Advisory Panel

As the advisory organ to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Advisory Panel is a committee of participating parties called “experts”. The committee focuses on specific sub-regions in accordance with the general theme of the conference and follows an ad-hoc structure with three rounds of lobbying. The aim is to pass each clause unanimously, and without a unanimous vote, a clause is considered as tabled, left to the next round of debate, and lobbied on again, with the procedure repeating itself until the end of the third round of debate.

All passed clauses are then collected to form a resolution called a “joint communiqué”, which is presented to the Secretary-General at the end of the conference. Experienced students are encouraged to apply to the Advisory Panel since its procedure allows for a heightened level of debate fit for seasoned MUN students.

This year, the Advisory Panel will focus on the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa is composed of  four countries: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti. Since it is an intersection point of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean it holds a great geopolitical and strategic significance. The region  interconnects the three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. The Horn of Africa is a “mandatory” trade route for the Red Sea, Suez Canal, and Gulf of Aden. Naval and air security operations are ideal in the area. However, the region has been tackling security problems such as the conflicts of nations who intend to control the region: Eritrea and Somalia. Furthermore, the support that the countries are receiving from Member States such as the United States of America, Russian Federation, and France are increasing the tension going on in the region. Alongside these conflicts between nations, other issues are present in the Horn of Africa such as the economical instabilities and the lack of official authority in the region. All in all, the Horn of Africa is immensely valuable to governments, corporations, and the people. The Advisory Panel will aim to find feasible solutions to the most pressing issues within the region.