Position of the GCC

First Committee of the General Assembly: Disarmament and International Security

Modernization is a crucial element to a strong state in the international sphere. Saudi Arabia and the other members of the GCC are working to modernize the member nations and reassert primacy in the Middle East. The conflict in Syria has had extreme and lasting effects on the region as a whole forcing millions of people to flee the country and creating a terror and refugee crisis among neighboring nations. It is the strong opinion of the GCC that in order for the conflict in Syria to come to a conclusion, and for the Middle East to return to its former glory it must be through the combined efforts of states in the Middle East and other international states including the United States and the other members of the United Nations Security Council.

The GCC was founded in May of 1981 with the understanding that all Member States had similar objectives political and cultural identities and the knowledge that all members would work to strengthen the relationships within the alliance. The Council works in tandem, with this understanding and the Charter to guide actions and decisions. The Gulf Cooperation Council is made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. The GCC is a united council, and although each member has not always seen eye to eye, as is customary in any international organization, it is committed to finding peace in the Middle East so that its members and nations in the region may begin to heal from an eight-year conflict. Others in the region must use their vast and valuable resources to step up and aid us in our effort to find peace.

The Members of the GCC have had long-standing relationship with the United States, and seek to strengthen that relationship through continued cooperation in Syria. While it is the long-term goal of the GCC to modernize and ensure a vital and thriving economy is in reach, that cannot be achieved while waging an international war without U.S. support. The crisis in Syria has displaced millions and has created a humanitarian financial crises felt by states around the region. The security and military role of the international actors in this crisis cannot be understated. It must be the priority of the United Nations Security Council to aid those fighting the injustice of the Syrian government and those who aid them. It is the strong belief of the GCC that those who are aiding in the injustice should remove themselves from the conflict to ensure the quick and peaceful resolution.

The actions taken by the Syrian government, including the use of chemical weapons against its citizens—women and children included— has been publicly condemned by GCC member Saudi Arabia as of April 8, 2018. It is also the position of Saudi Arabia that in order for the region to remain out of the control of ISIS and to diminish the influence of Iran in the weakened Syrian state and government there must be a multilateral and cooperative strategy. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently taken steps to stem the use of extremist Islam, particularly in the realm of politics. On April 4, 2018, the Secretary General of the GCC met with the UN Secretary General on the sidelines of High-level International Conference in Support of the Yemen Relief Response 2018 to discuss counter-terrorism efforts in the region. These states, in particular, have had a direct role in aiding rebel fighters in the Syrian Civil War

The Gulf Cooperation Council is confident that it is the goal of nearly all members of the United Nations to find a quick and lasting end to the conflict in Syria. The GCC affirms that the best and most practical line of action in diminishing the effects of the conflict in Syria is to weaken the Syrian government and deprive them of the aid of allies. The GCC stresses the implementation of an official UN embargo on those who aid Syria as a strategy for diminishing their influence. The Council recognizes that there are those who benefit from the disruption in the region. Despite this fact, the GCC stresses the strain of this conflict on the growth of the region and of the devastation felt by the people and strongly encourages the continued support of the United States and all other allies working with the members of the Council to see the end of this conflict and the modernization of the Middle East.  

In order for all of the members of the GCC to achieve economic and social development within the next 10 years, as well as those states ravaged by the conflict in Syria and the Middle East to heal, the conflict must come to an immediate end. To ensure that those who would use the conflict in Syria to exert more influence in the region the Gulf Cooperative Council affirms its commitment to weaken the Syrian government and its allies through military and economic support.