Disarmament and International Security Committee DISEC

The Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) is the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The committee concerns itself with questions of international importance regarding the security and demilitarization throughout all countries and regions, while ensuring that citizens around the globe remain protected. In particular, DISEC is concerned with the regulation of all member states’ armaments with particular care taken to work towards the UN’s goal of total disarmament. This year, the thematic topic of DISEC will be focused on the ways that states can leverage their positions of power to harm citizens abroad and domestically. Specifically, delegates will consider how to regulate tools and weapons used to harm citizens both abroad and domestically.

Topic A: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Certain biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons pose a significant threat to the delicate game of international peace and security. Commonly referred to as ‘weapons of mass destruction,’ these technologies have the potential to kill thousands in minutes which makes their regulation and total elimination of the highest priority. While the international community has come together to develop protocols to address the proliferation of these weapons, there is little doubt that continued research advancements only create greater possibilities of the development of more dangerous weapons. The use of these weapons in recent conflicts exacerbates concerns that these protocols are not heavy-handed enough to dissuade countries from their use during conflict. This topic will give delegates the opportunity to contend with the ways in which states can come together to ensure the protection of citizens around the world, particularly in areas of conflict, through regulation and disarmament.

Topic B: State-Sponsored Violence

Governments, democratic and otherwise, have wielded the tools of political, economic, and military power to enforce unjust tyranny against their own citizens. Extrajudicial arrests, forced disappearances, and violent espionage activities are some of the many ways in which governments have exploited their lofty positions to enact political agendas contrary to the will of their citizens. State-sponsored violence represents one of the highest levels of exploitation of citizens as they have no recourse when their government is actively involved in the violence they face. While many of these actions are committed under the guise of national security, citizens domestically and abroad know that these actions are taken in the interest of furthering secret agendas. No country is unscathed by the effects of state-sponsored violence. Delegates will grapple with how the international community can work together to ensure the protection of domestic citizens around the world.