In 1991, as the Cold War came to a resounding end, Iraq would invade the small, oil-rich country of Kuwait. This unjust war and this flagellation of international law, and every principle that the United Nations of the world stand for cannot stand. The United Nations has given Iraq a clear deadline—if they fail to comply, it is up to restore the sovereignty of Kuwait by military force. We have a clear goal and the authorization to do it; we must carry it out.

The Gulf War acts as the Tournament of Champions committee for crisis both because the committee is highly-relevant to our modern day discussions of peace enforcement but also because the long-term effects of the Gulf War are still being felt today. It is often said that the Gulf War was the United Nation’s greatest success—yet, the failures of the long-term framework have been apparent for years to come.

Too often Model UN crisis committees focus on military affairs in a silo, despite every action producing long-term economic, cultural, environmental, and political consequences for the people and leadership of a country. Delegates in the TOC will not only be tasked with winning the Gulf War, but will also have to make the proper decisions to establish a stable framework for the years to come. The TOC committee will be challenging, and will require the best strategic decision making and collaboration from delegates to succeed. To all delegates who have qualified to the TOC crisis: good luck.

BACKGROUND GUIDE

CHARACTER GUIDE

HONORARY CHAIR

MECHANICS GUIDE

COMMITTEE DAIS

Simon Waring

A PhD candidate at the Royal Military College of Canada, Simon Waring is a contemporary foreign affairs analyst and military and diplomatic historian. His research focuses include U.S. Cold War history, Canadian defence and foreign policy, the theory and practical application of grand strategy, and German-Soviet operations on the Second World War’s Eastern Front. Simon is a frequent contributor to a variety of publications on strategic, defence, and security studies subjects, including SITREP: The Journal of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, is a Fellow with the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen's University, and is the author of Defeat at the Dnepr: The XLVIII. Panzerkorps’ Counterattack at Kiev, November 1943. He is currently researching Canada-US defence relations during the 1970's. Simon lives and works from his home in Toronto, Canada.

COMMITTEE DIRECTOR

Roberto Carmona

Roberto Carmona is a first-year student at Harvard College studying Government with a citation in Arabic. Born and raised in Cuba, he lived there until the age of 14 before immigrating to the United States in December 2020. Within a year of arriving, he learned English and became deeply involved in his high school’s Model UN program, competing on the high school circuit and organizing his school’s local middle school conference, TROJANMUN. At Harvard, Roberto has continued his passion for Model UN as a member of the Intercollegiate Model UN Team, traveling across the United States to compete on the collegiate circuit. He will also serve as an Assistant Director for HMUN and HNMUN Boston. Beyond Model UN, Roberto is involved with the Cuban American Undergraduate Student Association (CAUSA) and the Institute of Politics’ Fellows and Study Groups. When he is not studying late into the night or preparing a crisis arc for an upcoming conference, he enjoys keeping up with his Duolingo lessons and rereading his favorite Percy Jackson books.

CRISIS DIRECTOR

Yavuz Atlamaz

Hi everyone! My name is Yavuz Atlamaz and I am a freshman at Harvard College. I’m on the path for a joint concentration between government and philosophy with a secondary in history. I come from the great state of Indiana (Go Pacers and Colts) and am an avid fan of sports, mainly basketball, soccer, and football, as well as national parks and rollercoasters. Model United Nations has been an essential part of my life for five years now, and I am beyond excited to serve as a director at the first iteration of HMUN Canada. As MUN has served as a vehicle for me, guiding me through discussion, debate, and even future career plans, I hope it can serve as a place where you as high school delegates can develop and learn as well. Looking forward to a great time in Toronto!