The Importance of the Unknown: Security Council
By: Alex Lunger
Assembling in the midst of the ever popular Committees and Summits, there’s a lesser known group of highly specialized delegates in a secluded room discussing the current pressing matters of the United Nations.
Designated as enforcing and maintaining the international peace of nations around the world, the Security Council proves, in each and every one of its motions, the importance of oversight. As one Security Council member put it, the Security Council must “stand in support of countries that stand for human rights and countries that stand for freedom on an everyday basis.”
Every year at KUNA, the Security Council acts as an integral aspect of democracy when they choose three acute issues facing the majority of nations. This year, the KUNA 2019 team selected the most critical issues pertaining to our age of modernity: Human Rights, Resource Conservation, and Cybersecurity.
Each member of the Security Council will be enforced to write declarations of their country’s opinion prior to the meetings. Most often called Position Papers, the letters of opinion reveal to the members of the Security Council the other members’ intentions and viewpoints regarding the issues, preparing them for future debate and questioning.
Although the Security Council tends to be a structured and orderly congregation, the real fun is apparent the moment the doors close. As the members are seated in their designated areas, the Security Council President addresses the group and calls forth the start of the meeting. Countries, big and small, democratic and representative, are dispersed throughout the room ready to make their voices known.
Positioned dominantly in the front are the Big Five, a powerful congregation of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Being the only states to have permanent seats on the board and absolute veto power, the Big Five set the standard of the assembly.
After setting the agenda, the floor is open to introducing Draft Resolutions, given that they have obtained 1/5 of the room’s signatures. It is then that a country presents a resolution pertaining to one of the current three issues. A simple majority is all that is needed to propel the Council into a debate over the proposed resolution, where a Speaker’s List is created to ensure countries can be heard.
During the debate, the true intentions of each country quickly become known. They can argue for or against the proposed Resolution and even offer friendly Amendments. While some members suggest Amendments to guide their comrades, others target their foes in moments of intense passion.
A delegate representing the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was seen frequently condemning members of the Big Five and their actions against their oppressed people. Pro a few points of information about the issue of Human Rights, the member denounced the United States as a “racist country” that “[dumped] the Mother of All Bombs” on areas of the Middle East and vilified Russia as being a country “still arresting Homosexuals for practicing Homosexuality.”
Throughout the entirety of the Security Council proceedings, drafting, debating, and voting remain critical in maintaining peace among the group, as well as peace among the many nations of the world. It is this seemingly minute Council that proves to be the essential tool of the United Nations in safeguarding international security.
