United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

Topic Guide

Chairs: Nainika Mandayam & Grace Zhou
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]

Topic A: Addressing the Role of Private Technology Companies in Armed ConflictsFrom foxholes, bayonets, and horses to drones, hackers, and digital infrastructure, private technology companies are playing a growing role in modern-day armed conflicts. Firms like Meta and SpaceX, with assets such as satellite communication and artificial intelligence, have taken on the role once occupied by only sovereign states. While these tools have benefited global circumstances in many ways, their involvement in particular warfare and regional conflicts has been unclear, raising questions regarding accountability, corporate bias, and the fall of state control in military operations. Thus, the United Nations Security Council, tasked with maintaining international peace and security, must now grapple with the effects of corporations directly influencing outcomes of war in active conflicts while trying to abide by the legalities associated with private companies and state systems. Delegates will be tasked with exploring whether existing frameworks the UNSC has put in place in the past are sufficient to regulate the situation or if new resolutions must be proposed. Additionally, they should consider how international law should apply to these private corporate entities, and how to balance innovation, sovereignty, and accountability/transparency in the ever-changing battlefield.

Topic B: Preventing the Exploitation of Children in Warfare
In many regions across the globe, children continue to be pulled into the front lines of war, not by choice, but by desperation, coercion, or force. Armed groups and militant regimes exploit their vulnerability, using them as soldiers, couriers, informants, and sometimes for even more horrific purposes. Despite international agreements and repeated condemnations by the global community, the recruitment and use of child soldiers remain alarmingly widespread. Current legal frameworks, while well-intentioned, often fall short in regions where government control is weak and humanitarian access is limited. The United Nations Security Council now faces the task of reassessing the global response to this crisis. Delegates will be expected to examine why, despite decades of international focus, this issue remains persistent and what new approaches are needed to make tangible progress. They should consider the following: How do we build systems of prevention that address not only armed groups, but also the deeper socioeconomic and political conditions that make children susceptible in the first place? How can we ensure that reintegration programs are not only accessible but also effective? What role should the Security Council play in enforcing protections where state systems fail?

Committees

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)