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.