Study Guide
Committee: United Nations
General Assembly One - Disarmament
and International Security
(DISEC)
Agenda:
The Role of Science and Technology in
Maintaining International Peace and Security
Bureau:
Ayush Baweja - Komudi Bihani
Anjali Dhakad
Manvi Upadhyay
DISEC | Page 1 of 26 |
INDEX
Sr. No. Topic Page No.
1. Letter from the Bureau 3
2. Introduction to the Committee 4
3. Introduction to the Agenda 5
4. Artificial Intelligence 6
• Weaponization of Artificial Intelligence
• Lethal Autonomous Weapons
• Use of Artificial Intelligence in development and
achievement of SDGs
• Funding of Artificial Intelligence
5. Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity 11
6. Space-based technologies, warfare and industrial
exploitation 12
• Militarization of Space
7. Big Data 13
• Value and Truth of Big Data
• Weaponization of Big Data
• Prevention of Acquisition of Data by Malicious
Non State Actors
• Use of Big Data in Positive Measures
8. Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Policies for 17
Certain Scientific Advancements
• Dark Web
• Chemical Warfare
• Biological warfare
9. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Certain Conventional Weapons 22
10. Ethical Perspectives of Scientific Development 23
11. Questions a Resolution must Answer 24
12. Bibliography 25
DISEC | Page 2 of 26 |
Letter from the Bureau
Distinguished delegates,
Greetings,
It is our honour and distinct privilege to welcome you to the fifth conclave
of the Shishukunj Model United Nations Conference [Link] note of
current issues the world as a whole is facing, we are proud to present our
committee for this session of the Shishukunj MUN: Disarmament and
International Security Committee.
This year, the DISEC is going to deal with the role of science and
technology to ensure international peace. The rate of development in the
fields of science and technology is unparalleled and we expect the
delegates to address this dynamic and pressing issue with innovation and
effectiveness as their core objectives, which would help achieve
international [Link] committee is expected to address each and every
aspect of the agenda and read the study guide thoroughly before the
conference. We expect a substantive discussion of the agenda and hope
that the committee will come up with a comprehensive resolution.
We urge the delegates to be well versed with all the subtopics mentioned
in the study guide and hope that the delegates will come with a solution
based approach to the problems. Please keep a note that plagiarism is
strictly not in order throughout the conference. We sincerely hope that
this conference will be a fruitful learning experience for all.
Fe e l f re e t o re a c h u s o u t i n t h e s c h o o l or e m a i l u s on
disec@[Link] anytime. We look forward to seeing you soon.
For any queries, please log into [Link] or contact USG:
Delegate Affairs at delegateaffairs@[Link].
Regards,
Komudi Bihani and Ayush Baweja, Co-Chairpersons
Anjali Dhakad, Vice-Chairperson
Manvi Upadhyay, Rapporteur
DISEC | Page 3 of 26 |
Introduction to the Committee
The first committee of the General Assembly known as the Disarmament
and International Security Council deals with disarmament, global
challenges and threats to peace that affects the community and seeks out
solutions to the challenges in the international security regime. The DISEC
considers all deactivation of arms/weapons and international security
matters within the scope of the United Nations Charter or relating to the
powers and functions of any other organ of the United Nations; the
general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international
peace and security, as well as principles governing disarmament and the
regulation of armaments; promotion of cooperative arrangements and
measures aimed at strengthening stability through lower levels of
armaments. The committee works in competition with the United Nations
Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on
Disarmament.
According to its mandate, the committee sessions are structured in three
distinctive stages:
1) General debate
2) Thematic discussions
3) Action on drafts.
It is the only Main Committee of the General Assembly entitled to
verbatim records coverage pursuant to Rule 58 (a) of the rules of
procedure of the General Assembly. Disarmament and international
security lies at the heart of our determination to achieve sustainable
development and to save current and future generations from the horrors
of war.
*Note from the Bureau: The study guide serves only as a base for
research. Read the guide thoroughly, but please do not restrict your
research to the guide. For your convenience, we have added news clips
and graphs as well.
DISEC | Page 4 of 26 |
Introduction to the Agenda
"Science and technology have crucial roles to play in promoting progress
and peace from climate change to public health; from food security to
sanitation; from disarmament to disaster preparedness," reported Xinhua
official state-run press agency of the People's Republic of China in its
message for the International Week of Science and Peace.
Throughout history, the progression of the battle fighting plan of action
has largely depended on the kind of technology available to that territory.
In the present scenario, while the fundamental human impulse has not
changed, technology has increased the rate of destruction and damage.
The consideration of science and technology’s role in disarmament and
international security risk posed by traces its origins back to 17th June
1925, with the League of Nations Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in
War, Poisonous Gases (Geneva Protocol). The risk posed by this
destructive technology led numerous multilateral treaties, policies, and
conventions on disarmament and non-proliferation that emphasize
science and technology. This issue was first added to the agenda of DISEC
in 1998. The concept of Artificial Intelligence has been in existence for very
long but wasn’t properly explored until the 1950s.
There is an increase in the number of resources which are being
developed to make new weapon systems and are also causing
unpredictability and insecurity. Developments in the fields of electronics,
fuel, and laser technology are transforming the entire security
environment. The concern over the nature and direction of technological
changes are dual. There is key anxiety that the new technological changes
should prove to be fruitful for international relations instead of being futile.
They can either help in strengthening international peace or poison the
world because of the enormous power they provide.
The development of artificial intelligence is also dramatically changing the
nature of armed conflict and the law administration and might cause a
crucial issue for the security of the global system. United Nations has
asked different organizations to identify essential disputes in the field of
DISEC | Page 5 of 26 |
international peace where big data and artificial intelligence technologies
have the highest effect and to give suitable suggestions for the problems
caused by them.
In this world of new inventions, fast-growing technology, scientific
research, and rapidly globalizing economy, wars can happen solely
through the computer by data and information leaks and computer
hacking. These cyber warfare can cause equal harm compared to actual
wars using weapons. Till now no actual cyber attacks have taken place,
even though it has been endangered by some nations. New and strong
policies need to be adopted to keep in pace with the fast development of
weapons and new warfare techniques.
Artificial Intelligence
An article issued by the UNESCAP ( United Nations Economic and Social
Commission of Asia and Pacific) states that there is no universally agreed
definition of AI. According to OECD (Organisation for European Economic
Co-operation) and UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development), AI is defined as “the ability of machines and systems to
acquire and apply knowledge, and to carry out intelligent behavior.” In
simpler words, AI is the addition of intelligent thinking capacity into a
computer or any device such
that it works like the human brain with intellectual powers.
DISEC | Page 6 of 26 |
Weaponization of Artificial Intelligence
Since the rate of technological development is increasing rapidly, fighting
battles using Artificial Intelligence, rather than using less effective arms
and ammunition is becoming the center of global power play. The
development in autonomous weapon systems is increasing promptly in
most of the countries which have led to AI being weaponized.
The weaponization of AI in the near future seems to be a topic of major
concern since it brings along complex security challenges that are a great
concern not only to countries and their leaders but humanity as well. The
reality is that artificial intelligence has led the world towards a new
battlefield where anything is possible without human intervention, there is
no boundary or border to the use of artificial intelligence. It is very difficult
to control it either in cyber warfare or be it geospace thus it will cause
great fear.
Misuse of Artificial intelligence by a variety of non-state actors poses
severe risks for security. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the
acquisition of weaponized artificial intelligence by non-state actors. This
could be done by restricting access and diffusing those AI functions that
could be misused in a malicious way.
Since the rate of technological development is increasing rapidly, fighting
battles using Artificial Intelligence, rather than using less effective arms
and ammunition is becoming the center of global power play. The
development in autonomous weapon systems is increasing promptly in
most of the countries which have led to AI being weaponized.
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems
Lethal Autonomous Weapons are weapons are a form of militarized robots
which independently and autonomically search and engage targets.
DISEC | Page 7 of 26 |
They represent the most crucial aspect of the weaponization of Artificial
Intelligence and the have the greatest potential of changing battlefields
into warzones of technological scale. They have been called the third
revolution in warfare after gunpowder and nuclear arms. LAWs have been
established as a matter of debate for the currently ongoing discussions of
the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
DISEC | Page 8 of 26 |
Use of AI in Development and Achievement of
SDGs
In the year 2015, the leaders of various countries adopted 17 development
goals (SDGs) with the pursuit of combating poverty, promoting prosperity
and well-being of all and protecting the planet.
Keeping in mind the pace at which Artificial intelligence is developing, in
the future, it is sure not only to replace human working but also human life
on the planet. AI having a positive or negative impact is a debatable topic.
Although, countries are using it for their own benefit it has many positive
aspects. It is one of the most appropriate ways to attain the SDGs.
For example:
1. After the passage of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, many streets in
downtown Houston were flooded and no human intervention was
possible, an AI application that combined satellite imagery with object
detection software enabled rescue workers to identify safe escape
routes for those trapped by the rising waters.
2. More than 400 million people worldwide affected with diabetes can
be helped by an AI-enabled wearable device that can already detect
potential early signs of diabetes through heart rate sensor data. AI
could also analyze mobile phone images to distinguish between a
benign skin lesion and melanoma—potentially helping millions of rural
patients who have no easy access to dermatologists.
DISEC | Page 9 of 26 |
Funding of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence will be $15.7 trillion big by 2030 as per different
researches.
The total money invested globally by all the countries for Artificial
Intelligence between 2013 and 2018 to the percentage of amount invested
by some countries(individually).
*Note from the Bureau: AI happens to be an important part of this
committee. Thus, we expect the delegates to be thorough with the current
situations, background guides and well versed with their research. You
need to think out of the box and form solutions and amendments which
DISEC | Page 10 of 26 |
are not only mentioned in the study guide but also on your own which are
comprehensive and in the mandate of the committee
Role of Artificial Intelligence in
Cybersecurity
“Internet is the most effective instrument we have for globalization”, said
Milton Friedman, an American economist, who received the 1976 Nobel
Memorial Prize for economic sciences. Today, people are connected to
each other even though they live at different places via social networking
sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity has both negative as well as positive
effects. On the positive side, these days different corporate sector
companies are getting into the use of artificial intelligence to detect
viruses and combat them without any human involvement or interference,
not only to safeguard the company's gadgets from viruses, they also use
AI to protect their data and personal pieces of information although at
times due inefficiency in using AI data leaks occur.
But on the negative side, AI is used by black hat users as their weapons.
They leak information by hacking the websites or the applications
containing private information. With this rapid increase in the development
of AI and its use being done by the black hat users, it will probably become
the most used munition without any human interference.
DISEC | Page 11 of 26 |
Space-based Technologies, Warfare and
Industrial Exploitation
Technology has always been a tool to improve the current type of warfare.
It will change the way warfare will take place in the future. For instance, a
news website of the United Kingdom, the Independent’s report on the
Ministry of Defense’s report predicted that in the wars which will take
place in the future, robot soldiers and enhanced humans will take part, and
due to the rapid technological advances new boundaries will open up for
warfare in the field of cyberspace and space.
Over the years, warfare had progressed from primitive wars between
tribal societies to wars between civilizations over money and agricultural
land to wars between developed and industrialized countries and groups.
The human race has significantly moved forward from fighting with arrows
and bows to rifles, guns, tanks, aircraft, and missiles. The advancement of
ironclad ships in the 1860s, the machine gun in the 1890s, manned aircraft
and the tank in the 1920s-1930s, the aircraft carrier and radar in the
1930s-1940s, and nuclear weapons in the 1940s-1950s are a few examples
of some crucial developments in the progress of military technologies.
To make wealth and war, science has always been exploited. Every
technological development that takes place brings a major change in the
way warfare takes place. In the future, there will be an extensive range of
network intelligent system, which for the supremacy in the front line are
challenging one another. These networked systems will be almost similar
to the present battle technology like unattended ground sensors, guided
missiles, and drones, but can also include physical robots.
Militarization Of Space
The militarization of space involves the development and placement of
weapons and military technology in outer space. Space might become the
next battleground for all major wars. In 1967, some superpowers signed
the Outer Space Treaty, which was either ratified by or acceded to 105
countries. It made laws regarding the use of outer space and banned any
DISEC | Page 12 of 26 |
country from stationing nuclear warheads, chemical or biological weapons
in space. But this treaty doesn’t restrict the placement of any kind of
conventional weapons in space. As of now, no actual space wars have
taken place but a number of experiments, tests, and demonstrations have
been conducted. A lot of other international treaties are present which
regulate wars in space and placement of weapons in space. Space-based
capitals have become necessary for national security and growth. Space-
based technology is prospering at a very fast pace, transforming the
sphere through smaller satellites and other creative applications. The
technological expansion has lead to an increase in participation in space-
based activities and its degradation.
*Note from the Bureau: The committee is expected to come across a
common consensus if militarization of space is correct or not. If Yes/No,
then why? Also, the delegates need to find a way on how the DISEC would
keep an effective check on these rapidly changing technologies.
Big Data
Big Data is a term that describes the large volume of both structured and
unstructured data that over-run a business on a day to day basis. The term
big data is relatively new, the act of gathering and storing large amounts
of information for eventual analysis is ages old. In the early 2000s an
industry analyst Doug Laney articulated the now mainstream definition of
big data as the three Vs:
1. Volume- Organizations collect data from a variety of sources,
including business transactions, social media, and information from
sensor or machine-to-machine data. The problem of holding such a
large volume of data possessed a problem but now new technology
such as Hadoop has eased the burden. What is Hadoop? Hadoop is
said to be a set of open source programs and procedures meaning
essentially they are free for anyone to use or modify with a few
exceptions which alone can use as the ‘backbone’ of their big data
DISEC | Page 13 of 26 |
operations. In a simple language, Hadoop is a program that helps its
users store data in a secure and safe network.
2. Velocity- Data Streams in an unprecedented speed and must be
dealt with in a timely manner
3. Variety- Data comes in all types of formats – from structured,
numeric data in traditional databases to unstructured text
documents, email, video, audio, stock ticker data and financial
transactions.
The Value and Truth of Big Data
Data has a deep-rooted value, but it is of no use if the value is not
discovered. Today Big Data has become capital. If we think of the worlds
biggest tech companies a large part of the value they offer comes from
their data which they are constantly analyzing to produce more efficiently
and develop new products. Technological changes have made the
expensive and strenuous job of storing data easier than before. With a
cheaper and more accessible volume of big data, businesses and
companies can make precise decisions.
DISEC | Page 14 of 26 |
Weaponization of Big Data
The United Nations recently discussed the use of autonomous weapons
and the possibility to institute an international ban on ‘killer robots’. This
debate came from the heels of many leaders of the artificial intelligence
community including Tesla’s Elon Musk warning that these weapons could
lead to a ‘third revolution in warfare.’
Even though Artificial Intelligence has led to a number of developments in
the economy, but when it comes to weaponized machines working
without human interference a lot of questions have been raised.
In the UK, the Taranis drone, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle is
expected to be fully operational by 2030 and capable of replacing the
human piloted Tornado GR4 fighter planes that are a part of the Royal Air
Forces future Offensive Air System.
DISEC | Page 15 of 26 |
The United States and Russia are developing robotic tanks that can
operate autonomously or be remotely controlled. The U.S. also has an
autonomous warship that was launched in 2016. Although it is still in
development it's expected to have offensive capabilities including anti-
submarine weaponry.
While these weapons were developed to minimize the threat to human life
in military conflicts, the terrorist organizations used/can use these
weapons for mass destruction. Alvin Wilby, vice president of research at
Thales told the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee that rogue
states and terrorists ‘will get their hands on lethal artificial intelligence in
the very near future’
Prevention of Acquisition of Data by Malicious
Actors
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning capabilities are growing at an
unprecedented rate. As Artificial Intelligence capabilities become more
powerful and widespread, the following are the expected changes that are
predicted to occur in the landscape of threats:
1. Expansion of existing threats- The cost of attacks will be lowered as
there will be no or less human labor required along with intelligence
and expertise
2. Introduction of new threats- New attacks may arise through the use
of Artificial Intelligence systems to complete the tasks that would
otherwise be impractical for humans.
Use of Big Data in Positive Measures
Drones which earlier were used for military purposes have now taken a big
turn and entered the private sector with a structure and purpose different
from the heavily armed drones. Not only the private sector and military
use drones they are also used by organizations and people for both
positive and negative ways. For example, In 2018 two Australian men were
DISEC | Page 16 of 26 |
rescued from the eastern coast of the country who were struggling to find
their way out. Some countries like the United States follow the rules lead
out by federal aviation while using drones. Unlike the United States of
America no other country follows the rules and regulations spread out by
the federal aviation and thus the problem of safety, security and privacy
follow when drones are being put to use.
*Note from the Bureau: Delegates should find ways to secure Hadoop
and big data networks to prevent leaks and theft of data of companies,
governments and organisations.
Disarmaments and Non-Proliferation Policies
for Certain Scientific Advancements
Development can be made on the scientific prospect of disarmament
through global cooperation. Scientific collaboration is also necessary for
associated non- proliferation, and arms control fields to make sure that
new uncertainties are not brought in that could sabotage nuclear
disarmament. Just like Secretary-General (2012), Ban Ki-moon said about
the creation of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs “The
establishment of this Office is a response to the growing need for
cooperation in all areas of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms
control. It will especially improve collaboration among the Vienna-based
organizations and specialized agencies.” There are various treaties and
agreements which are already in existence for the same like the
multilateral arms control which states the international restrictions upon
the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small
arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction,
nonproliferation, and disarmament agreements such as the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) whose purpose is to prevent
the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote
cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal
of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete
disarmament, Environmental Modification and Seabed treaties prohibiting
DISEC | Page 17 of 26 |
the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques
having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects, the Biological and Toxic
Weapons Convention (BTWC) which bans the development, production
and stockpiling of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, the
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) which bans chemical weapons and
requires their destruction within a specified period of time, and the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) which bans all nuclear
explosions. Multilateral diplomacy is very important with respect to
nuclear disarmament. The developing technologies and the armament
structure need the present arms control measure to be updated or
modernized. Despite the global obligation, to ensure a safer and peaceful
world multilateral non-proliferation and disarmament initiatives should still
be strictly implemented.
The civil society also plays a significant role in disarmament. As of now,
there is a set of five panels working together towards nuclear
disarmament- a treaty banning the production of fissile material which
would cut off the production of the major components of nuclear
weapons- plutonium and highly-enriched uranium (HEU) , negative
security assurances which is a guarantee given by all the countries
possessing nuclear weapons that they will not use it or threaten to use it
against states not possessing nuclear weapons, prevention of an arms
race in outer space which bans the weaponization of outer space, and the
way forward respectively.
The General Assembly, on the recommendations of DISEC, adopted
several recommendations in 2001, with one of it is the close connection
between international terrorism and the illegal movement of nuclear,
chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials, and
emphasized the need for progress in disarmament and non-proliferation
to contribute to global efforts against terrorism. The General Assembly
reestablished multilateralism as a core foundation in disarmament and
non-proliferation negotiations and asked all member nations to renew and
fulfill their individual and collective commitments to multilateral
cooperation as an important means of pursuing and achieving their
common objectives in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation.
Nuclear weapons proliferation, in today’s time, pose a very great threat to
the international community. The issue of nuclear proliferation is an
international issue and therefore needs an effective multilateral response.
The global mechanism for coming up with nuclear proliferation was
DISEC | Page 18 of 26 |
broadly favorable till 1991 but is not able to meet the present world
challenges and problems.
Dark Web
"We know so little about the distribution of firearms sold on the dark web
that it's kind of a black hole, similar to illicit pharmaceuticals and narcotics:
We know people buy them online, but we don't know to what extent. The
more we understand how guns move, how they are sold and what types of
guns are available on the dark web, the more we'll understand how the
internet can serve as a niche market for gun distribution," said Thomas
Holt, a professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University and co-
author of the study in a recent statement.
The firearms listed on the dark web are not military grade weapons but
merely handguns. 64% of the products shown are handguns, 17% are
semi-automatic long guns and fully automatic long guns are 4%.
The dark web doesn’t produce new weapons but acts as a medium to
traffic the existing ones.
Chemical Warfare
Chemical Warfare refers to chemicals being used to cause intentional
death or harm through its toxic properties. Munitions, devices and other
equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall
under the definition of chemical weapons.
The earliest form of large scale chemical warfare dates back to April 22,
1915, when the Germans, under the leadership of Nobel Prize Winner, Fritz
Haber released 160 tonnes of Chlorine gas on their enemies.
The Convention on Chemical Weapons, signed 13 January, 1993 aims to
eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction by
prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling,
retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties. States
Parties, in turn, must take the steps necessary to enforce that prohibition
in respect of persons (natural or legal) within their jurisdiction.
DISEC | Page 19 of 26 |
Even today, the problem of Chemical Warfare remains at large. Notable
cases include the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which has resulted in
the death of many civilians. Although the Assad government acceded to
the Convention on Chemical Weapons and declared its stockpile to the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the use of chlorine
and a nerve agent in Douma in 2018 and similar attacks, along with
reported North Korean assistance to an enduring Syrian chemical
weapons program suggest otherwise.
The resolution should keep in mind the current scenario of chemical
weapons and suggest clauses which would uphold and improve on the
effectiveness of the Convention.
Biological Warfare
Biological or germ weapons refer to any disease producing agent such as
bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, fungi, toxins, or other biological agents that
may be utilized as weapons against plants, animals or humans. Diseases
have been responsible for more deaths than all the employed combat
arms combined, even when they have not consciously been used as
weapons.
As of 2013, 180 States and Taiwan have signed the Biological Weapons
Convention. Under the terms of the BWC, member states are prohibited
from using biological weapons in warfare and from developing, testing,
producing, stockpiling, or deploying them.
Today, biological warfare has evolved into bioterrorism, which is defined as
the intentional release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs that can sicken
or kill people, livestock, or crops. Diseases such as Anthrax, Cholera and
Smallpox have the potential to be used as weapons for bioterrorism.
Gene-editing using CRISPR has also been featured in a list of weapons of
mass destruction and proliferation in a report titled Worldwide Threat
Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.
DISEC | Page 20 of 26 |
Assessment of the growing risk of biological weapons and suitable action
in the enforcement and improvement of the ban on these biological
weapons is the need of the hour.
*Note from the Bureau: Delegates are expected to find loopholes in the
current treaties and suggest amendments during the Vienna or the action
phase.
*Note from the Bureau: Delegates are expected to come up with
innovative measures that can be taken to stop the illegal transaction of
weapons or that can keep a check on the dark web.
DISEC | Page 21 of 26 |
Convention on Prohibitions or
Restrictions on the Use of Certain
Conventional Weapons
On October 10, 1980, the United Nations Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons was concluded in Geneva. The purpose of this
Convention is to ban or restrict the use of specific types of weapons that
are considered to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering to
combatants or to affect civilians indiscriminately. The Convention is
currently constituted by 5 protocols which are:
Protocol I: Non-Detectable Fragments
Protocol II: Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices
Protocol III: Incendiary Weapons
Protocol IV: Blinding Laser Weapons
Protocol V: Explosive Remnants of War
The international community has come to a consensus on prohibiting
these listed weapons. The most recent adoption into the Convention was
the Protocol V: Explosive Remnants of War in 2003. Since then, the world
has seen breakthroughs and technological developments at a historically
unmatched rate.
The Convention is flexible and allows for updates according to changing
scenarios and developments in science and technology. Current issues
under debate for the CCW include lethal autonomous weapons,
weaponized big data, small-caliber bullets, and anti-vehicle mines.
The aforementioned agendas face a split of opinion between nations.
Countries including the USA and The UK believe it is too early to impose a
complete ban on Lethal Autonomous Weapons. Similar debates continue
on several agendas, which allows for their continued use and puts both
civilians and military at risk.
DISEC | Page 22 of 26 |
*Note from the Bureau: The delegates are expected to not directly quote
content from the study guide. Only the solutions being discussed during
the committee should be made a part of the draft resolution..Plagiarism is
strictly not in order.
Ethical Perspectives of Scientific
Developments
Ethics are commonly defined as norms of conduct that differentiate
between good and bad, between acceptable behavior and non-
acceptable behavior. Ethical norms help promote the goals of research
such as integrity, truth and the avoidance of error. Ethical norms further
ensure that researchers are held accountable for the development and the
possible outcomes their research entails.
We can take the example of He Jianuki of the Southern University of
Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. He Jianuki was involved in
research on using CRISPR gene-editing technology on human embryo
twins, with the intention of reproduction, which is against Chinese law. He
went to the extent of forging ethical review papers and avoiding
surveillance for his research. He and his team have been widely
condemned for being irresponsible and not taking into account the
implications of his research. The fact that his research using CRISPR gene-
DISEC | Page 23 of 26 |
editing techniques could be seen as an experiment to design superior
and/or personalized designer babies, without proper research and ethical
violations caused international criticism. They have been deemed against
Chinese laws and science ethics.
The ethics of any scientific development and its research should be a
strong point of consideration for the creation of any resolution pertaining
to research and development.
Questions a Resolution Must Answer
1. Should Lethal Autonomous Weapons be internationally banned? If
not, how should accountability and safety be maintained?
2. How can current treaties and resolutions on disarmament be
updated to further increase their effectiveness?
3. What ethical regulations should be applied, if at all, on scientific
researchers and should any exceptions be made?
4. How can policies on Artificial Intelligence be created without limiting
their positive applications?
5. What specific measures must be taken in order to prevent space
from becoming the next warzone?
6. How can Artificial Intelligence be utilized for the purpose of
cybersecurity and preventing threats to data?
7. Is it possible to stop the illegal transactions on the dark web? If yes,
how?
8. How can new and developing technologies be used most effectively
for the achievement of the sustainable development goals?
DISEC | Page 24 of 26 |
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