Extended

Question 0

Why is arms control and disarmament a global ethical issue, and what is its relevance/importance to the global political arena?

Answer 0

• Its nature
• Disarmament and arms control have implications on sovereignty
• Disarmament seeks to change nature of global political arena
• Arms control seeks to regulate global political order

Question 1

What is the ethical issue?

Answer 1

Arms control and disarmament

Question 2

What is the ethical debate surrounding arms control versus disarmament?

Answer 2

Arms control: control number, spread, types of weapons

• Realist perspective
• Break security dilemma (state feel security is compromised if they engage in disarmament) which make reduction and control of weapons difficult
• Dual use technologies
• Do not understand why states feel insecure
• Mutual security b/w partners and stability
• Cost reduction and damage limitation
• Mutually controlled armament
• Improve security for involved parties

Disarmament: reduce or abolish armaments on a unilateral/multilateral/regional/local level

• lower number of weapons
• cosmopolitan perspective
• absence of effective verification mechanisms

Question 3

What is the ethical debate surrounding security versus proliferation? Use the Convention on Cluster Munitions as a case study.

Answer 3

Security: protection against threats to state sovereignty

• China not acceding to the CCM because of “national defence needs” - Second Meeting of States Parties Sept 2011
• Finland not signing convention in Dec 2008. CM play important role in credibility and autonomy of Finnish defence. Security concern over its border with Russia
• US: lives of military men and women, and coalition partners, at risk.
• Poland: “we need those weapons to defend our territory”

Proliferation: growth in production of banned and illegal weapons

• International humanitarian morals
• Ban Ki-Moon: changes attitudes and policies on a threat faced by all mankind
• Urging nations to accede to CCM

Question 4

Describe the response of an institution of global governance in Syria.

Answer 4

UN investigation into chemical weapons use

• March 2013: Ban Ki-Moon announced UN to begin investigation into alleged use of chemical weapons at request of Syrian authorities
• August 2013: Assad regime allow UN inspectors.
• September 2013: report on results of UN investigation. Chemical weapons used on relatively large scale and victims included civilians.

Resolution for Syria’s chemical weapon disarmament

• Resolution 2118: OPCW timeline for removal and destruction of chemical weapons. Deadline in June 2014
• Impose measures if Syria does not comply (or uses or authorises transfer of chemical agent)

Question 5

Describe the responses of states in the case study of Syria.

Answer 5

US

• Threats of military intervention
• August 2014: Obama seek authorisation on use of force from Congress for limited military strike
• Deter further chemical weapons use and uphold international norms
• “if the Assad regime turned over all of its chemical weapons to the international community ‘without delay’, a military strike could be averted”

Russia

• Agreement on removal of Syria’s chemical weapons together with US
• Detailed plan for accounting, inspection, control and elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons
• Full declaration of stockpile
• Provide OPCW and UN access to all chemical weapons sites
• Destruction of stockpile of chemical weapons

Question 6

Describe the response of a non-governmental organisation in the case study of Syria.

Answer 6

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (OPCW)

• Promotes and verifies adherence to CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention) which prohibits use of chemical weapons and requires their destruction
• “defined use of chemical weapons a taboo under international law” - 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
• OPCW-Un Joint Mission in Syria - oversee elimination of chemical weapons in safest and most secure manner

Question 7

Evaluate the responses to the case study of Syria.

Answer 7

Positive:

• Sept 2013 Assad passed decree allowing Syria to accede to CWC
• Oct 2013 OPCW confirmed Syria destroyed or rendered inoperable declared facilities for mixing and producing chemical weapons (21/23 sites invested)
• April 2014 - 92.5% of chemical weapons stockpile removed and destroyed

Negatives

• Missed timelines: 27/4 for removal of chemical weapons material. 30/6 deadline for destruction of weapons b/c logistical difficulties.
• Conventional weapons causes civilian casualties - more important, less attention.
• 42,000 casualties since chemical weapons agreement
• chemical weapons: 2000, weapons: over 100,000 casualties
• Incendiary weapons not addressed: HRW indicates at least 56 attacks from Nov 2012-Sept 2013
• 4 separate incendiary attacks deaths of 41 civilians and wounding of 71
• Syria not party to 1980 Convention in Conventional Weapons (CCW)