Conflict Over Earth-Penetrating Weapons Leaves Delegates Debating Policies in the Disarmament and International Security Committee

CNN | 11:31 a.m. PT | Reporting by Brayden Chan

The Disarmament and International Security Committee started on the topic of EPWs (Earth-Penetrating Weapons) with many delegates expressing their concern or opinions on the topic. The discussion proved to have many responses, some countries thinking that conventional ones could be used under strict regulations and that nuclear ones should be banned, while others propose a full ban on all EPWs as they think both kinds could cause extreme harm and imbalance of military power.

North Korea spoke out about having a certain EPW amount, while also saying that nuclear ones should be used for defense and conventional ones should be restricted. Although they think they should be used for defense, they also said that the reason it should be used is so that smaller countries can defend themselves from larger superpowers such as China or the United States of America. “We also think that we shouldn't put a complete ban on them because then we don't have the right to defend ourselves against countries that may be threatening or attacking us.”

On the other hand, Switzerland strongly believes that all types of EPWs are just an underhanded way to get an edge in battle and overwhelm your enemies. At first, Switzerland believed that nuclear EPWs were worse than conventional ones, but slowly came to realize that both types could cause permanent and destructive damage. They prioritize peace over military power for this topic. “We believe that peace is obviously the most important, and our neutrality is built on peace, and we believe that a complete ban will really help stabilize situations.“

Although many major powers spoke of their stances on the topic, a bloc was formed very early on in the committee session. A majority of the committee were convinced that both types were equally destructive and strived to make sure that both were banned or at the very least, heavily regulated. The whole of the committee was mainly split between two halves, one for fully banning EPWs, while the other was focused on utilizing it, while having some restrictions regarding the usage of the newfound weapon.

Clearly, the delegates of the Disarmament and International Security Committee mostly agreed with one another when it came to the broad topic of EPWs, but tension and disagreements rose between a few countries and left the rest scrambling for either side. With disagreements on the regulations of these newfound EPWs, a solution that a majority agree on will be difficult to come by.