UNITED NATIONS HISTORICAL SECURITY
COUNCIL
President:
Miguel Cote Ramirez
Vice-President:
Santiago Urrea
April 2017
Columbus School Model United Nations
Index
1. Letters from the presidents
1.1. Letter from the president
1.2. Letter from the Vice-President
2. Introduction to the Historical Security Council
2.1. History
2.2. Purpose
2.3. Problems it has solved
2.4. Important data about the committee.
3. First topic: Yom Kippur War
3.1. Introduction to the topic
3.2. Historical Background
3.3. Present situation
3.4. Solutions that the committee has implemented
3.5. Expectations towards the future.
4. Second topic: Soviet Afghan war
4.1. Introduction to the topic
4.2. Historical Background
4.3. Present situation
4.4. Solutions that the committee has implemented
4.5. Expectations towards the future.
5:Information for the delegate
5.1:Important questions
5.2:Useful Links
6: Bibliography
1.1 Letter from the President: Miguel Cote
Honorable delegates,
I welcome you all to the Historical Security Council, it is a great pleasure for me, Miguel
Cote Ramirez, to serve as your president in this committee. Not only will I work hard for this to
be a great experience to all of you but I will also guarantee, in cooperation with vice-president
Santiago Urrea, an enhancing academic environment. I encourage you to give your very best
when facing challenges and working towards proactive solutions in the historical context.
I currently course 12th grade in The Columbus School and have a great fascination for
history. I have taken an advanced history class in school and have participated in over 10 MUN
models as delegate, vice president or president; I will therefore work hard to exceed your
expectations of the committee and COSMUN.
Our current global situation is fragile as national security and national self interest are put
on top of human rights and basic needs of the people; it is our duty as the first truly politically
awakened generation of the world to prepare ourselves with the knowledge to face the upcoming
challenges of the world. Model United Nations, and the Security Council are the tools to prepare
for said challenges. I have faith that all of you will give your very best effort to make this a fun
and enriching experience.
Responsible for peacekeeping and international security, the United Nations Security
Council will provide a bigger array of decisions that can be used to reach more decisive and
coherent solutions. That being said, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach me
or Santiago without hesitation.
Miguel Cote,
HSC President
1.2 Letter From Vice-president Santiago Urrea
Honorable delegates,
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to The Columbus School`s Historical Security Council
of 2017. My name is Santiago Urrea and I am the Historical Security Council's vice-president
along my president Miguel Cote. Our main objective is that our delegates can have some
transformative days in which global, oral and critical thinking skills put into practice.
I am currently coursing 9th grade in the Columbus School. I have a lot of passion for
MUN and have participated on various models. Because I am fully involved and aware of the
global problems, I t will work hard so that The Security Council on COSMUN is a life-changing
experience.
I hope we accomplish our goal of solving the two conflicts, and I hope that you as a
delegate have a marvelous academic experience that will help you grow as a person.
If you have any questions about procedure or the topics, you may contact me or Miguel at any
time to the following email: [email protected]
Sincerely: Santiago Urrea,
HSC Vice-President
2. Committee Information:
History and Structure:
The United Nations Security Council was established in 1945 together with the rest of the
United Nations, created as an upper chamber or advisory body for resolutions by the
organisation. The UNSC was organised at first with 15 members; the delegates of five major
powers and the victors in the Second World War: the United States of America, the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Fourth French Republic, the Union of
Socialist Soviet Republics (later replaced by the Russian Federation) and the Republic of China
(later replaced by the People’s Republic of China).
The 5 permanent members or world powers, have a very important commodity: the veto,
which, as the word states, can veto any resolution even if all other nations vote in favor allows
for a resolution not to pass even if all the other nations vote in favor. This means that in order for
a resolution to pass in the Security Council all five veto powers must vote in favor. The other 10
temporary members are elected in two year terms from different regions of the world. (Three
members from Africa, two from Asia, two from South America and two from Western Europe,
North America and Australia.)
Objectives:
The main objective of the United Nations Security Council is to maintain global peace
and stability (as stipulated in the United Nations Charter, Chapter V (articles 23 through 32),
which details the composition and duties of the Security Council). These articles maintains that
the Security Council has great power over the world, it´s usual first measure is to send
peacekeepers or blue helmets that prevent combat in unstable regions and usually maintain
humanitarian help. Despite being sometimes effective, they can only respond to violence, not
initiate it and they are poorly armed as compared to conventional armies and guerrillas.
The UNSC can take several measures when peaceful mediation fails, however, it should
be noted that the following actions are only executed if previous indirect actions against the
blamed country have failed.
The Security Council can only authorize military intervention when a country violates
The Declaration of Human rights or attacks another country, as was seen on the Korean war
(1951-1953) the First Gulf War (1990-1991) the Somali Civil War (1993) and the US invasion of
Afghanistan (2001-2014). The security council can establish a protectorate when it perceives that
a nation is not fit for governing itself. Such case would only be a temporary stance until self rule
is reinstated. It can also establish trade embargoes of arms or other subjects critical to the
attacking nation's economy.
Committee Procedure
The Security Council undergoes the same parliamentary procedure as the other
committees in the General Assembly. The behaviour of delegates as representatives of their
member states is identical to that of the other committees. However there are a few major
differences that place the Security Council in contrast with the other committees.
For one, there’s electoral procedure in regards to Security Council resolutions, as
established in Article 27 of the Charter of the United Nations:
“ 1. Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote.
2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an
affirmative vote of nine members.
3. Decisions of the Security Council on all other matters shall be made by an affirmative
vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members; provided that,
in decisions under Chapter VI, and under paragraph 3 of Article 52, a party to a dispute shall
abstain from voting.”
Voting procedure means that all resolutions must pass with a compound majority, that is,
two-thirds of all Security Council members must vote in favour for the resolution to be
considered pertinent. Furthermore, the subject of the veto means that if one of the five permanent
Security Council members votes against the resolution, even if all other members vote in favour,
the resolution will not pass.
Besides member states, the Security Council may have observer states, or members of the
United Nations (or other states or organisations pertinent) that are allowed to intervene in debates
and organisation but have no vote power in resolutions. Such is the case of the Vatican (Holy
See) and the State of Palestine.
3. TOPIC I: Yom Kippur War
3.1 Introduction:
Since Israel declared independence in 1948, it has fought many wars as part
of the Arab-Israeli conflict against its Muslim neighbors, often occupying part of
their territories for prolonged periods of time. By 1967, Israel had controlled
Egypt´s Sinai peninsula, Syria´s Golan heights and Jordan´s territories of the west
bank.
3.2 Historical Background:
Israel and its neighboring Arab countries had just emerged from the Sixday war from which Israel decisively won and thus now had control over several
territories from its neighbors. Despite this decisive advantage, Israel's government
voted to return such territories under two conditions: A permanent peace
agreement that had to be reached in return for the land given back to the arab
states. Secondly, the arab states could not militarize the territories given back to
them. The arab position was much harsher on the other hand, as 8 muslim
countries met at the Khartoum Arab Summit to discuss the two conditions. Its
members: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria, Kuwait and Sudan voted
against the conditions. There would be no peace, no negotiation and no
recognition for Israel. Limited combat ensued in an attempt to wear down Israel
but failed. Later in 1970 a ceasefire was signed.
In 1971, Egypt started moving towards a more stable peace, demanding
Israel to give up it's territories taken from the Arab states. However, Israel was not
willing this time to return the territories despite it being on it´s best interests to
make peace with its neighbors. Joseph J. Sisco a State Department official
remarked; “Israel would be regarded responsible for rejecting the best opportunity
to reach peace since the establishment of the state” The arab states started orbiting
more towards war after the failed agreement. (Despite the fact that they faced huge
domestic problems and their instability was clear). They, for example, started
mobilizing major resources for building up their military forces. Anwar Sadat,
president of Egypt also started a diplomatic offensive to gain support for the war.
The two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union supplied massive
amounts of arms to Israel and the Arab nations respectively. However, both the
US and the USSR acknowledged that the status quo in the region had to be
maintained and reiterated that they had no interest in war.
3.3 Present Situation:
Egypt and Syria started mobilizing troops, equipment and armored
divisions towards their borders with Israel and conducting massive military
exercises and calling up their reservists. Israel faced tough choices with the
situation as most western nations excluding the USA had stopped supplying arms
to Israel fearing an Arab oil embargo. Secondly, US Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger and President Nixon had repeatedly warned Israel not start an attack.
According to Kissinger, had Israel struck first “it would not have received as much
as a nail”. Egyptian forces moved towards the Suez canal; totaling 100,000
soldiers and more than 1,300 tanks. Despite initial Egyptian advances, Israel had
the region's strongest air force (which dominated through most of the war).
However, Israeli forces had to be divided to resist the Syrian attack as well. The
Egyptians had initial successes but the Israelis were quick to mobilize it´s army
and quickly counterattacked. Despite of its failures, the Israelis prevailed and
pushed back on the Egyptians and retook the Sinai. Israel moved deeply into the
Sinai peninsula and encircled Egypt´s third army in an attempt to starve it. Israel
also managed to stand 100km away from Cairo, causing panic among many
Egyptian officials, who now advocated towards a peace treaty out of fear. In the
Syrian front of the Golan Heights, the Syrians pressed a massive attack as well and
deployed commandos behind Israel´s defensive lines which were too close to the
civilian population. However, Israel reservist quickly wiped out the Syrian
commandos. Israeli air force took heavy losses from Syrian ground batteries and
thus decided to fly over Jordan and flank the syrian forces, inflicting heavy losses
on the Syrian army. By October 11 Israel had retaken it´s forts and had begun
advancing towards Syria. Iraq and Jordan sent expeditionary forces to support
Syria, but only the Iraqi forces provided a temporary impact on Israel's army.
Israel continued its advance and was 40 km from Syria's capital of Damascus
which was shelled heavily by the Israelis.
3.4 Solutions that the Committee has implemented:
1. A peace agreement between Israel, Egypt and Syria as well as several other
supporter nations in Geneva, mediated by the USA and the USSR.
2. Israel agrees to give back it´s territories of the west bank of Jordan, the
Sinai and Golan heights.
3. United Nations Security Council passes resolution 338 agreed by the US
and the Soviet Union for Israel, Syria and Egypt to implement a ceasefire.
4. United Nations Security Council resolution 242 that states it is inadmissible
for a state to hold another country's territory through war.
(i) Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in
the recent conflict;
(ii) Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect
for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and
political independence of every State in the area and their right to
live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from
threats or acts of force."
3.5 Expectations Towards the Future:
1. Maintain stability among Middle East nations to avoid future
confrontations on the Middle East.
2. Help establish and ensure a lasting peace and the acceptance and
recognition of Israel as a state in order to avoid invasions of Israel by its
Arab neighbors.
3. Preventing the acquisition of territories through war; in order to prevent
more wars based on said territories.
4. Impede the arming of countries in the Middle East by the two superpowers
considering the instability of the region and the recent wars in the area.
Also taking into account the balance of power that exists in the region.
4.Topic II: Soviet-Afghan War
4.1. Introduction to the topic:
The United States backed Nur Mohammad Taraki as president of
Afghanistan who took power via coup in 1978. Taraki started implementing
radical modernization programs among the rural, illiterate nomad groups of
Afghanistan. Such modernizing policies were highly unpopular and led to massive
unrest in the country. The government responded by killing the rioters as the
situation deteriorated. Additionally, fearing unrest of other muslim countries under
Soviet control, the USSR deployed it´s 40th army as unrest and rebellions
progressed, the war dragged on until 1989. With heavy casualties raging on both
sides and the Soviets unable to attain a significant victory against Islamic
guerillas.
4.2. Historical Background:
Afghanistan has always been a really important country due to its richness
of resources and because of it’s strategic location between the Middle East, Central
Asia and India. During the 20th century Afghanistan was in the center of the “Great
Game” between the British and Russian empire. Afghanistan gained its
independence in 1919, after World War I; and the United States and the Soviet
Union tried to help Afghanistan by financing infrastructure and education. President
Mohammed Zahir Shah became president and began to modernize and implement
democratic reforms on Afghanistan's government. Afterwards Mohamed Daoud was
elected as the new president of Afghanistan and during his 10 years in government
there was balance and many things changed for the good of Afghan society;
women's rights improved, international relationships strengthened and the Afghan
economy had a substantial growth. But on the other side his presidency was greatly
on the authoritarian side and restrictions on civil liberties lead to much
disagreement among Afghan society. Islamist extremist groups started emerging,
which opposed his modernist reforms with acts of violence. Mir Akbar Khyber was
assassinated on April 17 of 1978. The government had a radical change and instead
of acting with diplomacy and respect the Afghan government started responding to
any counter revolutionary activity with brutality by executing or imprisoning any
opposition of the government or its ideas. Afghanistan and the Soviet Union signed
a treaty in December 1978 which allowed the People's Democratic Party of
Afghanistan to call on soviet military support, now that the Afghan army was in a
tough time with lots of extremist groups and maintaining stability on Afghanistan.
Hafizullah Amin was the current president at these moment and in 1979 he was
murdered by the soviet special forces so that there was disorder and so that it would
make it easier for the Soviets plan of invading Afghanistan without giving much of
a fight. These made Afghanistan's situation even worse and at the same time these
deteriorated Afghanistan's relationships with the Soviet Union. Finally on
December 25 of 1979 the Soviets decided to take control of the situation by
invading Afghanistan with 80,000 soldiers.
4.3. Present situation
Considered part of the Cold War and lasting over 9 years, the SovietAfghan war was sometimes considered the Soviet's Vietnam. It consumed much of
the Soviet's military might through the 80's and contributed greatly to the collapse
of the Soviet Empire. The people´s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) came
to power through a coup and established a series of radical modernizing reforms,
which were very unpopular among the rural populations of farmers in Afghanistan.
Armed rebellions followed as numerous factions fought the government. The
government itself was highly unstable as in party rivalry was common. In
September 1979, Hafizullah Amin seized power within the government and became
president; he worsened the situation even more, leading to the armed intervention of
Soviet troops in December 24 1979. In January 1980 members of the Islamic
conference condemned Soviet actions and vouched for the immediate withdrawal of
Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The UN general Assembly also protested the
invasion. The Soviet´s 40th army entered Afghanistan over two ground routes and
quickly seized major urban centers, military bases and strategic installations.
However the Soviet occupation did not have the desired effect of pacifying the
country. In fact there were more rebellions this time within the Afghan army itself,
and other insurgent groups that now fought using guerrilla tactics for which the
Soviet army was not prepared for and was not effective. The most notable of these
groups was the Mujahideen known for its fanaticism and brutal tactics. The CIA
started supplying the Mujahideen with military equipment this would turn out to be
the biggest CIA covert operation to date funding over 630 million USD a year by
1980 as part of operation Cyclone. The money was channeled through Pakistan and
Saudi Arabia who also supported the Mujahideen. This aid had enormous
consequences for the fate of the Soviet invasion. For instance the notorious Stinger
missile that targeted aircraft from the ground took out more than 350 Soviet aircraft
in just the last two years of the war. The soviets had not achieved any significant
military victory on the Mujahideen despite the fact that they controlled most major
cities in the country. They were also facing economic constraint and stagnating
losses of their troops and thus decided to withdraw. Before withdrawing the Soviet
army trained the Afghan army to transfer the fighting to them. On February 15,
1989 the last Soviet troops departed from Afghanistan.
4.4. Solutions that the committee has implemented
1. “the UN General Assembly passed a resolution protesting the Soviet
intervention by a vote of 104–18”
2. “In January 1980, foreign ministers from 34 nations of the Islamic Conference
adopted a resolution demanding "the immediate, urgent and unconditional
withdrawal of Soviet troops" from Afghanistan”.
3. Resolution 1076 of 22 October - calls for an end to hostilities, outside
interference and supply of arms to the parties to the conflict; denounces
discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan.
4.5. Expectations towards the future
1. For the United Nations to supervise Afghanistan in order to insure stability
within the different ethnic groups and political parties.
2. Guarantee that the Soviet Union does not invade any other country in the
Middle East. To keep the balance of power with the United States.
3. Insure that the rights and the sovereignty of Afghanistan and any other Nation
are respected to ensure balance in the global security.
4. Prevent funding to Islamist extremist groups by the United States or any other
country in order to prevent “proxy wars” in the Middle East given that it is a
highly unstable region.
5. Information for the delegate
5.1. Important Questions:
•
What is my country's position on these events?
•
Why is my country involved in these events?
•
Which countries are my allies and which are my axis?
•
What are the consequences of these events? Globally and Regionally?
•
How has the UN helped to prevent or stop these events from happening?
•
How has my country contributed to the problem?
•
Are my country's actions justified?
•
Are solutions being taken for personal or global benefits?
•
Why is my country involved?
•
What actions has my country taken towards achieving a lasting solution?
If you have any questions about procedure or the topics, you may contact us at any time
to the following email: [email protected]
5.2. Useful Links:
-https://global.britannica.com/event/Soviet-invasion-of-Afghanistan
https://www.cia.gov/search?q=yom+kippur+war&site=CIA&output=xml_
no_dtd&client=CI
-https://www.cia.gov/index.html
-http://www.porgmun.cz/doc/2016/Security_Council_Rules.pdf
-http://www.un.org/en/sc/
-http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
https://www.cia.gov/search?q=soviet+afghan+war&site=CIA&output=xm
l_no_dtd&client=CIA&myAction=%2Fsearch&proxystylesheet=CIA&sub
mitMethod=get
-https://global.britannica.com/event/Afghan-War
6. Bibliography:
Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
"Judaism 101: Jewish Holidays." Judaism 101: Jewish Holidays. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan.
2017.
"Yom Kippur 2016: A Guide - An Overview of Yom Kippur's Traditions and Customs."
An Overview of Yom Kippur's Traditions and Customs - High Holidays. N.p., n.d. Web.
30 Jan. 2017.
"History & Overview." Yom Kippur: History & Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
"Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d.
Web. 30 Jan. 2017.