The United Nations Security Council establishes Commissions of Inquiry (COI) in order to conduct in-depth investigations into conflicts and disputes. At AMUN, the term “Commission of Inquiry” refers to the simulation of two such Commissions for a given year. The Commission of Inquiry is a historical simulation, similar in some respects to the Historical Security Council simulations. However, the members of the Commission (referred to as commissioners) do not act as representatives of their country. Instead, they are independent experts chosen to act as impartial investigators.
During Conference commissioners will gather information primarily by taking testimony from representatives of the parties to the dispute, witnesses and relevant experts. The objective of this information gathering is to fulfill the Commission’s mandate from the Security Council: to provide clarity on the nature, causes and events within the dispute it has been asked to investigate; keep the Security Council apprised of new developments; and provide the Security Council with recommendations for a path toward a peaceful and final resolution of the dispute. The answers that these Commissions provide often form the basis for the future actions of the United Nations Security Council.
There are 10 commissioner spots available. Four of these spots are predetermined (assigned to specific delegations) according to the simulation topics, and the other six are open to any AMUN participant. The open spots are assigned as applications are received. In 2024 AMUN will feature the Commission of Inquiry of 1948, which will simulate the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan and the United Nations Committee of Good Offices on the Indonesian Question. To apply for a commissioner position, please visit our COI commissioner registration page.
You can learn more about AMUN’s Commission of Inquiry and serving as a commissioner by reading the “Introduction to the Commission of Inquiry” from our 2020 AMUN Handbook. Additionally, for those that receive spots, please be sure to read the email you receive that describes your role as a commissioner.
If you have any questions about AMUN’s Commission of Inquiry or questions regarding serving as a commissioner, please email the AMUN Executive Office.