Established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprised of all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. It also plays a significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The First Committee, Disarmament and International Security (DISEC), deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime. In our committee, delegates will debate upon the legitimacy of foreign military bases in sovereign states, and the future of armed artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

 

The first agenda item raises concern over the legitimacy of foreign military bases in sovereign states. Firstly, it is important to note that there are many conflicts of interest regarding the issue of foreign bases. There are questions linked to sovereignty of states and the “responsibility to protect”. Hence, the argument of legitimacy creates an area where it is necessary to distinguish militaristic actions of states on the basis of intent. This raises a dilemma for policymakers: Is it better to respect states right to rule and hope that they do not threaten the regional peace, or let great powers or international organizations exercise their responsibility to protect, also hoping that they do not abuse their power for their self-interest.

 

On the other hand, the second agenda item strives to minimize the potential danger that armed AI poses. AI is a branch of computer science focused on building computers and machines that can simulate intelligent behavior. AI systems can perform tasks traditionally associated with human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translating languages. AI yields both advantages and disadvantages. Nowadays, it can be argued that advantages of AI are praised, while disadvantages are somewhat ignored. One of the most critical disadvantages of AI is its potential to be included in warfare technology. The questions that this trait of AI raises like: how can we regulate the usage of armed AI technology? and how useful and safe is it to use it as a weapon? Are critical in order to ensure that humanity can make good use of the advantages of this technology.

 

Delegates in this committee will have the privilege to discuss all the aspects of international security and disarmament regarding the agenda items that are specifically picked to meet your interests by our academic team. The expectation here is to engage, cooperate and understand the depth of the situation through proper attitudes constructed with both strong and objective arguments. Hence, we encourage every delegate, regardless of their experience, to consider DISEC.