Letter from the Moderator

Hello Security Council delegates!

My name is Claire Pan and I will be your moderator for this committee. I am looking forward to meeting you all at conference in January! I am currently a senior at the University of Houston, double-majoring in economics and hospitality management. I have been a part of the MUN world since 2011, and am so excited to be moderating my favorite committee, UNSC. Please feel free to reach out with any procedural or topical questions!

This conference, our committee will be discussing two topics that reflect the zeitgeist of our fractured society today. Per chapter V of the UN Charter, our primary responsibility is to “maintain international peace and security”. This can range from imposing sanctions, organizing multilateral peacekeeping operations, developing and enforcing treaties, and severing or resuming diplomatic relations.

Committee Background

The United Nations Security Council is often considered the most powerful organ of the United Nations. Established in 1945, the P5 (permanent five), comprised of the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, the Republic of China, and the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), now the Russian Federation, ratified the UN Charter. In the almost 70 years since its establishment, the United Nations and the Security council have organized peacekeeping missions and written resolutions in efforts to facilitate peace around the world. This council always “decides to remain actively seized of the matter”, and new events and information that surfaces after the publication of this background guide may be used in debate.

Topic 1. Resolving the Political and Humanitarian Crisis in Venezuela

Topic Overview

The country of Venezuela has been undergoing turmoil since the latter parts of the Chavez administration all the way up to the current day Maduro administration. Venezuela has been plagued with all forms of crime, corruption, and economic downturn and is currently still fighting to hold off the effects from these issues. The UN’s Security Council needs to take action in preventing the issues affecting Venezuela from proliferating throughout the area into other countries and help resolve the issues harming the people of Venezuela. The crisis occurring in Venezuela presents a massive security problem for northern South America and cooperation between Venezuela and the UN is key to quelling this situation.

Background

Venezuela is split in two main factions: the Chavistas, the followers of the late Socialist Hugo Chavez, and the MUD (Democratic Unity Roundtable) who oppose his policies and that of his successor who is currently in office, Nicolas Maduro. Both Chavez and Maduro are members of the PSUV, United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Venezuela was formerly one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, and has one of the world’s largest oil reserves. Venezuela is also a member of OPEC, and is primarily dependent upon oil revenues, especially since Chavez’s term began in 1999.

During Chavez’s term, the country experienced brain drain, the emigration of over a million educated Venezuelans. This has in the long term contributed to the cycle of poverty, and the country’s inability to grow and redevelop naturally. The assembly has not yet called for Maduro to stay beyond his 6-year term, which means there is to be an election in 2019.

In 2015, the MUD voted to remove Maduro in a vote by the National Assembly, winning 8-2. In response, Maduro replaced members of the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice with his supporters, who then voted to strip the National Assembly of their impeachment power, which started the widespread protests in spring 2016. The ruling was later reversed, but the protests were already in full swing and were unstoppable. In July 2017, Maduro called a vote to create a new governing body alongside the National Assembly, called the National Constituent Assembly, which was able to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution to effectively replace the National Assembly. Fair and representative voting has also been an issue. When Maduro proposed the re-write of the constitution, his opposition boycotted the vote. But because there was not a minimum vote rule, the referendum passed by majority vote. Many countries in the world consider this assembly to be illegitimate, and have made claims of voting fraud. The United States has responded by imposing sanctions on Venezuela, to limited effect.

Current Situation

The situation in Venezuela is dire: many people have no food, no electricity, no homes, no personal freedoms. High inflation and violent crime prevent many citizens from accessing the normal resources and consumer goods that they need. Protests occur on the streets daily, with deaths from civil unrest in the hundreds. The currency inflation is one of the highest in the world, at around 900%, making food and medicine inaccessible. Although the official government exchange rate is 10:1 Venezuelan Bolivars to USD, many Venezuelan citizens exchange currency via the black market, where the exchange rate is closer to 12000:1 Bolivars to USD.

Democracy is very limited; since Hugo Chavez took power, and under his hand-picked successor Maduro’s current term, the government has turned increasingly authoritarian. The GDP has fallen about 35% percent, comparable to the Great Depression in the US in the 1920s, while the murder rate has skyrocketed to every 9 out of 10000 people, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Corruption of the generals and public leaders is also a serious issue. Due to the massive difference in official and effective exchange rates, the few people who have access to the official exchange rate purchase basic goods at the better rate, then resell the items for profit on the black market. This has also put pressure on neighboring countries by increasing crime and illegal migration.

BLOCs

Due to the unique rotational composition of the UNSC, BLOCs are largely along regional lines. Of the P5, China and Russia often vote together, and France, UK and the US often vote together as well. The rotating 10 members are selected from the 5 regions, and may vote in the direction of their region, or with their closest alliance among the P5. The rotating countries represent one of the 5 subgroups: African Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group, and Western European and Others Group.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can we aid a fractured country that does not have a cohesive government to communicate with, where the government is not representative of a significant portion of the population?
  2. How do we set up the country for sustainable development and growth, when international intervention inevitably concludes?
  3. How do we prevent the conflict in Venezuela from affecting neighboring countries?
  4. How do we allow for Venezuela to exercise national sovereignty while protecting the wellbeing of the civilians?