Security Council

The Security Council

by: Vera Bloemen

As I arrived at Central America, the room assigned to the Security Council, I was greeted by a 'Do Not Disturb, We Are in Session' sign; the current resolution seemed to have triggered a passionate discussion amongst the members of the Security Council. After a severe "Could the delegates please come to order!" from one of the Deputy Presidents, everybody sat down hastily, only to immediately re-start the lively debate on the resolution at hand. The particular resolution was submitted by Australia and concerned the reform of the Security Council.

The temperature in the room rose as the debate on the first topic became more heated; however, the delegates remained focused and continued on, introducing some interesting ideas. The delegate of Austria, for example, explained that "every country should have a voice in the Security Council, not simply the countries that are lucky enough to be chosen." However, to rebut this suggestion it was argued that Austria suggestions for equality in representation were solely based on criteria that do not apply to all members of the Security Council.

Another issue debated on Tuesday was the issue of Piracy in Somalia. Most delegates felt that the underlying causes of the problem are extreme poverty and corruption within the country, as well as pollution in the sea. This widespread pollution rapidly depletes fish stocks, thereby removing the primary source of income and nutrition for most Somalis.

Additional topics to be discussed in the following days, include the Taliban with the reinforcement of military supplies in Afghanistan. Also on the agenda is the issue on the situation in the West Bank and Nuclear Disarmament, which, as China stated, is an "issue of global importance and security and a long-term problem."

When asked about his opinion of his committee, the President of the Security Council, Young Hyun Choi, answered that he was "very pleased; with the high level debates and four successfully passed resolutions, and there was no fraction." Deputy President Mick van der Valk added, "Our delegates are like Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They have to defeat trolls of issues and might have some internal struggles on the way, but they'll surely defeat the Darkness in the end."