Hello Everybody! My name is Matt Lubisich and I am a senior at Mission Viejo High School. I have been in MUN for four years now and I love every minute of it. When I came to mission as a freshman, I could barely communicate to people and was terrified of public speaking. However, after three years in MUN I can now call myself a good delegate who knows how to get his point across. That is why I love MUN; because of all the special opportunities it has given me as a high school student. Continuing on, I also play on the Varsity baseball team here at Mission as a pitcher, and in general I am a huge fan of sports. This year I have really gotten into the guitar and now I have found a new love for music. All in all, I am very excited to chair this committee for you guys because I know you are going to be diligent delegates who are focused on passing solutions to the issues below.
I. Background of Unmanned Weaponry:
Since the start of the twenty-first century, technology around the globe has become increasingly more advanced, especially in terms of warfare and weaponry. When looking at technological advances in warfare from a historical perspective, technology itself is what changes the rules of lethal conflict. For example, the development of the gunpowder, crossbow and atomic bomb changed the concept of war completely. Due to the innovative creation of unmanned weaponry, it is generally believed that the concept of war will change once more. In 2009 it was stated that technologically capable countries utilized 52 drones strikes on their enemies. In 2010 it was stated that these nations utilized 83 drone strikes on their targets. As you can see the usage of unmanned robots is drastically increasing every single year. These robots are considered to be revolutionary machines that can kill specified targets without wasting a man’s life; that is, the life of the soldier, not the target. It was recorded in October of 2010 that a U.S. drone mission killed 13 militant Pakistanis perfectly, meaning that in this specific instance the drone did not misfire at any civilians and take their lives. That has been a major problem for unmanned weaponry and is why people question its morality. The fact that the lives of everyday bystanders are in jeopardy of being assaulted by these drones extremely frightens U.N. officials. They believe it is unethical to use a war machine that could possibly kill innocent people. In general, removing any type of human life from the battlefield and replacing them with auto-mechanized robots is a drastic leap from man to man combat. This is why unmanned weaponry is such a prevalent issue in the world today. People will now question the legality and moral implications of these robot technologies. They question the fact that these “drones” violate the sanctity of humanitarian law. U.N. official Christof Heyns reiterates that these drones need to comply with the rules of humanitarian law. "Killings may be lawful in an armed conflict but many targeted killings take place far from areas where it's recognized as being an armed conflict," Heyns pronounced. Adding on to that statement, he believes that new unmanned technology that is manufactured by a nation must have a certain standard that is kept for it to be manufactured. It is our job as a committee to find solutions on unmanned weaponry that adapt to the new technologically advanced world we live in today. It is a necessity that we establish a certain set of rules that legitimize the usage of these robots. Otherwise, countries today will abuse their technological advances on the world, and re-write the rules of warfare themselves.
II. U.N. Involvement in Unmanned Weaponry:
As we progress further into the twenty-first century, the issue of unmanned weaponry becomes more and more prevalent. From barely being mentioned by the United Nations human rights committee from 2000-2010, the topic of unmanned weaponry has seen itself increase more and more over the last couple years. With the increase of unmanned warfare, people are seeing the necessity to combat the issue. In 2012, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) launched a campaign calling to governments to ban the use of autonomous weapons due to the threat they have to civilians. This is why UN official Christof Heyns devised a solution to this issue that held a standard that made all nations comply to one universal code that clearly defines how an automated weapon should be made, and what kind of capabilities they can have. This could work because in the future, these drones could have the capability to fire without human assistance. If that would be the case, then there would be a huge increase in the number of civilian casualties around the globe. It is under strict United Nations policy that civilians are not harmed during times of war. This is why they have taken an active involvement in this matter. Various UN officials have stated their cases to the Human Rights Committee to devise solutions that would help entertain unmanned weaponry.
III. Possible Solutions to Unmanned Weaponry:
There are various solutions that can be conjured up to help alleviate this issue. One of theses solutions applies to the issue of re-writing the Geneva Convention guidelines of warfare. After World War 2, a group of nations collaborated to establish the guidelines of war. However since it was in 1942, they did not account for the idea of unmanned weaponry. This is why the Geneva conventions need to be mended. If not, countries can use drones at their free will because there is no mention of them in the Geneva Convention. Another solution that could help solve the issue is for all nations to abide by an international code for producing automated drones. If we decide how these weapons should be produced and how they are utilized, there will be less of an opportunity for a civilian mishap. The more we can decrease the percentage of civilian deaths during drone attacks, the more able we will be to dissolve the problem. Finally, the last but not final solution is to raise the prices of drones. Drones are dropping in price for all nations and this is becoming an issue. When a drone drops in price, it becomes much easier for a nation to purchase these automatic weapons in bulks. With no humans involved in drone warfare, nations now feel more inclined to start wars over minute conflicts. As the United Nations, it is our goal to make war no longer an option. Even though raising the price of drones isn’t the most valuable solution, it is definitely one that could stop wars in the future from small, minute conflicts.
IV. Bloc Positions for Unmanned Weaponry:
Asia-Pacific: has made a huge push for the increase in the utilization of drones over the last couple years
African: They do not have the resources to manufacture unmanned weapons. Have been most involved in civilian deaths
Eastern-European: Outraged by the United States spying drones, the EU has pushed for a new satellite and drone program.
Latin American & Caribbean: imported unmanned weaponry from Israel and the U.S./ Working on a drone program of their own for reconnaissance
Western: leads the push for drones in warfare. Have used drones increasingly over the years. This bloc is the main reason why there has been a feud over unmanned weaponry.
V. Questions to Consider for Unmanned Weaponry:
1. What is my country’s policy on unmanned weaponry?
2. What are some major issues of unmanned weapons and how can they be fixed?
3. What can history tell us about the utilization of technologically advanced weapons?
4. Is your country responsible for these issues, or are they the victim of unmanned weapons?
5. What are the moral implications of the utilization of unmanned weapons?
VI. Works Cited for Unmanned Weaponry:
"Democratic Underground Forums - Request Error." Democratic Underground Forums - Request Error. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
"Drones Are the Worst Form of War, Except for All the Others." Slate Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
"'Killer Robots' Pose Threat to Peace and Should Be Banned, UN Warned." The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
"Predator Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)." Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). N.p., 25 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
"U.N. Officials Question Use of Unmanned Weapons." The Guilfordian :. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.