PERSPECTIVE - 360 AISG43

Model United Nations

discuss, debate, deliberate

United Nations Security Council

Table of Contents

1) Letter from the Executive Board

2) Committee Mandate
3) Overview of the Agenda
4) Flow of Committee
5) Documentation in the Committee
Letter from the Executive Board
Greetings Delegates,
It is with immense pleasure and honor that we invite you to the Model UN simulation of Perspective-360. We
as executive board members would advise you to always form coherent logical arguments complimenting
substantive facts to build a structured logical argument. It certainly is important to connect the dots and
research and finally make an entire line out of it. We will be following UNA-USA rules of procedure at all times
in the committee.
We will recommend you to focus upon WWWH (What- Why-When-How) approach this will help you discuss
and deliberate upon things better. You can derive sense from this as it will give logical premises to your
arguments.
We expect from all delegates an active participation in the proceedings of this committee to have a fruitful
discussion on a pertinent global problem. For that purpose, extensive and thorough research is expected of
you over and beyond this study guide. Think of this study guide as merely an initiation to your research,
defining the broad aspects.
This Introductory guide would be as abstract as possible, and would just give you a basic perspective on what
you can expect from the committee and areas within which your research should be focused at this given point
of time. Given, the volatile nature of this committee, your presence of mind and politico-analytical aptitude is
something which we at the executive board would be looking to test.
We’d recommend you to not just focus entirely upon substantial research or logical research instead try
creating a blend of both. Creating a blend will help you structure your research followed by getting relevant
conclusions that shall help you create a strong argument
Wishing you all the very best,
Executive Board
Committee Mandate
• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a principal organ of the United Nations (UN)
entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding international peace and security. Comprised of
15 member states, including five permanent members and ten non-permanent members, the
UNSC holds the primary authority in identifying and addressing threats to global peace.
• Its five permanent members, namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States, possess veto power, enabling them to block resolutions even if a majority of the Council
supports them. The UNSC fulfills its mandate through various functions and mechanisms. It
exercises its decision making power based on the principle of one-country, one-vote.
• For substantive matters, including resolution adoption, the affirmative votes of at least nine
members, including all five permanent members, are required. The Council's key responsibilities
encompass the identification of threats to peace, determination of acts of aggression or breaches
of peace, authorization of peacekeeping missions, imposition of sanctions, and in extreme cases,
endorsement of military actions.
Expectations from the Committee
• One of the major misconceptions about the concept of MUNs is that you just research from the
internet and speak in the committee. However, that is not the only thing you do; you are required to
research for the committee AND ANALYSE whatever you have studied. When it comes to the term
analysis, a lot of people do not know what things mean.
• For example, you see someone’s mark sheet and see that person has scored 90+ out of 100 in 4 out 5
subjects, however in the 5th subject, the person has scored just 53 out of 100. The part till here is
called your research, this is something you have found out by searching somewhere. When it comes to
analysis, analysis means interpretation, now for example in the above example a good analysis would
be finding out that the person if gives more time to the 5th subject rather than spending so much time
on other subjects, his/her marks in the individual subjects might fall a bit but he/she would improve
overall because now that person would be scoring well in 5th subject as well. Most delegates get
confused by the term analysis and are not able to improve the quality of their analysis over time.
• In simple words, “Analysis means interpreting the research you have from your perspective.” Before
that, let us understand what does your analysis include? When you start analysis, you need to keep the
following things in mind: Context– What is the context of your analysis? What are you analyzing? What
is it related to? Stakeholders– Who/What is driving your research and playing a significant role? Who
are the relevant members of your research? Impact– What impact will your research have on the
agenda? What role will it play on the stakeholders of the research you have regarding the agenda?
Scope of Solution Space– What solutions can be formulated to tackle the problem? Constraints within
solution– The solutions formulated in the solution space would have a few constraints, what are those?
And can they be tackled or is there any way around? Key Insights– What is the conclusion or key
takeaways you have from the analysis you have done regarding your agenda?
Overview of the Agenda
• Introduction to the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Originating from the late 19th century, the Israel-Palestine conflict stems from
competing claims to land and national identity.
The main reason lies in the clash between the Zionist movement's quest for a
Jewish homeland and Palestinian Arab resistance.
Wars like the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and 1967 Six-Day War have shaped the
conflict's trajectory.
Today, the situation remains complex, with ongoing disputes over borders,
settlements, and the status of Jerusalem.
Efforts for peace, such as the Oslo Accords, have faced obstacles, leaving the
conflict unresolved with significant humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.
• Timeline of Incidents

1948 Arab-Israeli War: Following the declaration of Israel's independence, neighboring Arab states
invaded, resulting in significant displacement of Palestinian Arabs and establishment of Israel.
1967 Six-Day War: Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem from neighboring Arab
states, significantly altering the territorial landscape.
1973 Yom Kippur War: Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to further territorial
adjustments and diplomatic tensions.
1987-1993 First Intifada: A grassroots uprising by Palestinians against Israeli occupation, marked by
widespread civil disobedience and protests.
1993 Oslo Accords: An interim peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO), aiming to establish a framework for resolving the conflict through negotiations.
2000-2005 Second Intifada: A period of intensified violence characterized by suicide bombings, Israeli
military operations, and the construction of the West Bank barrier.
2005 Disengagement from Gaza: Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlements from the Gaza
Strip, leading to increased tensions with Hamas.
2008-2009 and 2014 Gaza Wars: Major military conflicts between Israel and Hamas, resulting in
significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
Recent Escalations: Periodic outbreaks of violence, including rocket attacks from Gaza, Israeli airstrikes,
and clashes in Jerusalem, exacerbating tensions and undermining peace efforts.
• Past UN Actions

1947 UN Partition Plan: The UN proposed a partition plan for Palestine, which was accepted by
Jewish leaders but rejected by Arab states, leading to the Arab-Israeli War.

Establishment of UNRWA: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
was created to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees displaced by the
conflict.

Numerous Resolutions: The UN has issued numerous resolutions condemning violence, calling
for ceasefires, and affirming the rights of Palestinians, though implementation has often been
challenging due to geopolitical realities.

Peacekeeping Missions: Various UN peacekeeping missions have been deployed to the region
to monitor ceasefires and buffer zones, such as the United Nations Truce Supervision
Organization (UNTSO) and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

Diplomatic Efforts: The UN has played a key role in facilitating negotiations between Israel and
the Palestinians, including through the efforts of special envoys and mediators.
• Challenges Posed by Non-State Actors
Role of Hamas and Hezbollah: Militant groups such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon
have engaged in armed resistance against Israel, using tactics such as rocket attacks, suicide
bombings, and guerrilla warfare.
Terrorism and Extremism: The presence of non-state actors with extremist ideologies has
complicated efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, perpetuating cycles of violence
and mutual distrust.

• Current Situation and Future Prospects

Recent Developments: Assess the current state of affairs, including the impact of recent escalations
in violence, diplomatic initiatives, and regional dynamics.
Challenges: Identify ongoing challenges to peace, including settlement expansion, the status of
Jerusalem, security concerns, and political divisions among Palestinian factions.
Opportunities: Explore potential avenues for progress, such as confidence-building measures,
economic development, grassroots initiatives, and renewed diplomatic engagement.
Flow of the Committee
• General Speakers List
The General Speakers List (GSL) is the default section of the discussion and the part in
which most of the discussion occurs. Initially, the Chair establishes a time limit for each
speaker. Countries then ask to be added to the list, and then take turns speaking according
to the order by which they have been added to the list.
If a delegate has finished his speech before the allotted time has elapsed, they can yield
their time either to the Chair, another delegate, or to questions. If the latter is chosen, the
Chair will pause the time and open the floor to questions; once a question is asked, the
remainder of the time is given to the speaker to answer it, and this process repeats itself
until the time has fully elapsed. To join the GSL, delegates can pass a note to the Chair or
wait until the Chair asks "Delegates wishing to add their names to the GSL may raise their
placards?" (This usually takes place every 3-4 speeches or whenever the list is about to be
exhausted). Should the speaker's list remain exhausted with no
speakers willing to be listed, the debate will be automatically closed and the session will
move to the voting procedure Moving from the General Speakers List
After a few speakers have spoken, the Chair may open the floor to motions.
Delegates may raise motions to have the time limit changed, move the discussion to
a moderated, unmoderated caucus, take a break, or close the discussion and move
to vote.
The Chair may choose not to accept a motion if there are too many at a certain
time if the same motion was already voted down recently, or if the motion is
deemed detrimental for a constructive debate. If there is more than one motion,
they would be voted on by the order of precedence, where the rule of thumb is to
first deal with the motion that can incorporate more number of speakers at a
particular given time.
This means that motions that change the form of the debate, such as for a caucus,
would come first by order of longest caucus, and motions to change the speaking
time would come last. Voting to change the time limit or to move to a caucus
requires a simple majority, while a motion to close the debate
(always highest in precedence) requires a two-thirds majority to pass. As these are
procedural votes, no delegate may abstain.
• Moderated Caucus
The GSL is usually suitable for general discussion, while the effort to come up with specific solutions
is more often done in the form of a focused debate or a caucus.
A moderated caucus has a specific topic, and each speaker must speak only about that topic. The
caucus requires a set amount of overall time and time per speaker, both of which are determined by
the delegate who made the motion for the caucus.
A motion for a moderated caucus usually goes as such: "The delegate of XYZ country raises a
motion to move into a moderated caucus for the total time being __ and individual speakers time
being __.
• Unmoderated Caucus
The GSL is usually suitable for general discussion, while the effort to come up with specific solutions
is more often done in the form of a focused debate or a caucus.
A moderated caucus has a specific topic, and each speaker must speak only about that topic. The
caucus requires a set amount of overall time and time per speaker, both of which are determined by
the delegate who made the motion for the caucus.
A motion for a moderated caucus usually goes as such: "The delegate of XYZ country raises a
motion to move into a moderated caucus for the total time being __ and individual speakers time
being __.
Documentation
• Draft Resolution
Draft resolutions are the foundations of the decision making process of the Model UN.
They state the solutions for the problem at hand in two types of clauses: Preambulatory
and Operative Clauses. Once written the Draft Resolution must be sent to the chair for
further approval of language and format. It consists of a minimum no of sponsors
(whatever is briefed by the EB) it also should contain signatories supporting and agreeing
to the clauses of the draft resolution. The no of sponsors varies according to the size of the
council. Once the DR has been approved by the chair it can finally be tabled for discussion
for which a motion is raised. A sponsor for that draft resolution introduces the motion and
reads the operative clauses, one by one.
• Position Paper
Position papers are usually one page in length. It should include a brief introduction
followed by a comprehensive breakdown of the country's position on the topic(s) that are
being discussed by each of the committees. A good position paper will not only provide
facts but also make proposals for resolutions.