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Security Council Topics 2006:
> Reviewing the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo
> Reviewing the issue of Iran
> Establishing guidelines for post-conflict regions
> Racism as a threat to international peace and security
Security Council
Contact: sc@bermun.de
Dear Delegates of the BERMUN Security Council 2006,
Welcome to this year’s Security Council! The start of this year’s gathering of intelligent and passionate young people is only shortly away and we’re sure that most of you want to and should start researching and preparing. The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations that also hosts some of the most intense debates, so we’d like to remind you that being prepared is crucial to taking part in the Security Council. It’s not that fun being left out of a debate simply because one didn’t remember to look up what the IMF or the Millennium Declaration is. Remember to write at least 1 Resolution and have clauses prepared for the 3 remaining topics. That way, everyone has something to contribute to the debates. In the Security Council, two delegates represent each country so you can split up your work, which will definitely make your life easier. And, last but not least, please take advantage of the forum! You can do some pre-lobbying and get yourself a head start or just get to know the members of the Security Council, including us, your chairs.
My name is Jocelyne Smelt, I’m in the final grade of the Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem in the Netherlands and I’ll be the Deputy President of the Security Council. I’ve lived in England when I was younger but am now quite comfortable in the city of Haarlem (near Amsterdam and the beach). I am really looking forward to this year’s BERMUN conference and to meeting you all. I am going to do my very best to make sure everyone has a great time and we get some great results. I am convinced that you will all try to do the same and have no doubt that we will succeed.
I’m Samira Lindner, I’m a senior at the John F. Kennedy School, and I have the honour of serving as the President of the Security Council. I’ve been involved in MUN for the past 3 years and BERMUN 2006 will be my 6th conference, 3rd as a Chair. My past homes include Managua, Ankara and New York, and now, Berlin. I’m quite eager to get the Security Council started and know that together we can make this Council the most productive and exciting one yet.
If you have any questions concerning the topics, BERMUN, JFKS, Berlin or anything else, feel free to contact us through the forum or write us an e-mail to sc@bermun.de
All the best for BERMUN 2006!
Sincerely,
Jocelyne Smelt and Samira Lindner
Security Council Topics 2006
Reviewing the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo:
The Democratic Republic of Congo (the DR Congo) is the second largest country in Africa. It’s filled with a vast amount of mineral wealth giving the country great potential to be prosperous. However, after achieving independence from Belgium in 1960 the DR Congo has been marked by political unrest and conflict. Since 1998, the country has suffered greatly from the devastating Second Congo War. The war mainly manifested itself on the territory of the DR Congo but directly involved nine other African countries. It is one of the biggest conflicts of our time and has been the deadliest strife since World War II. This friction will certainly not be solved easily and there are several things that should definitely be taken into account. For one, the DR Congo is a very large country with a devastated infrastructure after years of war. Trying to organise grand scale operations will therefore be very costly and difficult. Secondly, there are enormous amounts of mineral wealth in most of the south and east areas, which parties are reluctant to give up. This makes it difficult to persuade armed forces to leave. Finally, most of the armed groups are militia men. They are usually not represented by a government and are less bound to a solid organization, thus making it difficult to sign binding agreements, especially for the UN.
Useful links:
Reviewing the issue of Iran
Together with the current situation in Lebanon and Israel and the continuous chaos in Iraq, the question of Iran forms one of the current biggest threats to peace and stability not only in the Middle East but also in the world as a whole. All three situations are very much interlinked and have political, economical, social and religious backgrounds. Many consider the question whether Iran is allowed to have the capability to produce nuclear weapons or not, as the most dangerous of all those three problems. On August 31, the deadline given by the Security Council to the country of Iran to stop all nuclear enrichment activities came to its end and Tehran has not halted its programs. As a consequence, the international community will now have to think about ways in which to put pressure on Iran. The Security Council will very soon have to decide what consequences Iran will be faced with for its unwillingness to follow up on Resolution 1696. While some member states, including the United States and allied western nations, urge for harsh sanctions, others such as China and the Russian Federation are much more reluctant on the issue. The questions at hand are: Will the Security Council be divided? Will the United States, as in the case of Iraq, proceed even without a consensus with the Security Council and could this ultimately provoke a war with Iran? What economic incentives does Iran offer Moscow and Beijing for voting against sanctions? In the following weeks, these will be the decisive questions for those in New York as well as for you, fellow MUN-ers, when drafting resolutions.
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Establishing guidelines for post-conflict regions:
Only in recent years has the importance of the phase between the end of a conflict, mostly characterized by a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement at the end of a peace-making mission, and the beginning of the reconstruction phase been internationally recognized. The latter is usually handled by international financial institutions and bilateral or multilateral donors. It is in this transitional phase, normally accompanied by the arrival of peacekeepers and humanitarian aid in a region, when first steps of demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration of former combatants – the so-called “DDR-Process” - as well as initial tasks of creating political, economic, and social structures and rudimentary juristic institutions take place. The success or failure of a future state is determined in exactly this period. The United Nations recognized the importance of a successful transition between peacemaking and reconstruction by creating a Peacebuilding Commission during the 2005 World Summit. One of the main tasks of this commission is the drafting of principles and guidelines of post-conflict peace building. Things to think about when writing a resolution are: When does the peace-building phase begin? Who will coordinate the peace-building measures? What are the elements of peace building? Can general guidelines be formulated that apply to all post-conflict regions?
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Racism as a threat to international peace and security
Sadly human history has been marked by racism. It has shown its face during Europe’s colonisation spree, slavery and on many other occasions, often leading to violence, oppression, hate and massacres. It took the death of 6 million Jews during the holocaust in World War II to finally convince the global community that something had to be done to put a stop to racism. Since then, numerous efforts have been made to end racism and to ensure equal rights and treatment for every human being.
This was officially recognised by article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
And this message returns continuously throughout the declaration. But, despite its wide acceptance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not a binding legal document. Racism still occurs in its “mild” form within society to tragic ethnic cleansing and genocide as it did in Rwanda. What basic guidelines can we implement to prevent racism and xenophobia in our society? How can we ensure equality and tolerance for all? What difficulties stand in the way? What are the roots of racism?
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