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Archit Sharma
Sania Sharma
The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters. On 31 January 1992, the first ever Summit Meeting of the Council was convened at Headquarters, attended by Heads of State and Government of 13 of its 15 members and by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the remaining two. The Council may meet elsewhere than at Headquarters; in 1972, it held a session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the following year in Panama City, Panama.
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council's first action is usually to recommend to the parties to try to reach agreement by peaceful means. In some cases, the Council itself undertakes investigation and mediation. It may appoint special representatives or request the Secretary-General to do so or to use his good offices. It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement. When a dispute leads to fighting, the Council's first concern is to bring it to an end as soon as possible. On many occasions, the Council has issued cease-fire directives which have been instrumental in preventing wider hostilities. It also sends United Nations peace-keeping forces to help reduce tensions in troubled areas, keep opposing forces apart and create conditions of calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought. The Council may decide on enforcement measures, economic sanctions (such as trade embargoes) or collective military action. A Member State against which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. A Member State which has persistently violated the principles of the Charter may be expelled from the United Nations by the Assembly on the Council's recommendation. A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that that country's interests are affected. Both Members of the United Nations and non-members, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, are invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State. The Presidency of the Council rotates monthly, according to the English alphabetical listing of its member States.
COMMITTEE BACKGROUND :
The Security Council is the most decisive organ of the United Nations organization. This organ holds power to carry out discussions and implement resolutions on matters which prove to be a threat to international peace and harmony. The Council is made up of 15 nations: five are permanent members and the remaining 10 seats rotate every 2 years among the nations in the UN. The 5permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
1.Peoples Republic of China 2.The Russian Federation 3.French Republic 4.United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5. United States of America Non Permanent Members :
1. Azerbaijan (2013) 2. India (2012) 3. South Africa (2012) 4. Colombia (2012) 5. Morocco (2013) 6. Togo (2013) 7. Germany (2012) 8. Pakistan (2013) 9. Guatemala (2013) 10. Portugal (2012)
The permanent members of UNSC are vested with VETO powers Each non-permanent member has one vote. While drafting a resolution, if at all there is a majority of non-permanent members in favour or against (the resolution); the permanent members have the power to overrule the majority and pass the resolution during the session.
It is for the Security Council to determine when and where a UN Peacekeeping operation should be deployed.
The Security Council responds to crises around the world on a case-by-case basis and it has a range of options at its disposal. It takes many different factors into account when considering the establishment of new peacekeeping operation, including: Whether there is a ceasefire in place and the parties have committed themselves to a peace process intended to reach a political settlement; Whether a clear political goal exists and whether it can be reflected in the mandate; Whether a precise mandate for a UN operation can be formulated; Whether the safety and security of UN personnel can be reasonably ensured, including in particular whether reasonable guarantees can be obtained from the main parties or factions regarding the safety and security of UN personnel. The Security Council establishes a peacekeeping operation by adopting a Security Council resolution. The resolution sets out that missions mandate and size. The Security Council monitors the work of UN Peacekeeping operations on an ongoing basis, including through periodic reports from the Secretary-General and by holding dedicated Security Council sessions to discuss the work of specific operations. The Security Council can vote to extend, amend or end mission mandates as it deems appropriate. Under Article 25 of the Charter, all UN members agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the UN make recommendations to Member States, the Council alone has the power to take decisions which Member States are obligated to implement.
Introduction :
The introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in the last 60 years has undoubtedly accelerated development in every sphere of the world, including terrorism. The digitalization of innumerable processes, from education to migration, facilitates worldwide interaction, minimizes bureaucracy and promotes open communications, innovation and widespread information. Technology frees people from geographical and cultural boundaries, broadening horizons and eroding frontiers. It is undeniable that life on Earth is simultaneously experienced between the virtual and physical realms. Governments use the Internet for expedient control of national systems. From traffic lights to weapons control, a considerable part of daily life depends on how data is exchanged between networks and systems. As the worldwide reliance in technology advances, so do insecurities and threats and the need to secure the space where these data exchanges take place: cyberspace. The developments in ICT allow terrorist elements to organize and advocate their causes, as well as allowing companies to market their goods worldwide. Terrorist organizations adapted technological advances to their advantages and learned to navigate without being detected by techno-centric approaches. Nowadays, cyberspace is as much a target as public transportation or government buildings. Cyber terrorism is a volatile sphere of little definition and enormous potential for disaster. Disaster is Inevitable
Political, social, and economic changes are the motivations present in real-world terrorism. Combining a dependence on Internet-connected systems for banking and E-commerce with the ability of anyone with a desire and readily available tool to disrupt these areas, results in a situation that is all too clear: unless steps are taken to significantly reduce risks, disaster is inevitable. Even with the best risk reduction, there are still likely to be problems.
Cyberspace :
It is a forum of interaction, and it is not owned by anyone. Although it is partially regulated, there is no central authority to police it. As technology expands and becomes more affordable, more people have access to communication, information and the benefits of a better life. The anonymity, freedom of expression and remote accessibility characteristic of cyberspace, however, make it an optimal target for crime, illegal activities and terrorism. Users, companies and governments alike fall victims to thousands of daily global cyberattacks from hackers looking to disrupt communication and steal secrets to sell to the highest bidder. With every occurrence, the potential of a cyber-terrorist attack that can shut down entire governments or take control over them looms over all member states. Cyber terrorism is a global problem, and it requires a global solution. Since the early 1970s, the United Nations member states have openly tackled international terrorism and possible measures to eliminate it in every sphere and manifestation. After long, meticulous and futile debates regarding a detailed definition of distinguishable acts of terrorism, states agreed that an act of terrorism is any action regardless of its nature or perpetrator whether a state or private individualthat threatens non-military institutions and personnel and aims to destabilize the status quo of the international peace and security of states. Although there is no exact definition of what cyber terrorism refers to, many seem to abide by the concept offered in the paper on the issue from the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism in 2000: Cyber Terrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives. For an attack to qualify as cyber terrorism, it should result in violence against persons or property, or at least cause enough harm to motivate fear. Cyber terrorism draws parallels to its non-virtual twin in the complexity of its definition and the width of its scope. Although the term has never had a technical definition, multiple documents have enumerated efforts to prevent the spread of cyber-terrorism within the UN member states and agencies that were established to prevent targeted hostile activity in cyberspace.
{This map shows victims of a recent cyber terrorism attack, indicating how widespread and universal the threat is.}
Current Situation :
As the online economy continues to grow, and security and personal transactions are increasingly conducted through online portals, the Internet has become an even bigger target for cyber terrorists. Internet transactions accounted for nearly $700 billion of economic activity in 2011, and the increasing amount of Internet access worldwide means that more countries are vulnerable. While many governments are taking independent steps to boost their own cyber security, there is widespread concern throughout the international community that this is not enough. Within a single nations security infrastructure, there is often great difficulty in coordinating and communicating among different bureaucracies. This lack of internal consensus not only leads to increased difficulty in designing a solution to the security threat, but also leaves a nation more vulnerable in the event of an attack if agencies are unable to coordinate their responses to a breach in network security. Another problem to consider within the current framework of cyber security mechanisms is the difficulty of integrating cyber security for the wide variety of Internet users: government, industry, private citizens and international transactions. Further adding to this entanglement is the fundamental question of online privacy and whether security measures violate or protect that principle.
Hackers :
The Internet has come a long way since a basic frame in 1991, thanks to governments funded research that allowed programmers and developers to work with near-limitless scope. These developments made navigation and interactions faster and more reliable for individual users and, by shedding the information handicap, tested the limits of development. Another set of actors vital for the development of every component of cyberspace were individual users who were committed to exploring and innovating outside set rules, codes and regulations. They became known as hackers. Hackers find and exploit weaknesses in the system for various purposes and are at times employed by companies and governments. Anyone with an Internet connection and knowledge of programming can be a hacker, regardless of socioeconomic, cultural or educational background. Hackers are said to wear three hats, which is to say they are classified according to their motivations. Black Hat hackers exploit the web for malicious activities. Grey Hat hackers are mainly interested in making a name for themselves, pushing the boundaries of exploiting and publicizing weaknesses in systems and gaining a reputation. White Hat hackers who tend to be hack activists. Regardless of their intentions, origins or employer, hacking is an illegal, and often criminalized, activity. Hackers write programs called malware to infiltrate operating systems and disrupt their programming. Malware come in different shapes and forms and is sometimes harmless, opening connections that play constant ads without apparent cause, or spyware that records personal information and is used to steal someones identity.
Hackers are also the best defence against cyber threats. Governments and security companies rely on information provided by hackers to perfect their programs and to find zero day vulnerabilities, unknown weak points in the programming. Many companies pay for this information since it allows them to perfect their software and security programs. .
{Hackers have been one of the main exploiters of cyber-terrorism, endangering ecommerce and other transactions on the web.}
Cyber-invasion :
Estonia is the most cyber-integrated country in the world. The government is one of the largest Internet service providers, and users have wide access to wireless connections. About 90 percent of financial transactions in Estonia are done online, and even government processes and bureaucracies have migrated to virtual services. On April 28, 2007, after a period of protest because of the relocation of a Soviet statue, an attack crippled the nation. Estonia experienced the equivalent of a carpet-bombing of DDoS, which forced the government to close the countrys electronic borders and take extraordinary measures to regain control of its cyberspace. The government was not prepared for an attack of this magnitude; the longest attacks lasted 10 hours, which in cyberspace's relative time frame can seem like an eternity The attack was a virtual manifestation of popular discontent by ethnic Russians for the relocation of a bronze statue from a public park to a cemetery. The ethnic Russians felt the decision undermined the countrys So viet legacy and dishonoured the memory of fallen World War II soldiers. The attack was received from multiple thousands of zombie computers around the globe. Although one of the Internet protocol (IP) addresses was traced to the Kremlin, the Russian government denied any involvement with the event.
Cyber-Weapons :
The biggest malware sabotage of the 21st century, the Stuxnet virus, affected the Iranian nuclear centrifuges. Normally, malware or spyware needs an executer, just as a gun requires someone to pull the trigger before it will fire. Malware requires someone, somewhere, to be in front of a monitor typing lines of code and executing the program, a remote trigger. In June 2010, cyberspace experienced the Stuxnet virus, a new type of weapon never seen before. Stuxnet was not designed to affect an operating system (OS) or to spy on industries or people, nor did it make computers or servers explode as the media sometimes imagines. It was a self-operating malware there was no one on the other side of a screen giving it commands. The virus was introduced to a computer from a portable drive. It then propagated to the network the computer was connected to, leaving little trace of its existence. Stuxnet kept going until it reached a portable drive that was then connected to an offline computer used to program the reactors valves. Once inside, the program reprogrammed the rate of the responses, which caused the centrifuges to overheat and stop functioning or explode. It took Siemens, the maker of the valves, two years to fix the vulnerability the program targeted. Siemens operates in140 countries and is one of the biggest conglomerates in the world. Their parts are used by civilian and military applications alike. At first, the virus was thought to be a terrorist attack meant to cripple the Iranian state. It was later confirmed it was a joint government effort against the plant and was classified as a cyber-weapon. Similar strands of viruses have since been tracked, each stronger and smarter than its predecessors.
International Action :
There is growing concern about the global effects cyber terrorism brings. The Internet has allowed many groups to access resources with the purpose of committing terrorist attacks through electronic means. European legislation has begun to address the topic through legal instruments such as the Cybercrime Convention in 2001 and the establishment of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism in 2005.The United States has also begun to tackle this issue through funding intelligence offices within the U.S. Army and the creation of the Centre for Infrastructural Warfare Studies.
To carry out its agenda, the ITU turned to the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), a not-for-profit cyber-security organization that links academia, industry and international bodies to provide a comprehensive service. Based in Cyber java, Malaysia, IMPACT provides access to expertise, facilities and resources to effectively a ddress cyber threats and protect ICTs infrastructure. Currently, 144 member states enlist IMPACTs guidelines and services, including some of the biggest cyber security companies in the world such as Microsoft, Kasper sky Lab and Symantec. IMPACT became the official ICT security provider for the United Nations in 2011.
Questions to Consider : 1. How does the threat of cyber terrorism influence your country? Your economy? Your society? 2. What is your countrys point of view regarding access to cyberspace? 3. Has your country taken any steps toward defining cyber terrorism? 4. If a treaty is approved, what measures and actions would your country have to take to implement it successfully? 5. How does the Internets conceptual lack of borders impact possible international solutions to cyber security and cyber terrorism? 6. How can legislation and regulations on cyber security protect the privacy of information while still enabling massive worldwide communication and collaboration
through the Internet?
Research Aids :
UN Security Council, www.un.org/en/sc/ The website for the United Nations General Assembly provides information on the largest organ of the United Nations and all its main committees. Good to Know, www.google.com/goodtoknow/ Googles initiative to educate users on data management and Internet security provides information for data management on the Web that is basic to all security systems. Its Jargon Buster section is a great tool for becoming familiar with IT terms. Atlas, www.Atlas.arbor.net
The website ATLAS tracks attacks and their targets every day. It also offers a map of global attack density. ATLAS maintains a real-time database of malicious botnet command and control servers that is continuously updated. This information comes from malware analysis, botnet infiltration and other sources of data. ITU, www.itu.int IMPACT, www.impact-alliance.org The ITU and ITU-IMPACT websites provide useful information about the programs and the spread of cyber-security among member states as well as the measures taken to keep cyberspace safe and secure. Global Centre for ICT in Parliament, http://www.ictparliament.org/ The Global Centre for Information and Communication Technologies in Parliament was created through the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) with the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU). The center works with national governments to strengthen their information societies and to establish a framework for the defence of these networks. Although not exclusively a source for information concerning cyber security, the Global Centre for ICTP offers insight into methods of international cooperation concerning the borderless world of cyberspace The International Cyber Protection Alliance, https://www.icspa.org/home/ The International Cyber Security Protection Alliance is an external organization established to coordinate an international system of defence against cyber threats. The organization provides information on methods of combating online terrorism and defending cyber security.
CRITICAL THINKING : Currently there is little on cyber terrorism in international laws and treaties, including definition. Is an agreed-upon definition important to protecting the world from cyber terrorism? What does your country believe should be included in such a definition?
Cyberspace: A metaphor for a non-physical terrain created by computer systems that contain objects and different modes of transportation and delivery. Cyber Terrorism: Convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks and the information stored therein to intimidate or coerce a government or its people to further political or social objectives. Cyber Terrorist Attack: The use of Internet-based attacks in terrorist activities, including acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): An attack during which servers and routers are continuously asked for services until they can no longer process the requests. This is one of the most widely used and effective attacks. Botnet (zombie computers): Collection of compromised computers a hacker remotely accesses and uses to carry out attacks. They are called zombie because they are remotely operated without the owners knowledge or consent. Hacktivist: A person who uses computer and technological resources as a means to promote political ends. Malware/spyware: A program meant to infect an operating system. Viruses, Trojan horses, adware and spywares can infect all the computers in a network and are often designed to self propagate.