NEW YORK, NY 20 - 24 March – Conference A 27 - 31 March – Conference B NMUN•NY nmun.org/nmun_ny.html SECURITY COUNCIL BACKGROUND GUIDE 2016 Written By: Thejasvi Ramu, Anna Ivanova, Jade Palmer, Julia Bhattacherjee, Amanda Wong, Kaitlin Sandin NATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE associationTM © 2015 National Model United Nations THE 2016 NATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION 20-24 March (Conf. A) & 27 -31 March (Conf. B) • www.nmun.org Kristina Getty & Beatrice Soler Dear Delegates, Secretaries-General Ardis Smith & Welcome to the 2016 National Model United Nations Conference in New York (NMUN•NY)! We are pleased to Cara Wagner Deputy Secretaries-General introduce the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Your Week A staff will be: Directors Amanda Wong (SC- A), Thejasvi Ramu (SC-B), and Anna Ivanova (SC-C). Your Week B staff will be: Directors Kaitlin Sandin (SC- Doug Arseneault & Sara Johnsson A), Jade Palmer (SC-B), and Julia Bhattacherjee (SC-C). Amanda completed her B.A. in Political Science from Chiefs of Staff Simon Fraser University and her PG Dip in Environmental Management from the University of London. This is Nguyen Cao & Amanda’s fifth year on staff. This is Thejasvi’s second year on staff. She graduated from the University of Camille Ellison Victoria with a B.A. in Political Science and Anthropology. Anna graduated from the Far Eastern Federal Assistant Chiefs of Staff University in Russia with a degree in linguistics and interpretation and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree Sonia Patel & Felipe Ante in International Economics. She has 6 years of MUN experience and this is her second year on NMUN staff. Assistant Secretaries-General Kaitlin received her B.A. in Political Science from Gonzaga University and currently works in criminal justice Sabrina Grover & reform in Washington, D.C. Jade graduated with a B.A. in Theatre from Lee University. She is currently working Patrick Parsons for Delta Air Lines. This is her fourth year on staff. Julia is currently working on her Master's thesis in Political Under-Secretaries-General General Assembly Science and works for the German Bundestag. Dinah Douglas & Lauren Shaw The topics under discussion for the Security Council are: Under-Secretaries-General I. Women, Peace and Security: Women as Active Agents in Peace and Security Economic and Social Council II. The Situation in the Central African Republic Michael Buechl & III. Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts Andrea Wong Under-Secretaries-General Development The Security Council is one of the principal organs of the UN system and, under the Charter of the United Moritz Müller & Nations, has the main responsibility for international peace and security. The Security Council’s responsibilities Claudia Sanchez include the assessment of threats to international peace and acts of aggression and it may call upon or impose Under-Secretaries-General Human Rights and sanctions or authorize the use of force. In order to accurately simulate the committee, it will be critical for Humanitarian Affairs delegates to understand its key role and authority in determining threats to peace and security and how to take Allison Chandler & appropriate actions to address these threats. Clarissa Manning Under-Secretaries-General We hope you will find this Background Guide useful as an introduction to the topics for this committee. Peace and Security However, it is not intended to replace individual research. We highly encourage you to explore your Member Markus Petermann & Carl Dionne State’s policies in-depth, as well as use the Annotated Bibliography and Bibliography to further your knowledge Under-Secretaries-General on these topics. In preparation for the conference, each delegation will submit a position paper. Please take note Conference Services of the NMUN policies on the website and in the Delegate Preparation Guide regarding plagiarism, codes of conduct, dress code, sexual harassment, and the awards philosophy and evaluation method. Adherence to these NCCA BOARD of DIRECTORS guidelines is mandatory. Prof. Eric Cox President The NMUN Rules of Procedure are available to download from the NMUN website. This document includes the Prof. Kevin Grisham Vice-President long and short form of the rules, as well as an explanatory narrative and example script of the flow of procedure. Prof. Chaldeans Mensah It is thus an essential instrument in preparing for the conference, and a reference during committee. Treasurer Prof. Pamela Chasek If you have any questions concerning your preparation for the committee or the conference itself, feel free to Secretary contact the Under-Secretaries-General for the Peace & Security Department, Allison Chandler (Conference A) Jennifer Contreras and Clarissa Manning (Conference B). You can reach either USG by contacting them at: [email protected]. Raymond J. Freda Rachel Holmes We wish you all the best in your preparations and look forward to seeing you at the conference! Amierah Ismail Sincerely, Prof. Markéta Žídková Conference A Conference B Members Ex-Officio Michael Eaton Executive Director Amanda Wong, Director, SC-A Kaitlin Sandin, Director, SC-A Prof. Richard Murgo Thejasvi Ramu, Director, SC-B Jade Palmer, Director, SC-B Past President Anna Ivanova, Director, SC-C Julia Bhattacherjee, Director, SC-C Prof. Richard Reitano President Emeritus The NCCA/NMUN is a Non-Governmental Organization associated with the UN Department of Public Information, a UN Academic Impact Member, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of the United States. Table of Contents Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 United Nations System at NMUN•NY ........................................................................................................................ 4 Committee Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 History ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Governance, Structure and Membership ............................................................................................................................ 5 Mandate, Functions and Powers......................................................................................................................................... 7 Recent Sessions and Current Priorities .............................................................................................................................. 8 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Annotated Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 I. Women, Peace and Security: Women as Active Agents in Peace and Security ................................................ 14 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14 International and Regional Framework ............................................................................................................................ 15 Role of the International System ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Challenges in the Implementation of Existing Frameworks on Women’s Agency .......................................................... 18 Women’s Participation ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Further Research .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Annotated Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................... 21 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................... 22 II. The Situation in the Central African Republic .................................................................................................. 27 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................