CRISIS COMMITTEE

The Crisis Committee is an unusual, fast-paced, competitive and intriguing committee, which also poses a challenge to those participating as they have to take actions with consequences instead of creating a non-binding resolution. The delegations, which consist of two representatives, have to cooperate to solve a series of global crises ranging from exploitation of new innovations to sneezing epidemics and mind control bugs.

Whereas in regular MUN committees the delegations work together to write a resolution, in CC representatives send in newsflashes which describe their actions and not their intentions. After all delegations were given sufficient time to send in their newsflashes, representatives may take the floor to announce these actions before they take effect. After each announcement, of course, the other delegations may ask points of information from the speaker, often resulting in either tense or fun interactions. The aim of the committee’s delegates should be preventing an international disaster, by somewhat peaceful debates and active cooperation, whilst also adhering to the policies of their countries.

Essentially, the representatives are free to take almost any action that would help further their nation’s interests, as long as they have the necessary resources and means, which leads to creative solutions and hilarious moments, such as blowing up the Moon, inventing beer-medicine, or giving the elderly emotional support lobsters.

Unfortunately, however, all actions have consequences. That’s where the “game masters” of CC come into play: The Crisis Committee Headquarters, also known as the CCHQ, are responsible for announcing the crises by means of announcements about the state of the world. All newsflashes written by representatives are subject to approval by the CCHQ, and only take effect once the Headquarters accepts them. Delegates are only representatives of their countries, their announcements and actions must be approved in advance by their respective governments, represented by the CCHQ. Moreover, every few hours, the Crisis Committee Headquarters updates all delegates on their progress since the last State of the World.

With the help of the official KarMUN Crisis Committee web application the representatives will be able to send informal messages to each other in order to establish private diplomatic relationships and secret alliances, all the while also having the opportunity to conspire against other nations, thus reaching dramatic climaxes. Representatives are also free to ask the HQ questions through the website, which can help clear up any misunderstandings or confusion.

In spite of not having any knowledge about the crises prior to the sessions, the delegations are expected to carry out thorough research into their countries’ foreign policy, political and military structure, dependency on other nations, memberships in alliances, general history, and especially, the recent and current international events their countries have been involved in, so as to be able to successfully participate in the sessions of the Crisis Committee. It is worth noting however, that while gaining insight into the nation you’ll represent will be very helpful during the course of the debate, due to the unpredictability of CC, we do not require delegations to submit policy statements prior to KarMUN.

Our years of experience hosting a Crisis Committee show that due to its highly competitive nature, which can incentivise scheming against your fellow delegates, being proactive during the debates will more often than not lead to success. As a result, less active representatives may find themselves lost in the controlled chaos of CC. This is why we recommend participation to delegates with prior MUN experience (but anyone interested may be welcome). The CC’s speciality is also underlined by its own section in the Rules of Procedure of KarMUN and delegates wishing to take part in the Crisis Committee are required to be familiar with any and all of the rules specified there. Delegates are also required to get familiar with the software used from the published guide in advance. Some example crises and descriptions of the outcome are also available so that MUN Directors can anticipate what utter chaos is about to swipe through this committee and prepare their respective students accordingly.

Issues of 2026

The issues of the Crisis Committee will only be announced during the conference.