Dispute in the East China Sea in 2016 (UNSC)
Roles
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There are five permanent UN Security Council members, known as the P5: the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Permanent members wield veto power, meaning they can block a resolution simply by voting “no.” P5 representatives are responsible for attending meetings, presenting motions, making statements, and voting on behalf of their government, using a veto when necessary.
A P5 country’s representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by drafting and negotiating Security Council documents;
- liaise and consult with other member states, nonmember states, UN staff, and other interested parties on behalf of their government; and
- analyze how policy options will affect the interests, reputation, and relationships of their country.
A P5 country’s representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by drafting and negotiating Security Council documents;
- liaise and consult with other member states, nonmember states, UN staff, and other interested parties on behalf of their government; and
- analyze how policy options will affect the interests, reputation, and relationships of their country.
Issues for Consideration
- How does the situation in the East China Sea threaten your country’s national security?
- What national interests are at stake in this crisis? How should they be prioritized?
- What is the nature of the relationship between your country and Japan? How does this inform potential national action in this case?
- What is your country’s relationship with other parties relevant to this case? How does this affect your response to the proposed policy options?
- What are the costs, benefits, and risks that accompany each policy option open to the UN Security Council?
- Are there any policy options that you absolutely do not support? If this policy option came to a vote, would you use a veto? Why or why not?
- How has your country’s veto usage changed over time? What issues does your country tend to use a veto on?
- Have other permanent members used vetoes on votes regarding this issue? What kind of policy options or resolutions have they vetoed? How should this influence your negotiation strategy within the Council?
- What are the trade-offs raised by the potential policy options in this case?
- What are the positions and interests of other countries and organizations that have a stake in the situation in the East China Sea?
Ten nonpermanent members—two-thirds of the council—are elected by the UN General Assembly to serve two-year terms. The representatives of nonpermanent members are responsible for attending meetings, presenting motions, making statements, and voting on behalf of their government. Because nonpermanent members are elected to represent one of five regional groups, they are often expected, but not required, to consult with other nonpermanent members of their regional group to ensure they are putting forward a unified policy.
A nonpermanent member country’s representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by drafting and negotiating Security Council documents;
- liaise and consult with other member states, nonmember states, UN staff, and other interested parties on behalf of their government; and
- analyze how policy options will affect the interests, reputation, and relationships of their country.
A nonpermanent member country’s representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by drafting and negotiating Security Council documents;
- liaise and consult with other member states, nonmember states, UN staff, and other interested parties on behalf of their government; and
- analyze how policy options will affect the interests, reputation, and relationships of their country.
Issues for Consideration
- How does the situation in the East China Sea threaten your country’s national security?
- What national interests are at stake in this crisis? How should they be prioritized?
- What is the nature of the relationship between your country and both China and Japan? How does this inform potential national action in this case?
- What is your country’s relationship with other parties relevant to this case? How does this affect your response to the proposed policy options?
- Have permanent members used vetoes on votes regarding this issue? What kind of policy options or resolutions have they vetoed? How should this influence your negotiation strategy within the Council?
- What are the costs, benefits, and risks that accompany each policy option open to the UN Security Council?
- What are the trade-offs raised by the potential policy options in this case?
- What are the positions and interests of other countries and organizations that have a stake in the situation in the East China Sea?
In certain cases, nonmember states or nonmember observers of the United Nations are invited to take part in Security Council deliberations. Nonmember states and observers may participate in UN Security Council debate, but they may not vote. Because they are often invited because of either their proximity to or expertise on the issue, representatives of nonmember states or observers may be asked to answer questions and provide background information to the council.
A nonmember state or observer representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by making speeches and asking questions; and
- when applicable, provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information or insight on the situation under discussion.
A nonmember state or observer representative’s goals are to
- promote their government’s interests and values at the United Nations, specifically by making speeches and asking questions; and
- when applicable, provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information or insight on the situation under discussion.
Issues for Consideration
- How does the situation presented in this case threaten your country’s national security?
- What national interests are at stake in this crisis? How should they be prioritized?
- What is the nature of the relationship between your country and both China and Japan? How does this inform potential national action in this case?
- What is your country’s relationship with other parties relevant to this case? How does this affect your response to the proposed policy options?
- Have permanent members used vetoes on votes regarding this issue? What kind of policy options or resolutions have they vetoed? How should this influence your negotiation strategy within the Council?
- What are the costs, benefits, and risks that accompany each policy option open to the UN Security Council?
- What are the trade-offs raised by the potential policy options in this case?
- What are the positions and interests of other countries and organizations that have a stake in this issue? How, if at all, might they affect the current situation?
As the United Nations’ chief administrative officer, the secretary-general attends sessions of UN bodies, consults with world leaders and other interested parties, issues reports on the work of the United Nations, and acts as a spokesperson for the organization. The secretary-general is the face of the UN system. Within the UN Security Council, the secretary-general represents the UN Secretariat and assists the council president by preparing agendas for meetings, maintaining the speakers list, and overseeing routine tasks such as the distribution of documents and the logistics for council meetings.
The Secretary-General’s goals are to
-promote the maintenance of international peace and security by bringing relevant matters to the attention of the UN Security Council,
- build trust as an honest broker among the participants, and
- represent the interests of the UN Secretariat at the UN Security Council by making statements and setting meeting agendas.
The Secretary-General’s goals are to
-promote the maintenance of international peace and security by bringing relevant matters to the attention of the UN Security Council,
- build trust as an honest broker among the participants, and
- represent the interests of the UN Secretariat at the UN Security Council by making statements and setting meeting agendas.
Issues for Consideration
- How does a dispute in the East China Sea, and particularly the situation presented in this case, threaten global security?
- What role should the United Nations play in resolving this crisis? What are the benefits and costs of unilateral versus multilateral responses?
- What is the nature of the relationship between the United Nations and both China and Japan? How does this inform potential UN action in this case?
- What are the costs, benefits, and risks that accompany each policy option open to the UN Security Council?
- What are the trade-offs raised by the potential policy options in this case?
- What are the positions and interests of UN Security Council member states and other organizations that have a stake in the situation in the East China Sea?