DISEC

Afghanistan has long suffered from interference by neighbouring states. Despite the presence of international military forces, the donation of billions of dollars in aid, and commitments from the United Nations to uphold the development, territorial integrity of Afghanistan is still fragile. Due to the insecurity in certain areas of the country, everyday life in Afghanistan is dangerous but disagreements between the Afghan government and its international allies have delayed the progress; many of the civilian deaths, caused by a result of military operations, have been hidden from view by the government and international allies. Stoltenberg from NATO has stressed that “it is in our interest to make sure that Afghanistan does not become once again a platform, a country where international terrorist groups can train, prepare, plan terrorist attacks in our own countries” and it is the delegates duty to create detailed resolutions that tackle all aspects of the issue and are feasible in the long run to maintain stability in Afghanistan.

The definition of the Arctic’s sovereignty and security is continually changing due to the intersection of globalization, climate change and a greater acknowledgment of indigenous rights. Admiral Karl L. Schultz stated that “We need a government-wide approach to the Arctic to make the Arctic a national priority. We need a greater physical presence in the Arctic, both military and civilian, and we need infrastructure in the Arctic to support that presence.” The traditional view of Arctic security focuses on military defense, especially the protection of national borders, however recently, alternative interpretations of security has surfaced that emphasizes the economic, social, cultural and environmental concerns. Examples of this include shipping protection and the mitigation of environmental disasters such as oil spills and there is even tension between the interpretation of “internal waters” and “territorial waters”; all aforementioned issues require international cooperation, which the delegates of DISEC must provide in order for this to reach resolution.