U.N Territory Redistribution
Committee
Chair: Stephen Romero
Political Officer: Kendall Collins
Table of Contents
3. Letter from Chair
4. Members of Committee
5. Committee Background
Letter from the Chair
Hey everyone, my name is Stephen Romero, I’ve been in MUN for three years now,
and this year will be my first time chairing. I originally started MUN because one of my
friends urged me to join, but I quickly grew fond of the club both because of my fellow
delegates, and how much fun I had at the debates. I only hope that I can replicate that same
feeling I had for the rest of you in this committee. For the debate, all I want to see is someone
who is an excellent speaker, and can stick to their role. Sticking to your role and not passing a
position paper is more important to me than changing sides to pass one with your name on it.
It shows me that you truly understand the way MUN works, and that having a good
committee is more important to you than passing a paper. With that being said, it would
certainly help if you did pass a paper as long as it follows your policy. On a final note, I
strongly encourage all of you to be very creative with what you decide to do; this committee
takes place during a time where the UN was still very new to the world. I’m really looking
forward to working with all of you, and please feel free to send me questions or concerns
about the committee.
Email: [email protected]
Members of Committee
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
China
Syrian Arab Republic
Belgium
France
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
Canada
USA
Arab Higher Committee Representative (Non Voting Member)
Egypt (Non Voting Member)
Jewish Agency (Non Voting Member)
Columbia
Sweden
Norway
Turkey
Greece
India
Poland
Australia
Committee History
The goal of the United Nations is to promote cooperation between nations, and avoid
conflicts. The committee will work towards relocating refugees, and distributing territories
taken back from the Axis powers. With that being said, taking on the burden of redistributing
territories that were lost during World War II means that once the territories are redistributed,
they do not create more conflicts within themselves or the surrounding areas around them. It
should also be kept in mind that the relocation of victims from World War II is not limited to
Europe, rather to any location where their placement will not cause conflicts with other
groups of people. As delegates, the decisions you make here will be the final deciding factor.
The nations who are a part of the United Nations will have equal voting power, whereas nonmember nations or group representatives will not be granted voting power. The committee
will primarily focus on territories and refugees from Europe and Northern Africa, as well as
looking towards possible consequences of any resolutions. Delegates will also have the
ability to request peace keepers; however, since they are relatively new, your decisions will
mold how they are used for years to come. This committee was a part of one of the first major
actions of the U.N. After World War II, there was a lot of issues with reconstruction, and
relocation of territory, as well as refugees that needed to be taken care of. Many nations, such
as Poland, were invaded by the Germans during the war, and are now currently seeking more
land as repayment. Germany was also a highly desired territory, being fought over by some
of the major powers of the world, such as the USSR. Another symptom of the war was an
influx of refugees, both from the damages of war, and the horrific actions displayed during
the holocaust. Many of the victims with a Jewish background had begun seeking refuge in the
form of creating a new Jewish homeland, which would be located in Palestine. The
Palestinians, on the other hand, had lived in their territory for hundreds of years, and is home
to many inhabitants who would be negatively impacted by the creation of this state.
Topic A: Reassignment of Territories in Europe and North Africa
Background:
During WWII, the Axis powers were able to conquer a large portion of Europe, and some
portions of Northern Africa. In 1939, they invaded Poland, and successfully captured the territory.
Then in 1940, they moved on to capture Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands,
France, and the Channel Islands. In 1941, they captured Yugoslavia, and Greece, as well as parts of
the Soviet Union. Afterwards, they kept pushing and captured Monaco, Egypt, Italy, Albania, and
Hungary. Along with all of these nations, there is also the matter of dealing with Germany itself.
While many of them will be fine with their original borders, there are a few nations that already had
questionable borders before WWII.
Current Situation:
One of the bigger underlying issues is how Germany will be played out. There is already high
tension between the Soviet Union, and the other allied powers over how land should be redistributed.
The USSR feels as if though they should have more territory then they began with, meanwhile the
other nations prefer to change as little as possible. It should be considered which nations are the most
capable of dealing with Germany, and which locations are diverse and large enough to necessitate
joining another country or forming a new one.
Options:
The best way to decide if a border should be reevaluated is based on the population, and so
looking at some sort of census should be your main priority. You should also be thinking about how a
border change would affect the ability of a country to reconstruct the damages caused by the war?
Would it solve more conflicts to change borders or keep them the same? How should Germany be
distributed? What are the demographics of a territory? How would the entire process be carried out?
Topic B: Creation of Israel
Background:
The Jewish population has been kicked around time
and time again throughout history, dating back all the way to
Egyptian times. They were originally kicked out of their
homeland (Israel) during the Assyrian Exile in 733 BCE,
and have since been in a variety of conflicts over territory.
This harsh treatment has forced them to migrate all across Europe, in search of a proper
home. It was only during the 1880’s that official talks were made about returning to Israel.
Shortly after WWI, there was still a lot of anti-Semitism present throughout the world, most
notably in places with a high Jewish population, and many people
took advantage of that, including Adolf Hitler, who used it to put
himself in a position of power. Hitler went on to slowly take away the
rights of Jewish members of society and eventually began to
systematically kill them. The Palestinians, on the other hand, have been living in the very
same territory for centuries. Many people have their entire lives made up in there, and while
there isn’t any direct conflict between the two groups, creating a Jewish Homeland may spark
up conflicts. It is, after all, a holy land for the Palestinians as well.
Present:
There are hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees who are without a home, and a
large majority of them are pushing for the creation of a Jewish state in their former homeland.
Palestinians on the other hand are against the creation of such a state, and there are even those
who have threatened to act out violently against refugees. Nations around Palestine, as well
as some European countries are against the creation of a Jewish state; where as powerful
nations such as the U.K and the U.S are in support of its creation.
Options:
As delegates, you should try to search for compromises wherever they can be made,
whether it be finding an alternative location for the resettlement of the Jewish refugees, or
finding a way to appease the Palestinians. You should think of questions such as how will
your decision impact the present? After a decision is made as to whether or not the Jewish
state should be created, what further actions should the committee take to ensure that further
conflicts do not occur. Should peacekeepers be used, and if so how much power should they
be given? How would the entire relocation process be completed, from moving people, to
redistributing land, and establishing some form of leadership?
Bibliography
1. By April 1948, They Had Achieved a Military Superiority and Set in Motion All Political
Machinery to Declare Their Jewish State. Herzl’s Prediction to Establish a Jewish State in
Palestine within 50 Years Was Missed by Only 1 Year. "UN Resolution 181 - 1948." UN
Resolution 181 - 1948. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
2. Bailey, By Kirk. "A Brief History of Palestine - Dummies." Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
Sept. 2016.
3. "Map." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial
Council, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
4. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/parttoc.html