Crisis Committees

What is Crisis?

Crisis committees are a more advanced, smaller, fast-paced type of Model UN committee that simulates the rapid-response decision-making process of a specific body. They can be historical, contemporary, fictional, or futuristic. Some examples of Crisis committees are the United States Presidential Cabinet on the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United Nations Security Council responding to a nuclear threat, a zombie apocalypse, or space colonies. Many Crisis committees are also based on books and movies. Unlike the long-term solutions that a General Assembly committee focuses on, crisis committees highlight immediate response and short-term solutions. Crisis committees are recommended for delegates who have already done a General Assembly committee. Crisis committees can be split into four different categories, each of which will be covered in detail below:

  1. Preparation

  2. The Position

  3. The Frontroom

  4. The Backroom

The standard Crisis committee is known as a Single Crisis, which is covered in this guide. A Joint Crisis Committee is two separate Crisis committees with opposing sides to the same issue. An example of this could be the United States of America and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. An Ad-Hoc Committee is a type of Crisis committee in which the delegates don't know their topic until the day of the conference. Ad-hoc committees are extremely advanced and only recommended for experienced delegates.

Preparation

Everything required for preparation for a General Assembly committee is also required to prepare for a Crisis committee. Any preparation covered in this guide is meant to be supplemental to the preparation for a General Assembly committee and only used during Crisis committees.

One example of a standard Crisis committee background guide is The Palmyrene Queen: Empress Zenobia's Rise to Power, 267 from MUNUC 37 (Model UN at the University of Chicago).

For Crisis committees, many conferences require delegates to submit a white paper (the standard General Assembly position paper) and a black paper for each topic. Black papers are short position papers that explain a delegate's position and role in the Crisis committee, assessment of the situation, objectives, and intended initial actions. Black papers ensure that delegates are ready for the fast pace of Crisis committees and have a strong background knowledge of their position. Black papers should outline a delegate's intended crisis arc (expanded on below), but should not be too specific—it’s typically prohibited to write crisis notes (expanded on below) ahead of the committee. A good way to differentiate between white and black papers is to remember that white papers are what a delegate would allow everyone to know, while black papers are what a delegate would want to keep hidden from the general public.

The Position

In a Crisis committee, delegates typically represent individual people instead of countries. For example, a delegate may be the Secretary of Energy in a Presidential Cabinet or the President of a company in the Board of Directors. As a result, delegates must be ready to represent their individual's opinions, values, and possible actions rather than the policies of a larger group or country. Furthermore, delegates typically have a portfolio of powers, a collection of powers and capabilities that they can use as a result of the position of the individual they are representing. For example, a spy chief may have access to surveillance and a general might command troops. Delegates are encouraged to use these powers throughout the committee.

Frontroom

In a General Assembly committee, delegates spend the committee working together, discussing, and collaborating to write a resolution paper in order to solve an issue. This often takes a long time. However, Crisis committees have directives instead. A directive is a short resolution paper with short-term solutions written by groups of delegates in response to a problem. The format is the same as that of a white paper (see How to Write a White Paper) and its structure only contains solutions. Directives do not contain preambulatory clauses because their point is to be short and to the point. The part of a committee that contains moderated caucuses, unmoderated caucuses, and directives is known as the frontroom.

Backroom

Crisis committees also have the backroom, which is the behind-the-scenes element of a Crisis simulation. The backroom exists to receive crisis notes from delegates (private notes sent to backroom chairs to take secret actions for a delegate's personal agenda). Some of the most common reasons a delegate sends a crisis note are to further their own power, to harm an opposing delegate, or to learn more about an event with some hidden details. Crisis notes should be as specific as possible and should outline a delegate's intentions and plans. They should also include a TLDR. It’s typically prohibited to write crisis notes ahead of the committee.

A delegate's Crisis arc is their long-term narrative, evolving storyline, and strategic plan that a delegate develops through crisis notes. It includes backroom actions, frontroom behavior, and actions with other delegates. It can span the entire committee—from the first crisis note to the final directive.

The backroom staff consistently give Crisis updates based on their own agenda, a delegate's crisis notes, or random events that may happen. For example, a Crisis update may be an article released about an action a delegate took in the backroom. Another example of a Crisis update may be an assassination, which typically results from a delegate attempting to remove their opposition in the backroom. When a delegate is assassinated, they receive a new position and continue in committee.

Miscellaneous

Specialized committees are simulated bodies that differ from the traditional General Assembly or Crisis committee in a variety of ways. This may include historical committees (set in a specific time period), regional bodies (such as the African Union or the European Union), or futuristic committees (based on fictional books, movies, or ideas). These specialized committees often have different rules of procedure, smaller delegate pools, and specialized topics. Specific differences for a committee can be found in the committee's background guide on the conference website.

Private directives are directives that a small group of delegates work on in private. These directives typically contain actions the delegates want to take for their own agendas. Some common uses for private directives are espionage, military movements, propaganda, and internal government actions. Private directives are often used as crisis notes that multiple delegates can work on, allowing communication and collaboration that helps each delegate shape their own narrative.

Respect and Behavior

It is important to be respectful to other delegates, the dais, and the conference as a whole. Significant effort is put into the creation and running of every Model UN conference, so delegates should put their best effort into their work and contribute to the committee as much as they can.

Glossary

  • Ad-Hoc Committee: A type of Crisis committee in which delegates don't know their topic until the day of the conference

  • Assassination: The removal of another delegate from committee, resulting in a new position for the removed delegate

  • Backroom: The behind-the-scenes element of a Crisis simulation

  • Crisis: A more advanced, fast-paced type of Model UN committee that simulates the rapid-response decision-making process of a specific body

  • Crisis Arc: A delegate's long-term narrative, evolving storyline, and strategic plan that a delegate develops through crisis notes

  • Crisis Notes: Private notes sent to backroom chairs requesting secret actions in pursuit of a delegate's personal agenda

  • Crisis Update: Random, influential events that may occur at any time and affect most of the delegates

  • Directive: A short resolution paper with short-term solutions written by groups of delegates in response to a Crisis update

  • Frontroom: The part of committee that contains moderated caucuses, unmoderated caucuses, and directives

  • Joint Crisis Committee: Two separate Crisis committees with opposing sides to the same issue

  • Portfolio of Powers: A collection of powers and capabilities a delegate can use based on the position of the individual they represent

  • Private Directive: Directives that a small group of delegates work on in private to help each delegate shape their own narrative.

  • Single Crisis: The standard Crisis committee

  • Specialized Committees: Simulated bodies that differ from the traditional General Assembly or Crisis committees in a variety of ways