International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946. ICJ is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, the only one not located in New York, but in the Hague (Netherlands). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The ICJ is a unique committee and is recommended for delegates with some previous MUN experience as well as debating experience, as it requires delegates to act not only as representatives of their respective countries but to also serve as law and policy makers. The ICJ is an important council that stands to represent the values upon which the UN conducts itself along with the duty each country has to uphold justice in a world of increasingly complex international relations. This year’s ICJ session will prove to be fun and informative.
United States National Security Council (USNSC)
The United States National Security Council was created in 1947 by the National Security Act and continues to play a major role in aiding the president with decisions concerning national security. The USNSC is responsible for dealing with national security and foreign policy matters of the United States of America. The USNSC is a unique committee because it is not a UN body and deals specifically with matters involving the United States safety and military. This committee is also made up of specific people and not countries as in other committees. Delegates on this committee will have to assess the role of the US military on the world stage and play the role of their specific character. Delegates will have to use critical thinking and remember the role of their specific character when addressing problems that the US faces today.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
The UN Security Council, a mainstay of any model United Nations, is charged with efficiently responding to security threats and maintaining international peace through the deployment of UN peacekeepers and economic sanctions. This committee is the most powerful in the entire UN and has a slightly different make-up from the other committees. It has 15 members, with five permanent members and 10 rotating ones. The permanent members have a veto power, which means that a single vote from them will automatically take down any motion.This committee does require some past MUN experience but although it’s main responsibility is to keep peace, this year we plan to make it more fun than ever by allowing delegates to make decisions about real-time situations that are based on current issues within our own world.
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
Created in 2006, the United Nations Human Rights Council is tasked with strengthening and promoting the protection of human rights worldwide. Its 36 rotating member states have tackled issues as far-reaching as the conflict in Israel, religious hatred, and the right to environmental protection. One of the unique responsibilities of the council is their quadrennial review of the human rights records of all UN member states. At VYMUN 2011, the UNHRC will be run with the purpose of introducing delegates to MUN in a fun environment.
World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization is charged with the protection of global health and the prevention of pandemics and epidemics. It was established in 1948, and since then has been working hard to fight such diseases as malaria, tuberculosis, and it even helped to eradicate polio, finally achieving that goal in 1980. Aside from fighting infectious disease, the organization works to respond to natural disasters where public health is at risk and also provide emergency medical care in many developing nations. This MUN committee includes 48 UN member states.
