Letter from the Director
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to WMHSMUN XXIX!!! I’m the director for the United Nations Security Council 1960
(UNSC) and can’t wait to meet you all in the fall!
My name is Nathan Setka, and I’m a sophomore here at the College of William & Mary. I study
economics, German, and government. I’d tell you my home city or home state, but I don’t really have
one. As most of you are from NOVA, you probably know plenty about the military. My dad is in the
Air Force so I have moved every few years since I was born: From Hawaii all the way to Germany and
everywhere in between. Model United Nations is nothing new for me. I participated for three years in
high school, and because I lived overseas, most of the countries were actually present at the
conferences! If anyone has any interest in discussing those departments here at the college, come talk to
me or send me an e-mail anytime!
During committee I want everyone to raise their placards high and don’t hesitate to take the floor.
WMHSMUN is meant to be a learning experience, so it’s okay to make a few mistakes; everybody
does, regardless of how long they’ve been doing MUN. Cooperation is the key to success in MUN,
especially within the Security Council, so please be respectful of your fellow delegates and I’m sure we’ll
have an incredibly productive conference.
Again, I look forward to meeting you all, and if you have any questions regarding the conference, our
committee, or even if you just want to chat, shoot me an e-mail!
Nathan Setka
nsetka@email.em.edu
Letter from the Crisis Director
Welcome Delegates!
My name is Lidia Kovacevic and I am so excited to be your Crisis Director for the
UNSC, 1960! In this committee we will explore some of the many tensions facing the
East and the West in the 1960s, right at the brink of the Cold War. You will be challenged with dealing
with the very delicate international situation at this point in time. How will you deal with conflicts in
Africa, when any intervention could lead to a nuclear end to the Cold War? Should West Berlin be a
topic you address? I will make it my goal to help you come to these answers with challenging crises.
I am a junior originally from Northern Virginia, majoring in International Relations and minoring in
Public Health at William & Mary. I’ve been a part of the International Relations Club for just over a
year, traveling to conferences in Chicago and Montreal and serving as the Director of Registration for
WMIDMUN XIV. In addition to Model UN, I enjoy procrastinating, studying with friends, and
watching too much Netflix.
I am very excited about this committee and hope you are too! We hope that you have a weekend where
you can explore a part of the UNSC that you may not have been able to previously. Please feel free to
contact me with any questions you may have about the committee and I look forward to seeing you in
November!
Sincerely,
Lidia Kovacevic
History and Background of the UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was formed on October 24, 1945 and
met for the first time in 1946.1 According to the UN Charter, the UNSC is charged with
maintaining peace in the world, accepting new members into the UN, and approving
changes to the charter itself.2 It is one of six major organs of the UN: the others including
General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, the Trusteeship
Council, and the International Court of Justice.
The UNSC has a unique
membership structure. Five
permanent members are always
represented on the council: the
USSR, the USA, France, China,
and the UK. Non-permanent
members are chosen based on
geographic location; this way the
council can be unbiased as a
whole.3 Permanent members
have the veto ability, however,
making consensus a necessary element in all Council debate.
Next comes the powers of the Security Council. Different from the other branches
of the UN, the Security Council has concrete power in the international world.
Under Chapter VI of the Charter, "Pacific Settlement of Disputes", the Security Council
"may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or
give rise to a dispute".4 After the council has assessed a situation, their power broadens
under Chapter VII of the Charter. The Chapter directs the Council to “restore international
peace and security,” which has been interpreted to “by any means necessary.” In the past,
1
“What Is The Security Council,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/en/sc/about
“Index,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/
2
“Index,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/
3
“Article 2,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/
4
“Article 2,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/ 2
the Council has invoked economic sanctions, established peace keeping operations, and
even authorized military action.
Our Committee
Our committee will be run a little differently than those in the General Assembly
(GA), so I’m going to explain how the committee will function during conference here.
Normally in a committee, delegations create and elect to be put onto a speaker’s list in
order to speak. The UNSC is different in this regard; we will be running on a perpetual
moderated caucus because of the dynamic nature of a crisis committee. However,
delegations may still move for both moderated and unmoderated caucuses both to focus
on subtopics and draft directives. For those of you who have not heard of directives, they
are very similar to resolutions. Directives are messages to the international community
about what the council intends on doing about the crisis on-hand. They are written in
resolution format, but do not include perambulatory clauses, and frequently are much
shorter than a normal resolution.
In addition to being a crisis committee, we also happen to be a historical
committee. This being said, remember to do your research and find your country’s point of
view from this time period. As for the official date, our committee will begin on July 10,
1960.
Topic One: The Congo and Katanga
The colony of the Belgian Congo was established in 1908, after the failed private
territory of the Belgian King (King Leopold II established the Free Congo State in 1885;
however, state officials began to degrade the indigenous people and use ruthless
economic extraction, putting immense pressure on the official Belgian government to
intervene).5 Rule was based on a “colonial trinity”, meaning state, missionary, and private
industry interests governed the nation.6 As a result of economic practices that helped the
companies, regions of the Congo became especially specialized in producing certain
goods. As in all situations alike, territorial specialization leads to a gap in socio-economic
classes between said territories. Unlike French and British colonies, Belgium ruled the
Congo through a system of administrators, rather than the indirect rule method, leading to
racial segregation and the perceived superiority of the white race. In 1960 the Congo
gained full independence after a rapid radical movement of the masses.7
In the early 1950s this seemed like an impossibility, but the attitude change toward
colonization as a result of World War 2 lead to increased pressure from the world
superpowers in the UN on Belgium. News of other colonial independences in the region
led to political organization and nationalization in the Congolese people. Two types arose:
territorial nationalism, which promoted a single unified Congo, and the ethno-religious
nationalism that sparked in Katanga. Leading this movement was the alliance des Bakango
(ABAKO), with Joseph Kasa-Vubu as its charismatic leader.8 They were a vocal opponent of
colonial rule.
Falling to the pressure of the people, Belgium created a thirty years plan for the
emancipation of the Congo, which ABAKO was firmly against, striving for a more
5
Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, “The Failing State in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Global Dialouge, Winter 2011,
accessed September 7, 2015, http://www.worlddialogue.org/content.php?id=500
6
Wallace G Mills, “Belgian Colonial Policy” (Saint Mary’s University), accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HIST252-Belgian-Colonial-Policy.pdf
7
Enough Project, “Roots of the Crisis- Congo,” accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict_areas/eastern_congo/roots-crisis
8
Herbert Weiss, “A History of Resistance in the Congo,” December 12, 2008, last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://forums.ssrc.org/african-futures/2012/12/08/african-futures-history-of-resistance-in-congo/
immediate self-governance.9 As an experiment of more political freedom, elections were
held in Leopoldville, Elisabithville, and Jadotville in 1957.10 ABAKO won 133 of 170 seats in
the capital city and created a de facto power structure in the region, outside of Belgian
control.
In early 1958 a second movement appeared to rival ABAKO. This movement was a
party known as Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), and it was led by Patrice Lumumba
and Joseph Ileo.11 The party was seemingly more moderate than the conservative ABAKO.
January 4th, 1959, a prohibited political demonstration in Leopoldville by ABAKO
escalated into violence.
With reports of up to a few
hundred dead or injured,
King Baudouin of Belgium
called for the immediate
independence of the
Congo.12 National
elections were held in
1960, with both the MNC
and ABAKO dominating
the polls. MNC leader
Lumumba became
president, while Kasa-Vubu
was elected to prime
minister with the
parliament. In regional
9
Columbia University Press, The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, “Congo, Democratic Republic of the,” 2012,
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/congo-democratic-republic-the-history.html
10
History World, “The Democratic Republic of Congo,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad34
11
Encyclopedia Britannica, “Congolese National Movement,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Congolese-National-Movement
12
Herbert Weiss, “ A History of Resistance in the Congo”
governments, Moise Tshombe, a prominent businessman in the province, won the
presidency of Katanga.13 Shortly after the elections, violence erupted in the army between
whites and blacks. In response, Belgium sent in troops to protect the fleeing Belgians. In
addition they began to support the secession of Katanga, the rich mining province of the
Congo.
Importance to the Council
With the age of colonization coming to an end, and many previously colonized
states joining the ranks of the UN, the situation in the Congo is of utmost importance to
the Council and world politics. If there is even a slight chance a state infringing upon the
sovereignty of another, it is the duty of the Council and of the UN as a whole to
investigate, and if need be, take action. The Congo will be a model for all crises to come in
the future, and we must create a good precedent. If an illegality is present in Katanga’s
secession, and the Council takes no action, it sets the tone for other nations to do the
same; something that is unacceptable in this day and age.
Questions to Consider
1. Is Belgium violating the national sovereignty of the Congo?
2. Is secession of Katanga legal and should it be a recognized state?
3. Is the apparent coup in the Congo something the UNSC should deal with?
4. On a human rights perspective, what can we do to maintain stability in the region,
while respecting the wishes of the people of the region?
13
Herbert Weiss, “ A History of Resistance in the Congo” Topic Two: Situation with German Democratic Republic
East Germany, more formerly known as the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, was
made from the east zone of Germany given to the Soviet Union in the Potsdam Agreement
after the end of World War 2.14 Made independent of Soviet rule in 1949, the Red Army
still occupied the nation.15 All movements against the communist regime and one party
system of the state were squashed by the
Ministry of the State for East Germany,
the Stasi. In terms of economy, the state
ran on a planned central economy, the
most successful of the Soviet Bloc,
however still failing when compared to
West Germany, which was thriving under
the Marshall Plan. Because of the conditions found within East Germany, and the
suppression of individualism, citizens attempted to emigrate to the west.16 As guards and
the State Ministry try to stop them, the people grow tired of their oppression and begin to
revolt. June 16-17, 1953, constructions workers in East Germany go on strike. This strike
ignites the nation, as protests emerge in all major cities. Unable to stop the political
uprising in peaceful means, Soviet forces call for tanks to put the movement down.17 In
total, anywhere from 50-130 people were killed during the exhibitions. The East German
government explained the revolt as a result of western influence.
A few years later, in 1956, Hungary rose against the Soviet regime, in a surprisingly
sudden fashion, when the death of a student occurred during a demonstration. They
became the first successful defiance of the USSR since the Nazis and exposed a crack in
the Union’s image of invulnerability. As the satellite communist government of Hungary
collapsed, people formed militias fought off Soviet troops. When the militias organized and
14
US State Department, “The Potsdam Conference,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf
15
US State Department, “East Germany,” last accessed September 7, 2015, https://history.state.gov/countries/germandemocratic-republic
16
Alpha History, “The Berlin Crisis,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://alphahistory.com/coldwar/berlin-crisis/
17
Associaion for Diplocmatic Studies and Training, “The East Berlin Uprising,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://adst.org/2013/06/the-east-berlin-uprising-june-16-17-1953/
formed a new democratic government amidst the skirmishes, the Soviets agreed to back
off and negotiate, but then go back on their word and crush the rebellion, executing all
leaders.18 This small light of hope that was suddenly crushed by the USSR, not only inspired
the restrictions implemented by the DDR, but also dispersed any thoughts of revolution
within the East.
In 1960 the DDR shored up its internal weaknesses by establishing the necessary
governmental institutions, forcing the USSR to grant them more autonomy. At the time,
the biggest problem was the mass exodus of citizens from the East to the West. In 1959
144,000 people escaped across the border, and 199,000 in 1960.19 The refugees were
mostly made up of the young and educated, the most productive members of society,
creating a serious problem for the already poor economy of the DDR. This was known as
the “brain drain.” People walked from East to West Berlin as a loophole to avoid proper
emigration. In response, the Deutsche Grenzpolizei that patrol the border are mobilized
into a military force. Since 1949 almost 25% of the East German population has left for the
west. With considerably low birthrates, shortages of food, and loyalty to the party the most
important thing, East Germany is a point of tension in central Europe.
Importance to the Council
Not 20 years ago did the world witness the most horrible atrocity ever to occur: the
Holocaust, World War 2, and its surrounding events. If in fact citizens are being persecuted
and oppressed based on political orientation, then we are indeed on yet another disastrous
road. Before it comes to that again, the Council must react to the change in the political
landscape, more quickly than the international community in the 1930s, by directing
definitive actions and investigations into East Germany, and additionally ask questions to
the Soviet Union, a heavy influence upon East Germany.
The History Learning Site, “ The Hungarian Uprising of 1956,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/the-hungarian-uprising-of-1956/
19
Alpha History, “The Berlin Crisis,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://alphahistory.com/coldwar/berlin-crisis/
18
Questions to consider
1. Is the situation in Eastern Europe something that needs to be addressed by the
Council?
2. Should the Soviet Union deal with the strife, or should it be an international relief
effort?
3. Should the reunification of a whole Germany be considered in the solution-making
process?
4. Should the increased regulations on leaving East Germany worry the Council and
be addressed?
Topic Three: Measures to Maintain International Stability in Southeast Asia
Vietnam was colonized by the French in the late 19th century. In 1884, with the
Treaty of Hue, France successfully pacified the indigenous people and added Cambodia in
1888 to what was then called French Indochina (Laos was added shortly after). Over the
next few decades various oppositions against the French rule arose, however, all were
easily suppressed.20 The first real resistance movement was the Viet Minh Common Front,
which was controlled by the Indochinese Communist Party with the support of the US and
China.21
The Viet Minh Front was originally an independence movement against the French
colonial rule, but also stood against Japanese occupation in the early 1940s during World
War 2. When German forces were expelled from France, French colonial authorities began
having secret talks with the Free French. When the Japanese discovered this, they jailed
the French colonists and created the puppet Empire of Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai.
Still under pseudo-Japanese control near the end of the war, a famine occurred from 194445. During this time, the Viet Minh encourage farmers and other common folk to ransack
rice warehouses and avoid taxes in order to survive. These acts bolstered their popularity
and their party grew. However, as the party grew, so did the notoriety of Ho Chi Minh, one
of the party leaders, and he was jailed for a year by the Chinese Nationalist Party under
suspicions of being a communist. 22
August 22, 1945, the Japanese surrender. But because no other country has a
strong enough presence to replace them, they keep control of Vietnam for the time being.
No longer having a stake in what happens, Japan allowed more and more land to be
conquered by the Viet Minh in a movement known as the August Revolution.23
Now free from his sentence, Ho Chi Minh declares the Independent Democratic
Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi. There was one small catch in his act; the Allies agreed the
20
US Library of Congress, “Under French Rule,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://countrystudies.us/vietnam/15.htm
Editors of the Encyclopedia of Britannica, “Viet Minh,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Viet-Minh
22
The History Place, “The Vietnam War,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1945.html
23
Alpha History, “The August Revolution,” last accessed September 7, 2015, http://alphahistory.com/vietnam/the-augustrevolution/
21
Vietnam belonged to the French. Again, because of the destruction from World War 2,
France did not have the means to take back Vietnam, so they agreed that the British would
occupy the south, while nationalist Chinese forces occupied the north.
Prompted by the USSR, Ho Chi Minh held elections and won the northern vote, and
in 1946 signed an agreement to take the place of the nationalist Chinese forces. In
exchange, the French had to recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as a “free”
republic within the French Union. By March 1946, the French landed in Hanoi and forced
the Viet Minh from the city, not agreeing to the terms set. 24
Immediately following his ousting, Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh began guerilla
warfare against the French, starting the First Indochina War. Most of the fighting occurred
in North Vietnam, with some spillover into Laos and Cambodia. During this time China
became communist, and thus their view of the situation changed in favor of Ho Chi Minh.
With the Chinese backing Ho Chi Minh in the north and the British backing the French in
the south, Chinese forces arrived in 1949 at the border, transforming guerilla warfare into
conventional warfare. Lack of tanks, construction material, and air cover from the harsh
jungles led to the decisive defeat of the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. July 21
1954, now socialist France and the Viet Minh made an agreement to split Vietnam along
the 17th parallel with Bao Dai continuing the rule in South Vietnam.25
In 1955, Dai’s Prime Minister, Ngo Dinh Diem, staged a coup and created the
Republic of Vietnam. From this switch in governments, insurgencies spread across South
Vietnam, leading to the Vietnam War. A devout Catholic, Diem was a minority in a country
dominated by Buddhism, so the people were alarmed by his support of the Virgin Mary.
Fearing the uprisings, Diem enacted an order that all communists were to be jailed or
executed in the summer of 1955. 26
In 1957 Diem made a visit to the US, where the US promised support at all costs,
even though Diem was not favorable, he was the best choice available. The insurgency
24
Alpha History, “The August Revolution”
Bakerstone Broadcast, “How Vietnam Split and Fell into War,” April 8, 2011,
https://carlbakerstone.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/vietnam-how-the-country-split-and-fell-into-war/
26
Adam Richards, “ Ngo Dinh Diem: Rise to Power , Foreign Ties, and Strategies,” last accessed September 7, 2015,
http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-rise-of-ngo-dinh-diem.html
25
growing into a full-blood campaign against the government, political violence became
punishable by death in 1959.27 With only 5% of the population still pro government in
South Vietnam, North Vietnam agreed to update the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which runs from
Laos into South Vietnam, in order to supply the South Vietnamese rebels.28
As it stands now, which side will win is unclear, but support of other nations in
either South or North Vietnam will create large advantages for the receiving state. It is now
up to the Security Council to decide what must be done, if anything.
Importance to the Council
The world is situated in a precarious balance. In a battle between two starkly
contrasting forms of government, the winner could tip the international community into
chaos. Vietnam is within the influence of both the Eastern and Western worlds, in between
which tensions always lie. To prevent a spark lighting a flame between the two worlds, the
Council must decide the correct course of action.
Questions to Consider
1. Does the Council have a responsibility to intervene in a civil war?
2. What must be done about the North Vietnamese helping the South Vietnamese
rebels?
3. Would the UN condone independent action from member states?
4. First and foremost, is there a peaceful solution?
Ngo Dinh Diem, “Law 10/59,” May 6, 1959, http://vi.uh.edu/pages/buzzmat/1059.htm
Mirle L. Pribbenow, “ North Vietnam’s Master Plan,” August 1999, http://www.historynet.com/north-vietnams-masterplan.htm 27
28
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WMHSMUN
Twenty-Nine