By: Taylor Mangold, Student Reporter*

After getting a Representative from the Congo to speak before the body, the group began working on draft resolutions for both the Ebola Outbreak and the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC) to move this topic forward. Many representatives differ on an approach to the first resolution, starting with Chile, who wants the two ideas mentioned above separated from one another to better address the issues. 

This reporter spoke with Representatives Jack Hoving and Payton Mlakar of Chile to get more information on the matter. The Representatives believed that only by separating the two issues could they be addressed in a thorough manner, and also, they believed that both are just as pressing and while they don’t have a preferred starting point, they do see themselves as a voice of pragmatism in the HSC. They do think that the resolution on the Ebola Outbreak would be the easiest to pass, and believe it wise to start there. 

Fortunately for Chile, Representative Gracie Ross of Bulgaria spoke with IPD about her involvement in working the Ebola resolution with key stakeholders. Representative Ross said that while everyone is worried about the conflict, she believes that it is best to start with the Ebola Outbreak since the resolution writers (she highlighted Guinea and Germany among others), have worked to get the Permanent Five (P5) members on board with the matter. 

Representatives of France, Graham Staib and Jean Tissot, shared that while they are fully on board with the Ebola outbreak, their big concern was national sovereignty, which is why they helped get Congo’s Representative to the HSC. The Representatives of France said that so long as peacekeepers that may accompany the humanitarian aid are limited to the regions that the Congo laid out, they are comfortable with supporting the resolution.

Finally, the IPD spoke with a Representative Megan Harrison of Angola, as Angola is a key location relative to the outbreak. She said that Angola so far is in support of the resolutions, but brings up a concern about more foreign militaries brought into the region. Representative Harrison said, “African countries are often used as a playground for Western nations. While we don’t believe a proxy war is imminent, we’re concerned about the potential for one,” also sharing that while they believe the two issues (destabilization in DROC and the Ebola Outbreak in the Congo) are intrinsically linked, she thinks that focusing on the Ebola Outbreak first is a good idea. 

After days of deliberation, Draft Resolution SC-1 passed the Council unanimously on 4 February 2003.

_{The views and opinions expressed in this article were part of simulation of the United Nations held from 18 to 21 November 2023 and do not reflect the views and opinions of the American Model United Nations Conference, American Model United Nations International, LLC., *Taylor Mangold, Purdue University Northwest or the governing bodies of the states mentioned in the article.}