COMMITTEES
General Assembly
DISEC: Instability in the South Caucasus
CHAIR: ZIHE HUANG | DIRECTOR: SAKIB FAHIM
The Instability in the Southern Caucasus is about the potential geopolitical flashpoints in the region. From Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh, to Russia’s and Georgia’s conflicts over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. To add onto this, countries like Azerbaijan and Russia are energy giants, and produce a lot of oil, natural gas, etc., and therefore play important roles in the regional and global markets.
UNHCR: Refugee Crisis in Central Africa
CHAIR: ALVARO HERNANDEZ | DIRECTOR: JYOTSNA AGARAM
Rising tensions and seemingly insurmountable numbers of refugees are overwhelming Central Africa, an already fragile and overburdened region, exacerbating humanitarian strain, worsening internal conflicts, and threatening civil wars and dangerous international disputes. As displacement rapidly increases, countries must seriously consider questions of responsibility, capacity, and security. Will states move towards regional and international collaboration to protect refugees and ensure stability? Or will they prioritize national interests and domestic pressures? This conflict is far from simple and demands the balancing of humanitarian responsibility and national sovereignty. Delegates will grapple with complex ethical, political, and logistical challenges in what promises to be a deeply polarizing and dynamic committee.
UNODC: Addressing the Global Spike in Synthetic Drugs
CHAIR: STANLEY HELLER | DIRECTOR: IRFAN MURTOZA
Synthetic drugs are reshaping the global drug trade at an alarming pace. As new substances are developed faster than laws can be written, governments around the world are struggling to respond to drugs that are cheap to produce, easy to distribute, and devastating to public health. From the opioid epidemic in the United States to the drug trade in the Golden Triangle and the growing power of cartels across Latin America, synthetic drugs have created complex international crises. In this committee, delegates will tackle issues of public health, rehabilitation, international cooperation, regulation of pharmaceutical companies, and the suppression of transnational drug networks. With countries facing vastly different challenges and perspectives, delegates can expect intense debate aimed at creating strategic and effective solutions to one of the most pressing issues of the modern world.
WHO: Maternal Mortality
CHAIR: ELA BEHRSTOCK | DIRECTOR: NUSHRAT JAHAN
The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a critical role in addressing maternal mortality, a global health issue that reflects deep inequalities in access to care, education, and resources. Maternal mortality relates to deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, most of which are preventable with timely medical intervention. The WHO works with governments and healthcare systems to improve maternal health through policy guidance, data collection, funding support, and the promotion of evidence-based practices such as skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care. Within this committee, delegates will examine the medical, social, and economic factors contributing to maternal deaths and collaborate on strategies to reduce maternal mortality rates while strengthening healthcare systems worldwide. Delegates will also examine how different countries face various social challenges when it comes to maternal health. Some countries struggle with limited hospitals, a lack of trained healthcare workers, or difficulty reaching care in rural areas. Social factors such as education, gender inequality, and cultural barriers also affect maternal health outcomes.
Specialized
Fall of the Warsaw Pact (1989)
CHAIR: VIOLET TRAN | DIRECTOR: YANA BIJOOR
The year is 1989 and the Warsaw Pact is seemingly bound to collapse any day now. Nothing major has happened, yet, but your governments are ripe for change, and the people are growing more discontent by the day. Across the Eastern Bloc, opposition movements are gaining momentum, and one ”incident” could lead to chaos throughout the entire Pact. It is your duty to decide the future of not just your nations, but the Warsaw Pact as a whole. The survival of your governments and people rest in your hands, with the fate of communism across the world hanging in the balance. Whether you seek to preserve the Pact or dismantle it, one thing is clear, change is coming, and decisive action must come now. This committee will test your ability to balance democratization, economic reform, political freedoms, and international diplomacy, do you have what it takes?
NATO: Suez Crisis (1956)
CHAIR: ISRAT HOSSAIN | DIRECTOR: NAVID SHEIKHZADEH
The Cold War is heating up and one canal could snap NATO in half, and with it much more. In 1956, Egypt’s nationalization and closure of the Suez Canal sparked a dramatic British, French, and Israeli incursion into Egypt, sending shockwaves through the alliance and redefining NATO’s relationship with the Middle East. As key figures at the center of the crisis, delegates will have to race to craft a peaceful solution before the conflict spirals: push Egypt too far and it may turn to the Soviets, but abandon Britain and France and you risk a catastrophic fracture within NATO itself. In a committee where perception is power, you’ll have to choose what NATO stands for before the events choose for you. Bring your sharpest rhetoric, your smartest compromises and your best poker face and see if you can end the crisis before it reshapes the global order.
Partition of India (1947)
CHAIR: MIRA ANANT | DIRECTOR: KRISH SINGHAL
The Partition of India (1947) was historically a contentious issue, with tensions almost immediately flaring up between the newly created states of India and Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of people perished in the aftermath of the partition, due to major mishandling of the migrations caused by the partition. In this committee, delegates will navigate through the negotiations leading up to the partition, tackling issues such as the political structure of the new states, borders, protection of refugees, communal conflicts, and protections for minorities. What will be the future of the princely states? How can religious minorities on either side of the border be protected? How can the committee ensure the transition of power is as smooth as possible? Delegates will represent a variety of people, from British colonial administrators, to the leaders of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, representatives of the Sikhs, princes, generals, and activists. Through debate and diplomacy, this committee aims to analyze delegates’ responsibility, assess humanitarian consequences, and consider alternative approaches that could have reduced conflict during this historic transition. The future of the Indian subcontinent lies in the delegates’ hands.
UNSC: Crisis in Somalia
CHAIR: ZIV BAREL | DIRECTOR: ISLA BROADBENT
The crisis in Somalia is a multifaceted issue that has led to a state of vast instability. Although all very important problems to consider, this committee will largely focus on the effect terrorism throughout the land has on the stability of Somalia. The terrorist organization, Al-Shabaab, working under Al-Qaeda has carried out countless attacks throughout Somalia, destabilizing the country and reducing the legitimacy and power of the government. In addition to the terrorism on the streets, maritime terrorism has also characterized the region. Piracy has become a huge proponent of the country’s vulnerability. In crisis for years, there had long been a power vacuum in Somalia, causing any current formation of government to be viewed illegitimate and challenged on the daily. Working as the United Nations Security council, this committee is tasked with addressing the fragility of the nation and providing better structure for the future of Somalia.
Crisis
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
CHAIR: ROSE OLSHAN | DIRECTOR: SASHA SIROTKIN |
CRISIS DIRECTOR: ETHAN SALDANHA
Dong Zhuo, the tyrannical warlord who controlled China through the child emperor, Emperor Xian of Han, has just been assassinated by his own adopted son, Lü Bu. This assassination, a plot orchestrated by Dong Zhuo's own advisor Wang Yun, marks a turning point in Chinese history. Although the Han Dynasty still rules China Emperor Xian is emperor in name only; in truth he was a puppet emperor controlled by the now dead Dong Zhuo. With this vacancy in power, who will be the one to control Emperor Xian? Or will Zhuo’s assassination mark the end of the Han Dynasty entirely? It is up to the delegates in this committee to balance their political agendas with the stability of China, or this mighty empire may come crashing down around us. With a plot so thick it inspired a book, delegates will have a lot to think about from alliances, battles, uprisings, and all around disaster. Will you stabilize the court in the Three Kingdoms, or will you give in to the culture of secret plots and backstabbing. Come find out!
The Odyssey: Crisis on the Wine-Dark Sea
CHAIR: LEO BENITEZ | DIRECTOR: LIAM WANG |
CRISIS DIRECTOR: EMILY WONG
The Odyssey is a Homeric epic, following Odysseus and his men’s ten year journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus first arrives at the land of the Lotus Eaters, an island of people that eat an extremely addictive lotus flower that makes them lose their memories and lose any desire, including their hope to get home. After escaping their island, he lands on Polyphemus’ island. The island is covered in sheep, however the Cyclops Polyphemus guards them. When the cyclops finds them, he traps them in his cave and eats them one by one, until Odysseus and his remaining men blind him, with Odysseus revealing his name and being cursed by the cyclops. This committee will focus primarily on right after he escapes from Polyphemus, and the delegates will be either people on his ship or minor gods, each with an incentive to help or harm the ship. They will have to keep morale up to prevent mutiny and appease the gods, especially Poseidon, the god of the ocean, who is extremely angry at the blinding of his son the cyclops. They will be able to appeal to certain gods, possibly being given favors by gods opposing Poseidon or even given favors by Poseidon and his allies for harming the ships progress and avenging his son.
Third Crusade
CHAIR: MATTEO MAHONEY | DIRECTOR: PENELOPE MERCHANT |
CRISIS DIRECTOR: NEIL SURI
The Third Crusade committee simulates the political, military, and religious struggle that followed Saladin’s capture of Jerusalem in 1187, an event that shocked Christian Europe and reshaped power in the eastern Mediterranean. Delegates represent key rulers, states, military orders, and factions from both the Christian and Muslim worlds as they navigate war, diplomacy, and survival during one of the most famous Crusades in history.
Ad-Hoc Committee
of the Secretary-General
CHAIR: HENRY LE | DIRECTOR: SOFIA PAI |
CRISIS DIRECTOR: MAXANNE WALLACE-SEGALL
StuyMUNC's Ad-Hoc Committee of the Secretary-General is an unpredictable and fast-paced committee for experienced delegates. With the topic remaining confidential until the day of the conference, only delegates with extensive crisis experience should select this committee. On the day of the conference, delegates must be quick-witted, think on their feet, and prepare for the wildest of possibilities. A hint will be released to all Ad-Hoc delegates two days prior to the conference. Best of luck!
Joint-Crisis Committee: The 74th Hunger Games
Tributes
CHAIR: LEAH RIEGEL | DIRECTOR: VIDHIR VERMA | CRISIS DIRECTOR: JANKA WILCZYNSKI
The Hunger Games are an annual event, meant to punish the people of the districts for revolting during the Dark Days. The 74th annual games have been highly anticipated, and all eyes are on the districts to see who will be chosen to compete in this year's games. The Capitol celebrates the games as a symbol of their dominance, but there have been rumors spreading across the districts that this year will be different. For the tributes, the goal is just to make it out alive, but the Gamemakers are doing everything in their power to make sure that doesn’t happen. Who will win the 74th annual Hunger Games?
Gamemakers
CHAIR: ALEXA LEAHY | DIRECTOR: AMANDA DERKACH |
CRISIS DIRECTOR: ANOUSHKA KNOWLES
The Hunger Games are an annual event, meant to punish the people of the districts for revolting during the Dark Days. The 74th Games have been highly anticipated, with pressure on the gamemakers to make the games more exciting–and deadly. As the Capitol celebrates the games as a symbol of its dominance over the districts, whispers spread across the districts–whispers of rebellion. For the Game Makers, it is their responsibility to work alongside influential Panem leaders and design an arena that keeps the nation watching. This committee is sure to have betrayal as tributes fall and the capitol eagerly watches. Prepare the cornucopia, and let the Games begin!