List for the theme : Iran's nuclear deal

Wednesday, October 14th

Iran : Lucas Nicoletti, Charlotte Touvet, Clémence Rameau, Florian Mariani

Israel : Solène Kendem, Pierre Coquelle, Raphaël Amzallag, Gaetan Tixeront

Russia : Théophile Jourdain de Muizon, Théo Moy, Arthur Roux de Bézieux, Guillaume Chamaly

United States : Emmanuel Sassi, Jules Moutou, Ziryab Idir

United Kingdom :Théo Roux de Bézieux, Julien Alexandre, Manon Vuaillat, Emma

China : Estelle Cocchi, Laura Rinker, Rida Lebbos, Louis Cochin

France : Nina Chambaud, Inès Bermaki, Clémentine Mariani, Ema Vavre

Germany : Roxane de Beaucorps, Axelle Vanneaud, Pauline Verger, Camille Gho

European Union : Louise Bigot, Emma Migault, Lou Régé Turo, Mademoiselle Vénière (désolé, je n'ai pas réussi à lire ton prénom, toutes mes excuses).

Iran's nuclear deal on July, 14th 2015

I. Location of Iran

- Capital city: Tehran

-  Area: 1 648 195 km²

-  Population: 78.9 million of inhabitants

- National language: Persian 

- National religion: Islam (90% Shiites). Iran groups 40% of the Shiites of the world.

- The government: the Shiites are (over-) dominant. Ali Khamenei is the most powerful religious and political man in Iran (called the "ayatollah", both political and religious supreme leader).

- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the ancient president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a very conservative politician, who refused diplomatic relations with the West for years; Hassan Rohani is the current president since 2013 (the latter is considered as being far more flexible and moderate).

- Economic status: Iran stands among the biggest petrol and gas producers. It still undergoes American and European Union (since 1^st July 2012) embargos. Consequently, imports are significantly reduced, and the global economy weakened.

 II. Diplomatic situation

  Iran participated in numerous conflicts. In 1946, Russia invaded the North of Iran ; in 1953, the CIA overthrown Mossadegh government ("Ajax Operation", in response to the nationalisation of the iranian oil) ; in 1979, during the Islamic Revolution, the Pasdarans, the Revolutionnary Guards, took the US's ambassy in Tehran's staff (152 people) in hostage for 444 days. 
The war against the Sunni Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein which lasted from 1984 to 1987 made one million victims. As a result, Iran claimed that it wants to acquire nuclear bomb in order to defend itself ; but the genuine reasons are numerus (indeed, in order to make its voice heard in the changing world order, being a nuclear power is hepful).

  Secondly, there are also deep religious tensions in this Arabic area. 
On the one hand, Iran is (geographically) close to Sunni countries, Saudi Arabia (the Sunni leader) for instance, and the Gulf countries, who are strongly oppose to the Shiite faith.
On the other hand, Iran is heading the Shiite (or Shia) Crescent ("croissant chiite"), formed by Iran, Iraq (the iraqi population is half Sunni half Shiite), Syria (the Al Assad's Alawite clan is a Shiite one) and the lebanese Hezbollah of Hassan Nasrallah (a terrorist organisation fighting along with syrian troops and pledging to destroy Israel).
Israel has a special status as it is the emissary of the Western countries, namely the US (at least it used to be so, up until this very deal). Israel is deeply concerned about a nuclear Iran, as the previous Iran president (Ahmadinejad) and the current ayatollah were fiercely against the idea of a jewish State in the region, developing a loudly antisemite rhetoric, which is why Israel is strongly opposed to the deal (and waged a war in the American congress through Aipac to avoid it, unsuccesfully).
Israel unofficialy has the nuclear bomb (Israel never recognized it but it is clear they do) - along with Pakistan, India, and China - which is why Iran does not see why they could not have it too ; obviously, Iran looks for being equal with its neighbours.

  In the same way, on the one hand, since 1979, Iran didn’t keep any contact with America. On the other hand, America has military bases in many surrounding countries like Iraq, Turkey, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, originally settled to fight against terrorism - maybe in order to keep an eye on this oil-rich region an especially Iran.
Now it is clear that the US needs Iran support to fight the Islamic State, a Sunni organisation (although the Arab Sunni State, such as Saudi Arabia are also fighting it - this is an other problem).

American bases in the middle East

The Iran official nuclear position was clearly admitted. Iran is a member of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) since 1959, and signed in 1968 the NPT (Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty). 
In conclusion, Iran was allowed to use nuclear power plants for civil use only. However, suspicions rose in the 2000s. In fact,  Natanz, Arak, Fordow, Buchehr nuclear power plants are suspected to produce enough enriched uranium to build nuclear weapons.

Nuclear suspicious facilites in Iran

 III. Chronological evolution of the Iranian nuclear debate

- 1979: Islamic revolution, the ayatollah Khomeiny decided to continue the program of nuclear research in order to face Israel and its nuclear weapon.

- 2002: Satellite pictures showed the suspicious activities of Arak and Natanz nuclear power plants to the American. They reacted and claimed that Iran was preparing weapons of mass destruction; Tehran agrees (was forced) to receive IAEA's investigators.

- 2003: France, Germany and United Kingdom (EU-3) offered the first negotiations.

- 2006: The President Ahmadinejad ensured that Iran belongs to “nuclear countries”. In reaction, United Nations has been worn of Iranian nuclear activities potentially dangerous. Then, America agreed to participate to negotiations with Europeans about Iran, provided Iran reduces their production of enriched uranium.

-  2007: United Nations voted economic sanctions for Iran which didn’t respect the contract.

- 2009: Iran revealed the existence of a nuclear power plant which produces enriched uranium in Fordo. On 1^st October, a meeting with the 5+1 is organised. They concluded that Iran is able to develop the nuclear bomb at any time.

- 2012: The election of an ultra conservative party, closer to Khamenei favoured a new try of negotiations on the occasion of a new meeting with the 5+1.

- 2013: Hassan Rohani elected, Iran is decided to stop the tensions and made sure that Iran should not be seen as a threat to the US and Europe. Obama and Rohani talked for the first time for fourteen years, and the President met the President Hollande.

- 2015: on July 14,th China, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, United States, European Union and Iran in Vienna have concluded the Iranian nuclear deal.

IV. The issue we will vote: The Iranian nuclear deal

- Increase the time it would take Iran to acquire enough material for 1 bomb (from 2-3 months to at least 1 year)

- Reduce Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium

- Reduce the number of Iran’s installed centrifuges by two-thirds

- Prevent Iran from producing weapons-grade plutonium

- Track Iran’s nuclear activities with robust transparency and inspections

Shannon Kerlann and Maëlle Panza



Other Data :
Timelines :
Iran nuclear talks: timeline, The Guardian
Iran profile - timeline, BBC
Map :

List n°3 :

Please keep in mind that this session will surely be turn into a much less conventional one, in order to move on to a debate if we face too many blockade ; so prepare your country with a large perspective.

European Union : Léo Perez, Antoine Monjotin, Brieuc Jan, Thibault Murris

USA : Mathis Guerreiro, Clara Charrin, Carla Marlerba

Russia : Jeanne Nuzillat, Margo Fernandes

Saudi Arabia : Maëlle Panza, Shannon Kerlann, Faustine Fontanille

Jordan : Balthasar Bau, Quitterie Foulquier D'Herrouel,  Romy Dematons

Iran : Antoine Feuillas, Domitille de Fournoux, Aurore Thomas

Arab league : Guillaume Barre, Paul Leclerc, Oscar Chassagnon

Israel : Flobert Besson, Nicolas Lagarde, Thomas Belaich

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict ; if thinking peace became far to steep, what are the preliminary terms to a basic, a minimal relation and maybe the cornerstone to further negotiation ? With Mr. Perrin

In fact, after the "protective edge" operation launched by Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Band this summer, which was especially bloody, the already jammed peace-negotiations totally ceased, and the blockade is gaining momentum. This made the Palestinian issue, which has far better rattings than the Israeli government, high on the world's agenda : several European Parliaments already symbolically  recognized a Palestiniaa State, and the Arab League filed a demand of recognition for a Palestinian State to the Security Council of the UN.

As this question is really harsh to discuss, and as we will quickly be stuck because of the very same reasons the UN are at present, we will hold a quiet particular session. After a presentation, we will do as usual, but at the midway point of our assigned time (or further if discussions are not barren), we will proceed to a much more flexible debate, less formal, and express our own ideas on what are the conditions for further minimal joint efforts between Israelian and Palestinian.

We will have the luck to be supervise by Mr. Perrin, who teach in preparatory class.

Summary file session n°2 : Ukraine, what reaction ?

 Ukraine, what reaction from the UN ? 

    Maïdan in fire 

Some facts about the country : 

Ukraine is the largest country in Europe with 603 thousands km2. 
Inhabitants : 44 Millions.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) : 373.1 bn. $

National flag

17% of the Ukrainian population have Russian roots. 

Brief History : 

Founding : Firstly, it is worth noticing the fact that Ukraine is a crucial territory in the European history : during the XVIIth century, between 1657 and 1686, the Russian empire waged war against Polish, Turkish and Cossak troops during the so-called « Ruin » war, ending by the division of the Ukrainian soil between Russia and Poland, in agreement with the «Eternal Peace» treaty along the Dniepr, a natural frontier ; on the easter bank, the Russian empire, and on the western one, successively Poland and the Austro-Hongarian empire ; later, the Russians will seize the entire territory. 

In 1917, the Tsar Nicolas II is overthrown by the February revolution, and Ukraine briefly declares its independence. 

In 1922, Ukraine is incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The forced collectivization and Stalinian violent repression led to a serious crisis, which confined to the great starvation of the 1930’s, resulting in the death of 6M people. 

During World War II : on the 22 of June 1941, Hitler broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact ensuring the alliance between the Soviet Union and the IIIrd Reich by launching Operation Barbarossa : the Wehrmacht invaded Ukraine and began to slaughter both Slav and Jew population. Even if nazis troops were first welcomed as liberators, who would cast the Ukrainian population off the Soviet Union yoke (joug) ; by the end of 1941, the Einsatzgruppen had killed more than a million jews, during this episode, later called « the Holocaustby bullets ». 

This traumatic periode led the historian Timothy Snyder to rename this area «Bloodlands», in his book : Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder (here is a detailed article of Neal Ascheron from The Guardian ).

Then, Ukraine passed under the control of the USSR, as a Socialist Republic. 

Nikita Khrushchev became the leader of the USSR after the death of Stalin in 1953 ; he was born in Kalinovka in Ukraine. In 1954, he gave Crimea to the Ukrainan Republic, a very strategic area due to the acces to the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea it provides.

On 24 of August 1990, after the collapse of the USSR leading to the independence of all the Socialists Republics, Ukraine issued the Act of Independence, but still kept a pro-Russian government. 

This document was found in 2014' Valdai club meeting' report (Valdai is a Russian organised international summit held every year, in Sotchi this year) ; you can download it here : 

The Crisis in Ukraine: Root Causes and Scenarios for the Future, Valdai Discussion Club,  23/10/14.

Modern History ; landmark to crisis :

In 2004, the very pro-Russian politician Viktor Ianoukovitch is elected president, after suspected fraudulent elections, which led to the Orange revolution.

Orange Revolution : this so-called revolution was led by Viktor Ioutchenko and Ioulia Timochenko (who lost the elections against Ianoukovitch), much more encline to pro-European and generally speaking Western clout.

The East-West divide is clear : the Orange revolution is mainly the result of Western population, when the East massively voted for Ianoukovitch, a region where the Russian clout has not wained since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and which is largely Russian-speaking.

Following this episode, the Ukrainian government (Ioutchenko and Timochenko) has shown a tendancy to move closer to the European Union and its clout, breaking contacts with Russia.

In 2010, Viktor Ianoukovitch took office again, and implemented a more Russian-friendly policy. Meanwhile, the trade with the European Union represented 37,7 billion euros, whereas it was only 24,1 billion with Russia. Furthermore, 58% of the imported gas was Russian, which is why it was a crucial leverage during the election. 

President Ianoukovitch refused an agreement with the European Union in the name of the Eastern Parternship (a program which aim is to gather the ex-Soviet Republics) in November 2013 : this decision sparked things off, and the first riots didn’t last to appear, enforced by the totalitarian drifts of the government in office. Ianoukovitch prefered to incorporate the Eurasian Economic Union promoted by Putin (against more attractiv gas price and a financial support).

Here is a more detailed map from Valdai Discussion Club Report ( you can spot the importance of Crimea, Lugansk and Donetsk in term of Russian influence ) :

Then, the Kiev inhabitants « seized Maïdan » : the riots became viral in Western Ukraine, and spread to more conservative and pro-Ianoukovitch Eastern regions (on the eastern bank of the Dniepr).

On the 20th of February, after an umpteenth political blockade, we were the witnesses of a renewal of tensions, causing 80 deaths and a hundred of wounded. 

On the 21st, Ianoukovitch fled to Russia, and on the 22nd he was overthrown.

Then on the 18th of March, after a contorted and silent infiltration on Ukrainian soil by Russian soldiers who were not wearing any emblem, Crimea was reattached to Ukraine through a referendum (which is a dizzying breach to the Helsinki Final Act).

Then Russia sent troops and weapons into Eastern Ukraine, a region called Donbass. This Russian aspiration to take Ukraine fits into an ancient myth deeply-rooted in Russian culture, which Putin tries to revive, that has been designated by Zbigniew Brzeziński (ex-counsellor of Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981) in this sententious expression : « Without Ukraine, no Empire ».

Some crucial events are to be underlined : for instance, the separatist city of Luhansk was besieged  by the Ukrainian military forces during all summer. Moreover, the Malaisian Airlines plane, a Boeing 777, was shot above the Donbass area on the 17th of July, causing 298 deaths.

On the 29th of August, Ukrainian government officially asked the European Union for help. 

You can find here a video in French explaining the whole conflict in few words.

Here is an article from Mikhail Gorbachev in the Guardian : Mikhail Gorbachev warns of ‘new Cold War’ over Ukraine.
An other one published on the 3rd of March 2014, during the Maïdan'clashes, quiet interesting in order to learn more about the European will of a part of Ukraine, and the advantages of a partition  of Crimea (who was not Russian yet) : Ukraine's Crisis of Legitimacy, in Foreign Affairs, by Keith Darden.

Finally, you will find here an article from the Washington Post ; Kissinger : Putin is not Stalin.

Here is a map from Gazprom, detailling further options for Russia to address the problem of gas sanctions on Russia. 

List of countries session n°2

Ukraine : Flobert Besson, Oscar Chassagnon, Nicolas Lagarde, Romy Dematons

USA : Mathis Guerreiro, Clara Charrin, Carla Marlerba 

Great Britain : Antoine Feuillas, Domitille de Fournoux, Aurore Thomas

Germany : Léo Perez, Antoine Monjotin, Brieuc Jan, Thibault Murris

Russia : Guillaume Barre, Paul Leclerc, Balthasar Bau, Quitterie Foulquier D'Herrouel 

Poland : Maëlle Panza, Shannon Kerlann, Faustine Fontanille

Second session: Ukraine, what reaction ?

    What must be the reaction of the UN about the conflict in Eastern Ukraine ? 

    Since the beginning of the Euromaïdan movement on November 21st of 2013, Ukraine is facing a civil war. For a few months, a part of Ukraine located in the east of the country, the Donbass, has been claiming for its independence. This issue, and moreover the Russian responsibility in these events, is burning. The United Nations already held meetings to discuss it, but no solution has yet been found. 

    This question will be the subject of our next session that will take place on Thursday, November 6th at le parloir at 6pm, as usual. A file gathering informations will soon be available on the blog, on the same format of the one about ISIS. We will also put online the repartition of the groups and the countries that you will represent. 

    Keep in mind that the aim is to learn and progress, and that you don't need to be a specialist to debate. 

    We are looking forward to seeing you debating this burning issue, as numerous and motivated as last time. Do not hesitate if you have any question about the MUN to contact us, Thomas Belaich(TS2) and Antoine Michon (TE3).