HNMUN 2016 Committees:

Security Council - Stabilizing the Middle East

Security Council Considers Situation in Syria (UN Photo / Kim Haughton)

Not only King Abdullah but also the international community realizes how pressing the situation in the Middle East is these days. The worsening of the regions condition over the last four years represents a mere display of the impuissance of regional powers, as well as the international community in their ability to contain this complex conflict. This realization was triggered when the symptoms of the conflict were reaching the shores of Europe and the rest of the world in the form of refugees. In order to solve the conflict it is imperative to understand that this conflict is not only about the war in Syria and Iraq but it rather spreads its threads all over the region if not the world.

Especially the condition of Jordan and Lebanon is essential to the fragile stability in the region. These countries are carrying the biggest share of the 4.1 Million Syrian refugees. Lebanon alone hosts 1.15 Million of these refugees. Relatively seen to their population of 4 Million people this represents a serious burden, especially in consideration of the already unstable situation of their own domestic policy. Also the situation in Jordan is worsening, as the population begins to feel the impacts of the refugees living in their country and the entailed consequences. The most pressing issue represents the war in Jordan on the shortage of water, a fight fought for centuries, which is now worsening because of the increasing need of water of the refugees, especially in the biggest refugee camp of the Middle East: Zaatari camp in northern Jordan. Furthermore there is the increasing problem of loan dumping, due to the cheap labor offered by desperate refugees the small local businesses as well as the local daily workers are harmed.

Taking into consideration that these countries are already handling several Palestinian refugee camps since the 1948 and 1967 war, it becomes clear how pressing the situation in these countries actually is. Apart from this there is an additional considerable amount of Palestinian refugees streaming into these countries, who resided in refugee camps in Syria prior to the war and who are now fleeing the war as well.

(UN Photo / Arnold Felfer)

Taking all this into consideration, the current situation seems to be bad but it is nothing compared to what the world would face if Lebanon and Jordan would collapse under the high pressure, which is posed on them by their hostile environment. Up until now, the Security Council failed to adopt sustainable and efficient measures in order to tackle the dangerous situation in the region and to relief the local powers in order to keep them stable.

Therefore the Security Council has the obligation to design a resolution with a holistic multi-level approach working towards an improvement of the situation. In order to prevent the conflict going from bad to terrible a wholesome approach should be discussed with an emphasis on the desireable relief and support of the local powers in the region.

As King Abdullah II put it: We need a global collective action on all fronts!
And the Security Council of the United Nations has the means to do so!

This committee will consist of the same member states as the Security Council in 2016, namely the five permanent members China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as the ten non-permanent members Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Further information is found in the Study Guide for the Security Council .

Committee Expert Security Council: Ehabiddin Jayyusi, IRD (International Relief Development)

I am very happy to announce that we managed to recruit Mister Ehabiddin Jayyusi as our committee expert of the Security Council at this years' Heidelberg National MUN. Mr Jayyusi, works with the UNHCR in the biggest refugee camp of the Middle East, namely the Zaatari refugee camp located in the north of Jordan next to the Syrian border. He works as a Project Lead Design Engineer in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector for the IRD.

Since his early childhood he was fascinated by water and the impact it has on human lives which is why he chose to dedicate his live to this important issue. Today he is one of the experts on water issues and policies in the Middle East, he draws his knowledge and expertise from his experience gained by working with several humanitarian agencies in the region. This among other things makes him a perfect fit for our committee session on the topic of 'Stabilizing the Middle East', as the lack of water resources is one of the most pressing issues that destabilizes the region. Especially with regard to the great influx of Syrian refugees, that heavily increases this pressure every day.

Mr Jayyusi will talk about his daily work at Zaatari Camp and the general challenges that the lack of water resources is posing on the region and the humanitarian agencies in the field. Furthermore he will outline the major conflict lines that are emerging in the Jordanian society over Syrian refugees. As Mr Jayyusi is currently located in Amman we will hear his presentation via Skype, you will then have the opportunity to ask questions about the topic and his work in the field.

Meet your chairs: Célestine Fünfgeld and Sarah John

Distinguished delegates,
Having retired from MUN activities after graduation and after being part of the WorldMUN conference 2015 in Seoul, it is now my honour to re-enter the MUN circuit as your Chair in the Security Council.

The topic that will be discussed in the Security Council - i.e., how to stabilise the Middle East - is now more important than ever. Hence, all of you should take both the preparation for the conference and the work during the conference very seriously. Above all, hoping for a more peaceful world, I encourage you to serve as a role model for the countries you represent and their leaders. Even though every one of you should be working towards finding approval and a majority voting for your viewpoints, you should not forget that diplomacy is the key.

I am endorsing the words said by my dearest colleague, Célestine: We expect and ask you to work in a constructive and fair manner.

I am looking forward to listening to and observing your debate and to seeing you all in January!
Best regards,
Sarah John