The United Nations Security Council is responsible for maintaining and protecting international peace and security. It serves as one of the central decision-making bodies of the UN, with 15 members, each of whom is obligated under the UN Charter to comply with the Council's final decisions, setting it apart from other UN organs. The five permanent members exercising veto power include: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Security Council has four main purposes: “to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations”. The Council deals with a range of issues, including armed conflicts, civil wars, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, humanitarian crises, and violations of international law, ultimately seeking to reduce violence, protect civilians, and support conditions for international political stability.
When complaints concerning threats to peace are brought before the Council, the Council's initial action is typically to support the involved parties in resolving the conflict peacefully. If unsuccessful, the Council may impose ceasefire directives or implement peacekeeping missions. In more severe cases, the UNSC can resort to imposing economic sanctions, arms embargoes, severing diplomatic relations, or even collective military action.
Agenda Topics
Topic A: De-Escalating Tensions in the South China Sea: Ensuring Freedom of Navigation and Regional Security
The South China Sea is one of the most strategically significant and contested maritime regions in the world, involving overlapping territorial and maritime claims by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, and Brunei. Disputes over reefs, islands, and maritime boundaries have intensified in recent years, particularly following China’s construction and militarization of artificial islands. These developments have raised serious questions about international maritime law, including whether man-made features can generate Exclusive Economic Zones and how existing legal frameworks should be interpreted and enforced.
The urgency of this issue lies in the increasing frequency and assertiveness of naval and coast guard encounters, which significantly heighten the risk of miscalculation or unintended escalation. At the same time, the South China Sea serves as a critical artery for global trade, with trillions of dollars’ worth of goods passing through its waters annually. Any disruption to freedom of navigation would carry far-reaching economic and security consequences well beyond the region.
This topic is particularly well-suited to the Security Council, as it directly engages with questions of international peace and security, legal norms, and regional stability. Delegates will be challenged to balance deterrence and diplomacy, manage great power competition, and explore mechanisms for de-escalation and confidence-building in a highly sensitive geopolitical environment. The topic also connects clearly to SDG 16 and SDG 14, encouraging discussions on peaceful conflict resolution, strong international institutions, and the sustainable use of shared global spaces.
Topic B: Venezuela - US Drug Cartels and Maduro Involvement in a Transnational Crime Network
Transnational drug trafficking between Latin America and the United States remains a major international security concern, with Venezuela frequently identified as a key transit point for illicit flows. Economic collapse, institutional fragility, and geographic location have contributed to the expansion of organized criminal networks operating across borders. In response, the United States has pursued a range of unilateral measures aimed at combating transnational crime linked to Venezuela, raising fundamental questions about the legality and legitimacy of cross-border enforcement actions without the consent of the territorial state.
The relevance of this topic lies in the tension between two core principles of the international system: the need to combat transnational criminal threats and the obligation to respect state sovereignty. While drug trafficking fuels violence, corruption, public health crises, and regional instability, enforcement measures that bypass national authorities generate controversy over international law, jurisdiction, accountability, and the appropriate limits of external intervention. Disagreements persist over evidence standards, sanctions, extraterritorial prosecutions, and whether such actions enhance security or further destabilize fragile political environments.
This topic falls squarely within the mandate of the Security Council, as it addresses international peace and security in the context of cross-border crime and contested enforcement practices. Delegates will be challenged to assess the legitimacy of unilateral actions, balance sovereignty against collective security concerns, and explore multilateral alternatives for addressing transnational criminal networks. With implications extending beyond Venezuela and the United States, the debate directly engages SDG 16 and SDG 3, encouraging discussion on rule of law, governance, and international responsibility.