Agenda Item: The Arab Gulf War

The Historical United Nations Security Council (H-UNSC) is a simulation of the UN’s most powerful decision-making body, set in a specific historical context. Unlike the contemporary UNSC, the H-UNSC reexamines key moments in history, allowing delegates to navigate pivotal crises with the knowledge and resources available at that time. Delegates represent the fifteen member states of the Security Council as it stood during the Gulf War and are tasked with maintaining international peace and security amid escalating global tensions.

The agenda centers on the Gulf War, a major international conflict sparked by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Saddam Hussein’s regime claimed territorial and economic grievances, but the invasion was widely condemned as a blatant breach of sovereignty and a serious threat to regional and global stability. With vital oil reserves at risk and fears of further aggression toward Saudi Arabia, the crisis quickly drew worldwide attention. The Security Council now faces urgent decisions: Should economic sanctions or diplomatic pressure be intensified? Is the use of force justifiable under Chapter VII of the UN Charter? Can a multinational coalition act without racturing the Council’s unity? Delegates will have to grapple with the legal, political, and military dimensions of the conflict—balancing the preservation of peace with the credibility and authority of the United Nations itself.

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