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ZMUN 2025
Prepared by the ZMUN Organising Committee
Welcome from the Organizing Team
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to DISEC. We are honored to host you for two days of thoughtful dialogue, critical problem-solving, and diplomacy. Throughout the conference, you will represent member states, address pressing global human rights concerns, and engage in meaningful negotiations to promote justice and dignity worldwide.
We encourage you to participate actively, collaborate respectfully, and approach every debate with an open and informed mindset.
Sincerely,
The ZMUN DISEC Committe
Role of the Executive Board (EB)
The EB is responsible for:
Cyber Warfare
Cyber warfare is the use of computer network operations as a weapon in armed conflict (or achieving strategic goals), often by targeting a nation's critical infrastructure or information systems.
This can involve various tactics, including computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, espionage, sabotage, and propaganda, with the goal of disrupting, damaging, or destroying an adversary's IT infrastructure.
Cyber Warfare
• Targeting Critical Infrastructure: A key aspect of cyber warfare is the targeting of critical infrastructure like power grids, communication networks, financial systems, and transportation networks.
• Espionage and Information Warfare: Cyber warfare also encompasses espionage activities to gather intelligence, as well as information warfare aimed at manipulating public opinion or disrupting the adversary's ability to communicate.
• State-Sponsored Actors: Cyber warfare is often associated with nation-state actors or international organizations, though non-state actors like terrorist groups or hacktivists can also participate.
Cyber Warfare
• Blurred Lines with Cybercrime: The distinction between cyber warfare and cybercrime can sometimes be unclear, as both involve malicious cyber activities. However, cyber warfare is typically characterized by a clear strategic objective and the involvement of state-sponsored actors.
Examples of Cyber Warfare Activities:
• Disrupting critical services: This could include shutting down power grids, disrupting financial markets, or interfering with transportation systems.
• Stealing sensitive information: Cyber espionage involves hacking into computer systems to steal classified information, trade secrets, or other sensitive data.
Cyber Warfare
• Spreading disinformation: Cyber warfare can be used to spread propaganda, manipulate public opinion, or interfere with elections.
• Sabotaging computer systems: This can involve planting viruses, worms, or other malware to damage or destroy computer systems.
• Denial-of-service attacks: These attacks overwhelm systems with traffic, making them unavailable to legitimate users.
The Impact of Cyber Warfare: Cyber warfare can cause significant disruption and damage to a nation's economy, infrastructure, and security.
Cyber Warfare
• Erosion of Trust: Cyberattacks can erode public trust in government, institutions, and technology.
• Economic Costs: Cyber warfare can lead to significant economic losses through lost productivity, damage to infrastructure, and recovery costs.
• Security Risks: Cyber warfare can pose a serious threat to national security and international stability.
Cyber Warfare
DISEC aims to regulate armaments and prevent the proliferation of dangerous technologies, potentially including those used in cyber warfare.
Modernization:
DISEC is concerned with adapting to the evolving nature of warfare, including the use of cyber tools, and developing appropriate regulations.
Cooperation and Recommendations:
DISEC works to establish principles of cooperation among member states to maintain international peace and security, including addressing cyber warfare threats.
Cyber Warfare
A recent example of cyber warfare is during the Operation Sindoor.
As hostilities between India and Pakistan intensified following the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack and the launch of Operation Sindoor on 7 May, cyberspace emerged as a critical battleground.
Indian cyberspace and computer networks were targeted by multiple cyberattacks from Pakistani threat actors, alongside a surge in state-linked propaganda operations.
This is the first instance of cyberspace becoming an active, coordinated theatre of conflict during an India-Pakistan crisis.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to instil fear, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological goals. It typically involves acts intended to coerce governments or populations into specific actions or to influence public opinion.
Terrorism
Modern terrorism, evolving from earlier iterations, employs various tactics to pursue political goals, often leveraging fear as a strategic tool to influence decision makers. By targeting densely populated public areas such as transportation hubs, airports, shopping centers, tourist attractions, and nightlife venues, terrorists aim to instill widespread insecurity, prompting policy changes through psychological manipulation and undermining confidence in security measures.
Terrorism
Examples include bombings, armed assaults, hijackings, and hostage-taking, targeting civilians, state actors, or public infrastructure. Specific instances range from the September 11th attacks to the Oklahoma City bombing, and various attacks by groups like the IRA or Boko Haram.
Terrorism
• Focus on Prevention:
DISEC aims to prevent terrorism by addressing the root causes of violent extremism and promoting international cooperation in combating terrorism.
• Disarmament and Arms Control:
A core aspect of DISEC's work is to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons, including weapons of mass destruction. This involves promoting disarmament, controlling the spread of conventional weapons, and addressing the misuse of information and communication technologies by terrorists.
Terrorism
• International Cooperation: DISEC emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in combating terrorism, including information sharing, joint investigations, and assisting with the prosecution of terrorism-related cases.
• Sustainable Development Goals: DISEC recognizes the link between terrorism and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16, which promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
Terrorism
• General Principles: DISEC works to establish general principles of cooperation in maintaining international peace and security, including disarmament and arms control.
• Recommendations: DISEC can make recommendations to UN member states or the Security Council on issues related to disarmament and international security.
• Collaboration: DISEC works closely with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) to achieve its disarmament goals.
Terrorism
• Countering Terrorism: DISEC is actively involved in initiatives to counter terrorism, including addressing the misuse of new technologies by terrorists.
• Addressing Root Causes: DISEC recognizes that preventing violent extremism requires addressing development-related causes and solutions, not just focusing on security concerns.
Outer Space Security
Outer space security refers to the measures and policies designed to protect space assets and activities from various threats, ensuring the safe and sustainable use of space for all. It encompasses both the security of space-based infrastructure and the contribution of space systems to security on Earth.
Outer Space Security
Key aspects of space security:
• Protection of space assets:
This includes safeguarding satellites and other space infrastructure from intentional attacks, such as physical destruction or cyber warfare, and mitigating the risks of accidental damage.
• Sustainable use of space: Ensuring that outer space remains accessible for peaceful purposes and future generations, which requires international cooperation and adherence to international law.
• Prevention of an arms race in space: Addressing the potential for the militarization of space and the development of weapons in orbit.
Outer Space Security
• Space debris management: Mitigating the growing threat of space debris, which can collide with operational satellites and disrupt space activities.
• International cooperation: Space security is a global issue that requires collaboration between governments, commercial entities, and international organizations.
Space security is closely linked to:
• Space safety: Ensuring the safety of space operations and minimizing the risk of accidents or malfunctions.
Outer Space Security
• Space sustainability: Ensuring the long-term viability of space activities and access to space for all humanity.
Examples of space security challenges:
• Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons: Tests of ASAT weapons can create dangerous debris fields that threaten other satellites.
• Cyberattacks: Satellites and ground control systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks that could disrupt or disable critical services.
• Geopolitical tensions: Increasing competition in space can lead to tensions and potential conflicts.
Outer Space Security
A key area of focus for DISEC is preventing an arms race in outer space. This involves addressing the growing militarization of space and the potential for space-based weapons.
• Key Concerns: DISEC is concerned about the potential for conflict to extend beyond Earth's atmosphere and the need to ensure space remains a peaceful domain.
Outer Space Security
• International Cooperation: DISEC promotes international cooperation and diplomacy to find solutions for maintaining space as a peaceful domain. This includes discussions on preventing the placement of weapons in space and prohibiting the use of anti-satellite weapons.
• Treaties and Agreements: Several treaties and agreements, such as the Outer Space Treaty, address the peaceful use of outer space and prohibit the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space.
• Future Challenges: DISEC continues to address the evolving challenges in space security, including the development of new technologies and the potential for space to become a new theater of conflict.
Presented By: Manya Mehta
XII