During the sixth session of debates, a motion proposed by France prompted the press to leave the session.
Augusto Araújo
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) started GOMUN’s second day of debates this Saturday (24). The discussions about conflicts and the possibility of a ceasefire in Myanmar were one of the main topics approached in the fourth round of debates.
The delegate of the People’s Republic of China highlighted that the UNSC should focus their attention on East Asia to fight against the humanitarian crises the region is facing. Norway’s Delegation brought a document appointing the misery situation in Myanmar and the lack of sanitary protection for the country’s population during the COVID-19 crises. The text attended information on the shortage of masks for the families use and the exploration of policemen in the country.
Myanmar’s representatives respond to Norway’s accusations by ensuring that they are doing the best they can to combat the Coronavirus crisis, but they are also facing an economic crisis. She assumed that the tone used by Norway’s representative was aggressive and pointed that out during her speech. The Philippines’ delegate supported Norway’s position, stating that she wasn’t being offensive and only showing facts of the reality in Myanmar.
The Russian proposal to create an international fund and factory for vaccines has been approved by the UNSC. Malaysia was chosen by the council members to be the headquarters of the international vaccine factory due to its strategic location, surpassing Vietnam, which was one of the options raised by Russia. China supported the idea of locating the base of the UNSC task force in the Malaysian country.
At the sixth session of UNSC’s debate, the US Delegate affirmed that the country is willing to review the sanctions over Myanmar’s regime. At the moment, the Asian country is suffering from financial embargoes inflicted by the North American government. However, Myanmar’s authority would have to change the way they treat their population and the rebel armed groups. The Russian representative expressed that any military sanction should not be imposed on other countries and the current coercive measures should end.
Throughout the debate, the news of a bombing in a refugee camp in the Philippines, promoted by their own National Forces, shook the UNSC. The delegate of France raised a motion to close the session for the press, and since any country voted against it the press was expelled from the meeting. Journalists could only return at the discussion’s final moments.
At the last session of the day, Myanmar’s representative indicated that the government is worried about economic sanctions over its nation. She also said that the violence in the country could only be faced if Myanmar was free from the embargoes. When questioned by the People’s Daily, Myanmar’s Delegate stressed that withdrawing the sanctions was crucial for establishing the conditions to assist its own population.
