Letter from the USG:
Hi! I’m Molly Sullivan and I will be the Under-Secretary General for the Joint Crisis Committees at WAMUNC XIV! As Sir Isaac Newton once said, to every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction, and such is the case for the JCCs. All committees work independently of each other, writing directives and communiqués, and reacting to those of their fellow committees. Both committees in the JCC will have the same topic and as one committee reacts to it, so will its counterpart, often resulting in a chain reaction of actions and reactions.
Given the reactive nature of Joint Crisis Committees, there is more freedom in choosing topics for delegates to debate. For example, the Cuban Missile Crisis could be a topic of debate, with the Soviet Union’s Council of Ministers and the United States’ National Security Council as the two committees. Conversely, since there is more freedom with the JCCs, due to the way they function, some topics have been of a more recreational nature, such as the 2004-2005 NHL Lockout. However, at WAMUNC XIV, committees will not be of a strictly recreational nature, as the main goal of the conference, besides having fun, is education.
The Joint Crisis Committees at WAMUNC XIV will fit into the international affairs field, approaching issues from a global perspective, with many countries represented throughout both JCCs. Often, different and even opposing viewpoints make up the committees within a JCC, making diplomacy innately necessary. Delegates should be prepared to debate current-day issues with a global point of view, with the knowledge that their actions will oftentimes provoke a reaction, which in turn provokes other actions and brings the committees either closer or further away from an end goal.
As the Under-Secretary General for the Joint Crisis Committees, I help to ensure that the conference, and my committees especially, run smoothly and avoid any problems. I handle a lot of the “behind-the-scenes” logistics work under the Secretary General, and helping the SG and Chief of Staff with pre-conference, during-conference and post-conference planning.
I personally would like to welcome all delegates to Washington, D.C. and I am so excited to observe all the Joint Crisis Committees and I wish you the best of luck in your preparations!
Best,
Molly Sullivan
Mollys10@gwmail.gwu.edu