Background Est. 1945 193 member states 2 observer states Headquarters in NYC Current secretary general: Antonio Guterres
Objectives of the UN maintaining international peace and security promoting human rights fostering social and economic development protecting the environment providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster and armed conflict
Main Bodies General Assembly Security Council Economic and Social Council International Court of Justice Also specialized agencies: UNICEF WHO IMF
General Assembly All 193 members are present, 2/3 of which come from developing countries The General Assembly is subdivided into 6 sub-committees The First Committee: Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) The Second Committee: Economic and Financial (ECOFIN) The Third Committee: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian (SOCHUM) The Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonisation (SPECPOL) The Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary The Sixth Committee: Legal
Security Council Primary responsibility is maintenance of international peace and security 15 Members, each member has one vote. 5 permanent members with veto power 10 non-permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for a two-year term.
Security Council Permanent Members: China France Russian Federation United Kingdom United States Non-Permanent Members: Angola Egypt Japan Malaysia New Zealand Senegal Spain Ukraine Uruguay Venezuela
Groupings Countries that tend to agree with each other more often than they agree with other countries Regional Groupings African States Asian States Eastern European States Latin American and Caribbean States Western European States Political Groupings European Union (EU) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) the Nordic Countries Non-Alligned Movement Association of South East Asian Nations OPEC Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) The Arab League
Country Assignments China Jill & Mattison France Zach & Jack Russia Dallas & Ryley United Kingdom Logan & Clay USA Luke & Barry Angola Jake & Noah Egypt Andrea & Maggie Japan Arlene & Ashlyn Malaysia Julia & Sarah New Zealand Jessica & Adrienne Senegal Camryn & Abbie Spain Emma & Ashley Ukraine Chelsea & Tommy Uruguay Rebecca & Nicole Venezuela Shamus
Step 1: Researching your Country This simulation requires you to play a role and act on behalf of your assigned country. You must represent the political values and beliefs of your assigned country as well as their motives and political agenda It is therefore imperative that you build a complete and well rounded understanding of your assigned country.
Profiling Your Country Basic information Geographic Location Capital city, major centres Neighbouring countries Demographics Population Ethnic make-up Religion Languages Political Information Type of government Current international issues/disputes Domestic issues/disputes Ties to other countries Regional Groupings? Political Groupings? Foreign Policy What stance has the country taken on foreign political issues?
United Nations Security Council Topic: Extremist Jihadist Movements Goal: To pass a resolution that will make the world safer Major Issues to consider: Terrorism Religion Security Human Rights Economic Interests
Step 2: Understanding the Topic (See reading on wetmore.weebly.com) 1. What is Jihad? 2. Who are some of the extremist organizations? 3. What do they claim to stand for? 4. Why is this happening? 5. How do these organization recruit? 6. How do they fund their operation? 7. What events have extreme Jihadist organizations been responsible for? 8. What motivates extreme Jihadism and what global political factors have influenced it?
Step 3: Writing a Position Paper A position paper is a one page brief that outlines your country s position on the given topic. How does your assigned country view this topic? Consider your country s background, particularly its: Type of government Relationship with other countries Foreign policy National interests
United Nations Simulation The primary purpose of the UN Security Council: to maintain international peace and security
United Nations Simulation: Resolutions
What is a Resolution? The UN uses resolutions to: express its opinion on issues make recommendations on how to address situations apply political pressure on member-states to comply with obligations or expectations agreed upon by the international community
Writing a Resolution To see what a resolution looks like, let us take a joking example. Imagine that your family wants to pass a resolution in response to a problem created by your neighbors dog that howls all night long. You might draft the following resolution which has two preambulatory clauses and two operative clauses: Deeply disturbed by the constant barking of your dog, Seeking to arrive at a reasonable way of resolving the problem, OUR FAMILY 1. Emphasizes the need for constructive dialogue; and 2. Urges you to meet with us as soon as possible to discuss possible solutions.
Model UN: Rules of Procedure
General Procedure Roll Call Present or Present & Voting Speaker s List Call for a motion Motions need a seconder to pass Votes need 2/3 majority to pass
Types of Motions Moderated Caucus Speaker s list is opened Topic and speaking time are set Unmoderated Caucus Time is set Delegates a dismissed to talk amongst each other informally May take time to draft a working paper Debate Topic is set Speakers for and against are set To Vote On amending part of a working paper On passing a draft resolution
Parliamentary Points Point of Inquiry. A delegate who is not sure what procedure to follow in a given situation may use a point of inquiry. For this point, the delegate must wait until the speaker at the podium has finished, raise his or her placard, wait to be recognized by the Moderator and then stand and state his or her question. Point of Order. A delegate who believes that the rules of order are not being followed may raise a point of order. In this case, the delegate may raise his or her placard at any time, but may not stand and make the point until recognized by the Moderator. Points of order will be ruled on by the Moderator in consultation with the Director. The Moderator s ruling is final. Right of Reply. A delegate who believes that the integrity of his or her state has been challenged by another speaker may raise his or her placard at any point and, once recognized by the Moderator, request a right of reply. If the Moderator decides that the request is justified, the offending speaker will be asked to sit down. The delegate who has been granted the right of reply will be invited to take the podium and will be permitted one minute to respond. Point of Notice. Delegates may disagree with each other about policy but must refrain from making derogatory comments of a personal nature. They must also refrain from making comments that are racist, sexist, or offensive in some generally understood way. The Moderator may deliver a point of notice to a delegate who is clearly and persistently out of order or who makes inappropriate comments. For a first point of notice, a delegate loses his or her speaking privileges for an hour. For a second point of notice, the Moderator may suspend a delegate s speaking privileges for whatever length of time is deemed appropriate. The Secretary General will normally be consulted on the length of the suspension.
United Nations Security Council Simulation Assessment This simulation is being marked out of 50 points. It is based on the following criteria, each valued at 10 points 1. Background research on country 2. Understanding of the situation 3. Position Paper 4. Participation in discussions 5. Political aptitude