03-15-2006, 08:31 PM
Category: International Security
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Gruenberg
Description: The United Nations,
CONDEMNING avoidable civilian casualties,
COMMENDING previous law protecting civilians during and after military conflicts,
CONCERNED that landmines constitute a significant threat to civilians,
LAMENTING that this problem has not been adequately addressed,
DEFINING for the purposes of this resolution
- "landmine" as a self-contained explosive device, placed on or under the ground, triggered by a person, tank, other vehicle, timer mechanism, or otherwise, with the intent to deter or disable force movements,
- "minefield" as any area in which landmines are located, or believed to be located,
- "demining" as the process of safely disabling, detonating, or removing landmines, rendering them non-hazardous:
1. DECLARES the duty of member nations to reduce and, where possible, prevent civilian casualties in minefields;
2. INSTRUCTS member nations to conduct surveys determining the location and status of all minefields within their territory;
3. RECOMMENDS that member nations take all appropriate actions to prevent civilian casualties in minefields, including:
- clear marking of minefields on maps,
- posting of clearly visible signs around minefields, using warnings in all appropriate languages,
- international cooperation in raising awareness of the location of minefields,
- advising and educating citizens on methods for avoiding casualties in minefields;
4. ADVISES member nations that responsible demining is the most effective way of reducing minefield casualties;
5. ESTABLISHES the UN Demining Survey (UNDS), mandated to:
- conduct and aid demining operations, where requested under Article 8,
- research demining technology, landmine types less likely to constitute a lasting danger to civilians, and alternatives to landmine use,
- collaborate with national and international demining agencies,
- instruct civilians on landmine safety and treatment of landmine-related injuries,
- further promote landmine safety awareness through educational and informational campaigns;
6. URGES member nations to contribute staff, expertise, information, and funding to the UNDS;
7. MANDATES that the UNDS be respectful of territorial sovereignty of member states, and that no UNDS agent enter the territory of member nations without their explicit consent;
8. ESTABLISHES that:
- member nations may request UNDS assistance in demining minefields located solely within their jurisdiction,
- for minefields located within the jurisdiction of two or more nations, UNDS demining may be requested solely for parts of the minefield under jurisdiction of requesting nations,
- requesting nations may bar specific individuals from entering their territory to undertake UNDS operations,
- requesting nations must provide UNDS agents all available information on the location of landmines, and the UNDS may refuse involvement if risks to its personnel are deemed excessive,
- storage and disposal of removed landmines and fragments is the responsibility of requesting nations, and the UNDS may refuse involvement if the requesting nation is deemed incompetent to perform such tasks.
Strength: Mild
Proposed by: Gruenberg
Description: The United Nations,
CONDEMNING avoidable civilian casualties,
COMMENDING previous law protecting civilians during and after military conflicts,
CONCERNED that landmines constitute a significant threat to civilians,
LAMENTING that this problem has not been adequately addressed,
DEFINING for the purposes of this resolution
- "landmine" as a self-contained explosive device, placed on or under the ground, triggered by a person, tank, other vehicle, timer mechanism, or otherwise, with the intent to deter or disable force movements,
- "minefield" as any area in which landmines are located, or believed to be located,
- "demining" as the process of safely disabling, detonating, or removing landmines, rendering them non-hazardous:
1. DECLARES the duty of member nations to reduce and, where possible, prevent civilian casualties in minefields;
2. INSTRUCTS member nations to conduct surveys determining the location and status of all minefields within their territory;
3. RECOMMENDS that member nations take all appropriate actions to prevent civilian casualties in minefields, including:
- clear marking of minefields on maps,
- posting of clearly visible signs around minefields, using warnings in all appropriate languages,
- international cooperation in raising awareness of the location of minefields,
- advising and educating citizens on methods for avoiding casualties in minefields;
4. ADVISES member nations that responsible demining is the most effective way of reducing minefield casualties;
5. ESTABLISHES the UN Demining Survey (UNDS), mandated to:
- conduct and aid demining operations, where requested under Article 8,
- research demining technology, landmine types less likely to constitute a lasting danger to civilians, and alternatives to landmine use,
- collaborate with national and international demining agencies,
- instruct civilians on landmine safety and treatment of landmine-related injuries,
- further promote landmine safety awareness through educational and informational campaigns;
6. URGES member nations to contribute staff, expertise, information, and funding to the UNDS;
7. MANDATES that the UNDS be respectful of territorial sovereignty of member states, and that no UNDS agent enter the territory of member nations without their explicit consent;
8. ESTABLISHES that:
- member nations may request UNDS assistance in demining minefields located solely within their jurisdiction,
- for minefields located within the jurisdiction of two or more nations, UNDS demining may be requested solely for parts of the minefield under jurisdiction of requesting nations,
- requesting nations may bar specific individuals from entering their territory to undertake UNDS operations,
- requesting nations must provide UNDS agents all available information on the location of landmines, and the UNDS may refuse involvement if risks to its personnel are deemed excessive,
- storage and disposal of removed landmines and fragments is the responsibility of requesting nations, and the UNDS may refuse involvement if the requesting nation is deemed incompetent to perform such tasks.