Security Council 2008

Committee Guide

The Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. It shall ensure "prompt and effective action by the United Nations" and maintain international peace.

As you can read in the Charter, the Security Council is mainly independent from the rest of the UN and acts as some kind of a highest authority - without the agreement of the Security Council the UN can not change, an important point in the democratization debate.

It is also the only organ which can impose sanctions against a state or which may send out troops in order to make or keep peace, when the world's security is threatened.

The issue of "Preventing fights for resources in the Arctic Ocean" is a reaction to the struggle of various nations to claim the natural resources under the continously melting polar ice cap, such as hydrocarbonates or precious metals. For now peaceful, it may possibly result in a conflict between those states, albeit under no armed one, considering the disparity of their military forces.

Our task might be to clarify the situation by defining the ridges' status on a scientific basis, further mediating between the conflict parties and/or find proper (re)solutions for the issue.

Concerned states are:

Canada, claiming the water between its arctic islands as internal waters
Denmark, sovereign over Greenland and argueing that the Lomonosov Ridge is an extension of Greenland
Norway
The Russian Federation, claiming that the Lomonosov Ridge and the Mendeleev Ridge are extensions of the Eurasian continent
The United States of America, not recognizing any others countries claims and having sent nuclear submarines under the ice cap without permission

Links, which may help you:

Law or UN stuff

Newspaper Stuff etc.

Introduction of the Chairs

Honourable Delegates and MUN-Directors,

My name is Friedrich Leukert.
Originally coming from Greifswald in West Pomerania, I will graduate at ISG Rostock (that's where BALMUN
will take place) this summer. After that I will move to Berlin in order to do my compulsory social service
and studying chemistry after that. I k n o w that this sounds strange, but I have fun doing chemistry.

After four MUN conferences (of which three in Berlin and one in Oldenburg), I insisted on chairing the
BALMUN Security Council as a President. It's my first time chairing, but I rely on the rather experienced
skills of my Deputy, Perke.

Having been member of the SC at OLMUN and experienced the extraordinary power of that UN organ (and the
veto powers) I hope for a creative and fruitful debate without any bigger conflict between permanent members
in order not to pass any resolution at last, but an appropriate solution for the issue.

As I will have my final written exam next tuesday, I ask you to wish luck and success on me.

Looking forward to a wonderful conference,

Friedrich Leukert
Chair of the Security Council

Honourable Delegates and MUN-Directors,

Well, my name is Perke

After having graduated from Helene-Lange-School in spring 2007, I am currently doing my community service here in Oldenburg. At the same time I‘m trying to figure out what I could study after summer and as if this is not enough work for me to do, I am also preparing for a whole bunch of other MUNs, doing a bit for the German Red Cross Society and – you would not believe if I told you – even manage to have some friends!!

As I have been given the chance of serving as this year’s Deputy President of the Security Council, BalMUN 2008 will be my fourth conference of this kind. It will also continue my chairing-career – And will hopefully be as useful and enjoyably as I expect. The Security Council with its extraordinary power, reputation and procedures appears to me to be the ideal base for discussions that are of course most stimulating but at the same time remind us of the alarming situation the world is faced with these days.

However, since I am sure you all know that we will be having a good time, I am the next one who is looking forward to May

Perke Jacobs
Chair of the Security Council