camila is a fourth year Law student, and Paula and Hendel are fifth year students. They are part of UFRGSMUNS's Staff for the first time, having attended other simulation as delegates.

1 We wish to thank all our friends, far or close to us, for all their help, understanding and ideas. And also thank those that have heard us all mumbling for months about this guide. And an especial thanks to Professor Marco A. C. Cepik for all its help and ideas regarding espionage. We are very thankful.

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We are sure you will enjoy this experience. We are doing our best in hopes that you achieve knowledge, diplomatice skills, and friendships, along with having fun!" It is important that you read the Study Guide carefully, but do not restrict your research to it. We strongly recommend you check the mentioned websites and bibliography, as well as search for information regarding your country's position.

Please sign up for SPECPOL's e-group (specpol_ufrgsmun2006@), so that you can keep in touch with your fellow delegates, as well as clear up any doubts with our Staff members. Moreover, remember to check the UFRGSMUN's website, for news and updates on our committee.

We are thrilled to meet you and more than willing to help you with anything you may need! See you all in October!

Yours sincerely,

Christian Perrone Director

Lucas Welter Director

Camila Vicenci Assistant-Director

Hendel Machado Assistant-Director

Paula Torres Assistant-Director

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INTRODUCTION

SPECPOL's General Background

The United Nations General Assembly (GA) elects all non-permanent members of the Security Council, members of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The GA also appoints the Secretary-General, on the recommendations of the Security Council (UNSC) and is responsible for the consideration and approval of the UN budget. It may also admit and expel Member States, also upon recommendation of the UNSC. The GA is composed by 192 Member States and a number of formally recognized observers. Every Member State, regardless of power or influence, political or social system, population or wealth, has a single vote in the General Assembly Plenary, as well as in the GA's specialized Committees.

The GA may consider and make recommendations on any matter of international peace and security or otherwise within the scope of the UN Charter. It may also initiate studies and make recommendations that enhance `the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and international collaboration in economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields'.2 Under this power, it has been responsible for the adoption of many instruments of international law, including agreements on the law of war, human rights and the environment. The Heads of Government of the world and the Secretary-General normally address to the GA's at its opening session.

Due to the great variety of issues within the GA's agenda, most items are referred to specialized committees for consideration. The Special Political & Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL - the Fourth Committee of the GA) was created in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 47/233, which was adopted on August 17th, 1993. The SPECPOL is a specialized sub-committee of the UN General Assembly and primarily concerns itself with political destabilization within or among member nations and discusses the questions that nations bring before the committee. It also deals with issues regarding United Nations peacekeeping missions and offers new solutions to age-old problems and conflicts; expressing its great importance in accordance with its strong moral appeal in the international scenario and within the UN System.

2 UN General Assembly 57th edition ? About the General Assembly. Available at: Last accessed: 20 July, 2006.

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TOPIC AREA A

Intelligence Agencies and International Peace and Security ? Questions Related to Espionage

By Christian Perrone, Hendel Machado and Paula Torres.

1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Espionage is a type of intelligence3 that has been used since ancient times. Egyptians, Macedonians4 and Romans made great use of spies, mostly for military reasons. Ancient Romans, for instance, had a rather developed intelligence network, based mainly on human intelligence. It even included the enemies' bodyguards (responsible for frustrating the Caitline conspiracy5), as well as special agents called speculatores, whose tasks, besides delivering messages, included spying and even arresting suspects and executing detainees.

Espionage was basically limited to battlefield operations, up until the rise of feudalism, when it acquired a more political character, with feudal lords practicing espionage to increase their power and prestige before the monarchs.6

The advent of Modern National States brought about further organization of intelligence. Conflicts between the newly formed States and pre-existing units (Empires, City leagues, among others) burst everywhere and governors struggled to keep control over their territory and population, generating informational and coactive necessities.7 National intelligence

3 Intelligence Online Website. Available at: t_list_art.asp?rub=chan_rub_ioa_politique. Last accessed: 15 May, 2006. 4 ARRAIAN. Anabasis of Alexander. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004, P. 123. 5 "Toga and Dagger: Espionage in Ancient Rome". Available at mhq/blespionageinancientrome/index2.html. Last accessed: 10 May, 2006. 6 More detailed descriptions of espionage and intelligence during Ancient and Middle Age can be found in LERNER, Adrienne. Espionage and Intelligence, Early Historical Foundations. Available at . Last accessed: 23 April, 2006. 7 WATSON, Adam. Diplomacy: The Dialogue between States. New York: New Press:

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systems were created to fulfill these needs, acting upon three main domains: diplomacy, war and internal security.

Permanent diplomatic relations arose in Europe between XVI and XVII centuries and communication among chancelleries and embassies of different States was encouraged in order to obtain information not only from their enemies but from the international community overall.8

The birth of postal services, though responsible for a significant intensification in communications, also increased the exposure of classified information. This demanded offices specialized in cryptology (deciphering and decoding), also called black chambers.9 However, most of them were closed during the nineteenth century, partly due to the fact that society condemned the violation of regular people's correspondence by the government.10 In that time, Spain and England's11 relation was turbulent, due to King Philip II's intentions regarding the throne and to English use of spies to obtain information on the Spanish "Armada" (naval force). This made it possible for England to estimate when and how an attack would occur, enabling a reaction which surprised and damaged the enemy fleet, contributing to their defeat.12

In spite of the importance of intelligence for diplomatic reasons, it was during wars when it was most used and noticed. During World War I, Germany and the United Kingdom made heavy use of intelligence and espionage, perpetrated by national and foreign agents.13 In the Second World War, the employment of intelligence was even heavier. Technology had evolved and signals intelligence was widely applied, also as was cryptography, particularly in the case of the enigma machine.14

In no other time in history, however, intelligence was more applied than during the Cold War.15 Among several episodes that involved great employment of intelligence and espionage, we can highlight the Cuban Missile Crisis, in 1962. Intending to protect the Soviet Union against an eventual attack, as well as in an attempt to prevent the United States from assuming superiority in missiles, Nikita Khrushchev decided to build a Soviet missile base in

McGraw-Hill Co., 1983, p. 96. 8 CEPIK, Marco A. C. Espionagem e Democracia. Rio de Janeiro: Editora FGV, 2003, p. 86/92. 9 The most famous was France's Cabinet Noir, founded in 1590 by Henry IV. 10 TULLOCH, David. Black Chambers. Available at . Last accessed: 26 April, 2006. 11 Secret Intelligence Service website. Available at Page47.html. Last accessed: 26 April, 2006. Also, for more on Sir Francis Walsingham's history, please check FREER, Alan. Francis Walsingham: Elizabethan Spymaster. Available at index.html. Last accessed: 26 April, 2006. 12 "The National Archives". Available at .uk/spies/spies/stan den.default.htm. Last accessed: 24 April, 2006. Also, please check irp/world/index.html for a complete list of intelligence agencies in different countries. 13 MI5 Website. Available at: . Last accessed: 20 May 2006. 14 MOMSEN, Bill. Codebreaking and Secret Weapons in World War II. Available at . Last accessed: 10 May 2006. Also see , for a complete explanation on the enigma cipher machine. Last accessed: 15 May, 2006. 15 Further information on espionage during the Cold War can be found at the CNN website, . Last accessed: 26 April, 2006.

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