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United Nations Security Council
Background Guide
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its first session in 1946. It is one of the
six principal organs of the United Nations and is the only UN body with the authority to issue
binding resolutions to member states. UNSC is charged with the maintenance of international
peace and security through peacekeeping operations, international sanctions, and military
actions. There are 15 member states that compose the Security Council, 5 of which are
permanent and have veto power. A representative of each of its members must be present at
all times at UN Headquarters in NYC so that the Security Council can meet at any time as the
need arises.
I: Preventing the Spread of the Islamic State and “Lone-Wolf” Sympathizers
The growth and expansion of the Islamic State is one of the greatest current threats to
global security. Contributing to one of the largest refugee crises in human history
demonstrating the ability to organize terrorist attacks throughout the world, the Islamic State
has grown from a regional menace to a truly global threat.
While the Islamic State has only gained global prominence in the last few years, the
organization as we currently know it has undergone many transformations since its inception in
1999.1 Originating as a splinter group of Al Qaeda in Iraq, The organization separated from al
Qaeda in 2004 as a result of its excessive brutality and deviating ideological foundations.2 At its
core, the Islamic State aims to create a new caliphate, reminiscent of the great Islamic empires
that once stretched from India to the Iberian Peninsula. Using ground war to gain new territory
and terror to expand its influence, gain recruits, and sow fear, a vast majority of the victims of
the Islamic State live in the territories it controls.3 While the Islamic State’s main focus is on
expanding its caliphate, it often applauds lone wolf attackers and takes credit for their actions,
despite doing little to fund or plan these attacks outside of their immediate territory.
The Islamic State was created in 1999 by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In 2004, Zarqawi allied
his organization with Al Qaeda and renamed the group Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). 4 When Zarqawi
died in 2006, the group created a new organization called the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). The
group, however, did not fare well in American-occupied Iraq.5 In 2010 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
1
"What Is 'Islamic State'?," BBC News, December 2, 2015.
Faisal Irshaid, "Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One Group, Many Names," BBC News, December 2, 2015
3
Ibid
4
What Is 'Islamic State'?," BBC News, December 2, 2015
5
Ibid
2
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became the leader of ISI, strengthening the group sufficiently to recommence attacks in Iraq.6
Seizing upon the chaos brought about by the Syrian Civil War, the group quickly expanded into
Syria, seizing territory and becoming the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham.7 While the group has
gone by many names, including the Islamic State (IS), the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL), the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Daesh, and a host of others, the name
discrepancies in English come from a dispute over the translation the Arabic Sham, which refers
to a region encompassing parts of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.8 Another name, Daesh,
comes from the Arabic acronym for the group; however, this name has been deemed
derogatory by the Islamic State,9 leading many western governments to use Daesh to refer to
the group.
The Islamic State has gained a reputation not only for its penchant for severe brutality,
but also for its extreme ideological foundations. Based on a version of Sunni Islam known as
Salafism, which is also followed by al Qaeda, the Islamic State’s interpretation has led to great
conflict with al Qaeda, leading al Qaeda to publicly disown the Islamic State in 2010 for its
brutality.10 Additionally, the organization has also instituted strict laws and harsh punishments,
including death, for activities such as voting, drinking alcohol, homosexuality, uncovered
women, and shaving for men.11 This also applies to a number of religious and ethnic minorities
within the territory that the Islamic State Holds. Most notably, the Yazidis, and ethnic and
religious minority within Iraq and Syria have severely targeted for execution and slavery
because of their differing religious identity.12 This has led many to advocate a declaration of
genocide, which, if made, would require the international community and the United Nations
to address the situation as outlined under Article VIII of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Because the organization wishes to reinstate an Islamic
caliphate throughout the Muslim world, the Islamic State completely rejects the all aspects of
modern global political order, including national boundaries, the United Nations, and the
authority of elected governments, claiming that these institutions have put earthly power
before that of God’s.13
Unlike Al Qaeda and other terrorist organization, the Islamic state requires a territory to
function.14 While al Qaeda is an underground terrorist organization, the Islamic State is a selfstyled caliphate which administers many government functions throughout the territory it
6
What Is 'Islamic State'?," BBC News, December 2, 2015.
Ibid.
8
Faisal Irshaid, "Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One Group, Many Names," BBC News, December 2, 2015.
9
Ibid.
10
Graeme Wood, "What ISIS Really Wants," The Atlantic, March 2015.
11
Ibid.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid.
14
Ibid.
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holds.15 This is a key factor in the strategy of the Islamic State. While the organization has
gained attention and taken credit for a number of terrorist attacks throughout the world, many
have pointed that because the organization must defend its territory from a number of forces
including the Iraqi and Syrian armies, the Kurdish Peshmerga, coalition airstrikes, and other
rebel groups, its real focus is not on conducting terror attacks abroad, but rather on
maintaining its territory and cash flow to promote an outward territorial expansion.16 While
the organizations has frequently taken credit for a number of terror attacks in recent years,
their ability to effectively plan and fund attacks abroad is severely limited due to its immediate
priorities. Instead the Islamic State seeks to inspire outside individuals, or “lone-wolves”, to
commit acts of terror in its name through effective social media and online propaganda.17
Because the Islamic State seeks to focus its attention to inspiring individuals elsewhere
to carry out acts of violence in their name, this strategy create many significant challenges for
national intelligence and security agencies. Because there are now traceable financial flows
from the central organization, or an international movement of people that can be tracked, it
becomes difficult to identify and prevent terrorist attacks inspired by the Islamic State, unlike
those of al Qaeda who often directly financed and supplied the perpetrators. 18
Because the Islamic State follows a different method of operation from other terrorist
networks, it has become increasingly challenging for national governments to address and
prevent the spread of terrorist acts within their borders committed in its name. Likewise,
because many have compared it to al Qaeda and other radical Islamic terrorist organization, the
organization has frequently been misunderstood, resulting in ineffective responses. To
effectively defeat the Islamic State and prevent future acts of terror from being carried out in
its name, it is vitally important to fully understand the organization, its functions, methods, and
goals.
Questions to consider: How has the Islamic State been able to spread its ideology and recruit
member? What action has the Security Council already taken to address the issue? How do
regional rivalries and outside influence affect the success or failure of the Islamic State? How
can governments effectively work together to prevent terrorist acts in the future?
15
Graeme Wood, "What ISIS Really Wants," The Atlantic, March 2015.
Faisal Irshaid, "Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One Group, Many Names," BBC News, December 2, 2015.
17
Ibid.
18
Graeme Wood, "What ISIS Really Wants," The Atlantic, March 2015.
16
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I: International Security in High Traffic Water Ways
For as long as ships have sailed, issues with security and piracy on the seas has been a
significant worry for travelers and traders. Often committed in international waters outside of
a nation’s sovereign territory, many countries have sought to work collectively to protect their
economic interest and the safety of their citizens while crossing the seas. While piracy
continues to be a significant problem for mariners, international disputes and heating
geopolitical rivalries are increasingly becoming threats to the safety and profitability of the
global shipping industry. With most national economies dependent on international trade, any
disruption to international shipping could have significant economic and political consequences.
While piracy has existed for as long as goods have moved across the sea, it continues to
be a significant problem for international trade. While pirate hotspots near Somalia, the
Striates of Malacca, and the Gulf of Guinea have made headlines for decades, the issue is also
increasingly prevalent in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and the coasts of India and China; all
areas that see tens of thousands of ocean-fearing commercial ships each year.19 Not only has
this become a top concern for companies moving valuable goods between markets, but also for
the companies which insure these goods as any incident could result in billions of dollars in
losses. According to Transolutions, a company that insures internationally shipped goods, from
2010 until 2014, the piracy rate Southeast Asia alone jumped by nearly 700%. 20 Furthermore,
with the growth of Asian markets like China, Indonesia, and India, nearly $5.3 trillion trade
passes through the region every year,21 transforming piracy from a regional to a global security
threat.
Since the establishment of the United Nations, there have been several key agreements
aimed at addressing international piracy, including the 1958 Geneva Convention on the
High Seas, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 1988
Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation
(SUA Convention).22 While these have promoted considerable progress in cooperative
measures to address the issue of piracy, evolving technologies, tactics, and underlying issues
have quickly outpaced the ability for the international community to address the issue.
Because of this, much more work needs to be done. Additionally, with international terrorist
networks operating in areas, global security can be directly tied to international piracy.
Because piracy often operates in the territorial waters of states that are often unable to
address the issue, there has been considerable debate on whether or not the international
community can violate a states sovereign integrity to address issues of piracy. This has been
19
"The New Pirate Headquarters - It's Not Somalia - TranSolutions." TranSolutions. 2014.
Ibid.
21
Council on Foreign Relations, “China’s Maritime Disputes,” Council on Foreign Relations, 2013.
22
Collins & Hassan, “Applications and Shortcomings of the Law of the Sea in Combating Piracy: A South East Asia
Perspective”, 2009, p. 92.
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considerably relevant in Somalia, which had agreed to allow these actions to occur in its
territorial waters,23 however, the question arises in situations where a state government is
unwilling to allow anti-piracy operations, despite their inability to address them
independently.24
While international piracy continues to be a serious issue for international security on
the high seas, intergovernmental political disputes have also raised considerable attention,
particularly in regards to China’s increasingly contentions relation with its Asian neighbors. In
recent years, China has become increasingly assertive in its maritime disputes in the South
China Sea and the East China Sea, resulting to fears of militarization and possible international
conflict with a number of other states. Claiming nearly 80% of the South China Sea, China has
exacerbated regional conflicts with Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and
Brunei, particularly over the ownership of the Paracel and Spratly Islands and the Scarborough
Shoal.25 Furthermore, ongoing disputes between China and Japan over a collection of Islands in
the East China Sea have also raised concerns over the potential maritime military conflicts could
threaten the flow of international trade and shipping.
There is great concern over the potential militarization of the South China Sea. While
the sea may hold as much as 11 billion barrels of oil, it is also predicted that nearly 90% of
Middle Eastern fossil fuel exports will travel to Asian markets through the Sea by 2035, in
addition to the $5.3 trillion of trade that passes through the Sea every year. 26 The growing
economic needs of China and the region as a whole are also driving forces for potential conflict.
With China’s growing demand for fossil fuels and other natural resources, the reserves of the
South China Sea are growing more valuable. The Chinese have also increased their military
spending by 175% since 2003, and it is feared by many that China will strengthen its claims in
the sea through military muscle.27 With thousands of vessels passing through the waters of the
South China Sea every year, these increasingly regular clashes between China and its neighbors
greatly increases the risk miscalculations could ignite an armed conflict in the region. 28
Developments in Asia are not the only issues currently threatening maritime commerce.
Increasingly instability in the Middle East and Egypt in particular has been raising concerns over
threats to the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean via the
Red Sea. The canal is also vitally important to global commerce, accounting for 10% of global
trade and servicing 18,000 ships annually.29 The Arab Spring and the ousting of Mohammad
23
Collins & Hassan, “Applications and Shortcomings of the Law of the Sea in Combating Piracy: A South East Asia
Perspective”, 2009, p. 92.
24
United Nations, "By Resolution 2020, Security Council Extends for 12 Months Authorization for Those
Cooperating with Somali Government to Use 'All Necessary Means' to Combat Piracy." UN News Center.
25
BBC News, “Q&A: South China Sea Disputes,” BBC News April 17, 2015.
26
Council on Foreign Relations, “China’s Maritime Disputes,” Council on Foreign Relations, 2013.
27
Ibid.
28
Bonnie S. Glaser, “Armed Clash in the South China Sea,” Council on Foreign Relations, April 01, 2012.
29
World Maritime News, “Egyptian Authorities Thwart Attack on Suez Canal”, World Maritime News, July 7, 2015.
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Morsi as president contributed to a rise of instability throughout Egypt with opponents seeking
to undermine government authority and control.30 To achieve these political goals, the Suez
Canal has become “a core target is the Suez Canal due to its importance in the global
transportation of energy and other international commerce, as well as its significance to Egypt’s
economic security.”31 This has been evident in a number of attacks that have targeted the
Canal. On several occasions, militants have attacked ships traveling through the canal with
rocket propelled grenades, raising the fear of temporarily blocking the canal, or hijacking ships
to use as weapons. Considering the significant importance that the Suez Canal hold for
international commerce, and in effect, the global economy, protecting the safety of ships in and
around the canal must be of the highest importance.
In a time when trillions of dollars in goods crosses the oceans every year, the safety and
security of mariners must be a top priority for maintaining international security. As any
disturbance in the international economy can have significant influence over international
political security, the Security Council must act to ensure that shipping and commerce are
secure while operating in and around international waterways. With issues like piracy,
territorial disputes and political instability threatening some of the most strategic waterways in
the world, action must be taken as a matter of global security.
Questions to consider:
How have threats to international commerce and shipping changed in the past 50 years? How
can the international community protect and monitor high traffic waterways within a country’s
sovereign territorial waters? Can the international community violate a nation’s sovereign
integrity to address issues of security?
30
31
Hamrah, Satgin, “The Egyptian threat environment and the Suez Canal,” Mediterranean Affairs, May 5, 2014.
Ibid.
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