The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
As the UN Committee with the most power, the Council can also give delegates a wide range of creative solutions, so keep in mind that you as a delegate can come up with creative solutions to whichever topic you are debating! However, always try to strike a balance between satisfying the requirements of the permanent 5 members and what is feasibly possible when writing your resolutions.
For each topic area, Security Council Representatives should consider the following questions, which will assist you in gaining a better understanding of the issues at hand, particularly from your country’s perspective:
Security Council Documents Includes resolutions, statements and reports
https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/documents
UNSCR Free but unofficial search engine for the United Nations Security Council Resolutions
Security Council Reports
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council Provides comprehensive coverage of the Security Council’s interpretation and application of the United Nations Charter and its own Provisional Rules of Procedure since 1946. Browse by Supplements or Chapters/Parts.
https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/repertoire/structure
Sanctions List
Provisional Rules of Procedure
https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/provisional-rules-procedure
Note on Security Council Practice (S/2017/507)
https://undocs.org/en/S/2017/507
Security Council website
https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/
United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library: Security Council Documentation
Security Council Report Independent information source on Palestinian question
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/middle-east-including-the-palestinian-question/
UN Press coverage of the debate on the Israel-Palestine crisis
UN News Explainer: What now, as Security Council deadlocks on Gaza?
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142587
Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council on the Middle East
The Situation in the South China Sea Since the 1970s, China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have pressed competing territorial claims on islands and waters in the South China Sea, with China pressing the most expansive claims. Although the islands themselves—principally the Spratly and Paracel Islands and the Scarborough Shoal—are small and largely uninhabited, it is believed the region has substantial oil and natural gas reserves, along with productive fishing areas and heavily used shipping lanes. In 2002, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes those countries with competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. In the Declaration, the parties pledged to abide by the United Nations Charter and international laws to promote peace and stability in the region.
In 2013, the Philippines began international arbitration proceedings against China regarding the status of islands in the South China Sea, claiming China unlawfully interfered inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. In 2016, the arbitration court ruled in favor of the Philippines. However, the Chinese government declined to acknowledge the ruling and continued to press its territorial claims in the South China Sea, known as the “Nine-Dash Line” citing historic rights to the area. In 2014, Vietnam and China filed complaints with the United Nations Secretary-General over planned Chinese offshore oil drilling near the disputed Paracel Islands. China and Vietnam accused the other of aggressive actions, including claims of attempted ship ramming. Regional concern was also raised that China was dredging near the islands to create outposts and, potentially, military bases. Regional negotiations on the topic are stalled, as ASEAN is divided and China has signaled its preference for bilateral negotiations with individual countries.
On 9 August 2021, the Security Council held a meeting to discuss maritime security. In the meeting, Vietnam raised the topic of the South China Sea. Vietnam pledged to continue working with ASEAN and China to fully implement the 2002 Declaration, while also asking the Security Council to make important and concrete contributions to enhancing maritime security. China and the United States accused each other of increasing tensions in the South China Sea. The United States claimed it was promoting stability in the region in the face of illegal actions from China. China denied the accusations, claiming the United States was the biggest threat to the stability of the region as China was already working with ASEAN countries on implementing the 2002 Declaration.
In February 2023, the Philippines and the United States signed an agreement that would allow the United States to increase its military presence in the Philippines, followed by the largest joint military exercise to date in April. This was widely seen as a measure to increase United States presence in the region amidst increasing tensions. In March, the Chinese government threatened “serious consequences,” saying it would take “all necessary measures” to ensure Chinese security after the United States sailed a warship near the disputed Paracel Islands, in what the United States described as a “freedom of navigation operation.” In April, shortly before the joint American-Philippine military exercises were held, the Philippine government claimed a Chinese coast guard ship blocked them from visiting a disputed island and nearly causing a collision. On May 14, the Philippine government announced it placed navigation buoys in the disputed Spratly Islands to assert its claim over the area.
Bibliography
United Nations Documents
Source: https://blogs.jccc.edu/mkcmun/mkcmun-information/committee-background-guide/security-council-2022/
The Historical Security Council (HSC) Committee is a unique MUN committee that seeks to recreate and simulate significant events or periods from history. The purpose of this committee is to provide participants with an immersive experience that allows them to understand the context, causes, and consequences of important historical events. This committee requires extensive research and knowledge of historical facts, as delegates are expected to represent real-life historical figures and engage in role-playing, debate, and negotiations that reflect the values, beliefs, and interests of their respective countries and organizations.
Key international security concerns at the beginning of 1967 revolve around the situations in Africa, including Southern Rhodesia, the Congo and South Africa. Peacekeeping questions are a major concern; the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) operation between Egypt and Israel and the Soviet Union’s unwillingness to pay for certain peacekeeping operations, have both been subjects of Council discussion. The war in Vietnam is also a significant underlying factor in world politics, although it has received limited formal attention in the Security Council. Continued disputes over recognition issues between the two Chinas is also an issue. Additionally, the Cold War struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union are a constant undercurrent in the world of international politics, with many developing States stressing their non-aligned status and forming a power bloc within the United Nations to combat the increasingly polarized world around them.
For each topic area, representatives should consider the following questions, which should assist them in gaining a better understanding of the issues at hand, particularly from their country’s perspective:
Sources: https://www.amun.org/handbooks/2020/2020-handbook/the-historical-security-council-of-1967/, https://alyxmun.org/committees/hsc/
The Historical Security Council (HSC) Committee is a unique MUN committee that seeks to recreate and simulate significant events or periods from history. The purpose of this committee is to provide participants with an immersive experience that allows them to understand the context, causes, and consequences of important historical events. This committee requires extensive research and knowledge of historical facts, as delegates are expected to represent real-life historical figures and engage in role-playing, debate, and negotiations that reflect the values, beliefs, and interests of their respective countries and organizations.
Key international security concerns at the beginning of 1967 revolve around the situations in Africa, including Southern Rhodesia, the Congo and South Africa. Peacekeeping questions are a major concern; the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) operation between Egypt and Israel and the Soviet Union’s unwillingness to pay for certain peacekeeping operations, have both been subjects of Council discussion. The war in Vietnam is also a significant underlying factor in world politics, although it has received limited formal attention in the Security Council. Continued disputes over recognition issues between the two Chinas is also an issue. Additionally, the Cold War struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union are a constant undercurrent in the world of international politics, with many developing States stressing their non-aligned status and forming a power bloc within the United Nations to combat the increasingly polarized world around them.
For each topic area, representatives should consider the following questions, which should assist them in gaining a better understanding of the issues at hand, particularly from their country’s perspective:
Sources: https://www.amun.org/handbooks/2020/2020-handbook/the-historical-security-council-of-1967/, https://alyxmun.org/committees/hsc/
Order of Precedence of Rules: Security Council
|
Rule |
Second |
Debatable |
Vote |
Interrupt |
Description |
| Quorum |
– |
– |
– |
– |
All 15 member countries must be present |
| Voting |
– |
– |
– |
– |
9 votes required for majority. A no vote by any of the 5 permanent members on a substantive issue vetoes the resolution |
| Presidential Statement |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Expresses council’s thoughts without passing a formal resolution. |
| Adoption by Consensus |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Unanimous adoption |
| Point of Order |
No |
No |
None |
Yes |
Used to point out a misuse of the rules |
| Point of Information |
No |
No |
None |
No |
Ask any rules or non-rules related question of the chair, or gain a clarification |
| Point of Inquiry |
No |
No |
None |
No |
Ask a question of a speaker at the end of their speech, prior to their yielding the floor |
| Suspension of the Meeting |
No |
No |
Majority |
No |
Recess the meeting for a specific period of time – often for caucus |
| Adjournment of the Meeting |
No |
No |
Majority |
No |
End the meeting |
| Closure of Debate |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Ends debate on any issue open to debate and brings it to an immediate vote |
| Consultative Session |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Informal debate. Must include time limit. |
| Set the Working Agenda |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
First order of business at the beginning of each day. |
| Add an item to the Working Agenda |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Add a new topic to the bottom of the Working Agenda |
| Change the order of Consideration of Agenda |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Bring an item already in the agenda to the floor for substantive debate |
| Set the Speaker’s Time |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Set or change the speakers’ time limit |
| Division of the Question |
No |
Yes |
Majority |
No |
Divide a resolution or amendment into 2 or more clauses, each to be voted on separately after closure of debate |
| Consideration of Amendments |
No |
No |
None |
No |
Bring an amendment to the floor for decision |
| Consideration of Resolutions |
No |
No |
Majority |
No |
Consider a resolution that has the requisite number of signatures |
| Party to the Dispute |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Requests participation by nonmember of the Security Council |
Source: https://blogs.jccc.edu/mkcmun/model-un-preparation/rules/security-council-rules/
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