GIMUN 2006 - UN Reform

The GIMUN one step ahead: modelling a reformed United Nations

Today’s world is characterized by a discrepancy between the multiplication of problems necessitating globally coordinated responses and the lack of capacity of the only organization potentially able to effectively tackle these problems. The pressing need for far-reaching reforms of the United Nations is broadly recognized. Different reform proposals have been tabled, but not yet implemented. The GIMUN 2006 is one step ahead of the real world and models a reformed UN: our Security Council has 24 instead of 15 members and a Human Rights Council replaces the widely criticized Human Rights Commission.

The recent UN reform process
The end of the Cold War and the following rapid process of globalization have radically altered the world we live in today. The multiplication of internal armed conflicts, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the expanding HIV/AIDS pandemic, environmental degradation or the growing gap between rich and poor are but a few of today’s urgent problems that call for a globally coordinated response. The UN clearly offers the universal platform needed for this purpose, but the organization, whose institutional setup in many ways still reflects the realities of the international society 60 years ago, seems to lack capacity to effectively address many of today’s global challenges.

It is in this context that the pressing need for far-reaching reforms was recognized by the international community. In a memorable speech at the 58th General Assembly in September 2003 the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan pronounced the following words:

"We have come to a fork in the road. This may be a moment no less decisive than 1945 itself, when the United Nations was founded."

Subsequently, the Secretary-General instituted different expert groups and tasked them to produce reports that would identify broad areas of reform and propose concrete steps to be taken in order to strengthen the UN.

• Led by the former President of Brazil Cardoso a Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations was established in order to explore ways to improve interaction between the UN and civil society. The Cardoso Report was presented to the public in June 2004.
• The High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change examined today’s threats to global security and made recommendations for an effective collective security system. The High Level Panel’s widely discussed report 'A More Secure World: Our shared Responsibility' was published in December 2004.
• Under the leadership of Prof. Jeffrey Sachs the Millennium Project elaborated on strategies destined to facilitate the implementation of measures for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The final report 'Investing in Development' was released in January 2005.

Finally, in March 2005 the Secretary-General himself wrapped up the different inputs and outlined his plan for UN reform in the much acclaimed report 'In Larger Freedom'. Of particular interest to the GIMUN are the different proposals in regards to institutional and structural changes and innovations within the UN system:

• Expansion and change of composition of the UN Security Council
• Replacement of the widely criticized Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council
• Rationalization of the work and acceleration of the deliberative process of the UN General Assembly
• Not explicitly mentioned by Kofi Annan, but suggested by the High Level Panel is the creation of a Peacebuilding Commission

The Secretary-General, and indeed many others, hoped that states adopt all proposals as a package and reach consensus until September 2005. Unfortunately the outcome document of the Millennium+5 Summit fell somewhat short of expectations. A step-by-step approach, allowing for the temporary exclusion of particularly sensible issues like extending membership of the UN Security Council, now seems most promising.

GIMUN and UN reforms
GIMUN participants are international students who recognize and believe in the UN’s critical role in today’s world. An interconnected and more and more boundless world inevitably deems unilateral actions to failure; global solutions involving the broadest range of actors are required. As the need for international cooperation increases, the importance of the UN as a global forum does too. Regrettably the organization is not sufficiently empowered. States in particular need to make a commitment to strengthen and expand the UN; the current reform process is absolutely crucial in this regard.

In 2006 the GIMUN models a reformed United Nations. This concept, on the one hand, reflects a desire to experiment: Compared to real diplomats, GIMUN delegates face infinitely fewer constraints. A model UN provides a playground to try out new ideas and initiatives. The 2006 GIMUN team is taking full advantage of this flexibility to model not the real UN, but a virtual, and hopefully future, version of the organization. On the other hand, our aim is to make a humble statement: UN reforms are necessary and we are convinced that they will eventually take place. The GIMUN gives international students an opportunity not only to get an academic insight in the reform process, but to practically learn how the new committees function and, most importantly, why they are more effective and capable than their predecessors. We hope that the GIMUN 2006 will contribute to increase awareness about the pressing need to reform the United Nations.

The UN reforms will be a central issue throughout the GIMUN week. A number of international VIPs from academia, diplomacy and international organizations will present their thoughts on UN reforms at the GIMUN opening conference. Two GIMUN committees in particular are based on concrete institutional reform proposal put forward, amongst others, by the Secretary-General as well as the High Level Panel:

• The GIMUN 2006 features a reformed UN Security Council which is more broadly representative of the international community as a whole as well as today’s geopolitical realities than the current institution.
• The GIMUN 2006 also models a Human Rights Council, which is to replace the current Commission on Human Rights. A future Human Rights Council, conceptualized and promoted in particular by the Government of Switzerland, is hoped to accord human rights a more authoritative and credible position within the UN system.

Documents on UN Reform

GIMUN 2006 Security Council Reform
Date added: 08 January 2006
This document introduces the proposed UN Security Council reforms, discusses the different models under consideration, and explains the model chosen for the GIMUN 2006 Security Council simulation. (This is a PDF document, and requires Acrobat Reader)  Download...

GIMUN 2006 Human Rights Reform
Date added: 29 November 2005
This document introduces the proposed UN Human Rights Council and explains the model chosen for the GIMUN 2006. (This is a PDF document, and requires Acrobat Reader)   Download...