Security Council

Kashmir was an autonomous state until August 5th 2019. According to article 370, Kashmir had all legal rights to govern itself according to its own morals and judgment and was neither the property of India or Pakistan. On August 5th, the Jammu and Kashmir reorganization act had been introduced and the purpose of this act is to reconstruct Jammu and Kashmir into two Indian union territories. Kashmir and Jammu (the larger region of Kashmir) have been the subject of dispute between Pakistan, India and China since 1947. However the people of Kashmir are suffering because of this dispute, the streets of Kashmir are heavily guarded and the state of Kashmir has been put into lockdown (to prevent protests). Even though the tension in Kashmir has increased recently, there has always been uncertainty for the Muslim majority. The alleged violation of Human Rights is evident in the state as Kashmiris are struggling to find health care and access emergency services, families have been displaced, rape is prominent, detaining innocent civilians is common, torture in prisons is increasing and Internet shutdowns and curfews occur regularly. Delegates must work together to figure out how to decrease tensions in Kashmir for the long term.

Boko Haram is a jihadist terrorist organization based in Nigeria. Mohommed Yusuf (the founder of the organization) took advantage of poverty stricken Nigeria and established a religious complex school that attracted poor Muslim families from across the country. Boko Haram itself means: “western education is a sin” and this conveys the message that the Boko Haram tribe deeply believe. The group seeks to purify Islam in Nigeria and wants to turn Nigeria into a fully Muslim state, therefore opposing the Christian minority leaders. In April of 2014, the militant group kidnapped 274 female high school students and this was just one example of the tens of thousands of girls that were kidnapped, raped and tortured by the group. A majority of the kidnapped girls were forced to become the wives of the men in Boko Haram. Others were used as human bombs, strapped with explosives and sent to public areas. The acts of the Boko Haram even captured the attention of people like Michelle Obama and Ellen Degeneres who participated in the #bringbackourgirls campaign. However, the violent side of Boko Haram hadn’t been exposed to the public until the group had a clash with security forces leaving 800 people dead. In an attempt to repress the uprising, Nigerian Law enforcements carried out extrajudicial killings of several prominent members including Yusuf - new leader Abubaker Shekau took over adopting a strategy of violence that the Boko Haram follow till this day. The Security Council must discuss the most effective way to deal with this threat to peace.