UNHSC
AGENDA
The situation in South Africa
About Committee
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
- Nelson Mandela
Outlaw: a word that perfectly captures the predicament of the South African state and its people in the latter half of the 20th century. The former is a rogue state which has located itself on the wrong side of international statutes of law and justice. Be it cricket World Cups or meetings of the United Nations, South Africa is barred entry. Yet within the country, a curious contradiction unfolds. A majority of its population finds itself imprisoned within the confines of a racist and discriminatory legal system of apartheid. The plot only thickens. After legitimate channels of international diplomacy failed to resolve the issue of Namibian independence, South Africa was plunged into an arduous border war. Cold war dynamics made its way here, just as it influenced South Africa’s decades-long courtship with nuclear weaponization. Make no mistake, this is a very different country from the one we now know.
The United Nations (Historic) Security Council, 1988, is nothing short of a crisis delegate’s heaven. The situation evolves rapidly: internal violence abounds, clandestine international deals are signed, neighbouring countries are bombed and citizens’ rights continue to be denied. The issue lies at a complex intersection of multiple domains of international law. A solution to an intricate issue such as this requires out-of-the-box diplomacy. Ingenuity and imagination are the need of the hour when one deals with a rogue state whose most popular leader has been in jail for 27 years. There is expansive scope offered to delegates of the Security Council to utilise informal negotiations to create situations conducive for a permanent settlement. Too long has the issue of South Africa been left unattended, too long has it been shunned without being understood. The song of the caged bird must now be heard for it is not the song merely of South Africa but the song of a global South. It is the song of a community of nations that feels left behind by the post-colonial modernity heralded by the United Nations.
This Security Council will indeed be historic.
Chairpersons' Address
Delegates,
Ever since we stepped into our first Security Councils as raw, inexperienced students eager to make their names in the MUN circuit, we have dreamt of the day where we get to chair our very own Security Council. There is something incredibly alluring about this committee. Even keeping aside its flagship nature and its preeminent status among international bodies, it has great flexibility in its mode of operation. Within seconds, an esoteric discussion about the right to innocent passage can be transformed into a heated dialogue about a crisis update. The Security Council delegate is the complete MUNner. In that spirit, this committee has been formulated in the hopes of achieving extraordinary levels of debate and crisis-handling. All we want is to be impressed.
A bit about the Chairpersons:
Nikhilesh Mukherjee, while he may be a student of science, is someone with whom you can engage in conversation about anything from the philosophical works of Camus to Chelsea's Premier League woes. Aside from his academic excellence, he is intricately linked to almost every extracurricular activity in the school. His dominion ranges from delivering impactful speeches from the podium to carrying trophies for the School Quiz Team. If you thought Best Delegate was the highest award you can win at an MUN, ask Nikhilesh why you are wrong. When not immersed in school work, you'll often find him presenting guitar renditions of
Francesco Tarrega's works. He will equally engage you in this Security Council; however, look out for his meticulous attention to detail and impressive understanding of mandate.
Aryan Jhunjhunwala is our very own Wolf of Wall Street. When he is not busy with his study of the stock market, you will find him mercilessly scrapping resolutions in Security Councils with a beaming smile on his face. His mind works faster than his F1 hero Max Verstappen drives, racing against the clock (he would know all about clocks, given his beautiful execution of timekeeping duties last LMCMUN). His points are not limited only to MUN scoresheets, he shines by scoring them on the basketball court as well. However dark the path a committee chooses to walk is, ‘Jhunjhun’ is sure to light it up with his impeccable sense of humour – a gift that will sorely be needed at this year’s UNHSC.
We cannot be more eager to meet the delegates of the United Nations (Historic) Security Council, 1988, and together create an unforgettable experience for all.
Until May,
Aryan Jhunjhunwala and Nikhilesh Mukherjee,
Chairpersons,
United Nations (Historic) Security Council, 1988,
La Martiniere Calcutta Model United Nations, 2024.
