The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters.

When a threat against international peace is brought to the attention of the Security Council, the council first attempts to negotiate a settlement between the disputing parties. The council may use its own member delegations, refer the issue to discussion in the General Assembly, or appoint the Secretary-General, the head of the United Nations, to act as mediator. It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement as well.

If no peaceful agreement can be reached and the disputing factions use violence, intimidation or force, the Security Council can then enact policy resolutions to solve the conflict or restore peace. Sometimes this policy includes economic sanctions such as trade embargoes or prohibitions on governments borrowing from international funds. Under the Security Council regulations, however, humanitarian aid can never be withheld from any nation or group of people. The Security Council also reserves the right to recommend expulsion of any UN member state in gross violation of the UN charter and international law, though the dismissal must be voted on and passed in the General Assembly.

The Security Council is the only United Nations organization that can authorize military action and maintain a military-trained peacekeeping force. In violent international dispute, the Security Council can send intervening peacekeeping troops to secure areas in turmoil.

The Security Council is further responsible for overseeing compliance with international agreements involving weapons, the rules of engagement (conduct during war), the illegal spread of nuclear technology, and other threats to international peace. To enforce these treaties, such as international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation, the Security Council can authorize UN-led inspections of a nation's military arsenal. In addition, the Security Council can order sanctions or authorize military action.

More at: www.un.org/Docs/sc

TOPIC A: Winds of change: Role and challenges of the international community in the transition from authoritarian rule towards democracy.

The past decades have seen multiple governments come towards their end across the globe. A staggering amount of countries have witnessed revolutions, popular movements and civil wars, as the needs of the people have been largely neglected or ignored for decades. Certain states in Northern Africa are a clear example of how dramatic the situation is and how they cry for a change.

As a reorganization of power takes place nowadays through decaying authoritarian governments, the role of the international community in fostering their transition brings about an essential priority to the world order that needs to be addressed by the Security Council. 

Given the fact that efforts to aid these nations have been commonly filled by a limited number of nations, it becomes important to include more actors in this process, and therefore increase the legitimacy of the same. The young democratic systems will need international assistance in many ways and the task that needs to be carried out will not be easy. Elections need to be observed, know-how for institution building must be transferred, the domestic economy requires to be helped, and international acknowledgement must be ensured.

Thus, the Security Council should not remain passive, but instead try to negotiate sustainable strategies and promote an international consensus on the matter. Considering recent examples such as Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, how can the international community as a whole play a more dynamic and effective role in their development?

Note to the reader:

It is important to clarify that we understand the role of the international community as a vehicle in pushing forward democratic processes with the purpose of aiding countries under complicated processes of governmental transition. Whether these processes are indeed successfully democratic by nature would be a separate discussion. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that the fundamental values that are being put forward are indeed democratic.

Desired observer for this topic: Libya.

TOPIC B: The Arctic – A new “race to the pole”

In August 2007 the Russian Federation planted a Russian flag on the seabed below the ice of the North Pole and caused international outrage. The Arctic is immensely rich in unexploited natural resources, and there are no “classical” borders governing the allocation of those resources. The conflicting parties usually refer to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1970, which grants them a 200-mile zone around their land territory. But this Convention is heavily contested as it contains debatable elements.

As of today, technology and know-how may not be fit to cost-efficiently exploit the Arctic’s resources, but it is certain that the Arctic will be one of the world’s major areas of conflict as the world’s oil reserves diminish in size steadily. The new “race to the pole” has begun. And not only Russia, but also Norway, Denmark, Greenland, Canada and many more directly or indirectly involved actors are highly interested in how this conflict is to be solved. This includes, of course, the United States of America, which are already increasing their oil production in Alaska, and also China, whose hunger for new resources grows each year. And Europe needs to take care not to be forgotten. Furthermore, the Arctic can be seen as a precedent for the Antarctica. And additionally, dealing with the Arctic is always connected to other topics such as global warming and environmental protection as well.

All in all this matter is not a simple legal question, thus the highest United Nations body ought to take care of it in order to prevent a future escalation of this latent conflict, which tends to be disregarded in public awareness.

Desired observer for this topic: Canada.

• Russia
• China
• France
• USA
• UK
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Gabon
• Germany
• India
• Lebanon
• Nigeria
• Portugal
• South Africa

• Lybia/Greenland
• Iraq/Canda