Crisis  Committee:  Introduction,  History,  Structure  and  Procedures  
Historical  Security  Council  19611  
 
Introduction  to  TCMUN’s  Crisis  Committee  
 
Teton  County  Model  United  Nations  (TCMUN)  is  pleased  to  announce  that  it  will  offer  a  
crisis  committee  for  the  first  time  at  its  2014  conference.  Crisis  committees  present  their  
participants  with  particularly  challenging  and  enjoyable  learning  opportunities  at  many  
Model  UN  conferences  throughout  the  world.  Participants  need  to  do  in-­‐depth  research  and  
have  command  of  the  topics  likely  to  be  discussed  in  a  crisis  committee.  They  will  be  
pushed  to  use  their  imaginations  and  assume  leadership  roles  during  the  committee’s  
debates  and  negotiations.  Due  to  the  committee’s  small  size  and  dynamic  pace,  delegates  
will  have  ample  occasion  to  speak,  get  involved,  and  develop  leadership  skills.    
 
A  crisis  committee  is  usually  comprised  of  20  or  fewer  delegates  who  respond  to  emerging  
issues—either  current  or  historical.    TCMUN  14’s  crisis  committee  will  simulate  a  historical  
Security  Council  meeting  in  1961.    Unlike  regular  MUN  committees  that  deal  with  pre-­‐
assigned  topics,  crisis  committees  address  issues  announced  during  the  committee’s  
session.  Consequently  delegates  must  be  generally  well  informed  about  the  world  in  1961,  
and  be  ready  to  make  quick  decisions  about  crisis  such  as  wars,  revolutions,  natural  
disasters,  or  economic  collapse  that  might  occur  during  their  committee  sessions.  
 
The  crisis  committee  at  TCMUN  ’14  will  open  in  January  1961  with  a  debate  about  the  
situation  in  Congo,  a  former  colony  of  Belgium  that  became  independent  on  June  30,  1960.    
From  this  initial  discussion,  various  crises  will  emerge  that  will  be  conceived  and  
announced  by  the  committee’s  crisis  staff.    The  committee  will  consider  these  crises  and  try  
to  develop  strategies  and  measures,  expressed  in  resolutions,  directives,  press  releases,  
and  communiqués  for  managing  or  solving  them.    
 
To  participate  effectively  in  this  committee,  delegates  should  have  researched  and  
developed  a  good  grasp  of  the  background  of  this  particular  crisis.  In  addition  to  the  Congo  
crisis,  committee  delegates  should  be  prepared  to  debate  and  negotiate  resolutions  and  
directives  about  other  events  that  the  Security  Council  considered  in  1961.    Both  the  Congo  
crisis  and  other  global  issues  considered  by  the  Security  Council  in  1961  are  discussed  in  a  
                                                                                                               
1  This  background  guide  was  prepared  by  InterConnections  21  with  input  from  the  

TCMUN  ’14  Crisis  Committee  Staff.  Copyright  InterConnections  21,  2014  

  1  
companion  document  available  for  this  committee:    The  Historical  Security  Council  1961  
(prepared  and  copyrighted  by  AMUN).    
 
History  and  Structure  of  the  Security  Council  up  until  1961  
 
The  Security  Council  of  the  United  Nations  (UN)  was  established  on  October  24,  1945,  
when  the  UN  Charter  was  ratified  and  the  UN  came  into  existence  with  51  Member  States.      
Created  at  the  end  of  World  War  II,  the  UN  was  the  successor  organization  to  the  League  of  
Nations,  which  had  failed  to  keep  peace  after  World  War  I  in  part  due  to  the  non-­‐
participation  of  the  United  States.    The  UN  was  set  up  with  the  following  four  purposes:    
 
1. To  maintain  international  peace  and  security,  and  to  that  end:  to  take  effective  
collective  measures  for  the  prevention  and  removal  of  threats  to  the  peace,  and  for  
the  suppression  of  acts  of  aggression  or  other  breaches  of  the  peace,  and  to  bring  
about  by  peaceful  means,  and  in  conformity  with  the  principles  of  justice  and  
international  law,  adjustment  or  settlement  of  international  disputes  or  situations  
which  might  lead  to  a  breach  of  the  peace;  
 
2. To  develop  friendly  relations  among  nations  based  on  respect  for  the  principle  of  
equal  rights  and  self-­‐determination  of  peoples,  and  to  take  other  appropriate  
measures  to  strengthen  universal  peace;  
 
3. To  achieve  international  co-­‐operation  in  solving  international  problems  of  an  
economic,  social,  cultural,  or  humanitarian  character,  and  in  promoting  and  
encouraging  respect  for  human  rights  and  for  fundamental  freedoms  for  all  without  
distinction  as  to  race,  sex,  language,  or  religion;  and  
 
4. To  be  a  centre  for  harmonizing  the  actions  of  nations  in  the  attainment  of  these  
common  ends.2  
 
The  UN  Charter  established  six  principal  organs:  the  Security  Council,  the  General  
Assembly,  the  Economic  and  Social  Council,  the  Trusteeship  Council,  the  International  
Court  of  Justice  and  the  Secretariat.3  Of  these,  the  Security  Council  has  always  had  primary  
responsibility  for  the  maintenance  of  global  peace  and  security  and  been  the  most  powerful.      
 
Chapters  VI  and  VII  of  the  Charter  outlined  the  role  of  the  Security  Council  in  maintaining  
peace  and  security.  Chapter  VI,  entitled  “Pacific  Settlement  of  Disputes,”  gives  the  Council  
the  right  to  “investigate  any  dispute,  or  any  situation  which  might  lead  to  international  
friction  or  give  rise  to  a  dispute."4    If  peaceful  means  cannot  be  found  to  settle  disputes,  
Chapter  VII  of  the  Charter  authorizes  the  Security  Council  to  take  measures  such  as  issuing  
ceasefire  directives  and  sending  military  observers  or  peacekeeping  forces  to  the  scene  of  
                                                                                                               
2  United  Nations,  “Charter  of  the  United  Nations,”  26  June  1945,  Chapter  I,  Article  1,  

http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml.  
3  United  Nations,  “Charter  of  the  United  Nations,”  26  June  1945,  Chapter  3,  Article  7.  
4  United  Nations,  “Charter  of  the  United  Nations,”  Chapter  VI,  Article  34.  

  2  
the  dispute.5    It  can  also  pass  resolutions  to  try  to  restore  peace  through  the  application  of  
economic  sanctions,  the  setting  up  of  a  blockade,  or  collective  military  action.6    Unlike  the  
measures  of  other  UN  organs  which  are  considered  as  recommendations,  Security  Council  
resolutions  are  binding  for  all  UN  Member  States.    
 
At  its  founding,  the  Security  Council  had  five  permanent  members—the  five  victorious  
allies  in  World  War  II—that  were  given  a  veto  over  all  matters  not  considered  procedural.  
These  were  China,  France,  the  United  Kingdom,  USA  and  the  USSR  and  are  often  referred  to  
as  the  P5.  In  addition,  six  rotating  members,  who  served  without  a  veto,  were  elected  for  
two-­‐year  terms  up  until  1966,  when  the  number  of  rotating  members  was  increased  to  ten.    
For  procedural  matters,  seven  votes,  irrespective  of  a  possible  P5  veto,  were  sufficient  to  
move  a  measure  forward  up  until  1966.7  
 
The  Security  Council  first  met  in  London  on  January  17,  19468.    It  convened  in  New  York  
City  at  Hunter  College  in  April  1946  and  moved  into  its  present  headquarters  in  Manhattan  
in  April  19529.    It  has  been  on  call  on  at  all  times  over  the  years  to  meet  and  deal  with  
urgent  matters  related  to  international  peace  and  security.    The  General  Assembly,  
comprised  of  all  Member  States  of  the  UN,  meets  only  once  a  year  in  the  autumn.    Each  
Member  State  has  one  vote  irrespective  of  its  size,  population  or  contribution  to  the  UN’s  
budget.  The  General  Assembly  resolutions  are  not  considered  legally  binding  under  
international  law.    In  1961,  there  were  104  UN  Member  States  represented  in  the  General  
Assembly.  10  
 
Due  to  the  Cold  War  that  froze  relations  between  the  US  and  the  USSR  shortly  after  the  UN  
came  into  existence,  effective  action  by  the  Security  Council  was  limited  until  the  breakup  
of  the  USSR  in  1989.    Though  the  UN  played  an  active  role  during  the  Korean  War  and  
peace-­‐keeping  forces  were  dispatched  to  try  to  calm  the  Suez  and  Congo  crises,  vetoes  by  
the  one  or  several  of  the  permanent  Security  Council  members  prevented  the  Security  
Council  from  taking  action  in  many  significant  disputes  and  conflicts  that  occurred  during  
the  Cold  War  such  as  the  Hungarian  Revolution  in  1956,  the  Vietnam  War  and  the  Cuban  
Missile  Crisis.  11  
 
Committee  Structure,  Definitions  and  Procedures  
                                                                                                               
5  United  Nations,  “Charter  of  the  United  Nations,”  Chapter  VII,  Articles  41  and  42.  
6  United  Nations  Security  Council,  “About,”  http://www.un.org/en/sc/about/  
7  Paul  Kennedy,  The  Parliament  of  Man:    The  Past,  Present,  and  Future  of  the  United  Nations.  

(New  York:  Random  House,  2007).  p.  35.  

8  United  Nations,  “History  of  the  United  Nations,”  

http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/history/1941-­‐1950.shtml.  
9United  Nations  Security  Council,  “Home”,  http://www.un.org/en/sc/.  
10    “Growth  in  United  Nations  membership,  1945-­‐present.”  Available  at  

http://www.un.org/en/members/growth.shtml.  
 
11  Kennedy,  The  Parliament  of  Man:    The  Past,  Present,  and  Future  of  the  United  Nations,  pp.  

54-­‐62.  

  3  
  
At  the  meetings  of  TCMUN’s  crisis  committee,  each  student-­‐delegate  will  represent  one  of  
the  eleven  members  of  the  1961  Security  Council  or  a  country  invited  by  the  Security  
Council  in  1961  to  provide  information  related  to  the  crisis  at  hand  (e.g.  Belgium,  Congo,  
and  Cuba).  Five  of  the  eleven  countries  were  the  permanent  members  with  vetoes.    The  
remaining  six  member  countries  were:  Ceylon  (now  Sri  Lanka),  Chile,  Ecuador,  Liberia,  
Turkey,  and  the  United  Arab  Republic  (currently  Egypt  and  Syria).      
 
Throughout  the  crisis  simulation,  the  TCMUN  Crisis  Staff  (the  TCMUN  Secretary-­‐  General,  
the  Crisis  Committee  Chair  and  Co  –chair  and  the  Crisis  Director)  will  create  a  storyline  of  
made-­‐up  occurrences  emerging  from  significant  real-­‐life  events  that  took  place  in  1961.    It  
will  be  the  delegates’  task  to  react  to  these  dynamic  situations,  trying  their  best  to  find  a  
peaceful  solution  while  representing  their  nations’  interests  and  maintaining  their  foreign  
policy  goals.    
 
The  procedures  governing  a  crisis  committee’s  deliberations  are  similar  to  most  other  MUN  
committees.    Delegates  will  work  extensively—mainly  in  moderated  or  unmoderated  
caucuses-­‐-­‐  to  write  and  pass  resolutions  and  directives  to  respond  to  the  events  made  up  
and  announced  by  the  Crisis  Staff.      
 
Resolutions  prepared  by  the  Crisis  Committee  acting  as  the  Security  Council  in  1961  will  
use  the  same  procedures  as  those  used  by  a  current  Security  Council.    They  will  be  binding  
and  the  most  impactful  measure  that  the  committee  can  take  over  the  long  term.    Their  
formatting  will  be  the  same  as  the  formatting  used  in  all  TCMUN  ’14  committees.    For  tips  
on  resolution  writing,  please  see  
http://www.ic21.org/assets/523/Lesson__8.pdf?1351029866.    
 
Directives  are  action  plans  that  the  entire  committee  wishes  to  take  and  are  one  of  the  main  
forms  of  writing  in  a  crisis  committee.  Less  emphasis  is  put  on  wording  and  vocabulary  in  
directives  than  in  resolutions.    Directives  issues  orders  for  official  action  to  be  taken  in  
response  to  the  crisis  at  hand.12  They  should  be  clear,  realistic  and  feasible  to  be  accepted  
by  the  TCMUN  Crisis  staff.    
 
Besides  resolutions  and  directives,  there  are  three  other  forms  of  documents  often  crafted  
in  crisis  committees:    press  releases,  communiqués,  and  individual  action  orders  or  
portfolio  requests.    Press  releases  are  documents  prepared  and  voted  by  the  entire  
committee  to  inform  the  public  about  the  crisis  under  consideration  and  to  shape  world  
opinion  about  it.    Communiqués  are  formal  messages  about  the  crisis  drafted  and  voted  by  
the  committee  and  addressed  to  countries,  organizations  or  people  not  represented  on  the  

                                                                                                               
12  Boston  Invitational  Model  United  Nations  Conference,“BosMUN  XIII  Crisis  Committee  

Briefing,“  2011.  Available  at:  http://bosmun.org/wp-­‐content/uploads/2013/05/BosMUN-­‐

XIII-­‐Crisis-­‐Committee-­‐Briefing-­‐PDF.pdf  
 

  4  
committee.    They  can  foster  dialogue  and  negotiations  with  important  parties  involved  in  
the  crisis  and  not  on  the  committee.  13    
 
Finally,  individual  action  orders  or  portfolio  requests  are  “secret”  measures  put  forward  by  
a  single  delegate  in  pursuit  of  his  or  her  country’s  foreign  policy  goals  and  in  response  to  
the  crisis  at  hand.  Actions  that  delegates  choose  to  take  on  their  own  will  be  sent  to  the  
Chair  of  the  committee  and  then  approved  or  rejected  by  the  Crisis  Staff.  Such  actions  must  
be  realistic  and  feasible.  Individual  actions  are  a  vehicle  for  delegates  to  use  their  creativity,  
yet  delegates  must  keep  in  mind  that  consequences  will  follow  every  action  taken.  At  
TCMUN,  delegates’  individual  actions  will  be  very  limited  because  collaboration  and  actions  
taken  by  the  whole  committee  can  produce  more  effective  solutions  to  conflict.  14  
 
Preparation  for  the  TCMUN  Crisis  Committee  
 
The  documents  entitled  “Security  Council:  Committee:  History  and  Structure”  and  “TCMUN  
Historical  Security  Council  1961”  provide  essential  background  information  for  effective  
participation  in  the  crisis  committee  of  TCMUN  ’14.    Delegate  should  have  a  good  command  
of  the  situation  in  Congo  in  1961,  i.e.  events  leading  up  to  and  just  following  Congo’s  
independence  in  1960,  the  geography  of  the  region,  a  map  of  the  country  in  1961,  and  the  
names  of  personalities  and  places  that  played  prominent  roles  in  the  unfolding  drama.    In  
addition,  delegates  should  be  familiar  with  other  events  that  the  Security  Council  dealt  with  
in  1961.  
 
As  in  all  TCMUN  committees,  it  is  important  that  crisis  committee  delegates  be  familiar  
with  the  rules  of  their  committee  and  “stay  in  character,”  representing  the  views  and  
interests  of  their  assigned  countries  in  1961.    Since  the  specific  crises  that  the  committee  
will  be  debating  will  not  be  announced  until  the  committee  has  begun  its  general  debate  
about  the  Congo  situation  in  January  1961,  delegates  must  be  prepared  to  be  flexible  and  
nimble  in  their  reactions.    Finally,  while  individual  action  orders  or  portfolio  requests  are  a  
special  feature  of  crisis  committees,  delegates  should  give  priority  to  collaborating  with  
their  colleagues  to  develop  strong  resolutions  and  directives,  which  have  the  potential  for  
greater  long-­‐term  impact.      
 
In  addition  to  the  bibliographies  provided  in  the  two  documents  mentioned  just  above,  the  
works  recommended  below  offer  insights  and  information  relevant  to  the  committee’s  
work.  
 
 
 
                                                                                                               
13  Boston  Invitational  Model  United  Nations  Conference,“BosMUN  XIII  Crisis  Committee  

Briefing.“  Available  at:  http://bosmun.org/wp-­‐content/uploads/2013/05/BosMUN-­‐XIII-­‐

Crisis-­‐Committee-­‐Briefing-­‐PDF.pdf  
14  Boston  Invitational  Model  United  Nations  Conference,“BosMUN  XIII  Crisis  Committee  

Briefing.“  Available  at:  http://bosmun.org/wp-­‐content/uploads/2013/05/BosMUN-­‐XIII-­‐

Crisis-­‐Committee-­‐Briefing-­‐PDF.pdf  

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 Recommended  Reading  
 
• Adams,  Karen  Ruth  et  al.  “Security  Council:  Committee  History  and  Structure.”    
Background  Guide  for  TCMUN.    September  1,  2014.  Available  at  
http://interconnections21.edublogs.org/files/2013/09/TCMUN-­‐SC-­‐14-­‐history-­‐
structure1-­‐copy-­‐u1odo0.pdf.  
 
• Boston  Invitational  Model  United  Nations  Conference,“BosMUN  XIII  Crisis  
Committee  Briefing,“  2011.  Available  at:  http://bosmun.org/wp-­‐
content/uploads/2013/05/BosMUN-­‐XIII-­‐Crisis-­‐Committee-­‐Briefing-­‐PDF.pdf  
 
• Boston  Invitational  Model  United  Nations  Conference.  “How  to  BarMUN:  A  
Comprehensive  Guide.”  Available  at:  www.barmun.org/wp-­‐
content/uploads/2011/06/BarMUN-­‐Guide.docx.  
 
• Cornell  MUN  Conference.  “  CMUNC  Guide  to  Crisis  Committees.”  Available  at  
http://www.cmunc.net/Files/Crisis%20Guide.pdf.  
 
• Devlin,  Lawrence.  Chief  of  Station,  Congo:  Fighting  the  Cold  War  in  a  Hot  Zone..  NY,  
Public  Affairs,  2007.  Available  in  Kindle  edition.    
 
• Kennedy,  Paul.  The  Parliament  of  Man:  the  Past,  Present  and  Future  of  the  United  
Nations.  NY,  Random  House,  2006.  Available  in  paperback  (Penguin)  and  in  Kindle  
(vintage)  editions.  
 
• Romais,  Michael.  “Thomas  Jefferson  Model  United  Nations  Introductory  Packet:  The  
Crisis  Committee.”  Available  at  http://activities.tjhsst.edu/mun/guides/ccintro.pdf  
 
• “The  Charter  of  the  United  Nations.”  Available  online  at  
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/.  
 
• United  Nations.  “United  Nations  Security  Council.”    Available  at    
http://www.un.org/en/sc/.  
 
• Weissman,  Stephen  R.  “What  Really  Happened  in  Congo,”  Foreign  Affairs,  
July/August  2014,  http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/141523/stephen-­‐r-­‐
weissman/what-­‐really-­‐happened-­‐in-­‐congo.  

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