Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

Gahr High School Model United Nations

March 2015 - Novice Conference Topic Synopsis
I. Background
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a Sunni, extremist jihadist rebel group based in Iraq and Syria
where it has taken control of a significant amount of territory. The group also operates in eastern Libya, the
Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, and other areas of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. The group has
received accusations of human rights abuses and has been labeled as a terrorist organization by the United
Nations, the European Union, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, UAE, and several other nations. Many Islamic
communities around the world have claimed that ISIS does not represent the morals and ideals of Islam. It has
been involved in Iraqi, Syrian, Libyan, and Sinai insurgencies where it used violent methods including suicide
attacks on civilian targets and the widespread killing of prisoners and violent Internet videos of beheading. It
grew significantly under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and established strong foothold in the country
of Syria since the Syrian Civil War began. The groups original aim was to unite the Sunni majority regions of
Iraq and Syria, but ISIS has now taken control over parts of Sinai, eastern Libya, and Pakistan. It seeks to
absorb Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and parts of southern Turkey.
II. UN Involvement
UN investigators state that the Syrian government and ISIS are both committing war crimes and crimes against
humanity. Forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham have committed torture, murder, acts tantamount to
enforced disappearance and forced displacement as part of attacks on the civilian population in Aleppo and
Raqqa provinces, amounting to crimes against humanity. The investigators have drawn up four confidential lists
of suspects who they believe should face international justice. In the report, they reiterated their call for the UN
Security Council to refer violations in Syria to the prosecutor of the ICC. On August of 2014, the UN Security
Council adopted Resolutions 2170 which called on the member states to take national measures to prevent
fighters from travelling from their soil to join the groups, reiterating obligations under previous counterterrorism resolutions to prevent the movement of terrorists, as well as their supply with arms or financial
support.
III. Possible Solutions
The fight against ISIS should not be expected to be an overnight battle. Thus, escalating military actions against
ISIS isnt going to work. A nation cannot destroy an organization or even an ideology through bombing and air
strikes. Therefore, some plausible solutions are stopping the air strikes, organizing a diplomatic partnership with
ISIS, and massively increasing humanitarian aid for the millions of refugees in Syria and Iraq. These solutions
are just the foundation in breaking and diminishing the power of ISIS. We urge all delegates to come up with
innovative and creative solutions while staying within ones country policy.
V. Questions to consider
1.
2.
3.

Has your nation encountered any extremist group in the past? How has your nations government protected its citizens by
such group?
How can your government reduce the influence of ISIS within a country, without challenging the cuture of the nation and
without infringing upon their sovereignty?
How has your government protected the human rights of the citizens of your country from extremist groups?

VI. Helpful Links

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/
http://www.vox.com/cards/things-about-isis-you-need-to-know/what-is-isis
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-isis-arms-20140629-story.html#page=1
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-master-plan-how-stop-isis-11112

Open Agenda
Gahr High School Model United Nations
March 2015- Advanced Conference Topic Synopsis
I. Introduction
Although our Advanced Conference is Open Agenda, we have provided a few topics for your consideration in
the hope that this may initiate a more focused debate.
II. Boko Haram
Boko Haram, meaning Western Education is Forbidden in Hausa language, is a Nigerian militant Sunni
jihadist group that has caused havoc in northern Nigeria through bombings, assassinations and abductions.
Founded in 2002 as Jamaatu Ahlis Sunnas Liddaawati wal-Jihad translating to People Committed to the
Propagation of the Prophets Teaching and Jihad, the militant groups military operations began in 2009. The
followers of Boko Haram, promote the Islamic version that mates it forbidden for Muslims to take part in any
political or social activity associated with Western society such as voting or education. Boko Haram was
founded by cleric Mohammed Yusuf, who had been a leader of a Salafist group in the 1990s. Boko Harams
goal is to expel the political community of northern Nigeria, whom of which they feel are corrupt and false
Muslims, and to create a fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia, Islamic law, across all of Nigeria. Boko Haram
does not participate in any conventional political activity, as there has been minimal communication between
government officials and Boko Haram regarding ceasefires. Boko Haram receives funding through a network of
alliances with other terrorist groups, especially Al-Qaida in the Land of Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Since the
death of Mohammed Yusuf, the current leadership is placed within the hands of Abubakar Shekau, who has
lead Boko Haram since July 2010.
Helfpul Links:.
http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/world/boko-haram.htm
http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739
http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR308.pdf
III. Situation in South Sudan
It has been slightly over three years since this fledgling nation seceded from Sudan in July 2011. Now the
country is fraught with a major political upheaval, a debilitating famine, a declining economy, and an
impending civil war ripe with ethnic tension. The South Sudanese political and social schism erupted after
President Salva Kiir began to crackdown on the supporters of his rival, former Vice President Riek Machard.
Mr. Machard attempted a coup to overthrow the President shortly after Mr. Kiir dismissed the entirety of his
government due to suspicion that they were plotting to overthrow his regime. The conflict boiled over and
turned violent between the feuding army factions on December 15th of 2013. The political struggle between
these two factions quickly escalated into a full-scale ethnic conflict and has created a violent schism within the
country. Mr. Kiir identifies with the Dinka ethnic group, South Sudans majority, whereas Mr. Machard is a
member of the less populous Nuer group. After the attempted coup, Mr. Kiir went after many of Mr. Machards
supporters in order to reassert and consolidate his authority. However, the South Sudanese political allegiances
generally correlate to ethnic identity and the vast majority of Mr. Machards political base was from the Nuer
ethnic group. Consequentially, the crackdown appeared to be a targeted ethnic attack, which simultaneously
alienated the Nuer from the political party in power and created a sense of pervasive insecurity and a violent
dichotomy within the country. These factors have escalated the political power struggle to a civil war fueled by
ethnic tension.
Helpful Links:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/01/south-sudan-signs-peace-deal-with-rebel-group20141319534979348.html\
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14069082
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article49782

IV. North Korea and Nonproliferation

The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea has shown the development of a powerful nuclear weapons
program since the 1950s, greatly influenced by the events that occurred in World War II and the Korean War.
Initial institutional growth of nuclear research programs in North Korea was aided by the Soviet Union, helping
the nation gradually diverge from dependency and move toward self-sufficiency. North Korea has become a
formidable nuclear state, continuing the development of its nuclear program. The nation has developed multiple
Uranium enrichment facilities, most importantly the Yongbyon pilot plant, and has also created plutonium
facilities. North Korea is suspected to possess at least eight nuclear weapons, although a lack of transparency
creates much ambiguity. Recent developments also suggest that North Korea is likely to have gained nuclear
self-sufficiency, making the nuclear regime even more powerful. This issue is of great importance in nuclear
negotiations because sanctions may be deemed obsolete by this self-reliance, and the United Nations will have
to find other methods of cutting off North Koreas nuclear program. The development of North Koreas nuclear
program has prompted multiple UN organizations and nations to take action; the United Nations has made many
attempts to peacefully disarm North Korea since the nation was recommended for membership in 1991. North
Korea joined the NPT in 1985 and proceeded to implement safeguards through the IAEAs NPT Safeguards
Agreement in 1993. The UNODA and the General Assemblys 1st committee have made efforts to resolve this
nuclearization by holding numerous disarmament conferences, bringing together the constituents of the United
Nations to help create a solution.
Helpful Links:
http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/north-korea/nuclear/
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Non-Proliferation/Appendices/Nuclear-ProliferationCase-Studies/
http://armscontrolcenter.org/issues/northkorea/
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/issues/proliferation/north-korea/
V. Islamic State of Syria and Iraq
What started as an Al-Qaeda splinter group, within a year, has taken over both Iraq and Syria. ISIS has
publicized mass and public executions and other inhumane acts. Principally, ISIS is the product of a genocide
that continued unabated as the world stood back and watched. The Shia Islamist axis used chemical weapons,
artillery and barrel bombs to preserve its crescent of influence and killed over 200,000 Syrians. Syrias Sunni
Arab revolutionaries in turn sought international assistance, and when the world refused, they embraced a pact
with Al-Qaeda. However, their ideology also differs from Al-Qaeda in two critical ways. ISIS is far more
concentrated on territorial gains than Al-Qaeda franchises in other countries. While part of this can be seen as a
consequence of their superior resources, they also consciously refer to the territorial advances and territorial
change in their propaganda. In particular, the abolition of Sykes-Picot has become something of a rallying cry
for ISIS supporters. It was truly Syria and its civil war that has given ISIS the opportunity to garner much more
power and control than Al-Qaeda could have ever imagined. UN investigators state that the Syrian government
and ISIS are both committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and
al-Sham have committed torture, murder, acts tantamount to enforced disappearance and forced displacement as
part of attacks on the civilian population in Aleppo and Raqqa provinces, amounting to crimes against
humanity.
Helpful Links:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/
http://www.vox.com/cards/things-about-isis-you-need-to-know/what-is-isis
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-isis-arms-20140629-story.html#page=1
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-master-plan-how-stop-isis-11112

VI. Situation in the Central African Republic

The Central African Republic has held a civil war, ongoing for over two years, between the Christian (AntiBalaka) majority and the Muslim (Selka) minority. The nation has been through three different leaders in one
year and is currently politically unstable. The current president, who was democratically elected, Catherine
Samba-Panza has worked to contain fighting and repair the nation, but is currently seeking aid due to several
groups allegedly plotting a coup detat. The United Nations noticed from an early stage that there was an issue
in the Central African Republic and proceeded to take action.The UN peace building mission in CAR
(BINUCA), the African Union peacekeepers (MISCA), and French peacekeepers (Sangaris) are a small number
of groups that either have or are currently working in the Central African Republic to help end any humanitarian
crimes that are committed. While these groups are trying to help the situation, they are often harmed by both the
Anti-Balaka and Selka fighters. Currently, the main issue is ending the humanitarian atrocities and preventing
an possible chance of a wide scale genocide.
Helpful Links:
http://www.amnesty.org.au/crisis/comments/34192/
http://www.thenation.com/blog/181587/central-african-republics-forgotten-crisis#
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49914#.VMh7EL5goUU