October 15th, 2019 | During a moderated caucus in GA 1, the delegates from different countries were given the chance to speak on their opinions on nuclear weapons. While the majority of the delegates advocated for the eradication of nuclear weapons, a few countries gave strong opinions of their agreement and disagreement with the concept of nonproliferation and disarmament.
The delegate of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea served as an advocate for the production of nuclear weapons. “The DPRK believes that nuclear power is essential to the infrastructure of North Korea. It is vital to protect our nation,” explained the delegate, “It’s used as a deterrent for other nations who intend to walk over us. There are many hostile parties surrounding the DPRK, and those parties also have nuclear power. Nuclear power in the DPRK is used to deter that and is also is for the safety and benefit the nation so that its citizens may live in peace.” Another country that takes a similar stance is Israel. The delegate of Israel claimed that nuclear weapons are necessary for protection. “Israel will continue to pursue the stability of the international community, and therefore Israel believes that in order to ensure peace in the Middle East, Israel must maintain its nuclear arsenals to counterweigh the tyrannical regime of the Iranian Islamic Republic.”
In contrast to this, countries such as Belgium took strong stances against the use of nuclear power. “Nuclear weapons are the single most dangerous category of weapons this world has ever seen. As a non-nuclear state, a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Kingdom of Belgium is fully committed to nuclear disarmament,” said the delegate of the Kingdom of Belgium, “The threat of nuclear war is perhaps the greatest threat to human survival. Just a single nuclear weapon can level whole cities, and do radiation damage that lasts for years after. This is not an issue that can be solved without extensive international cooperation…We must come together to end this threat.”
The discussion of whether or not nuclear power should continue to grow and if countries need to eradicate the usage and production of all of their nuclear weapons remains a topic with more than one side, and more than one solution.