GIIS CONFERENCE 2023

UNSC
STUDY GUIDE
United Nations Security Council
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAIR FOREWORDS 2

INTRODUCTION TO UNSC 3

INTRODUCTION TO THE FREEZE DATE 4

KEY TERMS 5

INTRODUCTION TO THE AGENDA 7

TIMELINE 9

SCOPE OF DEBATE 15

MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS 18

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS 21

QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER (QARMA) 23

BIBLIOGRAPHY 24

FURTHER READING 28

1
Chair Foreword

Bharunishree Manikandan
Head Chair

Bharuni is an enthusiastic debater, Spotify connoisseur, and proud humanities

student. Her love for global affairs and discourse alike has created an undying
passion for debate within her, which she has built upon tremendously since
attending her very first MUN, GIIS Conference 2019 (funny, isn't it?). Her 4-year long
MUN journey, apart from equipping her with skills invaluable to her life and giving
her validation from awards, has also left her with cherished connections with fellow
debaters (including her co-chair!) and indelible memories. She hopes to give her
UNSC delegates a memorable experience that will push them further into the MUN
world and allow them to enjoy it as much as she has.

Neeti Upadhye
Co-chair

Chaos, Chemistry and Conference are the three things ruling Neeti's life right now,
but out of these three, Conference is her favourite. A lover of debate, dance, and
apparently alliteration, she can often be found fighting the constant battle between
procrastination and academic validation. From the day she gave her first speech in
a MUN, she has been hooked on debating, and she looks forward to inspiring this
same love for debate in every single one of her delegates (no one can escape).
Jokes aside, debating holds a special place in her heart, and she is beyond excited
to meet all the delegates and have an educational and fun experience.

2
Introduction to UNSC
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a division of the United Nations
(UN) and was formed in 1946. It is the primary international institution tasked with
maintaining international peace and security. This involves identifying and
addressing “threats to peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression”[1], such
as civil wars, natural disasters, and terrorism[2].

The UNSC manages global conflicts by recommending adjustment methods

to the involved parties, imposing sanctions, issuing ceasefire directives, or
establishing a peacekeeping operation[3].

Any resolution adopted by the UNSC is legally binding to all countries admitted
to the UN (UN member states), meaning that the states are obligated to
implement the resolution. The UNSC is the only UN body with the power to draft
such binding resolutions.

The UNSC consists of multiple member states, of which five states are permanent
members. These are known as the ‘P5 Nations’ and include:

1. United States of America

2. United Kingdom

3. Russian Federation

4. People’s Republic of China

5. French Republic

Veto Power
A unique feature of the UNSC is that the P5 Nations (mentioned above) have “veto
power” in the committee.

The P5 nations can use their power to veto resolutions however times they wish to.
The veto means that a country has the power to completely block a resolution from
being passed even if the rest of the committee does not agree with them. If any of
the P5 nations use their veto power, the resolution automatically fails; hence, the
outcome of the UNSC greatly depends on their stances and decisions. Countries
can only veto the final resolution but cannot veto procedural matters such as
increasing speaker time or starting an unmoderated caucus.

3
Introduction to the Freeze Date
Our committee will be travelling back in time to 17 December 2015, during the
peak of the Syrian Civil War. This date is our committee's Freeze Date.

In simple terms, a freeze date is like a "stop sign" in the timeline of events. Our
committee is set in 2015, which means everything regarding the Syrian Civil War
that occurred after 17th December 2015 has yet to happen. The committee's
discussions should be limited to events that have taken place before the freeze
date. Please do not include events after the freeze date in your position papers,
speeches or resolutions.

On 18th December 2015, the real-life UNSC unanimously passed Resolution 2254.
This resolution was a landmark agreement that set out a road map for a peace
process in Syria, created a timetable for UN-facilitated talks between Government
and opposition groups and outlined a plan for a nationwide ceasefire. Since the
freeze date is 17th December 2015, Resolution 2254 officially does not exist in our
committee, and you do not know whether it will pass in the future (regardless of
what happened in the real world). We request that you do not copy the solutions
or clauses from the resolution, as plagiarism will be severely penalised.

4
Key Terms
These are some definitions of words and phrases that are important to the
agenda; therefore, you must understand them well. If you do not comprehend a
term in the following sections, you can refer back to this section, as there is a high
chance it would have been explained in an understandable manner here.

● Civil War: A fight between organised groups with weapons that occurs within
a single country rather than between two countries.

● Sanctions: Actions that are used as punishments by organisations or

countries to force a country to obey certain rules. For example., Many
countries could stop trading with Country A if they want Country A to control
the war within their country. Country A, fearing the failure of their economy
due to this, would take steps to eliminate the war and regain the countries as
trade partners. This is a type of sanction called trade sanction. Other
sanctions used by the UNSC include travel bans and financial restrictions.

● Arab Spring: In the early 2010s, opposition against the governments of Arab
countries (like Egypt and Tunisia) in the form of both violent and non-violent
protests spread. This was referred to as the Arab Spring.

● Ceasefire: A situation when the parties of a conflict agree to stop fighting for
a particular period of time. It is like a time-out in the conflict.

● Chemical Weapons: Toxic substances used to cause death or harm to

humans. Eg: Mustard Gas, VX, Sarin Gas.

● Caliphate: A type of Islamic government in which a single religious and

political leader (called a caliph) rules the region.

● Siege: A mission where an army surrounds a town or building and restricts

access to necessities such as food and water. This deprivation of necessities
is meant to force the people inside the region to surrender to the army.

● Airstrike: When military aircraft (such as fighter jets and bombers) are used
to attack a target. This is often done by dropping bombs or firing missiles
aiming at targets on the ground. Airstrikes are used in wars to weaken
opposing parties.

● ISIS: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a terrorist organisation that
uses violent methods to fulfil its aim to create its own nation based on a
strict form of Islam. It is also known as ISIL or Daesh.

● Extremism: Holding strong beliefs that the rest of society would not consider

5
 the norm. This differs from terrorism as it is related to belief, while terrorism
would include taking violent action on said extremist beliefs.

● Peacekeeping Operation: Organized activities aimed to make a

conflict-stricken region more stable. The UNSC does this by sending troops
or observers (known as the UN peacekeeping forces) to these regions to
maintain order, safeguard civilians, and help restore a peaceful community.

● Sunni Muslims: Sunni Muslims believe that the leader of the Islamic
community should be chosen through election, with the community's
agreement.

● Shia Muslims: Shia Muslims believe leaders should be chosen through the
designation of a higher power, like a divine being. This group is the religious
minority in Syria. The leader of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, belongs to this group.

6
Introduction to the Agenda
The Syrian Civil War is a conflict between the Syrian Arab Republic and numerous
organisations and countries, both from within the country (domestic) and outside
(international). These parties in the war oppose the Syrian government and, in
some cases, oppose each other[4].

The war’s origins stemmed from frustration with the rule of the Syrian President,
Bashar-Al-Assad (We also refer to his rule in the country as the “Assad regime” or
“Assad government” in this study guide). Members of the Al-Assad family are part
of the Shia-Alawite religious minority but have held prominent positions of power
in the government of a country where most of the people are Sunni Muslims[5].
Assad succeeded his father and became President in 2000, bringing the Syrian
people hopes of economic and political reforms. He had the reputation of a
reformer who would bring about modern changes. However, these aspirations
were refuted as he implemented excessive censorship, violence, and policies that
only strengthened the country’s upper class[6].

Assad’s policies led to the people of Syria being aggravated by a lack of job
opportunities, high corruption, and little political freedom[7], which ignited the fight
for a democratic government. When the Arab Spring began in 2011, the overthrow
of the governments of Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, similar to the Syrian government,
encouraged Syrian activists hoping for democracy to rise against the government.
The arrest of a few teenagers who supported the Arab Spring by the Syrian
government prompted protests, which then spiralled into a civil war.

The war has intensified over time as many rebel groups, terrorist organisations, and
governments of other countries have gotten involved in the conflict. Two of the
many groups involved include the Free Syrian Army (FSA) — an army made of
rebels from the official Syrian army, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) — a
terrorist organisation[8]. Many countries are involved in the war as well. Russia and
Iran have backed the Syrian government. On the other hand, many Western
nations and some Gulf countries support various opposition groups. Additionally,
countries such as the US oppose ISIS, with the US having formed an international
alliance to fight its influence in Syria.

The war has also caused a gruesome impact on ordinary people— civilians. 2015,
the year of our freeze death, saw more than 55000 deaths, with 21000 of these
being the deaths of civilians. These deaths brought the total death toll of the
conflict to exceed a whopping 250,000[9]. Moreover, the UNHRC estimated that in

7
2015, the conflict had produced 4.9 million refugees[10]. These astounding figures
have led to the Syrian Civil War being titled the worst humanitarian crisis of this
century by many human rights organisations [11].

Delegates of the UNSC are recommended to act to conclude a ceasefire proposal to

the war at this crucial time in its history; in the course of doing so, discuss the
significant aspects of the rise of extremist groups, the use of chemical weapons,
and the humanitarian crisis which concern the agenda.

1
Refugees: People who are no longer safe in their home country and must thus escape due
to threats of danger.

8
Timeline
This section elaborates on some of the main events that are relevant to the topic
at hand. This is an important section as it provides insight into how the war
progressed, and many of the events here may be crucial to discussion in
committee.

Month and Major Events Description

Year

2010 Protests ignite across ‘Arab Spring’ refers to a series of

the Middle East anti-government uprisings that spread
through Arab nations.

During these protests, the authoritarian2

governments of Tunisia and Egypt were
overturned, encouraging Syrian
pro-democracy activists to rise against
the government themselves.

March 2011 Protests escalated in Some teenagers in the city of Daraa

Syria painted revolutionary slogans in
support of the Arab Spring. They were
arrested and subsequently tortured.

As a result, locals launched peaceful

protests in a campaign for political and
economic reforms. Syrian security forces
responded with mass arrests and
violent opposition, which led the
protests to turn into a militarised
rebellion.

July 2011 Formation of FSA and Defectors3 from the Syrian Army formed
the ‘Free Syrian Army’(FSA), a rebel

2
Authoritarian: A regime in which a single person is in control and demands that the people obey
completely. In this type of regime, people are not given the freedom to speak and act in the way they
wish.
3
Defectors: It refers to a person who leaves their country, political party, or other group, and joins an
opposing country, party, or group. In this context it refers to people who left the Syrian Army to join the
FSA.

9
 SNC group to overthrow the Syrian
government. They tried to lead the
opposition forces that were fighting
with the Syrian government; however,
their efforts were not recognised by
local militias4.

Meanwhile, the Syrian National Council

(SNC) was formed in Istanbul, which
was considered the official
representative of the opposition against
the Assad regime.

November The first attempt to The first attempt by the international

2011 calm the crisis by the community to curb the conflict was
Arab League made by the ‘Arab League’5. It proposed
a plan that called on the Syrian
government to end violence against
protestors, remove tanks and armoured
vehicles from the cities, and release
prisoners held for their political actions.

The Syrian government initially agreed,

but they soon breached the
agreement[12], continuing to use
violence to suppress rebellions, which
led to the deaths of roughly 300
people[13].

The Arab League urged Syria to execute

the peace plan before November 16th.
However, when Syria failed to do so, the
League was forced to suspend Syria’s
membership.

December The second attempt The next attempt by the Arab League
2011 to calm the crisis by included a delegation of monitors being
sent to monitor the implementation of a

4
Militias: a body of citizen soldiers. In this context, it refers to armed rebel groups, which are different
from professional soldiers of the country’s army or military.
5
Arab League: An alliance between 22 Arab countries.

10
 the Arab League new peace plan. However, this was
withdrawn as there were concerns over
the safety of the monitors.

February Al-Qaeda Chief Calls The chief of the militant organisation

2012 for Recruits to Jabhat Al-Qaeda called on Sunni Muslims
al-Nusra around the region to enter a jihad
(meaning ‘struggle’ in Islam) to go
against the Assad regime.

In this way, the official Al-Qaeda

associate in Syria, Jabhat-al-Nusra, was
strengthened with new recruits from
foreign countries. This helped it gain
battlefield victories over other
opposition groups[14].

March 2012, Kofi Annan’s proposed The UN Special Envoy made another
ceasefire broke down. ceasefire attempt for Syria at that time,
Mr Kofi Annan. The plan requested a
Syrian-led process to tackle public
demands, provision of humanitarian aid,
freedom to peaceful protests, and,
importantly, a UN-supervised ceasefire.
Syria initially agreed to it, but both the
government and the opposition soon
breached the ceasefire[15].

July 2012 Refugee crisis In July, the eastern half of the city of
worsens. Aleppo[16] was captured by opposition
groups. In response to this, the forces of
the Assad regime attacked highly
populated regions violently.

This caused approximately one million

to run away, and another half million
were displaced in east Aleppo within
the first year of the war.

August The US recommends At this point, the use of chemical

11
2012 war actors to prevent weapons became an important point of
chemical weapons discussion. Then, US President Mr.
usage. Barack Obama warned the Syrian
government and other groups involved
to avoid the usage of chemical
weapons.

May 2013 Hezbollah enters the Hezbollah is a militant group that first
war emerged during Lebanon’s civil war
after the Israeli invasion of that country
in 1982. Hezbollah is backed by Iran and
officially entered the Syrian conflict in
support of the Assad regime in May
2013[17]. They attacked and captured the
border town of Qusair in Syria.
Hezbollah also helped the Assad regime
achieve control of rebel-captured
regions in central Syria, greatly helping
pro-regime forces[18].

August Damascus chemical The involvement of chemical weapons

2013 weapon attack. in the conflict deepened with this
incident.

Hundreds were killed by a chemical

weapons attack in Damascus, allegedly
carried out by the Assad regime’s
forces[19]. This caused the use of
chemical weapons to become a matter
of prime focus.

To combat this, the US, Russia, and Syria

agreed to a plan allowing international
control over Syria’s chemical weapons
stockpile. Syria agreed to destroy or
surrender all its chemical weaponry.

October Syria agrees to reduce In October, the Joint organisation for

2013 chemical weapon the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
usage with the aid of stated that Assad had complied with a

12
 international actors. deadline to destroy chemical weapons
production facilities[20].

June 2014 ISIS declared itself a Here, ISIS’s part in the war becomes
caliphate, deepening significant.
its involvement in the
war. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, announced the
establishment of a caliphate spread
across Syria and Iraq. He declared
himself the leader and rebranded the
movement as the “Islamic State.”

September The worsening ISIS moved into the Syrian town of

2014 humanitarian and Kobani, situated on the border of
refugee crisis. Syria-Turkey. This led to thousands of
people fleeing to Turkey, which
worsened the situation in border
camps.

The UNHCR announced that over 3

million civilians had become refugees
since the conflict began.

September A coalition was The US reported the creation of a broad

2014 formed by the US to international coalition to defeat ISIS. It
fight ISIS forces. also began its first airstrikes against ISIS
in Syria by the end of the month[21].

January Traces of Chemical Samples taken by the Organisation for

2015 weapons resurface. the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in
December 2014 and January 2015
showed traces of undeclared Sarin6 and
VX gas7 at a military facility in Syria. This
went against the prior claim of Syria
that all chemical weapons had been

6
Sarin: Sarin is one of the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents. It is generally odorless and
tasteless. Exposure to sarin can cause death in minutes.
7
VX gas: VX is a nerve agent that stops muscles from contracting. This eventually leads people to
become tired and stop breathing.

13
 destroyed as of 2013[22].

June 2015 ISIS involvement In June, rebel groups removed ISIS from
deepens. the border town of Tal Abyad,
undermining their position. ISIS then
advanced onto the city of Kobani, but
they were blocked by the rebel group of
Kurdish forces, as well as by U.S-led
airstrikes.

September Russia launches Russia’s military intervention in the war

2015 airstrikes in Syria. began. The country launched its first
airstrikes in the war, targeting the
presence of ISIS in Syria (They referred
to it as a “war against terrorism). As ISIS
weakened, the conflict swayed in favour
of Assad.

2015 Iran supports the ISSG The International Syrian Support Group,
ceasefire. consisting of 17 countries, as well as the
UN, the European Union, and the Arab
League, came together. It discussed a
cease-fire and facilitated negotiations
between the Syrian government and
the opposition forces.

Iran, a key ally of the Assad regime in

the war, also participated in this,
making it a significant ceasefire
attempt.

14
Scope of Debate
These are some of the major aspects that might be discussed in the committee.
Delegates are encouraged to research extensively on these; however, they are
entirely open to bringing about other sections of the war to be discussed as well.

Discussing the usage of chemical weapons

Since the beginning of the conflict until 2015, 161 chemical weapon attacks have
taken place, with the death toll in the thousands[23]. Despite Syria claiming to have
destroyed all chemical weapons in their possession, traces of undeclared Sarin and
VX (types of toxic chemical weapons) were later discovered at military bases in
2015[24]. A joint investigation by the Organisation for the Provision of Chemical
Weapons (OPWC) and the UN further revealed Syria and ISIS were responsible for
numerous chemical weapons attacks over several years. Moreover, in 2015, it was
revealed that the Syrian government had used toxic chemicals in bomb attacks in
Idlib, a region in northwestern Syria. 2015, with 69 attacks, was the year with the
most number of chemical weapon attacks in the country.

Delegates of the UNSC should discuss the Syrian government’s constant lack of
adherence to agreements to stop using chemical weapons, as well as the adverse
effects of their continued usage of such weapons. The sources of this weaponry and
the part played by international countries in combating the usage of the weapons
can also be discussed (For instance, the viability of opposing nations like the USA
and Russia coming together to fight this issue).

Combating Extremism with a Focus on ISIS

The Syrian civil war involves several extremist groups, the most significant of which
is ISIS. ISIS declared itself a caliphate in 2014, with the aim of expanding its territory
and combining all of the Middle East into a single state governed by ISIS’s rigid
interpretation of Islamic Law. Of all the terrorist organisations in the world, ISIS is
the richest[25], garnering its finance from various sources, including financial
institutions in Iraq and Syria. Moreover, ISIS uses social media and
extensively-spread propaganda to influence and recruit soldiers for their cause.

When discussing ISIS (or similar organisations), delegates have to take into account

15
the widespread impact of ISIS’ attacks on the lives of Syrian people, including the
casualties caused. To show a taste of the issue at hand, the organisation carried out
more than 900 attacks in the country in 2014 alone, each causing thousands of
deaths. Delegates could also debate the stances taken by various countries on the
terrorist organisation, especially regarding their funding, which can be a
contentious point of discussion. Some countries have been known to buy oil from
ISIS, which directly funds their organisation and allows them to continue their
operations. Another point of discussion, especially relevant to the Islamic countries
in the UNSC, could be based on ISIS’s ideology, which is based on its interpretation
of Islamic law and how it has influenced their actions in the war.

Debating the Drawbacks of Prior Ceasefires

From the beginning of the war, multiple attempts had been made by various
international organisations and countries to negotiate to settle the conflict.
Ceasefire attempts by the UNSC have also been attempted, of which the significant
ones include Kofi Annan’s ceasefire proposal as it focused on multiple aspects of
the issue, and most recently, the ISSG ceasefire plan that has just passed in
December 2015 and is yet to take effect. Alongside these, there have been
region-specific ceasefire attempts, often referred to as ‘humanitarian-pauses’,
which intend for the fighting to pause to provide humanitarian assistance to
affected civilians, though they often did not last.

Thus, the delegates of the UNSC are recommended to debate on why prior
ceasefires failed. While debating, before a solution is reached, the focus could be
debating why the Syrian government and opposition groups are failing to comply
with ceasefires.

Addressing the humanitarian and refugee crisis

The humanitarian crisis refers to the obstruction faced by a large number of

Syrian civilians in accessing necessities such as food, clean water, or shelter as a
result of the conflict. Similarly, the refugee crisis refers to the issues and struggles
faced by the large number of Syrian civilians being displaced to other countries in
dangerous circumstances.

As of 2015, Syria's humanitarian and refugee crises had severely deepened. Syria
was one of the nations most affected by forced displacement in 2015, with close to

16
5 million Syrian refugees globally by the end of 2015, an added 1 million people
since 2014. The refugees were housed in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.
However, implementing measures to reduce the entry of refugees within many of
these nations worsened their plight. Additionally, the imposition of sieges in Syria,
the lack of security for humanitarian workers, and the government's actions that
blocked aid from other countries into Syria made it difficult to assist civilians.

Considering the dire situation, the delegates of the UNSC must engage in
discussion to identify the major obstacles facing humanitarian and refugee aid in
Syria and debate the involvement of various countries in providing aid to civilians
and refugees in Syria. This does not only have to include the provision of basic
necessities but also a discussion about rebuilding essential infrastructure, such as
hospitals, which had been destroyed during the attacks.

17
Major Stakeholders
These are nations in the committee that are important players in the war, having
steered the course of the conflict. These countries are important to the conflict,
but other delegates are encouraged to look at the stances, allies and ideologies
of their own countries when trying to reach resolutions.

Syria
The main cause of the Syrian civil war is the internal conflict within the country.
The frustrations held by Syrians with President Assad’s rule escalated the conflict
into a full-scale civil war in the first place. As the war progressed, The Syrian
government’s forces were accused of using chemical weapons in attack against
civilians while trying to curb the opposition groups. The government has, in a
controversial manner, denied the allegations and instead agreed to international
conventions to eliminate their weaponry. Amid the conflict, Syria has also faced
the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS, which could threaten the nation’s
human rights situation and government stability.

When considering the various actions of the Syrian government during the war, it
can be deduced that the government hopes to maintain the rule of President
Bashar-Al-Assad, crush opposition groups, and gain support internationally,
especially from its allies of Russia and Iran.

Russia
Russia has stood behind the government of Syria and Bashar Al-Assad, supporting
its efforts against rebel groups. The nation has used its veto power on multiple
occasions against resolutions regarding the situation in Syria. In September 2013,
Russia played an instrumental role in creating the framework for eliminating
Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. A point of contention here is that the US
claims that Russia has since not lived up to its commitments[26]. This is because
there have been reports that the Syrian government has concealed its chemical
weapons and that all of them have not yet been surrendered or destroyed, which
Russia was partially responsible for.

Arguably, Russia’s most crucial role in the war has been the airstrikes it has
launched against ISIS and other rebel groups fighting against the Assad
government[27]. In this way, Russia has contributed to the fight against the
opposition groups and continues to support the Assad regime in its fight to bring
down rebel groups. Additionally, the airstrikes conducted by Russia in Syria are one
of the most recent significant events in the war before our freeze date.

18
Iran
Iran has strongly supported the Assad regime since the conflict began,
emphasising the need to preserve Syria’s independence. State media in Iran and
Syria have confirmed that since 2011, Iran has provided Syria with over $4 billion in
credit, alongside military aid and intellectual power to defeat the opposition
forces[28].

Iran’s involvement is an example of proxy engagement. Proxy engagement refers to

a country’s involvement in a conflict, not through its army, but rather through the
various groups it supports. For instance, Iran has extensively supported Hezbollah,
whose fighters have been used extensively to support the government in Syria.

Iran has many strategic interests in preserving the Assad regime. Being a
Shia-Muslim majority country, the country supports the Assad regime, which is led
by the Shia-Muslim minority (to which Bashar-Al-Assad belongs) in Syria. A stable
Syria ensures Iran's access to its allies in Lebanon and helps balance the
Sunni-majority states that are often critical of Iran.

USA
The US strongly condemned the Assad regime for its authoritarian rule and
supported many groups against the Assad regime. In February 2013, the country
began providing non-lethal aid to various opposition groups, such as the Free
Syrian Army (FSA)[29]. The US has stated that deploying chemical weapons is a line
that, if crossed, could mean serious consequences[30]. As evident, the US is strongly
against using chemical weapons by the Syrian government and agreed to a
framework in 2013 with Russia and Syria aiming to destroy Syria’s chemical
weapons stockpile.

The U.S., although supportive of many groups in the opposition, like the Free Syrian
Army (FSA), is strongly against ISIS. ISIS is seen as its main enemy in the war[31]. In
September 2014, at the initiative of the US, a global coalition was formed against
ISIS and was joined by 86 nations. Its main goal was to dismantle terrorist networks
and counter the global ambitions of ISIS. The US has also launched various air
strikes targeting the presence of ISIS in Syria.

The US supports the demands of opposition groups, having supplied arms and
ammunition alongside training to them through the CIA, and has been a vocal
opponent of the Assad government. However, it mainly focuses on mitigating the
presence of ISIS and extremism in Syria.

19
Turkey
Turkey has supported various rebel groups from the opposition side seeking to
overthrow the Assad regime. For instance, the Turkish government established a
base for the Free Syrian Army (FSA)[32] and other opposition forces, allowing them
to organise, train, and launch operations from its territory. These actions align with
Turkey's policy of promoting Sunni-Muslim influence, the majority ethnic group in
Syria and weakening the Assad government, which belongs to the Shia-Muslim
minority in Syria.

Turkey has conflicts with the Kurdish8 groups in its own country, influencing its
stance in the war as they are against the Kurdish forces in Syria. Turkey is against
both the Kurdish forces and ISIS, but this makes for a conflicting stance, as the
Kurdish forces are also against ISIS. Turkey has also joined the US-led global
coalition against ISIS. Essentially, Turkey is majorly against the Assad Regime, ISIS,
and the Kurdish forces.

8
Kurdish people: An ethnic group in the Middle-East, without a state. They inhabit a mountainous region
that is located along the border of Turkey and a few other countries.

20
Possible Solutions
These are broad ways in which you can address the various problems of the
conflict. Do note that you will have to go into detail and find concrete ways to
address the problems using the aspects mentioned in this section as a stepping
stone to doing so. These solutions could be discussed keeping in mind the end goal
of possibly reaching a comprehensive, practical ceasefire agreement, though that
is up to the delegates of the committee.

Solidifying Global Cooperation

Many countries, parties, groups and associations were involved in the Civil War,
each with their own stances and ideologies. This divide between groups makes it
difficult to unite against larger threats such as growing extremism and other crises.
Major powers and countries must cooperate to conduct diplomatic talks between
the government and opposition groups to reach ceasefire agreements. The
violence in the country has led to widespread humanitarian displacement.

Countries of the UNSC can coordinate with humanitarian organisations and

governments of other countries to deliver aid to those in need and help refugees.
Additionally, cooperation between countries is required to address issues regarding
chemical weapons, where countries will have to work together to uncover a
method to monitor and regulate the supply and trade of chemical weapons in Syria
to eliminate their use.

Curbing funding to ISIS and similar terrorist organisations

ISIS is the richest terrorist organisation in the world, worth $2 billion as of 2015. The
Islamic State’s funding comes from many sources, like the trade of vital oil and gas
resources, taxation of its local populace, illegal drug trading, and the looting of its
captured territories. Since ISIS is not recognised as a country, sanctions cannot be
used to weaken its economy. Illegal trade through gateways, such as through the
southern corridor of Turkey, has also contributed to terrorism.

UNSC can target shutting down ISIS’s sources, thereby putting a blockade on its
efforts to promote terrorism and form its own Islamic state[33].

21
Imposing sanctions

As explained previously, sanctions refer to penalties that intend to pressure

countries, organisations, or individuals to change their actions. The UNSC often
uses sanctions to get conflicting parties to adhere to their resolutions. As such,
sanctions have been used previously for conflict resolution in this war, often
targeted at individuals and entities involved with the Syrian government and
supporters of armed groups. However, a significant challenge UNSC faces is that
sanctions must be adopted through UNSC resolutions, which can easily be vetoed
and thus rejected by countries whose interests do not align with the sanctions.
This severely reduces their efficiency in combating the conflict.

Thus, the members of the committee should discuss the viability of imposing
sanctions on parties in the war that engage in violence against civilians or in the
use of chemical weapons, which are some of the major aspects that need to be
combatted. Delegates can negotiate how to decide on the implementation of
sanctions for the improvement of the situation as a whole while also keeping in
mind the stance of their countries on the same.

Establishing clear channels to provide aid to refugees and

affected citizens

Changing territories, violence, and restricted ways for aid workers to access some
areas make it difficult to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria. It is essential to identify
methods to provide humanitarian aid without disruption faced by the aid workers
to resolve the humanitarian and refugee crisis in the war. The UNSC could do this
by establishing methods to ensure the safe passage of civilians, the delivery of
humanitarian aid, and to prevent air strikes from taking place on innocent civilians.

The council also needs to identify how restrictions placed on the entry of refugees
into other countries can be overcome to strike a balance between the capabilities
of the host country and the needs of the Syrian refugees. To do this, delegates may
discuss suggesting limits that can be applied to refugees in the countries where
they seek asylum9, keeping in mind the stances of their own countries for the
same.

9
Asylum: In this context, it refers to a place or country the refugees can flee to in order to escape the
conflict in their nation.

22
QARMA (Questions A Resolution Must Answer)

These are some aspects that we expect you to find solutions to during debate and
input in your final draft resolution. While researching, you can use these as a base
to develop your own solutions to bring up in committee.

1. How will the international community resolve the agenda?

2. Is military intervention by the council in Syria feasible, and if so, how must
the council approach it?

3. How will the council take action against state sponsors of terrorism?

4. How will the council take action against parties that use chemical weapons
in the war?

5. How must the council minimise the unintended consequences (such as the
fall in income and subsequent failure of the Syrian economy if sanctions are
imposed) of the proposed solutions in any resolutions brought forward to
the committee?

6. If imposed, what forms of sanctions must exist to act as effective solutions

to the agenda?

23
Bibliography
This section provides the numerous sources we used to compile this study guide.
You are free to use them as a starting point for your own research. However, note
that you might not use all of these and would rather need to use country-specific
sources to understand your country’s specific stance on the issue.

(1) “United Nations Security Council.” Parliamentarians for Global Action -

Mobilizing Legislators as Champions for Human Rights, Democracy
and a Sustainable World.,
www.pgaction.org/ilhr/rome-statute/unsc.html#:~:text=Under%20Chap
ter%20VII%20of%20the. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(2) CFR . “The UN Security Council.” Council on Foreign Relations, 12 Aug.

2021, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/un-security-council.

(3) “United Nations Security Council |.” Www.un.org,

www.un.org/securitycouncil/#:~:text=The%20Security%20Council%20h
as%20primary.

(4) AL JAZEERA. “Syria’s War Explained from the Beginning.”

Www.aljazeera.com, Al Jazeera, 14 Apr. 2018,
www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/4/14/syrias-war-explained-from-the-beg
inning.

(5) The Guardian. “The War in Syria Explained in Five Minutes | Guardian
Animations.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 18 Sept. 2013,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5H5w3_QTG0.

(6) Britannica. “Syrian Civil War | Facts & Timeline.” Encyclopædia Britannica,
6 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Syrian-Civil-War.

(7) “Syria: Between Oppression and Freedom.” Www.ifimes.org,

www.ifimes.org/en/researches/syria-between-oppression-and-freedom
/3325.

(8) “What Is Happening with the Syrian Civil War? Syrian Civil War Explained
| Syrian Conflict Explained.” Www.youtube.com,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ZVV-6FrAs.

(9) Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. “Death Toll in Syria Tops 55,000 in 2015 |

24
 DW | 01.01.2016.” DW.COM,
www.dw.com/en/death-toll-in-syria-tops-55000-in-2015/a-18953548.

(10) UNHCR. “UNHCR Global Trends 2015.” UNHCR, 2015,

www.unhcr.org/media/unhcr-global-trends-2015.

(11) Encyclopedia Britannica , The Editors. “What Has Been the Humanitarian
Impact of the Syrian Civil War? | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com,
www.britannica.com/question/What-has-been-the-humanitarian-imp
act-of-the-Syrian-Civil-War.

(12) The Arab League. “No: 255, 13 November, Press Release Regarding the
Decision Taken by the Arab League about Syria on 12 November /
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Mfa.gov.tr, 2023,
www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-255_-13-november_-press-release-regarding-the-d
ecision-taken-by-the-arab-league-about-syria-on-12-november.en.mfa.
Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(13) Batty, David, and Jack Shenker. “Syria Suspended from Arab League.”
The Guardian, 12 Nov. 2011,
www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/12/syria-suspended-arab-league.

(14) Laub, Zachary. “Syria’s War and the Descent into Horror.” Council on
Foreign Relations, 14 Feb. 2023, www.cfr.org/article/syrias-civil-war.

(15) Yacoubian, Mona. “Syria Timeline: Since the Uprising against Assad.”
United States Institute of Peace, 1 Jan. 2021,
www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad.

(16) The Associated Press. “A Look at Key Events in Syria’s Aleppo since March
2011.” AP News, 14 Dec. 2016,
apnews.com/article/300da72a31284420810e1ba9ebef2052. Accessed 31
Aug. 2023.

(17) ---. “War’s Timeline as Syrians Mark 10 Years since Uprising Began.” AP
NEWS, 20 Apr. 2021,
apnews.com/article/turkey-islamic-state-group-migration-bashar-assa
d-syria-c928ec068b59ea33d54018d796382969.

(18) O'bagy, Elizabeth. MIDDLE EAST SECURITY REPORT 9. 2013,

www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/The-Free-Syrian-Army-2
4MAR.pdf.

25
(19) Human Rights Watch. “Attacks on Ghouta | Analysis of Alleged Use of
Chemical Weapons in Syria.” Human Rights Watch, 10 Sept. 2013,
www.hrw.org/report/2013/09/10/attacks-ghouta/analysis-alleged-use-c
hemical-weapons-syria.

(20) Evans, Dominic. “Syria Meets Deadline to Destroy Chemical Production

Facilities.” Reuters, 31 Oct. 2013,
www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-chemical/syria-meets-deadline-
to-destroy-chemical-production-facilities-idUSBRE99U08N20131031.
Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(21) Whitlock, Craig. “U.S. Begins Airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria.”
Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2023,
www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-begins-airstrikes
-against-islamic-state-in-syria/2014/09/22/8b677e26-42b3-11e4-b437-1a
7368204804_story.html?utm_term=.073a16faff0b. Accessed 31 Aug.
2023.

(22) Deutsch, Anthony. “Exclusive: Weapons Inspectors Find Undeclared

Sarin and vx Traces in Syria - Diplomats.” Reuters, 8 May 2015,
www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-chemicals-exclus-idUS
KBN0NT1YR20150508. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(23) A NEW NORMAL Ongoing Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria a NEW

NORMAL. 2016,
www.sams-usa.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/A-New-Normal_Ongoi
ng-Chemical-Weapons-Attacks-in-Syria.compressed.pdf. Accessed 6
Aug. 2023.

(24) Arms Control Association. “Timeline of Syrian Chemical Weapons

Activity, 2012-2019 | Arms Control Association.” Armscontrol.org, 2012,
www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Timeline-of-Syrian-Chemical-Weapo
ns-Activity.

(25) Papers, Research, and Terrorist Groups. Terrorist Group: ISIS |

Counterterrorism Ethics.
counterterrorismethics.tudelft.nl/terrorist-group-isis/#:~:text=5.1%20So
urces%20of%20Funding. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(26) Russia, U. S. Mission. “Remarks on Russia’s Responsibility for the

Ongoing Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria.” U.S. Embassy &

26
 Consulates in Russia, 24 Jan. 2018,
ru.usembassy.gov/remarks-russias-responsibility-ongoing-use-chemic
al-weapons-syria/#:~:text=In%20so%20doing%2C%20Russia%20assume
d. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(27) Petkova, Mariya. “What Has Russia Gained from Five Years of Fighting in
Syria?” Www.aljazeera.com, 1 Oct. 2020,
www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/1/what-has-russia-gained-from-fi
ve-years-of-fighting-in-syria.

(28) Sadjadpour, Karim. Carnegie, 9 June 2014,

carnegieendowment.org/2014/06/09/iran-syria-s-lone-regional-ally-pu
b-55834.

(29) Sullivan, Marisa. “Institute for the Study of War.” Institute for the Study of
War, understandingwar.org/report/hezbollah-syria. Accessed 31 Aug.
2023.

(30) Obama, Barack. “Remarks by the President to the White House Press
Corps.” Whitehouse.gov, 20 Aug. 2012,
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/20/remarks-pr
esident-white-house-press-corps.

(31) Vox. “Syria’s War: Who Is Fighting and Why.” Www.youtube.com, 7 Apr.
2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFpanWNgfQY-. Accessed 31 Aug.
2023.

32) Holmes, Oliver. “UPDATE 2-Rebel Free Syrian Army Leaders Move from
Turkey to Syria.” Reuters, 22 Sept. 2012,
www.reuters.com/article/syria-crisis-idINL5E8KM2U520120922.
Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

(33) “Money Matters: Sources of ISIS’ Funding and How to Disrupt Them.”
CGSRS | Centre for Geopolitics & Security in Realism Studies, 25 Oct.
2015, cgsrs.org/publications/27.

27
Further reading
These are more sources that were not used in this study guide, but could still
aid your research.

1. Conflict in Syria | Global Conflict Tracker - This provides a useful overview on

the war as a whole. Please ignore the “Recent Developments” section as
these events take place after our freeze date.

2. Resolution 2254 - This is Resolution 2254 which was mentioned in our

“Introduction to Freeze Date” section. While we have made it clear that you
cannot plagiarise from this resolution, it covers various aspects of the conflict,
and thus you can take inspiration for solutions from here. It is also great just
to understand how the real-life UNSC feels about the issue, and serves as an
example of a draft resolution.

3. Syria: Events of 2015 [EN/AR] - Syrian Arab Republic | ReliefWeb - This helps
you understand the major events of 2015, the year of our freeze date. These
can be brought up and significantly discussed in committee according to
delegates’ wishes.

4. https://www.britannica.com/event/Syrian-Civil-War/Uprising-in-Syria-2011 -
This is useful to understand the timeline of events since 2011. You can ignore
anything mentioned after 2015.

5. Facts & Figures: Syria refugee crisis & international resettlement - This could
be useful to understand the refugee crisis, an important aspect of debate
that we will focus on. It helps you understand the impact of the crisis.

6. Timeline of Syrian Chemical Weapons Activity, 2012-2022 | Arms Control

Association - This is essential to comprehending the role of Chemical
Weapons in the civil war, which is also something we will be exploring in
committee.

28