Committee: Legal Topic A: Legality of Humanitarian Intervention Country: Latvia School: Mount Lebanon High School I.

The legality of humanitarian intervention is an issue that Latvia has made definitive actions concerning in the past two decades. Latvia, insofar, has avoided the type of intervention, characterized by human rights abuses, used by both Nazi Germany and the Soviets during and following World War II. Since joining NATO, Latvia has joined a collective body of states, whose goals include the sovereignty and security of member nations and the stability of nonmember nations in order to create an environment capable of sustaining future sovereignty and security. Latvia is committed to fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities as a member of both NATO and the European Union. II. The balance between sovereignty and human rights has been extremely fragile in nature. At this point, the United Nations has failed to develop an organized or codified system to dictate whether or not humanitarian intervention is legal in certain situations. Notable interventions authorized by the United Nations Security Council include those in Somalia, Haiti, and the former Yugoslavia. In addition, the lack of condemnation by the United States Security Council on NATOs intervention in Kosovo in 1999, among other interventions, further indicate that the United Nations, and a greater part of the world, have adapted a positive law standpoint on the issue of humanitarian intervention. In 2000, the principle of Responsibility to Protect was developed by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which suggests intervention when a population is suffering serious harm due to internal war, repression, state failure, or neglect from the state. Collectively, these actions reveal that intervention is regarded as a legal measure in certain cases, and as such, it is the Legal Committees responsibility to codify the legality of humanitarian intervention. III. Since Latvias relatively recent independence, they have joined both NATO and the European Union in order to increase and ensure their security and prosperity, and as a member of these bodies, Latvia is committed to upholding their principles in the global community, including humanitarian intervention. With these ideas in mind, Latvia feels that the Legal Committee must formulate a code to dictate the legality of humanitarian intervention in different situations bearing in two specific topics. i) Responsibility to Protect The Legal Committee must clearly define situations in which the Responsibility to Protect applies. Latvia believes that it is most important to define a functioning government, especially with NATOs current mission in Afghanistan which carries the goal of assisting the Afghan Government in exercising and extending control and influence across the country. It is also important to define at point insurgency poses a serious threat to the population ii) Deference to Security Council Latvia believes it is necessary to clearly defer any final decisions regarding the legality of humanitarian intervention in individual cases to the Security Council. Although resolutions passed by the Legal Committee will aim to avoid any confusion or difference in opinion between member nations, it is important to defer final authority to the United Nations Security Council Committee: Legal Topic B: Legality of Economic Sanctions

Country: Latvia School: Mount Lebanon High School I. Latvias relatively short history has revealed that more established, powerful nations can abuse the use of economic sanctions while attempting to claim human rights violations. However, as defined by Article 41 of the United Nations Charter, there are situations that dictate the imposition of economic sanctions. Latvia does not believe that military aggression is the only action which dictates the use of economic sanctions, but feels it is necessary for this committee to define other situations in which economic sanctions are legal. II. Although the any resolutions passed by this committee will not be binding, a comprehensive and convincing resolution will provide invaluable evidence to the International Court of Justice and the United Nations Security Council who will have the final authority on the legality and mandatory implementation, respectively, of specific uses of economic sanctions. In the past, the United Nations General Assembly has passed resolutions concerning the imposition of economic sanctions, such as the case with South Africa in 1987. Although Latvia was not an independent nation at this point, Latvia has since passed internal legislation that recognizes and implements economic sanctions against nations and individuals set by international organizations. However, attempted sanctions by Russia against Latvia provide an example that economic sanctions can be used in attempts to dictate the policy of other countries. III. Latvias economy has had one of the fastest growing economies since independence in 1991, but this growth was threatened by the prospect of economic sanctions by Russia, who claimed that Russian minorities faced human rights abuses within Latvia. Latvia denies the existence of any human rights abuses, and believes these past threats were an attempt on the behalf of Russia to dictate Latvian policy. With this in mind, although Latvia is committed to enforcing any sanctions adopted by international bodies, Latvia feels it is necessary to define situations in which economic sanctions are legal. i) Adherence to Article 41 of the United Nations Charter Article 41 of the United Nations Charter clearly outlines that economic sanctions are permitted in cases of military aggression. Any resolution passed by this committee must assert the legality of economic sanctions as defined, but limited, by Article 41. ii) Resolutions concerning the legality of humanitarian intervention Latvia hopes that this committee will first pass a resolution defining situations in which humanitarian intervention is legal. If this is passed prior to resolutions concerning the legality of economic sanctions, any resolutions defining situations in which economic sanctions are legal can refer to an existing resolution to define situations other than military aggression which call for economic sanctions iii) Creation of committee to decide sanctions against individuals Although it would be within the Legal Committees bounds to decide the legality of sanctions against certain individuals, it would impede the Legal Committees ability to discuss other issues. With that said, Latvia believes that the creation of another committee or perhaps an addition to the International Court system should be recommended by the Legal Committee with the specific function of deciding the legality of economic sanctions against certain individuals