Special Session on Peace

“Looking at More than Just a Piece of the Problem”

From 22 to 23 November 2004, delegates to the General Assembly 1 will participate in an important international conference on peace, the Special Session of the MUN General Assembly on Peace, at which the nations of the world have committed themselves to the purpose of improving the prospect of international peace.   This special session is a landmark, as it is the first such session devoted exclusively to peace.

This Special Session is dedicated to a series of goals to move the world forward in its pursuit of peace:

• A review of the progress made for peace by the Security Council.

Delegates will examine the achievements and constraints of decisions made in the last decade.   They will also identify lessons learned which serve to inform world leaders as they plan future peacekeeping efforts.

• A new commitment and pledge for specific actions for the coming decade.

Delegates will explore the long-standing challenges to maintaining peace, as well as the issues emerging in this ever-changing world.   They will be asked to identify solutions to the problems facing warring countries and to commit the essential human and economic resources that will be called for.

Recent Security Council Peacekeeping Efforts

24 September 2004       The Security Council passed a resolution to further extend the

presence of the International Security Assistance Force in

Afghanistan for another year.

17 August 2004             The Security Council passed a resolution reaffirming a 1992

resolution that established an embargo on all delivery of weapons

and military equipment to Somalia.   The resolution also reiterated

the Council’s support for the Somali National Reconciliation

Process and the ongoing Somali National Reconciliation

Conference.

12 August 2004             The Security Council reaffirmed that the UN should play a leading

role in assisting the Iraqi people and government in the formation

of institutions for representative government through the United

Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

29 July 2004                 The Security Council expressed concern over the on-going

tensions and the continuation of hostilities in the Eastern part of

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and extended the mandate

of MONUC (the United Nations Organization’s Mission in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo) until 1 October 2004.

30 April 2004                The Security Council established the United Nations Stabilization

Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) consisting of a civilian and

military component to secure and stabilize the environment for

political process and protection of human rights.   The Council also

requested that the Secretary-General appoint a Special

Representative in Haiti with overall authority for coordination and

conduct of all the activities of the UN agencies, funds, and

programs in Haiti.

30 January 2004            The Security Council passed a resolution reaffirming previous

resolutions regarding threats to international peace and security

caused by terrorist acts.   The resolution condemned the Taliban

and Al-Qaida organizations and attempted to improve upon

previous efforts to decrease their terrorist power.

For more information on recent Security Council peacekeeping efforts:

http://www.un.org/sc/unsc_news.shtml

http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions.html

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/20712.pdf

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/peacekpg/

http://www.globaled.org/issues/156/Page%2012.pdf

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/50web/6.htm