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What is Crisis
Crisis committees are a different experience from what delegates are accustomed to in the traditional “General Assembly” committees of Model United Nations. Committees are often much smaller, meaning that delegates have many more opportunities to speak. Moreover, situations for the committee require the passage of more solutions through many documents. The most special aspect about crisis committees is that the committee and its delegates finds itself consistently in communication with the crisis staff, which generates crises in the simulated world and respond accordingly to the decisions of both the committee and independent delegates.
Crisis Elements
Committee Documents
General Assembly committees deal primarily with resolutions, but crisis committees handle a variety of different types of documents that can be separated into three categories: directives, communiqués, and press releases.
Directives
Directives are the most important documents debated and adopted in a crisis committee. They are the specific orders and actions that the committee has agreed to take. In terms of structure, directives are equivalent to the operative clauses of a traditional General Assembly resolution, with the most important difference being that the operative words are much stronger than the recommendations and suggestions of the General Assembly committees (similar to the wording of the security council). Directives should be to the point, concise and detailed - flowery language will only cause problems of interpretation for the crisis staff. Directives will represent decisions of the role of the chair as well as all the authority and powers vested in that role. Directives will be the primary tool of the committee in responding to crises.
Communiqués
Communiqués are messages from the entire committee to another country, organization, person, or group of persons. They are important because they represent dialogue with other actors in a crisis situation. Communiqués should be written in the form of letters clearly addressed to the appropriate intended receiver. Delegates have greater liberty to use more varied language in communiqués, but should still be very specific in communicating their intentions and should be very detailed. In a committee communiqués will represent letters from the role the chair plays unless otherwise specified in the communiqué. Specific members of a committee and the agencies they represent may be asked by the committee to issue communiqués. In such instances, these communiqués must be passed by the committee with a majority vote.
Press Releases
Press releases are similar to communiqués but differ in that they are broadly addressed to the entire public. They can try to sway public opinion and instigate some type of public response to the crises faced by the committee, such as a public protest. Press releases should be carefully crafted to achieve their intended objectives and must be detailed. Press releases represent statements issued by the role represented by the chair. Committees may also direct specific members and their respective agencies to issue press releases; in this case, they may be voted on.
General Assembly committees deal primarily with resolutions, but crisis committees handle a variety of different types of documents that can be separated into three categories: directives, communiqués, and press releases.
Directives
Directives are the most important documents debated and adopted in a crisis committee. They are the specific orders and actions that the committee has agreed to take. In terms of structure, directives are equivalent to the operative clauses of a traditional General Assembly resolution, with the most important difference being that the operative words are much stronger than the recommendations and suggestions of the General Assembly committees (similar to the wording of the security council). Directives should be to the point, concise and detailed - flowery language will only cause problems of interpretation for the crisis staff. Directives will represent decisions of the role of the chair as well as all the authority and powers vested in that role. Directives will be the primary tool of the committee in responding to crises.
Communiqués
Communiqués are messages from the entire committee to another country, organization, person, or group of persons. They are important because they represent dialogue with other actors in a crisis situation. Communiqués should be written in the form of letters clearly addressed to the appropriate intended receiver. Delegates have greater liberty to use more varied language in communiqués, but should still be very specific in communicating their intentions and should be very detailed. In a committee communiqués will represent letters from the role the chair plays unless otherwise specified in the communiqué. Specific members of a committee and the agencies they represent may be asked by the committee to issue communiqués. In such instances, these communiqués must be passed by the committee with a majority vote.
Press Releases
Press releases are similar to communiqués but differ in that they are broadly addressed to the entire public. They can try to sway public opinion and instigate some type of public response to the crises faced by the committee, such as a public protest. Press releases should be carefully crafted to achieve their intended objectives and must be detailed. Press releases represent statements issued by the role represented by the chair. Committees may also direct specific members and their respective agencies to issue press releases; in this case, they may be voted on.
Portfolio Power
Each member of the committee holds some type of position that qualifies their membership in the committee. These positions carry with them power over important resources as well as influence over other people and relationships. The specific nature of the portfolio powers possessed by each member of the committee depends on both the specific individual and position represented by the delegate. Portfolio powers are carried out roughly in the same form as committee documents. Each delegate may issue personal directives, communiqués, and press releases, all of which will be issued by the delegate’s character and represented position independent of the committee as a whole. Delegates should be wary about the consequences of any independent actions, since significant actions undertaken will no doubt still have an impact on the crises faced by the committee.
Delegates will retain significant powers to take independent action if they choose to do so, but they must remember that they also serve at the discretion of the role of the chair. Their actions must align with the decisions and policies of the President. Finally, delegates should refrain from taking unrealistic actions that detract from the purpose and spirit of the committee. For example, attempts to overthrow the chair will be completely ignored by the crisis staff. The focus of the committee is on responding to the various crises while navigating the difficulties of coordination. Attempting to undermine the activities of other members in the committee may at times be relevant, but delegates are reminded that cooperation should always be preferred and resorting to less scrupulous methods always represent some type of failure. In general, if someone has questions about their portfolio powers, it is best to email the chair and not assume they have certain powers unless it is directly stated.
Delegates will retain significant powers to take independent action if they choose to do so, but they must remember that they also serve at the discretion of the role of the chair. Their actions must align with the decisions and policies of the President. Finally, delegates should refrain from taking unrealistic actions that detract from the purpose and spirit of the committee. For example, attempts to overthrow the chair will be completely ignored by the crisis staff. The focus of the committee is on responding to the various crises while navigating the difficulties of coordination. Attempting to undermine the activities of other members in the committee may at times be relevant, but delegates are reminded that cooperation should always be preferred and resorting to less scrupulous methods always represent some type of failure. In general, if someone has questions about their portfolio powers, it is best to email the chair and not assume they have certain powers unless it is directly stated.