wisconsin high school model united nations delegates handbook final 2012

8/3/2019 Wisconsin High School Model United Nations Delegates Handbook Final 2012

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WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOLMODEL UNITED NATIONSMarch 22-23, 2012

Delegate HandbookSPONSORS

Institute of World Affairs

Center for International Education

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

SECRETARIAT

University of Wisconsin Madison and Milwaukee Students

COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS

UNA-USA Wisconsin Division

Wisconsin Governors Commission on the UN

UWM Institute of World AffairsP.O. Box 413

Milwaukee, WI 53201

www.ModelUN.uwm.edu
http://www.modelun.uwm.edu/http://www.modelun.uwm.edu/http://www.modelun.uwm.edu/


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December 7, 2011

Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors:

The 2012 Wisconsin High School Model United Nations (WHSMUN) Secretariat is proud to offer this

handbook to assist in your preparations for the upcoming conference. This handbook contains detailedbackground guides for each subcommittee topic; research and procedural information; primers on theUnited Nations (UN), European Union (EU), Human Rights Council (HRC) and International Court of

Justice (ICJ); as well as other important conference information. Background guides for the Security

Council (SC), Historical Security Council (HSC), Council of the European Union (CEU), HumanRights Council (HRC), International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Joint Crisis Committee (JCC)

simulations will be sent to participating schools in January 2012.

We are pleased to announce that in addition to comprehensive awards, we will continue to give awardsfor the outstanding position papers. The criteria for these awards can be found in this handbook.

If you have any questions about the handbook or need any assistance with conference preparation,

please contact Secretary-General Sami Ghani by e-mailing him at

[email protected]. We hope that you will find this handbook helpful in your

preparations and look forward to seeing you in March!

Sami GhaniSecretary-General

Roshni NedungadiDirector-General

Adriana ViswanathaUnder Secretary-General of Conference Administration

Roger DiehlUnder Secretary-General of Crisis Administration

Grant BodnerUnder Secretary-General of Human Rights Council

Maris JanssenUnder Secretary-General of Legal Council

Joon Hwang and Kimi LilligUnder Secretary-Generals of Delegate Preparation


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 3WHSMUN Information ............................................................................................................................ 4

ARE YOU READY? ............................................................................................................................. 5

Preparation.......................................................................................................................................... 5

Responsibilities .................................................................................................................................. 5Knowledge of the UN......................................................................................................................... 6

Conference Procedures and Rules ...................................................................................................... 6Understanding Your Nation ................................................................................................................ 6

Special Simulation Member States ........................................................................................................ 6

Security Council ................................................................................................................................. 6Historical Security Council 1956 ....................................................................................................... 7

Human Rights Council ....................................................................................................................... 7

Council of the European Union .......................................................................................................... 7

Tentative Schedule of Events ................................................................................................................. 7Explanation of Events ............................................................................................................................ 8

Conference Information .......................................................................................................................... 10

General Conference Information ......................................................................................................... 10

Number of Delegates ........................................................................................................................ 10Dress Code ....................................................................................................................................... 10

WHSMUN 2012 Delegate Code of Conduct .................................................................................... 11

Conference Staff ............................................................................................................................... 12Delegate Services ............................................................................................................................. 12

Awards .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Opening Ceremony .............................................................................................................................. 13

Blocs .................................................................................................................................................... 14Subcommittees ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Main Committees ................................................................................................................................. 14General Assembly Plenary Session ..................................................................................................... 15Security Council / Historical Security Council ................................................................................... 15

International Court of Justice ............................................................................................................... 16

Joint Crisis Committee: Central Intelligence Agency and the

(KGB) .......................................................................................................................... 16Conference Preparation and Research .................................................................................................... 17

Role-Playing ........................................................................................................................................ 17

The Head Delegate .............................................................................................................................. 17Researching Your Topic ....................................................................................................................... 17

Resources.......................................................................................................................................... 18

Review of the United Nations .......................................................................................................... 20

Review of the International Court of Justice .................................................................................... 23Human Rights Council ..................................................................................................................... 23

WHSMUN 2012 Topics and Subcommittee Guides ............................................................................... 241.1 Prevention of Small Arms and Light Weapons Trafficking ........................................................... 251.2 Piracy in Somalia and its Effect on Regional Security .................................................................. 26

1.3 Outer Space Arms Race ................................................................................................................. 27

1.4 Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East ........................... 28

1. 5 Cyber Warfare ............................................................................................................................... 29


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2.1 Promoting the Proliferation of Green Technologies ...................................................................... 292.2 Improving Fairness on the International Market to Facilitate Growth .......................................... 30

2.3 The International Debt Crisis ......................................................................................................... 31

2.4 Improving the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ....................................................................... 32

2.5 Micro Financing and the Developing World ................................................................................. 333.1 Protection of Human Rights in a War Zone ................................................................................... 34

3.2 Rights to Clean Drinking Water .................................................................................................... 353.3 Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur and Sudan and the Violation of International Law ....................... 373.4 Ethnic Tensions in China ............................................................................................................... 38

3.5 Displacement of Refugees ............................................................................................................. 39

Position Papers..................................................................................................................................... 40Resolutions .......................................................................................................................................... 41

Preambulatory Phrases ..................................................................................................................... 41

Operative Clauses ............................................................................................................................. 42

Example of Draft Resolution: The Economics of Global Warming ................................................. 42Rules and Procedures .............................................................................................................................. 43

Administration and General Conference Rules ................................................................................... 43

Section 1: Administration ................................................................................................................. 43

Section 2: General Rules .................................................................................................................. 44Section 3: General Assembly (GA) .................................................................................................. 45

Section 4: General Assembly Rules (Points & Motions in Order of Precedence) ........................... 47

Section 5: Main Committees ............................................................................................................ 50Section 6: Subcommittees ................................................................................................................ 50

Section 7: Security Council (SC) and Historical Security Council (HSC) ...................................... 51

Section 8: Security Council Rules (Points of Procedure and Motions in Order of Precedence) ..... 52Section 9: Council of the European Union ....................................................................................... 54

Section 10: Council of the European Union Rules........................................................................... 55

Appendices .............................................................................................................................................. 58Appendix 1: WHSMUN GA Parliamentary Procedure Short Form .................................................... 58Appendix 2: WHSMUN SC/HSC Parliamentary Procedure Short Form............................................ 59

Appendix 3: WHSMUN CEU Parliamentary Procedure Short Form ................................................. 60

Appendix 4: Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) .................................................................................. 61


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WHSMUN Information

ARE YOU READY?

PreparationThe Wisconsin High School Model United Nations should not be a passive educational experience. If you come

to the conference prepared and are actively involved, you learn more and simulations will be more rewarding.Those who are well-prepared will have more influence and will emerge as the conference leaders. All

participants will come away with a deeper understanding of world events and international negotiations, but for

some WHSMUN can be a life-changing experience.

There are many ways to become involved at WHSMUN. If you are a public speaker, or are willing to try, youwill have the opportunity to exercise your skills at WHSMUN. If you prefer to work behind the scenes, one on

one or with small groups, hammering out a compromise, you will have a place in the resolution-writing process.

If you are an organizer, able to bring disparate groups together into a coalition for a single cause; if you are a

technician, capable of quickly comprehending meanings of complicated statements; if you are a writeralmost

every skill is useful and needed for a successful WHSMUN conference. Please try new things, especially

speaking on your issue, however briefly. Newcomers are often surprised by how well they can handle things thatthey never had the opportunity to try before!

ResponsibilitiesAt WHSMUN, students assume the identities and world-views of diplomats from UN member states. Accurate

role-playing and representation is critical to being a successful WHSMUN delegate. Shed your American

worldview (except for those representing the US!) and adopt the perspectives of the nation you represent. In all

your preparation before the conference and all your activity at the conference, you must think and act like a

politician from the nation you represent. Consider the economic and political background of people in your

nation. What ideologies do they adhere to? Look at their cultures and religions. What do they value? How

does their government reflect this? What does it consider important? Consider, for example, whether arepressive government that consistently denies its citizens basic human rights would actually vote for a

resolution supporting womens rights to equal access to education. The more you submerge yourself in theidentity of a UN representative from your assigned nation, the more fun you will have participating at

WHSMUN. Role-playing is play after all, but it also broadens your understanding of others, an important

ingredient of the kind of international cooperation promoted by the real United Nations.

Once you have received your country and subcommittee assignments, the first step is to decide who will

represent the nation in each subcommittee. Only one delegate may be assigned to each of the delegations

subcommittees. Schools assigned to the Security Council and other special simulations will require extra

delegates, as those simulations will be running at the same time as subcommittees, main committees, and theGeneral Assembly Plenary session.

Set up a time schedule for collecting and reading material that should include the following: general information

about the United Nations, background information on your country including social, cultural, economic, and

political data; bloc ideologies as derived by other organizations your country may belong to; developing and

sharpening communication skills needed for effective participation including writing of resolutions, rules of

procedure, and public speaking. Do not rely solely on the information presented in this handbook, as it is not

intended to be comprehensive.

The most effective diplomats are often generalists. Certainly divide the workload and specialize, but do not go

so far that you completely ignore topics in other subcommittees. The Plenary session of the General Assembly

involves all members of each delegation, and a broad understanding of all topics will come in handy.


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Knowledge of the UNParticipation in the Model United Nations conference requires background knowledge of how the UN operates,

even for those not in a UN body at this conference. The following topics are useful to understand: what powers

the UN has, the history of the UNs work, and the purposes and functions of the various organs and relatedagencies of the UN. Begin this part of your research by reading the primer on the UN in this book. Several

publications from the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) are available to delegations as a

Model UN Kit and will help you in learning more about the UN. Some helpful publications from this

organization include: UN at a Glance,Everyones United Nations,Reference Guide to the United Nations, andAGlobal Agenda: Issues before the United Nations 2010-2011. To order these publications, write to the

Publications Department at UNA-USA, 485 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6104 or call (866) 335-4001.

Basic Facts About the United Nations , published by the UN itself, is also a good resource.

Although not all delegates are a part of special simulations, we encourage all students to independently

understand the purpose, format, powers, and history of these bodies. This handbook has a primer on the ICJ and

HRC that contain basic information, but you should also consider doing some additional searching for facts,

history, policy, statements and structure of these bodies.

Conference Procedures and RulesStudents preparing for WHSMUN must also understand the program and specific rules of the conference. TheWHSMUN handbook is the exclusive source of information to guide you through the procedures of the

conference. It has been updated with some minor rule changes and clarifications, as well as new topics.

Information from other conferences or from previous WHSMUN experiences may not apply to the current

conference. Detailed information about conference rules and parliamentary procedure is found later in this

handbook.

Understanding Your NationThe most important part of your research involves developing a complete and thorough understanding about thenation you represent. Although it is sometimes difficult to obtain policy statements or voting records on some

issues, do not despair! After completing the background research on your country, you will already have a fairly

good idea of many of its positions. Membership in international organizations, possession or lack of certainresources, and political, social, economic, and cultural data all provide excellent information from which to infer

policy stances. After reflecting upon these materials, you will find that it is relatively easy to discern a countrysinternational political views.

Become an Expert on Your Subcommittee Topic or Special Committee Areas of Concern

Finally, you must become familiar with the topic of your selected subcommittee, because this is the subject that

you will spend the most time discussing at the conference. In addition to research on your subcommittee topic,you will also have to draw upon all the other areas that you prepared, such as the structure and operation of the

UN and your nations foreign policy goals and objectives. Dont forget to familiarize yourself with the othertopics in your Main Committee so that you can fruitfully debate all other resolutions (in addition to your

Subcommittees) once in session.

Special Simulation Member States

Security CouncilBosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal,

Russian Federation, South Africa, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of

America,


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Historical Security Council 1956Australia, Belgium, China, Cuba, France, Islamic Republic of Iran, Peru, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Yugoslavia

Human Rights CouncilAngola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, China, Cuba,

Djibouti, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Libyan ArabJamahiriya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland,

Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea (Republic of Korea),

Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Zambia

Council of the European UnionAustria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,

Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania,

Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Tentative Schedule of Events

ThursdayMarch 22, 2012

8:30 AM Registration begins

9:00 Opening Ceremonies

10:15 Subcommittee Meetings Commence, Special Committees Commence

1:30 PM Lunch

2:30 Main Committees Commence, Special Committees Resume

5:00 Break

5:15 Main Committees Resume, Special Committees Resume

7:00 Dinner

8:15 Delegates Dance

10:00 Dance EndsAssemble to Board Buses

10:30 Buses Depart for Doubletree Hotel (with staff supervision)

FridayMarch 23, 2012

7:00 AM Assemble to Board Buses

7:45 Buses Begin to Depart from the Doubletree Hotel


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8:30 General Assembly Convenes, Special Committees Resume

11:30 Lunch

Faculty Evaluation Session

1:00 PM General Assembly Reconvenes, Special Committees Resume

2:30 SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC, and JCC Meetings Adjourn (report to GA Chambers)

2:40 SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC, and JCC Reports

3:00 Closing Ceremonies

Explanation of Events

ThursdayMarch 22, 2012

8:30 AM RegistrationAs schools arrive at the UW-Milwaukee (UWM) Student Union, advisors will register their delegations.

Delegates will receive information packets and will take their seats in the General Assembly.

9:00 AM Opening CeremoniesRepresentatives of UW-Madison, UWM, and the Institute of World Affairs will give opening remarks followed

by the keynote speaker.

Up to three delegates, representing different world regions, will then be given the opportunity to make opening

statements. Statements will be limited to five minutes and should express the viewpoint of the country

represented.

Lastly, the Secretary-General will address the General Assembly.

10:15 AM Subcommittee Meetings, Special Committee MeetingsAll delegates not in the special simulations (SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC and JCC) should report to their assigned

subcommittee meetings.

Each delegation will be assigned to 6 of 15 subcommittees. Accordingly, each delegate will have a

subcommittee to attend and a subcommittee topic on which to prepare a position paper. Delegations are allowed

to send only one delegate to each subcommittee. To ensure a successful simulation of the United Nations

processes, delegates must accurately represent their nations and attempt to work out problems diplomatically.

Delegations must submit one position paper for each of their assigned subcommittees. Papers must be received

by March 2, 2012. At WHSMUN, each subcommittee will write one draft resolution on its topic. The Secretary-

General will determine specific procedures for subcommittees, each to be conducted by an assigned staff

member.

Crisis Committee Sessions: SC, HSC, and CEUThe Security Council (SC), the Historical Security Council (HSC), and the Council of the European Union

(CEU) will meet to address their agenda as well as any developing international crises. Delegations will receive

crisis information throughout the simulation via the Secretariat.


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The SC and HSC may request the presence of non-SC/HSC delegations, which will be role-played by the

Secretariat.

International Court of Justice MeetingThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin session at this time. The first meeting will include an

overview of rules and important information before cases are presented. Students will then assume the roles of

justices. Members of the Secretariat will be presenting the case(s) and will facilitate deliberations.

Human Rights CouncilThe Human Rights Council (HRC) will also begin session at this time.

Joint Crisis CommitteeThe Joint Crisis Committee (JCC) will also begin session at this time.

1:30 PM Lunch BreakDelegates should take advantage of this valuable opportunity to caucus with fellow delegates while enjoying

lunch in the UWM Student Union or at a nearby restaurant. At the United Nations, diplomacy is often conducted

best in the Delegate Lounge between official meetings. WHSMUN delegates may even want to plan meetings

over lunch with members of their committees.

2:30 PM Main Committee Meetings Commence, Special Committee Meetings

ResumeThe Main Committees will consider the resolutions drafted in their respective subcommittees. Each Main

Committee will debate, amend, and either pass or reject each subcommittees resolution. Those draft resolutionsthat are passed will be placed on the General Assemblys agenda as amended.

SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC, and JCC Meetings resume as well.

5:00 PM Break

5:15 PM Main Committees, Special Committees Resume

7:00 PM Dinner and DiplomacyDuring this break, delegates may wish to caucus once again.

8:15 PM Evening ActivitiesEnjoy a night of activities with your fellow delegates hosted by the Secretariat. Optional activities include a

delegate dance and recreational activities within the UWM Student Union.

10:30 PM Buses Depart from UWMBuses will leave the UWM Student Union, bound for the Doubletree Hotel, under Secretariat supervision.

Delegates should assemble in lines for their designated bus by 10:15 PM.

FridayMarch 23, 2012

7:15 AM Buses Begin to Depart from Doubletree HotelBuses will leave the Doubletree Hotel, bound for the UWM Student Union, under Secretariat supervision.

Delegates should assemble in lines for their designated bus by 7:00 AM.

8:30 AM General Assembly Plenary Convenes, Special Committees Resume


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Resolutions passed in the Main Committees will be discussed, possibly amended, and put to a vote in the

General Assembly Plenary. All delegates who were assigned to a subcommittee must be in attendance.

The SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC and JCC will continue their sessions until lunch. .

11:30 AM Lunch, Faculty Evaluation SessionAll faculty advisors are invited to meet in the UWM Student Union (room to be announced at conference) for

lunch and a discussion of the conference.

1:00 PM General Assembly Plenary, Special Committees ResumeThis is the final session for each of the special committees.

2:40 PM Special Committees to General AssemblyAll delegates from the SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC, and JCC should report to the General Assembly.

Representatives of each body will present a progress report on their work to the General Assembly.

3:00 PM Closing Ceremonies

The Secretary-General will offer closing remarks and distribute awards. The General Assembly will then end itssession for the year.

Conference Inf ormation

General Conference Information

Number of DelegatesWHSMUN provides an engaging and educational experience for as many delegations as possible. In an effort to

increase and diversify the conference, we have to limit the number of delegations per school and delegation

sizes.

The minimum size of any delegation is three students. The maximum size shall be six delegates for delegations

not assigned to a special simulation. Additional delegates will be required for delegations assigned to the

Security Council (2), Historical Security Council (2), Council of the European Union (1-2), International Court

of Justice (1), Human Rights Council (1), and Joint Crisis Committee (1). Delegations cannot exceed themaximum number. The guidelines are important both due to the desire to maintain optimal diversity of

delegations and due to space limitations at the UWM conference facilities.

Dress CodeDelegates will be expected to dress in professional (Western) business attire for all WHSMUN meetings. This

means jackets and ties for young men and dresses or suits for young women. No jeans, casual wear, or attire

traditional to the country they are representing are permitted. Delegates presenting themselves in military attirewill not be permitted to participate. If students are dressed inappropriately, the staff will discuss the situation

with the student and faculty advisor. Students will be asked to change, or under serious circumstances, will not

be permitted to participate.

Please also note that in accordance with official UN rules, overt national symbols are not permitted at

WHSMUN. This means that delegates may not wear pins of their national flag, bring in flags, or decorate their

placards with national symbols.


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WHSMUN 2012 Delegate Code of ConductGeneral CourtesyDelegates are expected to conduct themselves in a manner reflective of international diplomats at all times. This

means every courtesy, both in speech and in behavior, should be extended to all delegates, faculty members, and

conference staff. The importance of both proper attire and behavior befitting of diplomats cannot be stressed

enough. Delegates are expected to take their roles seriously.

BadgesAll delegates must wear their names badges at all times. This allows other delegates and staff to quickly

recognize who you are and which nation you represent. Name badges serve as your credentials as a UNdelegate. Badges are color-coded. Certain areas of the conference are off limits to those not wearing a staff

badge.

Dark Blue: Senior Staff Blue: Staff Yellow: Faculty White: Delegate

PlacardsIn the General Assembly, a placard with the country name of each delegation will be placed at the delegationsgroup of seats. These are the property of WHSMUN and must not be defaced or damaged. Please be good

environmental stewards and leave the placards in reusable condition. Leave placards on their assigned tables

throughout the course of the conference. Delegations caught using placards for nations of which they are notassigned will have that placard confiscated and will be dismissed from the conference. Schools will be billed forcareless damage to placards.

General Assembly Page ServiceMembers of the staff will act as pages to circulate notes during the General Assembly session so as to ease

communication between delegations. All correspondence must be through the pages. This privilege is not to be

abused. Notes that are inappropriate or irrelevant to the agenda of the General Assembly will not be delivered,

and disciplinary action may be taken. The Secretary-General reserves the right to discontinue use of the page

service.

Prohibited Items

During ALL SESSIONS, no mobile phones, games, drawing, music players, newspapers, magazines, or otherdiversions (at the discretion of the Secretariat) will be tolerated. The staff will confiscate such items for the

remainder of the conference, and the students faculty advisor will be informed. Delegates may be dismissed

from any WHSMUN meeting if the rules of conduct are not observed.

Illegal SubstancesThe consumption, purchase, transport, and possession of illegal drugs or alcohol are strictly prohibited during the

conference and conference events, including during evening activities and at the hotel. Delegates who appear to

be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any time during WHSMUN or any affiliated activity will be

removed from the conference and their faculty advisors notified.

Hotel BehaviorOut of respect to fellow delegates and other hotel guests, noise in the halls and rooms of the hotels should bekept to a minimum. Conference staff will work in close contact with hotel security and faculty advisors to ensure

the enforcement of quiet hours. At midnight delegates should be in their rooms with doors closed. Conversation

and caucusing will be permitted as long as conversation is not audible outside of individual rooms. If the hotel

security or conference staff feel the caucusing privilege is being abused in any way, delegates will be asked to

return to their own rooms immediately.

SafetyTo ensure your safety, please notify your faculty advisor if you leave the hotel premises during evening free


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time. Furthermore, if you decide to leave the hotel, be sure to travel in groups of no fewer than three people.

The safety of the delegates is of the utmost importance to WHSMUN staff. Should you ever feel unsafe, please

inform your faculty advisor or a staff member immediately.

PromptnessThe conference runs on a very tight schedule. Please be considerate to other delegates and be on time to all

meetings. Committees will start promptly according to schedule. The presence of each delegation is extremely

important to debates and voting. Role call will be taken at the beginning of each session.

RespectWHSMUN does not tolerate harassment or inappropriate behavior toward other delegates or staff members.

Please remember that proper diplomatic decorum is appropriate during the conference and common courtesy is

expected during all free time activities. Delegates are asked to remember that they are a representative ofWHSMUN, their schools, and themselves. Delegates should ensure that they are in compliance at all times with

the rules and regulations of UWM, the hotel, and the WHSMUN conference.

Concerns/SuggestionsPlease inform either a member of the Secretariat or your faculty advisor of any problems or suggestions that you

have at any time during the conference.

Disciplinary ActionPlease understand that should you violate any of the terms of the above code of conduct, you may be subject to

disciplinary action including dismissal from WHSMUN and all conference activities without financial

compensation and up to a year suspension for your school. Furthermore, in extreme cases, disciplinary or legal

action may be taken against any delegate by the conference staff, the hotel, faculty advisors and the Milwaukee

Police.

UniversalityPlease note that all conference participants are bound, through their agreement to partake as a delegation, to

uphold in good faith the principles, rules, and regulations of the WHSMUN code of conduct.

Conference StaffThe WHSMUN staff is composed of University of Wisconsin-Madison and Milwaukee students. All have

experience in Model United Nations (MUN) and in the areas of international relations and diplomacy, but the

degree of experience varies among the staff. Each staff member has been trained by the Senior Staff.

The staff serves as the Secretariat, which supervises all activities and simulations at the conference. They work

as committee chairs, rapporteurs, delegate services officers, and pages.

Any seniors wishing to participate as a staff member in next years WHSMUN should speak to their committee

chair for information. We are always seeking new people to help run the conference and make it a success in the

future. For more information after the conference, email this years Secretary-General, Charlotte Stein, [email protected].

Delegate ServicesThe Delegate Services room will be located within the Student Union. WHSMUN staff will be available to

answer questions about procedures, like amendments, replace name badges, provide directions to rooms, and

assist you with other information about the conference such as research questions.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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AwardsWhile awards are an attempt at a formalistic measure of pre-conference preparation and conference performance,

there is much more to the MUN experience than winning awards. WHSMUN is not a contest; rather, it is a

means of providing participants with an introduction to international issues, foreign policy, consensus building,

negotiation, conflict resolution and the United Nations. WHSMUN delegates should not be motivated by the

prospects of winning an award alone. Instead, an award should come as a pleasant surprise for an overall well-

prepared and well-executed work at the conference. At WHSMUN, there are two types of awards: position

paper awards and comprehensive awards.

There will be one position paper award for each subcommittee. To be considered for recognition, papers must be

received by March 2, 2012. Papers will be judged primarily on the clarity of the information presented and the

consistency of the position with the countrys actual policy. Use of proper spelling and grammar and overallquality of writing will be factored into award calculations.

The second type of award is the comprehensive award. These awards are designed to take into account the

overall performance of delegations throughout the two days of the conference. Actions in subcommittees, main

committees, and the General Assembly will count toward this award. Awards are given to an entire delegation

based on the performance of its delegates throughout the conference. For example, if the delegate from Nigeria

does extremely well in his/her particular subcommittee by actively participating in debate and resolution writing,

but the rest of his/her delegation performs at a lower level; it is unlikely that the Nigerian delegation will earn acomprehensive award. Delegations with consistent performance in each subcommittee will have a much better

chance.

Comprehensive awards are solely based on the voting of fellow delegates, and not of Secretariat members.Ballots will be distributed to delegates in committees, where they will vote on award winners. However,

violation of any conference rule may render a delegation ineligible for an award, at the discretion of the

Secretary-General. There are a total of three outstanding delegation awards in the General Assembly.

For those delegates in the SC, HSC, CEU, ICJ, HRC, and JCC two awards will be given on an individual

committee basis, one for most accurate diplomatic portrayal of a country and another for exceptional research

and position paper. Performance in these committees will not affect the ability to earn a comprehensive award.

Opening CeremonyThe opening ceremony is the first meeting of the conference. At this time, up to three pre-selected delegates will

give speeches representing their country. Delegates will be selected from different world regions to make

opening remarks. The statements are strictly limited to five minutes in length and generally should represent

sentiments of the country and region being represented, emphasizing important issues and expressing their hopes

for what will be accomplished at WHSMUN.

Delegations wishing to make opening remarks should submit a letter explaining why their nation should be given

the opportunity speak at the opening session, and briefly outline what they would like to say. Again, these

opening speeches should respect the rules of diplomatic language and conduct. It is important that material

contained in a representatives speech accurately reflects the beliefs and views of their home government, as wellas sentiments for productive diplomacy and global cooperation.

These requests are due by March 2, 2012 addressed to: UWM Institute of World Affairs, Attn: Dina Wolf,

WHSMUN Coordinator, Center for International Education, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201

The Secretariat will announce delegations that have been selected prior to the conference.


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BlocsIn the past, WHSMUN has scheduled bloc meetings as a preparation for subcommittee meetings. Though bloc

meetings have been eliminated from WHSMUN, it is extremely useful to know which other countries share your

foreign policy goals. In subcommittee and, later, in main committee sessions, it may be useful to find these

delegations and compare ideas for resolution writing. Blocs can be defined by geographical proximity,

membership in regional organizations like the African Union (AU), European Union (EU) and Arab League, or

shared cultural, political, or economic goals.

SubcommitteesThe subcommittees are smaller groups of delegates, between 25 and 45 students, who discuss specific topic

areas. The meetings are run informally and the discussion is in depth. Due to the small group interaction,

delegates find that subcommittees are often the most productive and enjoyable sessions of the conference.

Each delegation will be assigned to six subcommittees (two in each main committee) and may only send onedelegate to each meeting. Please make sure that students know all of the subcommittees to which your

delegation has been assigned. Delegates will not be allowed to change subcommittees once at the conference.

Delegates should try to become familiar with all aspects of their subcommittee topics in their pre-conferenceresearch. Collect useful facts and statistics, and become an expert on the topic.

Determine your nations comprehensive position on the topic. Write a position paper that reflects your nationsviews and concerns. Background guides for all subcommittee topics as well as position paper guidelines and tips

for research are found later in the handbook. Delegates must submit a position paper on their topic by March 2,

2012. A great deal of work goes into distributing the position papers before the conference so please make sure

you submit your position papers on time!

In each subcommittee, delegates will discuss and debate the topic at length, working towards a resolution. Each

subcommittee will report to its Main Committee during the Monday afternoon session. These Main Committees

will consider the subcommittee resolutions. Those that are passed in the Main Committee will be reviewed by

the secretariat and eventually placed on the General Assembly agenda for Tuesday.

In your preparation, do not neglect the other topics that will be considered at the conference. Develop an

understanding about the research your fellow delegates are doing. Participate in your delegations discussionand strategy sessions. After the subcommittee meetings are over, you will participate in the Main Committee

and the General Assembly sessions, so be prepared to discuss topics other than your own. This general

understanding is absolutely essential for a productive session in your Main Committee.

Main CommitteesThe General Assembly meets on Thursday in the form of Subcommittees and Main Committees. These

committees join together to form the General Assembly Plenary Session on Friday. The First Committee

(Disarmament and International Security), Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural), and FourthCommittee (Special Political and Decolonization) all begin by considering the draft resolutions presented bytheir subcommittees.

Resolutions passed by the Main Committees are submitted to the GA Plenary Session for final consideration. In

preparing for the Main Committees, delegates should review the revised edition of parliamentary procedure that

is featured at the end of the handbook.


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General Assembly Plenary SessionThe final step in the resolution adoption process is the General Assembly (GA). The GA meets for this purpose

on Friday. The agenda consists of all the resolutions that are passed by the Main Committees.

The GA allows each delegation the opportunity to debate and vote on each resolution. To get through as many

resolutions as possible, a time limit is set for all speakers and may be revised with the appropriate motions.

The GA also gives delegations one final chance to amend resolutions. To propose an amendment, it must be

written neatly on an official WHSMUN amendment form, must bear the signatures of 15 delegations, and must

be presented to the Dais of the GA. Once the amendment has been presented to the Dais and approved, it may

be brought to the floor.

Caucusing and other talking in the GA room can cause disruption and make the efficient operation of themeeting extremely difficult. Delegates are asked to keep their discussion quiet and relocate either to the back of

the room or to the outer corridor. The WHSMUN staff also provides caucus rooms for blocs upon request.

Delegates may call for a suspension of the meeting, if they feel a break is needed to plan strategies with other

nations. Please maintain diplomatic decorum in the General Assembly at all times.

Security Council / Historical Security CouncilPlease read this section even if you are not assigned a Security Council/Historical Security Council nation. It

concerns all delegations.

During the opening ceremony on Thursday morning, the Secretary-General (SG) will announce an international

crisis. The SG calls the crisis to the attention of the Security Council (SC) /Historical Security Council (HSC),

which will meet separately in emergency sessions to address the issues. As the SC and HSC simulations run the

full length of the conference, delegates participating in this simulation will not be assigned to a Subcommittee,

Main Committee, or to the Plenary Session of the General Assembly.

In January, the Secretariat will inform the delegations of several possible threats to international peace and

security for the SC and HSC in the background guides for these simulations. The WHSMUN crisis evolves fromone or more of these possible threats. Prepare by determining what your reaction might be to a crisis in each of

the areas identified and consider what the UN could do to resolve the crisis.

The Security Councils will meet for the full duration of the conference. SC and HSC nations should prepare

position papers on the possible crisis areas, no more than one paragraph in length per topic.

Council of the European UnionAfter the opening ceremony is completed Thursday morning, the Council of the European Union (CEU) will

meet to discuss the issues on the agenda. This unique simulation is a way to understand both the growing

importance of regional organizations and the radically different European Union that has existed since several

formerly socialist states joined in 2004. The expansion of the EU, as well as its growing political clout on the

world stage has been accompanied by internal divisions within the EU member states. Only through skilleddiplomacy will the complex issues of this simulation be dealt with successfully.

The CEU simulation will attempt to be not only unique in substance from other parts of the WHSMUN

conference, but in the style and format as well. An independent parliamentary procedure will be used to ensure

both debate and civility, and the unique format of CEU voting procedure will hopefully provide new challenges

to diplomacy. The CEU delegates will meet together for the duration of the conference, and will not participate

in subcommittees, main committees, or the plenary session of the General Assembly. CEU delegates should also

have a thorough knowledge of the CEU parliamentary procedure to be used in the simulation detailed in the back

of this handbook.


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CEU delegations should have position papers of no more than one paragraph per issue submitted to WHSMUN

by March 2, 2012.

International Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) will also run for the entire two days, beginning after the opening

ceremonies. Students taking part in the simulation will not be representing a country, but will instead be actingas independent justices. These students will not take part in subcommittees, main committees, or the GA Plenary

session.

In the ICJ, students will hear two to three cases presented by the WHSMUN staff. As justices, they will hear

both sides of the case, and then will deliberate. They will work together to write a court opinion. This is a

smaller simulation, with between five and fifteen students participating. Each school has the opportunity to

select one student to participate in the ICJ. Students chosen to be part of the ICJ simulation will receive

background guides for the cases in January.

The structure of ICJ is less formal than some of the other committees, particularly when deliberating the case,and is most closely related to subcommittees in this regard. This simulation is relatively new to WHSMUN and

it will be a learning experience. More information and a background guide will be available and provided toparticipating schools on January 31, 2012. We encourage you to read the primer, found on page 26.

Students selected to be on the ICJ will be asked to do some research on the cases and prepare a summary andanalysis of their research in a preliminary justice report to be submitted to WHSMUN by March 2, 2012.

Joint Crisis Committee: Central Intelligence Agency and the

(KGB)

The intention behind this committee is to allow students a fast paced and unique perspective into two of theworlds greatest intelligence gathering organizations.

Members will be selected by advisors to participate. Roles will be assigned randomly by WHSMUN staff, and

will focus on positions within the intelligence community, such as Directors of Electronic Intelligence, Counter-

Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Gathering, etc Background guides will contain detailed explanations of eachcommittee to ensure that students will be fully comfortable and prepared for their position.

Each committee meets separately, but interacts via a Liaison Position, which will be assigned to one of the

students. They will receive many of the same missions/crises, but due to the nature of their relationship they will

approach them from different sides. A sample crisis will involve formatting a mission to recover intelligence

from a hostile territory. Participants will need to work together to gather intelligence, draft a directive to send

operatives to the area, and react to the results. Though there will be competition of sorts between the committeesthroughout the conference, the final day will see the two groups meet together in an unprecedented joint crisis,

putting aside their differences to work together against a common enemy.

Multimedia will be an important aspect of this committee, with delegates receiving both in person updates from

the crisis room, as well as TV reports of information leaks or important media coverage of their actions.

Overall, these committees will involve about 12 delegates each, and will offer a fantastic perspective into a

different aspect of international relations. It will allow students who will like a unique challenge to experience

something totally new at this years WHSMUN.


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Conference Preparation and Research

Role-PlayingWHSMUN is primarily an exercise in role-playing. Students assume the identities of diplomats from member

states of the UN. It is important that delegates shed their American bias to the greatest extent possible. Keep in

mind that when voting, students should make an effort to vote according to their countrys position on an issueand not their personal beliefs. The more you submerge yourself in the identity of a UN delegate from your

assigned nation, the more fun you will have and the more insight you will gain by participating in WHSMUN.

At the same time, do not become frustrated that you are unable to exactly duplicate the role of UN delegates or

know everything there is to know on certain issues. WHSMUN delegates should remain aware that it is only a

simulation, and that not everything that occurs actually replicates the real UN. Delegates in the UN may have

days, weeks, or months to prepare for debates on issues, while the time and resources of WHSMUN delegates

are limited.

Real UN delegates often make lengthy prepared speeches and caucus for several days with others. WHSMUN

runs only for two days; quick compromises must be worked out and speeches given with minimal preparation.

When actions taken at the conference do not directly mimic those of the actual UN, try to make the best of fast-

paced simulations. Their purpose is to enable learning about the UN and to practice skills that will benefit you

later. If everyone prepares to represent their country accurately, all will go well.

The Head DelegateEach delegation at WHSMUN should select one person on the delegation to act as the head delegate. This

person acts as the coordinator and in some instances, the final decision-maker. Usually this person is the most

experienced delegate representing the nation. The head delegate helps your nation to maintain a coherent policyon similar issues that may arise in the different simulations. Other delegates should keep in close contact with

the head delegate throughout the conference.

The head delegate has the important task of coordinating and supervising the activity of all delegates from a

particular nations delegation. The head delegate should have a good grasp of everything the others in thedelegation have done and should know who on the delegation is most familiar with each topic. Other delegates,

rather than going to staff or an advisor, will often come to the head delegate when they have a question on an

issue or resolution.

Head delegates should also be familiar with all aspects of the conference and the special rules of the conference.

This facilitates their planning of the delegations strategy on particular issues.

The head delegate may sit on any committee at WHSMUN. The head delegate, however, should also be

assigned to a subcommittee, Security Council, Council of the European Union, or Historical Security Council.

Researching Your TopicIn order to ensure proper preparation for the conference, each delegate should find and research the following

five items:

1) Brief history of your subcommittee or special committee topicIn order to write a comprehensive position paper and prepare yourself for committee, you must reach a broad


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understanding of your issue, especially as it pertains to your country.

2) Brief summary of your countrys foreign policy and history Know the international organizations (especially regional entities like the African Union or the Organization for

American States) to which your country is a member. Often, countries in these organizations have shared

interests and can serve as great diplomatic allies at the conference.

3) Important documents and organizations related to your topic

In order to create purposeful and efficient resolutions, you must find out how the United Nations has acted on

your particular topic in the past. Look for organizations, programs, or other UN bodies that could be extended,changed, eliminated, or replaced. Moreover, you do not want to re-write an existing resolution; innovation is

essential.

4) Your countrys reaction to existing UN resolutions

You should understand your countrys position on previous UN resolutions. It is not necessary to research every

vote your country has made; simply apply what you have already learned about your countrys general foreignpolicy (see step #2) to important resolutions and create an educated and accurate position.

5) Recent Developments on your Topic, both Domestic and International

Read the newspaper! Keep up-to-date on substantial occurrences affecting your country and the international

community. Foreign policy and international relationships can change very quickly.

ResourcesThe United Nations Foundation has designed an excellent up-to-date news service about the UN that you willfind helpful in preparing your research (www.unfoundation.org). Other good resources to consult include TheNew York Times (www.nytimes.com), The Wall Street Journal (www.wallstreetjournal.com), The Washington

Post (www.washingtonpost.com/), The Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com/), The Economist

(www.economist.com), Foreign Affairs (www.foreignaffairs.org/), the CIA World Fact Book

(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html).

For more specific information about the UN, you should consult A Global Agenda: Issues before the United

Nations 2010-2011, the InterDependent (both by UNA-USA), and the UN Monthly Chronicle.

Your school or community librarian should be able to assist you with the UN document searches of

subcommittee topics. Current GA resolutions and documents are easiest to locate on-line athttp://www.un.org/en/ga/64/agenda/index.shtml .

The Public Inquiries Unit of the UN will send upon request a Model UN Kit, which provides general

information. You may also request particular information or resolutions on any issue the UN is currently

addressing. Mail your request to: Public Inquiries Unit, UN Department of Public Information, United Nations,

New York, New York 10017 or call (212) 963-4475.

One of the best sources for carrying out Model UN research in recent years is the Internet. Ask your school

librarian to help you conduct research on the computer.

United Nations Research:

United Nations Issues on the Agenda

http://www.un.org/issues/

United Nations Cyber School Bus (Model UN Discussion Area)

http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/modelun/index.asp

United Nations Association of the United States

http://www.unausa.org
http://www.un.org/en/ga/64/agenda/index.shtmlhttp://www.un.org/en/ga/64/agenda/index.shtmlhttp://www.un.org/en/ga/64/agenda/index.shtml


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United Nations Foundation

www.unfoundation.org

World Research Information:

CIA World Fact book

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

US Department of State

http://www.state.gov

The Electronic Embassy

http://www.embassy.org

Regional/Intergovernmental Organizations:

Organization of American States

http://www.oas.org

African Unionhttp://www.africa-union.org

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

http://www.aseansec.org

European Union (EU)http://europa.eu/index_en.htm

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

http://www.osce.org

The Commonwealthhttp://www.thecommonwealth.org/

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

http://caricom.org/

South African Development Community (SADC)

http://www.sadc.int/

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

http://www.saarc-sec.org/


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Review of the United NationsThe creation of the United Nations in October of 1945 marked, not the first noble effort at saving succeeding

generations from the scourge of war, but rather the transcendence and evolution of mans continual struggle forpeace throughout history: toils formerly confronted by those few who dreamt of international relations in the

form of an organization or association of states. The first such organization, The European Concert, was

established following the Napoleonic wars to prevent wars of conquest.

Following the First World War, still decades before the founding of the United Nations, a group of victoriousgenerals and statesmen met as delegates of their respective Allied states at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference with

a common goal of providing a lasting era of peace, not only for their own people, but for the world. After long

days of work at the conference, a committee headed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and including delegates

from the British Empire, France, Poland, and Greece met to draft the covenant of the League of Nations. The

ideals embodied in the covenant, many drawn from Wilsons famous Fourteen Points, included collectivesecurity, arbitration, economic and social cooperation, arms reduction, and open diplomacy. Although the

United States Senate would not approve the covenant without it being amended, President Wilson refused to

negotiate on its terms, provisions, or wording, making the United States, whom originally strove for its

implementation, the first to abandon it. Subsequently, the covenant of the League of Nations took effect as an

essential component of the Treaty of Versailles on April 28, 1919, without American support.

While the League lacked no abundance of bold speakers in favor of peace, arms reduction, and negotiation, itappeared that they were willing to offer little more than lofty speeches. The Leagues existence was marred by achronic inability to enforce its resolutions. States that disagreed with the Leagues decisions merely withdrew

and suffered virtually no consequences. After failing to prevent World War II, its chief objective, the League met

for the final time in Geneva on April 18, 1946. The League of Nations, in its final act, formally dissolved itself

and resolved to transfer all of its assets to its successor, the United Nations.

Well before the dissolution of the League in 1946, the international community resolved to continue its search

for an organization that could better insure the implementation of its ideals of peace and the prevention of war.

In 1944, following a conference in Tehran, the international community took the most concrete action to-date

toward the formation of the United Nations at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington D.C. The conference took place

in two phases and included representatives from the USSR, UK, US, and China. The representatives focused

primarily on the purposes and principle organization of the body. Their work spanned proposals on membership,the organizations main organs, and arrangements for the maintenance of peace and security, including theestablishment of a security council.

These issues carried over to the February 1945 conference at Yalta where the delegates settled unresolved issues

of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference and set a date for a Conference of United Nations that was to be held in San

Francisco on the 25th of April, 1945. In late April, delegates from 50 countries converged in San Francisco to

create, based on the deliberations of the Dumbarton Oaks and Yalta conferences, a charter for their new

international organization. On October 31st, 1945, ratification of the Charter by the majority of the delegates,

including the US, USSR, UK, France, and China, brought into force the United Nations.

The United Nations Charter establishes the United Nations with the intentions of practicing toleranceliving

together in peace, uniting strength to ensure peace through collective security, ensuring that armed force not beused, save in the common interest, and promoting economic and social advancement of all peoples. Its high-

reaching goals, as stated in the preamble, incorporate [promoting] social progressestablishing respect for theobligations arising from treaties, reaffirming faith in fundamental human rights and human equality, and chiefly,the prevention of another world war.

Chapter one of the Charter outlines several principles imitating the ideals set forth by the League, including,

among numerous others, both the notion of collective security and the principle of sovereign equality.

Collective security relies on the united action of the many peace-loving states to ensure effective prevention of

threats to their peace. Article two states that the Organization is based on the principle of sovereign equality,


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meaning simply that the equality of all states is respected in the UN. Every state, regardless of stature, size,

economy, religious affiliation, or political history, shares the same privileges and responsibilities set forth in the

charter. Furthermore, as exemplified in the voting procedures of the General Assembly, the voice of each state in

all matters of relevance is weighted equally and without bias. Also key is the Charters specification of the UNas a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of [their] common ends, a luxury notpreviously enjoyed by members of the international community.

Another important aspect of the Charter, as stated in its second article, is its provision for the respect of statesovereignty in domestic issues. The 13 articles of the 7th chapter of the Charter provide possibly the greatest

advancement from the Leagues subjection. These articles deal with actions to be taken by the organization inthe case of a situation the Security Council may deem a threat to peace or an act of aggression. Should the SC

identify such a situation, the United Nations, under the authority of chapter 7 retains the power to act either with

force or through the interruption of economic relations to restore international peace. Much of the UNs peaceenforcement success has come through the Security Councils successful implementation of the articles ofchapter 7. A complete text version of the United Nations Charter may be viewed online at

http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/index.html.

As specified in the charter, the United Nations is composed of six principle organs, the General Assembly, the

Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat, the International Court of

Justice (ICJ), and the Trusteeship Council, which is now defunct. The largest of these organs, the GeneralAssembly, is comprised of representatives of each member nation and is tasked with dialogue and debate on any

matters within the scope of the Charter and may make recommendations as to possible resolutions for suchmatters. Questions considered by the Assembly range from maintenance of international security to promoting

cooperation among developing nations to the UNs finances and budget. With the exception of certain importantissues, voting procedures in the General Assembly require a simple majority to pass, embodying the principle of

sovereign equality and making the GA the UNs most democratic organ. To maintain order and efficiency withinthe GA, it has organized itself into six main committees, including the GA plenary, the 1st Committee (Political

and Security), 2nd Committee (Economic and Financial), 3rd (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural), 4th (Special

Political and Decolonization), 5th (Administrative and Budgetary), and the 6th Committee (Legal). These

committees meet to make recommendations to be approved in the General Assembly Plenary sessions.

Undoubtedly the most notable organ of the UN is the Security Council, composed of the 5 permanent members(P5) China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States along with ten, GA-elected, non-permanentmembers who hold two-year terms. The permanent members of the SC possess a permanent veto over

substantive motions, meaning the assent or abstention of all the P5 members is almost always necessary for the

adoption of substantive matters. The SC is delegated with the responsibility of insuring the maintenance of

international peace and security and is the only organ with the authority to act on what it determines to be a

threat to security or act of aggression. Along with its enforcement authority comes several other importantfunctions including making recommendations for the selection of the Secretary General, annual reports to the

GA, and electing the judges of the ICJ.

ECOSOC, the Economic and Social Council is a 54 member body whose representatives are elected to a rotating

3 year term under which new members replace retiring associate members every year. ECOSOC is accountable

for, as its name implies, the economic and social activities of the UN including initiating studies and reportsranging from economic, social, cultural, educational, and health issues. The ECOSOC, much like the GA, works

through six subsidiary committees: Statistical, Population, Social Development, Human Rights, and Status of

Women, and Narcotic Drugs. The charter also specifies provisions for consultation of ECOSOC with non-

governmental organizations that specialize in specific topics of interest to the council.

The Secretariat, led by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is charged with managing the varied day-to-

day tasks of the organization. From coordinating peacekeeping and enforcement operations along with

scheduling international forums and conferences on pertinent issues of international concern to translating

documents into the official languages of the UN, the Secretariat comprises an enormous staff of nearly 9,000


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international civil servants and incorporates the broadest range of responsibilities in the UN.

The only principle organ to be headquartered in The Hague is the International Court of Justice whose permanent

seat is located at the Peace Palace in The Netherlands. The primary judicial organ of the United Nations serves

as the chief settlement body of disputes among states. The court can also advise international organizations on

questions and legal issues submitted by the former. Consisting of 15 Justices, selected by the GA and Security

Council to 9-year terms, the judges act as independent magistrates and are not biased by the government of their

home state. As is the case with most UN bodies, states brought before the ICJ may only be subject to itsjurisdiction upon their prior submission.

The sixth and final primary organ of the UN is the Trusteeship Council. Set up by the Charter and tasked with

the administration of trust territories, the primary goal of the Council was to promote the economic and political

status and self-sufficiency of trust territory inhabitants so as to prepare them for eventual self-governance and

independence. The overwhelming and complete success of the Trusteeship Council in guiding Trust Territories

toward self-governance prompted its suspension in 1994, with the independence of the last trust territory. The

Trusteeship Council has resolved to no longer meet yearly as originally specified in its rules, but to reconvene

only when necessary.

Accompanying the six principal organs are the myriad of autonomous international organizations affiliated with

the UN. The United Nations deals directly with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Non-GovernmentalOrganizations through the Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS). The Service is not member-oriented and

does not officially register NGOs. Rather, its purposes are to offer advice, expertise, and support for NGOs toadvance the initiatives of the UN. As mentioned previously, ECOSOC works closely with a number of NGOson a consultative status. Non-Governmental Organizations work with the UN on nearly every matter of

international concern ranging from Peace and Security, to Health and Human Rights, to Education, to

Sustainable Development. Some notable NGOs include the World Health Organization (WHO), the UnitedNations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). An

index and complete list of international organizations and NGOs affiliated with the UN may be accessed on th eUnited Nations web page at http://www.un.org/partners/civil_society/ngo/ngoindex.htm.

Today the United Nations has evolved into a versatile and responsive organization with far-reaching influence inthe international community, while never abandoning its primary objectives of promoting social progress,reaffirming faith in fundamental human rights, achieving international cooperation, and providing a centerfor harmonizing the actions of nations. The success of an organization may be judged in many fashions;

however, critics of the United Nations must concede that never before has an organization of states attained such

prestige or such regard. Nor has any before acted, with such overwhelming success, to fulfill the principles and

ideals upon which it was founded.

Written by Eric Olson and edited by staff members for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee & Institute of

World Affairs' Wisconsin High School Model United Nations Program.

Bibliography:

Armstrong, David, Lloyd, Lorna, and Redmond, John. From Versailles to Maastricht: International Organizationin the Twentieth Century. St. Martins Press. New York. 1996.Kahler, Miles. International Institutions and the Political Economy of Integration. The Brookings Institution.

Washington D.C. 1995.

Office of Public Information. Everymans United Nations: A Complete Handbook of the Activities andEvolution of the United Nations During its First Twenty Years, 1945-1965. United Nations. New York. 1968.

Rubin, Jacob A. A Pictorial History of the United Nations. Thomas Yoseloff Ltd. London, England. 1962.

Scott, George. The Rise and Fall of the League of Nations. Macmillan. New York. 1973.


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Review of the International Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the judicial organ of the United Nations. The court is housed in The

Hague, Netherlands. The ICJ was founded in 1945, replacing the Permanent Court of International Justice,

which was the international court affiliated with the League of Nations. The ICJ was established under Chapter

XIV of the UN Charter and consists of 15 judges. Each judge is elected by the General Assembly and Security

Council to serve 9-year terms and may be elected for up to three terms. Each of the Permanent Five members of

Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdomall have a judge on the

court and no nationality may have more than one representative. The Court has two official languages, Englishand French.

The ICJ serves many purposes within the UN. The ICJ mediates conflicts between disputing states as well as

answering any legal questions posed by the Security Council or General Assembly. Any state within the UN

may bring a case to court, provided they have accepted the jurisdiction of the Court. The Court typically handles

between three and five cases a year, though that number tends to fluctuate. Article 38 of the Statue of the ICJ

outlines the sources of law, which may be applied in a legal dispute:

International Conventions and Treaties

International Customs, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law

General Principles of Law as recognized by Civil States.

A case presented before the Court consists of many aspects. The disputing parties must present the Court with a

written statement outlining their opinions on the case, and how they feel they have been slighted. Each country

is also allotted a brief period for opening statements to the Court. After hearing the case, the court gives an

advisory opinion. Although the decisions of the Court are not binding because there is no mechanism of

enforcement, they are considered to be respected and authoritative legal decisions. The most common cases

brought to the Court are those of boundary disputes and damage claims between countries who have been at war.

Human Rights CouncilOn June 16, 2006, the United Nations Commission of Human Rights met for the last time. This body had been

in existence since December of 1946 and undoubtedly changed the face of human rights for the entire world.

The Commission, as it came to be called, bore witness to many international human rights crises across its 60years of existence, such as Apartheid in South Africa, the Dirty War in Latin America, ethnic cleansing in the

former Yugoslavia, genocides in Africa, and the war in Iraq. In some cases, the Commission was able to take

action, while in other situations it was silent. The last few years of its existence the Commission became

discredited and lost any clout in the international community.

In 2005, then United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, produced a report entitled In Larger Freedom:

Towards Development, Security, and Human Rights for All, designed to address many of the problems faced by

the global community. Of the suggestions he proposed, all primarily mechanisms for strengthening the United

Nations, one was the creation of a new council to address human rights violations:

If the United Nations is to meet the expectations of men and women everywhere and indeed, if the

Organization is to take the cause of Human Rights as seriously as those of security and developmentthen

Member States should agree to replace the Commission of Human Rights with a smaller standing Human RightsCouncil.

Annans suggestions were followed and the Commission was replaced with the new United Nations HumanRights Council (UNHRC), referred to as the Council, which met for the first time in June of 2006.

The Council is made up of 47 member states, with a specific number of countries from each geographic bloc.

Countries wishing to join the Council must present their commitment to human rights in the form of a pledge.

Prior to election to the Council, countries must present the ways they have promoted human rights to the UN

General Assembly. Once members are elected, they serve three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-


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election if they have served two consecutive terms. If the General Assembly decides that a state has committed

gross human rights violations while sitting on the Council, the state in question may be removed from the

Council by a two thirds majority vote in the GA.

The responsibilities of the Council, as set out by General Assembly resolution, are to:

Address situations of human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations, and make

recommendations;Undertake a universal periodic review of each and every state;

Contribute, through dialogue and cooperation, to the prevention of human rights violations;

Respond promptly to human rights emergencies;Serve as a forum for dialogue on thematic issues;

Make recommendations on the promotion and protection of human rights and, more specifically, make

recommendations to the General Assembly, for the further development of International Human Rights Law;

Cooperate closely with governments, regional organizations, national human rights institutions and civil society;

Promote universal respect for human rights;

Promote human rights education and learning, advisory services, technical assistance and capacitybuilding;Promote the full implementation of human rights obligations undertaken by states and the follow up of UN

human rights conferences and summits; and

Promote the effective coordination and mainstreaming of human rights within the UN system.

The Council has many channels in which they can act upon the responsibilities outlined above, one of which is

producing resolutions. Although the Council has already come under heat for its failure to act in the face of some

human rights abuses, there is a review scheduled for 2011 in which members will reflect on the previous five

years and chart the way forward.

WHSMUN 2012 Topics and Subcommittee Guides

1st Main Committee (Disarmament and International Security):

Prevention of Small Arms and Light Weapons TraffickingPiracy in Somalia and its Effect on Regional Security

Outer Space Arms RaceEstablishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Region of the Middle East

Cyber Warfare

2nd Main Committee (Economic and Financial Committee):

Promoting the Proliferation of Green Technologies

Improving Fairness on the International Market to Facilitate Growth

The International Debt Crisis

Improving the International Monetary Fund

Micro Financing and the Developing World

3rd Main Committee (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural):

Protection of Human Rights in a Warzone

Rights to Clean Drinking Water

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur and Sudan and the Violation of International Law

Ethnic Tensions in China

Displacement of Refugees


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Topics and Background Guides for the following Special Committees will be available

by January 31, 2012:

Security Council

Historical Security Council (1956)

Council of the European Union

International Court of Justice

Human Rights Council

Joint Crisis Committee

1.1 Prevention of Small Arms and Light Weapons Trafficking

Few issues affect as many people throughout the global community as that of Small Arms and Light Weapons

(SALW). The First Main Committee has focused upon the issue of SALW trade heavily since 1995, as these type

of weapons have become common in recent conflicts.

The 1997 Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms designated the specific types of weapons

that qualify as SALW, dividing them into the two categories of Small Arms and Light Weapons. The report

defines small arms as revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine-guns, assault rifles, andlight machine guns. Light weapons are defined as heavy-machine-guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted

grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of

anti-tank missile and rocket systems, portable launchers of anti-aircraft systems, mortars of calibers of less than

100 mm, ammunition and explosives, cartridges for small arms, shells and missiles for light weapons, mobile

containers with missiles or shells for single-action anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems, anti-personnel and anti-

tank hand grenades, landmines, and explosives.

While most of the weaponry classified as SALW are manufactured for military use by trained professionals, they

are commonly found in non-regulated areas. They are often used for activities involving terrorism, criminal

activity, and irregular warfare, often by combatants without training. They are easy to contain and conceal, and

are thus dangerous due to the difficulty in detecting them.

SALW are easy for a variety of groups to procure, regardless of income, and thus can be easily and quickly

proliferated throughout a community. They are also light and thus easy to carry, making them the preferred tool

of child soldiers. The addition of SALW to an already unstable scenario can have long lasting impacts on

communities. SALW have been used and misused to obstruct and prevent humanitarian aid from reaching

populations in need of support. They have additionally caused untold damage in recent conflicts throughoutAfrica and the Middle East. The ease with which one can gain access to such arms must be addressed by this

body.

When considering this topic, delegates should keep in mind issues regarding not only the use of SALW, but also

the manner in which they are transported, concealed, and purchased. The types of people and groups that make

the most use of SALW needs to be addressed, as they are often at the greatest contributor to other dangerous

factors.

Topics for ConsiderationHow are these weapons traded?

Which Member States are major suppliers and producers of small arms and light weapons?

Which Member States are the largest importers of SALWs?What role do national governments and regional organi

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