By: Taliyah Winn, Student Reporter*

Following the request last week, the Historical Security Council of 2003 met with delegates from the Republic of Congo (ROC) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC) to update the body on proposed actions.

The ROC elaborated on the outbreak of Ebola within the region and methods to combat it.

Representative Paige Allen, the party to the dispute for the Republic of Congo, highlighted the need of medical aid (specifically medical personnel) to control the spread of disease in the area. While quarantine efforts failed within the Kelle region, she recommended that it should be the target of humanitarian aid. 

Along with being present for debate, the party to dispute was heavily involved in the creation of the resolution.

Representative Allen said, “I really appreciate all that they’re (HSC 2003) doing to help out the Republic of Congo. They’ve been working in collaboration with one another really well and combining their shared resources to address this problem.“

The resolution focused on the containment of the disease and providing humanitarian aid to civilians and medical officials. While waiting for edits to their resolution, Representatives began to discuss the mandate of MONUC while the party to the dispute for the DROC was present. 

The DROC’s party to the dispute was firm on the need of more peacekeepers in the region, confident that would alleviate the power vacuum in the area.

Representatives deliberated on the effectiveness of the current Mandate, and how to improve it. Some members of the Council hesitated to increase the number of peacekeeping officers due to the inability to fulfill the current mandate of 5,000 PKOs and 500 observers. 

After returning to session on 4 February 2003, draft resolution SC-1 passed unanimously. The resolution describes a method to contain the spread of the Ebola virus by creating the Strategic Assistance Mission for Unified Regulation Against Infection (SAMURAI). The resolution takes great measure to highlight the sovereignty of the ROC, centering African nations in the enforcement of the Resolution.

Representative Allen deeply immersed herself into the drafting process to ensure respect and efficiency in decision making.

 “It’s going to expand medical resources for us in particular personnel and PPE … We are also asking that a new peacekeeping operation be set up in coordination with the UN to distribute the supplies,” said Representative Allen, “But with that, we’re asking that they coordinate with our local governments and militaries in all of the activities that are taking place within our country.” 

The Resolution recommends going through the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the work of the ROC. 

The Council has yet to approve action on the situation in the DROC and extend the mandate of MONUC, but Representatives are working to create a second resolution to address it.

_{The views and opinions expressed in this article were part of a 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., *Wichita State University or the governing bodies of the states mentioned in the article.}