Zimbabwe GA Policy Statement

Sir/Madame Chairman/Chairwoman, delegates, and special guests,

The Republic of Zimbabwe is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this year’s General Assembly. We have been a UN member since 1980, and have received much support from the United Nations, including ongoing UN missions in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe and our dear president Robert Mugabe have been subject to much UN criticism. Despite this, Zimbabwe intends to have a significant voice in international politics.

As a proud African nation, Zimbabwe is supportive of the European Union as a model for the African Union. We would also like to see our allies and trading partners in Europe grow stronger so that they may establish greater trading ties with Zimbabwe. We propose that the United Nations pass a resolution encouraging the European Union increase the export of goods and services into Sub-Saharan Africa and use trade tariffs to raise money for a bailout fund.

Due to the potential of a revolution in Zimbabwe’s near future, Zimbabwe’s UN delegation hopes to see international guidelines put in place to help our African brothers and sisters and possibly ourselves down the road. Although we strongly support Robert Mugabe, we cannot help but wonder if change is in our cards, as it has been for so many other nations in Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, we believe that a resolution that would require the United Nations to put its resources behind a temporary leader of the Security Council’s choice and deploy peacekeepers into immediately post-revolutionary state would be an appropriate method of dealing with revolution.

The Republic of Zimbabwe is cognizant of the issues posed by private military contractors to the world. Having seen so many conflicts on our continent shaped by mercenaries and soldiers of fortune, Zimbabwe would strongly support resolutions to regulate and limit the role that private military contractors play in conflicts worldwide. Zimbabwe would like to see a resolution put in place that limits the use of private military contractors to being a training option for national militaries.

Zimbabwe feels very strongly that terrorism, both domestic and international, should be addressed by the global community here present. Terrorism affects almost every nation, including our own, and international reactions to terrorism are often critical to deterring terrorism. We suggest that the United Nations define terrorism as premeditated, politically or religiously motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational, religious, ethnic, or clandestine foreign groups. Zimbabwe believes that a resolution encouraging the use of martial law in the aftermath of a terrorist attack within a nation until that nation has the situation under control.

In conclusion, the Republic of Zimbabwe is glad to be present today. We hope that the four agenda items presented will be firmly and resolutely addressed. Thank you.

Sudan GA Policy Statement

The Republic of Sudan joined the United Nations in 1956 and has actively participated in collaborating with the other nations of the U.N. to reach solutions that are fair and beneficial for all. While not every nation has approved of some of our past actions, we have always had the interests of our people at heart. We have done, and continue to do, everything in our power to make the world a better place both at home and abroad. We have taken great strides forward to institute democracy, we have collaborated and assisted the south with their goal of independence, and we have been a strong supporter in the fight against terror. We therefore find it most unjust that the U.N. has allowed political motivation against President Bashir to determine The Hague’s decisions regarding our great leader. We aspire to show you the true state of our nation, un-distorted by political agendas, to show all the members of the international community that we are worthy of your approval, continued relations, and support.

The Republic of Sudan is concerned with addressing the definition, regulation, and use of private military contractors through a resolution oriented towards the nations where private military contractors have the most significant and essential presence. Sudan has faced decades of militant rebels since it joined the U. N. in 1956, and private military contractors play a key role in our national security. The regulation of private military contractors is vital, but it is equally critical not to cripple their effectiveness in assuring peace. We are anxious to assist the U. N. in creating a new set of regulations to better guide such professional military contractors. We look forward to working with the various delegations on this issue to make sure that we reach a solution that is fair and acceptable to all.

The Republic of Sudan was among nations the first to ratify the UN counter-terrorism act and continues to fight terrorism in all forms. Sudan has experienced, and continues to face, the harmful effects of terrorism, including actions perpetrated by Al Qaeda against our country, government, and people. The Republic of Sudan offers this definition of terrorism: intending to provoke a state of terror within a specific body or organization through the use of death, bodily harm, hostage taking, and other actions defined previously by the United Nations. The Republic of Sudan recognizes the imperative need to find a common definition of terrorism, ratified by all nations, to effectively combat and prevent terrorism through universal international cooperation. The Republic of Sudan is eager to collaborate with the other member states of the U.N. to successfully define, enact, deter, and combat acts of terrorism in the nations most severely and continuously affected, and throughout the world.

The Republic of Sudan is eager to work with the United Nations to develop a protocol for post-revolutionary stabilization of nations. Sudan keenly understands the need for a post revolution protocol, as we have experienced, and continue to experience, violent insurgents who seek to destabilize Sudan. As a nation that fully understands the need for post revolutionary stabilization, we strongly support a protocol that facilitates peace agreements between parties, minimizes debts incurred by governments, and prevents foreign military intervention unless the nation requests support. We look forward to working with the various delegations on post-revolutionary nation stabilization to make sure that we reach a solution that is fair and acceptable to all parties.

The Republic of Sudan recognizes the need to ensure the economic growth and the stabilization of the European Union. Sudan has gained useful insights regarding economic difficulties and the impacts of currencies as well as positive strategies such as the use of natural resources and the reduction and forgiveness of national debt to fuel growth. With these crucial insights, Sudan has succeeded in reaching a rapid economic growth rate of seventeenth in the world. Based on the knowledge we have accumulated, Sudan finds it essential for EU policy to be energy oriented though investment in low cost energy development and production in foreign countries, and be willing to reduce and forgive the debts of nations who’s economic growth would be slowed by a large national debt. This low cost energy and debt reduction is essential to to fuel EU growth and stabilization. We look forward to collaborating with the other member of the U.N. to reach a policy that encourages economic growth, and therefore, stability.

The Republic of Sudan is eager to collaborate with all delegations of the U.N. to create policies that are fair and benefit all. We realize that not all nations have supported some of Sudan’s actions in the past, but Sudan has taken great strides forward and has continued to strive to create a better world. We have repeatedly shown our desire to improve the live of the citizens of the world through our diplomatic efforts and support for South Sudan, through our steps to implement a more effective democracy, and through our strong support in the fight against terror. We ask that the international community recognize and validate Sudan’s efforts to improve the world we live in, and look to Sudan’s promising future rather than the distorted past. The Republic of Sudan looks forward to working with the member states of the U.N. and the international community to continue to improve our world through strengthening the ties among our nations.

Austria SC Policy Statement

Hello Fellow Delegates and Honorable Chair, The Republic of Austria is very pleased to be part of the Security Council, and to be here today. Austria would like to thank everyone for being here and looks forward to a great and productive session.

The Republic of Austria is deeply concerned with the illegal pan-American arms trafficking happening in the world today. As a nation, the Republic of Austria has been involved in countless conferences and has engaged in agreements to combat arms trafficking. The Republic of Austria strongly believes that irresponsible trading in arms has negative impacts on stability, security, and human rights, as well as on international sustainable economic and development policies. The Republic of Austria hopes to end illegal arms trafficking, and wishes to institute greater control over the tracking of legal arms shipments. The Republic of Austria hopes the UN will further strengthen the Arms Trade Treaty, and conduct negotiations to initiate the treaty as a formal document to the UN.

The Republic of Austria is troubled about the number of nuclear weapons existing today, as well as the associated industry of uranium mining. The Republic of Austria wishes to emphasize that nuclear states must further reduce their arsenals and a process must be devised for the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to be enforced. The Republic of Austria strongly supports the strengthening and further development of the system of international disarmament arms control, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The Republic of Austria hopes for the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to be entered into force. Also, the Republic of Austria wishes to develop a timeline for the United States, the Russian Federation, and other nuclear powers to reduce and expunge their nuclear arms stockpile. Regarding cluster munitions, the Republic of Austria advocates for an international ban of cluster munitions, which are extremely dangerous weapons to civilians due to their effect on wide areas and the high quantity of unexploded ordnance. Finally, the Republic of Austria seeks to prevent uranium mining and enrichment, as well as plutonium processing for non-peaceful purposes, as defined by the NPT.

The Republic of Austria is cognizant of the current tribulations that exist in the frequent usage of Private Military Contractors, and we are intent on addressing some of the foremost problems through a resolution concentrating on this issue. As a nation, we would like to achieve a resolution similar in spirit to the United Nations Mercenary Convention of December 1989. We are interested in defining what a Private Military Contractor may do before they become a mercenary, as many PMCs are overstepping their boundaries. A mercenary, as defined by the U.N. “is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar rank and functions in the armed forces of that party”. The Republic of Austria hopes to create a resolution that will give Private Military Contractors guidelines on what may or may not be done to assist a country at war.

The Republic of Austria is aware that the United Nations must define terrorism appropriately and encourage the development of efficient and effective responses toward acts of terror. As a nation, we have specifically designed laws for the protection of Austrian citizens. As a nation, we have created prisons specifically for housing Austrian men and women that attend foreign terrorist camps. The Republic of Austria wishes to create a remedy to protect all nations from acts of terrorism. We are interested in ensuring the safety of citizens in all nations; especially nations that are severely afflicted by terrorism. The first major step in doing so will be defining terrorism so that all nations can realize what is and what is not an act of terrorism. We realize that there will be difficulties in defining terrorism, but it will be a key step toward terrorism response. Appropriate terrorism response is also essential for making sure casualties stay at a minimum. The Republic of Austria also believes that attacking the root of the problem will end future acts of terrorism. Nations should also urge countries with terrorist training camps inside their borders to shut said camps down.

Finally, the Republic of Austria acknowledges all of the nations’ participation in this conference. The Republic of Austria cannot stress enough that these issues must be resolved, and hopes for them to be resolved in a clear manner. We look forward to a productive session. Thank you.

Austria GA Policy Statement

Madame / Mr. Chair, Fellow Delegates, and Distinguished Guests:

The Republic of Austria is honored to be a member of such an esteemed body. We look forward to working together, deliberating, and engaging in the coming days with the nations of the world on the issues of international terrorism, private military contractors and their role in worldwide conflicts, post-revolutionary nation stabilization, and economic growth (particularly concerning the stabilization of EU). Through discussion and compromise we strongly believe that we, as members of the esteemed United Nations, have the ability to improve the lives of future generations.

The Republic of Austria is eager to work with the UN on the issue of growth in the Eurozone. As a member of the European Union, Austria obviously has many interests in this issue. We believe that the greatest threat to growth within the Eurozone, Europe, and the world is the sovereign debt crises affecting many European countries. Recognizing this, Austria has worked with other Eurozone countries in setting up measures to contain the debt crises to Greece, Ireland, and Portugal. However, the crisis appears to be spreading to other countries such as Italy and Spain. To deal with this, Austria has supported the expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility and the agreement that was reached on October 24th of this year in Brussels. Austria recommends greater fiscal involvement of other UN members in dealing with the debt crisis in the Eurozone, especially the countries less affected by the economic downturn. With greater involvement from non-Eurozone members, Austria believes that the risk of debt contagion will be greatly reduced or eliminated, investors will regain confidence, and strong economic growth in Europe will be restored. This will not only benefit the economies of Europe, but also the world economy as a whole.

The Republic of Austria recognizes the need to create guidelines for post-revolutionary nation stabilization, especially at such an important crossroads as the months following the Arab Spring. Countries currently in the process of post-revolutionary stabilization are important to the global economy, and all these stabilizing countries have citizens whose rights are protected by the Charter of the United Nations. Austria recognizes that while all nations have political sovereignty, revolutions can pose a threat to both the world security and the international economy. Additionally, such changes have the potential to cause harm to the nation itself as it attempts to rebuild. As a member of the EU, Austria has been a part of many successful relief initiatives, and it looks to continue to help provide aid with a new focus on stabilizing nations. According to the European Union's description of humanitarian aid, "The EU is present in all trouble spots . . . Its relief activities are global, sometimes taking place away from the cameras of the world media in so-called forgotten crisis zones and areas of post-conflict instability." Austria contributes to ECHO, the EU's department for handling relief operations, and it also supports the actions of the EEAS (European External Action Service) in the event that an immediate crisis occurs. Austria supports the belief that support and relief should be done regionally. For example, Europe and the Middle East should provide aid as possible to the countries that are stabilizing in North Africa. Thus, strong American economies should provide aid for struggling American nations, and strong Asian economies should provide aid for struggling Asian economies. This regional restriction will enable countries to provide support to the post-revolutionary nations while keeping local interests and ideals in mind. Countries can then return to stability with the help of their neighbors. This regional rebuilding process will ultimately support international relations and economies as well as human rights.

For more than half a century, neutrality has been a major focus of Austria’s foreign policy, yet we also recognize that defense and armed forces are essential businesses and necessities within the rights of every nation. Regarding private military contractors (PMCs), and in order to clarify discussion around the issue, Austria would like to define a private military contractor as a defense contractor, a business organization, or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Austria fully supports the efforts of the EU’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its goals to reduce sizes of militaries and provide adequate training for soldiers, even in private firms. However, Austria simultaneously reaffirms the outlined procedure for PMCs in the Montreaux Document of 2008, signed by 17 nations and drawing on the 2006 Swiss Initiative: international law does not apply to PMCs, and thus these firms have no legal basis recognized by the international community. However, their conduct is permissible in cases where military reinforcements are needed if human rights are recognized and upheld and if illegal arms trafficking is not involved. The UN’s Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries would be used in all cooperating nations, with government consent, to monitor human rights statuses and to ensure that mercenary groups respect the laws of the nation in which they act. With appropriate training, these firms may be useful additions to armed conflicts. The Republic of Austria looks forward to collaborating with the present delegates represented in the United Nations, and to coming to a consensus on the proper employment of private military contractors.

The Republic of Austria is concerned with the heightened state of terrorism within the global community and is interested in addressing some of the major problems, and developing a standard international response through a resolution developed within the general assembly. As a nation, we have always tried to play an active role in the international community, joining the U.N. in 1955, and we look forward to working to improve the success of the U.N. in its international efforts to quell terrorism. Our nation defines terrorism as violent or otherwise harmful acts carried out with the intention to strike fear within the citizens of the world. We are interested in ensuring that the nations of the U.N. can work together in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of the world, while also ensuring the protection of privacy and individual rights as well. The Republic of Austria proposes that the nations of the U.N. decide to keep in place the organizations and committees already put in place, such as EUROPOL, EUROJUST, and the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy of 2006. EUROPOL facilitates the exchange of information between EU Member States and analyses information gathered from the EU area and other international cooperation partners to gain concrete insights into potential threat scenarios. EUROJUST supports the EU Member States in the investigation and prosecution of serious cross-border and organized crime and promotes EU-wide cooperation among national judicial authorities on criminal cases. These programs have proven invaluable, and for that reason, the Republic of Austria stands behind them.

In conclusion, the problems facing the Republic of Austria cannot be solved by Austria alone. Assistance from the United Nations is required, and from all nations present at this conference. We have faced problems such as these before, and we will face them again. The EU economic situation, the stability of post-revolutionary nations, the threat of terrorism, the us of PMCs—all these can be solved peaceably and constructively, because if we dedicate ourselves, work cooperatively, set aside our differences and focus on our similarities, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. As Benjamin Franklin once nobly stated, “If we do not hang together, we will hang separately.” Danke schön.