United Nations Security Council: Libya 2014
At the end of the 2011 civil war, hopes for Libyan democracy were on the brink of fruition. In the first elections following the establishment of the transitional government, 374 new political parties were formed to host candidates. A post-Gaddafi liberal democracy seemed just within reach. However, after two years of fragile democracy-building and frequent foreign intervention, the nation’s transitional government was incapable of holding power, splintering into two factions: the financial elite in Tripoli and the internationally recognized government approved by the United Nations in Tobruk. The UN-approved transitional government was incapable of assuaging these grievances. The result was a fragmented economy and worsening political tensions, exploding into civil strife.
In June 2014, the national election results for the House of Representatives were rejected by the coalition government in power in Tripoli. The Second Civil War began. As the United Nations Security Council, you have been called in at the height of the crisis to handle the wide-ranging ramifications of burgeoning violence. As a delegate, you will work to protect the sovereignty of Libya and the many civilians on the ground. As the crisis spills into neighboring regions, delegates will also contend with challenges to global order—whether that means security, economic prosperity, or regional peace – while simultaneously addressing the issues of foreign intervention and socio-political fragmentation. The committee will start in 2014 and shall span multiple years of conflict, and resolution.
This will be a double-delegation committee.
zoe zhu
Chair
Zoe is a third-year majoring in Philosophy and Economics. She’s from Toronto, which is why she loves the Toronto Raptors, maple syrup, and spelling words incorrectly. Within Model UN, Zoe is the Vice President of the UChicago travel team, has served as an Admin Executive for ChoMUN XXVII, and was a chair at UChicago’s high school conference.
In terms of her extracurricular involvement outside of MUN, Zoe walks backward as a tour guide for the College and is involved in Greek life. She’s also a huge fan of F1, logging restaurants on Beli (add her!), and losing in Mario Kart. If you see her around campus (and have thirty minutes to spare), ask her about the best matcha spots on campus, her thoughts on epistemic skepticism, and her favorite Trader Joe’s snacks.
Zoe is super excited to be an executive on the UNSC and looks forward to seeing how delegates will tackle everything over the course of the weekend! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to reach out. Her email is zoezhu@uchicago.edu.
Rhea Kanuparthi
Crisis Director
Rhea is a second-year majoring in Political Science and Mathematics. She’s from Allen, Texas—which is really just Dallas if you ignore the lack of urbanity. She is a long-suffering fan of every Dallas sports team and anything that drives really fast.
Rhea competes on UChicago’s travel team and served as an Assistant Chair for ChoMUN XXVII and UChicago’s high school conference. Outside of Model United Nations, Rhea works at the Existential Risk Laboratory at UChicago, studying how nuclear weapons can potentially end the world. She also loves to cook incredibly spicy Indian food, watch hours of Sunday Football, and indulge in dramatic but nostalgic Telugu movies.
Feel free to ask her about the greatest moments in cricket history or the cheapest coffee places in Chicago! Rhea is ecstatic to be an executive for the UNSC and watch on as delegates tackle Libya’s complex political climate.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, reach out at any time. Her email is rheakanuparthi@uchicago.edu.
Allen Tousi
CRISIS DIRECTOR
Allen is a third-year majoring in Economics and Statistics. He’s from Montgomery County, Maryland, but he says he’s from the DMV because he thinks it sounds cooler. Allen’s ChoMUN experience began in his first year, where he served as an AC for the AdHoc of the Secretary-General. He was a Crisis Director at ChoMUN XXVII and is currently the Under-Secretary-General of Crisis Committees for MUNUC, UChicago’s high school conference.
Allen’s UChicago involvement ranges from conducting research to writing for the school newspaper. You can typically find him playing the guitar, quoting Curb Your Enthusiasm, or wandering the bookstacks of the Regenstein library. Allen is incredibly excited to help run the UNSC and can’t wait to see how the committee unfolds.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to reach out at tousi@uchicago.edu.
Secretariat oversight:
Francisco Gutierrez, Under-secretary-general