Distinguished delegates, member states and observers: It is an honor for the High Command and the members of this Chair to welcome

you to the 5th edition of the Simulacro de Acción Juvenil de Naciones Unidas, as

well as to the Security Council.

Created in 1945 by the San Francisco Charter, the United Nations Security Council

aims to preserve international peace and security and to prevent any conflict,

always looking for new ways to maintain a good relation between States and to

establish cooperation links that lead the way to development in our nations.

During the last two decades, our international system has faced numerous

changes in its structure, which has also affected the way that conflict develops and

the approach we need to confront it. In this sense, the Security Council is an organ

with a very changing agenda, always attending to the most regarding issues and

topics of our international community and focusing on all the subjects related to the

maintenance of international peace and security.

As we all know, 2013 has been a very active year for our Council, but we still have

pendant some of the most challenging issues in the story of our organization.

Delegates, it is our duty to look out for solutions through peaceful means and

negotiation, but above everything else, it is our responsibility not to stay silent

about what happens in our world.

We want to exhort you to think about the goals of our committee; and mostly, about

what you are going to do to help maintain our international community’s stability,

because, in the end, the decisions that we take today are the ones who will define

the future of our world.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It is not enough to talk about peace. One must

believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it. One must work at it”.

Hoping to meet you in October, feel free to send any questions, requests or doubts

to: sc@siajnu.org

Ana Karen Herrera González

President

Valeria Hernández Almaguer

Nathalia López García

Moderators

Miguel Mendivil Roiz

Conference Office

INTRODUCTION

In 1945, as World War II was reaching an end, great powers assume the

responsibility of creating an organizational plan in order to avoid another

conflagration, restore international peace and promote cooperation between the

nations. The United Nations was formally created in October 24th 1945, with 51

nations represented and six main organs, between which we find the Security

Council, which main responsibility is to maintain international peace, the prevention

of future wars and any decision concerning peacekeeping and peace enforcement

missions. The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church

House, London. Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent

residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.1

According to the United Nations Charter, this organ has “primary responsibility for

the maintenance of international peace and security”2 Furthermore, it has some

other purposes: “develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving

international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a

center for harmonizing the actions of nations”3 To this effect, the Security Council

may meet whenever any of its purposes is threatened.

The Security Council is conferred by its members with the responsibility to maintain

international peace and security, member states agree that in carrying out its

duties, the council acts on their behalf. The Security Council always works in

1 United Nations Security Council, “Organization”, What is the Security Council? [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/ 2 United Nations Security Council, “Mandate”, What is Security Council? [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/ 3 United Nations Security Council, “Maintaining Peace and Security”, What is Security Council? [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/

accordance with the Purposes and Principles established by the United Nations

Charter, which also specifies the powers granted to this committee for the

discharge of its duties under chapters VI, VII, VII and XII.

In order to bring peace and order in some regions of the world where a dispute

leads to hostilities, the Council may: “issue ceasefire directives that can help

prevent an escalation of the conflict; dispatch military observers or a peacekeeping

force to help reduce tensions, separate opposing forces and establish a calm in

which peaceful settlements may be sought.”4 In case these effort do not work at all

or as it was thought, the Council may opt for enforcement measures as “economic

sanctions, arms embargoes, financial penalties, and restrictions, and travel bans;

severance of diplomatic relations; blockade; or even collective military action.”5

Based on Article 39 of the United Nations, “the Security Council shall determine the

existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression.

[some specific situations seen as a possible threat could be] situations such as

inter or intra-State conflict or internal conflicts with a regional or sub-regional

dimension”6 To be even more specific, the Security Council identifies potential or

generic threats as threats to international peace and security, “such as terrorist

acts, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation and

illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons”.7

4 United Nations Security Council, “Maintaining Peace and Security”, What is Security Council? [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/ 5 United Nations Security Council, “Maintaining Peace and Security”, What is Security Council? [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/ 6 United Nations Security Council, “How does the Security Council determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression? ”, Frequently Asked Questions [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/faq.shtml 7 United Nations Security Council, “How does the Security Council determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression? ”, Frequently Asked Questions [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/faq.shtml

Once the Council has determined those threats to international peace and security,

“it calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommend

methods of adjustment or terms of settlement”8 also, the Security Council

recommends to the General Assembly “the appointment of the Secretary-General

and the admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the

General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice”.9

The fundamental difference between the Security Council and other organs of the

United Nations is that, while the others make recommendations to member States,

only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that all members are

then obligated to implement under the Charter.

The United Nations Security Council is composed by fifteen Member States of the

United Nations, five permanent members (The United States of America, the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Russian Federation, the

People’s Republic of China and the French Republic) and ten non-permanent

members, elected by the General Assembly for a two years term. The election

process of the new UNSC members will be held in October 2013. The current non-

permanent members of the committee are the following:

• Argentina (2014)

• Azerbaijan (2013)

• Australia (2014)

• Guatemala (2013)

• Luxembourg (2014) 8 United Nations Security Council, “How does the Security Council determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression? ”, Frequently Asked Questions [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/ 9 United Nations Security Council, “How does the Security Council determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression? ”, Frequently Asked Questions [accessed: may 16th 2013], available in: http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/

• Morocco (2013)

• Pakistan (2013)

• Republic of Korea (2014)

• Rwanda (2014)

• Togo (2013)

A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council

may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that

that country's interests are affected. Both Members and non-members of the

United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council,

may be invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council

sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State. 10

In order for the Security Council to adopt a decision, it must be approved by an

affirmative vote of at least nine members. In decisions under Chapter VI, and under

paragraph 3 of Art. 52, a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting. This in

accordance to what is established by Art. 27.

All the members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions

of the Security Council, according to what is established in the Charter.

The procedure for the revision of the United Nations Charter and the faculties

conferred to the Security Council are established in Chapter XVIII of the Charter.

The Security Council duties include:

10 United Nations. “Charter of the United Nations”, (2013 [May 15th, 2013]), available in: http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/index.shtml

I. The submission of an annual report to the General Assembly for its

consideration. The Council might also deliver special reports when necessary.

(Art 24)

II. The formulation, with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee, plans for

the establishment of a system for the regulation of armaments, which may be

approved by the Members of the United Nations (Art. 26).

III. The establishment, if necessary, subsidiary organs for the performance of its

functions. (Art. 29)

IV. Investigate any situation that might led to an international friction and call upon

the parties to a dispute to settle its disagreement by peaceful means like

negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement,

resort to regional agencies or arrangements; taking into consideration any

procedures that had already been adopted by the parties in order to maintain

international peace and security. The Security Council shall also attend any

situation referred to its jurisdiction by any Member State or by a non-member

state that accepts the obligations of pacific settlement that the UN Charter

provides, being conscious that legal disputes should be referred to the

International Court of Justice.

V. Determine the existence of any threat to peace, breach of the peace or act of

aggression and make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be

taken to maintain or restore international peace and security in accordance with

art. 41 and 42 of UN Charter, calling upon the parties to comply provisional

measures and taking into account the failure to comply such procedures.

VI. Taking measures not involving the use of armed force to give effect to the

decisions of the Security Council provided by art. 41 of the UN Charter, that

include the complete or partial interruption of economic relations and

communications and the severance of diplomatic relations.

VII. If measures provided by Art. 41 have proved to be inadequate, the UNSC

may take action by air, sea or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or

restore international peace and security. Such actions may include

demonstrations, blockade and other operations by air, sea or land forces of

Members of the United Nations; plans involving the application of such

measures must comprise the assistance of the Military Staff Committee. The

Security Council might invite all of the Member States of the United Nations not

represented in the Council to participate in the decisions concerning the

employment of contingents of their armed forces.

VIII. As established by Art. 47 of the UN Charter, a Military Staff Committee must

consist of the Chiefs of Staff of the permanent members of the Security Council

or their representatives and any Member of the United Nations that is not

permanently represented on the committee and is invited to be associated in

the case that the efficient discharge of the Committee responsibilities requires

the participation of that Member. The Committee’s duty is to advise and assist

the Security Council on all questions relating to its military requirements for the

maintenance of international peace and security, the employment and

command of forces, the regulation of armaments and possible disarmament.

This committee shall be responsible for the strategic direction of any armed

forces placed at disposal of the UNSC and it might establish (with previous

authorization of the UNSC and after consultation with appropriate regional

agencies) establish regional sub-committees.

IX. The Security Council might determine if the action required to carry out the

committee’s decisions for the maintenance of international peace and security

must be taken by all the members of the United Nations or by some of them.

Decisions shall be carried out directly by UN members through their action in

the appropriate international agencies of which they are members and utilize

regional arrangements or agencies to reinforce the action under its authority.

Regional arrangements or actions must consult the Council before taking

enforcement actions, with exception of the cases provided by Art. 53 and Art.

107 of the UN Charter or in regional arrangements directed against renewal of

aggressive policy of the part of any State11.

Members of the United Nations shall join in affording mutual assistance in carrying

out the measures decided upon by the Security Council, as established by art. 49

of the UN Charter. Nevertheless, Art. 50 of the Charter also remarks that if the

application of preventive or enforcement measures represents a rise of special

economic problems, the State have the right to consult the Security Council with

regard to a solution of those problems.

Nothing in the UN Charter shall impair the right of States to exercise individual or

collective self-defense actions until the Security Council has taken measures

necessary to maintain international peace and security. This kind of measures shall

immediately be reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect its

11 United Nations, “Charter of the United Nations”, (2013[May, 15th 2013]) available in http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/index.shtml

authority and responsibility to take necessary actions to maintain or restore

international peace and security.12

As the Security Council is the organ in charge of guarding international peace and

security, the topics on its agenda are constantly in change, attending to the needs

of the international community. There are mainly two kind of focuses in the

committee’s agenda: The first one attends to the already established missions and

programs and their revisions, and the second concentrates in potential or ongoing

crisis in the global scenario.

For the fifth edition of the Simulacro de Acción Juvenil de Naciones Unidas we will

focus on the second approach, stay tuned for more information.

12 United Nations, “Chapter VII: Action with respect to threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression”, (2013[May, 15th 2013]) available in http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter7.shtml