TCMUN
Historical Security Council
Advanced Committee
Introduction
Of the six main organizations originally established by the United Nations Charter in 1945, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was, and continues to be, the only committee with the ability to, “...make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the [UN] Charter….” (“What is the…”). Note that unlike other committees, which can only make recommendations to member states, the UNSC resolutions are obligatory. The primary mandate of the UNSC is to serve as a center of debate amongst nations to facilitate the maintenance of international peace and security. This is to be done by developing friendly international relations and encouraging cooperation regarding international problems. The more tangible powers of the UNSC include the capacity to establish peacekeeping operations, enact international sanctions, and authorize military action (“Functions and Powers”). A mandate from the UNSC is the only UN directive with the capacity to deploy peacekeepers, though they have restrictions on their actions as a UN body such as the scenarios in which they are able to engage in conflict. At the time this committee takes place, all of the capabilities described above are accessible to delegates. The first peacekeeping mission took place in 1948, and UN authorization for military action and international sanctions had been utilized for conflicts such as the Korean War (“UN Peacekeeping…”)
Chairs
Liam Kantor
I started Model UN this past school year. I attended our local TCMUN last fall and attended MITMUMC in the spring.I am eager to see delegates engaging and working together cooperatively. It creates an amazing environment when everyone is collaborating and working together. I’m especially looking forward to the delegate social. Like (almost) every person in Jackson, I love the outdoors! I do track, ski a ton, and enjoy hiking. I also play the piano and love traveling and seeing new places. A random fact about me is I absolutely despise peanut butter. In fact, I hate peanuts in any form. I’m super excited for this upcoming conference, and can’t wait to see what delegates have in store.
Caroline Brokaw
I have been doing MUN for 3 years, and I have attended two conferences at the Jackson Hole High School and one conference in Boston at MIT. I look forward to meeting all the new delegates. I love to ski, play tennis, hike, volunteer at Sage Living Hospital, and participate in youth philanthropy. I am the tennis state champion
Topic A:
1960 Congo Crisis
Topic B:
1962 Secession of Katanga and South Kasai
The main focus for the HSC in this topic is to compose a unique recommendation on how to ensure stability and self-determined governance of the Congolese people (It would be in your best interest to gain background knowledge regarding the aftermath of the actual Congo Crisis that played out). After the Congo gained independence in 1960, a series of internal conflicts between Belgian Soldiers (their previous colonizers) and the Congolese people unfolded. Even though the Congo was now declared independent, Belgian troops remained in the Congo and were involved in numerous rebellions and uprisings that followed independence. Tension regarding self-determination was largely due to the colonial state lines inflicted by King Leopold II, who previously declared the Congo as his personal property. These state lines divided over 200 different ethnic groups. Including the Bantu (Majority), Kongo, Bateke, Luba, Pende, Yaka, Lunda, Songe, Tetela, and Kuba, all of whom were now under one identity. How could these heterogeneous groups now be unified by foreign nations? Furthermore, how could these people come together to secure national independence? These are the main questions we will be addressing in committee. What resulted was a volatile government, to say the least. The Congo's new parliament elected two major political leaders: Joseph Kasavubu and Patrice Lumumba. Kasavubu, who was elected president, represented the Alliance des Ba-Kongo (ABAKO). ABAKO was a cultural-political organization that sought to represent the Kongo people. He favored giving regions of the Congo more autonomy. Lumumba was elected Prime Minister. He led the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), which represented the Congo on a national level rather than a specific region, classifying him as a pan-africanist. Even though this division in politics is occurring, a self-determined solution for the Congolese people needs to be formed.
This topic begs the question of whether the Katangese and Lubai-Kasai-two major ethnic and regional groups inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo- should secede from the Congo. Two weeks after Congolese independence, Moise Tshombe (leader of the CONAKAT party, from Katanga) declared Katanga to be an independent nation. The ‘State of Katanga’ was a region full of natural resources; because of this, many European countries, such as Belgium, indirectly backed the Katangese people with military force and funding, in the hope of reaping benefits from their natural resources. Can a succession be legitimate if it depends on a formercolonizer'ss military support? South Kasai is a region just north of Katanga that is one of the world’s largest diamond-producing regions. The problem with this mineral rich region lies within Alberty Kalonji’s, the man who established South Kasai, decision to declare independence for his part of the Kasai province. Kalonji declared independence to oppose Lumumba's "dictatorial ambitions”, and called his party “the one and only true Congolese Nationalist Movement”. As a Baluba chief, Kalonji had real influence over the Luba people of Katanga and Kasai. Should traditional or ethnic leadership carry political weight in a modern state? Once he saw how large the Luba population in Kasai was, he pushed for independence. His confrontational style got him arrested and briefly exiled. Because he had worked with ABAKO earlier, he came to support South Kasai - a mining-rich region - breaking away on its own. The question of independence for both these regions is an intricate problem related to the diverse ethnic and political background of the Congolese people. Therefore, when creating resolutions, it is important to consider that there must be compromise for action to take place, and there must be an understanding of all the internal conflicts.